Nebraska - The Gravel Life

I think anything that can draw attention to cycling in general is only positive really probably the leading portion of cycling right now and it has been for the last 3 to four years is is gravel riding oh yeah if there's a rout out there people will race it for sure so it's there's always bragging RS and just like the tour divide I mean you don't win anything but I mean you win bragging RS you win the experience too I'm doing it I mean that's the true win [Music] [Music] [Music] morning morning you ready for this I hope so [Music] [Applause] so we are going to head across the state of Nebraska we're going to be starting down here at the uh Kansas border um so we're going to go uh up through Lincoln today and we are going to head over to Seward York and then end uh outside of Donovan so day one is going to be about 200 miles we're going to have a little bit of a Tailwind for the first 80 Mi or so which would be pretty nice uh weather actually looks pretty decent uh for most of this week um so today we'll it's going to be pretty flat for the first 70 mil or so and then we're going to get a little bit of climbing once we get past Lincoln and uh then we're going to end with the last probably 75 miles of pretty flat area and stuff so but it should be a good day uh got a couple people coming out and going to ride a little bit with us and um yeah should be a good day I'll be back in a little bit r so yeah the the great PLS gravel route it was kind of a brainchild of uh several folks who are Midwest race promoters it's a large uh bike packing route uh primarily on gravel goes all the way from Canada down to the golf or golf up to Canada which depending on which way you want to go so you know amazing challenge you know just how like the Rockies has a tour divide so the planes are going to have the Great Planes grapp [Music] out there's been so many people that have ridden across Nebraska on the roads and stuff but what Rob is going to be doing right in the gravel it's incredible it's he's going to hit so many cool areas um I've done a lot of different areas throughout Nebraska uh rid and gravel but to connect them all that'll be outstanding I'm really excited to see him do this so so uh I know the first part is u a lot of it will be the chief Standing Bear Trail um Rob has planned to take other roads coming up through um the beatress area and it's a uh it's a rail trail and it's a beautiful rail trail it it connects um Lincoln all the way down to Maryville so it's a wonderful Trail and it's great to have that included in on this round because I think people really enjoy it I am joining uh these two studs on uh the the beginning part of the beginning leg of Rob's cross Nebraska Journey oh yeah well I just been riding RO with Rob a lot and thought I'd come out and support him today and uh ride with him to probably El about Seward and then head back and go buy a [Laughter] car appreciate these guys coming out and uh joining us we're going to have a few more people joining us here this morning and grabbed a little bit of food and donut and got a burrito in the pocket and ready to roll [Music] what excited me was getting the opportunity to create a route and to display all the beauty that's in the midwest in the ples I think a lot of people just think of the planes as a flyover country you know or drive through it real quickly but I wanted to actually put something together to offer up a challenge for people to come here and experience it and to be immersed into it so this will get people out see the beauty of Nebraska in other plain states and also meeting the people hearing their stories seeing all the cool different things these small towns have and just you know have a fun challenge [Music] all right yeah so we go jump on the path here over this bridge honestly I haven't even ridden the whole route myself uh I'm kind of curious to check it out and experience all that diversity so folks who actually take on this challenge will have an opportunity to see everything that Nebraska has to offer because you're basically going through the entirety of the state about 800 miles of Nebraska [Music] yeah I'm really excited about the the Great Plains gravel route you know I don't think we've had anything that has sort of connected the the state and and the riding across the region quite like this uh in a single push right like you have you have gravel worlds you've got um yeah other other events kind of throughout the state and they're really focused on what they've got going on there um but like between us and and gravel worlds or or grounded right like we're so we're so separate and so different and so to have something to kind of tie it all together I think that's really cool what what Rob's [Music] doing so we're making pretty good time just over 6 hours so but that was the fast part this is going to be slow there's a couple times I know we have some long stretches out here I might just tuck in behind you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this tastes good [Music] all right ride by the Numbers we're at 205 um I don't know about elevation it was only about 7400t of elevation and 5,000 ft of that was before sewed but uh just uh well ride time just under 13 hours so I was I mean I was hoping to be I figured it's going to be like 14 15 hours like ride time to get here go [Music] okay thank you that picture that you took of me last night that was awesome so it sounds like today might be a little little challenging U they had some really bad storms last night um a little farther west up here but it sounds like they had a lot of rain and some baseball siiz hail so there might be uh a couple roads that we may not be passable but um yeah so looking forward today I don't think it's going to be too warm and I think we might have a pretty decent Tailwind most of the days hopefully no headwinds uh so hope for a good day all right hopefully this thing will pick up the course on the rad but we'll head out here and go go down just a mile and then we'll get back on the course so okay gra without wrecking there we go [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I think the gravel family the gravel Community is amazing um we have such a a close-knit group of friends um I'm friends with the whole Lincoln biking Community up here everybody knows each other I feel I mean I I go to these events and and everybody knows your name you can talk to anybody they're very easy to talk to and so I think it's just it's