Oh well

There's just not much to spark discussion. I don't know anything about the race you signed up for, and it looks like I'd have to dig around to find info on it. I have no idea what "gravel" happens to be in your area, so I can't comment on the adequacy of 38mm GKs. I don't know what gears you have now, the elevation profiles you're going to be doing, or your abilities, so I don't have much to say about needing lower gears (besides that I'd argue that most people in hilly areas could use lower gears than they've got on their road or gravel bikes). Nor did you post any bike photos, so I can't complain about your color choices or how well you've aligned the tire decals with the valve stems.

You are awesome. I mostly thought that folks would comment on my lack of outdoor miles :-)

For a race that will probably be around 3 hours and is 7+ weeks away?

perhaps his seat is too high.

do we still say that on ST?

honestly, have fun. I don't know anything about gravel races, but my only outdoor miles are gravel-esq. just keep it upright and keep laughing.

 
Apparently much longer for each lap than 1.5 hours. Pretty technical 1 mile climb and my lowest gear is 38 / 28

25 mile laps with 2,000 feet of climbing per lap. A fast regional guy thought about 1:45 per lap

I just pulled the trigger a couple weeks ago on a gravel bike - really looking forward to doing a gravel race, but also to just being able to ride anywhere I want near my place and not worry about running out of asphalt. Good luck at your race!

You’ll be fine. I just finished up the Land Run 100 last week and have only been outside once since October... everything else was on the trainer. Tires will depend on the terrain but I’ve had a lot of luck with Terravail Cannonballs (last year) and ran WTB Resolutes at Land Run. I had zero issues with either tire.

I am excited to try one. Really was lured by events such as Raspusitsa, BWR, Land Run etc.

Main target however is the Tunnel Marathon in June with the Boston qualifying goal

They are a blast. You need to come out to Michigan... we have an awesome and underrated gravel scene featuring the largest gravel race in the country (Barry Roubaix, although it sounds like DK is aiming for that title) along with some races that are a little more out there like Michigan Coast 2 Coast (210 miles from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan), or the one that really scares the crap out of me, The Crusher (Copper Harbor to Marquette... more bears than people in a lot of the areas we will be riding). Add our Michigan gravel series into the mix and a race seemingly every weekend and it's a pretty awesome place to be.

I don't think the outdoor miles are super critical but it's obviously useful to test out equipment and bike handling on gravel. Obviously there is a wide variety in types of gravel surfaces. I've done a fair number of gravel events the past couple of years and it's just a different beats than any sort of road riding. With any sort of road riding, since the surface is mostly smooth I have a better sense of what range of % of my ftp I can hold. With gravel bike riding, again dependent on surface, that range of % of ftp, is far wider. Gravel bike riding is far more bone rattling and a full body experience which tends to wear you down.

Tempted to jump into this as my first gravel experience. New bike coming this week.

https://www.pisgahproductions.com/events/bootlegger-100/

Sweet

And so, although I feel ready after test riding the course, I will be unable to race. :-(