Riding the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder
Gravel riding fascinates me. And doing the Louden 1725 Gravel Grinder adds a couple more layers of interest – most of it historical and equestrian.
But first, the gravel part.
Gravel riding is new. So it has mystique.
How does one best roll over dirt roads on a bicycle? The bikes, the tires, the well, attire.
I’ve been accused of overthinking this. On the Rider-Up podcast which I co-host, I’ve been pinging guests about how they attack the gravel beast.
So many questions. Tire pressure. Tire width. Roadie spandex or mountain bike cool.
Bryan Flack of Cane Creek joined the podcast one day and started talking about their Thudbuster suspension seat posts and eeSilk suspension stems, and how popular they were the week before at the famous Unbound race in Kansas.
Like I needed something else to think about.
Tires and gravel
As the week of the Louden Gravel Grinder got closer, I became convinced – no obsessed – with whether I had the right tires. My Kenda 40’s were not wide enough. I was sure I needed at least 42’s.
There’s no good argument here. But I could not put it to rest. To the point, it was all I could think about.
So, I bought a pair of gnarly-looking Specialized Rhombus Pro 42’s.
Why I thought those big knobs would make my bike roll faster than my smoothish Kendas is beyond me.
But, after wrestling with my first ever tubeless tire change, and cursing a bit, the Kenda’s were gone and the Rhombus’s would be the tire of the day.
Finally, I felt ready. Gnarly ready.
Arriving at the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder
My tires, bike, and I along with my wife Mary and her bike all loaded up at noon on Saturday for the three-and-a-half-hour drive from Roanoke, Va. to a Holiday Inn near Dulles airport.
We met a group of friends there, had dinner, and made plans for the morning.
We agonized over the weather, with our phone apps calling for a 100-percent chance of rain on ride day.
Great.
View my ride on Strava. https://www.strava.com/activities/7298685387
Ride day for the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder
The next morning, my friend Alan gave me a lift from the hotel. As we began passing the many classy horse farms on the way to the ride, I got a sense of what the scenery would be.
It is a 40-minute drive to the ride start at the prestigious and amazingly beautiful Foxcroft boarding school for girls. Girls who ride horses – and there would be a lot of horses before the ride was over.
The school served as the home base for the event. The many acres provided ample room for parking, check-in, lunch tent, and more.
Despite the scenery, I was nervous, because the gravel grinder would be the longest ride of the year for me, and my longest gravel ride ever.
Good thing I had new tires, right?
And, we’re off!
Organizers EX2 Adventures lined us up in groups of 15-20. Every two minutes they launched a group, which helped keep riders from clogging up the start.
So, in weather that was misty, but not yet raining, we rolled out through a gate and down the road.
Immediately we were in horse country.
Brown board fences and centuries-old stone walls lined the hard-packed gravel while horses watched with what must have been curiosity as hundreds of us rolled past.
I was reminded of last year’s Horsey Hundred century ride near Lexington, Ky. Rolling green hills, pretty barns, and Land Rovers.
It was like being ensconced in wealth, albeit someone else’s.
And let’s not forget the added attraction of the grit and grind of rolling along on the hard-packed dirt roads.
The History behind the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder Course
These are not just any old gravel roads.
But they are old. Like, really old.
Dubbed “America’s Routes” many of them pre-date the United States itself.
According to the website, Loudoun County has over 300 miles of gravel roads, the largest network of rural gravel roads in Virginia.
And they want to keep it that way.
For instance, five percent of the proceeds from the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder go to the foundation that is trying to keep the history and sense of rural antiquity in place.
As I said in the vlog I recorded during the ride, this is the coolest thing ever.
I know. I’m so articulate.
But they make a strong case for preventing the pavers from laying asphalt or macadam over these byways.
From the event website:
“They tell of pioneers seeking a new life, of terrible wars fought along these roads, of slavery and the struggle for freedom, of the coming of the era of the automobile and now modern commuters living side by side with farmers. They are truly America’s Routes.”
America’s routes
The Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder Water Crossing
There was nothing about the ride that suggested I should have brought my mountain bike.
The Rhombus’s rolled right along, and aside from the occasional pothole or washboard surface, the gravel bike was in its element.
Then we came to the well-advertised creek crossing.
Friend Gary Butcher rolled right through without a second thought.
The bottom was sandy and the water was well over the bottom bracket.
Not everybody made it.
After some serious soul searching and consideration of my manliness, I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder and walked it.
Gary gets the bragging rights.
And I’m left to wonder how those gnarly tires would have served me.
Eeking out that last 10 miles
Riding the last 10 miles was no easy feat.
The spectacular scenery had become some sort of normal in my mind’s eye.
Yeah, horses. Beautiful stone walls. Unbelievable mansions. Whatever.
I was ready to be finished.
Let’s not forget that this ride was stretching my saddle time to a new limit for the year. Add in the fact that gravel is more taxing to ride than pavement and my legs were ready to be done.
It seemed like every time I looked at my Garmin it still said 52 miles. Maybe I was looking a little too often.
Alas, the beautiful Foxcroft school finally came into view and we rolled across the finish line where volunteers were ready to hand us some swag including a cool pint glass.
We smiled and took pictures, basking in our accomplishment and ready for a cold one.
By the way, it never rained.
It was such a great day I almost forgot I had new tires.
More from my bike socials…
See more of my vlogs on Biking 4 Boomers! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA/videos
My most recent blog is about riding in Hilton Head where I also managed to find some gravel! http://carlinthecyclist.com/cycling-hilton-head-on-a-real-bike/
Listen to the Rider-Up Podcast! https://riderup.podbean.com/
Follow me on Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/10853338
