It has been a depressingly long winter here in Northern Michigan. Last fall, we saw snow on the ground just after Thanksgiving, and we kept it more or less through the holidays and into the frozen months of February. We always enjoy skiing, fat biking, and the change of the seasons, but when we were hit with a snow storm on April 1, it was no joke. And when we were hit again just over a week later with another twelve inches of snow, we couldn't believe it.
Finally, winter's grip was broken, and with no time to spare ahead of Barry-Roubaix. Known as the "Killer Gravel Road Race", the event celebrated its tenth anniversary this spring. From a few hundred racers in a parking lot to over 3,000 racers barely contained within its new home in Hastings, Michigan, the event is everything that's right with cycling. It's a challenge for everyone, with distances of 22, 36, 62 and now 100 miles over beautiful gravel roads in Barry County.
We made the trip down again this year, opting to give the 62 mile race a shot. Even for racers that are familiar with the Iceman Cometh Challenge, seeing so many cyclists all converging on a small down in West Michigan is really something to see. Every single car has a bike or two on the bike rack, and walking into every coffee shop or diner on the morning of the race reveals a room full of spandex-clad cyclists nervously sipping some last-minute caffeine or nibbling on a cookie.
This year's race was a marked contrast to a rain-soaked 2017. Last year, hundreds of riders simply didn't start, with a steady downpour and temperatures only a few degrees from freezing making even getting out of the car a bit of a challenge. Once on the course, still more hundreds of cyclists suffered complete brake failure, disc brake pads worn through in just a few miles of riding. Riders were using their feet to slow down in corners, many blowing through stop signs and having to turn around, shoulders slumped, to get back on course.
Flash forward to this weekend, and the rain jackets and shoe covers were stuffed away. Forty-three degrees quickly offered up sixty degrees, and with the sun shining, it felt nearly tropic to all the locals who, just a few days before, were shoveling their driveways and riding trainers in their basements! The sunny skies helped encourage what is always an inclusive, exciting atmosphere where everyone is simply excited to be back racing, seeing old friends, and testing the legs over Three Sisters, up the Wall, and sprinting into downtown Hastings.
See how all your cycling pals fared at Newton Timing and we'll see you back at Barry-Roubaix next year!