This is the 20th year of the Grasshopper Adventure Series. A NorCal original that schools riders on the back roads and trails of Sonoma and Marin. Watch highlights from Old Caz, a mixed terrain 50 miler with 4500 feet of climbing. This is one event not to miss. The roads, the dirt, the views, and the creek crossing! All adding up to a great adventure. ...
King Ridge Dirt Supreme is the 6th event of the Grasshopper Adventure Series. It’s one long tough route. Miles and miles of road with short sections of tricky dirt to keep you honest. This is one of my favorites of the series but also one I always suffer on. Oh the pain, oh the joy. ...
Mig created a monster with this version of the 2017 Grasshopper Adventure Series Super Sweetwater event. To add to the fun, Mother Nature brought rain to the party. And if it wasn’t raining it was misting. And cold. And then there was a lot climbing. But there were two route options this year. The first was the classic route that included the dirt and river crossing of Old Caz. This totaled around 70 miles and 9000 feet of climbing. Then there was the alternate all road option for those afraid of getting their booties dirty (insert sad face). This had 78 miles and 7163 feet of climbing. ...
The second event of the 2017 Grasshopper Adventure Series escaped the recent atmospheric river rains and had sunny beautiful weather. But that didn’t make the Chileno Valley Hopper that much easier. What was easier was the option to take a shorter route of 53 miles and 4947 feet of climbing. There was still the original long route of 80 miles and 6384 feet of climbing. Any that took the long option suffered greatly on the final climb up “Joy” Rd after 78 miles. ...
Quick capture from the first portion of the 2017 Grasshopper Adventure Series Old Caz event. Cold weather and a dying GoPro battery limited the capture. Oh well.. Really fun day and Old Caz is always the best of the series. And we were lucky not to have Austin Creek flowing higher than thigh deep! ...
This was the last of the Grasshopper Adventure Series for 2015. And it was the icing on the pain cake. A total of 83 miles and 8800 feet climbing with a mix of road and dirt. I cracked before the final climb up Willow Creek but was able to spin my way to the end. Ouch. ...
Welcome to the start of the 2015 Grasshopper Adventure Series. Let’s begin it with a big kick in the pants. Old Caz is the first in the series and is the quintessential Hopper. It comes with a helping of elevation up and down, miles on the road and on the dirt! Oh, and let us not forget about getting your toesies wet at the creek crossing. ...
This here ride is one of the classics in Sonoma County. It has several ingredients to make you savor the flavor. A nice leisurely cruise through the vineyards. A beautiful and gradual climb up a canyon to the geysers (hot springs). A quick little descent back to the vineyards. And then one more stroll up to the “flat” area with creeks and pine trees. ...
One of the toughest of the Grasshopper Adventure Series, the Sweetwater, piled on the pain this time. The route strung together Sweetwater, Old Caz, Fort Ross, and then ended with a climb up Coleman Valley from Hwy 1. Ouch. It. Hurt. More info: http://www.grasshopperadventureseries.com
This is the final “training ride” of the series and it’s a mountain bike event… well, except for the rare few that might bring their cyclocross bikes (rock on oh crazy ones!). The trails around Lake Sonoma are a mix of single-track, double-track, some fire road, and a whole lot of pain. We all hear that ‘What goes up must come down’. The route here gives strong support for this saying since it reinforces it hundreds of times over and over and over. Climb up, drop down, climb up, drop down, climb up, climb up… oops, ok, there are moments where the course tricks you and ‘what goes up’ must go up some more. Ouch! ...