Frazer's story: Hincapie Gran Fondo Merced

BaseCamp athlete Frazer Hazlett shared his experience at the 2025 Hincapie Gran Fondo Merced event in California.

Firstly, thank you for getting me so well prepared for my goal of finishing the Hincapie Gravel Fondo last Saturday. Some challenging conditions out there , especially the last 2 miles of dirt, made for a long day on (and off) the bike.

Secondly, so fun to see and meet for the first time all the BaseCampers that suffered through the deep mud, deep water crossings and clay build up with me. Your encouragement was inspirational.

I have no photos from the course as by the time it occurred to me that a photo might be fun I was so covered in mud and cow poop that I didn’t dare get out my phone. My partner Wendy shot these at the bike cleaning station to give you an idea of the conditions. And bearing in mind that I cleaned my bike in the deep (well above axle height) river crossing at the end of the 1st long dirt section.