Can Simon Survive America's Toughest Gravel Race Series?

[@gcn]

What race would you most like to take part in? Let us know 👇

[@biggertree7063]

Proper Keirin race in Japan.

[@yules_3000]

Unbound! Maybe send Hank there. He loves the punishment.

[@biggertree7063]

"On Saturday, August 17, 2024, riders will race to the summit of Mt. Washington in what's been called, "the toughest hillclimb in the US, if not the world", the Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb (MWARBH). This race is hosted and benefits Tin Mountain Conservation Center." Send Ollie.

[@aadepaade]

You should try the Kaldoaivi Ultra Tour mtb in the Lapland in Finland. 130 km and 2k vertical in mostly open tundra. There is also an 200k road bike version of it.

[@glennpettersson9002]

Seven gravel race. So named for the seven climbs, it's a bucket list thing.

[@matthewrepucci3564]

I love that Si is giving in race commentary while is heart rate is going 180. Well Done Si!

[@gcn]

A true professional 🙌 Did you enjoy Si's race?

[@matthewrepucci3564]

@@gcn His race was great! I just felt bad that he seemed to be alone for most of it... You need to get a GCN squad out there!

[@brianrainey2739]

This effort deserves a lot more than a 16m video. Great job Si! BTW, that is the prettiest modern day Pinarello I have ever laid eyes on! 🥰

[@a1white]

Back in the day this would have got the GCN+ treatment 😢

[@benjaminplant3734]

I could have watched this for at least an hour. Great content guys. Way better than chatting endlessly about tyre width

[@gcn]

We love to hear that you want more of this content 🙌 It was such a fun race 💨 Any other races we should check out?

[@brettbaker7049]

What would be sweet to see is a fan winning a chance to ride a fondo or other such event with a presenter.

[@Mediaslut]

⁠​⁠@@gcn For me, any of the Gran Fondo type races, gravel or road, as a series would be great. They are aspirational for a lot of us and strangely remain quite accessible.

[@GBScouts]

That poor guy finishing his first lap with the winner rolling past 😂

[@askmeaboutmattweiner]

I bet his intrusive thoughts were like "get your hands up and celebrate too" and ruin a bunch of pictures

[@dantuttle7516]

Don't feel too badly for him. The Elite Ladies went off 10 minutes after the Men and then the age groups started behind that every 5 minutes. It took nearly an hour to get everyone started. No telling how far back that rider started.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@askmeaboutmattweiner He could've become the next big cycling influencer. 😀

[@jimdubois445]

I literally watched I think that guy’s video of the race! Or someone who was just ahead because he mentioned it they were announcing Keegan as he was videoing. I forget who it was

[@garthTurningCranks]

I was behind him...got passed by 10 pro men, Started 25 minutes after them, but still managed to do my pit stop, go out and complete the 2nd lap. Additional bit that wasn't mentioned, is that the Fuego XL is also a Leadville Qualifier. Set a fast time at one of the 7 qualifiers to start further toward the front.

[@LifeTimeGrandPrix]

Nice riding out there Simon! We were so happy to have you ripping the DH's, rolling the sharp uphills and we especially liked your technique of 'enjoying' the second lap for an extra 30mins - great idea!

[@TheBRad704]

15:05 that post-race contemplation where you just sit there and stare at your bike and try to process what just happened. We've all been there and it's awesome.

[@Mgrant8163]

Beautiful Pinarello mountain bike, just wow! I have a feeling that you need the $300,000 prize money to purchase one but it's still amazing. Great job Si, thanks for taking one for the team.

[@RomanoCortesJorge]

Kudos to all the cameramen (including Si) and post production team. Great job with this video. It all came together.

[@gcn]

We loved filming this one! Glad you enjoyed it 🙌

[@nickbrownbill3413]

Stuff like this is my favourite GCN content by miles. I'm an out and out roadie who frankly never enjoys gravel rides, let alone MTB, and yet watching Si push himself to his limit in incredible scenery never fails to inspire me. Admittedly to go out for a road ride but still.

[@qingyuhu]

Amazing race with amazing riders, this world level race and Si did damn well all things considered.

