The Triple Scoop

The Triple Scoop has a single goal - to bring road, gravel, and mountain biking into one race, turning up the VIBES to *at least* 11…. For FREE.

In its 3rd year, the course covers (in order) 30 miles of road, 25 miles of gravel, and ~12-15 miles of singletrack (depending on course conditions). The Triple Scoop will again be running out of Griffin Bike Park, collaborating with the folks at the Vigo County Parks Department. 

Solo racers will find the day to be a challenging way to show their well-rounded fitness and technical prowess, with some choosing to race on one bike for the entire day (less advised) and others swapping bikes at the transition area (more advised and kept under the watchful eye of the race directors).

Relay teams will have an (arguably) vibe-ier day, cheering their teammates on while feasting on snacks and the energy of late summer/early fall.

How you decide to tackle this race is up to you! If you’re looking for a late-season physical challenge, enter solo and see how you stack up. Or if you’re looking to enjoy a celebration of all things bike racing, then assemble a team, bring a pop up tent, and add to the vibes!

Carpool if at all possible. We will be using a large chunk of the parking lot as our transition/finish line “village” (details below), so there won’t be excessive parking leftover. 

Routes (in order): 

1. Road route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3109356664734564798 

2. Gravel route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3118374995528095164 

3. MTB route: Finalized by August 1st. See common FAQs #12 below.

Transition Village: 

The transition village is perhaps the most exciting non-racing element of the race. All racers, crew, and spectators will be stationed in a celebratory “tunnel” of team tents that mark the start and end of each leg of the race (see "Common FAQs #3 for the race start exception). 

All racers will “pass” through the transition village/finish line between each leg. For solo riders, this is done to change bikes or for time checkpoints. For relay teams the finish line is the location for the “baton pass,” acted out through a visible high-five. This will also be the finish line for the entire race. Fingers crossed for a sprint finish!

We’d like to see as many teams and solo racers as possible bring out a pop up tent, umbrellas, chairs, coolers, etc. Whether you come bare bones or full-festival mode, you’ll be assigned a spot along the “transition village” to be your official transition zone. 

Common FAQs (updated for 2024):

1. Can I use aero bars/a TT bike for the road portion?

- Yes, do whatever it takes to be as fast as possible. Heck, you can use a TT bike for the trails if you want. It’s your body. 

2. I’m signing up as a team. Can I do 2 of the legs but grab a teammate for the 3rd?

- Yes. Viable teams are 2-3 members. The 3 legs of the race must be completed in the correct order (road, gravel, mtb) and the same “pass” through the transition village is still required even for those who are completing two legs in a row on the same bike.

3. Do I have to ride my road bike from that gravel parking lot?!

- Nah. Road is the FIRST leg of the race with the start line at the park entrance to make for a more positive start for the road riders. The only downside to this is when you finish the road leg of the race, you’ll either be riding or running your road bike up to the official transition area. Gravel and MTB legs of the race will start and finish at the official transition village.

4. I'm going to sign up as part of a relay team. Do my teammates need to fill out this form too?

- Yes. The primary purpose of the sign up form is to count how many total participants to expect. Each team member needs to be submitted as a separate sign up and share the same team name - we will take care of combining you in the data sheet on the back end.

6. Will there be SAG/water/nutrition at the transition?

- As this is a free event, this is also self-supported in every way. We’ll be looking for support once we have a firm grasp on early participants, but plan to bring your own nutrition. We will have large jugs of water at the transition area. Again, these ideas may develop as we get closer to race day, but this is the official starting point.

7. Will there be a prize?

- No cash prizes of any kind. Epic laser-cut trophies for the podium in each category (open solo, women’s solo, open team, women’s team, nonbinary solo, nonbinary team).

8. Can I bring my friends and family to watch? 

- Absolutely! Griffin Bike Park is the perfect venue for the whole family to enjoy bike-centric fun. Stay tuned for things to do before, during, and after the race.

10. If I'm doing the whole Triple Scoop solo, how will my bikes be kept safe while I'm out riding?

- There will always be people present at the transition village. Race directors and racers waiting for their turn in the race will provide ample protection through “positive peer pressure”, and the parking lot is very shielded in view from any road traffic (very little) that might drive by.

11. If I'm on a team, what do I do while I'm waiting for my turn?

- Bring a lawn chair, some food, music, drinks, etc! Ride the pump tracks and jump lines right next to the parking lot. Race down the dual slalom course.

12. Did you fix the horrendously confusing mountain bike course from last year?!

- Ah… Yes. Your feedback was heard and patience appreciated. While the goal of a fun day was still accomplished, it turns out some bad actors sharing the park with us in 2023 chose to remove crucial tape from the course, resulting in some majorly missed turns. On top of that, the race director needed to learn how to ask for help in the days before the race so that the course is pressure-tested and thoroughly marked so that even the most bonked brain could find their way. 
To catalyze improvements for 2024, the mountain bike leg will change to a multi-lap course, significantly reducing confusion by making volunteer placement easier. Volunteers will be placed at crucial turns. As an added bonus, a multi-lap course affords us the opportunity to spectate racer placement development midway through the mountain bike leg!