Join us on Saturday, April 13 for Gravel Session No 3 at Paradise Garage. We will have a mix of guests via ZOOM and in-person. On-site will be Ray George, founder of Ohio Gravel Grinders, Kari Hutson, OGG WTFNB Ride Organizer, and Vince Nobel, Paradise Garage Monthly Ride Organizer to discuss upcoming events. Cynthia Carson, Ultra Endurance Cyclist, Brett Skraben from Ride with GPS, and Juan A. De la Roca co-founder of Gravel Adventure Field Guide will be joining us via ZOOM. Eva Simons, local cyclist will be closing out the event with her inspirational story of surviving and thriving after her brutal dog attack left her an amputee.
Bring your folding chair. Or folding couch. Or beanbag.
Speaker lineup
Via ZOOM: Cynthia Carson // Follow Cynthia on Instagram at watt_wagon
Cynthia Carson is an Ultra Endurance Cyclist from Virginia. She started racing on the road in College but has since found her true love of off-road riding. After years of short criterium and road racing, Cynthia picked up a gravel bike and dove in head first to Gravel racing.
In 2021, Cynthia started her journey into the world of Ultra Cycling with a first place at Rockstar Gravel 250 followed by a fourth place at Unbound XL. She was hooked and found herself planning a big season for 2022. Cynthia has found herself in the top step at some of the biggest ultras in the world including Unbound XL, Badlands, Across Andes, Atlas Mountain Race, GranGuanche Gravel, Transcordilleras, and Memory Bike Adventure.
Outside of racing Cynthia organizes a gravel race called Gravista, runs a YouTube Channel focused on ultracycling, and owns a videography business.
A forever snacker- Cynthia has a competitive spirit and loves adventure. She plans to take Ultra Cycling as far as she can with a full calendar of races in 2024.
Via ZOOM: Brett Skraban // Ride with GPS
I'm originally from Illinois but have lived in Colorado for 18 years. I'm married with a 2-year-old daughter and like to ride all the surfaces...road, gravel, and mountain. I've been in the cycling industry as long as I've lived in Colorado. Initially working in the bike shop at the REI in Boulder but have spent time in bike shop management, working for different manufacturers like Shimano and Factor Bikes and in the bike e-commerce space with The Pro's Closet before recently landing with Ride with GPS.
Via ZOOM: Juan A. De la Roca // Gravel Adventure Field Guide
He is the co-founder of Gravel Adventure Field Guide, a pocket-sized travel cycling guidebook with curated routes, including QR codes that link to digital GPS live navigation. Art, short stories, and a local business section enhance the storytelling of a destination that elevates the community’s culture, history and scenery to inspire visitation and sustainably grow the local recreation and tourism economy.
Gravel Adventure Field Guide has produced unique guidebooks for over a dozen destinations across the United States, including established cycling tourism destinations like Fruita, Colorado, Bend, Oregon, Bellingham, Washington, and Roanoke, Virginia. A number have collaborated with emerging rural communities as well.
Juan holds a bachelor in History from the University of Colorado and master of sports administration from Ohio University.
In PERSON: Eva Simons
Eva has been very active in the outdoor endeavours: hiking, gravel grinding, road cycling, mountain biking, backpacking and running. While on a gravel ride in Southern Ohio in late October 2022, she suffered a brutal dog attack, resulting in the left leg amputation above the knee. Although this accident literally crippled Eva, she's back pursuing what she loves: outdoor adventures with her fake leg she named Helga.
Even though she uses different equipment, moves at a slower pace, and traverses shorter distances she still enjoys every minute.
She has even tried new sports such as kayaking, downhill skiing, archery and disc golf!