I now have five years of experience with Bodi (who has recently turned ten years old) doing bike-pack trips. I can safely say we did the best trip we’ve ever done this third week of October. I used my lessons from those earlier trips in order to make this trip one to remember.  I must admit I kinda burned out his older brother Jens on one of our first bike-pack trips five years ago. I plotted an ambitious route containing a fair amount of kilometers on the beach, and the only way we managed to reach home was the promise that he was allowed in the ferris wheel in the distance if he would make it. He did, but didn’t want to bike far anymore for months. The following year we went bike-packing, Jens agreed on joining me and his younger brother on a trip, but only because this was going to be a trip just five kilometers away from home. So we did. And we had fun. You really need a goal for a trip, but that goal doesn't have to be far away.  Lesson learned. Don't overdo it when they are young. For my kids it was about spending time together with dad on the bike, camping out and having fun. The distance wasn't important. At least not when they are young. Jens, who is now twelve and getting stronger, suggested to me the other week to do a trip “Tour Divide style”. I told him dad wasn’t ready for this yet and asked him to go easy on me, haha. Secretly, I am planning this one already :) That one year we did a bike-packing trip with the three of us, only five kilometer from home, I learned another lesson: a one-on-one trip is better. I too still remember like yesterday that one weekend a year I camped out with my dad without my siblings. One weekend a year, you’ll experience pure harmony. With two or more siblings fighting for attention (or just fighting each other for fun) it won’t work as smoothly as a one-on-one trip.  This year, it was the first time me and the youngest did a two-nights trip. Not only because I had the time to do it, it was also to balance out the week in late November, when I will be away with Jens in Tenerife where he has a baseball tournament. After a two-minute discussion, in which Bodi expressed the ambition to do a difficult mountainbike course, we decided to bike towards Texel, an island in the Dutch Waddenzee, where you'll have a mountainbike course like that. The set-up of our bikes was of course matched to our strength. Bodi just him, a water bottle, a snack-pack attached to his handlebar and his stuffed monkey. In my Tailfin bike bags, I carried the tent, mats and sleeping bags, as well as a very light backpack with spare clothes. The fact that we went to an island, made up for a ferry trip too. We biked the full 50 kilometers to the ferry on day one. It was the biggest distance we ever biked together and he told me he was so proud of himself, but he had a sore ass too. In anticipation of our night of camping in “the Dutch wild” I made sure the boat arrived in the twilight. After about 10 kilometers we found a quiet spot for our tent and I could prepare our traditional bike-pack dinner - dried pasta bolognese heated up with hot water from the Jetboil. The teamwork setting up the tent, preparing dinner and ‘beds’ was unmatched and after our dessert of a lot of chocolate, I read a long bedtime story before going to bed around 8.30 pm.  Day two was our 'mountainbike day'. So we biked to the course, did a nice lap, but I remembered the 'don't overdo it' rule and I googled not only a swimming pool, but also some seals to watch. On our way back, we even found an empty tennis court, where we could rent some rackets and a ball. Changing activities keeps the fun going and your kid will not be too focussed on the biking, which can be a little monotone. At the swimming pool we decided to book a hotel, because, as Bodi described, his tired bones needed some well deserved rest… Apparently, I had not slept very well because of my snoring. I personally looked forward to a nice dinner at a restaurant after the dried food we had the night before, but Bodi insisted on a simple snack dinner at that hotel room. So we did and after two days of biking, swimming and tennis, the amount of food he ate was impressive. Remember, they eat like wolves on those trips. At 08.30 pm, we were both ready to go to bed and we slept for 11 hours.  Day three was about getting home. We raced the 10 kilometers back to the ferry and we were proud of ourselves again for not missing it. And, with the sweat on my back, I doubted for a minute to bike the whole 50 kilometers back from there to home, but I looked at his face and decided we were going to take the train home. Don’t overdo it, Laurens. Do make sure there is an achievement to accomplish, but keep it fun. This way, they will probably want to go every year and the distance you will cover, will grow organically. 

A wise man once told me: ”A plan is not the goal itself - but without a plan, it's not going to work out anyway.”And so we made a plan: Willem, Laurens and I, Stefan, will finally ride the Brown Divide, the gravel route designed by Erwin Sikkens, that connects about every green area of Holland. Biking. But make it Live Slow style. Because it's the off season. In two days. Starting in Naarden, finishing in Zwolle. The goal: to get ourselves on the bike again, all geared up, ready for anything, not knowing where the journey will end. And that's where the problem started: “We will see where the journey will end.” And thus we left. A bit too late in the afternoon, but we left. And the universe was on our side: fresh new bike bags by Tailfin, shiny Diverges to sit on. And the sun was shining. Harder than she ever did in October. Day 1 ended in Wageningen. More precisely: in a bar called De Vlaamsche Reus. One of the very few bars on the route, as Willem had pointed out already, so we had to get there. And we did. Wageningen on a Thursday night. Buzzing is maybe not the word we are looking for, but there was a lot more going on than we had expected. No better feeling than entering a packed bar after a long ride in the dark, wearing your spandex shorts and with the sweat on your face. We indulged ourselves. Kwaremont beer on tap. A place to sleep offered by newly made friends. A bowl of peanuts. A great night. All went well. It was the type of night that gives you enough energy to keep going. It was that good, that we woke up the next morning with a satisfied feeling, a nail in our heads and, well, not that much fire anymore to continue our ride.   We did leave Wageningen of course, after we had a breakfast at the local supermarket and stacked a bag of 'pepernoten' in our bike bags. And we did make our way through the muddy tracks of the National Park De Veluwe. But you know what the thing is? If you start a ride with three guys, and everybody is hungover and there is not one person making sure that there is absolutely no room for discussion about the ambition behind the journey, nor about reaching the destination, you are basically screwed. Or better yet, you know right at the start: this is going to be a DNF. And it was.  Despite the beautiful route, the ride, the weather, the amazing light, the continuous flow of bad word jokes, the astronomical amount of calories, that were taken in and the never ending weird situations, we never managed to reach the destination of the Brown Divide - Zwolle. Wageningen became our Waterloo. Arnhem our final battle. Zwolle a bridge too far. It's always nice to have a plan, even if it is only there to give you a reason to change it. This was the most fun DNF ever. 

