FROM THE ROAD

Alaska

I would believe to a moderate degree that the majority of people in modern times understand the term “vast.” How vastness is interpreted is up for debate. I’m from Oklahoma where vastness means “plenty” and how that space is occupied is typically grass fields, farmland, or heaps of rolling red dirt. There’s a deranged sense of direction due to a lack of monumental guides. I’m often asked, “where are the mountains?” To which I reply, “they’re in the wind.” As I prepared for the Alaska excursion, I forsook to memory any expectation that might enhance the overall perception of terrain anticipated. Little did I know what lied ahead would soon humble my personal interpretation and unappreciated conception of vastness.

From Anchorage, you’re enticed to venture beyond the veil of a gloomy miniature metropolis. The mountains are engulfing…they meet the clouds with a harmony that is difficult to isolate earth from sky; a staggering pulse of peaks across a grey and blue mist. Gravel on its own is an experience. The subtle, and not so subtle, gnashing of gravel being chewed up and spit out is soothing for the soul, and rhythmic for the mind - it forces me to listen to what it’s saying. I can assure you’ve never understood what Hatcher Pass has to offer - not in sight nor pain. It’s an awakening to the days coming. 

Talkeetna begins your second day where pavè rolls upward, and the shadows of giants douse the landscape - vastness begins to ensue. Here you can enjoy a proper coffee before civilization becomes interrupted, and modern life flickers between acreages of untouched forest and virgin soul. A true gem of the trip takes you out and back through Denali National Park. What transpires in the park is truly up to the day. Wildlife has no set agenda and can reveal itself vibrant and on full display, or lurk in breathless peace. Always be present on these roads. Always look for an opportunity to selfishly devour the views, the sounds and smells, and luck be on your side, Denali will allow you a glimpse of it’s magnificent countenance. 

The Creekside Lodge spoils the group with delightful sustenance of both belly and soul before the real remoteness of the Great Frontier proves it’s a wonder in itself. There’s not a wind that hasn’t kissed the nearby mountain tops, nor a pebble that isn’t part of the feet of thousands of peaks - at every glance you’re looked down upon by the towering rocks of the Alaskan Range rolling the infamous Denali highway. This mostly gravel, 135 mile highway was the first road to give access to Denali and defines the scenic tundra.  

As you’re still attempting to absorb all the grander Alaska has thrown at you, you come to the penultimate day: McCarthy Road - ‘The Gateway’ to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the U.S. at 13.2 million acres. Your journey to this point is a mere fletching to the arrow that McCarthy delivers to the heart; although not remotely straight nor smooth. A true gravel excursion cannot be completed without being pressed to mercy by the washboards of a near ancient railway. The iconic rock cut opens the lungs and eyes to a splayed canvas of The Copper River. You might desire to stop for a portrait as you proceed through the weaving and rolling valley into pristine wilderness… and you should! A quaint coffee shack comes as a surprise, but welcomes the reprieve and gives grace to the riders stamping their Alaska experience with an exclamation point. Press the pedals, push the pace, drop the hammer…ride the rivet. McCarthy isn’t for the faint of weak legs, and if you’ve thought you’ve ridden gravel before - welcome to McCarthy Rd. 

Crack a beer, and salute over the edge of the river. Recount the journey to this dead end road with your compatriots. Laughter breaks the dust from mouths and cheeks, as the numbness in your body begins to return full circuit. Your final days at Kennicott Glacier, the lodge and the short plane skip back into Anchorage are spent still fully engaged in what seems like a never-ending lesson in vastness, adventure and wanderlust - Indulged. 

The Hell of The North may not be anywhere near this part of the world. Alaska is not thought to be a destination. It has little to no nostalgia in the cycling world. What it does have, a blank slate. That is all you might need to know to write your own story upon its surface. The Alaska Raid sounds like an adventure, but I can assure you, it is much more… It defines adventure. You will undoubtedly walk away transformed, but only if you allow it. This endeavor has you christening wildernesses and tundra that can’t touch room temperature on Strava heatmaps. Timing, in all seasons of life, is of the essence in Alaska, and the clock has begun. 

Keyth Howry -ride captain - RAID cycling

Oct 2022 - A Natural State-Arkansas Gravel RECCE

It all began with an email from a seasoned RAID guest who had participated in nearly every trip we offered. He was set to attend the RAPHA-Bentonville RCC Gravel Summit, a global gathering of RAPHA enthusiasts, flying all the way from New Zealand for the 4-day event. Realizing the long journey for just Bentonville, he asked if I was up for the challenge of planning an additional 4 days of remote gravel riding through Northwest-Central Arkansas after the RAPHA Summit. Naturally, I said YES—it's in my nature. My mother's family is from this region of Southern Missouri, near Bentonville, and with my great-great grandfather's pioneering spirit in mind, I took the leap!

