Mad Gravel Case Study

Dude Saves the Day: How Mad Gravel’s SMS RaceBot Reached 91% of Riders Instantly

Gravel roads rumble under bike tires. Weather shifts without warning. Course changes happen fast. When conditions change mid-race, riders need clear instructions immediately. One wrong update—or worse, no update—and hundreds of people face danger. 

This isn’t just any gravel cycling festival. Created by Kris and Steve Johnson in partnership with Rattler Racing, Mad Gravel honors Craig Henwood, a cyclist tragically lost in a 2019 Kansas race. Craig was a multiple-time Kansas State Champion, fierce competitor and earned the nickname HEMI, due to his raw power on the bike. Before his death, Craig created 3 Feet Cycling, a team that advocated for safe cycling and educated the public about the law that required 3 feet of distance between a vehicle and a cyclist. He also created a nonprofit to benefit juniors riders in Kansas 

For this event, safety is mission critical. With email and social media, important updates were easy to miss in crowded inboxes and feeds. Organizers needed instant, reliable reach to keep riders informed.

Enter “Dude”—the Curated SMS AI RaceBot that changed everything, launched in 2024 by Mad Gravel in partnership with 42Chat. Riders texted questions. Dude answered instantly. Organizers blasted safety alerts in real time. The result? A safety lifeline for riders that never sleeps—and never stops generating Successful Engagements.

At the 2024 event, Dude immediately alerted riders that extreme weather forced cancellation of longer races. The message hit a 98% read rate and 40%+ CTR—over 5x higher than social or email. 

Dude has created a community of 630+ Connected SMS Users, generating 10,000+ Successful Engagements, including: 1,400 correctly answered questions; 7,400 messages sent and promptly read; and 1,600+ clicks. About 50% of questions came in after hours, and Dude handled all of them 24/7 with a 96% Correct Response Rate.

From year one to year two, Mad Gravel increased its Connected SMS Users by 42%. Riders stay opted in because Dude prevents uncertainty, supercharges safety, and turns a weekend event into year-round connection. Organizers keep the mission alive: celebrate cycling, honor Craig, and protect every rider.