It’s that time of year. The official Heck Route Scout! A final ride to make sure the parcours are Heck worthy. It’s also a cheap excuse for me to spend a day in the Northwoods with friends. Most days on the bike are good days. This was an especially banner day. Thanks Charlie Farrow and Rob Milburn for 105 miles of gravel goodness.

The Heck of the North means many things to me and to you the racer. First and foremost is bringing people together to ride bicycles through a beautiful corner of the world. A significant part of this means making sure the courses have the feel and design that I’m looking for: beauty, challenge, variety and functionality. As many of you know and to those who are new to The Heck of the North, I am a restless person. More years than not see me adjusting the routes for various reasons. Sometimes it is because of a newly “discovered” road that must be ridden. Others, it is about logistical reasons like washed out roads or wildfires. Sometimes, I just get bored and I want to see if a new direction feels better. I know some get tired of my fiddling. It makes it hard to compare times from year to year. But I have a deep seated belief that the Heck is about adventure and challenge. For me, designing routes is a big part of my Heck satisfaction. I hope you enjoy this year’s offerings.

This year, I altered the routes to help make our finish line a somewhat safer area. Riders will now have a straighter shot to the line! Please remember that this is not a stage of the Tour de France or Paris Roubaix. Close, but still not that serious. Thanks for taking it easy and being safe as you make your finish line sprint.

Here are points to remember for 2022:

Very important: wave start times have changed! Riders can roll across the timing mat anytime within their distance. Serious racers must start at the earliest time to be considered for podium placing:
- The 105 mile course begins at 8:00 am and ends at 8:20 am
- The 55 mile course begins at 8:30 am and ends at 8:50 am.
- The 20 mile course begins at 9:00 am and ends at 9:20 am.
Route GPX files are being sent to you today via a BikeReg email. Please follow this to the courses that are housed within Ride with GPS. DO NOT believe the percentages of pavement vs gravel that Ride with GPS designates on these maps. They are almost entirely gravel with just a few miles of pavement in the 105 and 55 mile courses. The 20 mile is 99% gravel.
This year we are providing free soup at the Heck Base Camp at the finish line for all participants. Northland Larder will be serving their world famous meat chili, whitefish chowder, and veggie soup. Please stick around and share food with friends. We will also be having our incredible photographer, Josh Kowaleski of Pointed North Photography, shooting your portraits mid race (don’t worry, you will not be able to miss the spot.) Please take the time to grab a free, professionally shot photo during your journey.
Course highlights. For the 105 Milers: I really like the design of this year’s 105 mile course. It has a bit of everything. Mostly gravel. But expect two different runs over the North Shore State Trail snowmobile trail. This means grass, some large wet spots and generally slow going. We may not have steep hills but we make up for it with these iconic connectors. There’s a stream crossing (mile 50,) some rubbly bits and some downright rocky patches. For the 55 Milers: This is last year’s course that is just too good not to use again. Mostly gravel with some rougher miles after the checkpoint. For the 20 Milers: A great introduction to North country gravel cycling. It’s an out and back with a two track lollipop midway. I hope you enjoy this route!
Tires and bikes: I experiment with tires and gear. I think the best width of tires for our routes at the Heck are around 40 mm. There will always be sections of the routes at the Heck where a wider tire would be preferred. Some people might even wish for a dual suspension bike for a few meters. But I always gear for the predominant conditions, hence my rec for 40 mm tires. Make sure your bike is in good working order. We will not be able to offer any race day mechanics at this time of writing.
If you plan to tent camp at Agate Acres Farm you must register. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more information. If you want to trailer camp you must go elsewhere- there are a few spots on a first-come, first-served basis. The map for these locations will be sent with the route gpx files (“Heck Landmarks.”)
Please email me with questions. Please be appreciative of our amazing volunteers as they make this event happen! Please be welcoming to new faces at the event! Be Graveleer!
Here are some parting shots from yesterdays Scout. Ride the Good Line!