Ben Thomas

Dirty 130
Completed: 4/3/26

Experience
Wowza! This route is far from easy but very rewarding after completing it. I was very nervous about completing this route. I had never ridden that much elevation gain or for that long before. It was definitely painful but still fun and exciting. It's a strange sport we've chosen where we push ourselves this hard and then call it fun. This was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I definitely recommend doing it but don't underestimate it.

This was my first time doing a route like this on my own. It was a little nerve racking having to plan all the stops, where to get water, etc. Reading the Ride Reports definitely helps with the planning.

Route
I started at 7 am, while it was still dark in April, hoping to finish before dark. Mission accomplished. I really didn't want to come down Kimsey in the dark. I was ok with climbing in the dark but not descending. The Kimsey climb is just longgg. No need to overcook it here. There's still a long way to go. Once onto Smith Mtn I could tell it had recently been on fire. I could still see areas smoldering. That made me nervous, but it turned out fine. The burn area ended once I reached Piney Flats Rd. The Spring Creek crossing can be a little confusing but stay on the section of "trail" that is closest to the train tracks. Even without any rain leading up to my ride the creek was still decently deep in spots, maybe almost up to my knees. On the other side there were a few mud holes I didn't trust to ride, so I bushwhacked around them. On Tellico Rd, after the fire station, a pack of dogs chased me for a bit. Star Mtn climb was steep and tough, and I hit it during the heat of the day but the descent was great. I stopped near Yellow Creek Falls to splash some water on myself to help cool down. The Ivy Trail section really caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting the climbs on this section to drain me as much as they did. I think the sun and heat just got to me on this section because it's so exposed. I was chased by another pack of dogs on Hot Water Rd. Buck Bald climb just gets steeper the closer you get to the top. The view from the top is amazing! Third pack of dogs chased me on Bailey Rd. Fingerboard was in good shape, much better than I remember. Riding along the Hiwassee was very refreshing and reset my mood. The first bit of the Powerhouse climb reminds you how long you've been riding, but in the back of my mind I know what's left. I stopped at the Piped Spring on FR 236 and splashed water on myself to help cool down. By this point it was later in the day and starting to cool down, but it still felt great. Last climb, the Kimsey climb... Buckle up because it's terrible at this point. You finally make it over the top and get to descend. You think, "Great, it's all downhill from here," but the descent is so long and rough that you almost get tired of going down.

A nice thing about this route is the plenty of bail out spots. It might still take a while to get back to where you parked but at least it's an option.

Bike/Equipment
Obed Boundary
Shimano GRX 2x11 — 48/31T x 11-40T
Schwalbe Thunder Burt 29x2.1

USWE Outlander 2L Hydration Pack
2 750mL bottles
Rockgeist Top Tube Bag

Nutrition
My goal was to target ~100g carbs, ~725mg sodium, and ~750mL of water an hour. I planned to use 1 Carbs Fuel 50G gel and 1 Tailwind Endurance Fuel Single pack per hour. Water wise, it worked out perfectly with two store stops and a piped spring stop. If I was really struggling I was going to stop at the store before the Hiwassee but it was a little ways off the route. About 5 hours in, my gut had had enough and I knew forcing more in would cause issues. I've suspected for the past year that my gut doesn't like powdered carb mixes, and I think this ride confirmed it. I switched to just gels and a heavily watered down Tailwind mix. Intake probably fell to ~60g carbs per hour. Finally, I got my gut settled with the help of a Rice Krispies Treat around ~ 7 hours. I was and still am surprised I could run on that low amount of carbs for the next ~6 hours. I was expecting to bonk at any moment but still felt surprisingly good late into the ride.

On to the Death March!