Small Town Gravel Racing; Red Clay Ramble and the Rural Roads of Georgia

 

“Did you drive all the way from Pennsylvania just for this race?” was something both Nankmans heard all day.  No and yes is that answer.  Before we get into the race specifics a little history to fully answer that question.

Joël and I had left Pennsylvania Monday night with the intention of driving to Texas for the 24 Hours in the Canyon 24 hour solo mountain bike race.  Fast forward to Thursday afternoon and we were somewhere in eastern Arkansas having completed about 1300 miles of driving.  A stop for internet and an e-mail check revealed a sudden surprise: the race was canceled.  Significant rainfall had caused severe flooding in Palo Duro canyon, the event site, the park was closed and thus the weekend festivities and race canceled.  Well…time for a contingency plan.

We were prepped and ready to race.  Joël and I had both mountain bikes and gravel bikes with us.  What other events were happening within the area that we could drive to in a day and a half and yet still make it back to Pennsylvanian to return to work as planned the following week?  Chainbuster Racing’s Red Clay Ramble fit the plan.  An added bonus, Joël and I knew this would be top-notch event; we have raced Dawn and Jason’s events in the past and they are wonderful, any race by them would be worth doing.  A quick phone call to organizer Dawn just to confirm race day entry was an option and camping at the race site was allowed, yes to both, and the decision was made…off to Georgia we now go.

Red Clay Ramble

Where: Hillsboro, Georgia
By: Chainbuster Racing (part of their small town gravel series)
When: June 3, 2023
What: Gravel event; long course 65 miles; short course 29 miles
Results for the Nankmans:
Joël 3rd open men
Jess 1st open female

Key highlights and take aways to keep in mind when reading further on

Dawn and Jason and Chainbuster Racing put on top notch events

The Hillsboro Historical Society is spectacular; beautiful old building and those ladies can cook one amazing post-race meal.

Nothing like starting and ending under pecan trees in someone’s (Mary’s) front yard

Gravel riding in Georgia is beautiful and so many interesting sights

Field camping for the event is allowed and it was the perfect place to “vanlife” for the weekend

The namesake, the “red clay”, is really sticky and gets into everything especially when it gets wet.

Now, having just read the highlights you can stop there, look at the photos, and move on. That’s perfectly fine.  Or, continue reading to learn the nitty-gritty about the event weekend.

Race location

Registration and parking/camping was at the Hillsboro Historic Schoolhouse.  The large field used for parking is also where camping was allowed.  Quite a few van campers showed up Friday night. Joël and I found ourselves a great spot between some trees; which we came to find out early Saturday morning was the ingress/egress for the parking and we had to move. Race organizer Dawn had to text us and then wake Joël and I up bright and early on Saturday; she felt bad for this while meanwhile Joël and I felt bad for parking there; just something that happens. Dawn offered us coffee for the early morning snafu so it’s all worth it.  Regardless of the change of location, many perfect camping spots were available.  The historic school was a beautiful and educational building to experience.  It was restored with impeccable skill and care.  Photos adorned the walls with descriptions and details of the history of both the school and the area. The furniture within the building were pieces of the time period and decorated to fit the architecture and theme. Always great to learn a bit about the culture and history of where one is racing.

 Race course

Overall the course was a great time from start to finish. Definitely the highlight was the start and finish; the front yard of a private citizen- Mary.  The house was stunning, a huge front porch beautifully adorned with flowers and plants. Lush grass for lounging after the race.  But most impressive were the large pecan trees lining the property. Citizens of town were sitting on their porches in the morning checking out the sites of the race and cheering on participants.  The course rolled out on just a short section of pavement and then onto the gravel.  Loose chunky gravel, sandy gravel, and as per the namesake lots of red clay gravel.  A few sections of pavement appeared here and there but then the course quickly changed back to gravel.  Slight rolling climbs made for a course that was pretty much constant pedaling interspersed with harder efforts and light pedaling.  The rural scenery was just breathing taking and beautiful; farm fields and forests that at times looked untouched.  Interesting sights included a lake with waterfall overflow, Sasquatch (statue or real?), Ninja turtle statue, farm critters such as donkeys and some really huge bulls. As per riding in rural areas, there were a few dogs that gave chase to riders during the event. Course markings were easily visible, easy to follow, and in ample numbers.  Overall a great course with a unique small-town start and finish. Note: the start/finish was in town, just a few minutes pedal from the parking and registration at the historic school.

Race amenities

Oh my, the post race food at the historic Hillsboro school has no comparison.  A huge plate of chicken with all the fixings- coleslaw, beans, watermelon, cookies, and sweet tea. It was all prepared by the historical society women. These ladies are great cooks and were a joy to talk to about the area and the school.  Prior to making way back to where the full meal was being served, the finish line was equipped with snacks and coolers of cold drinks for immediate post-race consumption.  Awards were done in a timely manner with professionally-adorned podiums with Mary’s house and pecan trees as the back drop. Race leaders earned custom awards and cash prizes. T-shirts and race goodies were available to pre-registered riders. 

 “Small town gravel” series fits this race description perfectly.  Chainbuster Racing puts on top-notch events with a personal feel. They put on events where every aspect is for the riders and organizers; Jason and Dawn know each rider personally and always take the cares and concerns into consideration when organizing a race. Event participants are greeted with a smile, the courses are fun and enjoyable, and the amenities such as food, location, and awards can’t be beat.  Red Clay Ramble is a race everyone should put on their schedule; whether you drive there from far or from close it’s worth the journey.

Nankman’s further red clay adventures

In the spirit of a 24 hour race that we missed out on; Joël and l decided to still do all that we enjoy about these ultra-endurance races, all the things that are the reason we enter these events. Just because there wasn't a true race didn't mean we can't keep riding.  What draws us to these type of events:

1.            Pushing our minds and bodies during competition

2.            Seeing new places and riding new areas

3.            Riding at dusk and after dark: being in the forest as night falls to hear the coyotes howl, nocturnal wildlife comes out, seeing the sun set and the Strawberry moon.

4.            Seeing the sunrise the next day and still going out to ride more

5.            Catching up with old friends and making new friends

So we did just that; we went out again after the race for a second lap which we started just before dusk and went into the darkness. In addition, the next morning Joël and I woke up early and saw the sunrise and then rode again. In the spirit of what brings us to do events and travel far distances to them; we rode gravel roads and trails in areas of Georgia we have never been before, reconnected with old friends and made new ones, heard the sounds and saw the sights of nature both during the day and after dark, and pushed hard in both a competition and within ourselves. Goals still completed and a wonderful weekend was had.

When one door closes another opens; so many wonderful experiences came out of our last minute change in plans and despite being bummed about missing the race we are happy to have filled the time with other amazing rides.

Thanks to Chainbuster Racing for putting on an amazing event.

Words by Jess

Photos by Joel, Dashing Images, and Chainbuster Racing