RIDE OUT WITH US ON NOV 24 TO CELEBRATE THE NEW LRSF F/W COLLECTION

Infinite horizons, roaring waves, the wind playing with the sand and the sea foam. If you are up in the north and you are lucky, you can spot seals too. Taking your bike to the beach can be a great experience for anyone, who doesn't live close to the coast. For others, it is a weekly thing as part of their winter training, but never a dull one. Fall is here and that means it is okay again to ride your bike on the beach all day. Whereas in summer, bikes aren't allowed on most beaches between 9 am and 7 pm, you can now end your ride in the dunes with a nice long stretch on the sandy shores. Take your mountainbike, gravel bike or special beach bike and make sure the tires are wide and low-profile and keep the pressure down, below the 1.0 bar.  Biking the beach can be fun and fast, or grueling slow and tiring, depending on the tide and the wind direction. To enjoy yourself to the fullest, be aware of those elements, when designing your route. Unexpected holes in shallow water after high tide can be tricky, even though the best place to bike is next to the water. And please remember to share the beach with others, including dogs... They also get to enjoy life without a leash between those hours ;) Finding the exact regulations per community can be difficult, but Google is your best friend in this case. Also, at the beach entrances, you can find a sign with all the info you need. Generally speaking, we would say you are free to ride all day until May1st.

Let’s say you are asked to be the national coach of the Dutch gravel selection and you have all this experience in the world of gravel. What do you do? You make sure the party is as big as the event itself. Yes, there was of course official stuff to do in the months and weeks before the race, like the selection itself - choosing which riders were invited based on their performances and which riders were given a wildcard. There was the obligatory need for uniform orange clothing and the organization of handing out the water bottles and gels. But what was most important, was to make sure everybody was going to have a good time. Before and after the race, preferably also during. TeamNL set up camp in the city of Waterloo, a house with a big yard, so riders could camp out with their vans and campers. On Thursday the whole team of women and men were invited to do a recon together. That evening, there was a big barbecue to get in the proteins needed for the next few days. A chance to get to know the colleague-athletes, participating all together in this crazy game called gravel cycling. The youngster with only a few personal sponsors chatting with the former pro cyclist, the wildcard gravel enthousiast meeting the top female cyclists. Because, let’s be honest, in what other discipline do you get to mingle with all the athletes, from different levels and age groups? Tactics? Not really. Try not to push a team mate into the barriers. Gravel cycling is and will remain an individual sport and athletes should always try to get the best out of their performance. The thing is: it should be okay to have a beer together one day and chase each other on the trails the next day. That’s sports. Now, as for the riders, TeamNL was very lucky to have a big group of podium candidates. Riders such as Marianne Vos, Lucinda Brand & Rianne Marcus are known for their skills and were keen on performing on Saturday at the women's race. The biggest competition came from Belgium, in the likes of Lotte Kopecky. An intense finale and a close sprint decided on this year’s World Champion Gravel: Marianne Vos. On Sunday, it was time for the men to perform. A dazzling 300 men had registered for the race in Leuven, with 8 elite men starting in the front, first row. The rest was called to the front individually with a few minutes in between each age group. The parcours was going to be hard, sometimes technical and mostly very narrow, leaving just enough space for maybe two riders next to each other. There was a constant line of riders, with men getting kicked off at the back, not being able to keep up the pace. TeamNL had one big ace up her sleeve and by the looks of it, everything was going perfect for him. After Florian Vermeersch took the initiative to attack from a smaller group of mainly Belgian riders, Mathieu van der Poel joined him and together they took off. With 15 km to go, Mathieu took his chance, lost Florian and ended solo on the finish line. Two out of two. Let’s say you’re the national coach of the Dutch gravel selection and you bring home both the women’s and the men’s rainbow jersey. You make sure the town turns orange. Now, to get back on that party: it was big. At the Ladeuze square, the riders were honored on the podium and Live Slow Ride Fast hosted the afterparty with beers and music. For riders and fans. Just like it is supposed to in gravel.

Thank you for joining us in Amsterdam for the best watch party of 2024! It's the World Championships Cycling, people!

