Shake, rattle and roll: Day of the Tread adds gravel grinder biking event to lineup

Day of the Tread is heading off-road for its latest installment.

In past years, the Halloween-themed event has offered cyclists of all skill levels the chance to ride — sometimes in costume — through some of the most scenic parts of the Duke City. Those options — with rides ranging from seven to 100 miles — are still very much a part of the festivities, but for its 17th anniversary, Day of the Tread has expanded to a full-weekend affair with the addition of the Bosque Bone Shaker Gravel Grinder.

For the uninitiated, a gravel grinder takes place on a variety of terrain, including gravel, dirt and asphalt. According to ilovebicycling.com, it could be considered “the bridge between mountain biking and road biking.” Gravel grinders have been growing in popularity in recent years, particularly with younger cyclists, so adding it to the event lineup was a natural fit. The new race will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28, one day prior to the Day of the Tread rides and 4K fun walk.

“It’s probably been three or four years in planning,” said event founder Mark Gundlach. “Nationally, you have the emergence of gravel grinders as probably the leading new adventure sport … You have an aging road bike community and the youth of America, they’re not doing that. There’s nervousness from parents, and you have kids now that are doing BMX, they’re doing mountain biking and gravel grinding. It’s a lot safer because there’s not the potential of collisions with vehicles or things that sometimes parents are a little nervous about.”

The Bosque Bone Shaker features routes with courses that are approximately 62.35% paved and 37.64% dirt, with distances of seven, 17 or 34 miles. The ride begins on 20th Street at the Sawmill Market before entering the Bosque Trail, which allows participants to take in all the scenery that fall has to offer.

“We’ve wanted to do it for a while. We’ve watched other events nationally grow,” Gundlach said. “We have a partnership with the city of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department. Without their assistance, we would not have this event because we’re utilizing the pristine Bosque.”

In addition to being away from potential traffic hazards, the gravel grinder provides riders with the opportunity to navigate more challenging terrain on their bikes.

“We sit in the saddle for hours and hours when you’re on the road. We all love that because we can cover much more territory and a lot of scenery,” Gundlach said of the traditional Day of the Tread road races.

“When you get into open space, gravel or trails, it’s physically more demanding,” he added. “You’re up out of the saddle. It’s just exciting. I think kids not only connect with it in that way, but as I said earlier, it’s a lot safer. Parents have found that it’s more comforting. Their kids are on a dirt road or a mountain trail, and they’re not on a road with traffic. That’s why they’ve become popular all over the United States.”

With the addition of the Bosque Bone Shaker, the Day of the Tread occupies an entire weekend just prior to Halloween. It’s not just about the rides, either. There will be a kickoff event in Old Town with music and other activities, and the closing ceremony, known as Treadfest, takes place at Sawmill Market. Additionally, all the rides come equipped with multiple recharge stations where costumed volunteers provide cyclists with hydration and snacks. The most popular of these stations is at El Pinto, where thousands of sopaipillas are handed out on an annual basis.

Gundlach praises the efforts of the volunteers, which could number up to 400 this year, for making it possible to hold rides on consecutive days for the first time.

“There’s always headwinds when you do these things, but the community is very supportive,” he said. “We have great support from the city, APD and all of our support services. We’re grateful for all the nonprofits that are a part of the event. The nonprofits man the recharge zones that we have throughout the courses.”

Proceeds from the Day of the Tread rides will benefit the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation and other nonprofits such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation of New Mexico.

“One of the exciting things is cumulatively we will break $1 million in donations this year since our inception,” Gundlach said. “It’s a pretty amazing milestone for our team to achieve.”