Gravel racing makes its return for the third year at the Sea Otter Classic; the course and community promise arduous fun.

STILL DUBBED THE “NEWCOMER” TO THE LIFE TIME SEA OTTER CLASSIC’S PORTFOLIO, gravel biking seems to be pulling more and more riders into the shallow, crunchy dirt every year.

One of those riders is Alison Tetrick, a 38-year-old professional cyclist who has earned her crown as “The Queen of Gravel” – not just for dominating the competition, but for possibly having the most fun out there.

She began competing in road races at the Sea Otter Classic in 2008, riding against others in the UCI women’s world tour, and has barely missed a year since. But in 2017, she tried her wheels at the UNBOUND gravel race in Emporia, Kansas and has been hooked ever since.

“I think every athlete comes to a point in their career where they kinda want to find out, ‘What’s next?’” she explains. For her, the rough stuff was calling.

That seems to be the attitude of most bicyclists who have traded their slicks for knobs on their wheels. Gravel riding is not as much of a hybrid between mountain biking and road biking as much as it is an enhancement to the versatility and, most importantly, the exhilaration of both, with an element of safety thrown in (since it’s commonly off vehicular roadways). Tetrick recognizes this in every gravel race she participates in, calling the people “a fun and kind of rowdy crowd that’s really accepting and inclusive.”

Though the UNBOUND is held in seemingly-flat Kansas, that 350-mile XL course boasts about 15,000 feet of elevation gain in total. That’s about three times the elevation gain of Sea Otter’s humble 50-mile course (two 25-mile loops with 5,600 feet of climbing).

But whether the ride is long or short, the community that Tetrick fell in love with is still there.

“It’s about finding a group of people that want to explore, be wild and free just off the beaten path,” she says. Tetrick adds that this spirit was evident from the birth of the sport: “It started because of that sense of adventure.”

Having that sense of adventure takes someone who is young at heart. Tetrick is already an inductee into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, as of 2023 (the Hall was established in 2021, a sign of the relative youth of the sport). Posted right next to Tetrick in the Class of 2023 is Joel “Big Grin” Dyke, proudly displaying his middle finger to the camera with his gravel bike behind him, thoroughly representing the spirit of gravel.

Racing isn’t the only way to experience a gravel bike. To ride a bike that can connect off-road sections of a route with paved roads without sacrificing efficiency makes it a perfect vehicle for another fusion of adventure – bikepacking.

“I bikepacked in Kyrgyzstan,” exclaims Tetrick, though she prefers more traditional camping. “The bikes are built for that,” she adds. “Our [Specialized] Diverge has all the stuff for panniers and tire width.”

For Tetrick, seeing wildflowers from the trail is almost more appealing than the podium. She calls the 50-mile gravel route at Life Time Sea Otter Classic a “Steinbeck event” because she’s able to take in the natural beauty of Monterey County with every pedal stroke, even while vying for position.

Elite riders take off at 7:45am on Saturday, April 20, and the final run – women riders in age groups 40-49 through 70-and-up – starting at 8:20am.

The race rides almost more like a Gran Fondo – where there is still a “winner,” but the real joy is found taking on the challenge together.

“You get to start [the course] with all your new, old friends or frenemies,” Tetrick says, “I think the most fun part is you either can race it for time and podium, or you can race it to finish… everyone still gets their meal and beer ticket and gets to hang out in the expo and exchange stories.”

GRAVEL RACES at Life Time Sea Otter Classic have start times from 7:45am to 8:10am at the Sea Otter Classic Bridge and are expected to finish around noon at the BLM gate on Pilarcitos Canyon Road on Saturday, April 20. $180/race registration. seaotterclassic.com/gravel