Two weekends ago, Truckee Tahoe Gravel returned to the northern Sierra for a weekend packed with sunny skies, gravel roads, tired legs, and smiling faces. 2026 was Truckee Gravels fifth consecutive year seventh since 2018 of gravel racing through the mountains north of Truckee, California. I signed up at the last minute, threw on the Lycra kit, and transformed back into a gravel racer for the first time in a couple of years.After being sidelined from racing in 2025, Ive been hoping to get back in the mix, and my backyard gravel race seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it. Riding away from the start with 800+ participants on race morning, I was quickly reminded of the importance and beauty of local races. Sure, the big, marquee events may get all the headlines, but local races are where the magic really happens.Dropping into some of the Truckee areas finest gravel.Truckee Tahoe GravelTruckee Gravel has been taking place in one form or another since 2018. Starting and finishing in the beautiful mountain town of Truckee, CA, just north of Lake Tahoe, there is excellent access to hundreds of miles of gravel roads crisscrossing the mountains, valleys, and meadows of the northern Sierra.In 2024, Truckee Gravel debuted three new courses short, medium, and long and has stuck with them ever since. Not only do these course options offer something for all experience and fitness levels, but they also showcase some of the best gravel roads and riding in the area. Heres a quick breakdown of the routes:Long: 101.9 miles, 7,926 feet of climbing, 80% gravel, 20% pavedMedium: 66.1 miles, 4,439 feet of climbing, 84% gravel, 16% pavedShort: 28.8 miles, 1,810 feet of climbing, 55% gravel, 45% pavedRiders approaching Yuba Pass on the Truckee Gravel long course.At ~102 miles and 8k of climbing, the long course is plenty challenging without breaking into the realm of total absurdity reminder: 100 miles is already really far. With a stunning route that takes riders up to and along the Sierra Crest to Yuba Pass, through the Sierra Valley, and back again, the long course gets the lions share of the attention and arguably draws the highest level of competition.In the past couple of years, however, the medium course has proven to be more popular with participants. While 66 miles and 4,400 feet of climbing is nothing to scoff at, its much more approachable than the long course. On top of that, the medium route is arguably one of the best gravel loops you can ride out of Truckee, racing or not. The Bear Valley Road descent is not to be missed.The awesome Bear Valley Road descent is featured in both the long and medium courses.The short course is more of a mixed-surface route, great for those just getting into gravel, participating in their first race, or anyone who simply prefers riding a shorter distance. Several miles by the start and finish are shared with the medium and long courses, but it explores some gravel, pavement, and mountain meadows that the other courses do not.Race Day and ResultsA very brisk morning turned into perfect temps for racing in June.Truckee Gravel took place on Saturday, June 27th. After weeks of hot temperatures, a cold front moved through the area, bringing the daytime high down to a very pleasant 60 F for race day. And despite 30 mph wind gusts throughout the day, it was a welcome reprieve from the sweltering 95 heat I experienced on the same course in 2024.After the mass start and neutral rollout leading to several miles of fast pavement, riders hit the dirt, and the lead group quickly established and began pulling away from the masses. My classic Ill see how I feel, but this might be more of a ride than a race attitude lasted about five minutes, and I was breathing through my eyeballs for the rest of the day. I managed to keep the lead group in sight for the first 20-ish miles, but in my typical fashion, ended up strung out in no-mans land.The lead group, including the mens overall winner, Alex Wild (right).I settled in with a few different riders over the next 75 miles, catching up with and trading pulls with former rivals and local legends whom I pretty much only see at races. I wish I could tell you what went down at the front of the race, but I definitely wasnt there to witness it. I limped it over the line in 13th overall, and a respectable 2nd in the 40-49 age group. After not racing last season, it felt good to be back and to remember the masochistic joy of pushing my physical limits for 5+ hours.Mens long cpurse overall podium.Back at the finish line and expo, I learned that Nor-Cal phenom Alex Wild clinched his third consecutive Truckee Gravel win in decisive fashion. Wild was joined a few minutes later by his CycleSport.com teammate Matthew Saldana, followed by Truckee local Stephen Flynn, former World Tour racer Levi Lepheimer, and Eric Colindres, rounding out the top five overall.In the womens race, professional racer Jen Tav