Riot GRRRaveL Retuns For Second Year

Riot GRRRaveL is back for its second year with 30 and 50 mile route options.  This is a free race/ride designed to introduce women and teens to riding gravel.  Last year's debut brought out 82 riders on a sunny Saturday afternoon in June.

Image Credit: Kate Lockhart

Riot GRRRaveL organizer Ellie Skelton tells how this event came to be.  "The idea for the Riotgrrravel ride came from attending several biking events where the field was predominantly male. After riding the Filthy 50 in 2013, I started thinking of ways to get women to try riding on gravel. The first Riotgrrravel was 30 miles because I wanted to make a low barrier to entry for women who may have heard about longer gravel races but were intimidated by the long distances. Having two teenage daughters, I wanted to expose them to gravel racing as well. That's really the goal: get more women & teens excited about gravel racing."

Image Credit: Kate Lockhart

Riot GRRRaveL 2015 will take place on Saturday, June 20th rain or shine just south of Hastings and will add a new longer course option of 50 miles.  "We wanted something close to the Twin Cities.  This year we will be doing two courses- a 30 and a 50 mile loop.  The 50 will start at 8:30 and the 30 at 9am.  We definitely want to develop a scenic route with a good climb or two--but not as intense as some of the climbs on the Almanzo 100 course.  The ride will be unsupported with the same, "you are responsible for you," philosophy that other free gravel races have."

Image Credit: Kate Lockhart

Is this a ride or is it a race?  The answer is both.  "We are open to however someone wants to ride this!  Riotgrravel will showcase the speed of  some of the area's amazing female gravel racers and offer an opportunity for new racers to experience an entry ride at their own pace."

Image Credit: Kate Lockhart

Registration is now open for Riot GRRRaveL 2015 and only takes a minute to sign up online.  It is capped at 200 riders and should fill up quickly, so make sure you register early.  Ellie would love to hear why you are riding Riot GRRRaveL in 2015, just visit the Riot GRRRaveL Facebook page and tell your story and post up your pictures from last year's race.

For rider racaps and more from last year's race, visit the Riotgrrravel 2014 post on Grease Rag, Ride and Wrench.  Kate Lockhart got a lot of great photos too and they can be seen on her Flickr album.

Image Credit: Kate Lockhart

Penn Cycle & Fitness will be sponsoring this year's race and providing pre-race mechanical support.  If you or your company would like to sponsor or volunteer for Riot GRRRaveL 2015 please send a message to Ellie on the Riot GRRRaveL Facebook page.  Riot GRRRaveL is also on Instagram.