The gravel race portion of the Mid South endurance weekend was canceled due to wildfires that spread through Stillwater and other parts of Oklahoma and Texas causing destruction, evacuations, and strained emergency resources. You can see our past reporting on the events as they unfolded here and here.
Amid the unfortunate cancelation, stories of community support and resilience emerged. We'd like to share a few here, accessible to all readers, ahead of a bike and tech gallery that was captured before the event was canceled.
Mega Mid South FKT relief fundraisers
The Mega Mid South is a 300-mile route that comprises the outer perimeter of every Mid South course from the past 13 years. It was announced in 2024 along with a grand depart self-supported ultra endurance race, in which a winner was awarded free entry into the 2025 edition of Mid South.
Chase Wark left and Ted King right. PC: Erik Mathy
To raise awareness for the recently established Stillwater Wildfire Relief Fund, two racers - Ted King and Chase Wark - took to the new course in attempts at besting the current 22-hour and 38-minute FKT (fastest known time).
Ted King left downtown Stillwater at 6:30 a.m. intent on besting the established time. According to Mid South's Instagram post, to raise awareness of the relief fund and pitch in himself, Ted will be "donating $1 for every minute over or under the time he comes in."
King completed the 300.9 mile route with 19,000 ft. of climbing in 17 hours and 18 minutes while raising $4,800 for Payne County United Way and shaving hours from the previous FKT in the process.
Chase Wark departed shortly after Ted at 7:00 a.m. and was on his tail the entire day. Inspired to not sit around and, rather, "do something," Wark's approach was a little different, as he set a fundraising goal of $10,000 that will all be donated to the relief fund.
Not long after King rolled back into Stillwater, Wark raced to the finish line at 11:58 p.m. He broke the 17-hour mark with a time of 16 hours and 58 minutes establishing a new FKT that had only been set minutes prior. Chase raised $4,000 throughout the day and that number continues to climb.
Paracyclist Jacob Keen's 80-mile finish
Jacob Keen was struck by an automobile last year, resulting in the loss of his right lower leg. Mid South was the last ride Keen had completed prior to the incident. He was determined to make it out onto the roads of Stillwater before returning home and completed an 80-mile effort, his longest ride as an amputee to date, that lasted well into the night.
We reached out to Jacob, who in turn offered this reflection:
"I lost my leg a month after last year's midsouth. My two goals throughout my recovery the last 11 months were to return to work and finish midsouth. I shed a tear in the morning when I heard the news, I was lost and wanted to give up and go home. My friends decided to ride the 50-mile course that Bobby posted and I was considering driving a support vehicle for them. Once I got to District [Bicycles], my friend Lester Acker said he wanted to ride with me and we decided to ride the route backwards until we saw my friends.
Crossing paths with my friend Alex fueled my fire and hearing how hard he was pushing for a race that didn’t exist made me want to make up my own challenge. That was to ride till’ the sun went down. So I continued, met some new friends along the way and got “extra credit” route recommendations from locals on the roads.
As the sun set and I was limping back into town, all I could think about was the Bobby hug I got last year. Pulling up to an empty street at District took all the wind out of my sails. My friends picked me up and escorted me around the corner to the warmest welcome imaginable. I shed a tear at sunrise and I shed the rest of them at sunset. It was a challenging windy day and my new leg was pissed at me the whole time. That Bobby hug made it all worth it."
Jacob at the finish line; PC: Tom Dils
Dr. Meg Fisher added this context about Jacob's ride and para categories in cycling events:
"Humans and bikes have a lot in common. We’re both highly adaptable and no two are exactly the same. Mid South is the kind of event that welcomes everyone no matter their experience, body shape, gender identity, or physical ability. That’s actually what makes the event so unique and special. This year MidSouth had its largest participation in the para-cycling category ever. And it might be a new record for any gravel event ever. Across the two distances and genders 21 athletes registered and there’s rumor that at least one athlete didn’t know how to register.
The hope is that paracycling categories will be everywhere from road to gravel to mountain biking because 16% of the World lives with a permanent physical impairment according to the World Health Organization. The prefix para- means “alongside” and is preferable to words like disabled. Which when broken down means “not able”- which, I believe, has no business being associated with sports. Bikes, whether they be upright, recumbent, tandem, or modified in another way can help people redefine their abilities.
