Gravel Riding
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Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder – 8.15.21
After almost 2 years, the Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder, the premier gravel event for Upstate, NY was finally happening! Jordan was supposed to ride with me but decided he wasn’t ready (he had knee surgery in March) so my friend Aubrey took his place. The two of us set a goal to finish the entire 65 miles. Each of the previous times I’ve ridden this I’ve bailed after 40 miles. But not this time, we were committed! Canceled in 2020 for obvious reasons, the 2021 event was postponed from May to August. This would give me ample time to prepare for the long distance and intimidating elevation. It also helped…
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Camping at Limekiln Lake and Riding Moose River Plains ADK Gravel – 6.13.21
A few weekends ago Jordan and I spent another fabulous weekend in the Adirondacks camping and biking. We stayed at Limekiln Lake campground for 2 nights, located near the quaint Adirondack town of Inlet, NY. Friday evening we set up our tent in the light rain and woke up to an amazing morning. Can you just hear the loons calling in this photo? We got up and drove into Inlet for breakfast at Tamarack Café, along with a quick stop at Mountain Man Outdoor Supply in Old Forge because Jordan forgot his bike shoes! Thankfully they had lots of shoes to choose from. From there we drove back to our…
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Favorite Cycling Gear 2021
It’s been a while since I did a biking gear post (2017 to be exact). So here’s an updated gear list, aimed toward gear I use when gravel riding. *None of these items are sponsored! This is just my honest opinion on gear that I like. Purist 26 oz water bottles I can’t believe it took me this long to find a great cycling water bottle. I had been using freebie bottles that I’ve received over the years, drinking water that tasted like plastic during my rides. Well, no more of that. “Purist treatment infuses the bottle’s interior with silicon dioxide to prevent odors, stains and mold from attaching to…
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The Berkshire Backroads Gravel Grinder (B2G2) – 4.24.21
My first official gravel grinder of 2021 is in the books! On Saturday, I rode the Berkshire Backroads Gravel Grinder in West Stockbridge, MA! A 38-mile ride with lots of vert was the perfect opportunity to test out my “new” bike setup. The weather was also ahhhh-mazing. We had the most perfect day for a ride! The ride was scheduled to start at noon, however, they offered an early 10:30am start to slower riders (yes, please!) I met my friends Margaret and Jeff there, and off we went. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous before this ride. BikeReg stated there’d be over 3500 ft of climbing, which I haven’t…
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A Professional Bike Fitting Experience
A few weekends ago, Jordan and I drove up to Poultney, Vermont so I could get a professional bike fitting. A bike fitting is when a professional take a measurement of your body, observe you riding your bike, and then makes adjustments to ensure you have the bike set up properly for comfort (and in a racer’s case, maximum speed and power output). Ever since I got my gravel bike in May of 2018, my hands have gone numb on longer rides. I had tried everything to prevent this from happening, including trying all different types of gloves—pads, no pads, fingerless, and full-fingered— to no avail. I have always loved…