Gravel Race Up Spruce Knob (2019)

[Sunyata]

Now that everyone has gotten back from Croatan and are super stoked about gravel racing and the rest of you are feeling some pretty intense FOMO…

I am going to turn your attention to another amazingly well run gravel race: The Gravel Race Up Spruce Knob (or GRUSK, since that is a lot of syllables). If you guys remember correctly, I convinced Reji to do this race last year and she absolutely CRUSHED it, taking a nice third place on the Classic Course.

I highly recommend the race, since it is in a beautiful location with some of West Virginia’s most scenic gravel roads. This year, in addition to the 50 and 70 mile courses, they added a two-day (or one day if you are Subby) 158 mile bikepacking race that you can either choose to do supported (meaning you will stay in a hotel in Davis) or unsupported (meaning you will camp and carry all of your camping gear with you). I have already signed up and will be doing the unsupported version and think everyone who has the means should do the same. It will be super fun. There will be delicious beer and burritos at Hellbender’s in Davis before we camp. If you need a ride, I can carry three extra people but only one extra bike (assuming that my new motorized bike carrier will be ready by then…).

If you do not have the means to do the two-day race, you should definitely still come out to do the regular race. The beer afterwards alone is worth the drive.

https://www.bikereg.com/grusk

Topic

[sjclaeys]

I’m signed up for the 70 mile race on Saturday. What could go wrong?

[Subby]

Only two people registered for the GRUSK Grande Loco category so you are basically guaranteed to podium.

[sjclaeys]

@Subby 188963 wrote:

Only two people registered for the GRUSK Grande Loco category so you are basically guaranteed to podium.

And don’t you get to do Saturday’s race for free? So much winning!

[Sunyata]

@Subby 188963 wrote:

Only two people registered for the GRUSK Grande Loco category so you are basically guaranteed to podium.

If this were any other year… But alas, my “fun” year does not allow such… endeavours.

[kwarkentien]

This looks interesting but I need to get my (fat) ass in gear (kit) if I have any chance of surviving any of it. Hmmmmmmm…

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[Sunyata]

So everyone seemed to enjoy the bikepacking trip out on the canal this weekend.

Here is your shot to enjoy another beautiful weekend with friends and your bike on some lovely WV gravel!

Come ride bikes with me and camp in Davis, WV! There will be burritos and beer.

[Steve O]

@Sunyata 191180 wrote:

So everyone seemed to enjoy the bikepacking trip out on the canal this weekend.

Nice of you to ride out and greet us on the way back!

[secstate]

Looks like a great ride!! I’m in for the overnight.

[kwarkentien]

For reasons not entirely clear to me, I signed up for the Classic Route so I’m in.

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[consularrider]

Why is there no 60+ category for the Classic Route?

[Sunyata]

@consularrider 191476 wrote:

Why is there no 60+ category for the Classic Route?

Why is there no 60+ category for women? (Welcome to my world!)

The Classic route is much shorter and tends to have much lower registration, so the organizer breaks it up into less groups. There is not even a single speed category for the shorter course.

[secstate]

Also, for anyone contemplating the two-day ride, it seems there will be a shuttle to ferry camping gear from the ride start to the Day 1 ending point in Davis. I’m guessing they’ll also shuttle gear back to the start after camping but that’s not explicitly mentioned in the e-mail. So, if a worry about how to carry your gear is an obstacle to registering, looks like it won’t be an issue. Bikepacking without the packing!

[Sunyata]

There are also a couple of hotels and several Air BNB’s in Davis if camping is not exactly your style. Come ride bikes, drink beer, and eat burritos (and ice cream) with me!

[secstate]

The 158-mile route was a wild ride with a huge range of conditions, from fast, paved downhills in the fog to an abandoned stretch of forest service road ridable only with a mountain bike (or, as we discovered, a highly modified Subaru). It was also a wonderful tour of that part of West Virginia.

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[drevil]

@secstate 192032 wrote:

The 158-mile route was a wild ride with a huge range of conditions, from fast, paved downhills in the fog to an abandoned stretch of forest service road ridable only with a mountain bike (or, as we discovered, a highly modified Subaru). It was also a wonderful tour of that part of West Virginia.

What was your bike and tire setup? (For you, and anyone else that did the GRUSK and doesn’t mind sharing. Pics don’t hurt also )

[Author]

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