In short, Grinduro is just what the name suggests: gravel road race + mountain bike-style enduro = one long loop of pavement and dirt, where finishing times aren’t based on overall loop time, but four timed segments (each roughly five-to-ten minutes). But Grinduro is not just a bike race. It’s a celebration of cycling with as much emphasis on the fun as the ride, with excellent food, an impressive display of art and incredible handmade bikes, live music, camping, and a festival atmosphere.
At the top of California lies the town of Mt. Shasta—a place uniquely touched by all four seasons and watched over by a legendary 14,179’ snow-capped Mountain.
The town is within Siskiyou County, and it is considered one of the last frontiers in California. Rugged and pure, Mt. Shasta is where untamed adventure runs free. The surrounding region encompasses rich volcanic history, bio-diverse forests, abundant alpine lakes, wild and scenic rivers, waterfalls, canyons, valleys, and peaks. No shortage of outdoor adventures to be had.
Many Mt. Shasta locals suffer from a shared syndrome called RSS—Recreational Stress Syndrome. When you wake up and look out the window, the number of outdoor activities calling your name can be overwhelming. Should you ski? Mountain bike? Kayak? Climb? As your mind races through the limitless options, you feel a twinge of anxiety trying to pick just one. So what do you do? You do it all. On certain days of the year, with an alpine start, it’s possible to summit and ski 7,000’ of continuous vertical off the top of Mt. Shasta before noon, whitewater kayak the Upper Sacramento River in the afternoon, and jump on your mountain bike for a spin around the Gateway Trails in time to make your way to Lake Siskiyou for an evening paddleboard session with the alpenglow of Mt. Shasta as your backdrop.
Some come not for high-adrenaline adventure, but for healing and transcendence—the mountain has a global reputation as a vortex for spiritual seekers. A Buddhist monastery is tucked away in the local forest of Mt. Shasta. And then of course there is the crystal city inside the mountain, inhabited by higher-dimensional beings called Lemurians.
Mt. Shasta is the traditional land of the Okwanuchu, Shasta, Winnimem Wintu, Achumawi, Atsugewi, and Modoc Peoples past and present, who have stewarded the land throughout the generations.
Mt. Shasta’s special wild places include:
Grinduro isn’t just about having a good time, it’s about doing good too! Grinduro CA is hosted by the Siskiyou Outdoor Recreation Alliance (SORA), and all proceeds from the event go directly back to SORA to support their important work.
SORA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is focused on promoting sustainable outdoor recreation through programs, policy, planning, and stewardship. They advocate for opportunities to provide outdoor recreation access to all, while creating meaningful and responsible connections to the trails, mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and landscapes of the Shasta-Siskiyou region of Northern California. SORA is committed to cultivating vibrant communities within Siskiyou County.
Grinduro CA’s proceeds will support SORA’s newly established Siskiyou Stewardship Fund, which is dedicated to improving recreation infrastructure and access as needed for the community. The initial focus of this program is to fund trail maintenance in the Mt. Shasta area, including maintenance of trails included in the Grinduro CA course.
To learn more about SORA and further support their great work with a donation, click here.
The Grinduro and Grindurito courses are going to be RAD. We’ll have course maps and GPX routes for both courses available here as we get closer to the event.
The Grinduro course takes you on an unforgettable tour of Mt. Shasta’s incredible dirt roads and singletrack. You’ll experience everything from rough remote gravel roads to smooth swoopy singletrack blanketed in dreamy brown pow. All along the way, you’ll be struck with awe thanks to massive views of Mt. Shasta and the Eddy Mountain Range. Guaranteed, there will be more grammable moments than you’ll know what to do with.
When you’re riding in Mt. Shasta, you’ll get this feeling that you’re riding in a place that is relatively untapped. The terrain is raw and untouched, giving you a sense of discovery as you pedal through the stunning landscape.
At the same time, you’ll find yourself in an up-and-coming mountain bike mecca. The Grinduro and Grindurito courses take you through the Gateway Trail network, which is one of the most popular XC rides in the Mt. Shasta area. It was professionally built by mountain bike trail builders, and it’s maintained by the local IMBA group, the Mt. Shasta Mountain Bike Association, and the Mt. Shasta Trail Association. This luscious singletrack combines smooth berms with slightly techy rock gardens, and trust us, these trails are a mega fun on drop bars!
If you’re doing the full Grinduro ride, be ready for 58-miles and 7,500’ of elevation gain, with four timed stages on a mix of dirt roads and singletrack.
Grindurito is a fun ride without categories. It isn’t timed, so you and your crew can just get out there and have a fun time without the pressure of racing the clock.
Grinduro California has made an exciting commitment to FTW (femme, trans, women) participants for the 2021 event. 50% of the registration spots are reserved for women and cyclists from across the gender spectrum, including riders who identify as trans and/or non-binary. We also added a new Open Gender category to make sure everybody knows they are welcome at this event. Heck yeah!
