Beechworth is a place to relax. It’s a place to eat pies, drink coffee, go on a ghost tour and lie on the sand next to Lake Sambell for the afternoon. But don’t be fooled by its cute appearance, because the champagne gravel around the area is also meeting ground for April’s main gravel event: the Beechworth Granite Classic.
The Granite Classic first rolled into the historic town in 2021 and has quickly become a staple of the Victorian gravel biking scene. Known for its inclusive nature, entertainment spectacles, and on-course food and drinks – did someone say pre-climb gin shots and peanut butter quesadillas? – this is one of those events to pull a sickie for, because your boss will probably be there too.
Set to kick off again in early April, the race is the same as ever with a few tweaks to the course and schedule to note.
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Granite Classic: Ride or Race?
The Granite Classic may have all the distinguishing features of a large-scale gravel race, but this event is anything but a competition.
Run by the local brewery, Bridge Road Brewers, the Classic’s roots stem from a social group ride which Bridge Road Brewers founder, Ben Kraus, and a set of keen locals would do each year in mid-Winter.
“We’d go for a ride at the end of July on a Saturday and then come back to the Brewery and set up a cinema screen to watch the (Tour de France) Stage live in the Brewery, but have a French dinner as well,” Kraus says.
This local ride was aptly named ‘Tour de Beechworth’. Gradually expanding the ride to more and more people, it has grown massively over the years, morphing into what the Granite Classic is today; no podiums, just good riding and good people.
With its rapidly increasing popularity, the team behind the Classic have worked hard to keep the event closely related to its past, just at a larger scale; reflective of the Tour de Beechworth, the Granite Classic will involve a large social ride on the Saturday followed by a big family dinner, but also other smaller activities and functions throughout the weekend to celebrate off-road riding at its finest.
How will the event look for 2025?
The 2024 Granite Classic was big, but the 2025 event is set to be even bigger; with 1,300 riders already registered, the Brewery has been cooking up new ways to make the event more inclusive and fun than ever before.
Friday, 04 April
Wasting no time to get the ball rolling on the weekend’s festivities, Friday will kick off the event with an impressive activity lineup.
As per previous years, there will be a nighttime shake-down ride on Friday evening. This ride will be around 15-20km at a very social pace and is a great way to make sure everything from bike to body is working smoothly for the main ride on Saturday.
Straight after the shakedown, Spoken will be hosting a handmade bicycle show in the Bridge Road Brewers Brewhouse. Folks will be able to look through a range of different bikes made by locals, celebrating the creativity of their home-crafted designs.
The third event of the night will introduce a major highlight of the 2025 Granite Classic: the Crumpler Film Festival.
This year, Bridge Road have partnered with Crumpler to bring a shortened version of the bag company’s bike film festival over from the States. The films will be played on Friday night, as well as on Saturday evening. Make sure to get in quick to this one; it is sure to fuel the stoke around bikes and culture, and is a rare treat for any event ‘Down Under’.
Saturday, 05 April
Saturday will dawn and that will mean one thing: the MAAP Granite Classic Ride.
Held on Saturday morning, there are four meticulously planned routes to choose from, including 15km, 45km, 90km and 115km options.
The Classic’s characteristic food trucks, roving bands and DJ set ups will keep riders company throughout the day, ensuring there is never a dull moment.
This year, Kraus promises slight changes to each course, as well as a greater list of entertainment surprises to keep those legs rotating.
Following the ride, there will be a big dinner happening at the Beechworth Memorial Hall. The layout of the post-ride meal will be similar to that of the Tour de Beechworth back in the day, and will include a three-course feast with talks from well-known riders happening throughout the night.
These guest speakers include some big names in the cycling industry, with Australian road cyclist legend Mitch Docker, and special guest Grace Brown who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 taking the stage.
Kraus has promised one other special guest, who will have to remain as a surprise for now.
After the dinner, the Bridge Road team have really outdone themselves and will be hosting Beechworth’s very first nightclub (about time, since the town has been around since the 1800’s). DJs are preparing as we speak, ready to whip out the decks after-hours and introduce the historical site to some drum and bass, just for one night.
Sunday, 06 April
Depending on how hard you went in the mosh pit on Saturday night, Sunday morning may mean one of two things: an extra long sleep in, or a 9am Sunday pedal to spin out the legs from the day before.
