GRASSHOPPER ADVENTURES
Cost: All Hoppers include neutral support, hydration/feedzone and medical support on course. And of course lunch and beverages afterwards. The price of events varies. See individual pages for more information. Series Pass is $550. That’s $105 off. Rider limit is 400. DAY OF REGISTRATION is $+10.
Transfer fee is $10: Use BikeReg for all Transfers and to change categories. Riders who purchase a Series Pass may not transfer or sell their individual entries to another rider.
Feed Zones: There will be hydration and ride food at the neutral feed. If you have your own special drink mix and food, leave them at the start with our Sponsoring Bike Shops
Be safe. Make sure your bike is in excellent working order before coming out and have fresh rubber.
IS THE GRASSHOPPER A RACE? No…and yes. Yes because it is a chance to challenge yourself and it will be timed. There will be a podium for top 3 M/F/Open Gender at each event. There will be awards for top 3 in all age groups for the Series Champions at the series finale.
The events are timed so it’s natural to push yourself. Since the inception of the Hoppers in 1998 we know the Hoppers have been THE series for local (and now regional and national) bragging rights. However, the course is open to all vehicular traffic. You MUST obey all traffic laws that apply to moving vehicles. NO because..for at least half the field, maybe more, this is about adventure; riding new terrain with friends, challenging oneself on mixed terrain and on new roads, and enjoying the beautiful, remote roads of Sonoma, Mendocino County and Humboldt County. You decide. But whatever your style, be safe and have fun!
Series Points: Overall Points Leaders will be calculated in the following manner: 1st 60pts. 2nd 55 pts, 3rd 51 pts. 4th 48 pts. 5th 46 pts. 6th 45 pts. 7th 44 pts. (-1 per placing to 1 pt.). The rider with the most points at the end of the series will be the winner. Your top 4 finishes will count towards your final standing. All riders who wish to compete for the Hopper Super Hero King of the Universe title in their age groups must finish 4 Hoppers. If you do all 5, your lowest result will be dropped. For Series Points riders must do the long course in Low Gap, Huffmaster and King Ridge.
- You must do King Ridge, the series finale to make the podium on the overall.
- Overall winners for all categories will win a free Series Pass entry into next years Grasshopper Series!
- Lake Sonoma MTB will be +10 pts for all results. i.e. 1st=60, 2nd = 65, 3rd =61 etc.
Mass Start or Waves? Men’s or women’s field separate?
Our top priorities are rider safety, inclusivity and fun. Not all Hoppers will have the same start format. We will CLEARLY ARTICULATE our rules prior to the event start date. See the individual races for details.
DO NOT CROSS THE YELLOW LINE
Do not cross the yellow line. (Or the invisible middle of the road) Do not cross the yellow line. Do not cross the yellow line. Did you catch that? Do not cross the yellow line. At times early on the pace may slow and the group will swell, but that doesn’t give you license to cross that line. Stay in one lane. Oh, and when there is NO yellow line…stay to the right! We have a permit to use the road but not brake the law. All riders are required to ride within the rule of the road at all times.
DON’T RIDE OR PASS LIKE A MORON
The Grasshopper Adventure Series rides are designed to push riders to their limits. It would be easy to design a loop in our back yard that would be nearly un-doable. We have crafted just the right combination of folds and undulations on snippets of NorCal Certified Ribbon Roads to bring you to the edge but not shove you off. The day is about adventure and camaraderie; not a podium spot. If you are not sure of your fitness, ability or course my suggestions are: 1. Notch ‘er down a couple. Remember smooth before fast. 2. Do you homework and be familiar with the course. 3. Make sure you have everything you need to get you home. (2 tubes, tire boots, CO2 AND a pump, food, H2O, warm clothes or rain cape for cold wet days, course map or GPS, space blanket and lucky (fake) rabbits foot. 4. Make new friends but keep the old one is silver and the other gold…locals know the rides. Both the turns and how to pace themselves. If you’ve never done a Hopper or a particular look, chat it up.
Obey all traffic laws. The course is open. The course IS marked. It is always best to pre-ride but we will have a route print out ahead of time and our super-cool Hopper laminates to help you out. There will be arrows on the road (Purple for King Ridge) and at KEY intersections. There will be marshals helping you to stay on course but not at every intersection. They will not be directing or stopping traffic. Always expect cars around tight corners–they will be there. These roads are USED by locals and will be on the road.
Make sure you STAGE in the group that fits your fitness. Look around–is this the group of buddies who you usually hang with? We have a mass start uphill to thin things out and keep the day safe.
SAG: We provide one ambulance to look after injured riders. There will be a SAG for emergencies only, not because you are tired or have cramps. This is an adventure series and we have done our best to keep it safe and have an emergency vehicle for injuries but if you flat, bonk or get lost…you need to make your way home. Always carry tubes and a pump and not just CO2 cartridges as well as a chain tool, allen wrenches and some $ in case you need to hit a local bakery (or bar) on the way home. Oh yeah, and don’t forget food and water. There will be Guayaki, Osmo, and snacks at the two rest stops but don’t forget your special bacon and chocolate sandwich or leftover pancake to fuel your engine.
No Personal Sag or Follow Vehicles: If you don’t think you’re ready to do this ride with minimal support, then this might not be the right event for you…yet. We need to keep extra vehicles off the road. We DO need volunteers on course so contact us if you wish to help out. Volunteers get entry into another Grasshopper event.
No E-bikes and No Aero bars of any kind on your bikes.
AT THE FINISH: If you bail out somewhere en route please have a friend inform us at the finish. Lunch will be provided at the finish of all Hoppers this year. We’ll be pouring Sierra Nevada beer and refreshing Guayaki.
Pura Vida!