MEMBER EXCLUSIVE Words by Josh from The Nxrth The Nxrth officially kicked off one of the very first days of 2022. It was an idea that had been spiraling around in my mind for a long time and in various forms. Before the launch as well as after the launch, I had a lot of ideas and many of them were quite awful. Here are 8 of the worst ideas I had that never became a reality.

The Marji Gesick 200 mile out and back bike race began Friday morning at 8am in Ishpeming, Michigan. Follow racers locations live via the Track Leaders map below. For more info visit Marji Gesick .

The Nxrth long sleeve jerseys close today, Sept 19. These jerseys are designed and stitched in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Photos by Megan Zabel Holmes . Get Your Long Sleeve Jersey

Jenna Rinehard is a Minnesota-based professional off road cyclist. She finished the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix in 6th place overall and also just recently claimed her first pro gravel win. Here we catch her for a Q&A on her 2024 outlook, claiming a spot at Gravel Worlds in Belgium this October, and much, much more. Follow along with Jenna Rinehart's season @jzrinehart How did you get into professional offroad cycling? My local ski area, Mount Kato , had mountain bike trails in the summer and I did my first ride at age 15. I entered my first race that summer and quickly fell in love with the sport. I spent many years racing the MN and WI off road MTB series. I went to my first National level race the summer after graduating high school. That opened my eyes to professional level racing and seeing really fast women crushing it. I worked my way through the ranks and got my pro license at age 21. You just took your very first pro gravel win at the Highlands Classic after getting left in the dust with a dropped chain in mile one. How the heck did you pull that off? Haha yes I made things a bit more challenging for myself by dropping my chain and losing the field so early in the race. I tried to not panic and keep a positive mindset. I really didn’t think I’d see the front of the race again but the course looked fun to ride so I could at least enjoy it and hopefully pick off some riders. I stayed on the gas and sent it on the downhills and after the first aid station I started to see some riders up the road. I continued to pick off riders which was really motivating and by the last big climb of the day I’d made it up to the top 2 riders. I got a bit of a gap on a twisty downhill with just under 10 miles to go and decided to go for it. I just held off 2nd place by under 30 seconds for the win. I’m a bit shocked and thrilled to pull that off! You rode the Life Time Grand Prix in 2023, what was that experience like? I had taken a long break away from the top level of the sport to run our bike shop so when I jumped back in I wasn’t sure what to expect. I ended up having a way more successful season then I could have imagined. I also got to know a lot of the other women which was super cool. It was so fun to race in a strong and deep women’s field. Unfortunately, that can be harder to find when doing more local races but the fields are growing and hopefully more women get inspired to come out and jump in the races. The equal opportunities LifeTime Grand Prix has created for Pro level racing is really cool to be a part of. The sport, especially for women, is in such a better place than when I used to race at this level. You're now in 6th place for the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix after the first round. What are your hopes and expectations for year 2? I learned so much after last season which I think definitely has its advantages. I learned so much about myself and what I’m capable of, nutrition, equipment choices, and how the courses ride. Most of these events were brand new for me last year. I’m excited to take all that I learned and apply it to the races this year. The season is super long and anything can happen. I know there will be ups and downs to deal with. It’s hard to set certain result expectations as there are several new riders in the field this year and it seems to keep getting stronger each year. I just hope to apply what I learned last season and put forth my best effort. You won a sprint to earn 2nd place at Mid South this year. How did that feel to take that spot in the final seconds of the race? It was an incredible feeling. I think that might have been the first sprint I have ever won haha! Last year I tended to fade towards the end of races and lose spots. This year I have really been working on my race nutrition and I think this really helped me. I felt so strong all the way to the end. You earned a spot at UCI Gravel Worlds in Belgium this October. How does that feel to have that on your horizon and what's your outlook for 2024 as a whole? It’s super exciting to have qualified for a spot at the World Championships! I had the opportunity to go to the Mountain Bike World Championships when I was younger as a U23 rider. After taking a long break from competing I really didn’t think I’d find myself in this position again, especially being a bit older and at an Elite World Championships. It’s an incredible honor to be able to represent the USA against the best riders in the world. I’m really just looking forward to the entire season and super grateful to have this opportunity to compete at this level again. How does living in the north with a cold snowy winter for half of the year impact your ability to compete on the world gravel stage? It definitely makes for some challenges at times. Especially when trying to get ready for some of these early Spring races. It can be hard to get the long days in. But there also are some positives to it as well. I believe it can make you a bit tougher. Riding on snow also gives you good bike handling skills and is similar to mud without the messy cleanup afterwards. The season is long so sometimes having a little slower start can make you feel fresher and stronger at the end of the season. I don’t like to ride inside so I spend most of my time outside on my fat bike. I run studded tires and ride a lot of gravel roads and some single track. The wider studded tires help me feel a bit safer and the slower speeds keep you warmer than a gravel bike. That being said, I did skip out on winter a bit this year and spent some time getting in some big training days in Arizona. This helped a lot as I started my season earlier than I ever have before with several races in March. You own a bike shop? How do you bring your love of the gravel community into the bike shop experience? Yes, I co-own Nicollet Bike and Ski shop with my husband. I love to help others get into the sport and share my experiences with them. We host both weekly and monthly gravel group rides. We put on a yearly gravel event called the River Valley 100 . It’s August 25th and we have a 100k option or a shorter 26 mile route. The 100k is not a race but more of a spirited group ride showcasing some of our best gravel. I also have created a list of our best gravel routes on our website with Strava links people can follow.

