Along with his day job as Mosaic’s Brand Marketing and Sales manager, Mark Currie is known to race knobby tires now and then. Here’s a look at Mark’s setup for one of his favorites—this weekend’s Mid South Gravel.
Frame: Mosaic GT-1 i45 – Made to Order
Bits: CeramicSpeed BB and OSPW X (for maximum bling)
Mid South is coming up. You’ve been before. What’s it like?
Mark: Yes I have! I love this race. It’s the only gravel race I still sign up for every year, as honestly I think it’s the only one not taking themselves too seriously and keeping things fun. This will be my 5th Mid-South, and my 2nd Mid-South Double (that’s a 100 mile ride and 50k ultramarathon) having successfully ticked that box for the first time in 2024. You’ve all heard horror stories about the mud, and I’ve experienced that first hand in 2020, but when it’s warm and dry (like the forecast still says it will be this weekend!) there’s nowhere I’d rather be the second/third weekend of March. Stillwater, OK is a fantastic little town and the folks who put this race on are second to none. My brother went to school at OSU for 4 years, so I’ve been lucky to spend a lot of time with Bobby Wintle & Co. and the energy they put into this event keeps me coming back.
Allroad/Fast Gravel or full-on GT-1 i45 Gravel for this one?
Mark: I’m taking my trusty GT-1 i45 with me! It’s the same bike I raced last year, just after we launched that model. I’ve spent a ton of time on it all over the place… Mid South, the ENVE Grodeo, USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals… I have a GT-1 iAR in the stable too, and while it’s more than capable of being an excellent tool for a fast, dusty, Mid-South, the GT-1 i45 has just a bit more ability to handle whatever comes it’s way. Given that I have to run 30 miles on Friday too, my GT-1 i45 is a little more relaxed than my GT-1 iAR, and I’ll happily take any kind of additional comfort I can get. 100 miles on dirt is still a long way, no matter what you’ve done the day before.
What are you doing differently this time?
