Prairie Burners group ride blazes through Iowa’s gravel roads

Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., no matter the temperature or the season, the Prairie Burners meet at Grinnell’s only bike shop, Bikes to You, for weekly gravel bike rides. Over the years, the group has included professors, students and Grinnell residents of all ages, united by their passion for gravel biking.

The group rides for about 25 miles, which takes roughly two and a half hours, said Laura Ferguson `90, a longtime member of the group. Afterwards, the bikers visit the Grinnell Craft Brewhouse together and order dinner from a local restaurant.

“It’s community building, but it’s also getting people out together, both in an activity and in supporting commerce,” said Ferguson.

Local nonprofit Imagine Grinnell sponsors the group’s weekly rides. Tim Stahl, president of Imagine Grinnell, said the group started as a way to prepare riders with a variety of experience levels for Prairie Burn 100, an annual gravel bike race.

“There was a weekly small group that went really fast. It was a little intimidating. But then, after the first year, we were kind of like, what if people want to be ready for Prairie Burn and they need to ride,” said Stahl. “So then we kind of morphed to Tuesday night and made things more formal.”

“We call it a no drop ride, which means that you’re always going to be watching the people at the back. Not everybody is riding shoulder to shoulder, but you stop and wait for everybody,” said Ferguson.

The group changes routes weekly based on wind and rider preferences, said Stahl. Future routes are posted on Instagram, Facebook and on a shared group app, said Ferguson.

During the warmer months, a second group of beginners gathers on Thursday for a shorter, slower paced ride, said Ferguson. However, even snow and ice doesn’t deter some of the most experienced Tuesday riders, who use fat, studded tires for traction on icy roads around town, Stahl said.

“We’ll get together and it can be five degrees or ten degrees, and we can still have a short bike ride,” said Stahl.

While traditional road bikes are possible to use on gravel roads, Ferguson and Stahl recommend that those interested in joining the group should use specialty gravel bikes, which are available to borrow for free at Bikes to You.

“What makes a gravel bike is the geometry,” said Stahl. “It’s pretty forgiving, with low, thick tires, and then gearing so you can climb the hills. We think of Iowa as flat, but you leave town, there are some impressive hills.”

“Iowa has some of the best gravel roads in the world,” said Stahl. “We’ve got about 75,000 miles of gravel road in the state, and in our county alone, we’ve got over 700 miles.”

Gravel biking is currently one of the fastest growing areas of cycling, particularly over the last 15 to 20 years, said Stahl. One advantage of biking on gravel roads instead of paved highways is safety, Ferguson said.

“For me personally, I think I know of three cyclists who have been killed on Poweshiek County roads, one person who is paraplegic and so, you know, the paved roads don’t feel very friendly,” said Ferguson.

Other bikers are drawn to gravel for the social aspect or for the scenery, said Stahl.

“You’re just in this terrarium of nature that changes all the time,” said Stahl. “You can talk to people, hang out and talk, whereas on a bike path, even a Rails-to-Trail, you can’t get more than three or four people riding at the same time.”

Stahl and Ferguson said one of their favorite things about the gravel biking community as a whole is its emphasis on inclusivity.

“There’s always a place for help and mentorship, and we just try to thread that needle carefully so we’re not being too bossy,” said Ferguson.

Both Stahl and Ferguson encourage new riders to borrow a free bike and join the group at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday at 921 Broad St.