Big Sugar

So this past Saturday was the Big Sugar 100 and Little Sugar 50.  I had deferred my entry for the 100 from 2022 due to a bike crash and subsequent hip replacement in mid-2022.  I rented a house about 3/4 mile from downtown Bentonville.  There were a few shakeout rides on Thursday and Friday.  I rode one on Friday where Keegan was supposed to take part, but he never showed.  One of his colleagues, Mac Tobin rode instead.  The expo was great and it looked to be an epic day weather wise for Saturday's race and the weather didn't disappoint!

 

I finished the race but I will say if I were to compare this year's Unbound 100 and the Big Sugar 100 for difficulty, Big Sugar surpasses Unbound by a great margin.  The gravel was a mix of sharp, protruding rocks from the surface and underground (much like the Flint Hills), but the pea gravel was EVERYWHERE and especially at the bottom of some very technical descents and on areas where driveways intersected the gravel.  Almost 7,000 feet of climbing versus less than 4,500 feet for Unbound.  I'm not dissing Unbound.  I'm only saying that if you want a very technical course, Big Sugar is it. 

 

Bentonville is a great cycling community with lots of cycling infrastructure and the kids were out in force cheering us on as we came back into town.  Many of them were on their mountain bikes riding with their friends on the street.  Great to see that!

 

I highly recommend this race for all gravel riders. Bring the family and enjoy all that Bentonville has to offer!  My wife and daughter in law even went to the farmer's market in downtown on Saturday right after the start of the race and couldn't say enough great things about all of the excellent produce and baked goods.

 

My son rode the Schwalbe G-One in 700x40 and I ran Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M in a 700x45 up front and 700x40 on the back tire.  No flats for either of us.  Both sets of tires were put on the week of the race. 

 

Next year, I'll be supporting my son as he supported me on course for this year's ride. 

Great report. I'd try and talk my wife into a trip to Bentonville for that even if I wasn't a participant.

 

I spectated at last week's BWR Kansas, and I must say that compared to the previous setup in Downtown Lawrence, it was a letdown. It probably wasn't a letdown for the riders (though the Snake Farm was not part of the route this year). The move from downtown and Sunflower Bike's stepping back from involvement is a topic of its own. I worked the registration pickup table as a volunteer for the second shift on Friday afternoon and when I arrived, the lowest race number not yet picked up was Pete Stetina's and he never showed. I got to say hello to Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell, and on race day, Nico Roche.

 

I had my hip replacement this past June. We should start a club. I'm planning to ride my first ever gravel event on Saturday in Baldwin City, Kansas. I'm going to attempt just the 16 mile course for the Maple Leaf Gravel Grind if the weather doesn't dissuade me. I'm a brand new gravel rider.

 

I have a room booked in Emporia next year if I succeed in getting a spot in Unbound (short route planned), and my volunteer shift gets me a discounted entry for BWR next year, should I decide to give it a go. I'm also planning on riding the Lawrence Bicycle Club's Chicken Creek Gravel Ride on 11/5.

All the best on your FIRST gravel event this coming weekend and your continued recovery from hip replacement surgery.

 

One thing I forgot to mention in my report was that the Allied bike design and manufacturing facility is about 5 miles southeast of downtown Bentonville.  I bought an Allied Able about 2-1/2 years ago.  They provided factory tours in the afternoons during the week of Big Sugar.  Fascinating stuff to see a US manufacturer of high quality bikes in action!  They will also let you demo their bikes. 

Pretty cool. I'm pretty sure Alex Paton mentioned Allied being right there in Bentonville when he did this report from Big Sugar:

 

Nice review of your experience of Big Sugar and Unbound.  As a natural puncheur / sprinter, I’d be better suited as an athlete to Unbound. In fact I find it difficult to find gravel races that don’t priorities big climbs over rolling / flats.  The presumption that a gravel race is only the real thing if it has huge climbing in it, is nonsense.  Gravel courses can be anything from flat to mountainous, and there should be more variety, just as there is in road racing. …Bring on the true Gravel Multi-Stage Race!