THE BEST BIKE: You can ride any type of pedal-driven bicycle (no electric-pedal assist!), although we recommend a cyclocross bike or gravel bike for the Grinduro and Grindurito course. The ultimate setup is probably a disc brake-equipped cyclocross/gravel bike with fast-rolling, tubeless clincher tires.
MECHANICALS: Be prepared to fix any mechanicals you might encounter out on course. We recommend riding with at least two extra tubes, tubeless tire plugs, a multi-tool, and mini-pump.
CLOTHING: We’ll be at high elevation in the fall, so bring layers. The course varies in elevation from 7,300' at its highest point and 3,300' at its lowest. The temperature can fluctuate, so it’s a great idea to have arm/leg warmers and a jacket with you just in case weather rolls in.
FUEL: There will be feed zones (and an excellent lunch!), but smart riders will bring at least two water bottles and their favorite nutritional supplies.
SHOES/PEDALS: You can ride this loop in road shoes with road pedals, but we recommend mountain bike pedals and shoes for their versatility.
PROTECT YER NOGGIN: Don’t take the start line without a helmet on!
We’ll have a podium awards ceremony on the main stage in the Grinduro Village on Saturday evening. The top three finishers of each category will be brought onto the stage for their moment of glory. In addition to fame and bragging rights, each winner will take home a little something special.
Think you might not have what it takes to win the whole shebang, but maybe you can CRUSH one of the stages? Cool. We’ll also have awards for the fastest overall finishers for each Grinduro race stage. Best of luck!
We believe that bike riders’ health, attitude and performance is directly related to the foods that they eat, so we have amazing food planned for the weekend.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included for all racers on Saturday. Grinduro riders will enjoy lunch out on course, and the Grindurito lunch will be available in the venue. Chef Christian Bachman from Gather Catering Co. has prepared a mouth watering menu for you, with lots of great options for our vegan and gluten free friends…
We’re always striving to hit the perfect Party-to-Race Ratio at Grinduro, and this year, we’ve lined up a stellar music set to help you shake things loose.
You’ve heard about Stage 5, right? Some of Grinduro’s finest might even argue that Stage 5 is the most important stage of the weekend… We’re talkin’ about the dance party! On Saturday night, we’ve got two great bands for you with one shared mission: help make your noodly legs find a little more oomph to boogie down!
First up is one of Mt. Shasta’s favorite local bands, Secret Society Handshake! This 12-piece funk/soul/pop cover band is ready to deliver some relentless high-energy dance music showcasing soulful vocals, horns, and guitars. But the question is, are you ready?
Save some energy though, because headlining Saturday’s show all the way down from Portland is LDW! LDW is an electric band with a love of Talking Heads, and they’ll be rockin’ a mix of Talking Heads covers plus some originals. Start practicing your best moves… Whether your jam is Psycho Killer, Burning Down the House, or Once in a Lifetime, we can’t wait to see how loose you can get on the dancefloor.
Welcome Campers! Camping areas are located stumbling distance from the Grinduro Village, so you’ll be able to easily get back to your tent after letting loose at the party.
Showers are available for use at the adjacent Mt. Shasta Highschool (see venue map for location and walking directions) during the following hours:
Absolutely no fires of any kind (including gas fire pits) are permitted anywhere at Shastice Park. Some gas fire pits may be located in the Grinduro Village. These are pre-approved, can only be operated by event staff, and will only be used if deemed safe by local officials at the time of the event.
Please respect our neighbors and keep noise to a minimum after 10pm.
Please only park in the designated Grinduro parking areas. Do not park on the nearby neighborhood streets.
If your four legged best bud is here at Grinduro with you, please respect these rules:
Be sure to clean up absolutely everything in your campsite. The day after you leave, a whole heap of kiddos will be playing soccer and baseball on the Grinduro camping areas. You don’t want anybody getting injured on tent stakes accidentally left behind. Please be diligent and leave nothing behind.
Grinduro’s Art and Bike Show, sponsored by Columbus is a curated collection of our favourite, mostly-bike-related things. It’s two parts handmade bicycle display, one part art exhibition, and one part bike shop.
It includes some of the most interesting and elaborate works of art in cycling. We showcase the independent artisans and the iconoclasts who rarely get the spotlight at traditional trade shows and bike events. We have a host of custom bike manufacturers coming to our Pop-Up Shop this year:
Join the inner circle of the Grinduro Planning Squad (GPS!) by volunteering. There will be lots of fun volunteer opportunities available, including course marshals, beer pourers, packet pickup assistance, aid station support, podium helpers, dance party starters, and much, much more. Grinduro wouldn’t happen without the help of all you amazing volunteers out there, so THANKS!
Grinduro volunteers receive the following perks for helping us pull this event together, all while having one helluva good time:
Grinduro California is now requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccine or negative test results in order to attend the event and pick up your race number.
The Grinduro course features a blend of pavement, dirt road, gravel road and singletrack.
Be cool, have fun and enjoy the ride. Those are the rules!
For those of you who need things spelled-out, here you have it…
Grinduro wouldn't be the party it is without our amazing partners! Thank you to the great brands who bring good vibes and make Grinduro CA possible.