I reached out to my former boss, Simon Mottram, RAPHA's founder, proposed my plan, and he immediately suggested offering my services to the RAPHA event team, which I did. I also called my brother Keyth, RAID's ride captain, who lives in Oklahoma City, and he enthusiastically joined. We provided roadside feeds and SAG support for the 120 RAPHA RCC members riding through Bentonville, creating a fantastic experience.

Six other RCC members from around the world heard about my idea to add 4 days of riding post-Summit and eagerly jumped in. However, I made it clear that I had no knowledge of the terrain or routes in that region and wasn't interested in investing time and money into a multi-day reconnaissance of Arkansas. I proposed creating and operating the tour blind, a risk I had never taken before. I couldn't charge for my services but suggested sharing the expenses, and if the trip met their expectations, leaving a little something for my time. Six riders signed up, and I set off to plan this ride virtually.

On departure day, I was very anxious. I gathered everyone venturing into the unknown and offered my release of responsibility. I warned them about potential challenges like closed roads, washed-out bridges, difficult terrain, and encounters with local characters. They were suitably apprehensive, but we rode off with cautious excitement. At the end of the additional days of riding, it was not just a good ride—it was remarkable, exceeding all expectations and teaching me a valuable lesson in trusting myself and embracing the unknown.

One rider summed it up in this quote about the RECCE trip in Arkansas.

“Brad, I think I told you at some stage that my bike motivation these days is not measured in watts, rather in adventuring to new places. The week totally delivered on adventure, I loved how no one knew what was around the next corner, at the next guest house or in the next conversation. Kept us all on our toes all week, just as the best times always do! ”

CONCLUSION

You can find adventure anywhere you want, you just have to take the time to seek it out. The ARHC (Arkansas High Country) RAID is designed to intensify your tastebuds for adventure… and gravel. Gravel riding and racing have quickly become the focus in the evolving world of cycling disciplines. Discovering new roads, paths and a heart for the unknown grow us in ways that other sports and hobbies can’t. On the road we find our true potential, our deepest senses of self, and our highest levels of appreciation. We do this to ourselves in an attempt to find that threshold for satisfaction and suffering; two strong forces that are separated by a chainlink that could break at any given stroke. RAID Cycling has many trips available to ‘fill your boots’, but The Arkansas High Country RAID delivers in a different way. I’ve always believed that the road neutralizes us - it makes us equals and doesn’t withhold anything from us all. If you seek to find the glory you deserve through the suffering you desire, you’re in the right place ~ see you on the road!

May 2019 - Japan. Endless Discovery.

An adventurous group of 15 came to ride our Southern Islands of Japan- Shimanami Kaido, Hiroshima & The Volcanoes of Kyushu tour. Here is one riders daily take on the remarkable experience of Japan and some insights into the hidden and undiscovered parts of the land of the Rising Sun.

Day 1: Zen and the art of a perfect first day

The group met at Kansai (Osaka) Airport without a hitch and quickly transferred via train to Onomichi on the south coast of Honshu. A short walk from the station led us to the beginning of the renowned 2.5 km Temple Walk, comprised of a combination of 25 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The walk’s apogee was a high hill overlooking the town and the many islands below, many which we would be cycling across in the days to come. After checking into the hip Onomichi U2 Hotel Cycle, we headed out on a short ride in the hills above Onomichi on our bikes which had been assembled by our ace Japanese and SV staff. The golden, late-afternoon light shimmered through the trees and across the small roads we spun-up, logging about 24 km and 596 vertical meters.

Day 2: Ferries + riding + bridges + riding = nonstop smiles

Our first full day of riding began with a ferry ride from Onomichi to Shimanami Kaido — the bicycle path that weaves its way across many islands of the Setto Inland Sea via bridges and ferries. Kilometer after kilometer of rolling, weaving bike paths delighted the group with stunning views of other islands and the sea. We then turned our sights on Mt. Sekizen, a stout climb with rewarding views in every direction before heading back to Onomichi U2 Hotel Cycle for cocktails and a delicious dinner. The day saw us clocking 64 km and 1650 vertical meters of climbing.

Day 3: Coastal cruising and reflection

Onomichi to Kurume. A second day on the Shimanami Kaido, cruising the coastline of 11 islands in a westerly direction – simply stunning! After arriving in Kurume and changing into our street clothes, we transferred to Hiroshima, where we had a beautiful and moving experience at the Hiroshima Peace Park. After checking into our luxe accommodations, we headed out to dinner in Okonomiyaki Village, where every open-stall restaurant serves a slightly different version of okonomiyaki, a pancake/yakisoba noodle/cabbage/egg and secret sauce wonder that is not to be missed! Riding that day totaled 102 km and 647 vertical meters of climbing.

