“Have Fun.”
“We’re already beyond that.”
Another ridiculous gravel ride
The Good: Valley of the Giants (VOG) is 100% worth a visit once in your life. It’s not quite what I expected, but I don’t know what I expected. I’ve been trying to get to the VOG for 27 years now, maybe my expectations were unreasonable. Don’t get me wrong, this place is special, I was not disappointed, it’s just got 28 miles of rough gravel between the start and the goal.
The Bad: Would I recommend this ride? Not really. Will I do it again? With the right people in the right situation. Almost 100% unpaved, with lots of washboard, loose, deep, fresh, and large gravel. That’s probably all I have to say, you get the idea. A few too many cars too.
It rained on us for about half of the ride which wasn’t unexpected but it adds an epic flavor to an already epic ride. A couple of us were completely trashed by the end. One of us probably doesn’t get enough rest/recovery and doesn’t eat or drink enough and hasn’t learned his lesson yet.
Distance
81.7 mi
Elevation
9,863 ft / -9,846 ft
Max Grade
30.8%
Avg Grade
2.1%
Total Duration
09:18:53
Moving Time
07:30:04
Stopped Time
01:48:49
Max Speed
35.2 mph
Avg Speed
10.9 mph