Ride Report: Ari Shafer (SRAM Force) Farmer's Daughter Gravel Grinder
This Sunday I rode my four-day-old Ari Shafer on one of my annual keystone rides: the Farmer's Daughter Gravel Grinder in Chatham, NY. I've been riding the course since 2017, and was excited to try it on a new bike.
The Course
The Farmer's Daughter Gravel Grinder (FDGG) has been running since 2015. It is a 65-mile course with 6500 (!) feet of climbing. It is 33% paved, 67% unpaved, including a couple miles of technical singletrack through local conservation areas. The most notable climbs are ~2 miles long at about 6%, with some sections well above 15%. It's no joke.
The Bike
Ari Shafer, size SM, Pro Build:
- SRAM Force XPLR AXS E1 1x13
- 165mm cranks
- Wheels: Reynolds G30 Expert 700c Rims, Sun Ringle SRX hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One RS Pro 55c
After a test ride on some local steep hills I swapped in the default 40t chainring for a 38t, to get some easier gearing on the tough climbs, at the expense of spinning out of the descents. My other bike, which can definitely handle the FDGG climbs, has a mullet build (40t Rival Chainring, Eagle AXS 10-52, and putting a 38t chainring on the Force was as close as I could get to that.
The Rider
50-year old MAML, started riding seriously in 2009, ~3000 miles a year (on pace for 5k this year). A mix of commutes, bikepacking, solo and group road rides, a couple of CX races and 200km brevets. We'll say 2.75 W/kg.
The RIde
You can't argue with success - I finished 25 minutes faster than my previous course record (it changes a bit year to year, so this isn't quite apples-to-apples), and set PRs up all the major climbs. To be fair, I think this has more to do with my level of fitness (and weight loss) this season than the bike - but the Ari Shafer was the major motivating factor to get fit this season, so it still counts!
The Shafer handled the course incredibly well. The 55c Schwalbes were a great pick for the rugged terrain (mostly dry gravel), but still felt fast enough on pavement. The 180mm rotors provided welcome control and stopping power. The bike was agile enough to avoid the worst of the widow-maker potholes on fast descents, and the tires absorbed the remainder remarkably well.
There's nothing I'm eager to change on the bike.
Next up: VTXL!
Happy to answer any questinos you have!
