If you’re looking to get started riding gravel, there may be no better event than the Land Run 100. Riders descend on Stillwater, Oklahoma, from across the globe to ride the region’s red dirt roads.
In years past, the course has been a quagmire of red clay that cracked spirits and destroyed drivetrains. Thankfully, this year the rain held off and we were treated to mild temperatures and dry roads.
No matter what happens with the weather and regardless of how long it takes you to complete the course, race director Bobby Wintle is standing by at the finish line to greet everyone from the first to the very last rider with high fives and hugs.
Unlike road and mountain bike races, the genre doesn’t necessarily dictate the bike. Sure, there are purpose-built gravel bikes that may be faster, but you’re just as likely to see fat bikes, mountain bikes, tandems and even a recumbent on course.
Salsa Cycles dropped a couch, more specifically, a chaise lounge smack dab in the middle of the course. Chase the Chaise celebrates gravel cycling by giving riders a chance to kick back, if only for a second, and have their picture taken before heading back on course.
Be sure to scroll through the gallery for even more craziness from this year’s Land Run 100.
Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
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