I have spent most of the month of June riding as fast as I can from Banff National Park, Canada to Antilope Wells, New Mexico, USA. The route of Tour Divide stretches across 2,745 miles (4,418 kilometers) of mostly unpaved roads and has a total elevation gain of over 150,000 ft (45,720 meters). It took me 15 days and 6 minutes. My body had crossed boundaries I had never experienced before. After the initial full body muscle pain was gone, my body needed rest and sleep for another two months. When people asked me, how was it, I could not answer, because I felt exactly nothing. No joy, no pride, just relief. Sometimes I dreamt of the scary parts, like the fast and tricky downhills, sliding my bike down, trying not to fall (did not work). A long holiday with my family in August got me back on track and I started doing short rides again. And even then, the body was still protesting. Now, in early fall, I look back on the Tour Divide as an extreme race and I am starting to feel proud for accomplishing it. Flashbacks take me to some of the cool stuff too now, like seeing a mother bear with her three cubs passing me by at only a couple of meters. The beauty of the vast woods of Banff. The amazing people that helped us riders out, by leaving food and drinks along the side of the road or by offering help when needed most. Time has taken away the painful memories and the body has recovered. When people now ask me, will you do it again, I say I might, or might not. Never say never. But I do have some gained wisdom to share, which will allow me - or you - to go faster and to enjoy an ultra more. 1. Showering is optional I knew on forehand I have no trouble lowering my standards when it comes to personal hygiene, if time is of the essence. But during Tour Divide, it seemed like a good thing to warm myself up after a cold 500+ k ride in the snow and rain. Sadly, I found out that, getting to the bathroom (sometimes halfway the campsite or at the far end of a basic lodge), does not warm you up. Instead, it cools you down even more, getting undressed in cold temperatures, with only a sad stream of lukewarm water reaching your legs. By the time you get back to your room/tent/bungalow, you are 30 minutes behind schedule.  Next time, if there will be one, I will only clean my face and bits and cover myself with lots of blankets. 2. Sleeping is sleeping Why did I even bother getting to certain hotels, if I was going to stay there less than three hours? Checking in, checking out, getting to your room; it takes so much precious time. I was tired anyways so sleeping in a ditch would not have been a problem. Did I think I was going to be more comfortable in a hotel bed? Better rested? Warmer? Note to myself: Next time, if there will be one, I will only get into a hotel, if I am able to rest longer than three hours. 3. There are such things as ‘essentials’ and fricking life savers. Now if I may give anyone advice: a bivy is a bivy and you do not have to pay 300 dollars for a thin aluminium blanket. The one that comes with the first aid pack will do just fine. Instead, invest in a really good rain jacket, rain pants, puffer jacket and puffer pants. They will serve as protection from the elements and be of use as a sleeping system. However, the lights on your bike are maybe the most important part of your setup and it is really awful when you loose them. And I did loose them. Getting new ones isn’t easy either because you are mostly in the middle of nowhere.  Next time, if there will be one, I will make sure my lamps can’t possibly get off my bike, even on the shakiest rides. 4. There is no such thing as too many spare tires, replacement kits and valves. I flatted. I flatted again. I flatted once more. And then the tire was too busted to reuse. So I used my spare tire and it got ruined again the next day. This situation forced me to stop the race for a while, take a hike from a friendly man called Pete, drive 70 miles to the nearest bike shop, drive 70 miles back and start again at the point where I had left. Mechanical problems can make or break your race and even tough you don’t want to carry too much, you have to carry this much extra to be safe.  Next time, if there will be one, I will make sure I carry more than enough spare parts. And one more to be safe.  5. I will let go of expectations, wether they are from people telling me I can win this, or wether they are my own, having to beat this or that record. No doubt I was looking at the incredibly fast time of Lachlan in 2023 and thinking: how do I get into his rhythm of cycling? I checked out the amount of kilometers he rode between stops, where he did his reststops, how much hours he rested. I checked the parcours, which seemed pretty similar. But I could not know if it was going to be exactly the same. Well, guess what, it wasn’t. At a certain point, it had changed and a lot of single track was added. And once you are giving in on your -presumably- solid time table, because the road that lies ahead of you isn’t the one you had in mind, you are going to be frustrated. That frustration brought nothing but negative energy. I felt guilt, after every little thing that took more than the amount of timeI had in mind. I was losing time, little by little and it got to me. It also took away the joy, which seems hard to find in an extreme race, but is something I have always felt, no matter the distance or the hardship. I remember finding a bit of it again, once I realized my chances of finishing first were completely swept off the table. It was the moment when I stepped into the car of a stranger, to go get a new tire and some taco’s :) 70 miles off the track. Next time, if there will be one, I will only look at what I can control and what not. Strong competition gives me the energy needed to go all in from the very start, but in the end, I am my own opponent. 

