Dirty Water Route 500Km

Update for 2022's Race: NOTE that 2022 we have "tweaked" the route to add more gravel! Always use the most updated route information prior to the event. 

Its official... you're crazy. At least that's what your friends and family think. This event began as one of those terribly awesome bad ideas that seems to get worse as you go but suddenly turns out amazing. In 2021, we're introduced the Dirty Water Route to the world as an official gravel grinder event. Riders who sign up must complete the challenging course in under 38 hours to receive a coveted belt buckle, or under 62 hours to receive an official finish time. The course is relentlessly hilly and there are over 100 miles of rough gravel roads on the 314 mile route. This event is self-supported, just you against the route. We are providing some extra safety checkpoints this year stocked with some basics to help you along the way. What you get by registering for this race is an epic route, a mass start, and the motivation to challenge yourself on a self-supported bicycling adventure. We also have an excellent race day t-shirt and custom neck gaiter for all participants included with your registration.
 
A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It has also proven to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie.
 

Ride Tracking Service through Follow My Challenge USA

Due to the nature of this event and the size of the course we have decided to move forward on our plan to require ride tracking via a SPOT or Garmin InReach to the race for this year. We have worked with Follow My Challenge to provide the service for you. The tracking fees are included in registration. If you need a rental device, it will be an additional cost of $60.00. Riders MUST participate in the ride tracking service. Upon registering for the event, we will be contacting you prior to the event to make sure this is set up. 

To offset some of the costs, Ashland Bike Company is working with Garmin to provide a Garmin InReach Mini at a significant discount. A Garmin InReach Mini 2 is normally $399.99. We are selling these through Ashland Bike Company for $350 exclusively for DWR participants. If you were on the fence about buying a satellite tracking device, now would be a great time to pick one up! You would then not have to pay anything outside of registration. On top of that, you’d have your very own InReach for other adventures in the future! Contact us at Ashland Bike Company to place your order.

 
Official Rules:
 
ANY outside assistance besides what is publicly available via businesses along the way is prohibited and will result in disqualification from the official results.
 
Participants must carry their own supplies. Refilling water from streams along the way is not recommended. The route will pass through towns and it is advised that supplies are purchased along the way from these locations. You must check in at the safety checkpoint along the way. Riders must navigate through and complete the entire route.
 
No Drafting. Participants may ride together side-by-side.
 
Participants must use the ride tracking service provided by Follow My Challenge USA. Look for instructions for this in a follow up email to you after you register.

What you get by registering for this race is a route, a mass start, and the motivation to challenge yourself on a self-supported bicycling adventure. We have added safety checkpoints and aid stations along the way... details coming later. SWAG includes a t-shirt and bandana. Finishers under 38 hours receive a super awesome belt buckle. 

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35931443

Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/dwr-500km

When: Saturday October 1st, 2022 at 5:00 am.

Where: Starts at South Point Ohio, Finishes in Vermilion, Ohio.

Cost: $150 until June 30, 2022 then registration increases to $175.00.

Lodging: There are numerous camp grounds along the way and ghost camping is always an option if done in a respectful, safe manner. We have been given the okay to camp at the start the night before the race at the South Point Community Center. Recommendations for campsites along the way are as follows: 

Lake Alma State Park

Lake Hope State Park

Dillon State Park (slightly off route, but only a few miles out of the way)

Mohican State Park

Other: A HUGE part of this challenge is the logistics. We will not be providing you a detailed explanation of how to download the route, get to the start, find your way along the unmarked route, and finally, get home from the finish. Remember the spirit of this event is to challenge yourself and to have a little adventure in your life. We will provide you with answers to your questions, but don't be surprised if the answer more about guidance than a solution to your problem. Let's keep the spirit of the ride in mind as we all explore this beautiful state. We don't think you'll be disappointed!

A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, long smooth stretches of asphalt,  and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, class 4 gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It should also prove to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie. We have made every attempt to cross into resupply areas when possible. 

Bike set-up recommendations:

During our recon rides and drives, we have determined the ideal bike is a gravel bike with 700 x 38 tires or perhaps wider if you are unfamiliar with riding on gravel. Fast rolling tires setup tubeless would be the best bet. Water carrying capacity and some lightweight sleeping setup of some kind. We suggest a small lightweight backpack in the event you need to carry supplies to get through a night or two out on the route. BE AWARE OF GUARD DOGS ALONG THE ROUTE IN SOME RURAL AREAS. Of course, you could load up with a heavy bike-touring setup, but the hills in this route are steep, numerous, and many are rugged enough that your stuff will be more of a burden than an asset. We always recommend lights front and rear. Be sure you have a way to ride through at least some dark hours, as we start at 5 am sharp on September 18th. 

We've gotten a lot of questions about the route over the past few weeks, especially related to tire selection. The DWR consists of a majority of grade 1 roads with prolonged stretches of grade 2 and 3 and a few short sections of grade 4+. You don't want to under-tire on this route because the gravel stretches are miles long in many cases, including a 10 mile stretch in the remote Wayne National Forest area. Terrain is steep and unrelenting throughout the route until the very end so even a paved , grade 1 road, will be best tackled of a wider tire, disc brakes, and a stable bike. A perfect tire for this course is the Teravail Washburn in a 700x38 or 700x42 width. 650Bx47 would also be a great choice! Gear your bike lower than you think you should... you won't regret having lower gears after 30+ hours of riding on these hills!