[@ericcoxtcu8037]

So when you say the producers decided you should ride the Lifetime Grand Prix, does that mean you are going to hit all (or most) of the races? You and Connor at Unbound? You at 13K ft (~4000m) for Leadville? Man, that would make a great documentary! If only there were some sort of service that combined racing coverage with really cool cycling documentaries 🤔

[@gcn]

You'll have to find out! For now We're just riding this one but we have some epic gravel content coming soon

[@johnpsyclex147]

@@gcn ah now - LTGP is a series, not one race. Don't let him off that easily !

[@thomaskositzki9424]

What a BEAUTIFUL landscape and filming! If I ever come visit the USA I will do a four-day-trip following the track.🙃

[@smithandshortdogs]

Good show old boy... as I get further and further past my prime I am continuously inspired by those of you still hanging on. To steal from the late great Toby Keith: "I'm not as good as I once was, but if you give me a chance I can be as good once, as I ever was." Hail! Aim High! Ala Cumba! Hook'em!

[@patrickroberts8702]

A great song!

[@kurre_kallkvist]

When I did my first ever MTB race, I signed up for a 64km long three lap race... Heading out on that third lap, knowing what's ahead, having been lapped by the fast riders and being all alone on the trails was hard... I ended up finishing third from last and slept like a log for about 14h afterwards 😂

[@A_AAA232]

awesome Si, well done, show those roadies that XC is where it's at! sweet bike, great effort

[@gcn]

We must admit... it was a fun day on the bike! These flat bars really aren't that bad 🤣

[@A_AAA232]

@@gcn flat bars for the win - just watch how those gravel bikes are gonna evolve into lightweight XC MTBs :) great content guys!

[@Lauriieton]

Eating up any crumb of Lachlan Morton content I can get ahold of, what a pleasure it must've been for you Si. He's the most famous guy ever from my hometown lmao. Great video.

[@gcn]

Such a cool guy! Cyclings coolest? 😎

[@dantuttle7516]

5 hours is a good result considering that course. I raced the (much) shorter Fuego XC on Sunday in 60-69 Men. One lap and only 21 miles but up many of the same steep climbs. This was the hardest thing I've done in a couple decades, but I finished! Tinker Juarez (legend) won the age group in 1:32. I was a little more that double that a 3:16. I wasn't to worried about where I finished as long as I wasn't last. And that was an accomplishment.

[@smakersify]

Wow, I was at Sea Otter, and I was wondering how this course went. All I can say is wow, thank you, GCN, for the great coverage, and Si, congratulations on finishing the race. Well done, sir.

[@gcn]

We loved out time at sea otter! 🦦 What an amazing event! This race with the icing on the cake 🎂

[@koreysmith3635]

Best vid I've ever seen on GCN...mostly cuz I'm a Yank and was happy to se you guys here. Love GCN!

[@gcn]

Hahahaha one of our favourites to film too 🙌

[@matthewbaynham6286]

Congratulations on finishing.

[@gcn]

An achievement in itself 🙌 Si looked good on the flat bars 👀

[@richcrompton6891]

Awesome job Si and an awesome bike to race the event on! Rolling back the years to your MTB days 😊 The only thing missing was the fluorescent clothing!

[@gcn]

Cool to see Si back on flat bars 🙌 Glad to hear you enjoyed it, We loved our time at Sea Otter 🦦

[@dclark142002]

Astonishing ride. Great job putting in such a good effort...and so glad your body didnt get hurt. Keep riding, Si.

[@TheWarder500]

The GCN presenters will always be 1st place in my heart 🫡. Awesome job

[@gcn]

Aww thanks

[@indoorandoutdoorendurance3889]

I've been listening to this lying down without watching it, trying to get some rest, and beginning around somewhere near the second half I began looking over at my tablet occasionally to see the video too. I saw some very beautiful scenery with the trail and all the green grasses and things up ahead. Those scenes were very nice to see! Thanks!

[@alanhill7965]

This another one of those videos that I will be watching again and again thanks for the hard work Simon !

[@gcn]

Let us know how many times you watch it 🙌

[@alanhill7965]

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen the St Alfred’s way video of Simons that’s an all time favourite !

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

As others have said, I hope Si will be doing the entire series. Also, Longer videos, please. Maybe show up at Gravel Locos, too. I’d almost pay to see that.

