GRINDURO SWITZERLAND
11.09.21 | Words by Amanda Schaper | Video by George Marshall | Images by Dain Zaffke
Most bike racers get a little antsy when we have to stay in one place for too long. We love the thrill of travel, discovering new places, and connecting with other like minded people. After nearly two years with very little travel, it’s a big understatement to say that Kathy, Nehemiah, and I were super duper mega excited to jump on a plane and head to Grinduro Switzerland!
This was the inaugural Grinduro Switzerland, and we’re happy to say that the Swiss delivered on everything you’d expect out of a perfect Grinduro weekend: amazing riding, unbelievable views, delicious food, refreshing beverages, awesome live music, and a truly EPIC dance party. It was a weekend of maxin’ and relaxin’ at its finest.
The course was everything you’d want out of a Grinduro route. Well, almost everything. The route was about 60 miles with a whopping 9,000-feet of elevation gain. And let me tell you…some of that climbing was steep! It was worth it though because those climbs opened up to some unbelievable views of the Alps. In true Grinduro fashion, the course offered four timed stages, but in not-so-true Grinduro fashion, all of those stages pointed UP! Where was the downhill fireroad stage?! Where was the rippin’ singletrack stage?! The Flashpoint MVMNT crew loves to get rowdy on our drop bar bikes, so we would have enjoyed a couple stages that lost more elevation than they gained. Maybe we’ll have to go back in 2022 to make sure they get the classic downhill stages added next year…
Grinduro holds a special place in our hearts. The event’s party-to-race ratio is a perfect match to Flashpoint’s attitude, which is all about racing hard while keeping it fun. Nothing beats riding in a new place with friends, then dropping the hammer when you hit a timed stage. Some of our favorite moments from the ride happened right at the end of a stage, when we’d all swap stories about our effort while laughing and gasping for air.
One of the most unique aspects of Grinduro is that the event’s format gives you the opportunity to ride with people you might otherwise never get the chance to ride alongside in a race. We were especially excited to roll with Canyon SRAM athlete Mikayla Harvey in her first gravel race…and she absolutely crushed!
This Grinduro adventure has us longing for more travel, more events, and more opportunities to hangout with the gravel community. We had so much fun meeting new people, listening to alphorns, eating cheese fondue, and making our way up big climbs to massive views of the Swiss Alps. Most of all, we enjoyed making new friends with other like minded people who are doing their part to make bikes fun for everybody.
Stay tuned for a longer film we shot in Switzerland focusing on women at Grinduro, in gravel, and opportunities in cycling in general. Coming soon!
