FEATURE
BikeBiz editor Alex Ballinger travelled into the hills of Wales for Grinduro 2022
For many, gravel riding represents a move away from the stereotypes of performance cycling, with events like Grinduro promoting inclusivity and camaraderie above results. BikeBiz editor Alex Ballinger travelled to west Wales to sample this new era of cycling events
What is Grinduro? The aptly named event, founded in California in 2015, is a unique hybrid of a gravel sportive combined with the timed elements of a mountain bike enduro race, all enclosed in a weekend camping, festival-style vibe. Having heard plenty about the event, I thought I’d dive into this
new type of cycling event and see what it represents to the industry, and sample the “perfect party-to-race-ratio.”
The concept “It’s a special mix of a social/adventure ride and a bike race,” said Dain Zaffke, director of marketing for apparel and helmet brand Giro, one of the headline sponsors of Grinduro. “This ‘Maxin’ and Relaxin’ attitude sets it apart from other events, then you add in a super inclusive atmosphere that merges the best of mountain biking
6 | September 2022
with traditional gravel events and enduro racing and you have an event that appeals to a wide range of people.” Grinduro’s format will be familiar to anyone versed in enduro mountain biking. Riders pedal at a leisurely pace to the start of the timed sections. After racing full gas through these timed sections, riders make their way back to the start village, where their times are tallied up from each stage, prizes are handed out, and participants are treated to drinks, food, live music, DJs, cycling chat, and displays from some choice industry brands. After starting in California initially, Grinduro has since expanded
around the world, first to Scotland in 2017, and now in Germany, and Australia. Grinduro 2022, which I and my photographer Lewis took part in,
marked the first time the UK edition was held in Wales rather than Scotland, shifting to mountain biking hotbed Machynlleth. This year’s event took place over three days, starting on a Friday with a special 12km SRAM prologue event, featuring one timed section. Saturday was the main event, featuring a 40km morning and a 27km-long afternoon session, each with two timed sections. While the distances were nothing to write home about, the
terrain through the gravel of the Welsh hills (and the inevitable mid-July downpours) made completing the event feel like an achievement in itself. After the riding was done, it was time for the festival vibes, with
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