Sure.
I’m new to gravel/track.
My 50th Birthday was imminent so I signed up on a whim and ordered a new build All -Road from “Firefly" in Boston. (They built my road racer so they used the same rider geometry in an all-road set up.)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fireflybicycles/albums/72157668609729336I flew out to Boston 3 days before DK to pick up the bike. I had a day riding round the city, and went on a longer ride with two of the Firefly crew (thats half of the operation!) out of town and we hit a few trails.
It was a bizarre feeling being on a bike that felt so familiar yet floated over rough ground and bad city streets. I had 40mm Clements and sealant in the tubes.
Next day I bagged the bike and took the two flights to Kansas where I hooked up with my wife who was “rider support” (you have to have support to enter as DK has no crash van) The deal was she would act as support on the condition I took on the DK 100 and NOT the 200 (for which I have thanked her profusely)
Emporia is a couple hours South of Kansas, small town, super friendly people, all totally engaged with DK. The few hotels in town sell out faster than the entries, so digs was the town university dormitories. (never went to college so ticked that one off too)
You have to attend a required meeting day before the ride where Jim Cummins, who dreamed up the event familiarizes the riders with the course, rules and gives a great background on the importance of the Flint Hills where you ride.
The course was reckoned to be super fast the day before the event with talk of new records being set, but during the night there was an almighty down pour leaving standing ponds and glue like mud in sections.
Being new to it all, i took up a tail gun position and settled in to watch and learn.
I’ve done other road centric sportives before (E’tape du tour etc) and what was immediately different about this event were the riders. A motley bunch of very cool, laid back types from all sorts of disciplines. Much more crunchy granola than type A. Good people. Just as well they were laid back because the first few miles were carnage. From the lead groups who had smashed off the front were dozens of riders either trudging back to town or sitting forlornly on the side of the track with rear mechs hanging off and broken components galore….Mud.
There was lots of opportunity to chat to other riders as we made our way over a variety of terrain from hard packed gravel (Fast!) to gloopy red mud (slow!) to crossing streams (portage!)
There was a mid way (50 mile) refuel stop in a small town where you met your support to take on more water etc.
The second 50 miles to the finish was flatter, but the terrain seemed trickier, there was a sapping head wind and it was HOT!
Returning into Emporia, you get a heros welcome with a chute, cow bells etc.
The DK 200 riders begin arriving back from late afternoon, then on well into the night. There is an official cut off of 3 a.m. I think about 2/3 of the riders made it. It ain’t easy.
In summary.
Not the easiest place to get to, but iconic event. Now large but not lost sight of its roots. Very cool people. You may be riding next to a dedicated gravel rig one moment, a fixie fat bike the next, and a tandem 5 mins later.
I may head back for the DK200 next time, but there are other different events too that may take precedence.
Highly recommend it.
