Not for Gravel Only: The Donnelly Sprinter is Hitting the Highway
and coming to an Event Near You
The Donnelly Cycling support van is revving up its engine for a ten-event spring X’PLOR Tour. The tour officially commences on March 31, with the Race Cascadia Super G in Capital Forest, Washington. Depending upon the event, riders will have an opportunity to test ride Donnelly’s newest treads and revered favorites, grab a discount code, take advantage of some neutral tech support, and perhaps win a raffle prize or two.
After stops at the Gorge Gravel Grinder (Apr 8) in The Dalles of Oregon and the Belgium Waffle Ride (Apr 13-14) in San Marcos, CA, the Donnelly Cycling X’PLOR Tour will make its way down the west coast to the Sea Otter Classic (Apr 19-22). Following that four-day event – at what is now considered the bike industry’s Interbike of festivals – the tour does a turnabout, heading northwest to toward Colorado.
SAGE Titanium Bicycles will be providing a limited number of Barlow Gravel demo bikes for the X’PLOR Tour, all equipped with FSA’s new adventure line handlebars, cranks and wheels. The demo bikes will allow riders to get a taste of Donnelly’s freshest rubber, including the new instant spring classic, the CDG. Four years in development, the CDG is an extension of both the Donnelly road Strada and the adventure tire, the Strada USH.
“No matter if you’re having a wet, slushy spring or a dry one, you’ll be able to put the new CDG to the test,” said James Sullivan, Donnelly’s pro team mechanic and X’PLOR Tour manager. “The CDG was designed for diverse conditions including slushy, melting snow, sand, salt, and road and hard pack with loose pebbles or dirt,” he continued. “But if you’re lucky enough to have a dry spring, the fast rolling center tread will fly over pavement.”
The van will also be stocked with some of Donnelly’s most popular adventure treads including the MSO and the USH, and the Strada USH. Sullivan, who doubles as Donnelly Pro Cycling’s pro mechanic during cross season will also be available to talk tire shop. “I like to get to the event early when possible, ride some of the course and take a few photos so that I can provide informed tire recommendations to participants,” Sulliivan said. He will also be preloaded with and delving out discount codes to purchase tires through the Donnelly Cycling and ProNet websites.
Donnelly Cycling X’PLOR Tour: Complete Schedule
- March 31 – Race Cascadia Super G – Capital Forest, WA – https://www.racecascadia.com/superg
- April 8 – Gorge Gravel Grinder – The Dalles, OR – https://www.oregongravelgrinder.com/
- April – 13-14 Belgium Waffle Ride Lifestyle and Fitness Expo – San Marcos, CA – https://belgianwaffleride.bike
- April – 19-22 Sea Otter Classic – Monterey, CA – https://www.seaotterclassic.com
- May – 12 Fountain Roubaix – Fountain, CO – https://www.tourofcolorado.com/index.html
- May 19 – Rattlesnake Rally – Casper, WY – https://www.wyominggravel.com
- June 2 – The Dead Swede – Sheridan, WY – https://www.wyominggravel.com
- June 9 – The Palmer Divide – Palmer, CO – https://www.tourofcolorado.com/index.html
- July 14 – Leadville Massive – Leadville, CO – https://www.tourofcolorado.com/index.html
- August 11 – Powderhorn 100k – Grand Mesa, CO – https://www.tourofcolorado.com/index.html
James Sullivan is one nice fellow. He was in Sacramento CA for their KGR Sunday gravel ride on his way to Reno, NV for US CX National.
Kinetic Cycles of Sacramento, CA weekly gravel rides called KGR.
Why are you showing The Flatiron and Longs Peek?
Talk to Donnelly, they supplied the photos / press release.
They’re just stock pr pics, the same photos are on the Donnelly website.
FYI – Longs Peak is not in any of the photos. The pic with a snow capped mtn in the backround is taken from Oxford Rd. Looking straight west from there is the Indian Peaks Widerness area. Longs is several miles to the north. ?