a growing community and it it is growing it's not just the same people all the time at my event this past weekend I was just so surprised to see so many young kids we started juniors division this past year and I had like 14 young kids under 17 racing and so it just that just warms my heart to see young people getting involved in gravel so it it's wonderful it's fantastic everybody so friendly um there's no stress you can just show up as you are with whatever bike that you have there's really no ego to it and I love that I mean it's like a big family pretty much and Everywhere You Go seems like I seem to know I I make more friends now since I started riding gravel than I do before this time so it's definitely a big family community here in Lincoln I ride or race gravel um because I love the community aspect of it uh I think it's really unique that there's a sport where the pros line up on the same start line as uh every other person everyone out there has an equal chance to go as fast as they can and I love that about it um I think it's really fun to meet people and and talk to them and see what their goals are and hopefully inspire people ble to do uh really crazy things on a bike um I think the ability to push our bodies in these long endurance events is really unique um and that's what I love about gravel it's interesting in the industry when you talk to people from the west coast and they gravel ride you know but their gravel ride is you know a pretty much a groomed Road um with a little bit of gravel um very little and such and we've had a tough time being in Nebraska with the industry trying to get people to understand more about what gravel really is like and coming back here and seeing it I mean there's it started in the midwest majority uh mainly and um you know just getting them to come back and and see um DEC seeing the gravel World seeing the you know the other big events that are are out there um because they're they're so cool to be around and when the the industry um um staff gets back here they're just they're floored they can't they can't even imagine that many people out doing it and and what they're putting themselves through so it's really cool to watch I started riding gravel in 2008 and did uh DK in 2009 which was the first race I ever did oh really and uh uh the the why gravel well I because of the lock of cars it's safer but also once you start riding on it you find out how interesting and fun it is and beautiful out here and uh just all the all the people that you run into and that you race against and become friends with also it's been like a extended family I think people say that but is a cliche and it but it's true it really is and folks like Rob they're I mean they're just the best so uh I really can't say anything but gravel awesome [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] all right we just got into carne here uh we are around on the 250 mile Mark of the course so we stopped in at the bike shed uh so this would be one great location if you're having some bike issues along this route to to stop in and these guys can help you out it's just a just about a mile or so off the the route um but yeah the bike shed here in Carney is where we're at right now uh this call Donuts yeah this is some donuts for you oh awesome eat breakfast bowl coffee some Banas what you sweet awesome yeah yeah all right cool how's the Roose treating you uh pretty good it a little soft there for a little while and stuff but it was uh I think we're going to run into this little bit of uh maybe some reroutes today and stuff just from the stuff that happened yeah so all right man we're taking off thanks for letting usop in fix his TI worked out perfect awesome see Mike you're leaving us in a little bit what's that you're leaving us in a little bit yeah as soon as you I think you turn left up here I'll just continue North up to Broken Bow it's been been a lot of fun thanks for letting me hang on for a while literally and figuratively [Music] [Music] I'm Paul brasby um I helped Cory Godfrey with about a 200 mile section between Lexington and ogalala and when you leave Lexington uh you have about 20 25 miles before you get to Eustace last chance to refuel at the J&H grocery store uh and then after that uh you got the faram hills a lot of B- roads work your way to Potter's pasture in the beautiful lus canyons and and the next resupply uh would be another 50 Mi to North [Music] CL kind glad to be done are you okay I [Music] heard oh Garin says I can't ride for three days oh a 7f would be good too and water thank you yep oh sh I hit that so I might Fizz out on you nope that's fine cook if you want it you just let me know this is good right now oh you know what else I got [Music] so we are at Potter's pasture um we are outside of North Plat a little ways I'm not exactly sure how far uh but we are going to uh head West morning guys morning um a cup of coffee sure and uh so we're going to go to North Plat and then we're going to end up going to um Paxton and then um we're going to go North to the north side of Lake mccon and right ACR cross Kingsley Dam into Okala and then we are going to head over to the Colorado border and then we're going to start heading basically straight north um we'll go through Big Springs and hopefully get to lellan tonight so another last big day um about 190 miles or so today so uh haven't looked at the weather forecast yet but hopefully we have favorable winds um and no storms tonight so we're going to go out to the road and take a left okay is that back on course in or Y okay I need to stop and turn the TR to load [Music] course oh we back on course at Four Corners go left and one four corners and H right yeah so so don't set our course until there yes course will disappear yeah we'll just corers I if one of the best things I like about gravel is getting out uh in the morning on a Serene Road that's just climbing no cars around and just seeing some of the sites if I see a MMR minimum maintenance Road I'm down it I just love to go take off down a dirt road and enjoy the sites and you see old farmsteads out there you see old bridges um it's just part of the countryside that people are not aware of at all there's something different about the relationship when you're you know out on the gravel by yourself um or even with another person but you're out there kind of more on your own it's kind of a quiet time where you can just get some things figured out just when you're out riding I I really