People.

Community. 

Purpose. 

Grassroots. 

Gravel. 

Andy Warhol said, “The idea is not to live forever, it is to create something that will.”  This quote kept playing over and over to me during the Dust to Dusk grassroots gravel event on September 3rd out of Oregon, Illinois hosted by White Pelican, Inc and Freeport Bicycle Company.

Before White Pelican, there was Axletree.

HISTORY: Axletree (2011-2017) was a nonprofit established by Tobie DePauw and Dean Frieders in Northern Illinois. Axletree won many community awards and was regularly recognized for its advocacy work all over Illinois. Their ethos tag line was: “Events. Advocacy. Awesome.” Axletree was a part of North Central Cyclery in DeKalb as a nonprofit organization and worked to educate the public on safe cycling, rights of cyclists and how to bicycle in all types of terrain. They also had community projects. I recall one in particular called called Project Humpty Dumpty which included a helmet sharing program for kids and those in need through the local library.  In addition, they also donated bikes to those in need in the Live Healthy DeKalb County initiative and donated a public bike pump on a local trail.

In addition to education and advocacy,  Axletree also put on some amazing events in their tenure which included:  Gravel Metric, Ten Thousand, Hopkins Park cyclocross race and the Night Bison.  Night Bison made mention in The Radavist in 2014 https://theradavist.com/night-bison-approacheth/ and was a labor day weekend night gravel pilgrimage, which drew many from the greater Chicagoland area out to the DeKalb and Waterman area of northwest Illinois.  I first became introduced and a participant in Axletree events in 2014 and 2015 at the Night Bison and Ten Thousand.  I recall fondly my first Night Bison out of DeKalb in 2014 when we came up on a lit up Airstream in the middle of nowhere. It was decorated with holiday lights with music, beverages, camaraderie and lots of awesomeness all around.  It was so memorable to me and it was one of a few events back in those days that got me hooked into the gravel cycling community. I hold that memory very close to my cycling heart.

As soon as you immersed yourself at one of their events and community, you became a cycling ambassador.  Axletree and their devoted community empowered you to encourage other cyclists. It became pretty apparent that their culture and community at large was embracing the mission that one’s actions play a role well beyond the cycling community.  It’s always bigger than the bicycle, it is the medium that connects all of us.

Axletree did life changing work.  

In 2017, when the 501c3 organization came to an end, others worked to continue to keep the torch glowing. These included Comrade Cycles, Stay Rad Adventure Team, Freeport Bicycles as well as many other individuals and bike shops who collaborated to keep the traditional gravel grassroots events going strong in Illinois.  

Fast forward to present day, I came to the 2023 edition of Dust at Dusk with a new perspective and paradigm. Since my first Night Bison, many years have passed with more cycling experiences under my belt. In addition, I also started my own 501c3 in 2021 called Inspyrd Movement with the mission to inspire individuals to elevate diversity, equity and inclusion through the act of movement. Without a doubt, I know that Axletree helped in a small way form and shape some of my bike advocacy passion to understand and share the power of the bicycle to change lives. And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank White Pelican Inc and everyone involved for carrying the torch to continue this yearly event. Kuddos to you and your team for all of your hard work and dedication. And I purchased a Dust to Dusk t-shirt this year, will look just perfect next to my Axletree, Night Bison and Gravel Metric t-shirts.

In honor of the history of this event, I wore my Axletree kit and Night Bison t-shirt. And I had a blast on my 2012 Surly Moonlander fat bike gravel slow rolling with soul with friends Sheri Rosenbaum and Elina Grigsby. And had quite a few “Hey Axletree…Axletree rocks…long live Axletree…” shout outs on the route. It sure was fun.

This is my Dust at Dusk 2023.

In reflection, some of my favorite moments were:

• Meeting up with friends from Trek of Highland Park (Sheri Rosenbaum and Elina Grigsby) and Major Taylor Cycling Club-Chicago member Ron Rodriquez, and his wife Jen and their friends Sherie and Bob Huber.
• Making new friends and connecting during the event from Vagos Cycling and Blackhawk Cycling Club. The camaraderie of gravel grassroots events is unmatched in my option in comparison to road cycling. It is very similar in randonneuring (long distance self supported cycling) which is my other passion besides gravel riding.
• Riding along beautiful, peaceful gravel roads as the sun was setting. It was majestic.
• Rekindling my love and passion for night riding. This is something I have not done much of in 2023 as a part of doing brevets in randonneuring. I can’t wait to get back to more in the next few months. It is so peaceful to me and allows me to be very reflective.
• Mid-ride rest stop with music and cycling grassroots fellowship.
• Post-ride fellowship at Franklin Street Pub to chat about cycling, gravel events and planning 2024 adventures with old and new friends.

I hope you enjoy a look at this year’s event and I encourage you to participate for the first time next year, return again + bring along some friends.  Three route distances to select from 20, 40 and 60 miles. I assure you, you will not be disappointed if you like gravel and night riding and cool, RAD adventures.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank White Pelican Inc and everyone involved for carrying the torch to continue this yearly event. Kuddos to you and your team for all of your hard work and dedication. And I purchased a Dust to Dusk t-shirt this year, will look just perfect next to my Axletree, Night Bison and Gravel Metric t-shirts.

In closing, I challenge you to continue to find adventure everywhere and keep inspiring awesomeness and encourage others to do the same…both on and off the bicycle.

As the back of my Axletree jersey says, “Pull Through. Be An Advocate. Do Events. Be Awesome.” I could not agree more, thanks Axletree…

From Axletree about the Night Bison, courtesy of archived email in Elmhurst Bicycle Club, circa 2014:

“From the dawn of mankind, the transition from summer to fall has been a special time for cyclists. Some of the earliest cave paintings show primitive men and women undergoing a critical, seasonal transition in training. You see, in primitive days, these pre-civilized cave-people would ride their road bikes after work during the summer, when the sky was illuminated from the great glowing ball of fire. But as the days progressed towards fall, the great ball of fire started to hang around less and less. Eventually, it got dark early enough that they couldn’t ride road bikes after work. They had to start riding gravel. The earliest adopters of gravel did things like ride mountain bikes, or road bikes with fatter tires on them. These were heady times. They hoped that the great ball of fire would return the following spring, and thus they would gather in a mass-ritual of appreciation for the sun, and the darkness. They would share in the social experience that was gravel-grinding. While some archaeologists and historians disagree, there is evidence to suggest that these early cycling “group rides” were the foundation for a fundamental shift in human existence, from solitary individuals to small social groups that were the precursors for society and civilization. Here at Axletree, we’re huge suckers for history. And thus, we are honoring the prehistoric roots.”

DISCLAIMER: Axletree photos shared courtesy of Axletree Instagram account.

Published by DMP

An avid cyclist who lives life passionately on and off the bicycle. Follow me on my cycling adventures... View all posts by DMP