GLENMONT — Training for a long distance mountain bike ride inspired Matt Simpson and Jason Clipse to create their own cycling race.
Both graduates of Mount Vernon High School, Simpson and Clipse have always been familiar with Mohican State Park — which primarily spans southern Ashland County, but its recreational area extends into Knox and Holmes counties.
“We were just exploring dirt roads, trying to find good hills to climb because we wanted challenges. The more we road out there, the more we enjoyed it,” Simpson said. “We were just having so much fun that we thought, ‘Why aren’t more people doing this?'”
This thought stuck with the duo for the next two years, keeping conversations alive about possibly launching an event. After about three months of logistics planning, the inaugural Black Fork Gravel Grinder took place in spring 2016 — including about 115 participants.
The event starts and finishes at Mohican Wilderness Campground, located nine miles south of Loudonville at 22462 Wally Road in Glenmont. A gravel road race and ride, the Black Fork Gravel Grinder offers three different route lengths (23, 30 and 53 miles).
Clipse, BFGG race director, said the event has ballooned to 850 cyclists and continues to grow year-by-year. Registration has sold out for the past five years. He said he expects the same in 2027, even with expanding the event’s capacity to 1,000 riders.
BFGG celebrated its 10th anniversary a few months ago on May 2. The event is set to return for year 11 on May 1, 2027, with an expo and demo event preceding the race and ride on April 30.
“It’s been incredibly fun to watch it grow,” said Simpson, BFGG event director. “We have a group of people that try to come back almost every year and then there’s a group of new folks who have never tried it or they’ve done it someplace else and want to try it here.”
Clipse said riders from 21 different states have participated in the event over the years, as well as individuals from Canada, Iceland, England and Scotland.
An international attendance was something Clipse thought may happen. Simpson admitted he wasn’t sure the growth would ever extend that far.
“I didn’t know if it would grow or not. I think Jason definitely had big plans for this all along,” Simpson said.
Clipse said he’s always been more of a dreamer when it comes to growing the event.
Simpson always brings him back down to reality, he said. Together, the duo compliment one another, operating like a well-oiled machine.
“We’re both very passionate about it,” Clipse said. “We challenge each other in a very good way.”
Course logistics require extensive planning
Simpson is the mastermind behind the BFGG course routes.
“He has taken what we have and he built it around a venue that we were looking for,” Clipse said. “The scenery is pristine.”
Several key pieces of infrastructure go into creating a safe, challenging and successful course, including aid stations, signage and a general awareness of the environment surrounding the routes.
Simpson said two local bike shops participate in BFGG, trailing participants who may need quick assistance during their ride.
“We have three highway patrolman and an ambulance that’s on-site,” he said. “We have a ham radio club that helps us communicate.”
A group of motorcyclists have also attended a number of years, Simpson said. Thanks to their size, motorcycles are conveniently able to fit on the gravel routes to watch for riders who may have gotten off the course or need assistance.
He said an emphasis is placed on respecting the environment the event travels through — a “leave no trace behind” mentality.
“I think it’s very important for the community that lives there, because this is their home. We can be on these roads because they’re all public, but this is where those people live and they take a lot of pride in their homes and neighborhood and farms. We try to have a real minimal impact,” Simpson said.
BFGG has options for different skill levels
BFGG is designed for anybody — frequent gravel riders and first timers, Clipse said.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what your abilities are,” he said. “We want it to be hard, but we want everyone to cross the finish line.”
Each route is largely (about 70 percent) on gravel roads, with varying degrees of climbing. The 23- and 30-mile routes are rides only, not races. The 50-mile race is for advanced riders, presenting 10 difficult hill climbs along the route.
No matter the skill level or route, all riders launch from the start line at the same time, fostering camaraderie and inclusivity, Simpson said.
“To get into (gravel riding), you have to find the right type of event. What event can you handle?” Clipse said. “The bike itself doesn’t matter, as long as the brakes are good.
“Anybody can do this. You might have to walk, but anybody can do our 23-mile (route) for sure. It doesn’t take a world-class athlete to do our 30-mile (route) either.”
All riders finish into the crowd via a short runway near the finish line. Participants of legal drinking age are also greeted with a celebratory beer upon finishing.
Consistency has been key
When riders return to the BFGG each year, they know what to expect. That’s by design, Clipse said. Basic improvements are made each year, but the cornerstones remain the same.
“We’ve had to move the route a little bit and change the route a little bit,” the race director said. “The original route was 30 miles and it was simply a ride.”
With several uncertainties leading into the inaugural event, Clipse said the duo didn’t want to launch immediately with a race component. They wanted the route to be challenging, but something everyone could accomplish.
The initial concept was largely inspired by Simpson and Clipse’s personal preferences, by design, based on events the duo had participated in themselves. As time has passed, feedback from participants is what fuels year-to-year changes.
“Much of what we’ve improved over the past 10 years comes from the voice of the customer,” Clipse said. “We take into consideration what we’re seeing and what we’re hearing and that’s how we design our event.”
The culture and atmosphere established at BFGG over the past decade is arguably its most important component, he said.
Excluding Clipse and Simpson, 57 staff members help make the event run smoothly each year.
“You can have a good mountain bike event, a great course and a lot of people go, but have a really terrible culture,” Clipse said. “Then you could go to another smaller event somewhere and you go across the finish line and every single person gets a hug from the race director — it’s a different feeling.
“If there’s one thing that makes our event standout and grow each year, that’s it (culture).”
