2018 Black Fork Gravel Grind

This was the third year for the Black Fork Gravel Jay and Matt do a great job organizing this fast growing event. The first year it was a 30 mile race and last year they expanded to the 30 & 54 mile format. 

Relive '2018 Black Fork Gravel'

There was a good turn out of 300 cyclist ready to take on the challenging hills and gravel roads of the area.  Last year Knox County decided to pave their portion of Wally Rd and there was about 2 miles less gravel this year.

Photo Matt Simpson Newly paved road :(

After the ice box of 2016 and last years monsoon the weather gods finally came through this year.  It was 45 in the morning when I did my 5 mile warm up ride from the cabin to the start and a forecast high of 71 and sunny.

 

 

The first 10 mile of the course are the toughest it stars out with a big climb up Valley Stream which has sections over 20%, followed by a fast descent then up Bill Hill Road. Big Hill lives up to its name a short half mile climb that averages 15% and is very loose and rutted.

 

 

 

 

The last tough bit of road was the closed section of Turkey Ridge which is another half mile of almost 20% with rocks and ruts.  Races were treated to a nice mile or so downhill before hitting the Mohican Valley Trail. There was an aid station that we would pass up twice at mile 12 and 20.  I had a Hammer Gel on the way out knowing I should be able to skip the aid at 20 and be good until the next aid station at mile 36. 

 

Photo Matt Simpson

 

 

My fueling strategy was to use what I know works very well.  I had made 3 bottles of my favorite Orange-Vanilla  Hammer Perpetuem. I had planned to take one Hammer Endorolyte about once and hour and planned on 2-3 Hammer Gels for the race.  Carry 2 bottles on my bike and one in my jersey worked out well.  The weather was not warm at 70 degrees but it seemed to be the first warm day of the year after the winter that never seemed to end. I made it to the 36 mile aid station with about half a bottle left.  I had another Hammer Gel and refilled one bottle with some Perpetuem that I had in a baggie and was on my merry way.

 

There was a nice fast section on Twp. 212 which for the last few years was part of the last 7 miles of the Funk Bottoms Gravel without paying attention I almost turned right on Twp. 211 to finish the Funk, good thing I watched a few riders turn left.  Soon after we turned on 211 there was a 30 miles racer sitting on the side of the road with bad leg cramps.  I gave her my capsule of Endurolytes and 2 Gels.

 

I always seem to start races out very slow, maybe too slow, and keep a steady pace all day.  As usual the last 15 miles of the race I was passing people who went out too fast and were now paying the price.  There were 2 climbs left that I was worried about late in the race Giffen Road and the back side of Big Hill.  Even though my legs were getting a little tired and I was never able to push the pace on a climb all day I had no problem with either of them. 

 

 

 

 

I finished up the last few miles feeling good.  Jay and Matt were at the finish line greeting everyone with a cold beer.  I figured that I would finish around 4:30-5:00 and was quite surprised to finish in 4:10 which was good enough for 68th place.  Up next is the 8th Funk Bottoms Gravel on June 16th.

 

Thanks again to Hammer Nutrition for the continued support!

 

 

 



 

 







 

2017 Year in Review

 

Thank to Hammer Nutrition for once again Sponsoring me in 2017. I am very pleased that I will be part of the Hammer Family again for 2018.

 

 

 

January 141 Miles

 

February 312 Miles

 

March 236 Miles

 

April 411 Miles

 

May 203 Miles

 

June 244 Miles

 

July 328 Miles

 

August 275 Miles

 

September 348 Miles

 

October 263 Miles

 

November 99 Miles

 

December 146 Miles

Cleveland Cobbles

Scouting the Funk Bottoms Gravel

Funk Bottoms Gravel

Funk Bottoms Gravel

 

Broken seat during Black Fork Gravel

 

 

 

Before I fell down the wet stairs

 

First climb on Black Fork Gravel

Walking up Bill Hill Rd.

