This post was written by Jordan Cohen, a massive SANS supporter since day one. Thanks to Jordan for this post + all of his help and wise words along the way!
I’ve been doing endurance races as an amateur for the past 10 years and nothing beats the experience of a gravel race with friends. As a recovering triathlete, I’m late to the sport of gravel, but it was an instant love affair. The sounds, smells, feels- all of it. And the best part- the community.
To set the stage, I’m not really that good at cycling. I ride a lot, I can ride pretty far, and I train pretty seriously, but I’m nowhere close to the front pack and pretend to be a mechanic- which mainly consists of me saying “that sounds weird”, almost breaking my bike, and then bringing it to my local bike shop to which I get a good “what did you do now?” stare. The reality is, I just love being on my bike in beautiful places with wonderful people. And we got to do that at The Rad Dirt Fest in Trinidad, CO.
Becoming a SANS Pro
I live in Boulder, CO where there’s no shortage of outdoor enthusiasts and incredible cyclists. One of my most active text threads is a group titled “Boulder Bikes”- the name says enough. It’s a group of people who just like to ride together. Several months back I sent out the text “The Rad Dirt Fest- Trinidad, CO- who’s in?”. For context, I hadn’t even met everyone in the group. Within minutes, we had a crew of 9 guys ready to take on the challenge- whether I knew them or not, there was no doubt we’d become fast friends.
The beautiful part was that SANS (aka our favorite bar on the bike) was willing to support us as a team. We got amazing kits (oh the joys of new kit day) and product for the ride. It made the whole event that much more special. What made it even more powerful was that we all became “SANS Pros”- pun 100% intended.
Ironically, a couple of the guys were very much front-of-the-pack riders, but that’s not what makes someone a SANS Pro. It’s like comparing gravel to the Tour. It’s not about the spectacle or the external validation, it’s about going out and doing your best, the journey inward, and the relationships cultivated along the way. Granted, if your a pro cyclist reading this, my ode to gravel clearly doesn’t apply to you. But also, if you’re a pro cyclist reading this, then that’s awesome- thanks for the inspiration.
With new kits, high spirits, and big ambitions, we made the pilgrimage to Trinidad, CO where the weekend would kick off.
Pre Race Shenanigans
As with any proper race, the days and hours leading up to it are super fun with a lot of enthusiasm under the surface. Or at least they are for me because, well, these races just give me so much energy- I can hardly sleep leading up to them (to my HRV’s disappointment).
Gravel is all about good times- more so than any other event or race I’ve been a part of. Some of us arrived on Thursday night and the rest on Friday in advance for the Saturday race. The 4+ hour drive was scenic and simple- you get to watch as the landscape gradually transforms from the typified dramatic mountains of the Rockies to the Southwest. Trinidad, CO rests on the border of Colorado and New Mexico and the scenery is just that. It’s a gateway to the Southwest and suddenly you feel like you're in a different part of the world let alone within the same state.
My buddy, Tommy, and I were trying to coordinate a camping situation that ultimately failed so we got a hotel room (pretty anti-gravel culture…I know). After we checked in, we grabbed a pizza at Bella Luna. We brought our leftovers (there were few) to our friends Corey, JR, and Brad at their campsite. The rest of the night was good conversation, fresh air, and starry skies.
We were joined by the rest of the gang on Saturday where we went out for a team ride. That sounds far more serious than it was (after all, we’re SANS Pros…not Pro Pros). It was an excuse to put on the new kits, meet up, and ride a part of the course together. We all got to finally put faces to names and reconnect- life can often pull us away from spending time together. These events bring us closer and remind us of the joys of being in the company of good friends while having awesome experiences.
Needless to say, we were all getting excited for the race and to be out in this part of the country together. These events are pretty self-selecting for individuals who want quality experiences. I’ve found that being around that caliber of individual always makes me a better human being.
Knowing we had a race the following morning, we had to stifle our enthusiasm to wind down. We did the pre-race check in and checked out mainstreet. Gravel races are different from any other race- and you get that vibe just from the vendors that pop up for the packet pick up. It ranges from coffee, beer (shoutout to Best Day Ever), snacks, bikes, and the awesome folks at Muc-Off. (Seriously, Muc-Off people- your entire team is always smiling and ready to clean a bike- it’s the best.)There’s not a single sign or ad helping you knock off 3 seconds from your race. Anyone who’s there knows that the journey is within.
That night we got together for an early cookout. Corey, SANS co-founder, brought the portable Traeger grill and made a mini feast fit for kings and queens. Pretty impressive to see how much he was able to cook in that thing- even more impressive was how much we were able to eat. Gathering around the fire, stories were shared, laughs were had, and conversations about the weather ensued. We also were on high alert for tarantulas- it was the annual tarantula migration.
The Rad- Race Day
Despite all desire to sleep, I woke up at 3:30 am for a 7 am race. Just excited.
After checking the weather (and re-checking, and re-checking) we were confident weather would hold. We brought our handy dandy electric griddle and hosted a little pre-race breakfast for all who wanted to join. Eggs, oatmeal, peanut butter, and a space for laying out all the gear to make sure for the 15th time that you had everything.
The weather held. Granted 40 degrees at race start, we had no rain and the skies promised a clear day. Few of the SANS Pros took off the front while many of us got comfortable with the main group. I was fortunate enough to meet an awesome human to pace with for the first 80 miles of the 100 mile course (actually 99 miles…who does that? Come on, make it 100!). Chad- you are awesome. Thank you for an epic ride.
As with any bike race, it’s a lot of time to think, to follow your breath, feel the unrelenting pain in your legs, and observe your thoughts. With the training behind you, you really just flow- like a machine turned on, you witness the body doing what it’s trained to do. And fortunately, it was a good day. I have a decent time thrown off by my enthusiasm for a good aid station but more importantly I hit my plan. Rarely do things go to “plan”, but my performance was smack-dab in the middle of what I was projecting (for those bike nerds out there, focused on ~65% FTP).
Trinidad is simply spectacular- the views, the climbs, the people. Everyone who came out was genuinely excited to see you and compared to most races, it felt like a private event with just a few hundred people out there. Also, shout out to the highschool band playing at the aid station at mile 60. You all crushed it.
Every SANS Pro crossed the finish line- some faster than others, but all with smiles across their faces. Did everybody have a great day? No. That’s why we do it. To test our limits, to learn about ourselves and, in a very real way, to learn about life. Doing something simple for a very long time teaches you things and we all gained a little bit of that in Trinidad.
Wrapping it up
The race was amazing. For what was expected: for the experience of going out, suffering, and learning from it. And for what was a delightful reminder: being around great people doing awesome things is pure joy.
Grateful for SANS for organizing it and making us all SANS Pros for the weekend. And grateful to all the volunteers, the race organizers, the racers, the support crews, the marching band, and the group of awesome people that I got to sit around the fire with and talk bikes.
Thanks to these SANS Pros for making RAD an unforgettable experience. Stay tuned to find out how you can become a SANS Pro!
Jordan Cohen
Brad Dixon
Matt Green
Bryan McVey
Tommy Meyer
Marc Rapenne
Peter Rentschler
Credits:
John D Russell Photography