With the onset of fall gravel and dreaming about the 2025 gravel season, The Nxrth just published a new tool to view the entire gravel calendar as a map. Us the map to view races near the areas you already live and travel and get a comprehensive point of view for better race season planning. The Gravel Race Map is a feature of The Nxrth+ , your go-to membership for unlimited access to planning resources, stories, routes, and the cycling community. Join The Nxrth+ plus to access this tool.

For the 3rd annual Gray Duck Grit, race organizers added cyclocross racing to the Saturday schedule. Nicholas Peterson came over from South Dakota to check out the inaugural race. Here he shares about the great course as well as the cyclocross community. Words by Nicholas Peterson Photos by Dustin Bowman As one of a small handful of folks who drove several hours to exclusively race cyclocross, I guess that makes me qualified to report on the ‘cross happenings at Gray Duck Grit . There was once a long-running CX event that started hosting a gravel ride to supplement the cyclocross festivities of the weekend. Gray Duck Grit is a gravel event that decided to add a cyclocross competition to supplement its gravel rides. The former (Jingle Cross, RIP) was a classic race in the midwest CX scene, and it was evident immediately Gray Duck CX shared some of its DNA. Location alone does not manifest a great cyclocross course, but I can’t help but feel like organizing a CX race at a fair grounds is some sort of cheat code to a making a killer course. So what makes a great cyclocross event? Free beer helps. Fun…definitely. It isn’t the number people racing, it isn’t necessarily the location either, and certainly not the weather. Did the collective result of the people racing, the course, and general organization result in a memorable event? If yes, mission accomplished. In my opinion Gray Duck Grit CX accomplished this mission. From the moment I arrived, Gray Duck Grit CX passed the vibe check. Upon suiting up and getting on course, it was evident the vibe was justified. In all, about 57 racers took the line across 5 classifications and it seemed like a good number of us, when not racing, were tape-side cheering others on. For some reason (perhaps the Spirit of Gravel), I had taken a laissez-faire approach to getting to the start line. I wasn’t late by any means, but the lack of ranked call-ups (not a criticism) had me lining up toward the back of the Intermediate field that I had intended on starting at least mid-field. This realization immediately cured me of whatever casual attitude toward racing I had taken on that day. I had a battle ahead of me if I wanted to salvage any result I could be proud of. This was exactly the kick in the shorts I needed. A legit run-up, perfectly staked turns, livestock barns providing shade, surfaces of varying traction, big power sections, and an overall glorious flow made for one of the best courses I’ve had the pleasure of riding. The course, the venue, and the people behind it all made for a great day of cyclocross racing that I plan to return to for as long as it stays on the calendar. Cyclocross is in serious need of love and support at the moment and if you’re even casually interested in the sport, I’d strongly recommend adding this race to your schedule next season.

Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival is taking place this weekend September 13 and 14. In its 41st year, the event is also the 4th stop on the Life Time Grand Prix. Here we share the local's guide to catching the Life Time Grand Prix athletes and enjoying the entire festival weekend. To learn more visit Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival Words by Josh Rizzo 41 Years of Chequamegon: A Brief Background Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Up until a few years ago, the event was called the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. The name was changed to Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival as fat bikes became more and more popular and there was some confusion about the event being for fat bikes. The event started in 1983 and for five years it took place at Lakewoods Resort and went through the Chequamegon National Forest. Since the course moved, it is no longer on national forest. The entire race takes place on county land but retains the Chequamegon name from when it first started. A Rich History The event has a lot of rich and storied history. Greg Lemond rode the race several times. At the 25th anniversary of the race, the event was won by Jesse LaLonde on a singlespeed. Steve Tilford came up to Cable all the time and rode the race many times and racers will eat at Rivers Eatery and Tillie's Pies which is named in memory of Tilford. 4th Stop on the Life Time Grand Prix Chequamegon 40 is the 4th stop in the Life Time Grand Prix. The LTGP started in 2022 and is comprised of 30 female and 30 male athletes who compete for points during the series in gravel and mountain bike events. Being a part of the Life Time Grand Prix series puts Chequamegon and a national map and spotlights the beautiful and rugged cycling scene alongside the area's rich history. What to Look For in the Life Time Grand Prix Elite Race on Saturday Chequamegon 40 is a very short and fast race. Men and women will finish in 2-2.5 hours so it'll be a drag race from Hayward to Cable with no forgiveness if mistakes are made. If an athlete gets around the corner and out of sight, they just might win the whole day. Pro Women Take Center Stage Unlike the mass start through Downtown Hayward, the Elite race starts east of town where Wheeler Rd meets the Birkie Trail. Elite Women have separate start times for the entire Life Time Grand Prix series and for the Chequamegon 40 they also start first at 12:30 and will finish first at the finish line in Cable. Keegan Swenson Has Never Won Chequamegon Keegan Swenson has dominated both of the first two seasons on the Life Time Grand Prix. He is also at the top of the leaderboard for the 2024 season with 3 events done and 3 to go (racers can drop 2 results). But he has never won at Chequamegon. In 2022, he crashed on the wet, muddy course and landed one spot off the podium. Then in 2023, Alexey Vermeulen beat him in a sprint finish and Keegan took second place. Surely Keegan would love to claim the spot at this year's Chequamegon 40 and add to his dominant season. Locals Jenna Rinehart & Chase Wark Two Northwoods locals will be racing at Chequamegon. Jenna Rinehart of Mankato, Minnesota took 6th place overall in the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix and is currently in 7th place on the leaderboard. Chase Wark of Winona, Minnesota is in his first year of the Life Time Grand Prix and is currently in 24th place overall. Meet the Life Time Grand Prix Athletes If you're racing, spectating, or just walking the dog around the ole block, you'll likely catch some favorite LTGP athletes milling around. They're really approachable, great with kids, and it's neat to see some of the biggest names in gravel/MTB racing hanging around Cable. Catch them at the awards ceremony at 4pm on Saturday or perhaps you'll see them at Rivers or Tillie's for post race shenanigans. There is also a LTGP at 4:15 on Friday to a Q&A from some of the athletes. Where are the Best Places to Watch? Wheeler Road Start Line Both men and women Elite races have a separate starting line. To catch the start of both races, head east Hayward to Wheeler Road where athletes will take off down the Birkie Trail and start with a big climb right away. OO x Birkie Trail Head north out of Hayward on 63 and turn east onto OO to the Samuel C Johnson Family Outdoor Center Ski Crossing. The Birkie trail crosses OO here and you can park on the north side of OO. This is the second aid station at mile 17.8 as well as the official spectator area. Elite athletes won't be stopping here but it's a nice open area near the mid point to catch racers flying by. Finish Line at Derksen Family Great Hall Being a short race, the finish line is going to be very fast paced when athletes come through. They'll come out of tight sleigh trail in the woods and then onto the Birkie trail for 400 yards up hill for a little and then downhill sprinting to the finish line. What Are Some Other Highlights of the Weekend? Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival is an entire weekend of racing, food trucks, fires, music shakeout rides, kids events, and a lot more. Head to the event website for exact time and locations of events. Friday 10:00am | Kenda Shakeout Ride (FREE) 1:00pm | Life Time Grand Prix Shakeout Ride (FREE) 2:00pm | 7:00pm Bib Pickup and Race Festival with Live Music & Food Trucks 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Stein Holding Competition 4:15pm – 4:45pm | Life Time Grand Prix Panel 5:00pm | Little Loggers Kids Bike Event Saturday 10:00am | CHEQUAMEGON 40 START | Hayward Primary School 10:00am | SHORT & FAT START | Derksen Family Great Hall 10:00am – 6:00pm | Finish Festival, Sponsor & Vendor Expo | Derksen Family Great Hall 10:57am | Short & Fat First Finisher 12:30pm | Chequamegon 40 First Finisher 12:30pm | CHEQUAMEGON 40 PRO/ELITE WOMEN’S START at Wheeler Rd/Birkie Trail 1:00pm | CHEQUAMEGON 40 PRO/ELITE MEN’S START at Wheeler Rd/Birkie Trail 4:00pm | All Awards Can I Still Register? Race registration is open until Tuesday September 10th. The Short &Fat race is 16 miles and the the Chequamegon 40 is, wait for it, 40 miles.