[@bennetthasty7886]

Omg 😳 I’m the biggest Lifetime fan and Si’s doing it I’m so excited - Si I’ll see you next month at Unbound !!!❤🎉

[@SilverShamrock71]

Well done, love the thousand yard stare at the end

[@jaredjames7990]

Wow thanks for the insight on one of the biggest gravel races in the world, Si is the man and the bike was beautiful. Can't imagine how riding such a futuristic and top of the line bike like yours would improve the race and overall experience of gravel riding. Such a great location and GCN team did a great job on capturing the race for us all to enjoy. Thanks SI always enjoy your videos and content, keep up your great work and look forward to seeing you in your next challenge.

[@gcn]

Thanks for such kind words Jared! We loved our time at Sea Otter, always a fun vibe at this show 🙌 What should our next challenge be? 👀

[@jaredjames7990]

@@gcn love to watch the GCN team race up a steep mountain, to see who is the fastest. Also like the circuit challenge, where you have different stations. Change a flat tire, run a mile, swim a few laps or do a little weight training? I enjoy seeing the beautiful locations, scenery and the challenge of riding and new places. Keep up your great content and doing something worth watching. Love you guys.

[@Pgrtb]

Great to seeing you enjoying the trails in our ‘backyard’ here in the Monterey Peninsula. Hope you got to enjoy some of the other activities in this great area also.

[@PatrickMurphy-g7m]

Well done -- both in terms of racing and production. Actually more entertaining than the "official" Lifetime GP video. What to do next? Well, Unbound, of course.

[@jragonwriter6316]

Killer video, man! I know I'm nowhere near your level of performance, but with this video I could still imagine what it would be like as an amateur to enter a pro gravel race like this. Thanks!

[@stevebrown7281]

I have been in a few bike races with you Simon in the last 10 years CX & MTB and your pretty solid always at or near the front shows the level of that US Gravel series👊

[@peterknight9873]

Thank you for the good memory of pain… Thoroughly enjoyed the race. I did the Sea Otter classic in 2000…. Yes it’s a killer…

[@nickwilliams1953]

Huge effort, I really thought you would hit the wall after that start. Also not falling off after going that pace for ages. Super impressive.

[@brianwheeldon4643]

Thanks so much for this Si, fast, exciting and impressive riding mate. Welldone!

[@kaltonian]

Looked amazing si, and what a privilege to be given the pinarello to ride on this epic course

[@rachelharvey71]

Quality presenting as always great effort Si, love that you can’t go steady when there’s competition around 😁

[@RobinT346]

Love the lifetime GP and Sea Otter always looks brutal. Bloody well done in finishing

[@fabiofabio9074]

Oh man, I felt your pain while sitting on my chair! Well done! Bravo!!

[@Pep8691]

Well done on taking it on and finishing Si!! And you win the windscreen sunglasses award of the race at least.

[@cyclingSausage]

NIce, well done Simon! I did a 50 mile xc event once and it was bloody tough. I'd probably compare the effort to a moderately hilly 100 mile sportive.

[@gcn]

Hard work isn't it 🥵

[@DJE_Quads]

So great that Si did this race…I just did Paris to Ancaster for the first time and loved it! Manon did it a couple years ago and the video about it was great. If Si isn’t up for Unbound, maybe P2A is the next step? Manon did it in a dry year, but I’d love to see Si give it a go. Love the GCN shout outs to us Canadians, but such a great event probably deserves another go!

[@lochness_sasquatch]

Formidable video, really well done Si!! 🤜🤛

[@milesrodger3724]

This video was beyond great!!! More racing!

[@gcn]

Which race is next? 🏁

[@seandurkin2016]

Loving your fanboy attitude while lining up at the start!! You got the best seat in the house for the first 20 mins.

[@gcn]

So cool to rub shoulders with the greats 🙌 Even if it was just for 5 mins

[@donschloth5785]

My first SBT race was 3:59:58. I wanted to finish under 4 hours and barely made it! Good work on Sea Otter! Tough race!

[@ianwigmore2675]

Excellent content, Simon and the GCN team keep it up! allows us to live Vicariously through your efforts!

