GRAVEL! - usually a loud verbal warning about adverse road conditions on a road group ride, but the perfectly normal condition on a gravel ride. Introducing UNKNOWN Gravel! Road riding is still a blast but some folks are looking for new challenges - and gravel bikes can provide just that taking you to new scenic places with less traffic. At the start, common questions are "Where do I ride?", "What are the roads like?" or "What equipment do I need?" - well at the UNKNOWN Gravel! website we are going to help answer those questions - at least in the Charlotte area. For now, there are a few tested routes within an hour or two of Charlotte with info on the ride itself, parking, and GPX/TCX files to follow in your Garmin or Wahoo. Also, info on how to load a route to your Garmin. Know a great route? Let us know we'll check it out.

NEW: Unknown Gravel! event Jan 26 in Clover SC

Some basic info: Modern gravel bikes tend to have road geometries and rider fit but the frames and wheels are wider and handle bigger tires, run tubeless, and have disc brakes. To contrast, a Cyclocross bike will have a higher bottom bracket for clearing obstacles and shorter wheelbase for better handling on the demanding tight courses seen in most CX events. However, these CX bikes and even idle mountain bikes can ride gravel just fine - and certainly get you started until you are ready to make a bigger investment. Some custom gravel bikes are getting 1X11 or 1X12, referred to as "One By" shifting to simplify the design, decrease weight, and improve reliability. In a One By design there is no front derailleur and the rear derailleur is generally a mountain pedigree, has a longer cage, and what is known as a clutch to prevent chain slack when riding on bumpy surfaces although some road derailleurs are now available with a clutch. One By solutions tend to have the same gear range as a 22 or 24 speed but with fewer gears in between gears... If that matters a Two By allows for complete gear range as well as the in between gears.

​Five differences between road and gravel bikes. 

For the cockpit, people prefer road shifters and standard drop bars with a little flair as an option. Wheels like the Boyd Pinnacle 700c disc can be paired with tires that have just a little tread like the Specialized Sawtooth in a size of over 30mm can cover most packed gravel in the area and roll nicely when the surface is paved. As the conditions get muddy or more technical so will your choice on tire, wheels and related equipment. Some frames support both 700c and 650b wheelsets. For 650b tires can hold more volume and be 2.5 inches or more making for a more confortable ride and support more technical trails (more roots and rocks). Generally, roadies also switch to mountain or SPD pedals and shoes as they tend to stay cleaner and handle abuse when debris is encountered and dismounting is needed. Who wants to get a $300 Sidi shoe stuck in the mud/gravel anyway? SPD stays cleaner and easier to walk in at the pub after the ride or wear to a spin class when no outside riding is possible at all.

As for roads - there are an increasing number of resources for identifying good gravel routes. One is on the UNKNOWN Gravel! website. But those are just for the Charlotte area. There is also a Google map of the US with some gravel roads identified. The problem with this map is it is not complete, shows hybrid routes as gravel roads, does not have GPX/TCX files or route info, and will likely take a long time to get right. When building your own route or looking for roads - think old fire roads and rural areas. These tend to have the most gravel sections. Gravel roads also tend to drain very well after rain making this a better cycling sport than mountain biking after heavy rain. Also, Strava if you know someone who said "Hey that was the best gravel ride ever" - you may want to look at the route and then export the TCX/GPX for yourself.

In summary, there are a few things to consider when setting up a gravel bike. Some of this has already been thought through by the manufacturers and so you can buy one ready to go with some of these things in mind and at a range of prices. Regardless, if you build your own or buy one - get out and ride and have fun on the gravel surface.

Thanks to First Flight Bicycles and Boyd Cycling for the help on the current routes. Find gravel events on WeeklyRides.com and join Boyd Cycling 2/9/19 for their gravel event at Sumter National Forest. Check BikeSource, Bicycle Sport, First Flight, Cycle Haus, or favorite local bike shop for equipment if you don't have a bike configured for gravel just yet - or if you have questions about equipment.

​Comments, feedback? Let us know.
More info at https://www.unknowncycling.org/gravel.html

Sample wheels, tires, shoes and pedals:

Max and I were in the airport waiting for our flight to Ireland and the World Cup was playing. We stopped to watch the final moments between Croatia and Russia. It was a cracker of a game. Croatia scored to pull ahead by one with 20 minutes left, leaving Russia, the underdog, breathless and on the verge of elimination. 

