Walla Walla is famous for its road riding, but the locals have long been venturing into the Blue Mountains to get their fix of first class gravel roads. Allegro Cyclery is delighted to showcase the vast network of gravel roads on Sunday September 8th, 2024 for our annual gravel race, the Walla Walla Grit, affectionately known as
"THE GRIT".
What should you expect from the Grit? Three stunning gravel courses, five curated aid stations, and four to ten hours of pure gravel road bliss.
With three distances to choose from, the Grit will challenge the mental and physical limits of even the most seasoned gravel riders. Whether you choose to be a contender and race for a podium finish, ride casually and enjoy yourself, or push yourself to finish in a personal best time, the Grit has something for everyone.
All three courses stay together for the first 24 miles, which includes the iconic (and challenging) Cottonwood Creek climb. It could be hot, but we will be climbing up into the mountains, so come prepared and error on the side of caution.
Check out the first Walla Walla Grit video of the 2021 WW Grit made by Sydney and Sammy Miyake with Miyake Media:
And hear the riders' experiences in 2022, put together by Isaac Baik:
2023 Grit Experience by Miyake Media!
Event Information
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Registration: Please visit our registration page on https://www.bikereg.com/walla-walla-grit.
Staging: Walla Walla Airport Industrial Park -- parking and staging will be across the street from Quirk Brewing, 425 B St, Walla Walla, WA 99362
When: Sunday September 8th - 6:00 AM Long Course, 8:00 AM Medium Course, 9:00 AM Short Course
Price: $75 (short course), $85 (medium course), $95 (long course)
Routes: We have cue sheets available, and the course will be clearly marked. Want to be awesome and prepared? Use the links below to download the .gpx and have it ready on your device or cell phone!
We Provide: Well-stocked aid stations interspersed throughout, marked in the course files. We will have limited roving support on course. It is our intent to make sure everybody is well cared for. With that said, you should come into this ride planning to be self-sufficient. Proper clothing, flat fixes, nutrition between aid stations; it's all on you or the benevolence of your fellow riders.
Results: Finish times for all participants will be posted in the traditional fondo fashion.
Event Tips
Bike Choice: These courses can be completed on Cyclocross, Gravel, or Mountain bikes, though the Gravel Bike designation would probably be the best fit.
Tire Choice: The narrowest tires we've seen were 700x28 -- three flats and a shredded tire later, we would not qualify these as the narrowest successful tires. Everybody has their opinion on gear and we respect that. But in our opinion, wider tires will make for a more pleasant ride.
Both the Short and Medium Courses are roughest on the climbs and have relatively smooth gravel on the descents. 700x40 is the narrowest we would go, but a 45 mm and higher would be more comfortable.
For the Long Course, we strongly recommend at least a 35mm tire, and believe a 50mm is the right choice.
If your bike is compatible, we recommend running tubeless -- we are in Puncture Vine territory, and all courses will encounter chunky climbs and washboard descents.
Gearing: There is a lot of climbing on these routes. Analyze the course profile and come prepared with the gearing that will work for you. We had several folks wish they had installed better climbing gears on their bike. Our 2 cents: make sure you have a 1:1 ratio at a minimum, but if you can do better, go for it. We think 24t in the front and 36t rear feels really good on this course. Don't have a bike that fits the 'gravel bike' designation? Bring your mountain bike and laugh at your friends as you spin up the climbs!
Flats: Triple check that you have a complete flat kit, as well as back-up options. Some of these gravel roads are not well trafficked, and there will be long stretches between riders, meaning you may be on your own when it comes to flat repair on the road.
Nutrition: Aid stations will be well stocked! Past items on the menu include, but are not limited to, PB&J, gluten free PB&J, Cookies, bananas, oranges, pretzels, potato chips, pickles, pickle juice, and the much-coveted Coca-Cola on the 95 mile course. Bring water bottles and don't forget to hydrate!
This is a hard ride. All three courses have steep sections, and there is no shame in walking! Courses are designed for experienced cyclists and are not for the faint of heart.
We'll see you out there!
Past Races:
(*asterisk times indicate riders who switched courses)
~ LOCAL & INDUSTRY SPONSORS ~
Learn from the words of 2019 riders:
"A great challenge...and the scenery was nearly peerless!"
"I heard elk bugles on cottonwood! It was awesome!!!!! Really really enjoyed the route."
"I had 650b x 47mm tires and went into this course with extreme confidence in the tires. I had friends who miraculously finished on 700x33, and I am still unsure how they did it." (Long Course Rider)