Behold! The Dirty Thirty Gravel Grinder!
By Bruce Steinberg
Cyclists looking for new adventures should join in the Dirty Thirty Gravel Grinder. Held this year on March 28 in Saranac, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, the Dirty Thirty is a 16, 30 and, newly added this year, 50-mile race, with over 90% of the courses on gravel roads. According to race founder and director, Raymond Passchier, husband, father, owner of many bikes, and owner of EPIC Race Timing (scheduled to time over 60 silent sports events in 2020 alone), gravel bike racing offers new adventures for cyclists.
The Dirty Thirty Gravel Grinder: What a great name for a race, poetic, alliterative and saying it all. According to Passchier, gravel bike racing offers new vistas, farms, pastures, cows and horses, along with forests, things you don’t always see during road or mountain bike races.
“In March, trails can be too wet, muddy or frozen to ride, and riding on trails at this time of year may damage them,” Passchier said. “Paved roads can be dangerous, with traffic speeds at over 55 miles per hour, many without shoulders. Gravel road riding here offers a fun and challenging alternative on roads that are less traveled. For bikers who have never ridden gravel roads, gravel racing offers at times a rougher ride, some wash-boarding and hills to manage, without the frustrations of sandy patches at other mountain bike racing events.”
Michigan Gravel Race Series: “The Dirty Thirty Gravel Grinder was inspired by the Barry-Roubaix [Killer Gravel Road Race], the largest gravel road race in the world, set in Hastings, Michigan,” Passchier said. “It has almost 4,000 riders and it fills within a week of registration opening.”
The Dirty Thirty joined the Michigan Gravel Race Series last year. Passchier started the Dirty Thirty in 2018, but its inaugural year was not part of the Series.
“There was one date available in March to join,” Passchier said, “but I had to show the Series organizers that the Dirty Thirty was well-run. That means that we start the race on time, we’re chip-timed, have enough volunteers, a well-marked course and have police at all critical intersections. In addition, I review the course routes with the road commission and sheriff to keep riders safe.”
For Passchier, it took only the 2018 race to show the Dirty Thirty was deserving of joining the Series, which it did in 2019.
“We had about 190 racers in 2018, 390 last year and registration shows I have hope to go over 400 this year,” he said. “There are also prize money awards for winners, and raffles including a Cannondale gravel bike worth $1,200.”
No New Equipment Required: There are gravel-road specific bikes, which have slightly wider tires than road bikes, dropped handlebars and longer frames than cyclocross bikes, but Passchier makes it clear that such bikes are not necessary to gravel-ride.
“Mountain and cyclocross bikes work just fine,” he said. “The Dirty Thirty also has separate categories according to the type of bike being ridden. Regular-geared bikes, fat-tire bikes and single speed. We also have a tandem bike category because we get a few of those, too.”
The Party Atmosphere: “This race promotes itself,” Passchier said. “‘Small Town Big Gravel.’ Riders enjoy small towns like Saranac. They enjoy the warm feel of it while experiencing high-quality gravel roads. The race starts downtown and the community comes out to cheer the racers on. The camaraderie with gravel racing is outstanding. Gravel races are laid back and have a fun atmosphere, with an end-of-race party, with food, drinks, raffle, and prize money.”
Raymond Passchier Himself: Well, he didn’t put it this way, but I’m convinced that the success and draw of the Dirty Thirty Gravel Grinder centers on Raymond Passchier. The nearly one-man show credits his volunteers, the town of Saranac and its surrounding community. “It’s a lot of work,” he admitted. “My volunteers are great. I made sure that the race starts in Saranac, and bib pick-up is at the Saranac coffee shop, Revival Café. This race brings business to Saranac and the town appreciates the influx of riders.”
Passchier also uses the race to benefit the community even if it isn’t directly related to the race, including donating to a new trailhead building and bike fix-it station in Saranac. “I’ve had an area brewery involved since the beginning,” Passchier said, “and I’m working on getting a food truck in to help with the party.”
After finishing my conversation with Passchier, thinking about his “Small Town Big Gravel” motto, I couldn’t help but think of my own motto for Passchier and the Dirty Thirty: “Big Heart Great Race.”
It’s definitely a cycling race to check out.
For registration and more information, go to: www.dirtythirtygravelgrinder.com.
Also check out www.barry-roubaix.com and www.michigangravelraceseries.com.