The 3rd annual Gray Duck Grit just took place in Cannon Falls, MN with a whole bunch of improvements going into year 3. The race came to a new town and new venue with a new cyclocross race and a new 50 mile distance. Here Pat Moore shares his recap of the 50 mile day as well as an overall review of the new direction of Gray Duck Grit. Words by Pat Moore Photos by Greg Kaiser If you're a gravel rider, put this race on your list! In its third year, the change that jumps out upon reflection is the start and finish area. Starting and ending the Gray Duck Grit at the Cannon Valley Fairgrounds was a huge improvement. Last year my race recap was titled, “ Children of the Corn Minus the Scythes ”. With the date change from early October to early September however, the corn stalks just didn’t have that same creepy vibe, and I was totally okay with that. After a summer of long races (800 miles of the Tour Divide, the Wolf Bikepacking Race (225), and the DAMn (240)), I opted for the new 50-mile route. The course was beautiful. Rolling climbs and fast descents were once again the name of the game of Driftless Country. Mark and Kris Jessee and their “flock” of volunteers made the day. I got the opportunity to chat with Mark before and after the race. His genuine passion for putting this race on is obvious. I thanked him for all the hard work, and he quickly pointed out that work doesn’t feel like work when it is fun. A friend recently called for having a “Race Director’s Appreciation Day”, and I couldn’t agree more. I have yet to meet a race director who does not motivate me to rally people around building community and celebrating personal successes, whatever those might be. The start of the 50, 69, and 111-mile races took place on Sunday morning on a horse race track which admittedly was a first for me. We rolled out under blue skies, perfect temps in the 60’s, and a breeze that would evolve into a bit of a headwind. Leaving the outskirts of Cannon Falls, racers entered a healthy mix of forest and farmland, popping in and out of the woods and occasionally riding along the Cannon River. Things began to look and feel familiar to the 2023 course when I hit 380th Street which goes over Highway 52. The road had not changed much, and unfortunately, neither did the headwind. I could hardly complain after enjoying 240 miles of tailwind in this year’s DAMn, but in the moment, the legs were feeling it. Turning off of the pavement of 380th St. with just over 10 miles left which included a wonderfully fast descent, my spirits were good. Like most racers I assume, the voice of Christopher Walken screamed for more cowbell in my head as the finish line came into view. Crossing the finish line to the amazing sound of the cowbell was as satisfying as always. The finish area at the Cannon Valley Fairgrounds was perfect. A food truck, music, and sunshine always seem to make for a good time. A huge shout out to Mark and Kris Jesse and their amazing volunteers for all of their hard work. To next year!

