Just to quickly note that Farmer's Daughter is not yet sold out, in case you wanna join us May 19
https://www.bikereg.com/farmers-daughter-gravel-grinder

I'm in !

Ditto

(same) will be fun!!

I did the Jersey Gravel Grinder in the Bedminster area this past weekend and I can't recommend it enough (there's another one in September that I'm going to sign up for if it fits schedule0wise). It's put on by the race organizer of Beaste Cross and he is great at what he does. The route was a really well put together and challenging course- the gravel is very flowing, not very technical (most technical part of the route was through a nature preserve that was partially flooded from the rain from the day before) and 100% doable on a cross bike, but with some truly savage climbs (i.e. 20% + pitches) peppered in there. I did the Mega route (85 miles, 6400 feet of climbing) and it was about 60-40 gravel to road. They time it Gran Fondo style over 7 segments using Strava. 5 of the 7 were climbs, and 2 were rolling. I missed the signs for the first segment but was sticking with the front group so I ended up with a decent time there. The rest were TT efforts where I just completely emptied the tank. I think I placed in the top 10 for my age group, but I'm still waiting for the results to be compiled.

The biggest challenge of the day ended up being nothing related to the course. My cleat on my right shoes came loose in the first 10 miles. When I stopped to tighten it I ended up needing to pry the cleat out of the pedal and in so doing, the bolts flew out, hit my hand and were never to be seen again. I took one of the two bolts out of my left shoe, put my cleat back onto my right shoe and texted my wife saying there was a chance I would end up pulling the rip cord and calling it a day. She was the real MVP and went to a local shop that I'm friendly with. They laughed, gave her some bolts and she met me at the aid station with the goods. It was a fun lesson in remembering to always check your equipment, down to the smallest bolts and bits.

^ @Matt Budofsky Not that you asked, but I put this stuff on my cornflakes. Bonus feature is it prevents seizing. 

@JohnMalcolmson Definitely will pick some up and use in the future

Update: got 2nd for my age group (I was 1 second behind the winner) and 5th overall. Super happy with that result!

Wow amazing result! And sounds like a fun race

Definite good times at Farmer's Daugther Gravel Grinder

• Weather was spectacular, 10 out 10
• Rain during the week padded down the dirt roads, and the conditions could not have been better.
• I think this was the 10th edition of this race, awesome to both the see the growth but also just how they have improved everything about this event.
• Crazy challenging course, but super totally safe.
• The hardest climbs come late late on this course... Patrick, Mark, and me rode together for quite a bit, until I dropped back when things started to get real
• From then mostly solo ish up to the last rest stop, which couldn't arrive soon enough for me. 
  
• There I ran into fellow NYer/Cyclocrosser Eddie Frederick, and after a few minutes we attacked the last super steep moment and rode down back to the start/finish line together
• Eddie was convinced his new Factor gravel bike was so aero he had an advantage on the descents
• Riding with him gave me a second wind until the line

I joke that every year I ride Farmer's Daugther it ends as the hardest ride of that year. This edition at 311 TSS it is the lowest TSS of any other edition I've done. Rasputitsa, about a month ago, scored 312 TSS, so we have a new winner for 2024!! Tradition broken..., haha

Also made a 2 minutes GoPro video (which is about 100 seconds longer than needed )
https://youtu.be/SefbkDO33V0?si=x9Qnis8agi58qe40

As Mark said "It really captures Patrick smashing us" haha

I concur that Farmer's Daughter was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, the roads was rolling, the views were spectacular, and riding with these lads was awesome. I got to see some old friend and even chatted with more than one former elite national cyclocross champs.

We lined up near the back so started a bit slow. My legs felt good throughout the event but it was more fun to enjoy a beautiful ride with friends than to push the pace the whole way. We only split up on the final gravel uphill with about 10 miles to go.

BTW, it's sorta funny how 30 psi can suddenly feel overinflated in the muddy/rooty single track after being perfect on the rest of the course. 

I too played with some go pro footage for you all

https://youtu.be/niljuOrWb3M

Passing info along: If anyone is interested in Vermont Overland Aug 23rd, Veselka has 2x men's field registrations they're selling (which is sold out). Let me know if interested.

https://www.vermontoverland.com/overland/

I can't make it, but I hear it's one of the hardest, funnest gravel events out there.

Eloy and I are registered for Vermont Overland if someone wants to join…

tempting.

@PatrickGrehan Where are you guys doing for accommodation?

Anyone interested in doing this?  150 miles, 15000ft elevation, 13 hour limit. Overnight.

https://ti.to/markagram/vermont2024

It's the Vermont version of an event that started in Norway (https://bikepacking.com/plog/markagram-2019-event-recap/).

I have loose aspirations of actually finishing it, but it looks sick AF.

$125 to support yourself while doing something miserable? Woof, that sounds like a blast!

I'm doing it.  

Any tips for tires?  I figure something that would work for Vermont Overland would also be good here.

wider is better — so 40mm, a standard file thread w side knobs should work fine… 

1:1 gearing or easier at least 

Word.  I'm eyeing some 47mm WTB Byways which should be thicc enough.  And thanks for the reminder on the gearing!  That's one thing I told myself I was going to change up while grinding up the hills in the UK this summer.

Farmer’s Daughter registration for May 17  opens Monday. I plan on going. Who is joining me?

https://www.bikereg.com/Services/RedirectEmail.aspx?despa=https%3a%2f%2fwww.bikereg.com%2ffarmers-daughter-gravel-grinder&emid=359924&edid=45204320&secc=44844372

2026 actually falls on the weekend several days before my wife's bday so I might actually maybe possibly be able to join you!

Remind me how torturous the course is?

@David Yang Less torturous than the Fire tower  once you get over the fee

Been hearing about this for years, excited! Let's get a posse going!

This seems like something that I should do. 

I plan on signing up for Famer's Daugther 2026, altho might wait for a week or two and get over the $100 fee. It will be my 7th time riding it.

As some of you have heard me, so far, every year that I've done this ride, this has been the highest TSS ride of that year.

@RyanCollins DO NOT HESITATE, this is a great day out! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SefbkDO33V0

This is my favorite ride to sign up for and bail on 

okay okay, I did it, 4000kj day in may awaits.