Through sheer will and determination, Russia, off a set play, knocked a screaming header into the back of Croatia’s net with less than five minutes left in regulation. The stadium erupted, their emotions flipped 180 degrees in the flick of a second. I turned to Max and grinned. “This is why people love sport. It is in these moments, when the odds are against you and the pressure is on, that greatness rises into view.”

While we didn’t feel pressure, the odds were stacked against the DORNIER Racing squad going into the 2018 Junior Tour of Ireland. We had a young team with plenty  of inexperience in international races. On top of that, I, an experienced racer, was in a brand new role as Director. However, similar to the Croatia vs Russia game, simply because the odds are against you does not exclude anyone from the sweet taste of victory.  It takes grit, skill, determination, and a little luck and any David can fell a Goliath. 

​For the riders the days in a stage race follow a consistent pattern. Wake up. Eat. Race. Eat. Go back to the hotel. Eat. Relax. Eat. Team meeting. Eat some more? Sleep. Myself and Alexis would take care of things like bikes and water bottles and planning for the next day.

Stage 1 was simple - a 6 kilometer rolling time trial. No tactics here, just brute strength. Seth was our highest place rider at 21st of 120 racers - around 40 seconds behind the leader but more importantly only 20 seconds from the top 5. Now the real racing could begin.

That goal for stage 2 was to stay safe and figure out where we ranked in the peloton. It would be hectic. The first stage of an international stage race always is! But it would provide us with an idea of where we stood amongst all the riders. Early on we had some crashes and flat tires but the boys kept calm and got back into the main field using the caravan. The race ended in a bunch sprint and our two strongest riders, Lance and Seth finished on the same time as the leaders. Ride of the day went to Gino who crashed heavily with 20 kilometers to go and had to ride the rest of the race with an upturned saddle!

After discussing our strengths and weaknesses, I decided with the boys that we couldn’t just sit in all race and wait for it to come to us. We had to try something. Stage 3 went up and over an exposed berg near the ocean. Seth was going to step on the gas a little and try to see if he could force any splits to start gaining time while the rest of the guys were going to try and make those splits in order to give us options on the run into the finish. Seth gave it a go but a headwind over the climb negated his efforts and the bunch rolled towards the finish as one big group. Ride of the day went to Brooks Wienke who crashed heavily with 2 kilometers remaining. When I got to him, he said he wanted to finish the stage. He courageously made it to the finish line but a broken bike and minor concussion prevented him from starting the next day - stage races can be cruel.

Stage 4 featured more climbs and more exposed coast line. The goal was for Seth to conserve his energy and for the other boys to give it a go. And we did just that. Our youngest member, Lance Davidson got into a strong 8 man breakaway. He picked up mountain points, put pressure on the leader behind, and made a name for himself riding like a hard man. With 20 kilometers to go, the break split, with Lance still in the front. Unfortunately this caused a change in the tactics behind and the breakaway was reeled in with less than 10 kilometers remaining. Another bunch sprint ensued and the status quo stayed in tact more or less. Ride of the day easily went to Lance for being aggressive and putting his nose out there going after a stage win. He also picked up quite a few KOM points! Unfortunately, in a moment of being his good natured self, Lance was passing an extra bottle he had snagged to his breakaway mates which caused him to go from 1st to 5th moments before cresting the largest climb of the day! Had he nabbed it, he would have been second overall in the Climber competition!

​
Stage 5 was our last opportunity to create any real time gaps in order to claw back those 20 or so seconds we needed for a top 5 overall. We were going to race for the stage win and let the GC fall into place. The goal was for Seth to be aggressive and the other guys to help him. Seth was confident in his abilities but in order to win on the final climb to the finish, he needed to be away from the leader of the race.

In the finale of stage 5, Seth was aggressive and put himself in several promising moves. The yellow jersey ended up having a flat tire causing a huge chase from behind. Several crashes and attacks over the climbs caused the race to splinter into about 10 different groups. Seth was always at the front trying to create an opportunity but was continually shut down. On the final climb, he stayed with the leaders until the last 100 meters or so when he lost the wheel. The gap to the front group was barely more than a few bike lengths but it was enough for the judges to penalize Seth with real time to the leaders instead of group time. Those 13 seconds would have lifted him from 11th overall to the top 5 like we had wanted. Ride of the day - Seth. He rode positively and aggressively when a lot of others were willing to sit back and wait for the race to come to them. After the stage I had a lot of other teams come up to me and compliment the boys on their aggressive style of racing.

