Welcome to Le Grand du Nord!

Will you earn your Graveleer Wings at the Finish?

Welcome to the 2024 Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic. Here are a few important bits of info to know before the big day.

  • We are honored to be partnering with The National Indian Carbon Coalition. This year, for all Heck Productions events, we are asking that you help offset your carbon emissions while traveling to one of our events with their carbon calculator. This money goes directly to a local project at the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Please consider being part of this mission to offset emissions while simultaneously supporting a local carbon sequestration project. Thank you!

  • Remember that our new Official Timing Finish Line is on County Rd 7, just before entering Grand Marais. After having your time marked, all riders MUST proceed, SLOWLY, to the Ceremonial Finish Line (also the start line) by Voyageur Brewing Co. via the official route. This is for important safety reasons.

  • We have one of the best teams of volunteers in cycling. Please be appreciative, patient and thankful to these folks who donate their precious time and expertise to our event(s)

  • Awards Ceremonies will be at noon for the 26 mile race, 2 PM for the 54 mile race, and 4 PM for the 110 mile race. This will be at the Ceremonial Finish Line/Big Tent by Voyageur Brewing Co.

  • Earn your Graveleer Wings (above photo) by finishing your race! I’ll be handing these out at the Ceremonial Finish Line!

  • We will be randomly drawing a recipient for a beautiful set of HED Wheels. This will be announced at 4 PM at the 110 mile award ceremony. Andy Tetmeyer, the HED design guru and artisan checkpoint chef, will be making fresh crepes for the 110 mile racers at the checkpoint. This is an amazing HED tradition and we are very appreciative of their support of our events from the very beginning!

  • Grand Marais sadly does not have a bike shop (we miss you Fireweed Bike Coop!) Make sure to come supplied, or, make a last minute stop at Spokengear/Cedaero Bags in Two Harbors.

  • Lastly, and most importantly, we are guests to this part of the world. Let’s be friendly, welcoming, respectful and CAREFUL while doing this thing we love. NO ROADS are CLOSED. There will be cars. RIDE far RIGHT and share the road. Do not jeopardize your safety or another motorists safety because of your need for speed.

  • Safe travels and Ride the Good Line- Jeremy and Le Grand Team

  • PS! We have some really cool new items for sale at the Le Grand Big Tent. USA made waxed canvas trucker hats and newly sewn (by yours truly) Adventure Cycling Equipment ACE Tool Rolls, too. Plus a very sweet co-branded hip bag from Cedaero!

  • Thank you SPONSORS! If you are shopping for provisions or North Shore services, check out our event sponsors. Hand picked, local and best in what they do.

ACE Tool Roll

USA made waxed canvas trucker from Bradley Mountain

Bone Saw Cycling Collective

Some of the Collective Photo pulled from BSCC Facebook

I’m not sure, but it may have been 2019 when, standing on the finishing line, I noticed a raucous crew of riders hanging out under a logo’d pop up tent not far from the line. Lots of tattoos and cut-off’s. But above all else, the loudest cheering section I had ever seen at one of our events. I remember asking Avesa the next morning if she had caught sight of that motorcycle gang looking bunch. She had and said they seemed pretty nice. Huh.

But then they kept showing up. And there were more of them. And they had matching patches and vests and tee shirts. And they were even louder and friendlier than before. Not wanting to get on the wrong side of this crew, I acted friendly toward them in fear that a wrong look might mean a missing rear wheel. But I was obviously mistaken.

The Bone Saw Cycling Collective is, in fact, one of my favorite things I have seen come out of gravel cycling. An extremely welcoming, diverse, and supportive group of people who like to ride gravel. They define Graveleer. This is BSCC in their own words:

Bone Saw Cycling Collective is a bicycle-focused group located around the Twin

Cities, Minnesota. The Collective was formed in 2019 as a group of friends wanting to

meet for casual rides and attend bike events. Over the past 5 years, Bone Saw has

grown and evolved into a community centered Collective with a large following of

supporters. The mission of the Collective is and always has been to create a safe and

inviting space for those new to cycling to feel welcome in a non-judgemental space. Our

members offer support amongst each other and host skill shares in order to strengthen

the knowledge of others.

I started seeing BSCC at other events, offering pickle hand ups and maybe shots of some special drink. And again, more encouraging words.

And, unquestionably the baddest logo and teamwear anywhere.

If you should be so fortunate to see this crew at your next event, and certainly at Le Grand du Nord and The Heck of the North, say hello and take a page from their club book. We are honored to have them at our events. Bone Saw Cycling Collective



Now a Word About our Sponsors

Jet Fuel for cyclists. Our friends at Embark Maple Energy

As we head into the 2024 event season, we want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU!! to our event sponsors. These fine companies have either been sought out by us, or vice versa, because of the great work they do in the community and for cyclists. We value the ways in which they do business and bring creative and solid products and service to the North Shore and beyond. And they are just fun to work with. On your way to gathering provisions for your next cycling event or necessary service, please keep these folks in mind. It feels good to support great local businesses.

County Resources!

Wheels

Community Business

Volunteer for The Fox Bikepacking Event!

Ron, one of our veteran volunteer captains!

We have just created the volunteer signup page for The Fox Bikepacking Race on June 22-23. The Fox is a great way to see what this style of racing is all about. Please check out The Fox Volunteer Page or go directly to the Signup Page. Thank you for volunteering as our events depend on the amazing support of people like you.

Our infamous Fox Wrap! Powering riders for thousands of miles!

That Feeling

I hesitate to write this or even provide photographic proof. But let me explain…

I have gone on and on about The Ragnarok 105 gravel race in Red Wing, Minnesota before. It was my very first gravel “race” way back when. It was where Charlie Farrow first berated me for not having my poop in a group in the parking lot before the “Big Dance.” It was where I learned about the hills of the Driftless Region of Minnesota. Simply, it remains my favorite gravel event anywhere.

This year, months of pretty intense PT work (thanks to Hailey at Northern Movement PT) helped me to achieve a sense of gratitude and reward that I can only hope all riders of tough gravel events feel. That feeling of finding out that your body can actually do far more than you expect it to. That feeling of riding solo for 90 miles and realizing that you are still your best cycling companion. That feeling that just riding across the finish line is all the reward that I would ever want. It’s been a couple of years since I had that feeling and it feels good to have it yet again.

So this short post is a simple nod to the fine people that produce the Ragnarok 105 each year. It is all a gravel race needs to be. Card tables in the parking lot. Timing done by hand. Cue sheets that tell you where to turn. And a course that is second to none in the country. This is pure gravel racing. Thank you!

The takeways for those just attempting their first 100 milers this season? Remember the basics. There are easier miles and there are harder miles. Be present for both. Ride 10 miles at a time. Get those done and move to the next 10. Say ‘hello’ to new people in the parking lot. Look at the hawks soaring overhead. Say ‘thank you’ to the checkout person at the convenient store. Keep eating 200-300 calories each hour. Mind your tire pressure (usually under 35 psi.) And remember that doing hard things is probably good for us all. Most people riding are having that shared experience with you.

Be Graveleer!

Jeremy