At 7 a.m. Saturday, July 31, the first wave of racers took off from the parking lot of Chipeta Park, in the heart of Nederland. They were the first of three sets of riders that would be taking part in the Ned Gravel race.

The Tungsten course was 60 miles with a 7100 ft. climb in elevation and was extremely challenging, designed for top riders. The Gold course, which was about 39 miles and had a 4800 ft. climb in elevation, was designed for the more serious riders. The Silver course, at 20 miles, with about a 2200 ft. climb in elevation, was still challenging, but more accessible for moderate riders.

Gavin Coombs, the race director and founder, gave his reason for creating the race as based on inclusivity and access for a greater audience. “We just felt it was a really important thing. The vibe behind gravel is more relaxed, every man… type of riding. Cycling tends to be historically more exclusive, very white male dominated. So, we felt like gravel riding offers a different take on getting out and riding a bike.”

Coombs said he, his wife and two children love the feel of Nederland. “We love the community that the small town brings, that was a big draw for us,” he said, “and it has not disappointed. We love the community, the elementary school is fantastic, the kids have a bunch of friends.”

Kris Larsen, the Mayor of Nederland, rode the Gold route, along with Lindsey Danforth, who is on the Board of Trustees. “We got 700 riders coming into town today, plus all of their families, for two, four, six, eight hours,” he said, citing the economic boost that the race would bring to Nederland businesses.

As far as the impact of having the influx of people into the town, he praised Coombs’ efforts in getting the town prepared. “I talked to the race organizer six or eight months ago, when he proposed the event. And I’ve been talking to the town staff, he’s done an incredible job of addressing the concerns of the town staff, police department, and of residents. And [he’s] just done a great job of getting the word out. He did a great job organizing an event and working with the town. Nothing but great things to say about Gavin and his team.”

Ledge Long, one of the race staff and a resident of Nederland, is deeply rooted in the bike scene. “I’ve lived here for years. It’s pretty cool, I’m really impressed with the turnout,” he said. “I like seeing the promotion of bike riding. I do ride, that’s why I’m working this. A lot of my friends are riding it. The bike scene here is pretty prolific. We’ve got a really good bike shop, we’ve got a weekly bike ride, it’s got a good bike vibe… almost everyone up here is a biker.”

Deandra Sharp, a native Coloradoan from Denver, represented Ride for Racial Justice as an athlete. “We’re riding for black lives, and really it’s to diversify the sport of cycling. BIPOC (Black and Indigenous people of color) athletes and bringing them into the sport of cycling, giving us room to feel welcomed and thrive.”

She said she found the race challenging, “It let me know where my limits are, and it helps me push past it, so I appreciate that,” she said.

Asked if she was prepared for the race, Sharp said she had not ridden at higher altitudes before and was honest with her self-assessment. “Mentally no, but physically, I feel better. I feel like I know where I’m at now.” She said she took a few breaks, and stopped at the aid station along the course, but that was all she needed.

Larry Grossman was the Master of Ceremonies for the event and has been announcing cycling events in Colorado and as well as around the United States. “Probably five years ago the gravel events really caught fire. It’s got people involved in riding and racing bikes that haven’t done it before,” he said. “There’s an element of non-technical riding that I think probably draws people that just rode road bikes before. It gets you into nice backcountry spots. Especially up here, it’s beautiful,” he said.

With the inaugural race completed, Coombs can now look towards the future. He sees this year’s race as a starting block. While this year’s race was successful, he says he hopes to continue to grow the race. However, he is reluctant to grow too big. “We don’t want to be so big that it loses its small-town feel,” he said, “So, we’ll never be several thousand people, a really corporate event. Our goal is to keep it small, keep it personal, keep it fun.”

Here are the links to find more information about future Ned Gravel races, and social justice organizations represented at this year’s race: https:// www.nedgravel.com, Ride for Racial Justice. https://www.rideforracialjustice.org, Ride or Die Cycling Collective https://rideordie.org/about.