On August 4 2024, the Unofficial RAD RACE Fixed Gear World Championship 2024 was held in Berlin, Germany. Eamon Lucas (USA) and Michelle de Graaf (NL) won the title of Fastest Boy and Girl Alive and tell us what's so fun about this fixed gear cycling.                                                                                                       Eamon Lucas (15/10/1992, USA) ‘’You show up and do your qualification. No UCI, just show up and proof it.’’ The open elite category is, like the title says, open to anybody who dares. Qualifying for the finals is done through heats, with about four of those heats to complete to get to the final. In every heat, the top 20 proceeds. At the end of the day you are looking at a final with about 100 guys. Besides qualifying it is also important to get the right grid position, just like in the motorsport. In between heats there are time trials for this purpose. Eamon: ’’It was my first fixed gear race back in five years. Last one was Milan in 2018 for Team Rocket Espresso.’’ Eamon raced a regular program of road criteriums and races in the USA and Belgium and decides to give it a go. He had a good season, won a couple of races (five or six criteriums and some road races, a couple of times more on the podium), felt very competitive and fit. What made you come back? ‘’The culture and the mood around it, I guess. It’s fun and flashy, competitive but stylish. I sent an email to the team manager of Look Crit and asked if he was open to the idea.’’ Before Eamon knew it, he was on the team to join them in Berlin. Tell us a bit about the race.. ‘’The parcours was 39 kilometers long, starting from the south of Berlin on to the autobahn into the city. The 15 km parcours went through the middle of Berlin, finishing in the center. Into town, there was a good crowd, even tough it was raining. People were really interested to see what was going on. The start is pretty simple, by 3-2-1-go. The first few kilometers go really, really fast - and then, when there is a gap, it’s the race. It is pretty difficult to come back. For sure in the past, a bit of team effort could make a difference in getting back. But 8 times out of 10 you get away, you stay away. It’s all about the max power for a few kilometers.’’ Eamon broke away with a German guy, Marcus Blume. They rode together for a while and with five kilometers to go, Eamon rode away. Another guy broke from the peloton, an Argentinian guy named Facundo Lezica, who caught Marcus and got really close to Eamon. With the last kilometer straight ahead, he had to keep the pace. ‘’I could not go any faster, you know. There is only that one gear. I just hoped I could manage my speed. With 50 meters before the line, I was sure of the victory.’’ The art of cycling without brakes You can’t brake, but there are two ways to go slower. You can try to skid, which means you put the weight forward on the handlebars and push back. It feels like the bike will kick and you have to practice this a lot, to get the right feeling of it. Or you can do the Fred Flintstone, which is to put your foot on top of the wheel, so you’re foot jams against the frame and forms a break. It is the very last option, you don’t want to do this. In races, there is resisting, but no full breaking. It’s the skidding, but not all the way. You get the warning before. You have to be okay to feel a bit out of control in fixed gear races. You have to be okay just to ride and get along with the tempo. There is only so little you can actually do in a split second if things go south. But the good thing is: everybody in those races knows how to handle a bike, knows the rules of passing and every rider is concerned with each other. After Berlin, Eamon rode in Zürich and will finish his fixed gear season in October in Los Angeles. ‘’Fixed gear cycling still has a lot of potential. The community is willing to get it to thrive again as it did with Red Hook Crit in the earlier days. In the next few years, I can definitely see a series of races coming back.’’ What are your plans next year? ‘’I am gonna try to pull of three teams at once. With the right approach and concern for every team’s stakes, it would be possible. So it would include another year of Shifting Gears, Belgium for the European races, Mike’s Bikes for the American races and hopefully for fixed crit life Team Look. Looking forward to that timetable…’’ Michelle de Graaf ( 01/12/1997, NL)  ‘’When Eamon stopped racing fixed crits five years ago, I actually started racing them. I rode about three Red Hook Criteriums and continued fixed gear racing almost every weekend. Due to many circumstances, there were less fixed races since then. This year though has been an all time low when it comes to fixed racing: the Rad Race in Berlin was my first race this year.’’ How did the race go? ‘’I won Rad Race two years ago and I decided to use the same tactics. I would count on the sprint and therefore used a heavier gear. But the amount of attacks surprised me a bit. One attack after the first few kilometers succeeded and she stayed away. The little group I was in made sure she stayed within eyesight, so we could still force something in the end. There were some efforts to get her back, but none of them succeeded. I did a lot of the work by making sure we stayed together, which gave me the impression I was probably the strongest in the group. The girl in the front was my biggest opponent on paper, but she would probably be tired by now. The moment we got close to her as a group, I decided to take the chance and go for it. There were still seven kilometers to go, a big straight line to the finish, and it was all out on that big gear. Luckily I managed to keep the pace!’’ ‘’I would love to see more riders getting into fixed racing. But knowing that the sport is already suffering with less and less races and teams are finding it difficult to continue, it will be hard to stay positive. They provide you with this special expensive bike, that you can’t really use for any other purpose than fixed racing. For me personally, it is having a team that makes or breaks the fixed gear season. It is something to think about, which sucks, because the sport is so fun.’’ What makes it so much fun? ‘’The amount of adrenaline you get in such a short time and riding so fast, is so good. It’s not just the speed and the limited time of the race, but the crowd and the ambiance is such a big part of it. The people behind the barriers are so enthousiast, but the community is just next level. You keep bumping into people with the same passion and mindset and you have a good time after the race as well. Everybody hangs out together and has fun, wether you are on a secluded track in no man’s land or in the middle of Barcelona under a freeway overpass. I also ride a lot on gravel, beach and a lot of normal road crits as well. I would love to have that same vibe in those races.’’ Is it just a money problem then? ‘’I have thought about this. Sponsors come and go, so attracting them doesn’t seem to be the issue. But how do you make them stick around long enough to make the sport grow again? And of course, there is the amount of participants. For the men’s elite group, there are probably enough riders, but as women, we struggle to find enough competitors.’’  In de women’s category, Michelle finds herself at the start line with maybe 30 other riders. So there are no heats, participating means riding the finale. There are, just like in the men’s category, qualifications for your starting position, but that's it. She enjoys a really fast start, which practically leaves her with a small group of riders in only a few kilometers. When talking about the danger of the sport, she doesn’t think it should be a big problem in the women’s races. ''Sure, you have no breaks, but you are riding in such a small group. In normal criteriums, there is such a bigger chance to fall with the amount of riders riding in big groups.‘’ Somehow, the idea of fixed gear racing being a dangerous sport seems to persist? ‘’I have fallen only once in a fixed gear crit, and many times on the road. I feel the same as Eamon does: I know these girls can handle their bikes very well and I trust them completely. I have tried getting friends from the peloton to try the sport, but even they were reluctant. It is the idea of not having the possibility to break.’’ After Berlin and Zürich, it was done for her the rest of the fixed season. The race in Los Angeles Eamon is doing, a real Go Cart track, is way too curvy and technical to her liking. ‘’I like the parcours to be more straight, made for big gears. But I totally trust Eamon to do a really good job over there.’’   Finish pics @bjoern.reschabekPodium pics @piarazzi

Rediscover your own backyard, build your own route and push as much gravel as you want. We make this the biggest gravel event in the world. And the best thing: it starts at your doorstep. REBOUND is likely to be your next cycling goal and this is why.

VILLA TOUR 2024: it's a wrap. Three weeks of daily podcasts with the latest news, predictions, analysis and inside info on the Tour de France and its participants. Merci à tous!

