Hundreds of gravel bike tires will pulverize the gnarly roads as packs of wild cyclists jockey their way to victory on a loop well-known to gravel riders around the Southeast. A fraternal twin to Silk Sheets (a respected road route that predates the city around it), Dirty Sheets is the miscreant of the family, giving well-meaning riders a hard time and defying any attempt to give it a haircut. But look closer and its beauty is undeniable. For every angry gravel climb and treacherous muddy crossing, you’ll find miles of gorgeous fence-lined pastures, wide-open skies and picturesque hills. For those of us who are into angry climbs, treacherous crossings and rustic panoramas, Dirty Sheets is the Manic Panic dream girl our two wheels have been aching for.
The Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder will offer three routes at 100miles, 62 miles and 22 miles. (The astute among you may have cottoned that the Dirty Sheets loop itself is only 20 miles long, and to you we say please holster your pitchfork and hold all questions until the end.)
While our 20-mile ride is a non-competitive gravel jaunt, our Metric Century routes (62 and 103 miles) take that pleasant ride and twist it into a grueling challenge, all wrapped up in a 60/40 blend of gravel and road—with a nice amount of single-track mixed in. That’s right: for one low price, you’re getting all of Dirty Sheets, plus the best gravel and low-traffic roads that Douglas, Carroll, and Heard Counties have to offer.
