Vol. 5: Anatomy of an Adventure Ride

Night rides, Nepomuk Narly, and some belated Olympic previews.

Beep, beep, beep, BOOP. Just as I was finishing an interval last week, a Subaru passed slowly with a Bernie hanging out the passenger window, living their best life. I cracked a smile.

I’m finally coming up for air from a full-send summer with some long-overdue updates and stories worth telling. Enjoy.

Anatomy of an Adventure Ride

Brian sent the missive a week ahead: 120 miles through the night to welcome 4th of July weekend. We’d wind up into Wisconsin for an adventure disguised as DAMn training.

I’ve known Brian since the running days and he’s always there with the Dadvice or yelling at me to breathe from across the start corral. I met Jeff this season and he adeptly avoided me when I yeeted myself in crosswinds at Ragnarok. I met Will briefly at GRVL DRMA, with reintroductions happening when we rolled out on the ride.

I waffled on whether to race Freedhem 76 or change plans, but it was clear which option would spark joy. Adventure rides are like lightning in a bottle. Good company, a good route, and a slightly insane plan can separate a plain old endurance day from something that’s a slice of magic.

6:58 pm: I’m the first one to pull up in front of Brian’s house. I anxiously start putting on lights and putzing with gear.

7:03 pm: Brian comes out looking more giddy than a kid on Christmas morning. Jeff pulls up behind me, and Will rolls over from down the street.

7:13 pm: The grand depart.

7:22 pm: “Guys, I can’t shift!” I’m panicking that my night is over before it’s started. I take my AXS battery out and blow on it.

Will: “Ah, the old Nintendo trick?” At any rate, I’m not stuck singlespeeding it.

8:04 pm: Brian spends the next several miles telling us about the bespoke bike bags he’s running and their creator. The frame bag is carrying a set of Fireball shots for later in the night. We stop by the railroad tracks so he can get some glamor shots of his setup at golden hour.

8:40 pm: Will: “Up here is the only Strava segment I’m on the leaderboard for.” “Wanna get the KOM?” Leadout train commences. Will shoots up over the top of the hill. I pull the parachute midway up but hold on to claim the crown.

9:27 pm: We’re flying down the hill into Taylors Falls. Brian comes a little too close for comfort with a deer diving into the brush. Jeff accidentally sprays maple syrup all over his bike. He makes good of the windshield cleaner at the Casey’s to clean up while the rest of us grab our favorite candies. I might have overpacked on food, but Nerd clusters will come in clutch later in the night.

10:33 pm: We turn down a quiet road along the St. Croix. For some reason, I start telling Brian the story of the worst moment of my life. The conversation abruptly shifts from trauma back to tires.

11:24 pm: We roll down the driveway of the farmhouse Will is renovating. His girlfriend grew up here. Right now, the only inhabitant is Callie the cat. We gather inside and adjust our eyes back to the light.

There’s a rubbermaid tub of snacks but nothing looks appealing, so I start picking at my stale PB+J. We split a Spotted Cow three ways. Then it catches my eye. “Ohmygodyouhavefruitsnacks!” The guys laugh at me. Night made.

12:59 am: We turn down the Gandy Dancer trail and the pace picks up. Spirits are high after midnight toasts and food.

1:36 am: Brian: “Anyone need to stop? But not Claire, she has a picnic!”

2:50 am: We’re finally on the Highway 36 bridge back into Minnesota. The lights and the suspension cables make everything feel so light and open after hours in a dark tunnel. I reach to my hip pocket to grab my phone.

Will: “Is this content worthy?”

I respond to the sarcasm by capturing how hazy my brain feels. As we roll down Stillwater’s main street, everything feels empty and alive at the same time.

3:03 am: Brian routed us down the Brown’s Creek Trail for some low-key final miles. Everyone’s tired, yet more talkative. Jeff and Will roll ahead, and Brian and I are a couple bike lengths behind.

3:50 am: We turn down Brian’s street and take a victory lap around the col de sac. There’s fist bumps and a quiet sense of accomplishment, and we go our separate ways into the impending dawn.

Where I’m Riding

But by Providence: An Ode to Pisek

“Not coincidence but by providence…” Father Jason Lefor is the priest at St. John of Nepocene Church in Pisek, North Dakota, population 89, and he kept using that phrase throughout the weekend.

Providence is a funny word to use in reference to a bike race, but it fits here. This tiny community hasn’t just created a random race with a huge prize purse; they’ve created a family reunion for the traveling circus that is the bike community. You feel welcome here.

The awards ceremony doubled as a radio show. Every podium finisher shares a tidbit about their day before they get their check from the Mayor. Ted King spoke about the impending final stage of the Tour de France, and how he’s glad he’s in North Dakota and not shelling his soul in France. Adam Saban talks about how this race had grown in the four years he’s been driving up to Pisek, but the community spirit remains.

What was ultimately a tough day for me finishing out of the money was buoyed by the community spirit of this race. I think shelling fresh peas and talking about life + bikes is my new favorite pre-race tradition.

As we load up our stuff at the Zikmund farm on Sunday morning, we’re wished safe travels and a “See you next year.”

What I’m Listening To

At mile 1-oh-something of Unbound last year, Ali Tetrick rolled up alongside me and said, “Girl, you’re crushing it.” I glanced over at her fancy special-edition paint scheme and helmet sticker and started fangirling.

Ali joined the Girls Gone Gravel podcast this week to talk about the Olympics, the Tour de France Femmes, and the ins and outs of the women’s peloton. The whole hour-plus episode is worth a listen, but especially this section starting at 17:28.

“It’s been huge because it’s shown that women could be on the stage with the coverage … but prior to this, the biggest stage women’s cycling had was the Olympics. The Olympics were everything for us.” — Ali Tetrick