Sometimes, the stories that happen before a big event, are more interesting than the race itself. Laurens and Thomas will always remember this trip of what happened in Oklahoma, two weeks prior to UNBOUND.    Training in remote area  It's not the first time Laurens and Stefan chose to do a training camp in between Gravel Locos and UNBOUND. It is part of their final preparation, far away from the buzzing centre of Emporia, Kansas. No distractions, no small talk, just the daily grind of eating, training and sleeping. The only down side? The house they are staying at is perfect for cyclists, but in this remote area, food stores are hard to find and getting groceries takes up a big part of your day.   Tornado Alley  About an hour drive, there is a town with a Family Dollar store. It was their go-to place, but upon arrival, the whole place seemed destroyed. They soon learned that is was the result of a huge tornado, that had occurred the end of April. Change of plans. They decided to drive a little further to start and end their training next to the local Mexican restaurant. A perfect way to get in some carbs afterwards. They parked their van just behind the place on a quiet parking lot. Done and busted  A long and dusty ride followed and when they came back, they quickly changed their bib shorts for some summer shorts. Thomas took a bit more time and used a gallon of water as a provisional shower. Not facing the road, in between the two doors of the van, the privacy of the cyclist was guaranteed. At least, that is what a regular European person would think, right? At about 40 meters, a guy passed the van and started shouting. "What do you think you are doing? What if there were children present? Someone should call the police!" Laurens, who was in the van and already dressed, was somewhat dazzled. He quickly threw a towel at Thomas and two minutes later, they found a seat in the busy restaurant, ordering two Cokes. But then they saw a police car turning around the corner. And four more within seconds. Two cops enter the restaurant and the two cyclist are asked to come out and follow them to the car. Before they know it, they leave the site in cuffs in the back seat of a police car.   Thug life  Off to the police station of Marietta. Fingerprints, mug shots, orange overalls, paper forms addressing them as inmates Laurens and Thomas. First Thomas was put into a cell and Laurens was questioned. Then the other way around. And then all communication stopped for the next few hours. Dressed in nothing but shorts and a tanktop, the concrete cell soon felt like a fridge. And after three hours of hard training and no food at all in the countless hours afterwards, the men really felt sorry for themselves. With no concept of time and no idea what was going to happen, they could only hope for the best.   Clash of cultures  It must have been a couple of hours later, when two plates of food and a blanket were shoved through the hatch. Best potatoes and meat ever? After they had finished their meals, they still had no clue how long this was gonna take. At 10 PM, they were released, after having paid the bail of 180 dollar each. The two cyclists walked out of the police station, hoping to find their van back and drive back home. They had spent a dazzling 10 hours in jail, for changing their bib shorts on a parking lot. A day later, they learned that their case was not going to be brought to court, so they could continue their training camp without the fear of being prosecuted. A huge relief, because traveling to the USA is Laurens' greatest hobby. It was awful to experience, but at least we have the mug shots to laugh about it once in a while.     

Riding Gravel Locos is one of those things the team is looking forward to every year. It is just a vibe. For us, Dutch cowboys, it feels like a complete western film set, but it is very much real and we are loving every minute. Stefan and Laurens arrived at Dallas Int. Airport on Wednesday May 15th. They quickly took their jetlag towards Hico to get settled for the next few days. Nothing better to get rid of a long flight, than to sit in the sun, in front of an Airstream Classic Trailer on a RV Park, putting the bikes back together. The next day, sadly, the weather changed for the worse. It was time to do a recon of the course, which meant four hours in the pissing rain. The Dutch Mafia was represent, full force: Niki Terpstra as the undisputed dictator, Ivar Slik - your UNBOUND WINNER 2022, Jasper Ockeloen - winner of Gravel Locos ’22 and Thijs Zonneveld - journalist and beach race podium beast, joined Lau and Stefan. However, the amount of rain caused some flooding, which was a risk for the cyclists, as they had to do river crossings as well. A part of the course was taken out later that day and shortened by 15 kilometers. On Friday, they did a last small recon and called it a day. The sun came back and they had a great bbq at the ranch where they were staying to get the carbs in for the next day. Saturday Race Day The course, now 237 kilometers long, was gonna be a tough one with some nasty climbs and the return of the scorching Texas sun. To make things even more interesting, the peloton started off as if they were chased by the devil himself. Apparently, there was a rumor, that the Dutch Mafia wasn’t the only alliance active today. A couple of French-Canadian riders were said to be the answer to the reign of the Dutchmen and there was no time to do some fact checking as the pace quickened and the peloton soon came down to only 25 man. Lau flatted after 33 kilometers. Not the best time, but, hey, is there ever a good moment? He could resolve it quickly, by using a plug and pumping some CO2. The bad news was he had to chase the group on his own for about 35 kilometers. Just as he rejoined them, a few men decided to take off. Sebastian Schönberger was one of them, a guy who had already impressed him in Austria. Jasper Ockeloen managed to grab his wheel, but the rest of the Mafia had to take a moment to catch their breath. After 80 kilometers and three steep climbs, the group rejoined them and immediately formed a front group of about 11 riders, including Laurens, hanging on a thread. The second rest stop came just in time and forced the group to have a two minute break to supply on food and water. Although the second group rejoined them shortly after this stop, it quickly fell apart again, leaving both Thijs Zonneveld and Sebastian Schönberger with flats. It appeared the winner was going to be in this final group. An unknown man in black took off, having the advantage of being the underdog. Nobody really knew what he was capable of and the riders in the group itself were too eager to win themselves, so there was no real commitment to work together to get this Canadian fellah back. He rode in front for an amazing 100 kilometers, by only 3 minutes. The best of the rest was Niki, getting the help of his fellow Dutch men in the finale, to shake off his opponent Adam Roberge (CAN). Who knew this Canadian Mafia thing was going to be a real threat :) LtD crossed the finish line at a 9th place, happy with the performance. Stefan had a great day on the bike too. He found himself in a group of similar riders, only to find out halfway, that they were going to take a left for the shorter route. The rest of the race was long and hot, but satisfying nevertheless. Taking a 44th place in the GC, he found himself amongst the top 10 of his age group 40-49 year olds. A big personal succes. After the finish, the gang all went to the Cuban rest stop down the parcours, to help out the volunteers and to enjoy the event from a different angle. Later that evening, they celebrated Niki’s 40th birthday with shots at the local saloon. They had a blast. The next day Stefan flew back to Holland and Laurens picked up Thomas Dekker to continue the mid-western vibes for another two weeks, as a preparation for UNBOUND GRAVEL on June 1st. UPDATE:  A few days after the event, our friend and Dutch Mafia colleague Ivar Slik crashed into a car just outside Bentonville, Arkansas, where he was preparing for UNBOUND and was taken to the hospital. He has a severe concussion, a broken nose and a small fracture of the skull. He is conscious and will hopefully feel better in a few days, but this news is of course a big shock. We wish him a speedy recovery.    Photo credits go to Velophoto and Stefan Bolt

