A Gift to First Time Gravel Riders

Hailey at the Le Grand finish. Photo Josh Kowaleski

We do sponsorship at Heck of the North Productions differently than most. Our primary goal is to share really cool local businesses and products with an amazing collection of gravel cyclists. Sometimes that is by way of giving away a set of HED wheels or Wolf Tooth Components tools. Other times, it is by way of service such as Taiga Design + Build’s help with set up of Le Grand’s base camp. We have great partnerships and we really value that added layer to our events.

Late this Winter, Dr. Hailey Corradi | DPT, CSCS, PMBIA 1, and I talked about sponsorship for the coming season. She wanted to do something unique. So we decided to focus on spreading the joy of gravel cycling to first time participants.

Hailey’s business, Northern Movement PT, is covering the cost of entry for 10 of our first time gravel event riders at Le Grand du Nord. How cool is that!

Dr Corradi is a cyclist and she specializes in helping other cyclists get stronger and cope with pain. I personally can vouch for her work. I trusted her expertise to help manage my low back pain and, by way of her coaching, I feel stronger than I have for years. Contact her via her IG or website for more info.

We thank Our Sponsor partners for their generosity, creativity and dedication to gravel cycling. Please consider them when you are looking for outstanding local service and products. And a special thank you to Hailey for her support of new gravel cyclists.

A Thank You

Photo from our favorite radio station, WTIP, Grand Marais.

Before the craziness of Le Grand du Nord registration begins (tomorrow, 6AM CST, this website) we want to say "Thank You!”

A full hearted Thank You to our federal, state, county and city partners who help make sure our cycling events are safe, efficient, beautiful and legal (lol.) These hardworking people do jobs that often go unnoticed. Their work is often under-appreciated by folks who come up and enjoy the amazing recreation resources the North Shore has to offer. At worst lately, their work has been demonized.

So, to the United States Forest Service, Superior National Forest, thank you for maintaining, building and conserving the roads, forests and wilderness areas of this region. We would be at a huge loss without your service.

To the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, thank you for managing the beautiful trails and roads including the North Shore State Trail. What an amazing network of trails and roads and outdoor resources you help protect.

Lake and Cook County highway departments have been gracious partners for years. We appreciate your work and patience as we utilize these rural arteries in and out of towns.

Lake and Cook County sheriffs, we value your work, helping to provide a level of safety and enforcement in such a vast country. It’s dangerous, challenging and so much more. Thank you.

Our hospital and EMS partners, we love a boring day. But when we call on you, you answer quickly. Thank you.

Please know that in this neck of the woods, our events could not happen without these fine people. Say hello, thank you and know that many are going above and beyond these days to help us Ride the Good Line. Thank you!

Welcome to Le Grand du Nord!

Deep into Le Grand territory. Photo Clint Austin

We are very excited to host the 2025 Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic. Registration goes live Saturday, March 1 at 6 AM. See the Le Grand Registration page for link.

As the season begins, our overriding goal is to produce the finest gravel event we can. So much of what makes our races special is the amazing energy you the rider brings. We encourage all to be Graveleer! . We welcome all people. First time gravel riders. Seasoned veterans. And everyone in between. And say hello to someone you don’t know at the event.

We are adding a new Vintage category to all distances as well as a non-competitive Team e-Bike division for the 26 mile race. We are also planning a bike and parts swap for the event weekend. Stay tuned for details.

Up North is it thawing and the urge to get miles in is big. Stay healthy and happy wherever you are and Ride the Good Line.

Jeremy

Mid Winter and Where we Stand

Won’t be long. Le Grand du Nord climbing up out of Cascade River. Photo Josh Kowaleski

Hello Graveleers! We hope your Winter has been full of all that the season has to offer. Skiing, fat tire biking and strength training have been on the menu. It’s so good to have snow and colder temps to keep life active on the North Shore.

Registration goes live March 1 for Le Grand du Nord!. We are as excited as ever to bring you three events this season (The Wolf is on hold as we balance family life with event hosting). We are trying a new Vintage category as well as a non-competitive team E-Bike category for the 26 mile event. We welcome all and if you’re a seasoned Le Grand rider, invite someone new to gravel racing this year! Links to our registration page will flow through this website.

