“All things must pass.” – George Harrison
When 95 brave gravel grinders gathered in Grinnell, Iowa at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning, they learned the 14th edition of Trans Iowa would be their last chance to complete the epic feat.
Started in 2005 by the Midwest cycling legend known as Guitar Ted, the gravel ride challenges riders to traverse the distance of an east-to-west crossing of Iowa on the state’s ubiquitous gravel roads. Iowa is a long state longitudinally, and hence the total distance of the annual ride was usually between 320 and 340 miles. To make the challenge tougher, riders are given 34 hours to complete the route.