Day 4 The best of rural inland Japan: tea farms and new friends

Kurume to Hita. After a bullet train transfer to the western island of Kyushu, we set off on arguably the most varied and spectacular day of riding we enjoyed all week. The sun shone, a cool breeze kept us refreshed, and we danced on the pedals up through a multitude of tea farms, deep forests with secret, narrowly-paved roads, terraced rice fields, and swooped down canyons with wonderful switchbacks. Then on through a tiny village or two and on to the next forest or tea farm. The day was made even more special by lunch at a tranquil, rustic soba noodle restaurant. The chef, assistant chef and server were a husband-wife-and-daughter team, the couple in their late 70s. The care they showed for us and joy in their craft was inspiring. The images of their goodbyes to us say it all. After 90 km and 2,085 vertical meters of pure gold, we arrived at our most stunning hotel, Umehibiki, which provided us with what might be described as “zen-luxury”; everything was beautiful and pared down to its essence: the onsen hot springs, the ten-course kaiseki dinner, and the heavenly beds.

Day 5 The best of rural inland Japan, shiitake style!

Hita to Aso. Another beautiful day dawned and we were again riding through magical rural Kyushu. A signature feature of this day was riding through forests in which shiitake mushrooms are grown on cut logs, one-meter in length, and placed near-vertically against thin fences for as far as the eye can see. Exiting the mushroom forests, we found ourselves rolling across high, lush pastures populated with red cows and views of higher hills and long vistas of Mt. Aso, its neighboring peaks and the massive ancient caldera that makes up the Aso valley floor. Coming out of one shiitake forest, we rolled through a little village with volcanic steam pouring out of creeks and seams in the earth almost everywhere. The steaming hot water was being used at one source by a woman cooking over it with a cast iron pot. Hot water appeared to be piped into many houses. We were certainly in volcano country now! Onto more grassy meadows that repeatedly gave way to beautiful bridges hundreds of meters above river valleys, affording us unique views of the extensive mountains and forests beside and below us. Simply fantastic. As we pulled into the town of Aso, we looked forward to our big day on the volcano itself the next day. 85 km and 2,132 vertical meters climbed.

Day 6 Mt Aso

Mt. Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan and it resides within Aso Kuju National Park. With a beautiful loop of about 71 km and 1,410 vertical meters of climbing scheduled, we pacelined it across the valley to the base of Mt. Aso. As the road pitched upward, each of us found our rhythm and went to work. The riding was initially serpentine and lush, but soon gave way to an increasingly open and more rugged landscape -- a contrast to our days in the lower tea fields and forests. Elevation gain brought satisfaction and cooler weather, and the wind jackets were busted out as we grabbed rice and sushi cakes and hydration from the van at the highest ridable point on the volcano. After a fantastic descent, we continued our loop and made one more ascent, this time on a smaller (and steeper) neighboring mountain before heading for home.

Day 7

Mt. Kuju. Our last day dawned with gusty rain and an increasingly bad forecast. Some headed off for shopping and museums, while others geared up and headed onto the steep slopes for a last day of challenging cycling. Mother Nature threw driving rain and 50+ mph winds at us. It was hard fun, keeping the cranks turning, urging each other on, and grinning through it all. At the summit of Mt. Kuju, we could barely remain upright in the wind, and called it quits due to safety concerns. Our outstanding Japanese staff loaded the bikes up and we headed into the summit cafe for coffee and laughs. Down the hill, a wonderful udon lunch and soak in the hotel onsen warmed our bones before heading out for a final celebratory dinner. Due to the weather, it was a short 37 km and 1,116 vertical meters climbed, but a challenging one to round out a week of spectacular cycling and cultural enrichment.

What a trip! We can’t wait to return to Japan. Thank you, Japan Guests, you are a fantastic bunch of cyclists and wonderful people. And many thanks to our travel partner, Brad Sauber, and his amazing Japanese staff, who made all of the difference.

Taylor Walker

Jan 2018 - The Big Island, ‘Aloha’ Is a Way of Life

During New Year's 2019, a group of six riders embarked on a quest for the spirit of Aloha on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hailing from Ireland, England, and the mainland, most were first-time visitors to the Hawaiian Islands. While a few had experienced the resorts on Maui, the majority had never explored the lesser-known corners of the Big Island, a preference that aligns with RAID's distinctive approach.

Cycling through charming towns and less-explored upcountry sights, these outlier villages were home to a mix of longtime locals and transplants seeking a more relaxed lifestyle. Everywhere they went, our riders encountered a welcoming warmth, and the spirit of aloha came to define much of their Hawaiian experience.

The Big Island, spanning 4,000 square miles, is essentially one massive volcano, or more accurately, five volcanoes with overlapping eruptions and fiery magma flows. It's an ideal island for cycling, offering relatively quiet roads, mist-shrouded mountain climbs, black sand beaches, steaming volcanoes, and the freshest farm-to-table cuisine found on the island.

If you're interested, let us know, and we can create your own custom Hawaii ride.

Let us know if you would like for us to create your own Hawaii ride.