Riding the Toughest Gravel Bike Race in the Region
It was dark out by the time my partner, Quinn, and I arrived in Buena Vista, Virginia. I love coming to this area, whether it be for hiking the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway, or exploring Natural Bridge State Park, there’s no shortage of outdoor recreation in Rockbridge County. This time, I was there to try something new—Gravista.
I had been looking forward to this race for months. Known for its gruesome yet satisfyingly challenging course, Gravista is one of the most difficult and scenic gravel bike races in the Shenandoah Valley. The race offers two routes for riders that incorporate the Blue Ridge Parkway—the Worthy 30 and the Stoked 60. Both living up to the event’s reputation of having big bad climbs and spectacular sites, the routes showcase views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Stoked 60 event is tougher—a 68-mile loop sending riders on a course with an elevation gain of 8,524 feet and chasing the A.T. around Wiggins Springs past Cole Mountain. Quinn and I signed up for the Worthy 30, the 34-mile route with 4,400 feet of climbing with the idea that we would do the “easier” ride, but with more than 130 feet per mile of climbing, we soon realized that Gravista is many things, and easy was not one of them.
We set up camp near the start/finish line at Glen Maury Park and fell asleep to the sounds of the Maury River. The next morning the soundscape had shifted to the buzz of race day—people excitedly greeting each other as they emerged from their tents, hype 80’s music playing in the background, bikes pedaling in every direction, and laughter as riders struggled to put their chamois on. The morning air was cool and perfect for a day in the saddle.
The Stoked 60 started first. Lined up at the front of the pack were multiple racers from all over our region including members of the Melanin Base Miles team, a BIPOC gravel racing team based out of Washington D.C, and the elite all-women’s gravel team, Velocio // Exploro, who also hosted a spin-out ride the day after the race.
The sun and stoke were high as Cynthia Frazier, Gravista’s race promoter, walked up with the microphone to send them off. “Thank you everyone for being here, I really appreciate you all,” she said to the racers as they clapped and cheered her name from the starting line. “Three! Two! One! Roll it!”
Now it was our turn to line up on the starting line. Frazier gave us the countdown and we were off! We kept up with the pack at first, zig-zagging through the streets that were leading us to the stunning peaks that were now in view. Our slow roll soon quickly turned into a steady sprint as we approached the mountain that would challenge us with our first and second-biggest climbs of the day up Robinson Gap. We kept a steady pace through the ascents, but 20 minutes in I was already drenched in sweat.
Pedal stroke after pedal stroke we pushed ourselves up each climb—having our spirits almost broken but then gaining an exhilarating rush of accomplishment at the top of every peak. As laborious as the uphill sections were, they offered beautiful views of the lush forest, filled with flourishing green ferns and trees.
When we got to the overlooks, we would rest briefly to take it all in. House Mountain Overlook was my personal favorite view—to look out and see the elevation you’ve gained with your own two wheels was a feeling of accomplishment and gratitude that I will never forget. Then came an exhilarating descent back down the mountain past Panther Falls to the finish line.
Cooling off in the Maury River with friends and a beer in hand after the race was the perfect ending to the day. My memories from the race are beautiful—the lush greenery, the stunning overlooks, and the big smiles that could be seen on riders’ faces even during the toughest sections. There was a part of me that was worried I wouldn’t finish it, but the pride that comes with completing this challenging race left me thinking, “what else can I do?”
The answer? Register for the Stoked 60 on May 13, 2023 and plan an extra day to explore Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County!
Shannon McGowan is a travel writer, photographer, and videographer based in Richmond, Va
