Three years ago when we moved to the Midwest, I was a 700x25c, 100psi riding SoCal roadie. I was asked if I was going to race cyclocross and I almost spit out my La Croix. Mud, dirt, off road?! Um, if I saw sand in the road I’d freak out internally. How am I going to race cross, and on what bike? When’s the first race?
I did what anyone else would do – built a custom titanium shred sled, paired it with latest wireless shifting system and had a set of hand built wheels built, ‘cause N+1?
For the last three years I’ve raced road, and faked my way through the cx seasons. My roadie friends introduced me to gravel, by pressuring me into Barry Roubaix, the freezing rain 37 degree year. Somehow, I was hooked. The following year I did Dirty Kanza after being inspired by the single speed ladies of Chicago who killed DK the previous year. And I realized I really like endurance gravel racing. So I’ve hung up those 25s {well, bolted that bike to the trainer} and this year I’m fully committing to a gravel season.
Which is why I’m super excited to announce that I’ve been invited to the 2019 The Meteor // Intelligentsia women’s gravel squad and will be racing this season in red! The team is switching focus to off road pursuits and I’m stoked to tag along with some amazing women. And I’ve added a few more races to the calendar. Super thankful already for the sponsors involved in helping us through the season!
It’s definitely an exciting time to be a part of something bigger than myself, and during such a transitional time for the sport. Gravel events are gaining in popularity and I’m convinced it’s good for the sport of cycling. Road isn’t necessarily “dead,” but it’s a little stale, static, and stuck with a long, storied history. And while gravel isn’t necessarily new, as there have always been unpaved roads, the technology is rapidly evolving, and the grassroots events are gaining in popularity. New events are being added to the calendar and to a farm road near you, every year. An all-road approach to the sport just broadens where we ride, and sometimes taking the path less traveled is more fun. {And yes, sometimes going FastAF around a closed course in a hip downtown area is fun too.}
There are two ways to approach the increased popularity in gravel: Retro grouch, keep gravel underground, or embrace the change, accept that bigger corporations will want to be involved, which will bring more money, and more importantly, more participation to cycling. In anything, growth and change are difficult, but look what happens without it. {Cough, looking at you, road.}
If you’ve been to a gravel event, or have managed to find a results list, you may have noticed the male to female participation numbers aren’t quite balanced. I’m excited to be a part of an initiative to get more women off road. To show that we can, and will help this sport grow, and to accommodate, welcome, encourage, and support women on the bumpy roads ahead.
So if you see me at an event or on {off} a road near you, say hi, give me a hug, take a selfie, and let’s ride.
My #gravgrav season just got a lot more rad and I’ve got matches to burn.
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