At 8:45 the long course riders lined up for their pre race meeting and at 9:00 theyrolled out. I listened to the start of their meeting but then they said there would be a meeting for my group as well so I go the check out of their way. After the long course folks left, I lined up for my meeting and then at 9:10 the medium course were off.

This was a good course with a nice mix of gravel and tarmac. In fact, the course was so nice that I texted Robin P afterward and told her to bookmark the 16-mile loop to try as she gets into gravel!

The first 16 miles was a loop to the east fo the start. It was about 50% gravel with maybe 800 feet of elevation gain. In this section, we went through horse country and it was quite scenic.

Then 31 mile lollipop including Pearson Falls, a very pretty gravel section, followed by a ride through the town of Saluda. The first feed zone was just before the end of the Pearson Falls gravel. I stopped there and got more water and made up my third bottle of Skratch using the baggie of white powder that I had with me.

After going through Saluda, we continue on pavement along Mountain Page and Pace Mountain to Heatherly Heights. This included my not favorite, a mile or so of section of chunky gravel on the South Carolina section of Heatherly Heights Road. After that, we had a nice downhill on pavement followed by South Lake Summit Road, another scenic gravel section.

The second feed zone was toward end of South Lake Summit. I stopped and got a gel because earlier I had dropped a bunch of Shot Bloks when moving them to my right jersey pocket. One of the volunteers said, "It's all downhill from here!" Another volunteer corrected her and said, "Well, mostly down hill." The first responded, "Downhill from Saluda." So now I am thinking that the climby bits are done. So off I go, having finished with the gravel for a bit. Rolling along 176 at a nice pace and then there is an arrow and I follow it and there is a steep gravel hill -- Pace Mountain's gravel section. The climb topped out at 10% but overall wasn't too bad with an average grade of something like 3.5%. The main issue is that there were a few sections of deep gravel. After that, though, it really was all downhill! Through Saluda, the downhill direction of Pearson Falls and then the last few miles on 176 to the finish area at Harmon Field.

Weather
Start: Clear sky, 66°F, Feels like 66°F, Humidity 93%, Wind 2mph from NNW
End: Clear sky, 79°F, Feels like 79°F, Humidity 66%, Wind 1mph from N

Equipment
Cervelo Aspero with GRX 810 48/31 crank and 11-speed 11-34 cassette
Panaracer GravelKing SK 700x38
Reserve 32mm DT370 XDR wheel set

Nutrition Actual
3 x 1.5 Skratch (2 bottles on bike plus a bag with more)
3 x servings shot bloks (1 with caffeine)
1 honey stinger gel (dropped on serving os Shot Blok on course)

Need to work on gravel descents

Post ride food and beer (both from a local brewery and non-alcoholic beer from Athletic Brewing).


I would recommend this event. It was pretty with a nice mix of gravel and tarmac (short double track section excepted).