​The shake up from Stage 5 meant that the final stage was going to be very aggressive. The new leader’s team was an unknown and the big teams would be licking their chops. I told the guys to watch for weakness from the leader and follow the big teams. Halfway through the stage, Max Bein crashed heavily. It took a while to get his chain back on and he grimly chased for 3 laps in the caravan trying to get back while the field ahead was racing full gas. He was almost there when another crash caused the cars behind to block the road which opened one gap too many. While he never made it back on I was seriously impressed by Max’s determination and the ride of the day goes to him. 

At the end of the race we didn’t win anything. We didn’t get a top 10 in the GC or a top 5 overall. But the results sheet doesn’t show everything. The boys raced hard, they raced aggressively, they raced like they wanted it. They also honed their racing craft, using the caravan, feeding from the cars, paying attention to the wind, arriving to dinner on time. And I’m incredibly proud of them for the efforts that they put forth. Bike racing doesn’t always work out in your favor but they weren’t scared of a huge international race and gave it a go. That’s the biggest win in my book. (The End)

For a video of the 2018 Junior Tour of Ireland click here:

Author: Alder Martz
Photos: Susan Wienke

Thanks to Alder and Alexis for managing the team on the ground in Ireland. Thanks to the sponsors and the people of the Junior Tour of Ireland, especially Alice, for putting on a great race trying to thank you all for a sometimes thankless effort. Special thanks to our sponsors without which we could not participate in such a world class event:

American DORNIER
Charlotte Knights
Keffer Mazda/VW
Freedom Financial Solutions
BikeSource Charlotte
Hincapie Sportswear
Veristor Systems
Threadline Prints
B-LINE Natural Energy
Unknown Bike & Brew
DOS Ruedas Coffee
OneLap2Go Coaching

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and is manages most of the largest global bike events, fondos, and races (Except the Tour de France run by ASO). This weekend in Winston-Salem DORNIER Racing had the opportunity to race in the UCI Winston-Salem Cycling Classic. This UCI 1.1 race is very popular and has become one of the most exciting weekends of bike racing in the Southeast. Teams from all over the world come to compete in a crit and on a nine mile circuit through the closed roads of Winston-Salem. The DORNIER Racing Women faced off against  continental and world tour teams like Astana, Rally, TIBCO, Hagens Berman, and UHC, to name a few. These are teams that make full-time jobs out of racing bikes while our women are at work in professional jobs like accounting and teaching. ​

Why this picture ???
Why on this day???
There is a picture in this picture - Elisa painted a tribute to the Unknown Bike & Brew Club and gave it to Steve "Foxy" Fox on this day - the two year celebration party. But why did we choose this picture when there are so many others throughout the year?

Unknown Bike & Brew started as a training ride for people who were going to do the bigger MS rides but needed a place to train. From that ride we made it a weekly ride. From that weekly ride we started raising money for MS and other causes like 24 Hours of Booty, Alzheimer's Association, Bike Luck, Bike2DC, Cystic Fibrosis. The Unknown Bike & Brew weekly ride is free so people started showing up. The fact that the Unknown Brewery gives $1 to MS for every rider makes the free ride a great way to give to charity simply by showing up. After the launch - each week more people showed up and now 40-100 people come out each week and ride at 2:30PM each Saturday.  And some stay after the ride to drink a beer and tell stories. We like that too.

But why this picture? First of all Foxy - he is the leader of the ride and the volunteers. Each ride they get direction from Foxy and lead out a 10, 25 and 35 mile marked route. The great thing about these routes is they overlap each other so support and sweep happens naturally. Have a flat? Someone will help you out. New to biking? Ride the 10 mile route with Liz and Christine they will show you the way. Getting better? Jonathan and Skinny will take you on the 25 mile route. In over your head? There's a secret 18 mile option to get you back sooner. Starting to go farther and faster? The 35 mile route will challenge even the strongest racers and riders.

Back to the photo. Also in this photo is Elisa - she is new to the club. Any club needs new people and she is the greatest kind of new person in that she rides her bike, likes beer, and gives back. By painting the picture taking the time and thought to give back to the Club she personifies what makes the Club great. Did we mention the Club is free too?

What is missing form this picture is an actual bike. And that is because the Club has become more than just about a bike ride. It's about people - like the two in this picture - the oldest and newest members of the Club. Thanks for being part of it on this day - the day we celebrate and recognize two years of fundraising and over $115,000 raised with our partners the Unknown Brewing Company and American Dornier.  THANKS

New to group biking?  Need an entry-level group ride and route?  Consider the “Pint” ride at Unknown Brewery every Saturday at 2:30pm.
 
