ENVE Grodeo By The Numbers

What is the GRODEO? It’s a day to showcase the beauty and challenge of the terrain in our own backyard while paying tribute to the hard-won west. From the onetime stockyards where ENVE now sits, the GRODEO is a nod to Ogden’s rough and tumble history that helped shape the railroad and livestock industries. We’re taking the area’s grittiness and adding a dose of gravel – that’s the GRODEO.

The GRODEO and the Builder Round-Up create a two-day celebration of bicycles at ENVE HQ in Ogden, Utah. We’ll combine the elegant bicycle designs of our handmade builder partners, and the adventure of gravel riding right outside our door. The Builder Round-up is free of charge and open to everyone, while the GRODEO is limited to 200 riders and requires registration through Bike Reg. It’s a day that’s guaranteed to test you and your equipment like no other gravel event out there. Here’s everything you need to know about the GRODEO.

GRODEO BY THE NUMBERS

Total Distance: 92 miles
Gravel & Trails: 50 miles
Pavement: 42 miles
Feet of Climbing: 8,300 feet
Feed Zones: 4

TIMED SECTORS

Even though the GRODEO is not a race, we all like to use our friends and others around us as a measuring stick, which is why we have a few Strava-timed sectors. Our expectation for the ride is that aside from the timed sectors, no one treats it as a throw-down. Due to the course’s difficulty, there will be natural selections, but finding a group, meeting new people, and enjoying each other’s company will get you so much more than going after it alone. With that said, go all-in on the sectors and see what you can do, then re-group at the next feed zone where there’s guaranteed to be some fun worth stopping for. There will be prizes for the segment winners…and maybe even for those that go the slowest? Explore the sectors below.

EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Bike – An XC MTB would be such a welcome choice on a number of course sections, but we believe a gravel bike still offers a greater advantage as a whole. Of course, if your gravel bike limits you to less than a 40c tire, then you might want to consider a flat bar alternative.

Wheels & Tires – ENVE’s G Series and AG line of wheels were developed on these very roads and trails, which is why pinch flat prevention and compliance features are paramount to their design. You won’t catch any of us running tires smaller than 40c, with most of us preferring 42-44c tires. The 650b option (G27 and AG28) is also a good way to increase tire volume – a 2.1” mountain bike tire will provide a greater level of confidence.

Gearing – The steepest climb of the day doesn’t rear up until mile 73, which means your legs will have left you miles before. Regardless of what your easiest gear is, you’re assured to be in it for the 1.5-mile climb that averages 11%. Leave your road gears at home and come prepared with a pizza dish sized cassette – trust us, no one will be finishing the day wishing they had harder gears.

“As tough and grueling as it was, I was beyond blown away by how incredible the Utah riding was. Our trails in California are world class, but the riding in Ogden was like nothing I’ve seen before. The course was phenomenal and the support was first rate. We really couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up our trip.”DEREK YARRA, ABOVE CATEGORY

MY NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO FIND A CHALLENGE WORTHY OF MY EFFORTS LED ME TO THE BIKE AND ULTIMATELY THE GRODEO, BLESS ENVE FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS – I LOST 4 TOENAILS, 2 TEETH, A NUT, AND A GOOD PAIR OF WRANGLERS, BUT I PERSEVERED AND WILL BE BACK FOR MORE NEXT YEAR.” – CHUCK NORRIS, LEGEND

“The inaugural low-key, high-gnar event was held in conjunction with ENVE’s Builder Show last year, and the plan was to build on that success in 2020. Instead, the Builder Show was virtual, and Grodeo was postponed. However! I drove out to Ogden, Utah to shoot the custom bikes and to ride the Grodeo course with some of the ENVE gang, who promptly put me in my place on the steep uphills and the hairy downhills.” Ben Delaney, VeloNews