Two weekends in the past, Truckee Tahoe Gravel returned to the northern Sierra for a weekend filled with sunny skies, gravel roads, drained legs, and smiling faces. 2026 was Truckee Gravel’s fifth consecutive 12 months — seventh since 2018 — of gravel racing by the mountains north of Truckee, California. I signed up on the final minute, threw on the Lycra package, and reworked again right into a gravel racer for the primary time in a few years.
After being sidelined from racing in 2025, I’ve been hoping to get again within the combine, and my yard gravel race appeared like the proper alternative to do it. Using away from the beginning with 800+ contributors on race morning, I used to be rapidly reminded of the significance and fantastic thing about native races. Positive, the large, marquee occasions might get all of the headlines, however native races are the place the magic actually occurs.
Truckee Tahoe Gravel
Truckee Gravel has been happening in a single type or one other since 2018. Beginning and ending within the stunning mountain city of Truckee, CA, simply north of Lake Tahoe, there’s wonderful entry to a whole bunch of miles of gravel roads crisscrossing the mountains, valleys, and meadows of the northern Sierra.
In 2024, Truckee Gravel debuted three new programs — quick, medium, and lengthy — and has caught with them ever since. Not solely do these course choices supply one thing for all expertise and health ranges, however in addition they showcase a number of the finest gravel roads and driving within the space. Right here’s a fast breakdown of the routes:
Lengthy: 101.9 miles, 7,926 ft of climbing, 80% gravel, 20% paved
Medium: 66.1 miles, 4,439 ft of climbing, 84% gravel, 16% paved
Quick: 28.8 miles, 1,810 ft of climbing, 55% gravel, 45% paved
At ~102 miles and 8k of climbing, the lengthy course is lots difficult with out breaking into the realm of complete absurdity — reminder: 100 miles is already actually far. With a shocking route that takes riders as much as and alongside the Sierra Crest to Yuba Move, by the Sierra Valley, and again once more, the lengthy course will get the lion’s share of the eye and arguably attracts the very best degree of competitors.
Up to now couple of years, nevertheless, the medium course has confirmed to be extra in style with contributors. Whereas 66 miles and 4,400 ft of climbing is nothing to scoff at, it’s way more approachable than the lengthy course. On high of that, the medium route is arguably top-of-the-line gravel loops you may journey out of Truckee, racing or not. The Bear Valley Highway descent is to not be missed.
The quick course is extra of a mixed-surface route, nice for these simply stepping into gravel, taking part of their first race, or anybody who merely prefers driving a shorter distance. A number of miles by the beginning and end are shared with the medium and lengthy programs, nevertheless it explores some gravel, pavement, and mountain meadows that the opposite programs don’t.
Race Day and Outcomes
Truckee Gravel came about on Saturday, June twenty seventh. After weeks of sizzling temperatures, a chilly entrance moved by the realm, bringing the daytime excessive all the way down to a really nice 60° F for race day. And regardless of 30 mph wind gusts all through the day, it was a welcome reprieve from the sweltering 95° warmth I skilled on the identical course in 2024.
After the mass begin and impartial rollout resulting in a number of miles of quick pavement, riders hit the filth, and the lead group rapidly established and commenced pulling away from the plenty. My basic “I’ll see how I really feel, however this is likely to be extra of a journey than a race” angle lasted about 5 minutes, and I used to be respiratory by my eyeballs for the remainder of the day. I managed to maintain the lead group in sight for the primary 20-ish miles, however in my typical style, ended up strung out in no-man’s land.
I settled in with a couple of totally different riders over the subsequent 75 miles, catching up with and buying and selling pulls with former rivals and native legends whom I just about solely see at races. I want I might let you know what went down on the entrance of the race, however I undoubtedly wasn’t there to witness it. I limped it over the road in thirteenth total, and a good 2nd within the 40-49 age group. After not racing final season, it felt good to be again and to recollect the masochistic pleasure of pushing my bodily limits for five+ hours.
Again on the end line and expo, I discovered that Nor-Cal phenom Alex Wild clinched his third consecutive Truckee Gravel win in decisive style. Wild was joined a couple of minutes later by his CycleSport.com teammate Matthew Saldana, adopted by Truckee native Stephen Flynn, former World Tour racer Levi Lepheimer, and Eric Colindres, rounding out the highest 5 total.
