SPORTS & OUTDOORS : SPORTS By JEREMY BERGER on 6.5.14 by Gear Patrol

Not counting inflatable helmets and leather wine carriers, gravel grinders are the coolest new thing in cycling. The appeal of these races — aside from being long and arduous and skull rattling — is that they take cyclists on dirt and gravel roads through lesser-known, seldom-raced tracts of America. There’s also something about them that’s distinctly American: most of them are located in the Midwest, they’re often unsupported, and they don’t have any fancy Italian words in their names. These are 10 of the best gravel grinders in America.

OUR PICKS: A. The Oregon Stampede | B. Gold Rush Gravel Grinder | C.Odin’s Revenge | D. Dirty Kanza 200 | E. Trans Iowa | F. Ten Thousand | G. Barry Roubaix | H. Amish Country Roubaix | I. Hilly Billy | J. Green Mountain Double Century