GRUSK 2025 with Mountain Rides in West Virginia

Visit the GRUSK website here for info, videos and pictures.

*** Operating under Special-Use U.S. Forest Service Permit ***

GRUSK is an adventure-cycling ride on and around the highest peak in West Virginia…Spruce Knob!  The ride travels gravel and dirt roads through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the East. The road conditions on course will vary from pavement, to smooth dirt, to chunky gravel, to unmaintained, double-track forest roads.

This ride is a true challenge for the adventurous spirit within every cyclist and one you don’t want to miss.

This event helps support the work of the Experience Learning, Inc.’s Spruce Knob Mountain Center, which focuses on developing an understanding and appreciation for the complex interaction between community, culture, and conservation through education and sustainable community initiatives.

The ride will have several distance options (see below for course info).

Venue:

The ride will start and finish at Experience Learning, Inc.’s Spruce Knob Mountain Center (SKMC).  Click here for directions.

Camping is drive-in, primitive camping in open meadows we have mowed just for the event.  We’re working on having showers for riders this year.  The venue runs off a well, and there isn’t enough supply to cover 600+ people at the bath house, so stay tuned for our other options.

Format:

GRUSK will be a non-competitive, timed Gran Fondo format in 2025. 

The organizers want to manage a safe event and with the increasing number of riders and tourists visiting the area, they want everyone to focus on having an incredible ride without the pressure to race some of the more congested parts of the course.

Categories:

GRUSK is part of the WV Gravel Series in 2025.  While their categories don’t match the WVGS Series classes, you’ll have a chance to indicate which Series class you’re in during our registration process.

Spruce Highlights Tour 27 or 32-Mile Course (July 12th, 10:35am):         

• No categories (E-Bikes welcome)
• 27 or 32 mile course

MEDIO 50-Mile Course (July 12th, 10:00am):         

• Men Open
• Men 40+
• Men 50+
• Men 60+
• Women Open
• Women 40+
• Women 50+
• Women 60+
• Non-Binary
• Tandem
• E-Bike

GRANDE 89-Mile Course (July 12th, 9:00am): 

• Men Open
• Men 40+
• Men 50+
• Men 60+
• Women Open
• Women 40+
• Women 50+
• Women 60+
• Single Speed
• Clydesdale
• Non-Binary
• Tandem

GRUSK VENTI 220-Mile, LUNGO 260-Mile, TRECENTO 318-Mile Courses:         

• 3-Day Gravel Adventure lightly-supported Ride
  • Riders can depart between 6am and 9am on Thursday, July 10th.
• Grande Depart Timed Rides (1-2 day rides)
  • TRECENTO 318 riders will depart at 10am, Thursday July 10th.
  • VENTI 220 & LUNGO 260 riders will depart at 6am, Friday July 11th
  • Aid stations on July 12th will be considered neutral support and are open to ITT riders.

Registration:

**** Online Registration closes July 2th at Midnight ****

• Medio and Grande Entry Fee – $140 (See below for early registration discounts); No day-of-event registration
  • $100 – Dec 23 – 24
  • $110 – Dec 25 – Jan 31
  • $120 – Feb 1 – Mar 31
  • $130 – Apr 1 – May 31
  • $140 – June 1 – Jul 2
• The Spruce Highlights Tour (27 mile) – $125
  • $80 – Dec 23 – 24
  • $90 – Dec 25 – Jan 31
  • $100 – Feb 1 – Mar 31
  • $110 – Apr 1 – May 31
  • $120 – Jun 1 – Jul 2
• GRUSK VENTI, LUNGO & TRECENTO Entry Fee – Same pricing as Medio and Grande, plus Trackleaders.com registration fee and SPOT rental (if rental is needed).
  • ***MUST REGISTER BY JULY 2nd IF RENTING A TRACKER***
  • All VENTI, LUNGO & TRECENTO riders must own/rent a SPOT (or other brand) satellite tracking device and register with Trackleaders.com (link coming soon)
  • SPOT Rental is $75 paid to Trackleaders.  Registration and Rental info is here.
  • Trackleaders Device Registration is $30 for riders who own their own device.
• Food Package – $20/$15 each (3 Meals, Friday evening, Saturday morning, Sunday morning)
  • Meals are pre-purchase only.  Meal option closes at midnight July 5th.
• Dorm Lodging – $30 per night per person. Please reserve these early as space is limited
• Camping- $15 per person (This covers all nights of camping)

Course Info:

The ride will start and finish at The Mountain Institute’s Spruce Knob Mountain Center (SKMC).  Click here for directions.  The course will cover some of the most scenic country in the state of West Virginia and will take riders up huge climbs, down fast descents, through deep valleys and across high ridges.  Amazingly, racers will navigate across the eastern continental divide and through the watersheds of the mighty Cheat, Greenbrier, and Potomac Rivers.

Please visit our RideWithGPS Event page for additional course info here:  Course Info

Click HERE to join the RideWithGPS event and have access to downloadable maps.