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Mega Mid South: Love Letters Written in Red Dirt

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Mega Mid South: Love Letters Written in Red Dirt

Erik Mathy returned to Stillwater, OK for the inaugural Mega Mid South, a 300-mile gravel cycling endurance event hosted by Bobby Wintle and the team who bring the Mid South to life every year. Below, feast your eyes on a gallery full of Erik’s unique handmade images and enjoy quotes and prose from the Oklahomans who welcome these events into their communities. Without further ado… this is the Mega Mid South.

Radar

Mega Mid South Route Episode 02

Here’s the second episode in the behind-the-scenes look at District Bicycles‘ MEGA Mid South ultra route. Starting and ending at the shop in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the 300-mile loop is comprised of the outer perimeter of every MID-SOUTH course over the past 13 years.

The route traverses the tribal land of the Quapaw, Kiowa, Osage, Kickapoo, Pawnee, Iowa and Wichita Nations. The first ever grand depart of the Mega Mid South will happen Wednesday, September 18th at 8am.

The event is free and 100% self-supported. Anyone who completes the Mega Mid South on this first grand depart will earn guaranteed entry into The Mid South 2025.

The Mid South 2025 happens March 13th-16th in Stillwater OK more details at www.midsouthgravel.com

Radar

Mega Mid South Route Episode 01

We shared the Mega Mid-South Route last week, and today, we get a behind-the-scenes look at District Bicycles‘ first recon trip on the new MEGA route. Starting and ending at the shop in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the 300-mile loop is comprised of the outer perimeter of every MID-SOUTH course over the past 13 years.

The route traverses the tribal land of the Quapaw, Kiowa, Osage, Kickapoo, Pawnee, Iowa and Wichita Nations. The first ever grand depart of the Mega Mid South will happen Wednesday, September 18th at 8am.

The event is free, and 100% self supported. Anyone who completes the Mega Mid South on this first grand depart will earn guaranteed entry into The Mid South 2025.

The Mid South 2025 happens March 13th-16th in Stillwater OK more details at www.midsouthgravel.com

Radar

VIDEO: COMMUTE | A Cinematic Cycling Film

Dive into the compelling story of Kaldwell Grant, an Oklahoma City local whose mode of transportation is as unique as his journey. Navigating the challenging roads of Oklahoma City, Kaldwell embraces a 10-mile commute solely on his bike. Despite the city’s bike score of 40, Kaldwell’s unconventional choice raises eyebrows, yet for him, it’s not just an act of rebellion – it’s a personal preference that sets him apart.

Bobby’s Wilde Bikes Ti Dorothy: A Match Made In Oklahoma

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Bobby’s Wilde Bikes Ti Dorothy: A Match Made In Oklahoma

We’re not in Kansas anymore. Certainly not. Unlike the hard bedrock of the flint hills and similar gravel roads that pattern the Midwest, The Mid South (or “Mud South”) hosted in Stillwater, Oklahoma is characterized by its rich red clay. Second only to race director Bobby Wintle‘s finish line hug for every rider, The Mid South has become infamous for its often wet weather that turns that beautiful red clay into drivetrain-eating mud. Re-routing the course is never even a topic of conversation.

Geographic locations and riding can add a lot to the picture when considering what your dream bike may be. Massive tire clearance? Tall or low bottom bracket? Slack or steep head tube angles. Well after riding in an area for so long you figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what you wish someone could just get right. With these thoughts in mind Bobby collaborated with Wilde Bikes to develop a bike that is Mid South approved. How so? Read on to find out a little bit more about this bike from Jarrod Bunk and check out some flicks on the red dirt.

Leading By Example: The Mid South Non-Binary Race Rundown

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Leading By Example: The Mid South Non-Binary Race Rundown

The Mid South has offered a non-binary competitive category since their socially-distanced event in 2022. This year’s race saw a new course record, along with highlights in the Mid South double and singlespeed categories! Sally Turner, former journalist and current Event Manager for the Stillwater  gravel season opener, shares a recap of how the day shook out for the non-binary field!

Before & After: 2022 Mid South Rider Interviews

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Before & After: 2022 Mid South Rider Interviews

Comparing what riders think they are going to experience vs what they do experience, as well as what they are taking away from the ride, has always been a fascination of mine. We all bring our hopes and, yes, our fears to the start line. After a nearly two-year layoff from in-person events, I wanted to see what this year’s Mid South participants brought with them to the race. What did they think was going to happen once they rolled over that start line? What were they hoping they’d take away from it all after they crossed it again to finish?

Mid South 2022: Keith is Riding His Scissortail Cycles Cargo Bike From Stillwater to Denver

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Mid South 2022: Keith is Riding His Scissortail Cycles Cargo Bike From Stillwater to Denver

When bike events promote inclusivity and welcome all sorts of riders, not just racers, wonderful things happen. If it seems like I’m still glowing from this weekend’s Mid South, well, it’s the truth. Those few days completely recharged over two years of dreary times and meeting Keith re-centered my own struggles by putting them in perspective. In a serendipitous way – ok, I was stalking him – I happened to catch him rolling into the expo area at Mid South on his Scissortail Cycles cargo bike. There’s so much going on with this one so let’s get to it…

Cycling is Rhythmic: A Mid South 2022 Weekend Immersion

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Cycling is Rhythmic: A Mid South 2022 Weekend Immersion

A lot. A little. Eb. Flow. Ping. Pong. Southwest. Midsouth.

My brain is lost in a myriad of memories from the past two weeks as my schedule jettisoned itself from over two years of stagnation to two weeks of back-to-back events and Radavist Reportage. Last weekend was the Mid South, a gravel race/ride/experience located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, hosted by District Bicycles. While people travel from all over to cut their chops on some Oklahoma red clay dirt, gravel, and mud, I am so fond of this event for the ultradian rhythms found in its hosts, attendees, and volunteers. That’s why I told Bobby from District to expect me to park and sleep in his driveway for a few nights because I was coming to get a heavy dose of rhythmic balance…

REEB Lickskillet: the Mad Max Gravel Racer

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REEB Lickskillet: the Mad Max Gravel Racer

For the astute bike nerd, with the unfettered access to the internet that many of the socially distant are currently experiencing, it is evident that hardly a day passes without some bike brand announcing their revolutionary new gravel bike into an increasingly crowded marketplace. Shorter chainstays! Bigger tire clearance! More braze-ons splooshed all over the frame! Into this current apocalyptic wasteland of the gravel racer without a race is born the Lickskillet. Springing from the loins of REEB (yes, that is BEER spelled backward) the venerable bike/brewing company in Longmont Colorado. As they say, each REEB is “Barn Built Because it Matters”.

Mid South 2020: the Last Gravel Race on Earth

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Mid South 2020: the Last Gravel Race on Earth

To begin, it is important to say that I am not a doctor, a data analyst, or an economist. Am I an expert regarding the growing pandemic that is becoming one of the defining events of our lives? No, I am not. I am a bike mechanic who likes to take photos. There are smarter people out there who could (or should) be writing about this, but as it is, you have me. And I find it extremely difficult—even inappropriate—to talk about this year’s Mid South without acknowledging the massive elephant in the room. For some of you, these images or just the thought of a large group gathering may be upsetting. You would be right to feel that way, and I get it. If this were any other year, it would have been a widely celebrated event, filled with love and excitement from the greater cycling community. In a lot of ways, it still was. But given that upside-down is the new normal, here we are.