Jacob’s story exemplifies the importance of having a para-category. Jacob knew that he could ride again because he’d seen other folks get back to riding with a prosthetic leg. Jacob’s finish in front of Stonecloud Brewery showed him and all those in attendance including everyone who’s seen it online that we are all more capable than we know. Everyone benefits from a para- category. They’re just like another age group category. I’ve been advocating for paracycling categories ever since I retired from the Paralympic Team after the Rio Games.
As a doctor of physical therapy, multi-time world champion and Paralympic Gold Medalist, I have seen and personally experienced the power of the bike. Our community is amazing and it is stronger when everyone gets a chance to compete."
Mid South Donations
And, lastly, Mid South donated all of the would-be event's aid station nutrition to the Payne County, OK United Way. In the post above shared to Instagram, the event organizers commented, "glad to see it being put to good use."
Bike Checks and Tech
While we had hoped to compile a more robust gallery of bikes, the opportunity to sync with racers was cut short for obvious reasons. Yet, the selection below contains a little bit of everything from new and unreleased tech to a cross-section of representative setups for the conditions of this year's dry and fast course.
Chase Wark's Lauf Seigla
While the prototype HED carbon fairing on Chase's Lauf Seigla made the entire bike fly around in the wind on Friday, the Minnesotan hoped it would offer some gains in less windy conditions on race day. And he did in fact keep the disc on during his record-setting Mega Mid South ride two days after these photos were taken.
Other build highlights include HED Emporia rim laced with BERD spokes and wrapped in 29x2.2 Continental Race King. Cockpit is from Profile Designs with Asc Aero Bars and untaped handlebars, which is how Chase races with them. The SRAM RED AXS XPLR features an aero 48T chainring with a 10-46T cassette.
Sarah Sturm's Specialized S-Works Crux
Close inspection of Sarah's bike might reveal something interesting. Yep, you guessed it, those wheels are not currently available for sale. The ZIPP 303 rims are likely the same as those discussed on a recent episode of Geek Warning, which have been spotted on other SRAM athlete bikes this year and feature an integrated TyreWiz pressure sensor. While previous versions of the SRAM-owned TyreWiz would attach to the external section of the valve, this new one appears to be housed within a cavity of the rim. Other details are unknown, although it should be a sure bet to say the rims will remain hookless.
Similar to Chase's drivetrain, Sturm's bike was also running SRAM RED AXS XPLR but with a regular 46T chainring and 10-46T cassette. Set up for a Saturday pre-ride, her tire choices were Specialized Pathfinder 700 x 47 front and rear. For race day she would be changing to Tracer 50 front and Pathfinder 45 rear. The cockpit features the aero Roval Rapide handlebar with Garmin head attached via K-Edge computer mount.
Alexey Vermeulen's ENVE MOG
Alexey's MOG for this year features an interesting finish. To save weight, the bike was sanded to raw carbon before adding a variety of intricate decals and clear-coating the entire frame. Decal designs include a depiction of Vermeulen's Big Sugar Classic win on the down tube and his riding with pack pup Sir Willie the Weiner on the top tube.
He was running dual prototype semi-slick Kenda 700 x 50 tires that look to be the same as he used in the rear at a couple of races last year. Drivetrain is a mix of Shimano Dura-Ace double crankset with GRX derailleurs and levers. For the race, he had planned to run an 11-34 cassette with 52/34 in the front. His bike also had a Silca titanium derailleur hanger, which Vermeulen claimed offers crisper shifting as a result of its added rigidity.
Alex Howes' Cannondale SuperSix Evo SE
Stout gearing and Time Xpro pedals harken to Howes' time as a road racer. With a mix of SRAM RED components, he was running an 11-44 cassette and large aero 48T chainring with Wolf Tooth GnarWolf chainguide. Note the chainguide is not one of Wolf Tooth's areo models. The Wove Mags saddle is the brand's road/gravel model that utilizes a one-piece carbon rail and shell with foam upper.
For the pre-ride, Howes used 700 x 45 Schwalbe G-One RS Pro tires on ZIPP 303 XPLR wheels. For the race, however, he would have swapped them for a wider 50 alternative. A quick-access tire repair kit consists of TPU tube and lever taped to the down tube with a Dynaplug Racer taped to the brake hose routed into the top headset cup.
