Which country would you like to see on challengetires.com?
For 2019, Challenge Tires welcomed applications from riders around the world to be part of our gravel program. Since the gravel season started, we’ve been enjoying events that are as varied as the gravel discipline itself.
Over the coming months we’ll bring you some of their stories and will start with Jeramy Duffield who took on ‘Barry Roubaix’.
https://barry-roubaix.com/
If you’ve not heard of the event before it’s describe as being “like the classic it’s named after, Barry-Roubaix will test riders against (80%) rolling gravel Roads, pavement, one mile of rough two-track, rocks, sand, mud and possibly now and ice as you traverse the scenic roads of Barry county”.
With a goal of a top ten for the 36 mile distance Jeramy went into the event confident he would be able to ride well enough to achieve his goal, but confirmed, “my nerves always get the best of me a day or two out. However, come race day, I put on some Flatfoot 56 tunes, threw on the Gravel Grinder 33mm tan walls and kept myself as calm as I could.”
If you’ve never heard of Flatfoot 56, it might be worth a search on youtube if punk is your thing.
From the start the young guns in my wave instantly take off to the front. After a few miles we encountered The Three Sisters, a group of three hills that will send your heart rate to the max, one right after the other. The loose gravel gave the side knobs something to sink their teeth into and with a broken lead group, the next few miles were sit in, then attack. Sit in, attack.”
When we came to the infamous Sager Rd. (a two track seasonal road that is our equivalent to the Arenburg Forest), it was an all out sprint to get there first. Once in the woods, the cyclocross skills took over in the deep sand and rocky climbs enhancing the best aspects of the Gravel Grinder’s wider footprint.
As we came to the last corner, the group moved to the right and I made a move to the left and railed the turn. The tires stuck like glue right were I put them. With about a 300 meter sprint, I clicked through the gears and sprinted for my life. Coming home with a sprint win!!! This secured a first place in age group and eighth place overall! I couldn’t have been more stoked with how the race went.
The Challenge Gravel Grinders were amazing. They hooked up on the loose uphills. Carved the corners like a knobby tire and rolled smooth as can be on the hard pack and pavement. 32psi in front and back was were it was at in all the different surface conditions. I’m happy to say these tires are definitely a go to for me.