Not new to group biking?  Maybe you haven’t had the time to dig the bike out of the back of the shed in a while.  If you are looking to improve your fitness, looking for a new hobby, looking to meet a few people, or looking to share your love of biking with your family, look no further.
 
Rick Pryll brought his wife, Holly, and their two kids, Edie and Jack, ages 11 and 9, to the “Pint” ride last Saturday:
 
“I was not sure what to expect.  My son was riding a BMX bike.  My daughter was riding an extra small mountain bike.  My wife was riding a beach cruiser.  We’ve done some greenway rides before.  Would we make it?”
 
“Yes.  We not only finished the ride, we each learned a little something along the way.  The “Pint” course is challenging – let’s not beat around the bush - there are more than a few hills to get up.  But in terms of contending with car traffic, navigating left hand turns, and communicating within the group, we could not have been in better hands.  The ride features both a leader* and a sweeper**, and as long as you stay between them, you are good to go.”
 
“We had a blast.  Back at the brewery, there was a food truck parked outside, so I was able to get the kids something to eat while Holly and I enjoyed a few beers with the crew.  The kids are already asking when we can do it again.”
 
As a way to get the family outside participating in an activity that is free, challenging and rewarding, cycling is a great option for a Saturday afternoon.  The Unknown Bike & Brew “Pint” is an entry-level introduction to the art of group riding in an urban environment.  If you are looking for a way to bridge up to the 25-mile route, or if you are looking for a more social way to learn how to get around the city on two wheels, the Unknown Bike & Brew “Pint” ride is friendly, supportive and educational.  Come on out and join us.  You’ll be glad you did.
 
*Thank you, Liz! 

Sometimes it's just best to let others tell a story.  In the case of Liz that is what we are doing here.  Thanks for supporting the Unknown Bike and Brew and making it great and everything else you do in the community.

"Liz and her teal helmet are a regular sight at cycling events in and around Charlotte – from 24 Hours of Booty to the Bike MS: Greater Carolinas rides to the Free Wheelin Fridays - Bike Commute bike commuting breakfasts. Through her leadership of the Bank of America Bike MS teams, she is always seeking out new riders to join her in the fight against MS.

She is a dedicated mentor to new triathletes through the Tri It For Life program, and a patient and kind route leader on the Unknown Bike & Brew Pint ride. You can easily see how much she enjoys helping new cyclists become confident and comfortable on the bike… and her genuine kindness is contagious.

If you look for Liz in group photos, she’s often sporting the 'Selfie Steve' smile – a recent tradition born out of the silliness and camaraderie within our cycling community. She’s always up for a ride so keep an eye out for that teal helmet, wave hello and follow along to learn from a savvy cyclist." - Christine Weber

​"Liz is strong in every sense of the word.She is physically strong as she participates  in all 3 Carolina MS Bike events and completed a MS Challenge Walk (50 miles).
Liz is strong mentally, pushing through barriers that most people would just quit.
Liz is strong emotionally, supporting friends and family and always keeps an ear open to give a kind word, jump in to assist with a job or give a hug.
Liz has a strong sense of humor and is quick with a smile and a joke.
I'm blessed to have her as a friend." - Stephen Fox

"Hey!!! I know her! That's my bike mentor!!! She's the best!!! She'll even laugh with you when running your bike into her's and pushing her over!!! Pint group forever, Liz!!! I'll always remember my first ride at Unknown and how welcoming you were!" - Tracey Ann Stone

"Stephen Fox (AKA Foxy) is an amazing man, his love of people and his willingness to share his heart is contagious. Starting the Unknown Ride with the help of The Unknown Brewing Company owners and cyclist friend Chris Guella, their passion to help Bike MS: Greater Carolinas quickly took off after finding out that the brewery owners wife has MS affecting her family. Under Foxy the team has grown and grown with cyclist of every ability being welcomed and loved no matter what. Foxy wears his heart on his sleeve in all the right ways, taking his passion for cycling and using it for all the good he can leverage in this world. Wanting to help those who need it most, Unknown-Dornier cycling has taken on 24 Hours of Booty this year to help make an even larger impact on those here in our community who have needs. His constant concern for team mates, the sharing of his love with others and his enthusiasm for cycling has created the perfect storm for making a real difference in the lives of others. That's my Foxy!" - Randy Fulp

A great day Jan 30, 2016 at the Unknown Bike & Brew. The short video below shows how a typical day with B&B goes... It also highlights the great views of Charlotte on the most scenic bike return in Charlotte.

Come join us Saturdays at 2:30PM...