The Rawland Fall Tour: An Adventure On Gravel

The Rawland Fall Tour: An Adventure On Gravel: by Guitar Ted

Recently I was invited to join some fellow gravel road riding afficianados on a ride in the South-Central Minnesota hill country. This ride is in its 3rd year, and as the title suggests, it takes place in Fall, (October 3rd this year), is mostly ridden on gravel roads, and isn't a race, but a true "tour" of the landscape. Essentially it is a "no drop" group ride.  Definitely an adventure, since it doesn't have any support, besides a mid-ride lunch break, and definitely difficult in that the hills and road surface were challenging, but definitely within the realms of any serious cyclists.It is sponsored and put on by Rawland Cycles.

Approximately 60 cyclists took off shortly after 10am on a perfectly clear, brisk morning and after rolling some flattish gravel, headed into the hills. The group was rolling along at a fair pace- say about 15-18mph, but the ride leaders stopped to gather any slow-coaches on a regular basis to keep us in check.

This was all good and fine, barring any mechanicals, or other trouble. I fell victim to a flat tire about 10 miles in, but in a true show of what cycling fellowship can be, several riders stopped to chat and waited patiently for me to finish up my repair. That was very humbling, and far too kind. I did have a cue sheet, after all! But I certainly appreciated their company during and after my repair.

Fall colors in full force.Now one of the unique features of riding on crushed rock roads is that bicycle tires leave some pretty obvious tracks. If you were behind a group of bicyclists, it would be easy for most folks to follow their trail. You would think that at least one of the six of us trailing cyclists would have recognized that as we rolled away from my flat repair site.

Well, you would think so...

Actually, what happened was that someone had their head buried in the cue sheet, while the rest of us were merrily chatting, and no one caught on to the right hand turn the others made, and we went left by mistake. To the tune of three miles for the round trip! This mistake made us fall even further behind the main group to the point that time and other constraints became issues for some of our small group. Well, we made our own plans out on the road, and a modified loop was conjured up that still would include the all important lunch stop.

Gotta re-fuel!

However; before that we had a fair amount of riding to do. And why rush it? The day was warming up to a very comfortable 67 degrees, the skies remained blue bird clear, and the breezes were refreshing and light. I was enjoying the company as we rolled away the miles under our tires. Sure, it was an adventure, but one of the relaxing kind.

A cyclist ascends Shady Lane RoadStill, all wan't easy. There were some very challenging climbs that required much effort and the lower gears. There was beauty all around, vying for the attention of the rider when he should be looking at the task at hand.

Although it was a challenge, it was one of those rides you are so glad to have done. In the end, we made our lunch stop just in time, and we headed out on the last leg. The short cut took us over about seven miles of pavement with one climb of about a mile and a half or so that was pretty relentless. No quarter given, even on pavement it seems!

Some Tips On Gravel Road Riding:

A fine day to have ridden a bicycle and in a very fine area of the country. If you have never ridden un-paved back roads, I highly recommend the experience. A good, sturdy bicycle with excellent brakes, lower gears, (if it is hilly where you live or are riding), and the capability to run 30+ millimeter tires usually works best for this sort of ride. Bring a repair kit, a map, plenty of food and drink, and a sense of adventure.

Typically back roads are less trafficked by automobiles, but don't get lulled into thinking no one will be cresting the opposite side of that hill you are climbing! Stay to the right, and you'll be all right! Another thing about gravel roads and back roads is that they follow the contours of the land much more closely. So be prepared to go slowly up and quickly down, and be careful! Those surfaces can be sketchy, especially loose gravel. It's best to stay controlled until you get some experience.

Finally, share your experience. It isn't wise to ride alone unless you know the land quite well, and even then, it isn't the best option. Riding with friends also heightens the adventure aspect, since sharing experiences is always more fun than not. Plus, if you do flat, or worse, you've got a support system to help you out right at hand.

Gravel road and back road experiences are happening all over the country. Check out this site: Gravel Grinder News, for more on where you can find a ride near where you live.