The Sunday spin will be around 35km, ridden in a group or at your own-pace. At the end of the ride, there will be coffee and sweet treats available from the Stanley General Store with vegan and gluten free options on offer.
2025 MAAP Granite Classic Course Highlights
The MAAP Granite Classic routes have always made the most out of the pristine champagne gravel surrounding Beechworth. This year, folks are in for an even bigger experience, with up to 60km of gravel roads being introduced into the 115 km route alone.
Bridge Road have partnered with Rapid Ascent for 2025 to organise this year’s course. Working tirelessly, Rapid Ascent are helping to bring freshly revamped versions of the 15km, 45km, 90km and 115km options come April.
Kraus says the rides will incorporate similar gravel regions to previous years – like the immaculate gravel around the Mount Pilot – but will present a few different twists and turns along the way.
Not only promising gravel terrain, Kraus says that many local farmers have put their hands up to have the course cut through their farmland, meaning there will be grassy sections to break up the long stretches of pearly dust.
The routes are also set to interconnect throughout the day, with the 90 and 115 km routes heading off in the same direction in the morning, before splitting off around Chiltern. This is great for riders who may not be feeling their best at the junction to choose to switch from the 115km to the 90km route if need be.
“One plus side is if people were doing the longer route and they feel like they don’t have 100km in their legs, they can just jump on the 90km one,” Kraus says.
“All the routes come back together for the finish, so, you might be in your last 15km, but you’ll probably be riding with people who have done 115km and 90km and 45km,” says Kraus.
Lewis Ciddor, ultra-endurance rider for MAAP, says he was blown away by the event when he first rode it in 2024.
“The organisers have done such a great job of fostering a really inclusive and welcoming atmosphere,” says Ciddor. “(It strikes) a great balance between a really fun experience and a challenging route with super varied terrain.”
Asking past participants about the ride, the on-course food and entertainment was a topic which could not stay out of the conversation.
“Forget about the usual sad tables of gels and hydration mix,” says Ciddor. “Hot quesadillas, coffee, donuts and a Bridge Road cold one at the finish line. And in case that’s not enough to fuel the stoke, local musicians shredding heavy guitar solos from atop roadside boulders, dualling drummers and chill hilltop DJ sets with a hilltop view set the soundtrack for the ride.”
Kraus says he doesn’t want to give away the menu for 2025 just yet, but given last year’s selection of sweet treats, Bridge Road Brewers non-alcoholic beers, and definitely not non-alcoholic gin shots provided by Barking Owl Distilling Co., folks can get excited for an on-course feast.
Last year, some folks were unfortunate enough to miss out on food as they went by. Kraus says they are ensuring there will be no food shortage this year, bringing in a greater number of feed stations and a more extensive menu to support each and every rider through the day.
Who is the Granite Classic for?
The nature of the Granite Classic event really makes it a riding weekender for anyone and everyone.
Many people fit the event into a bigger holiday with their family, riding the 15km with their kids or bringing partners up to do the same.
“(The Classic) can really be whatever you want it to be as a rider,” says Ciddor. “There are people out there racing against the clock or each other, challenging themselves just to get through the distance, and really casual, social bunches getting around and soaking it all in.”
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Jono Wade, fellow Flow reporter, is a massive fan of the Classic. He says he tries to come up with a group of mates from Melbourne each year to catch up on a big weekend away.
“The group is comprised of people who just… like riding their bike to work,” says Jono. “Because their bikes are suitable for the Beechworth Granite Classic, they go and give it a go. A lot of them see the culture and the atmosphere of (the Classic), and there are a few more gravel bikes going along each year now.”
The ride can be whatever you want it to be: an inclusive social ride, or personal challenge. This means that anyone can come along to experience the atmosphere of the event, with no pressure surrounding performance or results.
How to enter
Registrations for all the events on offer over the Granite Classic weekend are now live! There are limited spots in many of the events, so make sure to get in quick.
You can enter for the Beechworth Granite Classic weekend here.
Volunteering
The team behind the Granite Classic are always looking for more hands to help out with the race.
If you want to be part of the event, but do not want to ride the main event, you can now sign up to volunteer here.
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