Megahopper

My first Grasshopper was sometime in about 2008, if memory serves me correctly. I dabbled in a few more over the next half dozen years during California swings during my professional racing days, but then when I called CA home in 2016 and 2017, it was awesome to have them just up the road. They’re a northern California treasure, gravel rides that have been taking place for 22 years now, obviously before gravel was gravel.

The creator of these rides, Miguel, has become a friend. He was the very first guest on King of the Ride podcast and I was a very early guest on his pod. On a whim in 2020, the year of doing wild and crazy adventures, he lobbed the inane idea of riding all of the ‘hoppers at once. April Fools was as good a day as ever to launch it, and there the idea lived, just as an idea.

Most people would think that a 430 mile ride with 43,000 feet of climbing is just foolish enough to never be done. Alternatively, there are those who think just a touch differently and with numbers like that, that’s precisely why it should be done. Michael Tymoff was the first to do it and over two days and chance he conquered this monster.

Well early next week I plan to do the same. It’s no shortage of inanity to make it happen; after a busy weekend that starts right now, we’ll fly to California Monday and start first thing Tuesday from downtown Healdsburg and the Mill District. If you care to follow along with these shenanigans, you’re can do so here.