Kerry Werner is no stranger to absurdly challenging rides. Adhering to the unofficial mantra of the Kona Endurance Team, is it even worth doing if it doesn’t hurt… a lot? Whatever the motivation, it seems like type-2 fun is the new black, and Kerry has just finished his latest foray into the pain cave. The Rockstar Gravel Trail comprises 250 miles of gravel, a bit of singletrack, and a little pavement. It climbs 25,000 feet through the Virginia mountains and is, quite frankly, not intended to be ridden in one day.
That doesn’t stop riders like Kerry from giving the old FKT (Fastest Known Time) a go. Some athletes thrive when they’re told it’s probably impossible to do something, or it’s going to put them in a world of discomfort. The route was designed by a local named Rob Issem, who runs the Virginia Endurance Series, and tends to enjoy creating routes that seem too tough to do in a day. His dedication to the craft has earned him the nickname Captain Insano.
Kerry bikepacked the route over several days last year and got the idea to try an FKT attempt. The current holder at the time was another Virginian named Will Loevner, who finished the route in 18 hours and 43 minutes. Kerry’s ride was full of the kind of drama one may expect on this type of adventure: self-doubt, high times, low times, hungry times, and hangry times. But Kerry doesn’t do huge rides just for the sake of checking boxes. He does them to dominate. His goal was to become the fastest known Rockstar.
