Race Report: The FILTHY 50 – finally filthy, so very filthy (Stewartville, Minnesota) – by Nicholas Garbis

October 16, 2018October 17, 2018 NicholasGarbis Race Reports gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 6 Comments

One of the greatest mysteries in the Minnesota gravel cycling scene is how a race called the “Filthy 50” has gone so long without really getting filthy. I mean, it’s a mid-October event in Minnesota where there have been blizzards on Halloween. Sure, the race has been dusty, but all of my memories of the […]

Ride Report: The DAMN – Day Across Minnesota – 249 Miles of a 240-mile Race, by Nicholas Garbis

August 30, 2018 NicholasGarbis Race Reports gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 8 Comments

For a while, I’d heard it was not going to happen. The Day Across Minnesota, “The DAMn”, which was run for the first time in 2017, was a massive undertaking. There was never anything or anyone that said the DAMn would run every year until eternity. Events like this are built on the passions of […]

Ride Report – Germany – Gravel Adventure in Lower Alps of Upper Bavaria – by Nicholas Garbis

July 19, 2018 NicholasGarbis Rides / Musings gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 4 Comments

I learned a lot from cartoons growing up. Things like blues, opera, country twang, vaudeville, and that you can survive an anvil landing on your head after jumping into a canyon. I didn’t learn how to build a bike on TV, but pretty sure I learned how to eject myself from one mid-air thanks to […]

Race Report: 2018 Almanzo 100 – Spring Valley, Minnesota by Nicholas Garbis

May 21, 2018 NicholasGarbis Race Reports gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 5 Comments

Almanzo 100, Spring Valley, Minnesota – May 19, 2018 It’s the Saturday after Mother’s Day in the town of Spring Valley in the southern corner of the state of Minnesota. About 70 miles to the east is the Mississppi river, past Bratsberg, Houston, and Hokan, you will find the big river down below the bluffs […]

Ride Report: 2018 Miesville 56 Gravel Ride (Minnesota) by Nicholas Garbis

May 1, 2018May 1, 2018 NicholasGarbis Race Reports gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 8 Comments

April 29, 2018 Twelve days ago there was twelve inches of snow stacking up on the roads and fields here in Miesville, fifty miles southeast of Minneapolis. This morning was clear and cool, just shy of 50F (10C) for the 9:00am start time of the Miesville 56 Gravel Ride. About this time, the Wind was […]

Race Report: The Day Across Minnesota – by Nicholas Garbis

August 18, 2017 NicholasGarbis Race Reports damn race report, day across minnesota, day across minnesota race report, gravel bicycles, gravel bike, gravel bikes, gravel cycling, gravel cycling calendar, gravel cyclist, gravel cyclist calendar, gravel grinder, gravel grinder calendar, gravel grinding, gravel grinding calendar, gravel racing, gravelcyclist.com, monster cross, riding gravel, ultra cross, ultra cx 3 Comments

The news of the “DAMN” — the “Day Across Minnesota” — spread pretty quickly through the gravel riding world of the North. For me, it was momentarily intriguing and then I recall feeling relieved at some later point that I had missed the registration cut off and would not be doing this totally insane thing. […]