Gravel Biking

I've had a gravel bike since 2017, my much loved, used and abused Surly Straggler. Last summer I upped the game with a bargain priced Salsa Stormchaser frameset, giving more tyre clearance and less weight. To date my rides on both these bikes have been a mix of road and generally easy trail, a few tours and some long days, exclusively on my own. A mate persists in referring to them as hybrids and (often rightly) points out I'd be better of fitting a set of fast rolling tyres to the Jones....

This went through my mind as I set off on a gravel sportive round the Trossachs, destination for numerous road and trail rides from the house, in the company of nigh on three hundred others. I'd signed up as part of a vague new years resolution to try to do stuff that was a bit more social. Being fairly local and organised by a small group who'd done a lot of work to develop waymarked trails round QE forest, it seemed a good shout. Based on feedback from someone who'd done the shorter version last year, it looked to be fairly low key without the high numbers (and over-crowding) of things like the dirty riever. 175k and 3300m were the advertised numbers but the final route included a bonus climb and a few other tweaks bumping the climbing to 3700m.

Training involved doing the Highland Trail. Or not as it turned out, but I was fairly confident I had plenty of leg to get round. Motivation nose dived on being told the start time was 6.30 am. I'd typically do such a thing starting at 10 and riding into the evening.... Then I nearly threw it at 3.30am on the morning of the ride having failed to sleep for more than a few minutes. So I wasn't in the most positive frame of mind on arrival at Aberfoyle at a bleary-eyed 5.30am, not helped by a truly horrific level of midges. The torrential rain of the previous day had gone off and the forecast wasn't too bad but everything around me was sodden, hence the death midges!

I pedaled up to the start and much walking around in circles waiting for the off followed, in order to avoid the midges. I'd bumped into a fellow BB forum member, Paul (I'd my full team colours on which he clocked) who was running Jones bars on his SC machine. We'll come back to this. My biggest concern was either to go off too quick and blow up at the halfway point or end up in a sleep deprived energy-less grind as per day two of the HT. We ruminated on the route but both being veterans of the BB200, figured that with no tussocks or death marches would be fine.

Finally at 6.40 we were off. The front runners who were actually racing (and a load of the 'challenge riders' who'd tagged along behind) had left at 6.30 so alarmingly I was at the front. 

One of the nice things about doing a paid and organised event is that people take your picture. Thanks to Ben Fitzhugh, official event photographer, for this and the other images. Just off the start and stood up already!

I strove to keep the pace well down to the first climb which is very familiar to me - up NCN7 from Aberfolye to the forest drive, usually done at mile 70 or so on one of my Trossachs bashes from the house. I utilised my steady single speed rhythm, and overtook a lot of people, feeling massively self conscious as everyone around me was on gears. The forest drive was car free so I had a good blast down to the venechar cycleway, passing a few folk on the way for a clear run. The sun was now shining and the heat was building on a loop above Callander. 

Clattering down to the A81 near Callander.

A few pedestrians were encountered on the cycleway north but soon enough the route picked up a track I'd done a couple of years back and the second big climb, more overtaking...

The descent of this is rough and I noted three people fixing punctures, all pulling tyres and fitting tubes. One guy was carrying his bike! In fact I'd already passed a few folk messing with flat tyres so it looks like I'm not the only one to have huge faffs with punctures.

Puncture chaos...

Confident in my food supplies I rode through the first feed station and onto the great trossachs path which I've done a few times and one that should provide much fun. That said, it would also provide an opportunity to over do it and either crash or blow up. I passed more people along here, including one guy I'd yo-yo with for the remainder of the route. But, although I was feeling a little weary, I'd plenty of leg so kept on. The descent was slippy and rocky but I got down in good order catching a group near the bottom as well as noting the beginning of the days first precipitation. It was interesting riding with others. It seemed like many would hammer past me on the flats but then immediately reach for their granny gears on any kind of climb. So of course there was much passing and re-passing, me fearing that I was getting in peoples way with my unique pace. Nobody moaned though...

