The Current Waves
The adventures of Bob and Lindsay
Heading North for GRINDURO!
From left: Mat "Barlito" Barlow, myself, Evan "Fry Dawg" Fry, and Mark "Sevy" Sevenoff
Photo: Barlow
Grinduro has been on my radar for about a year. I mean, how could you go wrong with an enduro format gravel race through the Sierras? When registration came up, all it took was a text to get me in...
From the time Evan hit us up, there was a bit of training, a ton of shit-talking, and a boatload of giddy anticipation to head north and ride one of the premier races in North America. What I didn't anticipate was the epic Marin loops and insane shuttle laps that would bracket the race.
Heading out of LA late Tuesday night, I sped towards San Francisco to meet three of the best friends and bike riders out there, Mat, Evan, and Mark.
“Sign up for this race...It’s gonna be epic!”
Marin.
Getting into San Francisco late, I was able to meet Mat for a drink and catch up. He gave me my first mountain bike, so it was only fitting we were riding in Marin together. Soon enough the topic drifted to our route the next day and how excited we were to ride the legendary "Mt. Tam."
Looking down towards SF from Mt. Tamalpais
On all the trail we rode, you could feel the history of sketchy kick brake cruisers roosting down gravel packed dirt. The infinite loops of fire road, single track, and double track that traverse the mountains between the sea and the bay are the perfect blend of flow and tech... Chundery trail opens up to high speed fire road jumps and heinous climbs peak out above brushed-in-front-of-you single track. The towns dotting the area are just as interesting, allowing for beer breaks, water fill ups, and let's just call them "safety meetings."
The route can only be described in two words, "The Nectar." I was promised an OG route through the Marin Headlands, and wow, did we score. Mat's friend Todd had a route planned titled "Physical Graffiti: Side 1," and just like the album, it has EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, but maybe fortunately for my legs, we didn't have time to take in the full album. We'll save that for next time...
F--king Legend
The Toddster is my spirit animal
Our guide, Todd Franklin, aka "The Toddster" is a legend. Seriously, a f--king legend. Born and raised in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, Todd shared the best mountain bike ride I've ever been on. He is the most positive intentioned person on the planet and absolutely shreds...no helmet, XC bars, and no dropper.
Note: Admittedly, there aren't enough photos, I was having too much fun to stop and pull out my camera.
We climbed Mt. Tamalpais out of Fairfax and worked our way all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The route ended up being 45 miles with nearly 6,000ft. climbing. Normally, I would have looked at a route like that and just said, "No." But this is the Marin Headlands...THE birthplace of mountain biking. Every single foot of trail was worth it. And the British pub beer at the bottom of a screaming neighborhood trail descent? IT WAS FANTASTIC.
Bro-cation
After ripping Marin for two days, Barlow and I headed up towards Downieville, rolling the beautiful Highway 49 to meet up with Mark and Evan. They had shuttled some legendary downhill in the area, and by the time we got there had been posted up surfing the mountain high with a healthy dose of Coors.
Going on a trip with the bros is bit different than a run-of-the-mill weekend campout... We don't get to see each other as often as we would like, so when we make a trip like this happen, it is, as the Belgians say, "Full gas."
Our guide to Quincy, Scott Nicol. Photo: Barlow
After getting our lives together, we headed towards Quincy to meet up with Ibis Bikes founder, Scot Nicol. The dude is an absolute ripper and has so much trail knowledge. Testament to his riding, he went on to win his division and rope 33rd overall on the singletrack downhill. I hope I'm whipping tables and railing berms when I'm 60!
Dropping in from the summit of Mount Hough, my mind was instantly blown by the quality of trail building...Just look at how big the smiles are on our faces! No multi-use here, this is purpose built, high speed, hero dirt bliss. After having my mind blown, the next thought was, "Shit, we gotta ride this on cross bikes tomorrow?"
GRINDURO!
No amount of training or preparation could have gotten me ready for the insanity that is GRINDURO! I've done some crazy shit on my cross bike, but man, Grinduro is something else. We should have known when we started seeing hardtail mountain bikes.
Starting off, it was probably hovering somewhere in the low 30s with frost on ground and steam rising above the lumber mill near our camp. As we rolled out, Barlow was getting the speed wobbles from shivering and I couldn't feel my fingers or toes. But the sun began to peek out right as we began our climb, and it was immediately apparent it would be a gorgeous day.
With only 16 miles of the 60 mile ride being timed, the leisurely pace was only interrupted by punchy kickers. The timed sections broke out as a climb, dirt road descent, paved TT, and single track descent. Long story short they can be described as lung-burning-visit-to-pain-cave, scary-as-hell-don't-slip-out-and-die, full gas, and survive.
Peppered throughout the course were much appreciated aid stations with such riding essentials as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, whiskey shots, electrolyte drink, snacks, and more "safety meetings." The vibe is so cool...it's hard to describe. Everyone is positive and in good spirits, and the lack of race on the liaison stages further fosters a mentality of camaraderie.
The final singletrack ends at a great swimming hole with cocktails, ice cold beer and riders covered in Sierra dust. After cooling off, trading stories, and slicing my foot open on a rock, we rolled back to camp with huge smiles ready to take on the ensuing party...
The Last Day
We out here... Photo: Barlow
The morning after, there was only thing between me and the 9.5 hour drive home. With sore legs, a moderate hangover, and a hunger for shred, we headed out for our final group shuttle of the trip. Joined by a few more friends, we took our time taking photos and flowing down Mt. Hough.
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
These guys kill it. They run shuttles to fund the trails, then build the trails to then shuttle. It's brilliant. While we only rode a small fraction of the areas trail offerings, SBTS is out there building and making the National Forest generally more awesome...which is hard to do. Kudos to the crew up there for throwing down on an event like Grinduro, Check out more of what they do at http://www.sierratrails.org/
Evan, thanks for the googles. Barlito, thanks for the hero shot. Photo: Barlow
Headed home
After our little shred sesh and some amazing pizza in Blairsden, I headed home. My route was plotted down through Tahoe and over Monitor Pass to Mono Lake and back through Mammoth.
NOPE.
Monitor was closed, so I ended up over Ebbets Pass back towards the Central Valley. After some grumbling and a fresh cup of coffee, I soon realized Ebbets Pass is gorgeous... and there are trails.
Next time...
Coming home via Ebbets Pass