[@gcn]

Live Vicariously and get inspired we hope 😉

[@aghorn]

Kudos to Si for undertaking that mother of a challenge, riding amongst the best of the world, and finishing with IMO a great time! A bump in salary is in order. I previously saw Lifetime’s video of the race. So it was cool to see that Si was in it too. Guess it’s Unbound for you next, the Grand Prix’s next race. 😮

[@michaellynch1132]

Roasting, 20c... I love it. That is a nice spring day here. I live a bit north of there and in the summer it regularly breaks 40 and on the absolute hottest days it starts to approach 50. 47c is a realistic temperature in August.

[@Zwiesel66]

It was definitely fun to watch the video, well done Si. I like the bike's paintwork 🥰

[@MrYorrik]

Great effort, Si, and loved your commentary. Plus, wonderful to see that gorgeous Pinarello MTB. Some might wonder if Pinarello is a “proper” brand for an MTB, but if it’s good enough for PFP, Pidcock, and Si, then it gets my vote ;)

[@suspicious_white_van]

Great job, Si. Sometimes just being able to compete is a win.

[@ZOB4]

Nice job Si! I can see why this is part of the gravel series though - everything looked liked buffed out, hard-packed dirt. Not exactly mountain bike territory.

[@petermyers4409]

Looking forward to seeing you take on Leadville Si!

[@AmvC]

Welcome to GMBN and EMBN ❤ welcome to the rough, burly, gnarly world. So much more fun and so much more excitment ❤

[@AmvC]

Next: enduro racing. 170/160mm and 2.6" tires at 24 psi 😅 and right after that: fullsuspension gravel bikes followed by fullsuspension road bikes :muscle: the power of traction.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Loved this, Si you're the man! Editing and commentary was top notch, hope they give you another dogma to play with at home 😂

[@gcn]

He would love nothing more than a bit more time with that bike 🤣 Dream machine for sure!

[@Cycle9568]

First of Congrats on the finish! The hills in that area are endless and unforgiving. One of the hardest road bike rides of my life started and ended at the track in Monterey during a MotoGP weekend. Laureles grade was just the beginning climb to start our very long day ending with south boundary road. We took in a lot of sites that day to include Pebble Beach, Monterey and Seaside.

[@budlacombe]

Well done. A vid worth watching

[@gcn]

A vid worth liking? 👍

[@pinkunmorph3649]

Simon I think you should pull a team together from GCN and GMBN and take part in the Strathpuffer 24 hour race in Scotland. Have to say that looked like a an awesome route to be riding when you aren’t in a race. Good job

[@nickfitzpatrick5302]

This, like Dan’s journey with his own health, feels like ‘old school’ GCN craic and content is back and it’s great to see. Fantastic riding Si and nice work vid makers. Superb content!! @Si, are you riding the series or just this one?

[@magicknight8412]

Nice one Si, that was great! What a bike , shame they spoil the aero handlebar with a gert big number on the front !

[@Dwyane1st]

Missed a couple videos but finally you guys are going 4k! Nice

[@patrickroberts8702]

Well done Si, you really are game for anything

[@JT-oo7sd]

Really enjoying these programmes from GCN. Please show more.

[@gcn]

We'll keep them coming, you keep watching 🙌

[@RudiDwiHartanto]

That pinarello is so sweet.... Si back on xc bike is awesome

[@AndysAverageAdventures]

Hats off to you Si. Massive effort. Beautiful looking bike.

[@gcn]

Great bike, great race! Great day out 🙌

[@Morehills840]

This is what I like to see. Congratulations Si.

[@waltchui]

So much talent filming and racing. I did this last week too. Si finished a solid two hours ahead of me

[@NikokhosB]

It's always a pleasure to watch Si... his mix of joy and suffering is infectious 😃. Are you looking for other kick ass races? Send a GCN presenter to the Roughneck Gravel Roubaix in Titusville, PA, for the new 250-mile route (May 24-25). If you can't make that, then Iron Cross XXI in Williamsport, PA (Oct 20), "North America's Original All-Roads (and a wee bit o' trail) Racing Adventure"!

[@gcn]

Sounds like some great racing! 💨 Will you be at any of the events?