Fine dreich came and went and views west revealed no hills but much clouds. The 'bonus climb' followed looping off the Loch Katrine road with what promised to be a somewhat precipitous descent. I got up most of it on the pedals, with still no leg or energy issues. The descent was good fun although pretty slippy in places and quite stony. I was still passing people but it was all very good natured. 

Action shot on a nice noodly singletrack. Jaunty cap angle deliberate of course...

Finally I was riding west round Loch Katrine, passing the halfway point at quarter past eleven.

Stronachlachar pier was checkpoint and feed station 2. I stopped here for a while drinking coke and eating some of the offerings. I wasn't really feeling hungry, indicating a higher pace than is my wont but I'd still not blown up so all was well, apart from more clouds of midges and no sign of the forecasted stiff breeze.

More great trossachs path out and back by road before heading into the top end of QE forest. I kept reminding myself I was here for fun so made the most of the swoops and turns, knowing another big climb was coming and ahead of this a longish loop round more fire roads. Thanks to the rain, the surface of these and many others was glue like, adding to the effort. On dry day it would have been easy going....

The climb was duly ground up, pedaling all the way. As soon as I hit the descent I passed two people pulling tyres and fitting tubes. I'd noted a lot of people with very soft tyres, which seems to be established wisdom. I was running 45/50 psi, less than my usual and a bit harsh; but zero punctures was the pay back. Looks like those foam inserts are a waste of space also as I passed a few people carrying them!

The descent was long and the end hailed the final check point. I grabbed a couple of snacks, drank more coke and had another banana before hitting what would be the final climb. Less welcome was a very sloppy trail thanks to forestry works. It wasn't for long fortunately and off the top the track was a good one taking you in a big loop almost to NCN7 south before diving back into the depths of the woods. Annoyingly the on/off fine dreich got a bit incessant up here and I ended up donning jacket. Further annoyance was in the form of various rattles and bangs from the bike. First I noted the GPS dangling off it's leash, then I noticed one of the bottle cages was about to go AWOL, then I noticed a bolt had fallen out of the lower mudguard mount. This was all sorted in jig time but gave an indication of the length of rough riding I was doing.

I was convinced there was another loop and climb to do after this but as usual I didn't bother checking the gps, I just got my head down and pedaled. On finally stabbing the GPS screen to see how far I'd come it indicated 169k i.e 6 to do - so much for the extra climb! The sun reappeared as well and soon enough I was on the last trail (including much roots and rock steps) then people were cheering me across the line. It was coming up to 4pm making my time 9hrs 20. Despite the faffing my stopped time was 40 minutes, my pacing had been pretty much spot on with no major energy dips, although a decent nights sleep beforehand would definitely have helped, but overall a good show.

A small person handed me a medal and a (low alcohol) beer, I chatted with the guy I'd yo-yo'd with and others about the vagaries of single speed. I noted Mike Debernardo, last seen at Tyndrum, chatting to a couple of other Highland Trail finishers so congratulated him on that and had a quick chat about the weather. Then the sleep monsters started to take hold so I pedaled back to the car and headed home for a lot of food and a long, long sleep.

On seeing the results, I discovered I was 29th person to finish of the challenge riders and tenth over 50. So actually a much better showing than I'd first thought. I also found out that someone did it fixed! 

Whether I do this or such a thing again, I'm not sure. I did actually quite like bumping into people along the way so maybe I'm not as anti-social as I think. That said, a staggered start time over an hour or so would better suit my temperament and sleep patterns. I could see myself falling into the 'let's do it faster' trap or at least 'let's do it after a decent nights sleep' but we'll see. Bike-wise I would say that flat or loop bars and a fast rolling 50mm tyre would have been a far better bet, i.e. what Paul had. I was only on the drops for the descents and as usual, the climbs dictated your overall pace. At least I never got a puncture!