Last night, 31-year-old Andrew Strempke took first place at the 2024 Grand Loop and set a new singlespeed record in the process, finishing the 365-mile route in just 2 days and 8 hours. Johnny Price was at the finish line in Nucla, Colorado, to hear from Andrew and snap a few photos of the other top finishers…

Words and photos by Johnny Price

Andrew completed his ride of The Grand Loop in 2 days and 8 hours, setting a new singlespeed record. There were a few people waiting for him at Koski Fine Woodworking, the start and finish point of the loop. Scott Morris was there, as well as Paul Koski, who helped establish the Paradox Trail. Andrew was ready for some refreshments and entertained us with some tales from his monster bike ride. Things had gone pretty much according to plan for his ride until the sleep monsters paid him a visit in the wee hours of the morning, but he made it through. He said, “What a great loop!”

andrew strempke 2024 grand loop
  • andrew strempke 2024 grand loop
  • andrew strempke 2024 grand loop

Bryan (above right) came in around 7 p.m. Most of the crowd had left, so it was just the two of us sitting on the steps. Bryan has been doing these rides for a long time and was pretty happy with the effort. He signed his name into the book and wasn’t sure what his exact time was. He said, “Who gives a shit? It’s not really about that anyway!” According to Trackleaders, Bryan’s finish time was 2 days, 11 hours, and 32 minutes.

Tim Tait (below) came in after dark with a big smile on his face. His wife and a few others were there to greet him after an incredible effort. It’s really cool to see the community rallying around this race that Tim is so passionate about. His finish time was 2 days, 18 hours, and 18 minutes.

tim tait 2024 grand loop

At the time of publishing, Alexandera Houchin is around 30 miles from the finish and will likely be the first woman to finish the event. Follow her progress and that of the remaining riders still on route here.

Johnny Price

About Johnny Price

Johnny Price is a writer, mountain biker, and farmer. He currently lives in his truck camper with his partner and is trying to make time for what’s important. You can find him on Instagram @johnny_no__shoes.

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