The best loop is typically Spencer Branch, to Fletcher Creek. Most people will ride up the gravel road to Spencer Gap trail which is a pretty challenging (but not hike a bike) climb, to Spencer Branch which is a relatively new trail that has some challenging sections but could be navigated by a beginner if ridden with care. Follow up that descent with a quick transition on a gravel forest road to Fletcher creek which is an easier but really fun pedal through fields then back into the wood for a small climb and one last downhill back to another forest road back to the Trace Ridge trail head. If fitness is good, I suspect a beginner (skill level) rider would have fun. Trace Ridge is another fun trail but it’s harder to make it into a longer loop. I’d rate Mills River as intermediate.
If you want truly beginner friendly go towards Bent Creek or DuPont
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Bent Creek is great for all levels. There is Ingles Gap and Greens Lick but also Hardtimes if you want something more on the gravel end of the spectrum.
Regarding Spencer Gap in North Mills River, there is a water crossing so plan get wet.
Please DO NOT go to DuPont on race day. It would be a kindness to keep cars off the course which goes on all sides of DuPont.
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Thank you - very helpful!
Not sure if you know this or not, But does Dupont not all events to use its trails or gravel? I ask because Including Dupomt in BWR would be so much better than Stanton rd
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I agree. Just two weeks ago I took Buck Forest to a shorter section of Staton to Cascade Lake. That would be a lot more fun than taking Staton all the way from Sky Valley on race day.
I only know of one event that uses the roads in DuPont – a 5k that goes on Buck Forest and Thomas Cemetery. The 5k is way smaller than BWR and does not take place during their busiest months.
I could use a recommendation on tire pressure. I’m running Pirelli Cinturato H 40mm’s. They feel great on the local chunky gravel at 38lb in back and 36lb up front but that seems so low that it would kill my speed on the road. Any thoughts? Thanks!!
Seems reasonable depending on your weight. You can use silica’s tire pressure calculator and play around with the surfaces/speeds to give you a range of what might work best on road. https://silca.cc/pages/sppc-form
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So what is everyones thoughts on the course? I thought the Falling Creek Camp portion was pretty dumb-like who wants to ride that?. I liked the Reeb Ranch part (singletrack was rad). Not a fan of the loop section, once is fine. Jeeter was not as bad as I remembered…. Still hard, though.
If they repeat that course exactly, I’ll pass next time.
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Yeah the two laps was definitely the most mentally challenging portion… Cool experience overall but definitely a brutal day on the bike!
Definitely want to hear more about the experience from riders. Looking at my Strava, a bunch of people I ride with who do tough crazy rides often did the wafer. Their times, average speeds, and comments suggest it was brutal. Even compared to rides I have done with them that were brutal.
Its a race of attrition. Terrain wise, it was mellow grades until the falling creeks section. That was super chunky and steep, id guess most people had to walk a portion of this section. And then that was followed by a trail mowed in a field….i was really expecting some fun trails, but nope. Green river and pinnalcle is a long section that just wears on ya, followed by a sketchy DH. The entrance to Reeb was STEEP paved climb, 20%+ followed by rad flowy singletrack. Stanton road follows next, Paved climbs that wear on ya. Repeat the pinnacle loop, and then The rest is no biggie except for the jeeter climb, if you have the gearing, its not horrible
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I did the wafer It was a rough day, I agree with above about vallende creek. Did anyone actually ride up it!? That was ridiculous it was like looking at a wall with loose rocks. Everyone near me was doing the hike a bike.
I enjoyed the course for the most part besides that one section. It was a good combo of tarmac, gravel, singletrack and cyclocross. It was tougher than last years wafer. I didn’t even look at my results but was happy how I did.
Parking and the start were more organized this year too.
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I did the Wafer last year and I have pre-ridden all of the Waffle course (at various times) with the exception of Falling Creek Camp. I had a really good time last year and was looking forward to the event this year. Anyway, I am not new to gravel riding in this area.
I thought that section was really dumb. I signed up for a gravel ride. I ride gravel because I do not mot single track. While I don’t mind a very small amount flowing single track to connect gravel sections, this was ridiculous. After I made though the dirt section and grass section, I crashed on gravel driveway section and tore up my knee enough that I could not continue (could not put pressure down on the pedal but fortunately could walk). My first ever DNF. I was at the aid station when the pro riders came by. One of them said something to the effect that the section was f-ing tough.
I will also add that the aid station did not have an adequate first aid kit (they had to hunt for band aids from their personal kit, no neosporin or bactine, just water bottles to rinse it), they had no way to get riders out of Falling Creek (after walking over a mile to the aid station, I still had to get down to Green River Road), and the mechanic that was supposed to be at the aid station was not there.
Anyway, I see Southeast Gravel getting more of my money next year.
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Why are the results not posted? I can’t find them ….
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I was thinking the same, hopefully sometime today!
Yeah, SE gravel puts on good events on good courses
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That was not a gravel race, that was an “adventure race”
Although I have no corals and didn’t find anything overly challenging on that course (outside I was crazy under geared for the climbs), this to me is not a gravel race.
The vallende creek uphill was the dumbest section I have ever seen on a gravel race. My hats off to anyone that actually rode it although I would be surprised if anyone including the pros did. I would go back to the race with different mindset maybe even a different bike. I however do not forsee the BWR NC event gaining interest and more customers as they just made it too tough for the average person.
Recap of my setup;
2021 Ridley Kanzo Fast
38 - 10/42 gearing
Pirelli Cinturato H (that measure 39.5mm pumped)
42.5psi / 44.5 psi
220lbs complete riding down the road weight.
Race Notes;
I was absolutely hooked up everywhere and had crazy confidence on every descent passing hundreds of people over the course of the day. I averaged 210NP and had a time of 5hr 5Xmin (full time hidden for my protection) for the Wafer. I was on track to ride a 5hr 15min but exploded on Jeeter due to running out of nutrition and not paying attention to it. I was for me severely under geared, I would go back with a 38 - 48 to 51 gearing if the course stayed the same. I would never run anything smaller than a 38mm tire there, I also would never run anything larger than a 42mm. If you want to race this event, take your bike to mtb trails atleast once a week. I race MTB and didnt find any of the downhills really difficult but rather annoying haha.
That’s my recap.
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I can’t wait to see some videos of the awful sections people are describing.
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