Travel the gravel

The Panhandle Gravel Series: A trio of bike races cut from a different cloth

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Some people are just built differently. While most bicyclists avoid gravel roads like the plague, riders in the Panhandle Gravel Series just say, “Bring it on.”

Gravel riding has exploded in popularity over the past decade, offering access to locations that bike races rarely include in their routes. Paving — or “graveling” — the way is Syringa Productions, which hosts three unique races around Sandpoint throughout the spring and summer.

Starting from a single race six years ago, the Panhandle Gravel Series is now a trio of premier events in North Idaho, drawing hundreds of competitors as they try to tame the wild routes on their trusty bikes.

Syringa Productions is a small outfit, headed by Charles Mortensen with marketing support by Sammy Berryman. Between the two of them — including aid from a host of local businesses — Syringa Productions hosts three events: the 3/4 Minus Cykeltur on Saturday, May 2; the Monarch Grind on Saturday, June 27; and Aether’s Traverse on Saturday, Aug. 15. 

Each race is a unique opportunity to experience the North Idaho backcountry. 

The 3/4 Minus Cykeltur is either a 56-mile “one-humper” or a 78-mile “two-humper,” with elevation gains of 2,388 feet and 4,312 feet, respectively. It starts and finishes on Oak Street adjacent to Matchwood Brewing Company, and will be followed by an awards ceremony at the brewery.

The Monarch Grind starts at the Squeeze Inn in Clark Fork and heads around the east side of Lake Pend Oreille along the High Drive — clocking 59 miles and a back-breaking elevation gain of 7,879 feet — before looping back to Clark Fork for the finish line.

Finally, Aether’s Traverse starts on Baldy Road and climbs into the Priest River drainage basin, going up Schweitzer Mountain from the back side and ending at the summit, where the awards ceremony and after party will take place at the Sky House.

Riders will earn points in each race based on finishing positions, and the top three finishers in five categories — junior boys and girls, men and women, non-binary, senior (50+) and tandem — will be crowned at the end of the final race atop Schweitzer. Registration proceeds will benefit 88.5 KRFY and the local bike club Pend Oreille Pedalers. Last year, the series donated $7,000 split between each organization.

Mortensen told the Reader that after closing his bike shop Syringa Cyclery, he’s launched head-over-handlebars into the gravel series. Aside from these races, Syringa also puts on Sandpoint Cyclocross events in the fall, this year with venues in Naples and at the Pine Street Sled Hill.

But the gravel races are Mortensen’s bread and butter, and it’s gaining in popularity each season thanks to a growing field of competitors and strong local support.

“The 3/4 Minus always hovers between 100 and 140 people,” he told the Reader. “A lot of them are coming from Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, a handful from Missoula and some from California. We even had a guy come in from Alaska last year.”

Gravel riding is a bit different than standard road bike races, with bikes specially built to handle the varying terrain that the courses offer.

“It’s essentially a road bike, but the geometry is a bit different,” Mortensen said. “There are slacker angles on the front and a slightly longer wheelbase, so it’s more stable on downhills.”

For Berryman, gravel riding is a time for her to challenge herself while also experiencing the wilderness of North Idaho.

“It’s so adventurous,” she said. “It really gets people out to areas they wouldn’t see otherwise.”

Berryman said the youngest to sign up was around 12 years old, while the oldest was in their late 70s.

“We even had a couple people do it on a tandem bike,” she said.

Mortensen said the future is looking bright for the series.

“Gravel is the fastest growing sector commercially, for sales as well as events,” he said. “We’d like to grow it even more.”

Mortensen said next year the events will be under the USA Cycling umbrella, the national governing body of cycling, which will draw more competitors looking to qualify for other races.

“Sandpoint is already on the map for cycling in general,” Mortensen said. “These events bring business to the town; people stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, shop. … It’s a community-oriented venture and we throw a little bit of quirkiness into it, too.”

While the races bring together the cycling community, they also rely heavily on local businesses as sponsors and supporters, often donating prizes, services and assistance to the races. These include: Alpine Shop, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Outdoor Experience, Matchwood Brewing, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, KRFY 88.5 FM, Pend Oreille Pedalers, Ace Septic, Bonner County Bicycles, Hammer Nutrition, Heart Bowls, Schweitzer, Kaniksu Land Trust, Squeeze Inn, city of Sandpoint, city of Clark Fork, Honeyglow Wellness, and countless other individuals who help with logistics and support.

Syringa has already taken in about $1,000 in donations to help put on the series, but those interested in contributing can donate either during race registration or at Matchwood Brewing from Friday, May 1-Sunday, May 10. Bonner County Bicycles has donated a bike that will be auctioned off at the races, and original posters by local artists Woods Wheatcroft, Cora Murray and Lena Haug will be auctioned off to raise donations.

To register or learn more about the Panhandle Gravel Series, visit panhandlegravel.com.