Saturday was the fifth running of the Lazy Horse Gravel Grind out of Ohiowa, Nebraska. One of the unique aspects of the LH is that it's a gravel tour rather than a gravel race and usually the pace it much more casual. This was not really the case this year however, perfect temps, very light winds and a relatively flat course had the pace a bit more lively than years past.
I was really attempting to keep the pace low at the beginning but started lagging a bit behind so I stepped it up, I can do any pace you want to do as far as fast or slow but once I get in a groove that's the pace I'm in for the rest of the day. So fast it was going to be on this day. It wasn't just our group though, everybody was flying and this kept the SAG stops pretty hopping. Seemed like all of the stops were wall to wall cyclists, that is not the norm for this event either. Generally we are spread out and there would only be a handful of people at the SAG at the same time.
About the only thing slowing us down on Saturday was the train.
The course was fantastic this year, not that it hasn't been in the previous iterations but this one was something special. A great mix of MMRs, flat sections, hills and a little bit of butt puckering deep gravel to keep you honest about things.
There were a few changes as far as the communities we visited, thankfully Belvidere made the cut again this year. It's a great little town and the ladies of the town go all out with walking tacos and pies.
Lost some of the initial group before Belvidere so I hooked up with fellow single speeders, Todd and Joe heading out to Bruning.
Rolled into Bruning in record time drafting off of Team Angry out of Omaha.
Oddly enough I'm not sure if anyone ate in Bruning like we usually do, one of the side effects of most of the riders sticking together in a big group is that lines were longer than normal and that might have contributed to the drinks only in Bruning but still one of my favorite stops.
Dave hit his second or maybe third wind heading out of Bruning so I grabbed on and we cruised back to the end. I know I sound like a broken record here but this was a fast year, looking back at the previous 4 years of the event we only finished faster one year. In 2019 we finished in 4 hours and 10 minutes but it was also 10 miles less distance that year, this year we finished in 4 hours and 15 minutes at our highest average MPH of any of the years at 14.6 mph. It was also the first time I can remember not only being back before the prize give away started but being back with enough time to shower, eat and chit chat a bit. Crazy how nice weather and flattish course can really change the overall speed of an event, I think even some of the SAG stops were a little surprised at the speed and volume in which riders showed up this year. That has nothing to do with the event organizers and it's not a hit on the event in any way, it was just the perfect conditions this year for fast times laid down by everyone. Maybe next year there needs to be more hills to spread the group out.
Fantastic event, fantastic weather, and fantastic friends to ride with. The crew that puts on the event are top notch also... I might be a little biased about that since I'm dating Jackie but she does put in a lot of work to help make the event what it is. They really have something special in this ride. If I had one hit on the event it would be that in all of the 5 years I've been going I have never, ever, ever won any of the SWAG... seems rigged to me. Kidding, slightly, maybe.
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