Knox Expedition Gravel

Come on out and join in on a low-key, unsanctioned gravel ride that travels through small towns, connecting gravel roads together with short stretches of pavement! This year we are offering two challenging routes that should suit the needs of most gravel riders; the 100-ish mile “Big Guns” route and the 50-ish mile “Rebellion” route.

 

Route Descriptions:

On both of the routes, the gravel road sectors are typically in good condition and can be successfully ridden on just about any bike/tire combination, but 40c would likely be the minimum width for comfort and flexibility in varying conditions like what we can see on some of the more rugged dirt sections! Long paved climbs may have you leaning toward a more road-oriented setup or you may be wanting to bring some chunky tires for the loose gravel, but rest assured that at different times you will have the right bike and the wrong bike for the terrain!  Gravel bikes are generally the most popular choice, but a hardtail MTB is not a bad pick at all either!

Big Guns Route

This is the route that will test every bit of your cycling skill.  There are long climbs (8450' of climbing), big distance (92 miles), and a couple of rough sections that probably were roads at one time!  We reworked last year's route based on rider feedback (less road, more "rough" dirt) and were able to create this 60% unpaved "double loop" route.  Reliable food and water stops are located around miles 26, 57, and 63 so there are options, but you will have to do some planning to ensure you carry plenty of food and water to get you from one stop to the next.  You'll be in for a long day in the saddle, but you'll see some of the coolest spots in the area with other super awesome folks!

Rebellion Route

Our post-ride survey from last year found that a bunch of riders wanted the challenge of the complete route, but in a shorter package.  The Rebellion Route is basically the southern loop of the Big Guns route so it eliminates close to 3000' of climbing (5800' total) and over 20 miles of road (66.5 miles total).  There are restock points at miles 25 and 37.  You'll see much of the same beautifully-maintained dirt as well as the rough and chunky gravel "roads" as the Big Guns, but will be home earlier!  This route is 55% unpaved.

Timed Sectors

For those of you that are feeling racy, the route and cue sheets will both feature multiple sectors marked on the route map where we will use Strava to calculate the fastest riders through each one on the day, enduro-syle!  No awards will be given, but you'll have plenty of bragging rights as these sectors are some of the most challenging and competitive in the area!  Results will be posted on road-results.com so be sure to head over there to see how you stacked up!  

General Info

The ride will leave from Berg Field in East Hartland as a group at the designated departure time, but once on the road riders will likely find their own pace so don't expect anyone to wait for you at the top of the hill.  They might, but don't expect it!

Departure times are as follows: 

Big Guns and Rebellion Routes - 7:30am

This ride was originally planned for a group of friends, but in an effort to share the important information with more people and to get more riders to join in, we are using BikeReg to spread the word.  To that point, there will be no pre-ride meals, no SAG, and no aid stations.  The GPS route can be downloaded from RideWithGPS, but be mindful that due to last-minute route changes to only download from the link that will be emailed the week of the ride.  Do not count on route markers on the road as there will not be any!  You'll need to be able to navigate the course on your own or make a friend out on the road that can!

In participating in this event you understand that while you may have started with a group, each rider is on their own individual solo, self-supported ride and as such is responsible for all aspects of getting themselves back to the start/finish safely.  There are convenience stores/markets that the route passes by during the ride so you have opportunities to refill bottles and pickup any snacks you need.  The terrain can be very challenging, but it is not impossible.  If you have ridden gravel roads in southern New England you'll be familiar with this type of route so join us for a great day out on the bike!

In order to respect all of our busy lives and packed calendars, the ride does not have a rain date and will run rain or shine!

Even though the ride is free, we ask that you check-in before the ride so we can have an idea of how many riders are participating (and it gives you a chance to pickup your sweet Knox Expedition event t-shirt, available to purchase on the registration page)!

If you are interested in local history and curious about the ride's namesake, head on over to the link below to read about General Knox's journey along much of the ride's route back in 1775-1776!

Noble Train of Artillery - Wikipedia