claresholm

the range gravel race 2025

July 19, 2025
cycling
gravel, races, claresholm, race reports

Race Info #

Race Report #

In 2024 I did my first gravel race. I crashed but managed to do the final 40km with a bent up handlebar, finishing in under 6 hours. So in 2025 I decided to come back and I’d be sure to do better, right?

Back of the starting pack again1

What ended up happening was not that. It’s actually kind of a shame because the weather this year was so much nicer than 2024 (when it was super-hot). A high of 22ish Celsius, no howling winds, rain the day before so it wasn’t too dusty, all super good attributes. I did the same thing I did the year before and stayed in a motel the night before (the Lazy J this time). I ran basically the same bike as last year except for the replacement handlebar/bar-tape and a different front tire (tubeless Renee Herse Steilacoom to match the rear). What wasn’t the same was my training for the year.

the range gravel race 2024

July 20, 2024
cycling
gravel, races, claresholm, race reports

Race Info #

Back when I was thinking about the bike riding I wanted to do this year, a gravel event was on my mind. The idea with a gravel race is it’s a long route on dirt roads away from traffic. There’s a mass start and though there are fast people “racing” the event there will be far more just out there doing the ride, trying to finish and have a good time1.