Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder
** Ride day information **
The Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder is a scenic bike ride along historic gravel roads in Northern Virginia. Located east of the Blue Ridge, in lush Loudoun Valley, these crushed rock roadways meander through awe inspiring beauty, past stone walls, grand estates, horse farms, wineries, bubbling creeks, tiny hamlets, and significant historical sites. Riding these roads is a sublime experience – like stepping back in time and cycling through history.
With over 300 miles of gravel road dating back to the early 1700s, Loudoun County Virginia boasts the largest and oldest intact network of gravel roads in the United States. When settlement in this area officially began in the year 1725, these roads were first used by mills and farms to get goods to market and by settlers to get to town and church. Today these special routes are used by residents, farmers, visitors, equestrians, and cyclists.
The event will start and finish at the very beautiful Foxcroft School just outside in the quaint town of Middleburg. From Foxcroft, riders will embark along a 40, 60, or 80-mile route. The ride will be fully marked and supported, with well stocked rest stops, mechanical and SAG support, and great post-ride food and beer!
Optional pre-orders for post race meal is $20. Food options are Jeremiah’s BBQ, Taco Platters – 3 tacos served with Rice and Beans (Choice of Chicken, Pork or Veggie), or Grain Bowls (Choice of Chicken, Pork or Veggie). Beer provided onsite and sold by Bike Lane Brewing (Kolsch or IPA).
Check out this year’s ride guide.
To help preserve Loudoun’s unique and precious gravel roads, 5% of gross ride funds received will be donated to America’s Routes, a group that is advocating to save these historic rural roads from being paved over by development. Riders may donate additional funds during registration. A special thanks to Doug Graham for his passion for these routes and his amazing photography, and to Jay Korff from ABC7 for sharing Doug’s story and expanding the awareness of the efforts to save these historic gravel roads.
40 Mile Route
60 Mile Route
80 Mile Route
Registration Fees
40 Miler
$55 – $90
60 Miler
$65 – $100
80 Miler
$75 – $110
Add-ons
$TBD – Ride T-Shirt
$TBD – Post-race meal and beverage
Registration Fee Includes
Beautiful and challenging course design on the most amazing gravel roads in the county, professional ride operations, wonderful volunteer support, awesome aid stations with mechanical support, SAG and medical support, first-class start/finish venue with electric atmosphere, give-a-ways, and commemorative pint glass and bottle opener.
Ride Schedule
Sunday June 11, 2023
To space out the field of riders, we will be using staggered check-in times. Each rider will select a 15-minute check-in window within their distance.
- 80 miler riders from 7:30am-8:15am
- 60 mile riders from 8:15am-9:30am
- 40 mile riders from 9:30am-10:45am
Your check-in time is an assigned window when you will check in for the ride and get your bike plate. After you check in, you will enter the start queue. We will be starting small groups of 10 riders every few minutes. Please plan on arriving at the Foxcoft School 20 to 30 minutes before your assigned check-in time. This will allow you time to park, get your bike ready, and use the bathroom before you check in and start the ride.
Venue
Foxcroft School
22407 Foxhound Lane
Middleburg, VA 20117
Nearby Lodging Options
Sponsors
