╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭ Nº298 The Aero Socks Paradox 🧦💨

A few weeks ago, right after my last issue & at the peak of Traka fever, Rouleur published this quote from Lachlan Morton:

"Gravel racing is now at the point of where road racing was when I left. It’s not as crazy as the WorldTour is now, but it’s going down that route. I don't feel bad about that and I think it’s needed, but my position in it is like, okay, what am I trying to achieve here? I love getting out there and racing, but there's only so far I'm willing to go down the rabbit hole, because I've been down the rabbit hole before and I don't want to go back to that place, ever.⁠
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It seems like the industry has this obsession with performance at the moment. If you look up cycling online now, there's so much information. Like, you need these gels and this many grams per hour and this aero equipment. It's so wild. I’m like, damn, if you were just getting into cycling now, you would think you need all this stuff just to do it, but you don't. I've got a strong need to get back to basics in a non-competitive way, so I can just enjoy riding my bike." – Lachlan Morton in Dominance, Diversity And Avoiding The Rabbit Hole: Lachlan Morton On The Changing Face Of Gravel

The post struck a chord. It gained exponentially more likes & comments than anything Rouleur had recently posted prior or since (and that includes Giro coverage!). I do believe people love Lachlan's outlook, but they're sucked in by the bike industry's marketing playbook. An aero socks paradox: marginal gains are means to ends but you just wanna have fun with your friend. ; )

Well, I've had some time to digress about my experience at the 'Influencer Olympics' also known as The Traka and I realized gravel racing wasn't really real to me until then. I'd read about UCI gravel races, had friends do Unbound & other events but I hadn't personally been in the mix.

To me, racing had always been crits, 'cross, velodromes & alleycats. Gravel was for fun & maybe a bikepacking 'race' but even then all the events I ever did were for the views and not to turn the screws. So when I set off on the Traka 360 I let the elbow-throwing chaotic calvacade climb ahead of me with all their dropping chains and rubbing wheels.

Granted, even with my conversation pace approach, I did manage to pass many dozens of riders at the well supported rest stops as I kept my refuels brief. Due to a mechanical (re: brakes, I"m not down with Juin), I ended up brakeless for the last 60km and Ted Shred'd my way to the finish; melting through my shoe before I was through. I finished at 4:21am. A 21-hour adventure.

Before sundown, I stopped for pizza and a beer just like I would in an ultra aiming to ride all night and into a week with 1000km+ ahead of me. But this wasn't an ultradistance race, I was in the 344km shortened Traka 360 gravel race. This was a refreshing experience for me. A return to long-distance riding after a surgery nearly 6 months previous and a unique chance to feel what many only see on social media: a marketing mosh pit where riders aspire for ranking on their bikes but also for likes.

I was impressed with the race organization. Every single road I crossed in 344km had a course marshall. Amazing. Though, wrapping my head around the myriad of events, rides, film screenings, and parties was impossible. I think Klassmark could better aggregate & present a comprehensive overview of the community they've deftly brought to Girona vs. simply spotlighting sponsors.

In the end, most attendees don't really care about sponsors or podiums. The community is what enchanted them to attend to begin with and the best bet to keep them coming down the road.

I don't have the silver bullet fully formed but I'm imagining rides that aren't overtly branded so those in different brand kit, frames, tools & tires can ride together without the pressure to maximize attendance & views lest they feel like they'll lose. Film evenings from different brands on one screen. Parties featuring a local shop, artist or aspect of the city more then a sponsor. I'm just brainstorming here.

Either way, I'm planning to be back next year but with better brakes and the same party pace stakes. Join me for pizza as the sun sets for the home stretch!

As always, thank you for reading,

Jon