The Weekly Dirt: Durango Derby, GCHOF, and Moab Rocks
A weekly roundup of what's happening in the off-road.
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Today’s column has me dreaming of singletrack and riding my bike all over the globe in beautiful places. Fortunately, the planet is tilting in the right direction.
Read also: The Weekly Dirt
Most pro off-roadies are already getting after it, with riders getting early season racing in their legs all over the place. After early March’s Mid South, BWR AZ, and Cactus Cup, some people are laying low til Sea Otter. Others — like Sofia and Katerina, Ian and Docker, Keegan and Lachlan, and Blevins and Beers — are in South Africa at the Cape Epic.
This weekend, a handful will be in Utah at Moab Rocks. I was considering going, but … it’s gonna be cold!
I’ll just keep dirt-dreaming til it warms up a bit. Enjoy!
The debut of the Durango Derby
Dylan Stucki, the promoter behind the 2022 Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships in Durango, is bringing another bike race to the southwestern Colorado city.
Stucki is partnering with former Fort Lewis College Cycling Team director Dave Hagen to present the Durango Derby on September 23. The event promises to “bring big-time MTB racing back to Durango” and has already attracted the likes of local legends and young talent, like Payson McElveen, Sarah Sturm, Stephan Davoust, Ellen Campbell, Howard Grotts, and Todd Wells.
The race will feature an exciting, rally-style format that showcases 36 miles of Durango’s premium in-town singletrack. 12 miles of untimed transfers will give riders time to catch their breath between the four timed stages. Riders can sign up to race the one-day event solo, or on two and four-person teams.
Registration for the Durango Derby opens April 3 at 9 AM MST.
Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame announces 2023 inductees
The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame has announced its second class of inductees, which includes four influential and inspiring promoters, racers, and community leaders who have helped shape and grow the gravel scene.
Yuri Hauswald, Alison Tetrick, Miguel Crawford, and Joel Dyke will be inducted at a banquet in Emporia, Kansas, on Wednesday, May 31, prior to Unbound Gravel.
All four of the inductees have created lasting legacies in gravel. Dyke was a founder of the DK200 in 2006 and founded “Big Grin Cycles” before his untimely death in 2017.
Hauswald and Tetrick both saw early success with wins at the Kansas gravel race but have stayed close to gravel even as their racing days have waned. Tetrick uses her platform and position with Specialized to welcome more riders into the space, while Hauswald is constantly on the go with projects ranging from product development to youth initiatives.
Miguel Crawford has been promoting events for over two decades, long before gravel was a thing. His routes are legendary, “fun, often very long and hard, magical mystery tours through the diverse, challenging, and eclectic hills of Sonoma County and beyond.” The Grasshopper Adventure Series is beloved by Californians and visitors alike.
You can read more about the 2023 inductees here.
Shift Cycling presents Cracked Earth documentary
Shift Cycling Culture, a foundation aiming to accelerate collective climate action in the global cycling industry and community, has launched a film about the impact of climate change on the places where cyclists love to ride.
The 30-minute documentary, called Cracked Earth, captures the lives of cyclists worldwide, living in areas where climate change is no longer a future threat, but a daily reality. Cracked Earth highlights how the effects of climate change are interlinked, globally and locally — and why urgent action is needed.
“As cyclists we all share a love for the bike,” said the film’s director and producer Lian van Leeuwen. “But we also share a global, existential challenge: climate change and biodiversity loss are having a devastating impact on the outdoor spaces we use as our playground. From the saddles of our bikes, we witness the climate crisis unfold. Extreme weather conditions, changing landscapes and diminishing biodiversity, the climate crisis is impacting every aspect of our life. And it’s happening in our own backyards.”
Tour dates and ticket sales here.
Wilde Bicycle Co. launches the Supertramp bikepacking bike
Want a bike that can do most anything and go most anywhere? The Wilde Bicycle Co.’s Supertramp may be the one for you.
The Supertramp is the newest model from Wilde, which was founded by All-City Cycles founder Jeff Frane. The steel bike can be built in various configurations and has mounts for racks, accessories, and bags
“The Supertramp is a great choice for individuals who only have one bike in their life but still want to explore the whole world of cycling possibilities,” Frane said. “You can do anything with all terrain bicycles. They can be built up in infinite ways and are virtually future proof. When a bike leads with capability, it will always be useful and relevant.”
Complete bikes cost $3,100 USD and feature a SRAM GX groupset, Stans S2 wheels, Thomson cockpit, Velo Orange bar, WTB Saddle, Wolf Tooth headset, and Avid BB7 brakes and levers. The Supertramp is also available as a frameset (frame/fork) for $1,200 USD. Wilde also offers custom builds.
The Supertramp comes in four sizes and is paired with Wilde’s signature steel segmented fork. Phosphate dipped and electrophoretic deposition coated for corrosion resistance and durability prior to paint, Supertramps are available in a sparkly green to grey fade.
Only 150 Supertramps will be made in 2023 so ordering early is encouraged.
Moab Rocks is gonna rock
The Moab Rocks stage race is coming to Utah’s red rock country this weekend and with it a host of the country’s best mountain bikers.
Moab Rocks, coined ‘the downcountry world championship’ by Geoff Kabush, is the official kick-off to the inaugural Singletrack Series, a newly-launched venture that unites four North American downcountry mountain bike events. The event features three days of riding on Moab classics Porcupine Rim, Klondike Bluffs, and Mag 7.
The event always attracts a start-studded field, and this year is no different.
Reigning Moab Rocks champ Kabush will don the number one plate, but he’ll see hungry competition in last year’s second and third place finishers Stephan Davoust and Bradyn Lange.
Also making an appearance are Durango riders Howard Grotts, Dylan Stucki, and Cole Paton. Andrew L’Esperance, Cody Cupp, Macky Franklin, and Ryan Standish are also riders to watch.
In the women’s race, watch out for Erin Huck — she’s got mom watts. The marathon national champ is kicking off her season in Moab, as are Sarah Sturm, Evelyn Dong, and Kaysee Armstrong. Alexis Skarda, who recently won the Cactus Cup, will line up with race-tuned legs. Other women to watch include Lauren Cantwell, Ellen Campbell, and Gunnison legend Jenny Smith.