Meet Connor

Wisconsinite celebrates 1000 consecutive days riding his bike outdoors

I got into gravel cycling in mid-2019 when I was destroyed by the Rapha Driftless Gravel Ride out of Stockton, IL. The ride was something like 75 miles with 6,000 feet of elevation. I went into this ride without much training and without any sense of the nutrition or hydration necessary to complete such a ride, especially in the 95 degree heat. I managed to finish, but I rode a crazy bonk from about the half way point until the finish. This ride solidified my love and desire for endurance gravel and road riding.

I started dabbling in centuries in and around Madison, WI later in 2019. By 2020, I was doing centuries nearly every weekend. Some were more pavement oriented, while for others I would travel to gravel destinations such as Stockton or Pearl City, IL. Through cycling friends, I learned of the Ride Ten Thousand gravel event shortly after its virtual 2020 event. The idea is to ride about a century (usually a little more) and attain 10,000 feet of elevation gain. I completed the Ride Ten Thousand course in mid-2020 and thereafter continued to have a strong 2020, eventually reaching 10,000 outdoor miles. 2020 was also when I started riding double centuries.

In 2021, my big ride was the Ride Ten Thousand XL, which is essentially double the normal Ride Ten Thousand. The inaugural route in 2021 was 230 miles with 19,000 feet of elevation gain. Later in 2021, I rode my own 320 mile ride with a couple buddies, all on pavement. We finished in about 25.5 hours. I attempted another 300 later in the year, but I had to call it quits at mile 190 due to a broken spoke. Aside from those big rides, 2021 was ripe with weekend centuries, but I didn’t sign up for any big events.  

In 2022 I signed up for my first “real” gravel event. By “real” event I mean one where you have to pay to sign up, where athletes are timed on the route, and where there are various prizes and sponsor tents. This event was the Bear 100 in Laona, WI. The atmosphere on race day was vibrant, friendly, and a boatload of fun. Shortly after the Bear 100, I completed the 2022 version of the Ride Ten Thousand XL (and was a co-creator of the route!), which was 265 miles long with 21,000 feet of elevation. I felt somewhat hooked to gravel events at that point, and decided to sign up for Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, NE. I entered the Team Category with a runner friend. My friend ran a 50k on Friday, and I biked the 150 mile course on Saturday. We ended up third overall in our category. I haven’t put in as many miles in 2022 as I did in 2020 and 2021, but I’ve still been enjoying my time on the bike.

One interesting thing about my cycling is that I don’t have a training or nutrition plan, nor have I ever had one. I just ride my bike – plain and simple. I figure that if I ride big miles outside of events, I can easily complete the events when they come around. So far, this plan has worked flawlessly. I don’t take myself too seriously on the bike, which is probably why I will never be on the podium as an individual, but dang do I have fun putting in huge miles.

Another interesting thing about me is that I don’t have a car, nor a ton of resources to sign up for these big events that we see all over Instagram (think MidSouth, Steamboat Gravel, Last Best Ride, Vermont Overland, etc.). So when I was offered a ride to Wausau for Red Granite, it was an easy yes. I am extremely excited to see what the Wausau gravel has to offer. Partly because of not having a car, but partly because I am crazy, September 26, 2022 will be 1,000 consecutive days of outdoor bike riding.

Cycling has shaped who I am, even in the 3-4 short years that I’ve been into cycling. I live and breathe bikes. I want to bike around the world. I want to help more people become interested in cycling. I want to make cycling an inclusive and safe space for everyone. I am thrilled to have such a fun sounding event such as the Red Granite Grinder in my backyard.