repeated her 2024 Truckee Gravel victory with a 24-minute gap to 2nd place. Tavs blistering pace and 6:03:31 finish time put her 18th in the overall standings. She was followed by 2x Leadville 100 champ Larissa Connors in 2nd, Eve Nyrhinen in 3rd, Gillian Wagner in 4th, and Megan Brinkmeyer, rounding out the top five.Womens log course overall podium.The medium course also saw some competitive racing. In the womens race, it was none other than the legendary Katerina Nash taking the win in her hometown of Truckee. Nash was followed by Truckee local Samantha Shields and Kyndra Riddle in 3rd. In the mens race, 15-year-old Nicholas Russell showed hes got a future in gravel racing with an impressive victory on the 66-mile course. Russell was followed by Marek Muller and Todd Harris, both 30+ years his senior.Katerina Nash is a regular at Truckee Gravel, taking home the medium course win this year.This Guy Races Gravel?Given that the majority of my gear testing and reviews on BikeRumor are mountain bike and eMTB related, it may come as a surprise to some readers that Ive also been riding gravel pretty seriously since 2017. I started kind of on a whim, signing up for Lost and Found (L+F) because it was part of a three-race series called the Lost Sierra Triple Crown. The 100-mile L+F course was my very first taste of gravel racing, and a real dive into the deep end for a first-timer.Turns out, gravel riding and racing suited me well and played to my apparent strengths as a cyclist. I guess I never realized it prior, but I learned that I really enjoy the suffering associated with endurance racing. I got hooked pretty quickly, lining up for L+F again in 2018, and for the Sagan Dirt Fondo (the 1st edition of what would become Truckee Gravel) in my then-hometown a few weeks later.My pro racing career was short-lived. Happy to just be out here, competing with folks my age and landing on the occasional podium.Beyond the love of suffering and pushing my limits, I really liked that I was actually competitive and able to consistently battle for podiums in my age group. Heck, I caught the gravel racing bug so hard that in 2019, I started racing pro to see how I stacked up. Of course, Im not a professional-level racer, and I never really was, but I had fun giving it a go anyway.And while I really enjoy racing, I typically just enter a couple of nearby gravel races a year Lost and Found and Truckee Gravel in addition to some other events like the Downieville Classic, and whatever else catches my eye and fits into my schedule. But throughout my racing journey, I cant deny the influence my local race has had on my trajectory as a racer.My Race RigThe Diverge 4 and some of Truckees smoothest gravel. (photo/Jeremy Benson)Im currently in between gravel bikes, and the only drop bar bike I currently own runs a 12-speed Pinion gearbox drivetrain. While it is very low-maintenance, its not exactly a high-performance race bike. So, I was extremely lucky to get my hands on a Specialized Diverge 4 Pro LTD. This is the top-tier build in the Diverge lineup, and, in my opinion, the ideal bike for most riders the Diverge, that is, not necessarily the high-end Pro LTD build.Sure, race bikes like the new Crux 5 are cool and all, but if youre not racing all the time, I believe bikes like the Diverge are a much better fit for most riders. This is the kind of bike you can take on overnight bikepacking tours, mellow singletrack, mixed surface adventures, and still toe the line at a couple of gravel events a year. Its still plenty light for racing, sporty enough to mix it up at the top of the results sheet, but its not so racy that its uncomfortable. Ill choose comfort over aerodynamics any day.Moments after finishing, might throw up, probably just gonna lay down for a bit (photo/Eric Nelson)At 60 with disproportionately long legs, I went with a 56 cm frame specifically for the shorter reach, knowing that would balance out slightly with the lower stack height. I ran it in its stock configuration, which leaves almost nothing to complain about, except for maybe the shift paddles on the Shimano Di2 shifters. Otherwise, this build is about as trick as they come, weighing in at 19 pounds even, including two bottle cages and a set of Wolf Tooth DEL gravel race pedals.Ill have plenty more to say about the Diverge 4 Pro LTD, the outstanding Terra CLX III wheels, and why most people dont need a gravel race bike (unless youre a dedicated gravel racer) in the not-too-distant future. For now, I can honestly say this is the best gravel bike Ive ridden to date. Its perfect for a rider like me who wants one bike to do it all, including the occasional gravel race.Rubbing Elbows with the ProsPro racer Alex Wild has ridden to victory at Truckee Gravel for 3 years running.Obviously, racing on my home turf and familiar roads is always a treat. But racing Truckee Gravel has also allowed me to rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the