Grinduro: Not your average bike race.

Danielle L; Andrea M; Kate M.
Nov 3, 2016
5 min read

Danielle's Take:

Kit:

Bottoms: Bibs - Ten Speed Hero Team Bib / Women's (Medium)

Top: Jersey - Ten Speed Hero / Women’s Sprinkles Jersey (Medium)

Vest – Two Circles Cycling / Unisex Gilet (X-Small)

Socks: The Athletic Grinduro PDX Sock

Shoes: Giro VR90 Limited Edition Grinduro Release (2015)

Kit Rating:

Bottoms: 8/10

Jersey: 10/10

Vest: 10/10

Shoes: 10/10

Going into the grinduro this year was a little different than last year….. so many expectations… so many shoes to be filled. Let’s just say….while it was completely different than last years’ experience…. it was equally as epic.

Before I get into the race let’s talk some numbers. Grinduro 2015 was a small race… it was the first year it was offered, and it was maxed at around 400 riders. I don’t even think

that many showed. When they upped the entry max this year, I got a little worried. I was worried the intimacy of the experience would change, and about how crowded some of the single track sections would be. This year 700 people were registered… and the results showed 547 raced. Out of the 547 racers 79 were women (including pros) which represents less than 15% of the field. I’d like to see that number grow more and more each year. The race director indicated that registration will never exceed 700, which is a good thing. Surprisingly the intimacy of the event remained even with the increased numbers. Naturally with a huge increase in numbers there are quite a few things that need to be resolved in order improve next year’s event, however I have no doubt things will get better and better each year provided this year was any indication.

One of the best things about the grinduro is that it's a race, without feeling like a race. There were many times on the course where I rode next to stage winners simply due to the timing format. Four short timed sections, the rest of the ride you simply get to enjoy… only a crazy person wouldn’t take the time to just look around at the beauty of the Sierra Nevadas. This type of ride is exactly why I fell in love riding a bike. 60+ miles, 8k+ of climbing, this isn’t an easy ride. While the ups are all on gravel fire roads, which require little technical skill, decent bike handling skills are required on some of the descents, especially the timed section. If you are like me… you were silently wishing for a little suspension, and each year I’ve questioned my decision to ride a CX bike. Naturally I’m up for the challenge though… and I’ll probably do it again on my CX bike and will forfeit comfort on the descents.

So here is the skinny on the grinduro.. is it for everyone? No. It is for anyone? Yes. The whole event is about the experience, and my experience was simply amazing. A

weekend full of cold and dirty camping. Horrible food that ran out too fast. Showers that ran cold really quickly. Awesome conversation at the fairgrounds and on the mountain. Meeting some of the coolest people in the industry. New friends. Old friends. So while that may not sound great to you…. to me it sounds perfect.

I’m already looking forward to next year. Oh... and the swag is pretty rad too.

andrea's Take:

Kit:

Bottoms: Bibs - Pactimo / Women’s (Large)

Top: Jersey - Giordana / Women’s FR-C Jersey (Large)

Kit Rating:

Bottoms: 10/10

Jersey: 9/10

Single track and I are not friends:

I use lots of B words when I think of Grinduro: Bikes, Beautiful, Booze, and Bitchin!

For this ride, I bought a new Giordana Jersey – FormaRed Carbon. This was by far the most expensive jersey I’ve ever bought, but it was worth every penny. The material is slick and soft and did a great job wicking away my salty sweat. Because I’m such a salty sweater and the jersey is black, it did develop white sweat streaks but I was also into for 10 hours. Love the zipper on the back right side of the jersey to secure cash and keys.

I’m going to let Kate and Danielle tell you all about the ride. What I want to tell you is why I do it even though I’m still scared out of my mind of single track. The single track is 7 miles of crazy downhill but the remaining 56 or so miles are climbs and descents surrounded by pine trees and majestic views. This makes the scary part worth it, even when I crash (which I did). I’m still trying to learn to relax on the downhill and not tense up and slam on the brakes. I went down a steep section and scraped up my elbow but the bike and my kit went unscathed. The great thing about single track is that if you crash its usually a much softer lander than skidding across the pavement on a road bike. Luckily after a grueling 35 minutes of riding, crashing, and walking, I made to the bottom where a group of people are there cheering for you and the smiles are abundant. We made our way back to the campground where I partook in a couple shots of Jameson, a few beers, and a cold shower.

People are rad on this ride. I met Charlie originally from Madison, John originally from Calgary, and a bunch of other cyclists who just want to ride their bikes. The off road scene is so much more chill than road cycling and a completely different world from triathlon. People don’t care as much about what you ride, what you look like, and how many intervals you are doing.

Kate's Take:

Kit:

Bottoms: Bibs - Search and State / Men's Bib (Small)

Top: Jersey - Rapha / Women’s Rapha Souplesse Jersey (Medium)

Vest – Rapha / Women's Gilet (Large)

Kit Rating:

Bottoms: 7/10

Jersey: 8/10

Vest: 10/10

When I look back on my hopefully long and happy life, it is weekends like Grinduro that will stand out in high definition.

The Grinduro for me is what bike racing dreams are made of. Part bike festival, part bike race and part bike party make for an unmissable weekend packed with what I understand the hipsters call "stoke". Any race which is not

timed from start to finish, and which hosts a cocktail bar 5 miles from the finish is the race for me. Drawing on the mountain bike enduro format, the Grinduro is a gravel grinder with a difference; four timed sections throughout the day including a short steep uphill, a rip roaring quick fire road descent, a flat road time trial and a heart in mouth single track downhill. Something for everyone; oh and 8000 feet of climbing. You've got to earn that beer after all.

Quincy, in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains makes for the perfect back drop to this glorious adventure. This year I was stoked to be joined by friends from London, Melbourne and Auckland, as well as my newly found 'Murican mates. All with varying strengths and weaknesses we barrelled around the course mostly together, all taking a slightly different approach to the timed sections. Other than the road time trial where we made like a pro team and time trialed it out (well if I'm honest I took no laps on the front!). Most importantly we all finished in one piece and were all still friends at the end of the day! No flats or crashes to speak of. Just plenty of skids, speed and frighteningly good scenery.

Coming from a background of road and track racing (where let's be honest everyone takes themselves way too seriously) I love the energy of gravel and cross racing. Grinduro is no exception - seriously fit pros, aspiring pros and washed up ex racers all racing together with no one paying any attention to anything but fun and banter. And really that's how bike racing should be.