Memorial Recon

Had a good day out on the course yesterday! The starting route is set and the scenery is spectacular. The roads are in good condition and points that were washed out earlier in the spring are all fixed now. There are some stretches though that are a bit loose so you'd be pushing it if you are running 28 mm tires.

So that racers will have enough food and hydration out there, we will bring drop bags to the check point in Watertown which is at about 60 miles. At registration, you will be able to give a bag-o-goodies to one of our outstanding volunteers and it will be waiting for you in Watertown. Please make the bag as small as possible. It could be really hot on June 19th so bring extra water. With that written, if you feel like donating something to the cause, haul out a couple extra gallons of water for others to use. If it is a real scorcher, we may have an extra water stop on the course. TBD. If you would like to run the race fully self supported, quality bags are essential. Banjo Brothers have an array of items to choose from including seat, handlebar and top tube bags. It is always good to be prepared with tools, food and agua. Tell 'em ole Dirty Benjamin sent ya.

More information to follow on parking, registration and post race hanging out will follow.

Well...if first of all, if you don't bike and your car breaks down, what would you wish for?

Been a Minute

Long time no post...We have been mad busy getting the course details nailed down and prepping for the Almanzo. Chris really knows how to throw a quality event. Kudos! Beautiful scenery, frightening downhills, resolve crushing uphills, outstanding spectator support, phenominal volunteers, and a great group of riders are only a few of the stars that aligned on May 15, 2010. Your humble WDB organizers had big fun. We finished 12th and 33rd so for us, the gravel racing is taking a back seat for a few weeks. It's time to pay back the community of grinders out there who are Jonesin to get back on the rocks and crush some agates!!

The Westside Dirty Benjamin course is shaping up to be the best route in Minnesota west of the twin cities. If you know Carver County, you know of farms, lakes, wind and turkeys. You may miss the in and out of the numerous river valleys that you were blessed with in the Almanzo and Ragnorak but hey, we believe that is what you need on June 19th. Posts will be coming more frequent now so keep an eye out.

Westide Dirty Benjamin

Congrats to the 155 folks registered for the first Dirty Benjamin!!! Rider list can be seen by hitting the "Rider" link on the menu bar for the blog. A big surprise is that we have 14 entrants to the Masters class Word!!

We've got a lot planned since were are finished consulting with the mint on our ideas for the new Benjamin. We tried to get a bike in there but...



This weekend will be spent on recon since there are a few spots were we are trying to decide whether we should go this way or that. While the route is 95% done, those last decisions are sometimes the toughest. We do know this for sure, the start and fininsh is at Schimelpfenig Park in Chaska. There is a shelter with kitchen so we may have some dogs/not dogs grilling for a post race feast. We are looking into some more refreshments so more on that later. This being a park and all, there are plenty of structures for any offspring so tell the family to get down there to witness you finishing your gravel century!

Stoked!

I am so stoked for all the racers of the initial running of the Westside Dirty Benjamin that I...I'm as stoked as the fans here



We got such a great group of folks lined up for this...Final roster posting coming up...

Ragnarok 105

Helmets off to the organizers for putting together a great race!! Those hills were brutal and unforgiving. Fast descents and morale crushing climbs lead to the huge exhilaration at the finish. The humble organizers of the Westside Dirty Benjamin came in at 13th and 19th places. Ride on! Get a taste of the elation of finishing a gravel century by sending in your postcard. Only a few days to go so don't sleep and get out there and ride!

Recon

Logged 58 miles doing some recon on the route today. All sorts of gravel for your pleasure! There's the ribbed, the sandy, the sandy and ribbed, the tacky going past farms, lakes in the sun and under a canopy of trees. Came across a few dogs so be prepared for that with some water, bug spray, Halt, Mace, speed...whatever.

Starting to receive the postcards so I'll start to get the list posted tomorrow. I will also be emailing riders as a confirmation. Get them out by April 15th