The Nxrth now has Long Sleeve Jersey orders for 14 days until Sept 19. These jerseys are designed and stitched in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Photos by Megan Zabel Holmes . Get Your Long Sleeve Jersey

Year 2 of the Coon Fork 40 produced by CORBA saw perfect beach weather, challenging routes, and a huge northwoods gravel party in the woods. Check out this recap video produced by Volume One for gravel fly-bys, beach bombs, and capture all the energy of the beach-to-beach gravel adventure. To learn more and put it on your radar for 2025, visit the Coon Fork 40 .

As the summer gravel season is winding down and fall gravel is picking up, we're taking a pause to check in on the our region's trend line of race registrations. Looking back from 2013, we've charted a sample of races along with their annual registrations to get a picture of the regional gravel scene. The Growth of the Gravel Biking Scene Gravel racing has been growing regionally, nationally, and internationally in the last several years. Gravel's growing popularity can probably be attributed to several factors both on and off the bike. One aspect is the versatility of gravel bikes, which tend to handle a variety of mixed and rugged terrains. That flexibility gives riders to explore more remote, scenic, and adventurous routes that aren't very easy (or comfortable) to reach on traditional road bikes. The gravel biking community itself has also played a role in the sport's growth. Known for being inclusive and welcoming, the gravel community tends to be more open to riders of different skill levels, backgrounds, genders, and ages. One other interesting factor is the post-pandemic bike boom. While the industry's spike in bike sales during the pandemic was short lived, and has since declined, there seems to be a strong after effect of the community's growth. Wisconsin, Minnesota, & the U.P. Gravel Scene Full disclosure, I am very much a newbie to our region's rich and diverse gravel scene. While I've been adventure cycling since the early days of the races below, I've only been more active in the gravel events, community, and culture for the last couple years. If you've been around a long time, you'll likely notice my lack of knowledge around the earlier events and communities that preceded my involvement. Observations on the Growth Trend Line From this (unscientific and incomplete) data set, we'd like to offer some observations about the gravel scene in general as well as localized to our region here in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Here's what we see: 1. Consistent Growth for Across the Board There is a rising tide in the gravel community and new and old races are generally seeing a consistent growth curve. Due to several factors like the international growth of gravel and the cycling media giving more production value visibility to gravel biking, there has been a very noticeable growth curve across the board for gravel races 2. New & Old Races That Are Rapidly Growing This chart only shows a small sample or races, but shows a wide range of new and old events that are experiencing strong growth in recent years. A few events to note are Heywood, Hungry Bear, and the Coon Fork 40 having significant year over year increase in event participation. The Heywood , while it's a pretty new race, was able to build off of some of the energy from the legacy Almanzo race which took place in Northfield when the race ceased to occur and likely contributes to its rapidly growing popularity. Hungry Bear is a longstanding grassroots event in the Cable area that has also been accelerating its growth. New Moon Ski & Bike recently took over the race and saw a ~60% increase in participation in one year from 2023 to 2024. The Coon Fork 40 just had its second year this August and welcomed 500 racers to a unique beach-to-beach gravel race in August, Wisconsin. 3. Seasoned Races That Hit Their Limit Year After Year At some point, the most popular races tend to hit a ceiling and set a registration limit that then gets reached every year. Seasoned races like The Filthy 50 and the Heck of the North events were popular even before the more recent wave of widespread gravel growth. With other races like Hungry Bear and Heywood now approaching (or exceeding) the size of those events, it'll be interesting to see their growth curve (or registration caps) in future years. Notes on Data These numbers are not exact. Trend lines may not account for people who register on the day of the event but didn't get entered into an online registration system. This also doesn't account for people who register but didn't show up on race day. This is a small sampling. This isn't meant to be a scientific study. We took a few larger well established races and a few races that are only a few years old in order to get a general look at the gravel race scene. Historical numbers are estimates. Some of these races like Heck of the North and Filthy 50 didn't have easily accessible numbers from events that are several years old. Those data points reflect estimates from the race directors. Chart does not include the year 2020. Most races were cancelled but some still took place. In order to have a meaningful comparison, the year 2020 was not included.

