Cross Vermont - Ted King's 310-mile Solo Gravel Adventure
Ted King took no prisoners as he committed to the ultimate adventure across his home state of Vermont. Part Everesting and part #DIYgravel DK200, Ted pushed the limits of solo gravel racing on the all new Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty full-suspension gravel machine. Join us as we tune into the YouTube Premiere at 8:30pm EST on June 11, 2020.
Film and photos by Ansel Dickey and Nick Keating of Vermont Social
The Bike
Cannondale Carbon Topstone Lefty
SRAM Force AXS drivetrain featuring 46t front chainring, 10-50 Eagle cassette
Zipp Firecrest 650b wheelset
Rene Herse Switchback Hill 650x48c tubeless tires
Zipp SL Speed seatpost and Stem
Zipp XLPR handlebar
Moosepacks handlebar and frame bag
Arundel water bottle cages
Fizik Tempo Argo R1 saddle
The Route
The Gear
How to survive a 300 mile gravel ride
In Ted’s Words
Late at night on May 30 -- Dirty Kanza Saturday -- Ted King set out from the northeastern corner of Vermont with the goal of riding nonstop to the southeast corner of the state. Over the course of the 22 hours that followed, Ted took on a 310-mile journey, 90% gravel roads with a large portion of those as Vermont's notoriously unmaintained "Class 4". There was also an "accidental Everest" as he climbed more than 34,000 feet. During the course of this video, you'll see a steady decline in Ted's... well, his everything. A challenge like this is unlike anything ever attempted by the King of Gravel, and it's a place for Ted to learn, to grow, to suffer in ways unlike he knew was possible. This epic ride is part of the #DIYgravel series. Being that this episode is about Dirty Kanza, it deserves a bigger than normal place on Ted's calendar, hence the bigger than normal undertaking. This route is the brainchild of Joe Cruz, professor of philosophy at Williams College.