April 7, 2024
Meadow Vista, CA
9AM Rollout. 2 Route Options.
Dust off those flannels and get ready to ride some mixed terrain.
Start/Finish:
Meadow Vista Park
1101 Meadow Vista Rd. Meadow Vista, CA
8 Miles north of Auburn
Start time: 9:00 am
Check-in will open at 7:30 am
As always, we encourage people to ride in their favorite flannel/plaid outfits. Of course, we will not judge you if you want to come out in your spandex or Hawaiian shirts.
The recommended steed for this event is a gravel/adventure/cyclocross bike with big tubeless tires. Tire specifics depend on conditions and weather, but you'll want something you're comfortable riding on a dirt/gravel descent with manageable rolling resistance for the pavement. All bikes are welcome and doable, so just come along and run whatchu brung! Just remember to bring tubes and some essential tools because there is a chance you may have an incident out on the course. If you choose to ride a road bike, you should probably start with some fresh rubber and try to fit some big ones on there.
40-50% of this ride is on gravel/dirt/broken pavement, with the rest on good pavement.
We are offering two route options this year:
- The normal route:42miles 6k ft of elevation (est. ride time: 3-4 hours)
- The longer route:60miles 8k ft of elevation (est. ride time: 4-6 hours)
Choose wisely. Both are challenging routes!
Early registration is strongly encouraged! We will be capping the event at 200 riders.
Some notes about the day.
Support:
The course will have aid stations with water, drink mix, and light snacks.
Please come prepared to change a flat!
We are on mixed terrain, and the probability that you will flat on course is high. Ensure your equipment is ready (good rubber, newer brake pads, thoroughly checked drive train). We recommend a tubeless set-up from our favorite bike shop, Kinetic Cycles in Sacramento.
Post ride:
Lunch will be provided.
Tacos! Yes, the same ones from prior years :)
Keep an eye on our social media pages for updates leading up to the event. Remember to use #flannelgrinder on all of your social media posts.
While you wait, you can enjoy photos from 2023 down below. See you all soon :)
The Small Monsters Project (TSMP)
Introducing a new partnership for 2024.
The Small Monsters Project (TSMP) is on a mission to provide education and resources around concussion and TBI while also reducing the stigma around mental health challenges. Ben Fredrick, the person behind TSMP, has learned to live alongside his monsters and has made it his mission to help others more easily navigate the ambiguity he faced with his own TBI in 2015. This year, you actively assist Ben on his mission by having $10 from your Flannel Grinder entries go directly to the Small Monsters Project! In addition, Ben has made himself available to lead a Saturday morning casual shakedown ride followed by a social get-together where you can hear from Ben and the work he is doing with TSMP. We will share more details about the Saturday fun as we get closer. If you've got plans on Saturday, there's no need to worry because Ben will be out there with us on Sunday in his best flannel.
