Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
#Mid-South
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Radar
The Mid South Returns for 2021 in a Socially Distanced Format on March 12-14
Wait wait wait? Don’t worry! The Mid South isn’t asking you to come to Stillwater, Oklahoma during a pandemic. We all know that bike racing during a pandemic is problematic. No, instead Bobby and the team at District Bicycles would like you to partake in a socially distanced event with a twist…
“We want you to go ride or run (or both!) outside, just like you had planned, but you don’t have to pack up and travel to Stillwater. We are partnering with several bicycle shops in cities and states where many of you live. We are working with each shop to create comparable 100-mile, 50-mile and 50K routes in that area. Ride With GPS will facilitate a challenge board, which any registered rider or runner can join. We will share the links for each challenge (100, 50, 50K) in March. If you’re registered for The Mid South and have at least a free account with Ride With GPS, you’re good to go. You must have an account with Ride With GPS to participate in the challenges.”
See more at the Mid South!
Reportage
Mid South 2020: the Last Gravel Race on Earth
To begin, it is important to say that I am not a doctor, a data analyst, or an economist. Am I an expert regarding the growing pandemic that is becoming one of the defining events of our lives? No, I am not. I am a bike mechanic who likes to take photos. There are smarter people out there who could (or should) be writing about this, but as it is, you have me. And I find it extremely difficult—even inappropriate—to talk about this year’s Mid South without acknowledging the massive elephant in the room. For some of you, these images or just the thought of a large group gathering may be upsetting. You would be right to feel that way, and I get it. If this were any other year, it would have been a widely celebrated event, filled with love and excitement from the greater cycling community. In a lot of ways, it still was. But given that upside-down is the new normal, here we are.
Radar
Land Run 100 Changes Name to the Mid South for 2020
The history of the Land Run is a sordid one, which you can read all about it our earlier Reportage from the 2018 event. This question comes up a lot these days: if we know better, are we supposed to do better? While local vernacular influences the discussion, the Land Run wasn’t exactly something you want to build a community upon in the modern age. There is a much larger discussion to be had about this and the Land Run founder Bobby Wintle did such a great job on the official announcement, that I’d prefer to let him explain it below.
Reportage
Land Run 100 Rides: Addison’s Stripped State Single Speed – Jarrod Bunk
Land Run 100 Rides: Addison’s Stripped State Single Speed
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
Thirty-hours, nope that’s not the travel time from Quebec to Land Run 100. It is the amount of time it took Addison to hand strip his State Bicycle Single speed and leave behind some beautiful layers.
Devoid of paint, and the tensioner that caused him some issues last year, Addison is ready for a rowdy and dry time. Built with one goal in mind, going fast, Addison’s bike is built with a mix of Zipp, Quarq and SRAM road parts, this eccentric bottom bracket bike can be run as a single speed or a geared bike for any situation.
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Follow Jarrod on Instagram. LandRun 100 on Instagram Addison on Instagram
Reportage
Bobby’s Land Run 100 Moots Routt 45 – Jarrod Bunk
Bobby’s Land Run 100 Moots Routt 45
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
Bobby knows the Gravel roads around Stillwater, when given the opportunity to make his ultimate gravel bike he chose the Moots Routt 45. This isn’t just any Routt though, this one has RSL tubing something that wasn’t an option until NAHBS this year. Other details include laser etched logos, and an engraved head tube. Bobby chose to use a Chris King 40th kit on this bike, to me something about the olive and Ti is just near perfect. The bike is outfitted with some new ENVE AR rims, Moots post, Thomson stem and a tried and true Salsa Cowbell bar. A Shimano Di2 build rounded it out with a custom machined Wolf tooth ring made to fit the new 9100 cranks.
Bobby and the crew at District Bicycles sure do know how to make one nice bike.
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Follow Jarrod on Instagram and District Bicycles on Instagram.
Reportage
Jay Petervary’s Land Run 100 Salsa Cycles Warbird – Jarrod Bunk
Jay Petervary’s Land Run 100 Salsa Cycles Warbird
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
Jay Petervary’s Salsa Cycles Warbird was pretty dialed for Land Run this year. Those Salsa Cycles X Brooks England LTD frames are so good. Jay has been doing the whole gravel and adventure racing thing for close to 18 years now. Fresh off his win at the Iditarod Trail Invitational a few weeks prior, JayP was in town for Land Run.
You can learn a lot about what works, and what doesn’t just by looking at his bike. Aero bars, double wrapped tape, 32c tires, bombproof Industry 9 wheels, and not overpacked with water and food. The name of the game on Saturday was mud clearance. It worked out pretty well as I’m told that Jay was at the front most of the day and even finishing with a 3rd place on the hardest Land Run yet.
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Reportage
I Couldn’t Feel my Hands or Feet at the Land Run 100 – Jarrod Bunk
I Couldn’t Feel my Hands or Feet at the Land Run 100
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
I still remember my first conversation (albeit a short one) with Bobby, we were in Tahoe, climbing up to Pluto I was choking on the air, my body had yet to adjust to the elevation. We talked a little bit about an event that I had been following for a few years, one that tests you physically and mentally, where you aren’t just fighting yourself but you’re fighting the course as well. I’m talking about Land Run. On that climb, I was blown away at just how stoked Bobby was that I had heard of their event. From that point on I couldn’t stop thinking about it, weeks passed and it was time to set things in motion, I knew I had to make it to Stillwater this year!