Saturday June 8, 2024 - Alpine, CA

The time has come for the 7th annual Great Western Reroute! If you would like to attend please purchase your entry below. To keep things small and friendly, we are limiting the event to 75 participants. Your entry includes a post-ride meal and ticket good for 1 free beer or other beverage at Mike Hess Brewing. Please be sure to read this entire page if you plan to join us for this special event.

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GWR 2024 Ticket

$70.00

Entry to the 2024 Great Western Reroute. Includes post-ride meal and beer ticket at Mike Hess Brewing Alpine on Saturday June 8, 2024.

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EVENT NOTES

ABOUT THE RIDE

The first Great Western Reroute was the third weekend of March 2018, and there were just seven riders. It was originally crafted as an extended mixed surface riff on the Great Western Loop. The GWL is a storied Southern California route that received its name years ago from a road race that had as its title sponsor Great Western Savings & Loan. With inspiration from the original road course, a gravel route was born that incorporated some amazing gravel and dirt sections the region has to offer. Every year since we have continued the tradition, exploring deeper into East County San Diego and the Cleveland National Forest.

THE ROUTE

This year’s GWR course will be our most challenging ever as we head north from Alpine to Boulder Creek and explore parts of Anza Borrego and Cuyamaca. The route will cover 70 miles of gravel, road, and singletrack with 8000 ft of elevation. Water will be available at miles 10, 35, and 60. There is also 1 aid station at mile 36. The exact GPS route will be issued to all ticket holders on the week of the event. While we would love to see everyone complete the full route, there will also be 2 shorter options including a 64-mile bail-out, and a 44-mile short course. THE COURSE IS NOT MARKED, so please be prepared with the route downloaded on your GPS unit or phone. Some areas of the course have little to no reception.

THE EQUIPMENT

With its diverse range of road surfaces (pave, smooth dirt, washboard, sand, and rocky) and ever-changing terrain, tires at least 38mm in width are recommended. Tubeless tires are highly recommended, if not required. Please ride completely self sufficient with a hand pump, CO2 cartridges, extra tubes and other needed roadside repair gear.

LOCATION

The ride will start and end at the Mike Hess Brewing in Alpine, CA, with free parking on location for participants. Address: 1347 Tavern Rd, Alpine, CA 91901. Map

SCHEDULE

Please plan to arrive by at least 7:30AM on Saturday, June 8. We will be rolling at 8AM sharp. Lost Cyclery will be at the start for last minute bike adjustments, and also available at the resupply. There are no bathrooms at the start. We anticipate the ride will take 6-7 hours, giving us an anticipated finish time around 2-3 PM.

FESTIVITIES

This special Gravelstoke event will offer not only a great ride, but post-ride festivities too at Mike Hess Brewing Alpine! We will have the entire patio reserved and a fully catered lunch including pizza, sandwiches, appetizers, and salad. The first 50 to register will also receive a single beer ticket with their entry. Additional food and beverages will be available for purchase.

SELF-SUPPORTED

Although we do have a single aid-station on the course, this is a reminder that you are 100% responsible for yourself, your mechanicals, your food/water resupplies, and your retrieval off route (in case of emergency). There may be spots along the course with very little cell service, so please have a plan. Each rider who participates in this ride is required to come prepared with the necessary food, water, equipment, clothing, and know-how to ensure that they safely complete the route. If you are unsure of your capability in completing the ride successfully, then have someone on call or be prepared to hitchhike your way back. While we certainly intend to ride together, there is always a chance that you will find yourself alone or lost, so be prepared!

EVENT PARTNERS

We are thrilled to partner with Lost Cyclery, Mike Hess Brewing, Topo Designs, and Carbs Fuel at the 2024 GWR.