Within the girls’s race, skilled racer Jen Tavé repeated her 2024 Truckee Gravel victory with a 24-minute hole to 2nd place. Tavé’s blistering tempo and 6:03:31 end time put her 18th within the total standings. She was adopted by 2x Leadville 100 champ Larissa Connors in 2nd, Eve Nyrhinen in third, Gillian Wagner in 4th, and Megan Brinkmeyer, rounding out the highest 5.
The medium course additionally noticed some aggressive racing. Within the girls’s race, it was none aside from the legendary Katerina Nash taking the win in her hometown of Truckee. Nash was adopted by Truckee native Samantha Shields and Kyndra Riddle in third. Within the males’s race, 15-year-old Nicholas Russell confirmed he’s obtained a future in gravel racing with a powerful victory on the 66-mile course. Russell was adopted by Marek Muller and Todd Harris, each 30+ years his senior.
This Man Races Gravel?
Given that almost all of my gear testing and critiques on BikeRumor are mountain bike and eMTB associated, it could come as a shock to some readers that I’ve additionally been driving gravel fairly significantly since 2017. I began type of on a whim, signing up for Misplaced and Discovered (L+F) as a result of it was a part of a three-race sequence referred to as the Misplaced Sierra Triple Crown. The 100-mile L+F course was my very first style of gravel racing, and an actual dive into the deep finish for a first-timer.
Seems, gravel driving and racing suited me effectively and performed to my obvious strengths as a bike owner. I suppose I by no means realized it prior, however I discovered that I actually benefit from the struggling related to endurance racing. I obtained hooked fairly rapidly, lining up for L+F once more in 2018, and for the Sagan Dust Fondo (the first version of what would turn into Truckee Gravel) in my then-hometown a couple of weeks later.
Past the love of struggling and pushing my limits, I actually favored that I used to be truly aggressive and in a position to constantly battle for podiums in my age group. Heck, I caught the gravel racing bug so arduous that in 2019, I began racing “professional” to see how I stacked up. In fact, I’m not a professional-level racer, and I by no means actually was, however I had enjoyable giving it a go anyway.
And whereas I actually take pleasure in racing, I sometimes simply enter a few close by gravel races a 12 months — Misplaced and Discovered and Truckee Gravel — along with another occasions just like the Downieville Traditional, and no matter else catches my eye and matches into my schedule. However all through my racing journey, I can’t deny the affect my native race has had on my trajectory as a racer.
My Race Rig
I’m at present in between gravel bikes, and the one drop bar bike I at present personal runs a 12-speed Pinion gearbox drivetrain. Whereas it is extremely low-maintenance, it’s not precisely a high-performance race bike. So, I used to be extraordinarily fortunate to get my fingers on a Specialised Diverge 4 Professional LTD. That is the top-tier construct within the Diverge lineup, and, in my view, the best bike for many riders — the Diverge, that’s, not essentially the high-end Professional LTD construct.
Positive, race bikes like the brand new Crux 5 are cool and all, however when you’re not racing on a regular basis, I consider bikes just like the Diverge are a a lot better match for many riders. That is the type of bike you may tackle in a single day bikepacking excursions, mellow singletrack, combined floor adventures, and nonetheless toe the road at a few gravel occasions a 12 months. It’s nonetheless lots mild for racing, sporty sufficient to combine it up on the high of the outcomes sheet, nevertheless it’s not so racy that it’s uncomfortable. I’ll select consolation over aerodynamics any day.
At 6’0” with disproportionately lengthy legs, I went with a 56 cm body particularly for the shorter attain, realizing that may stability out barely with the decrease stack peak. I ran it in its inventory configuration, which leaves virtually nothing to complain about, apart from possibly the shift paddles on the Shimano Di2 shifters. In any other case, this construct is about as trick as they arrive, weighing in at 19 kilos even, together with two bottle cages and a set of Wolf Tooth DEL gravel race pedals.
I’ll have lots extra to say concerning the Diverge 4 Professional LTD, the excellent Terra CLX III wheels, and why most individuals don’t want a gravel race bike (until you’re a devoted gravel racer) within the not-too-distant future. For now, I can truthfully say that is one of the best gravel bike I’ve ridden so far. It’s excellent for a rider like me who desires one bike to do all of it, together with the occasional gravel race.
