Natalie's story: Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder

BaseCamp athlete Natalie Barron shared her experience at the 2026 Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder bike ride in Virginia.

I used this event as a return-to-training ride, as it came at the end of my recovery week from Unbound, practicing descending on gravel and keeping up with steady fueling. I did the 60-mile course, which is about 80% gravel with well-maintained roads and a rolling hill course. This was not a race, so a good time to work on those skills. This is such a well-run event and finally no rain this year. Would definitely recommend to others to do this one.