The second annual Coon Fork 40 took place last weekend and celebrated the end of summer gravel with full-northwoods and full-beach-party fun. We were there riding the short route and here's what we took away from the day, the parties, the people, and the ride.
Photos by Megan Zabel Holmes
Saturday at the Coon Fork 40 felt like peak Northwoods gravel summer. Hot sun, cool lake, and a jack ton of friends riding bikes and hanging out at the lake.
With the event fresh in our minds and a tinge of sunburn still on our skin, here's what we took away from the 2nd installment of the Coon Fork 40, beach-to-beach gravel adventure put on by CORBA.
Takeaways from Coon Fork 40, Year 2:
1. There's No Better Finish Line Than a Northwoods Beach in August
This year brought a brand new finish line that shot everybody out of the woods straight into the middle of the huge party on the beach. Bikes were everywhere, we jumped right into the lake without changing out of our bike clothes, and it was just awesome scene to share stories from the day and enjoy the sunsetting of summer.
2. That Final Mile Either Made Your Day or Broke You Down
With the new finish line came a new final mile of the event. The end of the race approached from the south and winded through a doublewide grassy ski trail. It was one of the pretties sections of the route. If the hot sun and grueling sections of the route was already beating you down, the last 1.5 miles of bumps and roots really made you earn that burger, beverage, and beach.
3. The CORBA Volunteer Community Is Awesome & Came Together in an Amazing Way
This event took so many people to put on beyond just the race itself. The Halfway Hang was even bigger than last year. The finish line party is a huge undertaking with with food and beverage. The routes themselves were perfectly signed and taped. Not to mention that the race takes place 40 minutes from Eau Claire where many of the volunteers live. I don't know the total number of volunteers the day of the event as well as the planning all year, but they put a lot of heart and sweat into putting together a truly unique event.
4. Everybody Wished There Was More Sand
If you were on the Mid or Long routes, you probably weren't quite ready for the sand sections to be over. You may have even taken an extra lap on those 2 lobes before the Halfway Hang in Rock Dam. No? Well if that was you, then the cool water with even more sand at the beach back at the Coon Fork finish line was the cherry on top of the whole day.
5. Racing is Cool. Taking it Slow is Cool too.
My wife and I did the Short route and made a point to take our time at the Halfway Hang. I actually can't think of a race that I actually 'raced' to finish as high as possible (spoiler: I'm not that fast). But even more so at the Coon Fork 40, I really enjoy soaking up the whole day, enjoying the double beach parties, and choosing the shortest option.
And Now...Time for Fall Gravel to Begin!
With August winding down and September around the corner, we're starting to look at fall adventures. If you're looking for fall gravel inspiration, take a look at these 7 fall ride ideas here or explore these great gravel destinations.
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