The Dirt Roads of Vermont & New Hampshire with the Garneau Groad Collection
All photos by Scott Rettino @wheresscott
Earlier this year we had a chance to work with Garneau as they prepared their new custom Groad collection for fall gravel riding. We planned on photographing the kit at Rasputitsa, but with freezing cold temperatures, rain, snow, and hail, the weather made for mostly soggy pictures—and we had to wear extra layers and rain jackets anyhow.
The day after Rasputitsa, however, was glorious. We drove south from Burke, Vermont and stopped for breakfast at a small diner in Fairlee, VT. After heaping plates of flapjacks, eggs, and maple syrup, we recovered from the following day’s frostbite and took our new kit for a spin across the river in New Hampshire.
Some notes we took about the Groad collection:
The kit works well in temperatures between mid-30s to low-50s.
The team shield is the centerpiece item— a longtime TBD favorite that Garneau has now adapted for gravel. The new version has extra pockets and slightly longer backside to account for more debris flying up from dirt roads.
The long-sleeve jersey is light and airy—more akin to a mountain bike “shirt” than a long-sleeve road-racing top.
The bibs have side pockets for carrying extra food or tools on long, tortuous gravel rides (We’re looking at you, Kanza). Frankly, we were skeptical of the need for “all these extra pockets” but found that, in fact, the bib pockets were pretty handy. It turns out that reaching down to a thigh pocket is a lot easier than reaching behind into a tight back pocket. Who knew?
As for our route, we cannot recommend River Road in New Hampshire enough for a post-Rasputitsa spin or for fall riding. There are beautiful farms, pastoral scenery, and several unmaintained Class VI offshoots for the adventurous. See you there next year.