‘‘ Un pequeño escape in the pampas del corazon’’ Why is it, we call a bike ride from A to B an adventure, and a bike ride from A back to A, well, a bike ride? The best ideas are often the most simple ones. Especially in the beginning. It’s only when the execution of the idea starts, the troubles begin. There are all kinds of practical reasons why some of the best ideas have never seen the light of day.  Well, not this time. This idea didn’t need a particular reason either, except the hunger for freedom and adventure.  It just came falling from the sky. The idea: let’s travel to a sunny place and ride our bikes. Three nights and four days. And to make things a little less predictable, we chose a few conditions for this trip: sun, tarmac (that funny compact gravel stuff) and a long, unknown route from A to B. A became Madrid. B became Valencia. The sun was playing hard to get. And somehow, the tarmac became gravel, every now and then.  This is our alternative style Ruta del Sol. This is Roger, a buddy of mine. Roger is king when it comes to logistics (really helpful if you plan on going from A to B). Hence, the cell phone in his hand. He got us a courier ( expensive - don’t ask) to bring our bike bags from Madrid to Valencia. Right from the beating heart of Madrid - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, we left for our first stage. We figured, why not get in the first 100 kilometers right away. It appeared that leaving the center of Madrid on a bike isn’t that easy and before we knew it, the hesitant spring sunlight faded into twilight and soon it became pitch dark. This sudden transition made us stop to make a quick phone call to the hotel: ‘’We are a poco mas tarde, is the kitchen still a-bier-to?’’ Day 2. Km 5 from 220. We have a big day ahead of us and what we referred to as Project Ruta del Sol is not living up to its name. It’s cold, it’s wet and it’s misty. A minor setback. Silently, we continue. Every now and then, we keep up the spirit with jokes like: ‘’What an amazing view, right?” We are just getting started, so we can still make fun of the situation. But seriously, what an empty landscape. We draw a comparison with the American Heartlands. And because we have been giving everything a Spanish like name, we call this area the ‘Pampas Corazon’.  Day 2. Km 70 of 220. We need food and drinks. And maybe even more important: warmth. We pass a lot of deserted villages and end up in Bar Los Cerillos - it has a fireplace. Even in the villages, it still feels like on the Pampas: no one there. No shops or bars and if there is one, it is closed. ‘’But surely these people have to eat as well?’’ I ask Roger, who is busy checking out Google Maps. His answer says it all: ‘’What people?’’ Day 2. Km 120 of 220. To spice things up a little bit, I secretly added a bit of gravel to our route. I thought it was a great idea, but in reality, it turned out to be a boobytrap for Roger. He has a flat and he is not amused. He doesn’t care for the beauty of the landscape, which, in my opinion, has changed for the better. A pale spring sun starts shining and the beautiful Laguna de Bezas presents herself to us. I never saw greener water in my life. Within 30 minutes we went from one world to another. When we get back to the tarmac road after an hour, a hipster like Spanish guy comes up to me and says: ‘’Next time, come with gravel bike, because you are now in Montañas Vacias.’’ Later that night in the hotel, I remember what the man said and google the name. A fantastic world opens before my eyes, which is also referred to as the Spanish Lapland. Next time I am bringing the Diverge. As bikepacking Dutchmen we are totally dependent on Repsols and Pueblos in this region. Whenever we pass one, we go in and bulk on food and water. It’s like laying in your sleeping bag at night and having to get out to pee - just do it, don’t hesitate. The next Repsol could be another 50 kilometers away. And one more thing about the bars: How ‘cerrado’ they might look, there is always the secret word to use, which might open their kitchen. The one thing you can always order - bocadillo. Con queso is good. Con jamon even better. And con tomate y tortilla is just heaven.  This is the Torre Mudejar de El Salvador. The route crosses a pretty unknown, non-touristic area and we are eager to discover what the landscape will bring us in terms of vegetation, roads, mountains and towns. We pass so many picturesque and utterly Spanish towns, but there are two towns in particular that are jaw dropping; Teruel and Albarracin. You should indeed google it. In the center of Teruel we find a place to stay the night. It is in the countryside on a plateau at 915 meters altitude, at the crossing of the two rivers Alfambra and Guadalaviar, and known for its many Mudéjar structures. Again, you should google it.   On day three, the sun arrived. To enhance the sudden feeling of spring, the roads of Aragon were covered with blossom leaves. Everyone who has ever rode his or her bike for a few days in a row, knows you will always have to face some difficult parts. But also, you will have these great happy moments on your bike. This was one of them.  Valencia is at sea level. Teruel, the starting point of day three, is at a level of more than 900 meters. It goes without saying that day three was a good day. Sun, warmth, lots of towns with bars, blossom and many long, long roads, some up, but most down. Heavenly. The Spanish are great at many things, but making candy isn’t one of them. You ask yourself: ‘’How hard can it be?’’ but even their Haribo style candy is awful. This is especially difficult when you have to ride a lot and have to fuel yourself with sugary stuff and water. Thank god for Oreo. Siempre mas Oreo, non? Nothing beats riding into a vibrant big city after more than 500 kilometers of straight roads, nature and a lot of silence. And riding into Valencia is the cherry on the cake. We reach our destination with buzzing streets, laughter and a welcoming 21 degrees Celsius. This brings me back to my first question. Why should you go from A to B instead of going from A to A? Why the hassle of getting from Madrid to Valencia instead of an easy loop near the coast? The answer is simple. You leave something you will never go back to. At least, not on this trip. It feels like it’s all up to you, the good and the bad decisions. There is no going back, like leaving the house without your keys. And most importantly, you cover a much bigger area to play in. The fact that you have to continue, makes you see places you would probably never visit. The mountain you go down leaving the hotel, will not be needed to climb up again at the end of the day. It all adds up to that feeling of freedom and adventure, which were the main reasons to start this bike trip, and, let’s be honest, are the main reasons to start any cycling journey.

