Gravel Ride of the Week: Tour de Dirt
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Dark. Wet. Grueling. Epic. These are the words to describe the 2020 Tour de Dirt. The weather certainly did not play in our favor for this one with rain, dense fog and lots of mud being the order of the day for this edition of the event. The Tour de Dirt goes down as one of my most challenging rides to date and when I set off to Floyd in the hopes of having an unforgettable ride, I never quite pictured it would play out the way that it did. This Gravel Ride of the Week is one that you definitely want to check out for yourself in the video highlights!
On the day before the ride, Christin dropped me off in Roanoke at Downshift Bikes, where I met up with Rob Issem of the Virginia Endurance Series. We cycled all the way to Floyd, covering a distance of 70km/44mi along some incredible backroads and also the Blue Ridge Parkway. I got a first taste of the hilly mountain roads in southern Virginia during this ride, since Rob took me along a stretch that included a super sharp climb, setting the stage for all the elevation to come the next day. Thanks to Rob for the fun pre-event ride and contribution to our video!
Tour de Dirt:
The 14th annual ride, organized by Paul Sullivan and the Virginia Endurance Series, began at local camping venue Chantilly Farm. Over 200 cyclists registered for the event, with all proceeds going to support Floyd's Plenty! Farm & Fresh Food Pantry. With four distance options, including the 15+ mile Fun Ride, 37 mile Tour de Dirt Lite and 80+/- mile Full Pull, I opted for the 57 mile Fiddy ride. Don’t be fooled by this “shorter” distance, since the mountainous region around Floyd provided for more than enough climbing. My elevation gain ultimately measured in at ~7500ft/2300m. Unlike a gran fondo, each distance had a set start time, though the event was not an official timed race.
The route took us along the ridge line of the mountains before descending down into the valley below via a thrilling gravel descent containing multiple switchback corners. The weather conditions on top of the mountains provided for a truly epic experience. The dense fog meant that any landscape views were completely blocked, but the fall leaves and eerie mist-covered trees made for some indescribable scenes along the way.
The valley roads contained a fair bit of paved sections, including a very scenic water crossing at the historic Jack Creek’s Covered Bridge. The route really saved the best for last, which came in the form of the splendorous Deer Run Road and a leg-crushing, yet amazingly scenic, 6-mile long uphill alongside Runnett Bag Creek back up to the top of the mountain. The route concluded back at Chantilly Farm.
When the riders finally made our way back to the finish, we were treated to a Power Up Plenty! Chili Feast, including sides of coleslaw and cornbread. Event refreshment sponsors included Deschutes Brewery, Hammer Nutrition, Tha Best Kombucha, and Republic of Floyd. The participants were each provided a beverage of their choice. I went for the kombucha, of course! Coffee was also provided by Red Rooster Coffee and Grateful Bread offered sweet rolls. It was a wonderful welcome after such a challenging day! One last special perk included the gift of a ceramic bowl for each cyclist, handmade and donated by students of Empty Bowl, of the nearby Virginia Tech Industrial Design program.
Wrap-Up:
We here at Mountain Road are very glad to participate in an event that supports such an incredible mission from Plenty! to promote healthy and sustainable food to the Floyd community. The 2020 edition of the TdD certainly lived up to its name and provided for lots of dirty bikes and riders. I’m still busy cleaning my bike a week after the event! All in all, it was a legendary experience and I am so glad I had the chance to participate. While my legs certainly don't mind waiting a while before another ride up those mountain passes, I'll definitely be on the lookout for next year's event registration.
- Wiehan
