Beth's story: Hot Laps

BaseCamp athlete Beth Huffaker shared her experience at the 2026 Hot Laps bike race in Kansas.

I was preparing for my race at Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, Nebraska, and found the perfect way to get in a long ride and support a good cause while doing it. Hot Laps was started two years ago in Emporia, Kansas, by a local woman cyclist and was sponsored this year by Merchant Cycles. The event raised money for a new bike park. We rode out to the Rocky Forge bridge and back for as many ten-mile loops as we wanted. I got a little over 60 miles in. No mud, only strong winds, which was great to help me prepare for the gravel seas in Lincoln!