Sean Martin's Cervelo Aspero
In from Los Angeles where he rides for CNCPT team, Sean's Aspero has an interesting drivetrain setup. He's using a Shimano XT Di2 11-speed MTB derailleur with Di2 GRX shifters. Gearing is 11-42T cassette with 40T chainring.
Other build details include the Fox 32 Taper-Cast suspension and Easton cockpit. Wheels are also in carbon from Easton, EC90X, as well as the EC90SL crank.
Whitney Allison's ENVE MOG
Similar to the MOG used by Alexey Vermeulen above, Allison also went with a 2x drivetrain based on her past experience racing Mid South in dry conditions. After having one of her MOGs run over during her win at last month's Transcordilleras in Colombia, this one in Terracotta matches Stillwater's clay-laden dirt. Her drivetrain is Shimano 12-speed GRX Di2 configured with a 48/31T crankset and 11-34T Cassette.
In terms of tires, the Bike Sports co-founder chose wider than in previous years; up from 700 x 40 to dual WTB Vulpine S 45. This tire setup will be her go-to for this year's North American gravel season, as she won't be changing things up each race. Wheels and cockpit are from ENVE's SES line.
Li King's self-made custom King Fabrications
Straight off the plane from Philadelphia, where this bike was on display at Philly Bike Expo, Li King hoped to repeat their win in last year's Mid South non-binary category. King is a framebuilder and mechanic in Berkeley, CA, and fabricated this bike based on past race experience to be fast and fit large tires.
The bike features a full SRAM build kit, from the RED XPLR AXS drivetrain to the ZIPP cockpit, Rock Shox dropper, and ZIPP 353 wheels laced to Industry Nine Solix hubs. To fit high-volume tires such as the 29 x 2.1 Schwalbe Thunder Burt into a short rear end and large chainring, King utilized offset chainstays and a custom segmented fork. The finish is a powdercoat that really stands out in the bright sun.
Michael Wilson's Kyoot Itty Bitty Single Speed
Kyoot (pronounced "cute") is a bike brand based in Austin, TX that currently makes one model called the "Itty Bitty." The mini-velo frame has an adjustable geometry designed to fit riders from 5' to 6'1." Designed for having fun, it can be set up singlespeed with sliding dropouts, geared, with flat bars or drops.
There were a handful of Kyoot riders at Mid South, all with bikes in different configurations. Michael Wilson of Albuquerque, NM had this wild singlespeed built up with 40-15T gearing. Because of the small 20" tires, he commented that what might seem like stout gearing still felt quite low. He planned to ride this bike for the entire 100-mile course. Nuff said.
Teravail Circos Carbon Rim and Updraft Tires
While there was a large expo with many interesting products and new tech on display, we only had time to check in with the folks at Teravail Scissortail Cycles before booths were taken down due to extreme winds and approaching wildfires.
Teravail has traditionally been a tire brand from parent company QBP, which is also over Surly, Salsa, Whiskey and others. The Circos carbon is the first wheel offering from Teravail and has been released along with a new gravel tire that is available in multiple different sizes.
Teravail stated that the new rims were designed from the ground up with only references to learnings from the Whiskey side of the house but utilizing Teravail product design and engineering staff. Rims are 25 mm internal, available in either 28 or 24-hole, with hookless rims for US$495 and a lifetime warranty. Complete wheelsets are laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs for a cost of US$590 (front), US$795 (rear) with either XD or HG 11 freehub.
Updraft Tires use 120 TPI casings with a center "file" tread and shoulder knobs for a mix of fast rolling and edge grip. They come in multiple widths: 700 x 50, 700 x 700 x 45, and 700 x 40, and 700 x 35. Black and brown sidewalls are available in either "light & supple" or "durable" models.
Scissortail Cycles
Based in Norman, OK, Dewayne Norvill from Scissortail Cycles had a few complete builds and frames in the expo on display. Opened in 2014, Scissortail specializes in custom bike fabrication, frame repair, and bicycle service.
Dewayne builds custom bikes from steel and while gravel frames are popular requests, he will make whatever his customers want, from road to touring and MTB.
And that's a wrap of our coverage from this year's Mid South. Learn more about the Stillwater Wildlife Relief Fund and Raffle.
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