Grinduro is well known among gravel riding fans the world-over for creating the perfect Party-to-Race ratio and for 2023, Shimano is going to be joining the party as a global presenting sponsor.
Grinduro combines the best elements of a mountain bike enduro with a gravel grinder-style road race. But the magic really happens when you add great food, an art & bike festival, high-quality music and camping in an epic location.
The Shimano GRX range of gravel-focused components and wheelsets are perfectly suited to the challenging and fun courses that the Grinduro Global Series has become recognised for. The brand will also support with its range of pedal systems, cycle apparel and eyewear.
Grinduro is a combo of a gravel grinder road race and mountain bike enduro. The routes are a mix of everything from pavement, gravel and singletrack. While Grinduro is held in enduro format, with four stages ridden in race mode, the rest of the tour can be enjoyed without time pressure. It's both beautiful and challenging, with a well-balanced mix of paved and unpaved, flat and hilly, fast and technical, social and competitive.
“At Shimano, we are thrilled to be partnering with Grinduro. They champion a global community spirit with a festive yet competitive energy at the events, aligning perfectly with our favorite aspects of gravel riding. We see gravel riding as a great equalizer and unifier, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone at the Grinduro events"
Each round of the six-event series has a distinct look and feel. But the events have one thing in common: They're all about trying to find that perfect mix of racing and partying. There are three days of organised events at each location - a Friday afternoon prologue, all day riding (with timed stages for those who want to the put the pedal to the metal) on the Saturday and a gentle "hangover" ride on the Sunday morning.
Shimano will be on-site at all six amazing locations, showcasing their full range of gravel products to the Grinduro audience. There will also be an opportunity to hang out with the team, to meet with Shimano Gravel Alliance ambassadors, and of course, to join the Grinduro afterparty with some unique rider activations.
For 2023, the Grinduro World Series includes rounds in six different countries across the globe. Kicking off in the forests of Germany on May 5th-7th, before heading across the Atlantic to the mountains of California on May 19th-21st.
We'll be staying in the USA for round 3 in the woods of Pennsylvania on June 16th-18th, before we hop, skip and jump back across the Atlantic to the pastoral green lands of Wales on July 7th-9th. Round five takes us to the sunshine of coastal Italy on September 8th-10th, before taking one giant leap to the Far East for the grand finale in the mountains of Japan on October 7th-9th.
