Results
Results can be found at Epic Race Timing.
Race Recap
The most memorable moments come from conquering the most daunting challenges.
We hope you made some great memories on Saturday. We were stoked to see the gravel riding community doing what it does best – overcoming a daunting challenge while simultaneously appreciating the beauty around us, connecting with each other and having a lot of fun in the process. I’m relatively new to the bike community after having spent a couple decades adventure racing and trail running (my old knees love spinning over pounding!) but what’s consistent is that there’s something in the dirt that brings these qualities out of people… or maybe people with these qualities are drawn to the dirt. Either way, you’re a great group to work for. Thank you for taking a chance on the inaugural Coast to Coast and Coast Loop.
Results
- Thanks to Epic Race Timing for capturing the results, for those who haven’t seen them. Some checkpoint splits are not listed because so many of you arrived at the same time that we missed your number or your number was hard to read. Because splits were used to make sure racers were not missing, missing splits did not result in infractions.
- Congrats to Menso deJong, Amanda Nauman, Jack Padega, and Jessie Runnoe for winning their respective races. Kudos to top finishers, Ride into the Sunset award winners, middle of the packers, 3:00 am night owls and those who made a valiant attempt but were not able to cross the finish line. We made a decision to hang out and welcome in those who arrived after the 3:12 am cut-off and that proved to be wise as cancer survivor Mary Jane (with friend Robert) came in at 3:24 am, the last and perhaps truest finisher of all.
Prizes, Shirts, Jerseys, Found Items
- If you finished on the podium, purchased a jersey but were not at the race, are looking to buy a shirt or lost something, send me an email if you haven’t already. Let me know your size and if you can pick up the item(s) at Grand Rapids Bicycle Ada, E. Paris or Fulton or Gazelle Sports Holland or Kalamazoo. Otherwise, we’ll have to charge for shipping.
- Sorry, we only have men’s XL, L and M race tshirts. No other sizes and no women’s cut shirts. We ordered extras but they are out.
- I am headed back up north to design the Michigan Adventure Race: Caberfae Edition race course (see details below if interested) so it will probably be next week before I get to these housekeeping duties.Thanks for being patient.
Thank Yous
- Matt Acker for bringing his love for gravel, bike expertise, credibility, connections, talented graphic designer wife Jenny, knowledge of the sweet Pine River Ridge Road and other juicy tracks… the list goes on and on.
- Greg VanTol who has been there with me from the start, eight years and 45 races ago. Greg oversaw the Coast Loop and along with Epic Race Timing somehow pulled off an acceptable finish line in Stearns Park when they realized Friday that the sand and fences had not yet been removed for the season!
- The volunteers. 12 of them. Somehow they got it done. A special thanks to the Shoreline Cycling Club crew who motorhome-d it across the state to help us. We’re pleased to send them a portion of proceeds for their bike-related efforts in the Ludington to Manistee area.
- Salsa Cycles. For taking a chance on the new kid on the block. For the Salsa Fargo, stem caps, water bottles, ideas, promotion, etc.
- Grand Rapids Bicycle Company, Todd and Brad Reed Photography, Ray’s Bike Shop, Spindrift Cyclesports, Velocity USA, Bike Law, Founders Brewing Co., Teravail tires, Train Out Pain, Clif Bar, Boeshield, TrainerRoad, Towsley’s, Local Lines, iSSi pedals, Jamie Geysbeek Photography and Rob Meendering Photography. Please support their businesses so that they will continue to support bike events and initiatives. Let them know you appreciate their involvement if you have a chance.
- Special mention to Chris at Grand Rapids Bicycling Company and Dave at Spindrift Cyclesports for going beyond the call of duty.
- Other partners including Point Au Gres Marina & Campground, Big Bend Campground, Gladwin and Marion Schools, Dublin General Store, Dublin Marathon, City of
Ludington, and All Occasions Floral for the free roses.
Survey
Please help us improve the race by completing this 2-minute survey. We’re looking for things that we can actually improve, e.g. add drop-out phone numbers on race number label, automatic check-in/chip timing/live tracking at checkpoints (possible next year), etc. as opposed to things we have no control over (amount of pavement early on in the race). One note about the sandy conditions if they surprised you even more than we cautioned: Matt and I never faced conditions as sandy as you did. See the homepage video… and we never had dozens of riders in front of us chewing it up. Your ability to get through the loose stuff was impressive.
