Solstice Gravel Grinder

The 2024 Solstice Gravel Grinder will be in its eighth year as a premier grassroots Nebraska gravel grinder that starts and ends in Beatrice, NE on June 22th. This ride will again journey through some of the most beautiful back roads and gravel south of Beatrice. The terrain mixes steep hills, rollers, and minimum maintenance roads. The Solstice 100 (The Hundy) is our original distance, and the field will be limited to 150 riders. We will also offer a couple of shorter routes. The 50+ mile gravel grinder, called the Solar Fiddy, which will be limited to 125 riders. And the 50K Kindler (31 miles) will return again this year and will follow many of the same roads as the other routes and also mix in miles on the newly completed Chief Standing Bear Trail. We are also offer the Hundy Team Relay, which is a co-ed event in which you are required to have at least one female on your team.
The Solstice is a self-supportive ride, so plan to bring enough water and supplies to get you in between checkpoints, which are roughly 25-35 miles apart. We will have water, minimal SAG support, and a tire pump at the checkpoints. If you want, you can stop in the local convenience stores or bars and do your own thing. 
This is your ride, so you do what you have to do to make it to the end. You can’t cheat though. There will be checkpoints you must go through to be a Solstice finisher and earn your finishers' patch! And if you want to quit? Well, this is your ride, so you will need to find a ride home.
We called this event the Solstice for a reason; it’s the day before the longest day of the year, so it’s gonna be HOT! Hot and you will be pedaling 31-107 miles on your own, so prepare yourself. We will release the routes the week before the event and will have an all-gravel backup route planned in case of muddy roads. Both routes will be downloadable for cue cards and GPS files. It is your responsibility to print the routes as we will not be supplying them the day of the race.

Contact us at solsticegravel@gmail.com

Welcome to the 2024 Solstice! 

For those of you who are traveling from out of town and need a hotel, you might want to make reservations NOW. Our event falls on June 22, 2024, and that’s the same weekend as our town’s local celebration, Homestead Days. Typically, most of the hotels in Beatrice are sold out for that weekend, as we get a lot of visitors for the festivities, and softball tournaments. 
 
I reserved a block of rooms at the following two hotels, under the name Solstice Gravel Grinder.
 
Capri Inn and Suites
3721 N 6th St, Beatrice, NE 68310
(402) 228-8808
Room rates start at $89.99
 
Victorian Inn
1903 N 6th St. Beatrice, NE 68310
(402) 228-5955
Room rates start at $149.99
 
There are several other hotels in Beatrice, including:
 
Holiday Inn Express & Suites ~ (402) 228-7000
My Place Hotel ~ (402) 260-5672
Americas Best Value Inn ~ (402) 223-3536
Travelers Lodge Beatrice ~ (402) 223-4074
 
Also, in the past I know a few of our riders have chosen to bring their RV's and stay in our city parks, Chautauqua and Riverside. I am guessing that the parks will be full this year, so you might have to look elsewhere to park RV's. Tent camping should still be available in both parks. Here are a few other locations that offer RV or camper parking:
American Legion Club ~ (402) 223-2700
Homestead Plaza Truckstop ~ (402) 223-0374
Gage County Fairgrounds ~ (402) 223-3247
Oak Aven Acres ~ www.oakaven.com
 
Regardless of where you're staying, I’d encourage you to find lodging now.
Can't wait to see you all here in June!
(And if your friends aren't signed up yet, tell them to get off the fence!)
www.bikereg.com/solsticegravel
www.solsticegravel.com
 
Joe Billesbach
Solstice Gravel Event Director