Surviving the 2020 Red Granite Grinder 50 mile route

By Schwan Hardi

I snag a selfie moments before the start of an epic day.

As a new member to the Wausau community and an avid mountain biker, I was thrilled to come across the IRONBULL Red Granite Grinder. My family and I moved to Wausau from Denver, Colorado in September of 2019, and biking is a passion that my wife, 2-year old son and I all share. We’ve been happy to discover the outdoor and biking culture here in Central Wisconsin, and after completing IRONBULL’s Winter Triathlon and the virtual Rib Mountain Adventure Challenge in 2020, I knew the Red Granite Grinder would be another great way to get to know the biking community and trails in of Central Wisconsin.

Race day recap
I woke up on race day to gently falling snow – I had known the forecast had called for cold weather but had still hoped mother nature would change her mind. Although snow wasn’t my ideal race day weather, I geared up appropriately and headed to the starting line.

Hitting the 51/29 Trail early in the race amid snowfall. Photo credit: QCWilly Photography

My only hike-a-bike was crossing a unique bridge in the Wausau School Forest aka Narnia.

Starting in historic downtown Wausau
The race began in the heart of downtown Wausau at the 400 Block – as I geared up the snow was falling, and the sun was rising. It was snowing quite a bit at this point, but the atmosphere was full of the characteristic positive energy and anticipation of race day. At 7:00 a.m. sharp, all riders mounted their bikes and sped off, cruising out of downtown Wausau over the Wisconsin River via our police escort. We worked our way out of the city and snaked through the quiet Rib Mountain neighborhood. Rib Mountain is where my wife, son and I live, and I was excited when I rounded the corner of Fern and Bittersweet to see them standing on the side of our street. Listening to their cheers as I pedaled past gave me a boost of energy early in the frosty race.

Nine Mile Forest to Wausau School Forest
We worked our way west along County Road N toward the Nine Mile Forest area where the 100-foot pines were lightly flocked with snow, and their bright fall leaves where still shining through. It was a gorgeous part of the ride. We wound our way through the forest on the snow-caked gravel and around mile 13 jumped on some single track – this was my favorite segment of the race. Being on the single track surrounded by the forest with the snow gently falling had an almost magical feeling – like you were riding into Narnia!

Marathon City to rolling farmlands
From Narnia, we headed back northwest and biked toward Marathon City. Around mile 20, I connected with a fellow racer named Jeff who didn’t have the cue sheets and asked to ride along with me – I was glad to have a comrade as we neared the half way point of the race. As Jeff and I rolled into Marathon City, my feet were pretty cold, and Jeff needed to adjust his shoe covering. We stopped at the gas station, warmed up, and saddled back up. But as we left the gas station, my handlebars came loose from my head tube and I took a slight spill! Realizing that I didn’t have my multi-tool with me because I wanted to travel light (and neither did Jeff) could have cost me dearly. But luck was on my side with the local NAPA nearby who graciously let me borrow what I needed to fix my bike.

As we traveled north, and east, of Highway 29 the route took us through the picturesque rolling farmlands of Central Wisconsin – this is another section of the race that I really appreciated. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan like myself, you’ll know what I mean when I say it felt like I was riding through The Shire.

It was here, at about mile 30, that I began to realize my choice in footwear was poorly played. I had layered perfectly everywhere except for one pivotal area – my feet. My shoes were soaked from the wet snow, and the wind going downhill was adding insult to injury. I began pulling each shoe out of the bike clip to make circles with my foot to help keep the blood flowing, and I began to look forward to uphill climbs (and there plenty) which warmed me back up!

Derailer and coffee detour
Jeff was pacing ahead of me at this point, but suddenly his rear derailer hanger broke with the click of his shifter. As I pulled up on him with his derailer dangling off his bike, he had no choice but to call it day and sent me on my way. Thankfully, the truck right behind me offered Jeff a ride back to town. Got to love that Sconnie hospitality! Back on the course, I decided to pick up my pace. Within a few miles, I saw two riders ahead and I set my sights on catching up with them.

At about mile 40 I began the second-to-last climb and pulled up to the two other riders, Doug and Dave. At this point, after battling the wet snow and 30-degree weather, I knew my goal had changed from finishing in under three hours to simply finishing the race. I was exceptionally cold, fatigued, and my spirits were sinking – I think Doug and Dave were feeling the same because at the 45-mile mark, we came upon a small eatery called Richard’s Restaurant and Bar. The three of us looked at each other and said “coffee anyone?!?” We decided to take a quick pitstop to warm up. Doug treated us all to coffee and as we were about to jump back on our bikes, Dave decided to hang up the bike. We wished him well and Doug and I headed for the finish line.

Only a mile from the finish along Wausau’s Riverwalk, I finally can start celebrating my accomplishment. Photo credit: QCWilly Photography

The home stretch – and one last mechanical hurdle
Doug and I blazed down County Road WW toward the Wisconsin River. Just as we hit full stride, Doug blew out his tire as we crossed the bridge. While it was a major bummer, it was a beautiful scene at the base of the river, and Doug was a prepared rider. We quickly popped in his spare and were back on our way. My spirits lifted as the caffeine from the coffee kicked in and we pushed forward into the last big climb of the day at Brokaw Corners. Once we reached the top, it was smooth, downhill sailing back into the Wausau city limits. As we pulled into town, the trail followed Wausau’s Riverwalk, snaking into downtown Wausau, and finally, the finish line at the 400 Block. I was incredibility happy to see my wife and son waiting patiently at the finish line (roughly 2 hours later than I planned) with open arms.

Celebrating in the heart of downtown Wausau with my biggest supporter at my side.

Race reflections
As I sipped on my “IRONBULL Amber” beer at the finish line (shoutout to Red Eye Brewing Company for creating such an awesome race beer!), I reflected on my ride. While it certainly wasn’t my best time, the Red Granite Grinder didn’t disappoint. If you love “type 2” fun, then you always know to expect the unexpected, enjoy the adventure and hopefully meet a few friends along the way – which is exactly what I did.

I want to thank the IRONBULL team for everything they did to make the race happen. Special thanks to the race day volunteers who weathered the cold to support the riders and the race director and course designer, Shane Hitz, who designed an excellent route that was challenging and interesting.

All three of my IRONBULL events have truly been terrific experiences and I encourage anyone looking for some adventure to check out one of their events as they design experiences that offer something for everyone - whether you are an seasoned, hardcore adventurer or a more causal outdoor enthusiast.

While I certainly miss the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I am thankful for the excellent outdoor community Wausau and the Central Wisconsin area has to offer. If you love the outdoors and are looking for a challenge to keep you motivated, put one of the IRONBULL events on your bucket list for 2021!