210-Mile Coast to Coast Survey
100-Mile Coast Loop Survey
Race Photos
Thanks to Rob Meendering (Coast to Coast) and Jamie Geysbeek (Coast 100) for shooting the race. Keep in mind that they are not out to take a photo of every racer but to capture amazing moments that will remain after all that Manistee National Forest sand has washed away. Rob captured mostly front of pack in the 210 while Jamie got more of the middle and back in the 100. If you don’t see yourself, sorry about that. We will do our best to capture you next year.
Coast to Coast 210 photos. Rob plays an important role in the Michigan bike community by capturing our races and our stories (and donating the $750 wheel set via his job at Velocity USA). He charges race promoters a nominal fee with the idea that racers will hopefully find a photo they love and purchase it. Fine to grab your Chaise shot, but you’ll want to see yourself in action or just buy a beauty shot from the course, right? Full-sized downloads are $14.99 each or get one as a paper print, wall art, phone case, and more.
Coast Loop 100 photos. Jamie has a different fee structure. I pay the fees, not Coast Loop 100 racers, so you can download photos for free.
Salsa Fargo Raffle
Shawn Cooper of Indianapolis is the lucky winner of a Salsa Fargo from the prize drawing! Thanks Salsa Cycles for the generous prize. Thanks to Grand Rapids Bicycle Company for helping coordinate getting it to Shawn.
June 22, 2019
We’re really excited to announce that all permits have been secured and next year’s race will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019. Future races will occur on this same fourth weekend in June permits pending. In 2020, it’s June 27, in 2021, it’s the 26th, etc. You can guess some of the reasons why:
- Six more weeks to train outdoors. Especially of value in years like this when winter seemed to never end.
- Frees up many racers AND support crew and volunteers who can’t easily be gone on Mother’s Day weekend.
- More time for bikepacking trips and pre-rides and more time to check out nearby awesomeness such as Big M’s singletrack trails (home of the Lumberjack 100), and my favorite trail, the Red Bridge to Marilla section of the North Country Trail. Best 18″ wide ridge riding I’ve ever done (many of you know what I’m talking about).
- Summer Solstice weekend – the longest Saturday of the year. 5:52 am sunrise in Au Gres, 9:32 pm sunset in Ludington. If you didn’t have a shot at the Ride into the Sunset award, now you may (we were pretty loose about giving away these awards in year 1, but not next year!)
We would prefer to be two weeks after the popular Lumberjack 100 instead of one but permits were not available from Ludington or the National Forest due to proximity to 4th of July week. Gran Fondo in Grand Rapids is a good cause, but it’s on pavement and will do just fine if a few of you prefer to bike on dirt.
Our Upcoming Races
Michigan Adventure Race: Caberfae Edition
June 9 weekend
Experience the same great gravel grinding and forest road biking as Coast to Coast but we take away your GPS computer and give you topographic maps instead. You gotta find your way. Hike with teammates off trail to find flags in classic Michigan forests and paddle one of the best rivers in Michigan. Don’t know how to orienteer? It’s easy. Learn on our website or attend our Nav 101 clinic this Saturday at Seidman Park in Grand Rapids/Ada. If you know Matt and Jenny Acker, ask them how they like adventure racing as a fun change of pace. 18 hour (Fri-Sat): 8 hour (Sunday). Teams of 1-4.
Lord of the Springs
September 15
Course design by Matt Acker and me. 36 miles of legendary Yankee Springs singletrack and Barry County (Barry-Roubaix area) gravel. There’s a new challenge and road surface around every corner: A 5-mile gravel thin-out, 5 miles of Deep Lake singletrack, 17 miles of Barry County gravel (and two of the three sections of the infamous Sager Road), 4 miles of Deep Lake, and a fast 5 mile finish sprint (including plummet down Basset Lake Rd downhill). New start/finish at Camp Manitou-Lin, just north of Yankee Springs. Capped at 500 riders. Registration is open. Part of the Michigan Gravel Race Series.
Guinness World Book of Records Bicycling Attempts
The Shoreline Cycling Club is trying to break records for longest single line of bicycles parade (1186) and longest line of bicycles static (1448). Friday night or Saturday morning (begins 7:30 am) packet pick up. The ride will begin at 9:30 am sharp and registration is free and online. Sign up here.
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