We are back for 2018....

The locals have been doing long painful adventure rides for several years. We call them the “Dirty South” rides. These rides are a mix of pavement, gravel, dirt, mud and sometimes water. We continue to look for the most hills, most gravel and most painful route we can put together each year.

Until last year, all of these rides have just been large group rides. Some people want to hit it hard, some want to ride a casual pace and chat, and some just want to see if they can finish. Many people had been asking for a race….

So, last year we held the first Dirty South Roubaix. Everyone seemed to have a blast, so we are back for round two.

Most people think Illinois is flat. Well, not so much down here in the Southern tip. There will be some flat sections of the course, but it will be littered with gravel and potholes. The main course will be 100K + and will not disappoint. Last years route seemed well loved, so much of the route will be unchanged. Since the Larue Pine Hills and Trail of Tears State Park seemed to be the racers favorite sections, we plan to include them again. There are a few route changes that may find themselves into the course this year. 

One major change for this year will be an addition of a shorter route offering for anyone who doesn't want to tackle the full 100K course. The shorter route will be somewhere close to half of the full distance. There will still be gravel and hills, just not quite as many miles of them. We hope that some who may be reluctant to tackle the longer gravel distance, may jump on this chance to be part of a great event.

GPX file will be provided before the race. Cue sheets will be provided and turns will be marked. The course will be on open roads, so there may be vehicle traffic in areas. Road surfaces can be buttery smooth asphalt, chipseal, smooth gravel, chunky gravel, mud and dirt. You are advised to use good judgement and make safe decisions during the race. The distance will be at least 100K for the full distance and around 50k for the Half Dirty. There will likely be pain and suffering.

If you are looking for an awesome route, great challenge, killer scenery, beer, food and cool peeps to hang out with for a day, come check it out.

At a Glance
  • 03 Mar 2018 9:00am
  • Tickets On Sale
  • Dirty South Roubaix (Gravel)Dirty South Roubaix (Gravel)Alto Pass, Illinois, USA
  • Up to 62 miles (100 km)
  • From 65.00 USD
Alto Pass,Illinois,62905,USA

Extra Information

Most of us ride cross bikes with light knobbies or file treads on these rides. Many of us would ride a gravel bike if we had it, but we don’t, so a CX bike does just fine. Some people ride MTBs with light knobbies. If I had to suggest a bike to ride on this course, it would be a gravel/cyclocross bike. Tubeless is the way to go for me, it may not be for you. It all comes down to riding something you are comfortable on and you trust to get you through the day. Last year, the fastest bikes were cyclocross bikes and gravel bikes. There were some mountain bikes that finished well also. Even some crazies were on single speeds.

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