Gray Duck Grit starts and finishes in Northfield, but a couple of the routes get out very close to the Mississippi. I’m going to take a second shot the 200 miler in October. 100 miler has a good chunk of rolling terrain, but doesn’t have the climbing of the 200. You can look at the routes if you’re just looking to have some great rides on gravel.
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Never done the Filthy, get asked by a lot of friends to do it, but it lands in 'cross and hunting season for me. Everyone that does it loves it.
The hardest part of riding in the driftless is you rarely carry speed into the next climb. For the most part, you will ride on the top in the farm fields, then descend into a valley of some kind, ride along the bottom of the valley for a while, then climb up and out.
It is a lot like the Ozarks and best pictured as a plateau with long valleys carved into it.
It is a stunningly beautiful part of the world, unique for the area as it was never glaciated so it is much more rugged than the rest of Minnesota.
Last tid bit, the filthy route is just to the east of the original gravel race, the Almanzo 100 started in 2007. The area has really embraced the gravel racing/riding scene.
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I looked at Gray Duck Grit last near. It felt like a bit too much of a suffer-fest (no pun intended). I did the Heywood last year. Will do it again this year. It’s great to get out in May as the weather starts warming up.
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This sounds reminiscent of Gravel Worlds down in Lincoln, NE. Just non-stop rolling hills. None of them too big, but they just keep coming, one after another. Hence what they like to call the “rolling seas.”
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If you can wait til July, don’t forget Ronde Van Grampian.
25 and 50 mile options.
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The 111 is worth getting to Northfield for. For the 222, it really was amazing riding the gravel roads at night with combines harvesting and the moon rising and lighting up the terrain. The fact that I blew my kit choice, got super sweaty and gave my self hypothermia.
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Wisconsin road races there is WiSport which is an organization that brings together road races and TT across Wisconsin. WiSport 2023 schedule
In addition to races listed on that website, there is the WI state road races in New Glarus and also Ken Woods Memorial Road Race in Twin Cities area.
Suggestion. Put the country in the title of this thread.
I just pre-road the Waterloo Grit & Gravel course yesterday near Waterloo, MI (just west of Ann Arbor). What a beautiful course and the roads are in great condition. If anyone is looking for a race in 8 days (April 29th) I highly recommend.
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@Cory.Rood let us know how it went. If all is going well I think you’re currently out on course🤘
I feel like the weather this weekend couldn’t be much worse 
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It went almost perfectly to plan! The weather was less than ideal, 15-25 mph wind out of the nw that we generally went into for the first 170ish miles. And it died down overnight to be less of a tail wind. At least the b-roads were rideable!
I made one mistake and made a navigational error and tacked on an extra 4 miles that wasn’t completely rideable.
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Dude … don’t be modest. You won!!! 
As a rider who has promised himself never to race more than 4 hours again, I’m both wildly impressed and completely horrified 
Congrats!!
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Super proud of this effort, My goal going in was sub 30. I knew historically that would give me a great chance of a podium. Final time was 28:48! I had a phenomenal race. I felt ‘great’ all day. My mind was right. did the race with 1hr 40 min off the bike. I thought I had royally screwed my chance at a podium when I made my navigational error(4 miles round trip) at almost 21 hours into the race. At the time I thought I was in 3rd and figured at least 2 if not 3 riders had passed me while I was out exploring. Turns out only one passed and one of the two up the road had dropped out. I rolled into a C-store at mile 280(of the course) and the other two that were ahead of me were there, sitting on the floor looking totally cracked. It was obvious I was in the better condition of the 3 of us. We all rolled out together with 60 miles left and rode together for about 10-15 miles before one other rider needed to stop to address a mechanical. Left me and one other rider off the front. With about 25 miles to go we hit a section of the course that suited me more than the other ride(I’m 6’2" and 180lbs, he is about 5’9" and probably 155lbs). It was a slight downhill with a tailwind, I dropped into my aero bars and made an effort that he couldn’t match and solo’d it in.
Unfortunately it looks like I had some kind of calibration issue happen mid race with my PM so I’ve got no clue of the actual numbers I was doing.
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Just goes to prove that putting the work and having a plan are the number 1 & 2 items that lead to success. Monster effort man. 
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Anybody doing Driftless 100 this weekend? 
the weather holds…
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I’ll be there volunteering! Wish I could be racing!
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If the weather holds, I plan on attempting it this weekend.
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Anyone doing/have done The Bear 100 in Laona, WI next weekend? I’m doing it for the first time this year and am curious the types of surfaces we’ll see. I’m sure there’s some gravel and double track but I’m wondering how much really gnarly stuff there is. Talking rutted out double track, deep sand or sections with lots of baby heads. Trying to figure out if this is a 5-6 hour gravel race or a 7-8 hour, lets just finish happy, type of event.
I’ve never done it, but am curious about it … report back and let us know how it went.
Good luck!
Good luck to everyone doing Waterloo tomorrow, it may be a little wet and cold!
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