What is it about Colombia that makes you want to come back every year? Even when you know you are going to suffer even more? The immense Andes are beautiful but humbling, the steep climbs are impressive but killing and the heat, let’s not even start on that one. It is the race that demands it all, physically and mentally..

It has been fun riding Transcordilleras in Colombia and chasing each other on the tarmac of the Canary Islands, but let’s be honest. There is only one date in my agenda that has a red circle around it. Unbound | June 3rd It all leads up to this event. All the training hours, all the sacrifices, all the expectations. Okay, okay, cool down, live slow, you know. But seriously, for me personally, gravel season has now officially started and this is what will be on my mind the upcoming months. TRAVEL AGENCY TEN DAM It all starts with some serious laptop time and a close look at my agenda. Not only will I have to train every day, but I will also need some race days to get better. I simply need a few gravel events to get into the focus and shape. The Belgian Waffle Ride, Sea Otter Classic and Gravel Locos are the US races I definitely don’t want to miss. All the fast riders will be there and it’s always fun to hang out with them afterwards. But these travels can be a logistic pain in the ass. Booking flights for me and my team members, making sure baggage and bikes are counted for, hotels, rental cars and campervans that do one way trips; I am like a small travel agency for some days. Sometimes you arrive at city A, you have a big travel day of 500 km by car, you race somewhere else, you travel to the next event and you fly out from city B. I am very happy that my head is fully operational again after I had that brain contusion a year and a half ago, because otherwise this part of the ‘going to race gravel events’ would be a complete disaster. BIKE SET-UP Now that the flights are booked, I can worry about the set-up. I have to make sure I get all the desired material in time, to build up the desired frame for race day. I have to choose between tires and gears, depending on the specific course. Two different race courses on the same trip, demanding a completely different set-up? Ooff. New material from the sponsor that completely changes everything on your bike? Okay, let’s work on that. What will be the weather and will the course be muddy? Change of tires? And that’s ‘just’ the bike. NUTRITION PLAN In the last weeks before I leave for the US, I have to think about my nutrition plan for race day and training days leading up to the event. How many chews do I need, how many hydro tabs for my bottles and how many gels an hour? It may not sound like rocket science, but it actually is. My average intake on a 10 hour race like Unbound is much more than you would guess. I take 90 grams of carbohydrates every hour, which is a bit more than the average stomach can handle. So if you are new to racing, don’t take more than 75-80 grams an hour. During a race like Unbound, I take the carbohydrates in the form of powder in my bottle for the first two hours and the rest of the race, I change to chews. Halfway, I always have a back-up maple waffle, to calm the stomach and to remind me of home. In the last two hours, I add a bit of caffeine to the menu in the form of gels. And I must not forget to hydrate: at least every hour a bottle of water with a hydro tab, or I take it directly from my Camelbak. PACKING DAY Last but not least: pack my suitcase. How many times in my life have I stepped out of the house, asking myself: shoes? helmet? It must have been a million times. Next to the LSRF race jersey and a pair of photochromic sunnies, I have two essential items to take with me on the bike and therefore in my bag; my gps and power meter (AND THEIR CHARGERS). There is just no going without them. They tell me what I have done, where I am going, where I need to go and they provide me with all the necessary data to train hard and efficient. Together, they are like that best friend that tells you the honest truth. Maybe not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. Accurate and trustworthy during rainstorms and other inconvenient weather and solid enough to cope with rough terrain, these computers are indispensable on rides and races. And did you know I use my gps as a timer to make sure I take the right nutrition on time? Oh and a little but important note to myself: don’t forget to charge the DI2 in time. Those bastards never tell you they are almost empty. It happened to me several times in training already. Just in case, plug it. You don’t want to get stuck in one gear mid race..

On June 3rd 2023, Laurens rode UNBOUND GRAVEL, resulting in a 4th place overall. A mud section 11 miles in caused some drama, as well as a flat tire that needed three plugs. Ten hours of pushing yourself to the limit, summarized in ten sheets. All the data, all the info. If numbers are your thing, you will be thrilled. Thanks to Jim and JOIN for all the output.  