think you can answer a lot of questions solve a lot of problems because you're just running through it just sit on the bike just kind of rolling rolling through the pedals what cycling has done for me is that it has in a lot of ways given me a purpose especially when you're out there in the gravel all alone you have everything that you need basically when you're bik packing and you don't require anything else since you have everything that you need you can kind of let everything else go what that's done for me is that it really has has brought me to a place where I can know what I'm capable of um when you're out there riding and you have to climb that hill or whatever um you look and you say you can't and then all of a sudden you do it so that sense of ability to overcome obstacles and and just do it all on your own uh really is uh gives you a point to keep moving forward [Music] [Music] [Music] I first met Rob um I believe it was at the 2018 solsis gravel Griner I believe um met him at checkin um I didn't know who this guy was he showed up and a lot of uh the other Lincoln cyclists knew who he was um just looked like a a short Scrappy guy and I was like man he looks like he could really you know be a Powerhouse and he uh came and did the solstice that year and blew everybody away won it easily um he's incredibly strong on a bike uh he doesn't know how to say no to to anything um he uh just I don't know where he gets his power from from he's like the Energizer Bunny just keeps going and going so um I have the utmost respect for Rob I think he I think what he does for the bike Community is [Music] amazing Rob is um he's a former um marathoner and I was just absolutely floored when I would hear what his best time was at I believe 217 that's phenomenal I mean you know just unbelievable to to be able to turn in a 217 marathon and he's TR he's always cycled I believe quite a bit and transitioned more into that the last U 3 to 5 years but the the mileage he puts down and the efforts he puts down it just to the normal a person like myself you're just like Drop John there's a reason he did a 217 Marathon I mean he's he's an and he can push through a lot of pain so that's pretty cool [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] all right well we are in lellan right at the moment just beat the storm in last night uh we are going to head north uh to Alliance uh looks like we're going to have pretty good wind um pushing us along not not too bad and hopefully the roads will be decent I know rain here but I don't think they got too much rain uh overnight um on the roads that we're going to be on this morning so hopefully they'll be fairly dry and fairly fast and stuff so a little shorter day today we're going to be around 100 miles and we're going to uh end up just outside of Alliance said we're going to finish up at carhenge today so probably would just be about 105 or so for for mileage and stuff so yeah good day feeling good um we've covered 580 plus miles so far uh across the the state and actually dipped into Colorado for about a mile uh yesterday afternoon and uh yeah so things been going good and um yeah on our way getting close [Music] my favorite part of the state is really the sand hills with the sand the Rolling Hills is just beautiful out there but it'll it'll really be a challenge I mean um I believe they'd mentioned you know water stops might be 70 mi in between um trying to be set for anything you know uh because again it'll be things are few and far between out there you don't know till that night what you you might be doing or you know how far I'm I'm not going to make it as I planned you know that other 40 miles or whatever it might be so where am I staying um and that it'll be a really good Adventure that'll be cool [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I think it's sort of an unexpected Beauty when people come in here here they think Nebraska they they don't necessarily think uh towering Bluffs or you know green rolling Sand Hills they just think flat you know the the I8 Corridor right like that's but that's not what Nebraska is there's there's so much more um and so I think once you're here and you sort of experience that and experience riding 100 miles and seeing one or two cars then you know we've got a lot of return customers and riders that kind of thing and um you know I think that's a test even if they're not saying it they're coming back year after year and and uh you know having a good time [Music] [Music] [Music] all right uh last day day five we are at carhenge it's about 6:00 a.m. uh we're going to head up north we're going to go through Hemingford and then we're going to end up going through Fort Robinson State Park to Crawford and then we're got a little loop around toad stool Park and then we're going to finish at the border so it's about 140ish some miles uh today so not too bad but um we're going to have a little bit of headwind today not too bad though like 10 maybe 15 miles an hour so um they got a little rain north of here today so I'm not quite sure what we're going to run into hopefully the roads won't be too bad uh I think we've gone through most of the Sandy sections yesterday um but um yeah we'll see so um thanks for all the support everyone has giving us along the way and um we'll see at the border e [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] for me I just like going out and exploring it reminds me when I was a kid you know we'd we'd hop on bikes we'd go out in the country and we would just find like a a cool Creek Crossing or a cover bridge you know someone from Ohio so to me like that Adventure going to see what's out there and and gravel you can ride a different route every day of the year for years you know there's so many gravel roads out there so it just made sense for people to gravitate to those and um and just going out finding a route and then go to a small town and meet some folks there and hang out for a bit and then take a different route back I mean that is gravel I mean getting out there with your friends having an Venture and having a different Venture all the time [Music] [Music] for

Channel: Three Pillars Films

Views: 7,918

Keywords: nebraska, york, grand island, north platte, potters pasture, crawford, alliance, dawes county, hemingford, nebraska national forest, box butte, national grassland, bikepacking, camping, sandhills

Id: rrp4eovIgOE

Length: 44min 38sec (2678 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 21 2024