Real West Gravel Grinder - March 16, 2025 - Pendleton OR

Honourable Baldwin Challenge

September 28 2025
Hamden CT
Unconfirmed
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Distances: 1-3, up to 6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate terrain with rolling short steep hills or moderate, sustained climbs

The Honorable Baldwin Challenge emulates the legendary 1960’s bike race on the roads of West Rock Ridge. The H.B.C. provides a safe but challenging mixed terrain route with very little car traffic allowing riders to test their ability and endurance. Now in it's 5th variation, this event can be described Gravel-Crit, Grind-fondo, or Ultra-CX.

Riders are encouraged to focus on completing as many laps of Baldwin Dr as possible within the 6 hours time limit. The intent is for riders to race themselves and ride with others. Ride 1 lap with friends or push yourself to ride as many as you want. Riders will not be allowed to start another lap after the 6 hour time limit. The event will be timed and the most honorable riders in each category will be crowned but there are no podiums, medals, or top finishing prizes. There will be a post ride raffle for all riders.

Depending on the rider and course conditions, best recommended bikes are lightweight drop or flat bar with minimum tire size of 700x33c. Full suspension and fat bikes are less ideal but rideable and will make the ride much smoother. Road bikes with smooth, narrow tires will make the ride significantly more challenging. The route includes gravel climbs on unimproved pavement, dirt double track with lots of roots, and open-to-traffic paved roads. Top finishers in past years have ridden gravel bikes with 35-45c tires or full-rigid mountain bikes with fast tires.

Riders will park in the West Rock Nature Center with the feed station and start finish in the NHPR lot.
Tires rolling promptly at 8am. There will be a short neutral roll out until the first switch back climbs of Baldwin Dr.

This event will be USAC sanctioned for 2022 and fundraise for Laurel Bicycle Fdn with a portion of the proceeds going to organizations that keep West Rock great such as CT DEEP, West Rock Ridge Association, and New Haven Parks Department.

If you have completed one of the previous versions of the Honorable Baldwin Challenge email the promoter for a HBC veteran coupon code.

Honourable Baldwin Challenge

 
Start Located At: West Rock Nature Center, 1080 Wintergreen Ave, Hamden, CT 06514, United States
 
 
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