Hi, meet Michelle de Graaf, a 25 year old bike enthusiast, living in Holland. She works for Live Slow Ride Fast and LSRF.cc and in her spare time she rides bikes. Gravel bikes, road bikes and fixies. On Saturday 23rd of September, she rode the SfiDARE Criterium in Yokohama, Japan. This mega fast, 20 minute short fixed gear crit was one of the many side events of the World Championships Bike Messenger, that were being held that weekend. She got there with her team members from Team Look Crit on Wednesday and the party was on from the moment they arrived. Pre- and afterparties, social rides, sprint races, skid competitions, qualification races and a big expo, all leading up to the big event on Sunday. This was not the only reason for her to book a flight to Japan, but a perfect excuse to top this experience off with a bike packing holiday. FIXED GEAR RACING Now first, let me tell you something about fixed gear racing. It is a unique style within the many bike disciplines available. There are no brakes on the bike and you have no gears. You choose one gear to put on your bike and stick to it. This means that the pedals always turn with the rear wheel, no matter the speed. Braking is being done by skidding, sliding your tires sideways to reduce speed. It is considered to be a sport for daredevils and fast, sprinter type of cyclists. The community of fixed gear lovers is big and has its origins in the bike messenger culture from the 80’s. THE RACE Back to Yokohama. The race itself was super short, fast and intensive and she did not know any of her Japanese competitors. Normally, she likes long straight parts where she can really speed things up. But here, there were more curves than she could comprehend and she needed to switch tactics in order to outsmart the rest. She decided to give it all from the start, hoping the rest would have trouble overtaking. Little did she know, the gap that she had created lasted and was even extended during the race. Feeling like a queen with all the cheering around her, she won and never felt more celebrated than that night. \ The vibe was amazing. It was extremely busy and the ambiance reminded everybody of the Red Hook Crits of years back, with thousands of people watching the races in Brooklyn, Barcelona and London. Sadly, those series of events are no longer here, but the crowds at the SfiDARE Crit certainly brought back those memories and lit a fire that is still smoldering. The Japanese were, in contrary to what she had seen during the day, super loud and cheerful. One crazy party, that ended with a lot of beer and local spirits . She can’t wait to have more fixed gear crits like these brought back on the race calendar. LIVE SLOW What a start of her trip to Japan. Slightly hungover, she and her boyfriend packed their bike bags and traveled to Tokyo the next day. Biking the Shibuya crossing and getting all the sushi they could get our hands on. Off on the bullet train to Kyoto, for a bike trip to Nara and from there the couple really got into the ‘live slow’ mode. Into the mountains they rode, where the people were surprised to see two young persons on bikes, packed with just the essentials. They enjoyed the ‘onsen’, hot water springs deriving directly from the volcano and slept at ‘ryokans’, a sort of traditional family hostel, dating back to the 17th and 18th century. No bed, but a tatami with a blanket and a pillow and a common room where you can cook and wash. The craziness of the first weekend in the city seemed lightyears away. They traveled through the country for about a week to finish their trip at the bike festival Grinduro Japan in Hakuba. BIKE PACKING Bike packing in Japan may not be the first idea to cross your mind, but Michelle can definitely recommend it. Bike paths are rare outside the city, but the roads are safe and well maintained. Drivers keep their distance and are extremely polite, just like everybody, really. There are enough super markets, even in the countryside and they are just one big fun experience. Besides, there are vending machines everywhere along the major roads (estimated one for 23 people), so no need to be afraid to run out of fresh water of snacks. Help is never far and people go a long way to make sure you are in good hands. In conclusion, this was one of the most memorable trips she has ever experienced.

Hi, meet Erika van Tielen. She is an actress & hostess from Belgium and passionate about cycling and running. As a former presenter of the Belgian television show “Vlaanderen Vakantieland’, we know she is all about traveling. Whenever she gets the opportunity to pack her bags to go off and enjoy her bike, she’ll take it. This was also the case early October, when the regional tourist office of Costa Brava Spain offered her a trip to discover the (gravel!) cycling highlights of the northeastern coast of Spain.Four days of cycling fun, with two road stages and two gravel stages. She got off the plane in Barcelona and spent three nights at different hotels, starting at a hotel near Tossa de Mar. The first road stage followed the coast with amazing views around every corner. It is really what this region is famous for. Clifs, beaches and the big blue sea guiding you. The second, longer road stage added some uphill climbing from the coastal highlights to the Banyoles lake, north of Girona. Beautiful, smooth roads, easy traffic and as a cyclist, she felt perfectly safe. With the second hotel being in the city of Girona, they finished in the epicenter of cycling. Time to enjoy a nice apéro and tapas! After the tarmac stages, it was time for her first gravel experience. She rode the Via Verde, a 100 kilometer easy gravel road from Olot in the Vulcanic area of Garrotxa traveling to the coastal town of Sant Feliu de Guixols. An amazing route passing old small towns, green forests and vast cornfields. The next day, after having spent the night in Sant Feliu, it was time for the final stage, that really took her out of her comfort zone. It was a heavy route, pushing her to her limits on both the up and downhill sections. Near the medieval city of Pals, a village constructed around a fort on top of a hill, the route turned back towards Palafrugell. It was a great experience - she conquered some of her descent fears and regained confidence during the stage. What a way to perfection your riding skills and to discover that loose rocks, single-tracks and sand don’t mean the end of your ride. Honestly, she did have to get used to this heavy gravel bike with large tires and was sometimes frustrated that it never felt ‘easy’, having to push all the time. Welcome to the gravel world, Erika ;) The cycling community in this part of Spain is amazing. No wonder there are so many professional cyclists and formers pros living in this area. The whole region breaths cycling. Nice bars and coffeeshops are everywhere and you can find great bike shops in, for instance, Girona and Pallafrugell.  The locals here speak English surprisingly well, so even if your Spanish is somewhat rusty, you can find help. Erika had the privilege of having two lovely guides, 61-year-old Joseph and Toni, a former pistier, both passionate about cycling. Although the whole modern gravel hype had not affected these old roadies, they were keen on waving them off and joining the couple on the last kilometers of their gravel ride. Erika can’t wait to return to Girona and the Costa Brava, because there are still so many roads to discover. Wether you are up for an easy and smooth road ride of for a gravel extravaganza, you can find hundreds of roads to choose from. Hilly of basically flat, steep or steady climbing, on or off-road. And…did we mention the year-round pretty weather?