Rubbing Elbows with the Professionals
Clearly, racing on my residence turf and acquainted roads is at all times a deal with. However racing Truckee Gravel has additionally allowed me to rub elbows with a number of the greatest names within the sport. Actually, the primary iteration of the race in 2018 was the Sagan Dust Fondo, headlined by none aside from multi-time Highway World Champion, Peter Sagan. Different notable riders that 12 months included Katerina Nash and Geoff Kabush, two riders who’re no strangers to the Northern California race scene.
Sagan didn’t return in 2019, and Bike Monkey renamed the occasion the Truckee Dust Fondo. Together with hometown hero Katerina Nash, that 12 months’s Unbound 200 (DK200 at the moment) girls’s champ, Amity Rockwell, additionally joined in on the enjoyable and the rostrum. This additionally occurred to be my one and solely 12 months racing “professional,” and by some means I managed to complete 2nd behind former professional roadie and Nor-Cal legend Jonathan Baker, and a few minutes forward of an up-and-coming Brennan Wertz. Wertz finally turned the US Gravel Nationwide Champion in 2024, together with loads of different spectacular performances earlier than and since.
After a two-year Covid hiatus, gravel racing returned to Truckee in 2022, and the occasion was renamed Truckee Tahoe Gravel. Within the years since, Truckee Gravel has actually come into its personal. Bike Monkey has finished and continues to do a beautiful job organizing and selling the occasion. And when racing schedules permit, it typically attracts a few of gravel’s greatest names in between a number of the marquee occasions.
Actually, a number of the world’s quickest gravel racers have proven as much as throw down at our native race, together with Haley Smith, Matt Beers, Peter Stetina, John Borstelman, Tobin Ortenblad, and Lachlan Morton. Enjoyable truth, in 2024, I beat Lachlan Morton in a race — however solely as a result of he flatted, twice, haha… Regardless, it has been superior to look at the occasion mature over time and line up alongside legends, even when meaning I’ll by no means have a shot at an total podium once more.
Lengthy Stay Native Races
In fact, the higher Northern California and western Nevada area is a hotbed for biking expertise, and Truckee Gravel’s means to attract a number of the sport’s finest athletes is considerably distinctive. And even when Lifetime Grand Prix athletes aren’t dropping in in your native race, these occasions are essential for therefore many extra causes.
If, like me, you’re the aggressive sort, native races are the place you may lastly put a face to these names you see on Strava and possibly even see the way you examine in actual life, not simply the digital world. It’s the place native legend standing is earned on a outcomes sheet, not an app. Whether or not you’re racing for a podium or simply towards your self, it’s tremendous motivating to be on the clock. And it’s a possibility to satisfy riders who reside close by who share comparable pursuits, health ranges, and abilities on the bike. Typically, your closest rival might turn into your finest coaching companion or driving buddy.
For a lot of younger riders, the native is their first bike race or style of competitors, planting a seed that might doubtlessly develop right into a future as a motorcycle racer. For established juniors, native races are the place they hone their abilities, climb up by the ranks, and duke it out with their friends — or see how they stack up towards the adults. Watching the rostrum displays two weekends in the past, I used to be very impressed by the variety of younger riders and the extent of their driving. Not solely are they already quick, however the degree of youth participation additionally factors to a vivid future for the game and biking normally.
And let’s not neglect concerning the adults popping out for his or her first race and dipping their toes into the aggressive biking pool. Regardless of your expertise degree, racing can present the motivation to journey extra, enhance health, and keep a wholesome life-style. And in any respect ages, too. My buddy’s 73-year-old dad got here out and crushed the medium course for the third 12 months in a row (shoutout to Massive Fred!).
However for many individuals, getting into a race or taking part in a biking occasion isn’t about competitors in any respect. Native races are an awesome alternative for riders to get out and push their limits, set a brand new private finest, or simply go for an enormous, stunning bike journey — with support stations and mechanical and medical help, simply in case. And whether or not you’re racing or simply there for a very good time, races convey the biking group collectively over a shared love of bikes.
In fact, Truckee Gravel is one in all my native races, nevertheless it’s simply one of many many a whole bunch, if not hundreds, of native races occurring throughout the nation and across the globe. Each a possibility for riders to compete (or not), take a look at their limits, discover new trails or roads, meet new folks, increase horizons, and convey the group collectively to have a good time the straightforward pleasure of driving bikes.
Lengthy Stay Native Races. Massive because of Bike Monkey for placing on an awesome occasion — and quite a few different occasions every year. I’m already trying ahead to 2027.
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