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TIER 2

Low Gap Grasshopper

Ukiah, California · 2027: January 31 (Sunday)

VERDICT A short-on-paper, hard-in-practice private-road opener with enough climbing and winter uncertainty to expose lazy preparation.

71
LAB SCORE
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RIDER SCORE · RATE IT →
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The Ratings

Course verdict

A climbing-dense, 95-percent dirt long course using roads that are normally closed to public riding.[1]

Course Profile ratings for this race. Select a point for its explanation. LOGISTICS3/5LENGTH2/5TECHNICAL3/5ELEVATION4/5CLIMATE3/5ALTITUDE2/5ADVENTURE4/5 21/35
Course Profile
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[01]

Course Overview

A dirt-heavy January opener on private Mendocino timber roads.

59 mi
Distance
6,585 ft
Elevation
Ukiah, California
Location
January 31 (Sunday), 2027
Date
~2026
Field Size
--
Entry Cost
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MORE IN CALIFORNIA: Belgian Waffle Ride · Sea Otter Classic Gravel · Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego
Facts & History
The 2026 course changed to a 95-percent dirt long route and added a short-course option.
Alex Wild and Jen Tavé won the 2026 elite races.
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The Course

A climbing-dense, 95-percent dirt long course using roads that are normally closed to public riding.

Signature challenge: The opening Masonite Road climb gains about 1,950 feet in 13 miles before the race turns into a sequence of fast private-road descents and return climbs.

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MILE
Masonite Road start
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MILE
Sawyer Creek climb
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MILE
Final dirt descent and paved return
RACER

Racer Reviews

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[07]

Training

January 31, 2027 LOW GAP GRASSHOPPER
NEWS

Latest Coverage

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Similar Races

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Frequently Asked Questions

Late January in Mendocino County can deliver cold rain and heavy mud even when temperatures remain moderate.[1]

Ukiah is a workable regional base, but the separate staging area and access rules for private Mendocino Redwood Company roads add real race-week friction.[1]

Event-only access to private timber roads gives the course a sense of discovery that ordinary public-road gravel events cannot copy.[2]

Low Gap opens a Grasshopper series that entered its 29th season in 2026 and is nationally visible inside off-road cycling.[2]

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Sources & Citations

Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.

  1. Official Low Gap — official event pagewww.grasshopperadventureseries.com/low-gap
  2. Media & Press Cyclingnews — 2026 Low Gap report and resultswww.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/races/grasshopper-adventu...
  3. Other Sources Stoke Supplies — 2026 rider reportwww.stoke.supplies/low-gap-2026-race-report/
  4. Other Sources Gravelcycling discussion — mud and tire choiceswww.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/19bt50t/low_gap_g...
  5. Other Sources Visit Ukiah — local event listingvisitukiah.com/events/grasshopper-adventure-series-ukiah/

Last updated September 2026