Dirty Water Route 500Km

Its official... you're crazy. At least that's what your friends and family think. This event began as one of those terribly awesome bad ideas that seems to get worse as you go but suddenly turns out amazing. In 2021, we're introduced the Dirty Water Route to the world as an official gravel grinder event. This year we are investing a lot more time and energy to make DWR the premier long distance cycling event in Ohio. We have officially opened the event up to 4-person relay teams in 3 categories: Male, Female, and Co-ed. 

All individuals and teams must complete the tracking service requirements (note, the fees associated for tracking services are not affiliated by The Dirty Water Route organization and although the race is free we are asking for the safety and piece of mind of everyone participating the tracking service is utilized).

AGAIN, WE NOW ARE OFFERING THIS RACE AS A FREE BIKEPACKING Tour. Just register in the “Tour” category if you still want to participate in this as a free event. In the theme of great events such as the Tour Divide, Arkansas High Country, Trans Iowa (RIP) and Crush the Commonwealth, we are only asking you to sign up for the tracking service and rent the SPOT device if needed if you choose to do the Tour category. Race participants will now once again pay a very reasonable entry fee. In regards to the event tracking services, a Garmin Edge, Wahoo, or cell phone GPS app does not provide the needed tracking service and SOS capability. The tracking service if for your safety and the sanity of your friends and family and is also for insuring the route is followed. Riders racing for FKT's may be asked for Strava or other tracking files that more precisely show the route is followed. 

A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It has also proven to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie.
 

Official Rules:
FOR SOLO RACERS: 
ANY outside assistance besides what is publicly available via businesses along the way is prohibited and will result in disqualification from the official results.
 
Participants must carry their own supplies. Refilling water from streams along the way is not recommended. The route will pass through towns and it is advised that supplies are purchased along the way from these locations. THERE ARE NO AID STATIONS OR CUT-OFF TIMES. Riders must navigate through and complete the entire route.
 
No Drafting. Participants may ride together side-by-side. (i.e. self supported means no drafting either…)

Participants must use the ride tracking service provided by Follow My Challenge USA. See link above.

What you get by registering for this race is a route, a mass start, and the motivation to challenge yourself on a self-supported bicycling adventure. No frills, no registration fees, no support. Just you vs. the Route. 

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35931443

Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/dwr-500km

When: Saturday Sept 21st, 2024 at 6:00am. Camping at the South Point Community Center Friday night is available. There are restrooms and space inside to spread out. We recommend earplugs for a good night's sleep. (Trains and snoring…)

Where: Starts at South Point Ohio, Finishes in Vermilion, Ohio.

Cost: NOW FREE (excluding tracking service for your safety and verification of route completion)

Lodging: There are numerous camp grounds along the way and ghost camping is always an option if done in a respectful, safe manner. We have been given the okay to camp at the start the night before the race at the South Point Community Center. Recommendations for campsites along the way are as follows: 

Lake Alma State Park

Lake Hope State Park

Dillon State Park (slightly off route, but only a few miles out of the way)

Mohican State Park

Other: A HUGE part of this challenge is the logistics. We will not be providing you a detailed explanation of how to download the route, get to the start, find your way along the unmarked route, and finally, get home from the finish. Remember the spirit of this event is to challenge yourself and to have a little adventure in your life. We will provide you with answers to your questions, but don't be surprised if the answer more about guidance than a solution to your problem. Let's keep the spirit of the ride in mind as we all explore this beautiful state. We don't think you'll be disappointed!

A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, long smooth stretches of asphalt,  and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, class 4 gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It should also prove to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie. We have made every attempt to cross into resupply areas when possible. 

Bike set-up recommendations:

During our recon rides and drives, we have determined the ideal bike is a gravel bike with 700 x 38 tires or perhaps wider if you are unfamiliar with riding on gravel. Fast rolling tires setup tubeless would be the best bet. Water carrying capacity and some lightweight sleeping setup of some kind. We suggest a small lightweight backpack in the event you need to carry supplies to get through a night or two out on the route. BE AWARE OF GUARD DOGS ALONG THE ROUTE IN SOME RURAL AREAS. Of course, you could load up with a heavy bike-touring setup, but the hills in this route are steep, numerous, and many are rugged enough that your stuff will be more of a burden than an asset. We always recommend lights front and rear. Be sure you have a way to ride through at least some dark hours, as we start at 5 am sharp on September 23rd. 

We've gotten a lot of questions about the route over the past few years, especially related to tire selection. The DWR consists of a majority of grade 1 roads with prolonged stretches of grade 2 and 3 and a few short sections of grade 4+. You don't want to under-tire on this route because the gravel stretches are miles long in many cases, including a 10 mile stretch in the remote Wayne National Forest area. Terrain is steep and unrelenting throughout the route until the very end so even a paved , grade 1 road, will be best tackled of a wider tire, disc brakes, and a stable bike. A perfect tire for this course is the Kenda Alluvium Pro in 700x40. 650Bx47 would also be a great choice! Gear your bike lower than you think you should... you won't regret having lower gears after 30+ hours of riding on these hills!