Gravel Ride of the Week: Rooted Vermont
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Let’s wrap up this year on a super fun note! This post is seriously overdue, and Vermont obviously looks completely different this time of the year, but the unforgettable experiences that we had at the 2022 Rooted Vermont gravel race deserve to be showcased. In the latest Gravel Ride of the Week, I’ll take you along for a ride through the incredible Vermont countryside, filled with its amazing views, super-fast gravel roads and highly entertaining class IV sections! This ride will surely put a smile on your face and Vermont's fun-filled cycling community is definitely something to behold. There is a lot to unpack with this event, so let's get started.
We got to stay in Burlington, Vermont located only a short drive away from the race start venue at Cochrane Ski Resort. What an incredible city to travel through! Burlington is such a vibrant place to visit, filled with interesting things to see and do. It's located on the shore of Lake Champlain and offers so much in terms of outdoor activities. The bike paths were filled with people cycling about and the cafes, like August First, were packed with diners enjoying Vermont's artisan food scene. This unique location really added to the overall Rooted Vermont experience, and we truly enjoyed travelling through this region.
The main reason for our visit was, of course, the cycling and, in this regard, there was no shortage of activity. The overall Rooted experience was an action-packed affair that offered a whole weekend filled with events. Not only was there an expo with numerous vendors, but several shake-out rides also took place before the race. I was lucky enough to secure a spot on the Cannondale ride where I had the chance to cruise alongside Ted King, Laura King, Meg Fisher and Marley Blonsky.
There were so many truly inspirational people on this shake-out ride, but Meg Fisher's story is worth highlighting. If you haven't heard it yet, be sure to download the King of the Ride podcast episode #88. It's not often that I hear Ted at a loss for words during one of his shows, but Meg's recollection of how she lost her leg in an accident, and the subsequent journey back to health, all the way up to world championship and Olympic level performance, is one that can leave anyone speechless. What inspired me most on this ride was how she was the one who encouraged everyone else with motivation talk! Oh, and did I mention that she holds a doctorate in physical therapy as well, wow!
I also had a fun chat with Laura King, who works so hard to bring an event like Rooted to life. Even with a broken finger and a new-born baby, she was still on the go the whole weekend. Talk about a super-mom. Yet, whenever I saw her, she had a smile on her face. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to catch up with Marley Blonsky during this shake-out ride to hear more about all the work she is putting in with her All Bodies on Bikes campaign. Hopefully I'll get this opportunity at another event in the future.
With this super fun shake-out ride behind us, the stage was set for the main event of the weekend. Bring on Rooted! My strategy for this race was to have the full Rooted experience, which means, business in the front and party in the back. I was entered for the longer distance ride, called the Sip of Sunshine. This route covers 85 miles and contains a little over 8000 feet of climbing - no easy feat, no matter what pace you are going at.
In the end, this ride lived up to all my expectations and made for a super-fun day out on the bike. Be sure to watch the video that goes along with this post to see just how entertaining a gravel ride in Vermont can be. It was a challenge, make no mistake, but one where the ever-changing landscape and full-filled atmosphere surrounding the race had me wishing for more by the time I reached the finish line. Fast-paced gravel, long steady climbs, chunky and muddy class IV sections and even a few single tracks make this ride stand out as one that will test you on multiple levels. All in all, I can highly recommend that you go check out the amazing Vermont countryside for yourself!
After crossing the finish line all that was left to do was to soak up the party vibes. The Kings, along with co-race director Kristin Motley sure do know how to throw a good party! And of course, no Rooted Vermont race would have been complete without a Creemee!
While creating this video and blog post, the news broke that Rooted Vermont will unfortunately be placed on pause for 2023. Our hope is that this content will continue to showcase the wonderful Vermont community that came together to put on a truly unique event and that it will, at the right time, inspire riders to return to Vermont gravel once again. Ted, Laura & Kristin, thank you for the fantastic job you did with this event, and we hope to see it back on the calendar at some point in the future. Until then, enjoy your ride!
- Wiehan
