Grinduro '23 Course Launch
Grinduro California is bringing its unique blend of maxin’ and relaxin’ back to Mt. Shasta May 19-21 with a brand new course for 2023. Riders will experience everything from rough remote gravel roads to smooth swoopy singletrack, all between an elevation of 3,500'-5,000' to stay out of the snowpack. Grinduro CA is organized by and benefits the Siskiyou Outdoor Recreation Alliance (SORA).
“As of early May, there is no longer any snow on the course, but water abounds everywhere,” said Dave Tricamo, course co-designer and SORA Board Member. “The grass is green and the flowers exploding! The Grinduro course comes in at 59.1 miles with 21 of those paved and 6,325’ of elevation gain. Do not be misled by the mileage, this is a tough course with relentless changes in elevation, and a multitude of surface types that will keep riders on their toes. And as for the most important of considerations, tire type and pressure! I’d ride a 40C tire with some knobs at about 40 PSI. This is not a mountain bike course, and there will be no hike-a-bike this year, perhaps to some folk’s chagrin.”
In typical Grinduro fashion, the route includes four timed stages on a mix of terrain including a gravel descent, road time trial, gravel climb, and rolling singletrack.
Course Highlights
The course is a tale of two sides of Mt Shasta. On the southside riders will traverse the upper reaches of the Soda Creek drainage. This area is timber company land, and the roads are big and well made, made challenging by the constant changes in elevation. It will be muddy here, and this is where riders will encounter Stage 1, the gravel descent. Much of this loop is on private property, and Grinduro has been given special permission to ride these roads on the event weekend only. Grinduro racers are some of the lucky few to ride bikes here.
Grinduro riders will then lunch on the shores of Lake Siskiyou before setting off to the northside loop where three of the four timed stages will be tackled. Stage 2 is a fast-rolling road time trial that trends slightly uphill. This gets riders to the northside of Black Butte for the gravel climb stage, Stage 3, once again on timber company lands. This area is volcanic and much drier than other parts of the course. At the top of this climb riders will drop into the Gateway singletrack trails to finish the final stage, Stage 4, on the fast berms and rollers. In 2022, some riders said the Gateway trails were the best singletrack they’ve ever ridden.
In addition to Grinduro, Grindurito is back for people who want to experience the fun of Grinduro with a little less mileage. The Grindurito course is the northside loop of Grinduro, at approximately 35.5 miles and 3,546-feet of climbing. Grindurito riders will race Stages 2-4.
The weekend also includes the Friday Schwalbe Shakedown Ride & Prologue Stage, plus the Sunday Wahoo Hangover Ride. All routes, GPX files, and more course details can be found at: grinduro.com/california-maps.php
Entries are still available for Grinduro California, and online registration has been extended through Monday, May 15. Onsite registration will also be available. Riders can find the registration link and learn more about the event at: https://www.grinduro.com/california.php