On Saturday, March 27, 2021, over 50 riders joined us for the 2021 Great Western Reroute, a Gravelstoke Development Team invitational gravel event set in East County San Diego. Now in its fourth year running, the GWR was originally a commissioned work by Roman De Salvo as an extended mixed surface riff on the Great Western Loop back in 2018. Our Southern California gravel tradition continued as we explored even deeper into East County, in search of elusive species and the best dirt sections San Diego has to offer.

Course designer Adam Cooke included some familiar sections from previous years, while also taking us further south on new terrain near Otay Mountain. The 2021 GWR explored 55 miles of terrain and 5900ft of climbing, with just over 50% of the ride on dirt. Riders enjoyed an aid station at mile 20 and another resupply 40 miles in at Pio Pico Country Store.

Here are a few of our favorite photos from the ride, captured by photographer Rob Wessels / @rdubcreative

THE ROUTE
Here is our Ride With GPS Route for those interested in riding the course, along with a few notes to help make it a great day on the bike. We started the ride at the Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego parking lot in El Cajon. There is plenty of parking and several options for take-out if you are hungry post-ride. East County can get very hot in the summertime, and even quite cold in the winter at certain elevations, so the best time of year to enjoy this ride is in spring or fall. If you do ride in the summer, we recommend bringing three water bottles, as nearly all the climbing comes before the primary resupply at mile 40. There is also a 43-mile short option with 4400ft of climbing. For equipment, we recommend a gravel bike with 38c+ tubeless, strong sidewall tires. If you are looking for a slightly shorter route, we also have a 45 mile / 4000ft GWR Short version here.

2021 GWR ROUTE DETAILS

• Distance: 55 Miles

• Elevation Gain: 5900 Feet

• Location: El Cajon, CA

• Terrain: Paved, Dirt Road, Singletrack

• Parking: Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego

• Places Visited: Hollenbeck Canyon, Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve, Mother Grundy Truck Trail, Otay Open Space Preserve, Lower Otay Lake

• When to Ride: Best in Spring or Fall

• Route by: Adam Cooke