OK. Time for some hard truths that we want you to be aware of. Our friends and event partners at the United States Forest Service are in a tough spot right now. Coming into the season, we were unsure if the Forest Service would be able to permit our events (all three Heck races rely on roads maintained by the USFS) due to extremely limited budgeting. But they pulled through by way of some incredible work and luck. But we fear that our luck may be running out due to the republican/Trump/Musk push to cut budgets event more within federally funded agencies that help us live our best lives.

I am a politically-minded person by nature and I have always viewed gravel cycling as a form of protest. And I have resisted the urge to be overtly political through our business. This is a complicated thing to balance in my brain and heart. Our primary goal is to bring all types of people together to share the experience of riding gravel. But there are times when world politics seep right into the core of what we do. This is one of those times. The facts are that how we run our family business are being directly impacted by the actions of Trump, Musk and the republican party. Theirs is a thoughtless wrecking ball of behavior that is tearing apart the lives of many hard-working Americans.

My heart hurts for what is going on right now. But we will continue to live within our motto to “Ride the Good Line” and being Graveleer. We will never stop welcoming everyone! Our events are a place to share the best of the cycling life. Be good to each other and learn how you can be part of something helpful in your community.

Jeremy Kershaw jeremybkershaw@gmail.com

...And a Rebuttal from Farrow

Farrow contemplating life after an early Heck of the North

The county asks that I do Well-Child checks on Charles Farrow on a somewhat regular basis. He usually responds well to email so I asked him yesterday, “Are you and Jim doing the Arrowhead 135?” Obviously this is a rhetorical question as Farrow has done it every year and a huge change in his mental and physical habitus would need to occur if he was to not toe the line. Jim is in the same boat. It’s also a form of self flagellation as I know that Farrow likes to correct the errors in my thinking often and usually without mercy.

His response today after I had shared my latest Cadence post as to why I was not training for the Arrowhead this year:

Farrow: “You contradict yourself:

Letz do pros versus cons....related to my question- Why are you NOT signed up for the Arrowhead?

I am missing the experience of training for a big event. (Tour Divide, Arrowhead 135, Birkebeiner) Okay...makes sense. Plus one for the Arrowhead.

I am trying to not believe that I need an extreme endurance event to learn new things about myself. A life not tested is a wasted life...Of course you need to test yourself. Plus two for the AH135

Extreme endurance events have have taught me a lot about myself over the years (Read any event that pushed me to my limits)...Yes. Plus three for doing the Arrowhead

I am craving new events and resisting the pull to do ones I have completed several times (Do I create these myself or commit to ones that are well vetted?) Why continue to do local races? So as to Support local race directors and their efforts. Good thing more people don't think that way. Neutral. AH135 is up three points in the pro category.

I am learning that no event, from dishwashing to racing, will be the same thing twice (Nothing stays the same, there are always new variables, new ways of experiencing) Yes. Another win for doing the AH135. Score so far: Cons-zero Pros: Plus four

With age, I am more amazed with my body’s physiology (Every body is fascinating in its adaptation, resilience, fragility, and capability) Yes. Body awareness is a good thing...neutral.

With age, I am getting more hypersensitive to minute changes in my body’s physiology (Is that A-fib or just palpitation? Am I getting sick? Why am I feeling light-headed…did I drink enough water?) Hey, forget that, you'll end up like (name removed)...or you will turn into a hypochondriac. N/A to AH

I think long distance athletic endeavors are a form of mindfulness (Being acutely aware of oneself, one’s surroundings, one’s movement through space.) Yes...Yet another win for the AH

Score: Don't do the AH-Zero. Do the Arrowhead-Plus Five.

I think long distance athletic endeavors are a form of mindlessness (On many rides and runs I often let my mind wander, not paying attention to where I am and subsequently receive sparks of creativity and answers to life’s riddles) Yes...

I am more appreciative of my time spent with loved ones and how fortunate we are (Children do grow up quickly and there are no guarantees in life)...Okay...Here is a win for the Cons.

I am interested in new experiences in new places with new people (Isolation is an epidemic in this country and I need group activities with people I do not know in places that are unfamiliar.)

Neutral.

So the final score is One point for Not doing the Arrowhead and Six points for doing the Arrowhead. Conclusion: Clearly if you are serious about following your own prescription for change, you should be doing the Arrowhead. “

Jeremy: And to all those fine folks racing the Arrowhead 135 this week, go get it. You won’t regret the experience no matter how it turns out.