Trans Virginia Gravel

Extreme

Date

2026-05-16

Location

Washington, DC, United States

Distance

904 km

Elevation

18000m

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SHARE THIS RACE

$https://gravelradar.app/races/united-states/trans-virginia-gravel

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>> COMMUNITY

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▌ RIDER INTEL DOSSIER

ID: TRANS-VIRGINIA-GRAVEL

GR SCORE

/ 100

TIER 1

~/dossier/trans-virginia-gravel $ cat briefing.md

▌ Washington DC to Damascus, VA — 565 mostly-unpaved miles down the Spine.

An East Coast self-supported ultra following the spine of Virginia. Less famous than Tour Divide but quietly building cult status.

EFFORT44/50

EXPER.55/70

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12 SCORING DIMENSIONS

· Inside the rating

$ ./radar --plot

TRANS VIRGINIA GRAVEL

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EFFORT MATRIX

· Physical demands · 5 vectors

$ ./bench --effort

LENGTH10/10

██████████

10/10904 km from DC to Damascus

904 km from DC to Damascus

CLIMBING10/10

██████████

10/1018,000 m — Appalachian terrain is relentless

18,000 m — Appalachian terrain is relentless

DURABILITY10/10

██████████

10/105-9 days self-supported

5-9 days self-supported

TECHNICALITY07/10

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07/10Forest service roads + occasional singletrack

Forest service roads + occasional singletrack

HEAT07/10

███████░░░

07/10May Virginia: 18-28°C, humid

May Virginia: 18-28°C, humid

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EXPERIENCE MATRIX

· Race quality · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --experience

ADVENTURE10/10

██████████

10/10East Coast bikepacking adventure

East Coast bikepacking adventure

SCENERY09/10

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09/10Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah, Appalachian forest

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah, Appalachian forest

ORGANIZATION07/10

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07/10Self-organized with route + tracker

Self-organized with route + tracker

VALUE09/10

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09/10Free to enter — donation only

Free to enter — donation only

COMMUNITY08/10

████████░░

08/10Tight East Coast bikepacking community

Tight East Coast bikepacking community

ACCESSIBILITY05/10

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05/10Self-supported = need experience

Self-supported = need experience

FIELD DEPTH07/10

███████░░░

07/10East Coast ultra regulars

East Coast ultra regulars

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GREEN FLAGS

$ ./pros

[+]East Coast self-supported ultra (rare)
[+]Free to enter (donation-based)
[+]Blue Ridge + Appalachian scenery
[+]Less hype than Tour Divide = quieter experience
[+]Easy access from DC airports
[+]Damascus finish in classic mountain bike town

▌

RED FLAGS

$ ./cons

[!]Self-supported = need ultra experience
[!]Appalachian humidity in May
[!]Resupply gaps in remote forest sections
[!]Limited daylight in May
[!]Mechanical risk in remote terrain

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RIDER FIT

· Match by archetype

$ match-rider --types

BikepackerPRIME · 10/10

East Coast bikepacking ultra

Endurance MulePRIME · 10/10

Multi-day rhythm

ClimberPRIME · 9/10

18,000 m of Appalachian climbing

Adventure TouristPRIME · 9/10

Virginia in its full diversity

Heat SpecialistGOOD · 7/10

Humid May Virginia

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⚡ SIGNATURE CHALLENGE

Appalachian relentlessness

18,000 m of climbing in 904 km means there's no flat to recover on. Manage gearing, climb steady, and accept that the Appalachians will test you every day.

▌

TIRE INTEL

· Setup recommendation

$ rubber --recommend

WIDTH

45-55 mm or 2.1-2.4" MTB

PRESSURE

24-30 psi

PATTERN

Aggressive all-rounder

East Coast forest service roads + some singletrack. Wider is better. Tubeless mandatory.

▶ TOP PICKS

1.Maxxis Ardent Race[2.25"]— Workhorse XC tire

2.WTB Sendero[47mm]— For drop-bar gravel-MTB hybrid

3.Schwalbe G-One R[50mm]— Comfort + grip for ultra-distance

▌

WEATHER PLAYBOOK

· What the sky throws at you

$ forecast --race

Mid-May Virginia: 18-28°C typical, humid, possible thunderstorms. Pack lightweight rain gear + sun protection.

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PACING PLAYBOOK

· Where to attack, where to survive

$ tail -f /strategy/pacing

Days 1-2 — DC to Shenandoah (~200 km)~200 km

Settle in. Don't race day 1.

Days 3-5 — Blue Ridge spine (~600 km)~600 km

Real climbing block. Mental low point likely.

Days 6-7 — Damascus finish (~904 km)~904 km

Final stretch. Damascus mountain bike town finish.

▌

WHAT TO FEAR

· Top hazards

$ ./threat-model

[!01]Appalachian humidity sapping legs
[!02]Resupply gaps in National Forest sections
[!03]Mechanical failure in remote terrain
[!04]Sleep deprivation by day 4

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TRAVEL OPS

· Getting there

$ ./logistics --travel

AIRPORTWashington DC (DCA, IAD, BWI) for start. Tri-Cities (TRI) for Damascus finish.

LODGINGDC pre-race. Damascus has mountain bike-friendly lodging.

FOODResupply at Virginia towns along route. Carry 12-hr buffer.

PACKET PICKUPPre-race brief in DC.

PARKINGN/A — point-to-point.

▌ BOTTOM LINE

A quietly-building East Coast ultra. Less famous than Tour Divide but equally legitimate as a bikepacking journey.

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IF NOT THIS, THEN

· Alternative race recommendations

$ ./suggest --similar

→Want bigger US ultra:Tour Divide
→Want similar East Coast:Trans North Georgia
→Want race format:Trans Am Bike Race

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