sport. In fact, the first iteration of the race in 2018 was the Sagan Dirt Fondo, headlined by none other than multi-time Road World Champion, Peter Sagan. Other notable riders that year included Katerina Nash and Geoff Kabush, two riders who are no strangers to the Northern California race scene.Sagan did not return in 2019, and Bike Monkey renamed the event the Truckee Dirt Fondo. Along with hometown hero Katerina Nash, that years Unbound 200 (DK200 at that time) womens champ, Amity Rockwell, also joined in on the fun and the podium. This also happened to be my one and only year racing pro, and somehow I managed to finish 2nd behind former pro roadie and Nor-Cal legend Jonathan Baker, and a couple of minutes ahead of an up-and-coming Brennan Wertz. Wertz ultimately became the US Gravel National Champion in 2024, along with plenty of other impressive performances before and since.Pete Stetina and Matt Beers racing Truckee Gravel in 2023. (photo/TOPO Collective)After a two-year Covid hiatus, gravel racing returned to Truckee in 2022, and the event was renamed Truckee Tahoe Gravel. In the years since, Truckee Gravel has really come into its own. Bike Monkey has done and continues to do a wonderful job organizing and promoting the event. And when racing schedules allow, it often attracts some of gravels biggest names in between some of the marquee events.In fact, some of the worlds fastest gravel racers have shown up to throw down at our local race, including Haley Smith, Matt Beers, Peter Stetina, John Borstelman, Tobin Ortenblad, and Lachlan Morton. Fun fact, in 2024, I beat Lachlan Morton in a race but only because he flatted, twice, haha Regardless, it has been awesome to watch the event mature over the years and line up alongside legends, even if that means Ill never have a shot at an overall podium again.Folks relaxing at the finish line and expo.Long Live Local RacesOf course, the greater Northern California and western Nevada region is a hotbed for cycling talent, and Truckee Gravels ability to draw some of the sports best athletes is somewhat unique. And even if Lifetime Grand Prix athletes arent dropping in on your local race, these events are important for so many more reasons.If, like me, youre the competitive type, local races are where you can finally put a face to those names you see on Strava and maybe even see how you compare in real life, not just the virtual world. Its where local legend status is earned on a results sheet, not an app. Whether youre racing for a podium or just against yourself, its super motivating to be on the clock. And its an opportunity to meet riders who live nearby who share similar interests, fitness levels, and skills on the bike. Often, your closest rival could become your best training partner or riding buddy.Great to see junior riders out in force.For many young riders, the local is their first bike race or taste of competition, planting a seed that could potentially grow into a future as a bike racer. For established juniors, local races are where they hone their skills, climb up through the ranks, and duke it out with their peers or see how they stack up against the adults. Watching the podium presentations two weekends ago, I was very impressed by the number of young riders and the level of their riding. Not only are they already fast, but the level of youth participation also points to a bright future for the sport and cycling in general.And lets not forget about the adults coming out for their first race and dipping their toes into the competitive cycling pool. No matter your experience level, racing can provide the motivation to ride more, boost fitness, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. And at all ages, too. My buddys 73-year-old dad came out and crushed the medium course for the third year in a row (shoutout to Big Fred!).Limits pushed, fatigue unlockedBut for many people, entering a race or participating in a cycling event isnt about competition at all. Local races are a great opportunity for riders to get out and push their limits, set a new personal best, or just go for a big, beautiful bike ride with aid stations and mechanical and medical support, just in case. And whether youre racing or just there for a good time, races bring the cycling community together over a shared love of bikes. Of course, Truckee Gravel is one of my local races, but its just one of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of local races happening across the country and around the globe. Each one an opportunity for riders to compete (or not), test their limits, explore new trails or roads, meet new people, expand horizons, and bring the community together to celebrate the simple pleasure of riding bikes.Long Live Local Races. Big thanks to Bike Monkey for putting on a great event and numerous other events each year. Im already looking forward to 2027.truckeegravel.combikemonkey.net