Parking Notes:
Our goal this year was to get back to basics. Keep it simple. Staying true to that, we opted not to make a fancy promo video and we chose to keep the route a secret until the day of the event.
Well, we’ve had a change of heart.
So, here’s a fancy video showing you the route. It shows the course, turn by turn, start to finish. Our generosity is boundless.
Created by Chris Jensen on a iZoopraxiscope (basics).
Seriously, friends. Come Prepared.
One thing we learned during our Gravel Metric Training Rides is that some people don’t really understand what it means to be self-supported. It’s means you are on your own. If you don’t carry common tools, you cannot fix common problems.
Do not rely on us.
If you don’t know how to fix a flat or repair a chain, bring the tools and ride with someone who does. “Coming prepared” can mean “coming with prepared people”, but make sure you can stick with those people for the duration of the ride.
And if you are assisted, please have the courtesy to return the favor with some time in the wind, a reimbursed tube, or a beer at the end. Good character is contagious.
Thank you. Come again.
We put together a FAQ page for your (and our) convenience.
Click the link above or read this FAQ about our FAQ page:
Where’s the FAQ page?
And they are.
Here are a couple updates.
The course is going to be serious business this year. All riders who have test ridden the course have done so on nearly perfect days and they unanimously agree that the course is waaaaaaaay tougher this year. So take comfort. We’re taking away the rest stops, the support, the course markers and route preview, AND we’re making it harder.
If it’s a nice day, plan on getting it done 25% slower than you expect. If it rains, consider 50-80% slower. We’re not kidding. Be Prepared. There is no water on the course.
We’ll have the wonderful support of the DeKalb Police to roll us out of town again. When you see them, express your gratitude.
We’ll be honored again by the presence of the Ben Berden from Raleigh-Clement, along with fellow R-C rider Caroline Mani. That’ll spice it up, no?
We changed venues for the post-ride meetup. The new place is called O’Leary’s and is within crawling distance of NCC. They have an upstairs banquet area that will be reserved for us. They have a decent menu for many diets. Tip your waitress.
Our final GM Training Ride is this Saturday, May 11th. It will be 55mi leaving NCC at 8am. Come on out.
Mr. Chris Jensen would like to share a few words about cue sheets:
Hey everyone, I wanted to talk a bit about some of the equipment and navigating the course this year. As you have probably read, we are doing away with maps and turn markers and going with the original bike touring navigation: cue sheets. The great thing about cue sheets is that you can easily retrace your steps without having to either fumble through your Garmin menu or try to eyeball a distance on a map scale. You can also see what’s coming up the road and when to expect it.
We’ve mentioned that you will want to bring along a “Cyclo-Computer” (computer) that can judge distance (via the odometer function). This is important because of how the cue sheets are laid out. See the following example:
Cue sheets vary in format (and the final Gravel Metric cue sheet may not look exactly like this), but they all share the same general components. Every line in a cue sheet is called an “Instruction”. Each instruction will have the same basic parts: the Total Distance, Incremental (Leg) Distance, Direction, and some sort of Note.
In the example above, the first column is the Incremental Distance. You’ll notice that it doesn’t keep adding up, because that’s the distance in between instructions. For example, the distance between Hermann and Locust Roads is 1.6km. The second and third columns are the Direction. The fourth column is the Note on the instruction, and the last column (getting bigger every line) is the Total Distance.
Therefore, if we had just turned Left onto Hermann Rd at 74.4km, we’d know that in 1.6km, we’d turn Right at Locust Rd. and the total distance at Locust Rd would be 76km.
Make sense?
We will certainly be using miles for the final sheet, since it’s sort of a pain in the butt to change 300 people’s computers to kilometers.
So, on to the computer itself. Modern computers measure distance in two ways: a sensor capturing times a wheel-mounted magnet passes or via GPS. The GPS variety pretty much runs right out of the box, since it’s actually tracking your position in space. However, there are a few caveats you need to keep in mind when you’re setting up a sensor-based computer.
Often, riders won’t set their computer up for the correct wheel size plus tire width, and those inches will add up over the course of 60 miles. Make sure you read your instructions fully and ensure you’re set up correctly for those wide tires you just put on your ‘cross bike. You might end up missing one of the last few turns and then you’re in Iowa.
Riding gravel gets bumpy, so make sure your magnet and sensor are on TIGHT. It’s fairly common for the sensors to get misaligned or the magnets to get twisted on the spokes. If that happens, you’ll be riding for a while with no distance being measured until you figure it out.
Learning to read cue sheets will make it easier to map out your own rides as well, and distribute them to friends. It’s a good skill any rural cyclist should have in their toolbox. So, you’re welcome.
We had over 40 riders show up for the first Gravel Metric training ride, and this Saturday, April 13th at 8am, we’ll be rolling out for training ride number two. This ride will be 41.3 miles of gravely goodness heading northwest from North Central Cyclery and feature soft gravel, rutted roads, and DeKalb’s version of a few hills.
Cue sheets with readable font size will be provided, but we won’t provide a map of the overall ride since we’re trying to get you ready for the main event. The route is available here if you want to take a look ahead of time. You can also download the GPX for your GPS right HRR. These are country gravel roads, so unfortunately not all of the intersections have road signs. You will need to keep close attention to the mileage, and we’ll do our best to provide enough landmark information on the cue sheet to help with navigation.
The route through the neighborhoods is a little tricky, so we’ll provide a map of the route through town back to the shop.
There is no support on this ride. Bring your flat kit, and come prepared with enough hydration and nutrition to complete the full distance.
Sign a waiver and be ready to ride at 8am.
See you Saturday.