The second annual Coon Fork 40 took place last weekend and celebrated the end of summer gravel with full-northwoods and full-beach-party fun. We were there riding the short route and here's what we took away from the day, the parties, the people, and the ride. Photos by Megan Zabel Holmes Saturday at the Coon Fork 40 felt like peak Northwoods gravel summer. Hot sun, cool lake, and a jack ton of friends riding bikes and hanging out at the lake. With the event fresh in our minds and a tinge of sunburn still on our skin, here's what we took away from the 2nd installment of the Coon Fork 40, beach-to-beach gravel adventure put on by CORBA . Takeaways from Coon Fork 40, Year 2: 1. There's No Better Finish Line Than a Northwoods Beach in August This year brought a brand new finish line that shot everybody out of the woods straight into the middle of the huge party on the beach. Bikes were everywhere, we jumped right into the lake without changing out of our bike clothes, and it was just awesome scene to share stories from the day and enjoy the sunsetting of summer. 2. That Final Mile Either Made Your Day or Broke You Down  With the new finish line came a new final mile of the event. The end of the race approached from the south and winded through a doublewide grassy ski trail. It was one of the pretties sections of the route. If the hot sun and grueling sections of the route was already beating you down, the last 1.5 miles of bumps and roots really made you earn that burger, beverage, and beach. 3. The CORBA Volunteer Community Is Awesome & Came Together in an Amazing Way This event took so many people to put on beyond just the race itself. The Halfway Hang was even bigger than last year. The finish line party is a huge undertaking with with food and beverage. The routes themselves were perfectly signed and taped. Not to mention that the race takes place 40 minutes from Eau Claire where many of the volunteers live. I don't know the total number of volunteers the day of the event as well as the planning all year, but they put a lot of heart and sweat into putting together a truly unique event. 4. Everybody Wished There Was More Sand If you were on the Mid or Long routes, you probably weren't quite ready for the sand sections to be over. You may have even taken an extra lap on those 2 lobes before the Halfway Hang in Rock Dam. No? Well if that was you, then the cool water with even more sand at the beach back at the Coon Fork finish line was the cherry on top of the whole day. 5. Racing is Cool. Taking it Slow is Cool too. My wife and I did the Short route and made a point to take our time at the Halfway Hang. I actually can't think of a race that I actually 'raced' to finish as high as possible (spoiler: I'm not that fast). But even more so at the Coon Fork 40, I really enjoy soaking up the whole day, enjoying the double beach parties, and choosing the shortest option. And Now...Time for Fall Gravel to Begin! With August winding down and September around the corner, we're starting to look at fall adventures. If you're looking for fall gravel inspiration, take a look at these 7 fall ride ideas here or explore these great gravel destinations .