Which MBC Bike Would We Take to This?

Deep inside, most of us at Ben's Cycle look at a race like The Hilly Billy and cringe.

Others start to grin.

It's 70 miles of gravel, dirt, mud, and some pavement outside of Morgantown, West Virginia. Watch this video from In The Crosshairs.

Here's the description: 
"This course will take you over dirt and paved "State Roads" around Monongalia County in Northern West Virginia. Finish times could be 6 plus hours for some riders. Road conditions may include missing bridges, car-sized potholes, gravel, mud, black top, cow paths,and maybe a piece of road kill or two.That's what we call good riding! Leave your expensive Flux-Capacitors and fancy wheels at home and maybe bring the cross bike. It might be the best tool for the job, but bring whatever you think is best for you. However,if you show up with Zipps on your road bike we may laugh and point at you. This race course has just about everything a cyclist says they want when they're talking it up with their buddies.Now let us see ya ride it! Course will have fully stocked aid stations along the way. "

So we're looking at our schedules and wondering about our sanity.

The race would clearly be a test of bike, rider, and will power. Looks like a boatload of fun.

Ben's Cycle Rides at Levis Mounds on MBC Grit

We at Ben's Cycle ride what we sell, particularly the Milwaukee Bicycle Company bikes we make. 

Dan's Grit on Levis Mound

From Matt taking the prototype Fugitive, the MBC gravel and touring bike, out for a 750-mile test ride, to Chris riding a Bruiser for his bike polo games, we use our experiences to develop bikes and improve our customers' performances. 

Last weekend, Dan took his Grit, the MBC steel 29er mountain bike, out to Levis Mound park to ride with some friends. Levis and Trow Mound trails in Clark County is some of the best mountain bike riding in the Midwest.

 
Dan said the trails were in great shape, and the Grit smoothly handled all the steep drops and climbing at Levis.

Ben's is Big Stop for Bike Tourists From Michigan

Five cyclists on a bike tour from Michigan stopped by Ben's Thursday to look at the shop and look over the new Fugitive gravel/touring bike.

The five, all from Grand Rapids, Michigan, woke early Thursday to ride the 45 miles to Muskegon to catch the ferry to Milwaukee. They made their way to Ben's to see the shop because they had used our online services in the past. 

They rode to Racine last night to camp at Sanders Park. Today, they'll make their way to Chicago so they can attend the Tour de Fat Saturday. On Sunday, they'll make the long trek to Warren Dunes, and on Monday, they'll ride home. 


The trip began as a research effort, explains Jay Niewiek. He runs Spokefolks in Grand Rapids and puts on a fund-raiser modeled after the Tour de Fat. 

"We wanted to see it in real life," he said. 

Two members of the group, Todd Masker and Brooks Twist, work for Brewery Vivant, which brews Belgian-style beer similar to the New Belgium Brewery style. 

The rest of the group is made up for Kent Sinclair, a student at Grand Valley State University, and the "elder" and chaperone of the group, Tim Gunnett, who at 50, is riding the whole tour on a single speed. Gunnett said the Fugitive was exactly what he was looking for in a touring bike.

Matt's Tour Continues: Riding With Da Yoopers

Matt, our internet sales guy, is taking the Fugitive, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's new gravel/touring bike, out for a 650-mile test ride through Wisconsin and Michigan. 

He left last Saturday from Milwaukee, rode through Wisconsin to Michigan, around the tip of Lake Michigan, and is now cruising south. 

He sent photos of his trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Matt said Michigan state parks are awesome and worth a trip. For bike campers, the parks always make room, even if the campground is full. 

Fugitive Prototype Keeps Rolling Along

Sunset in the UP

Matt Hewitt, Ben's internet sales guy, is taking the prototype Fugitive on a 650-mile test ride through Wisconsin, around the tip of northern Michigan, then down along the eastern coast of Lake Michigan to Muskegon. He's sending photos and updates along the way.

No hands and bike is steady Eddie.

Fugitive Gravel/Touring Bike on Tour

Our internet sales person, Matt Hewitt, is currently on a tour from Milwaukee north to the tip of Lake Michigan, then down to Muskegon.

His vehicle? The new Milwaukee Bicycle Company Fugitive, a bike engineered for gravel and touring. 

 

The MBC Fugitive on the left. Fully loaded and somewhere in Wisconsin. 

Matt is taking out the prototype, fully loaded for bike camping. He left Saturday and sent us this photo from somewhere in Wisconsin. More details to come as he checks in! 

Don't Tell the Boss: First Look at Fugitive

So the prototype for the Fugitive, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's new gravel bike arrived at the shop yesterday to be built up and tested.



And maybe the boss told me not to take any photos yet. 


But maybe I got too excited about the bike, and maybe walked by when he wasn't around and took a couple of pictures of the Fugitive.

Maybe I was dreaming about long rides on rough roads in comfort with the steel fork, longer chain stays, raised bottom bracket, and disc brakes.


But if the boss sees this post, I'm going to ask forgiveness rather than permission. 



The Fugitive will be worth it.