Natalie's story: Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge

BaseCamp athlete Natalie Barron shared her experience at the 2025 Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge in Virginia.

This year for my birthday I decided to do a ride instead of a race because I've really wanted to do this event which starts/finishes in Monterey, Virginia. It was a great decision.

This was the 25th year of this event, and I'll definitely be back. Weather was perfect and the event was very well done: lots of stops, well marked, and great food after.

I was solo on this trip, but I met several riders that I've ridden with over the years, so I was rarely alone.

I chose the metric century route. There were routes from 33 to 100 miles, so lots of choices for everyone. It's a really great option to get in a fun mountain ride with a lot of distance and elevation options. I would have had to stay Saturday night if I chose the 100-mile route, as it was about 10,000 feet of climbing.

Thanks again to BaseCamp for helping me maintain my bike fitness so I can enjoy 5000+ feet of climbing and end the day happy.