No, there are no prizes for time. Enjoy yourself, and the challenge of completion.
The Grindstone starts and finishes at the Barre Town Recreation Facilities, located behind the Barre Town Middle & Elementary School. Enter 70 Websterville Rd. Barre, VT 05641 into your GPS and then follow directions for parking.
No refunds will be provided for any circumstances in which the event still occurs. If the event is cancelled, deferral/refund options will be presented at that time according to the circumstances at hand. Neither refunds nor deferrals are guaranteed in the case of event cancellation. Participants can transfer their registration to others by editing their BikeReg registration.
Participants can change the category they registered for, provided they pay the difference in price and any fees (if applicable) and the new category is not closed. You must change your category via BikeReg prior to the event.
While we will make every effort to patrol the course and render assistance where needed, on-course technical support will not be available and there is no guarantee our patrol vehicle(s) will find you in a timely manner. You should be prepared to self-support for the length of the entire ride you choose, including providing for your own technical assistance should it be required.
GPS routes will be issued electronically to participants prior to the event. Paper maps and cue sheets will be available at the event. Courses will be signed but this should not be your primary source of navigation as signs can be altered or interfered with and can be missed when distracted.
A gravel bike with a minimum tire width of 40mm or a mountain bike are the only bicycles we recommend for any of our routes. Each route contains sectors of rough terrain and Vermont weather is unpredictable in the fall. Road bikes with narrow tires and commuter bikes with insufficient gearing should not be used.
Our insurance prohibits the use of class 2 and 3 ebikes at The Grindstone. Class 1 ebikes are permitted.
Each of our route pages provides a star rating which should help to give you a sense of their difficulty. Also please note the elevation gain of each route. An average elevation gain for Vermont gravel is generally considered 100 feet per mile. Our routes exceed this average considerably and feature very challenging terrain.
These routes will challenge even the most seasoned riders, but our purpose is to share the gravel paradise of Barre and its surrounding towns with the riding community. With that in mind, anyone who is up for a challenge should join us.
We are in this together!
Camping Suggestions
While The Grindstone does not have directly affiliated camping options, we can point you to a Hipcamp site that has been set up in parallel to the event. This site is located directly on all of the Grindstone courses. It’s just over 2 easy miles from the start/finish area; you can potentially ride to/from the event without needing your car. Check it out here:
https://www.hipcamp.com/vermont/camping-near-millstone-trails/camping-near-millstone-trails
Another potential option is Lazy Lions Campground