Meet Mena! and her Bearclaw Hildisvíni

When I first saw the Instagram post advertising the Michigan Gravel Race Series (MGRS) Gravel Scholarship, I brushed it off. No way I was about to sign up to be dusted in four gravel races, plus, I was doing just fine pedaling my road bike through the snow, along bumpy dirt roads, and over stretches of unrelenting sand. That being said, the idea just stuck in my head and wouldn’t let go. Much in the fashion that I left my first dog, Bourbon, at the shelter with the words I can’t adopt a dog for another month, and then returned to adopt him the next day, following a sleepless night and the nagging feeling we were meant for each other, I soon felt that I had to apply for the scholarship. I had taken my first venture onto local dirt roads in 2019 and my first overnight bike-packing trip in 2021, all on the same bike that I bought in 2015 for commuting to work. While I am often resistant to change and bringing new things into my life (hello 2012 macbook pro I’m currently writing this on), I had to admit that Bianca (named for the elegant and courageous Miss Bianca of The Rescuers) wasn’t the best bike for the job.

I had also been inspired over the last couple of years by the stories and efforts of cyclists such as Alexandera Houchin, Lael Wilcox, Ayesha McGowan, and the All Bodies on Bikes duo, Kailey Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky—all following their love for cycling on formidable adventures while promoting inclusion in the cycling community. I realized that despite my initial anxiety at the prospect of competing and putting myself out there, taking a chance was worth the opportunity to improve my cycling and make my own small contribution toward inclusive cycling. I had grown to feel comfortable on a bicycle over the years, with the ample encouragement of more experienced cyclists and welcoming communities. In turn, I also helped several friends transition to the bicycle commuting lifestyle through sharing my experience and easing some of that initial intimidation. However, I wanted to take this a step further by explicitly encouraging and supporting riders who may feel excluded from traditional outdoor spaces, such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, or people who are afraid they are not “good enough” to participate. I filled out the online application, covered my eyes, clicked “submit”, and kept my fingers crossed for the next few weeks.

Which brings me to the reason I’m writing this blog post. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received the email announcing the scholarship results from the MGRS —they had chosen me to be the 2022 Gravel Scholar! So… hello! I’m Mena—a queer, nonbinary PhD student, animal lover, reluctant adventure seeker, and now, novice gravel racer! I grew up in Utah and moved to Michigan for grad school in 2018, along with my partner, Erin, and our pets. I’m excited to get to know the backroads of Michigan and the local cycling communities through this program. If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably already caught a glimpse of the new, gold-rimmed Bearclaw Thunderhawk that I have had the absolute honor of bringing into my home. Honestly, I had trouble naming this new bicycle, in all its glory. After googling through a series of characters from the show Pose, racehorse names, and goddesses, I introduce to you Hildisvíni—named for the golden-bristled “battle boar” ridden by the Norse goddess Freyja. (Fun fact: Freyja’s other ride is a chariot pulled by two cats).

I’ve been riding the Thunderhawk for about a month now, and it has been fabulous! I already feel so much more comfortable and confident riding rougher terrain and bombing (relative term) down hills. Matt did a great job of matching the gold Velocity Aileron wheelset with parts from Wolf Tooth Components, and the Panaracer gravel tires keep me rolling nice and smooth even through the bumps. I’ve enjoyed looking for things (read: rocks, bones, shiny objects) to collect along my rides, the best of which has been a $20 bill that someone lost along the road, with nowhere clear to return it to. No better excuse to get ice cream along the way! On that note, I’ve been playing around with nutrition from Hammer Nutrition and Floyd’s of Leadville—my fatal flaw is not eating enough before and during my rides, making me the resident “bonk” expert. I’ve never experimented with these types of supplements in the past, so it’s fun to see how they can help me keep my energy up and extend my endurance. I’m still practicing drinking out of my water bottle and riding at the same time, to give you an idea of my skill level. I’ve had some trouble with bike fit, and Matt has been helping me adjust the seat and handlebars to get more comfortable. It can be difficult to focus on having fun if your arms are sore or your toes are numb, so if you’re reading this thinking “relatable content”, don’t give up! A seemingly small seat adjustment can go a long way.

Dirty 30 was my first race, through the rolling hills and farmlands of Saranac, Michigan. The course started right off with a hill, and I maaaaay have regretted my decision to forgo my warmup ride. It was a little cold to show off my new kit from Grand Rapids Bicycle Company, but I was wearing it under all my other layers! I’m lucky that my partner Erin is also a cyclist, and dedicated to being my cheerleader, coach, pacer, and wind breaker. Also, lucky for me, she forgot her phone at Matt and Jenny’s house, so we got another excuse to see them along the course, cheering us on. We pedaled by ourselves most of the time, although we did get cheered on by some of the fastest pelotons in the Filthy 50 and XDirty 130 as they passed us at a breakneck pace. I won’t say Dirty 30 was the easiest course for my first race, but I took a page from The Tortoise and the Hare for a slow and steady pace. Although, if you were the photographer stationed at the top of the hill named “Ivan the Terrible”, you probably wouldn’t have considered the pace to be very steady. Luckily, the unfortunately-placed photographer was accompanied by an aid station at which Erin and I ate a cookie and took a water break before completing the home stretch to the finish line. I forced us to aim for a tie with our timing chips crossing the line at the same time, and we located Jenny and Beau right after our finish! My biggest worry for this scholarship was that I wouldn’t be able to finish my races, but I completed all my goals for this race by crossing the finish line and beating the rain. High five! My next race is Arcadia Grit and Gravel, on May 21, giving me a lot of time to train and get some more miles in the saddle. You know what that means—I may have to ramp up my goals for the next race. We didn’t get too muddy at this race, but I’ve got my Squirt Cycling Products kit when Hildisvíni needs a wash.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Meendering Photography

So far, my experience with the gravel scholarship has been above and beyond what I could ever expect. I’ve already had so many different people and companies come together to sponsor me and make my experience enjoyable, and it was surreal to meet people at Dirty 30 who recognized me and went out of their way to say hi! I hope to see some of the same people and keep meeting new ones at my next race. Most of all, it has been fun to get to know Matt, Jenny, and their wonderful dog (AKA MGRS Mascot) Beau. You know I love a dog with a big personality. Thanks everyone for reading along and sharing the first steps of this journey with me! Hope to see you along a dirt road or on a start line someday soon!

Cheers!

Mena