Fueling gravel riding's wild popularity, with a twist

"Doing the legwork" is a literal expression in the Kershaw household.

Jeremy Kershaw molds a love of gravel cycling, of exploration, and of the vast interior of Minnesota's Arrowhead into events that evolve and capture the imagination as the sweep of gravel riding's popularity touches more of the state.

What he, with his wife, Avesa Rockwell, have shaped the last 15 years through their Heck of the North Productions outfit continues to morph in a scene that he said is "percolating" as much as rising, like it is elsewhere in the country.

There are some bedrock events:

The Le Grand du Nord in May, beginning in Grand Marais, features three rides (100, 54 and 26 miles).

The namesake Heck of the North, out of Two Harbors, was Kershaw's first event in 2009. Now, it has three rides (105, 55, 20 miles); it rolls in September.

But Kershaw and Co. keep it fresh, too:

With The Fox and The Wolf, which debuts July 21-23, he has veered from classic gravel rides into new terrain.

Both marry bikepacking — carrying one's gear — with a timed outing. The Fox (consecutive days of 60 miles) and the Wolf (three days, 100 miles each, beginning in and returning to Two Harbors) are multiday rides wrapped around camping overnights.

Kershaw, of Duluth, said he thinks his hybrid events are unique in the country. Riders will get breakfast. There is a checkpoint during each of the three days. And there are the arranged camp areas. He said feedback from the Fox, which runs from Finland to Grand Marais and back, and launched last year, has been that riders like the challenge of the ride coupled with relaxed time on the backside.

"Time touring is weird, and yet I love it, too," he added.

He has been surprised at how quickly the events have filled. The Wolf filled in a little more than a month.

"We're looking forward to it. It is going to be an adventure for us, too," he said.

Kershaw said interest in the Heck events has grown consistently since the pandemic, while he has committed to cultivating an aura: small and intimate remain central to the operation. The Fox and Wolf are limited to 75 riders each.

"We are still happy that we are organizing from the kitchen table," he said. "And that is really important to us still." Running parallel to pulling off Heck events are their lives as a registered nurse (Kershaw) and writing instructor at Minnesota Duluth (Rockwell).

The Wolf is a descendant of the Heck Epic, a former bikepacking event of consecutive 100-mile days. Kershaw began to create the route and rode it before the pandemic with Alexandera Houchin, a Minnesotan who won the epic Tour Divide that follows more than 2,700 rugged miles from Canada to the U.S. border with Mexico. Kershaw also knows the rigors of the Tour Divide.

"[The Wolf] will be a cool challenge for people who are now in that bikepacking world but want to push their limits to see what they can do," he said.

Kershaw dug into his riding experiences and their impact, and the diversity of Minnesota's cycling scene, too. What follows was edited for length and clarity:

On trying to be more inclusive

"We have slowly moved away from, hey, we are going to keep this a 100-mile event and forget anyone that's not at the 100-mile level. We now are, how can we get more people on bikes? Over the years we've introduced 50- and 20-mile events and now we have a shorter bikepacking event to whet people's appetite on that."

On riding in different formats

"I think bikepack-style racing is just another way to experience that kind of challenge [of long distances]. It's OK. There is plenty of room in the world of cycling to do different styles of racing. No one asks why I do it, but I ask: Why would anyone want to race against the clock with stuff on their bike? It's there, and every time I do it I'm like, I like this. And certainly, we are getting a lot of people who are interested."

On inspirations

"The Tour Divide had a big effect on me. It pushed me in a way that is different from touring. I liked that, particularly at that time in my life. We've used the ethos of the Tour Divide on some levels, but we've tweaked it. Like, hey, we've got breakfast covered for you. I'm going to have a meeting about places to look out for during the day, and we even got your back midway if you need a resupply."

On evolving bikepacking events

"We are always trying to improve. They are pretty dynamic. I like that element. It keeps it fresh and creative for my family and for me. I like to explore as much as the next person. We'll keep messing with things, and try to get them even better. That's the goal."

On the uncertain terrain in gravel's rise

"We are going to keep doing what we feel like we can do, and that is keeping it homegrown, even though we are getting bigger. I also see the world of bicycle touring … like that is what I want to do when I retire. I think the North Shore is ripe for some beautiful roads to use for that and in these great towns, including Two Harbors, Ely, Grand Marais and Finland. It is set up for that style of touring. It is a good thing for the communities.

That is where I would like to see the sport continue to grow. Let's go keep exploring by bike, even if it means getting in your car to do it a little bit."