After Getting hit by a car

Funk Bottoms Gravel

Funk Bottoms Gravel

 

Saw Santa on a run

Kayak on the Mohican river

Ride with Mr. Adam

Ride with Dan

Scouting Funk Bottoms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



2017 Black Fork Gravel Grind: Just not my day

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing went as you had hoped?  Well for me that was this years Black Fork Gravel Grind. Last year the race was 30 miles and I finished second overall.  This year they added a 23 and 48 mile route, naturally I was planning on doing the 48.  Since I was very familiar with the roads and had done some training over the winter on them while scouting out the Funk Bottoms Gravel course which this year travels on a few of the same roads.

My mileage and training have been low this year compared to Mr. BigRing normal standards, but somehow I had managed to get my mileage goal for the month of April. Along with a few runs I felt like my fitness was coming along slowly for the spring but still headed in the right direction. I did one last quick spin on some of the course on Friday, the roads were in great shape and I even set a Strava KOM.

The weather forecast for race day did not look good with heavy thunderstorms starting Friday and continuing through Saturday night. Friday night there was heavy rain but it had stopped and it seemed like we should be able to start dry but get into some rain later. I did my usual race day routine of getting my bottles ready with bottle of my favorite mixture of Hammer Nutrition Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and Lemon-Lime HEED . Since the race starts 5 miles from the cabin I figured that would make a great warm and easy spin in the morning.  I got dressed and finished my bottle of Fully Charged grabbed my bike and head down the stairs  to the race.

When I say head down the stairs I literally meant head down the stairs. Walking across the wet wood deck with my Sidi shoes on I slipped and somehow did something resembling an Irish Jig falling down the stairs before it turned into rolling down the stairs.  In the process I had twisted my left ankle bad and smashed my left shin into the stairs.  I'm not sure which pain was worse my leg which felt like it was broken or my ankle. I walked it off for a few minutes and hopped on my bike for the ride to the start.  Normal riding didn't bother my ankle too bad but putting pressure while climbing increased the pain.

Moments before the big fall.



The Start

 



The Black Fork Gravel Grind starts out at the Mohican Wilderness (same place as Mohican 100 Aid Station 4.5) with an easy 1 mile on a gravel road before the first climb on Valley Stream Rd. its a long step climb with some pitches at 20%. 

Valley Stream

 



This is where my day went from bad to worse. I felt a pop in my seat on the climb and my saddle started to move around and I thought I had broken seat bolt. I made it to the top of the climb and found out my seat rail had broken and popped out of the top.  I smacked it back in place which seemed to work for about a quarter mile.  The heavy rains and lightning which we had hoped would hold off until later had just started.  I stopped again and grabbed my multi-tool and tried to loosen and retighten a few screws on the bottom.  My tool only had a slotted and not Phillip's bit. I tried to pound the seat back in place but it still kept flopping around. A little bit up the road I saw fellow PCL Ohio Chapter member and asked to borrow his Phillip's screwdriver.  That fix lasted about another quarter mile. Bombing down the hills gravel roads at 30+ mph with a saddle that's flopping around is not very fun.

Paul and I road together since miserly loves company. We got to the bottom of Bill Hill Road about 5 miles in and I had debated about dropping out.

Busting out the walk on Bill Hill Rd.

 

 

 



We started riding down Beam in a heavy downpour and neither one of had brakes that seemed to work. Sprained ankle, broken seat, no brakes and we were only 8 miles into a 48 mile race.  We got back to Wally Rd and I decided it would be best to drop out.

 

 

 



 

We road the 2 miles back to the start to let them know we had dropped out.  The good news is were the first of many DNF's for the day.

Paul with a much "earned" beer

 

Not a fun way to ride

 

 

 

 

That night my ankle was swollen and black and blue.  I had done RICE and was off the bike for 3 weeks.  A month after I had hurt my ankle its still slightly swollen and sore. I can at least ride without pain now, although it has a constant dull ache.  Occasionally it does feel like someone is driving a large nail into my ankle.  I would like to thank Hammer Nutrition for supporting me, and Jay and Matt for putting on a great event.

Next race Funk Bottoms Gravel on June 24th.