As you may know, scouting the courses for our events is one of my favorite things to do. Last week, I rode key sections of the 110 mile course and also the entirety of our new, “Marathon” route. Here are a few thoughts from the day.
I rode the 40 mile “Shoe Lake Rd” loop of the 110 mile event. Overall, the gravel was fast, firm and ready to go. There are approximately three miles that I call the “Powers Lake Rd” sector that is the roughest and rockiest of the whole 110 course. But my 35 mm tires handled it fine.
There were wolf and moose tracks for miles. I love this element of the event. Maybe you will be fortunate enough to see sign of these creatures, too.
There are no gas stations. Almost no houses or homesteads. There’s just a lot of wild Northwoods. But all routes are open to traffic and please ride to the right of the road. On blind hills and corners, please ride as if there is a car approaching. Stay safe, visible and predictable while riding.
We will have gpx files for the Marathon distance available today and the 54 and 110 mile courses next week. You will see an email from our BikeReg partners about this data.
If you are sure you are not riding, please email me to remove you from the start or wait lists.
The Governor’s orders may be loosening up the state guidelines which is great. But we will be following our more strict policies for this year’s event. Please keep a bike length apart, wear a face mask while not riding and practice good hand hygiene.
We strongly believe in vaccinations and encourage you to get yours before being part of Le Grand du Nord. It is the right thing to do for yourself, your family, your community, this country and the global pandemic. It will help our businesses get moving again. It helps protect our most vulnerable members of the community. Thanks for doing your part!
We will send out one final communication via BikeReg about race day logistics, parking areas, etc. Please read when you get a letter from them!
If you have any questions about gear or gravel cycling, please contact one of our Gravel Go-To’s. We’re happy to help!
We can’t wait to have you up North again. Stay safe and Ride the Good Line!
Jeremy Kershaw