[@NikokhosB]

@@gcn Yes, I plan to do both. I did the 100+ mile at RGR last year, and am contemplating the 250 this year. Never did the IC, but have it on the slate for 2024. 🤛

[@TheCrappen]

Gotta say i am here bc of the mashup with gmbn, nice to see a roadie smashing up some unpaved country

[@seamusmcmahon3606]

Nice work Si! too bad you didn't get to ride the track at Laguna Seca. The downhill corkscrew is famous and fearsome. I used to race motorcycles there

[@James1980-]

That looked brutal. I can sympathise. Do not be tempted with the cape epic! I reckon you should do it again and do negative split on the second lap..

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Well done Si. Get that other Ex-MTB-Roadie from the GCN Show back in shape and do the Cape Epic.

[@markbaird907]

You’ve gotta come to Utah and do the Crusher in the Tusher! It’s EPIC and brutal! But super fun!

[@jessicamccarthy6429]

This was awesome! Is Si doing all the races in the series? Would love to see GCN do more gravel races the videos always come out awesome!

[@marcuspartridge11]

Good job!! And nice to see you visiting California! Come back soon!

[@markcowell8096]

Legend Simon! What's next? Surely one of the great South African off road races.....Cape Epic, Swatrberg 100, Around the Pot, Transbaviaans or the Old Mutual Gotoberg etc.....

[@adamwilson6423]

Congrats Si. You should come out to Sydney, Australia & do the Convict 100.

[@questgivercyradis8462]

I hope Simon got to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium while out in that area! See the sea otters that loan the race its name! That aquarium is likely best in the world - really one of the most spectacular around. I can confirm that they have bicycle racks just across from the entrance, and my bike did not get stolen from there. Lovely little bike/pedestrian pathway along the coast passes by the aquarium so you can continue rolling after seeing the otters :) Great job racing!

[@dorothyb.]

I love xc and watched Pauline and Tom ride these beauties last year in Scotlands xc championship. Shame they don’t do an electric version for old people like me but I’m sure they’d cost more than my house!😅 Well done Si. Love this GCN content. I’d like to see you join some Saturday morning club rides in some classic spots… holmfirth, Lincoln, Welwyn and a Richmond park ride? Dorothy

[@j3j326]

Nice and 4K video is Even better!

[@aarondavis7457]

Good work man!

[@ZachTheExcitedViper]

Good job! I was stationed in Monterey and its my favorite town in the US.

[@jeztv9014]

Love the Pinarello...also great video ☺

[@michaelfleming4015]

That was a great effort! You did well to be able to read signs towards the end. I probably wouldn’t be able to. That’s a beautiful bike! Are you doing the whole lifetime series? That would be cool to see. The suffering! How did LM do? I’ll have to watch his video of it. Rachel from Mack Cycle was there too. I hope you were able to meet her. 😅👍🏼🚴🏼‍♀️

[@mesquita_3035]

That’s awesome to see u in a mtb, love it💪

[@gcn]

Si did ace didn't he!?

[@gabrielbonnell6430]

These are the videos I’ve been waiting for!!!!!😎

[@west8723]

I love watching you roadies do MTB! I laugh at it all while knowing you’d drop me on any surface. That’s what I love about biking though. Mutual respect for pushing pedals. Keep making great content and I’ll keep watching

[@the_joe_reynolds_foundation]

Hard as hell, but such a rad opportunity! GCN gets some flak for their content, but 99% of the haters would love to have this job. Also? You hiring? I'm good at cyclocross and knitting.

[@martinandersson5833]

That was a great performance Simon. I bet you could have made the top 50 with a more evenly paced strategy. Good camera work as usual GCN👍👏

[@MrEL28]

Well done, Si!

[@gcn]

Smashed it 🙌

[@colinking3477]

Fabulous trails. Great effort.

[@justwhenithought]

Well done Si. Hats off for completing a tough race on a completely unfamiliar horse.

[@alexanderwooldridgesmith6629]

What a lovely ride. I think I might wait until there is not a race on to go round though.

[@bikingbeaver]

Race plate #105 - rider of the people! Awesome job Si!

[@davidwrightsr4188]

Hey Si, I live in Santa Cruz, just the other side of the bay from Laguna Seca... at least you got to ride in one of the most beautiful places in the world of biking... and guess what you were able to spend more time enjoying it than those ahead of you!

[@fwschnaar3179]

Congrats Si …. Brutally Hard Race 👍🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️

[@chrischambers4563]

Great job Si, but want to see Hank try it too!

[@amandanorth6526]

Great effort, Si! Love the racing content