Castell Grind RIDER BIBLE

The Castell Grind Rider Bible consolidates all essential race information in one place for easy access. Please review it thoroughly. If you have questions not addressed in the Rider Bible, email us at castellgrind@gmail.com.

REGISTRATION OPENS NOV 1, 2025 at NOON

Standard Registration 
$95 for the 62 miles
$80 for the 45 miles
$65 for the 31 miles

Last minute late registration will be made available only after the waitlist has been emptied.  

NOTE: Late spots are rare and not guaranteed. Email castellgrind@gmail.com for all requests.

Each race has a strict participant cap due to venue capacity and course safety. The Castell Grind typically sells out within an hour, with a waitlist forming thereafter. 

Please register early to ensure a spot in this year's race.  

THERE IS NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION.

• Saturday, November 1, 2025  - Online registration opens at noon
• Sunday, March 1, 2026 - Last day to request refund
• Friday, March 27, 2026 - Last day to request a deferment to 2027
• Sunday April 6, 2026 - Last day for registration transfers
• Sunday, April 6, 2026 - Early bird packet pick up -  Trek Austin south Lamar from Noon - 3:30pm 
• Friday, April 10, 2026 - Packet pick up in Castell from 4:30pm to 8:30pm at the yellow barn
• Saturday April 11, 2026 - Race day packet pick up in Castell from 6:30am to 8:25am at the yellow barn

• Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 12th Annual Castell Grind race day 9:00am start

• Saturday, April 11, 2026 - Post race food, drink and celebration begins at 11:00 am at the Castell General Store. Awards times to be announced. (Meal tickets available for sale for non racers.)

The Castell Grind recognizes top 5 male and female participants in each race distance with a hand crafted award. 

Top male and female in the Full Grind will also receive a special Top Cock and Washboard Queen Award.

Additional awards recognize the 1st place male & female riding Single Speed or Fat-bike in each race distance. 

Award distribution takes place at the Castell General Store approximately 1 hour after the first place finisher crosses the finish-line in each distance.

The Castell Grind prioritizes your safety. Our emergency medical director, Kimery Duda from The Expedition School, will coordinate with local police and EMS before the event to ensure seamless communication if needed. The Expedition School will be on-site, typically with a tent and flag for identification across from the Castell General Store. As EMTs, they are trained to respond to emergencies, perform patient assessments, provide basic life support (BLS) such as CPR, address minor injuries, control bleeding, and immobilize injuries.

PLEASE NOTE

• CALL 911 FOR ALL MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
• THIS IS A REMOTE COURSE MEDICAL RESPONSES MAY BE SLOW OR DELAYED DUE TO DISTANCE AND TERRAIN. THIS IS TYPICAL OF REMOTE TEXAS TOWNS.
• PARTICIPATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
• NATURAL AND MAN-MADE HARZARDS EXIST ON THE COURSE
• WILD & DOMESTIC ANIMALS EXIST ON THIS COURSE
• THE COURSE IS OPEN TO TRAFFIC (ALL TRAFFIC LAWS MUST BE OBEYED)

1. Bike helmet
2. Method of carrying sufficient food and fluids for duration of the event, camelback or bottles
3. Spare tubes and or patch kit
4. Tire pump or Co2 cartridge
5. Jacket or windbreaker for inclement weather (optional pending weather)
6. Compact bike tool
7. Cell phone
8. GPS or cycle computer

The Castell Grind permits refunds, transfers, and deferments if requested within the posted time frames, with no additional fees.

• Sunday, March 1, 2026 - Last day to request refund
• Friday, March 27, 2026 - Last day to request a deferment to 2027
• Sunday April 6, 2026 - Last day for registration transfers (Transfers to a different participant can be made via  BIKEREG )
• Transfers to a shorter distance are allowed up to and at race check in, although advanced notice is preferred. Email castellgrind@gmail.com
• Transfers to a longer distance are only allowed if that distance has not met its race capacity. Email castellgrind@gmail.com for availability two weeks prior to race day.

We understand that life happens and strive to accommodate our participants' needs. Our policy is more generous than those of similar events. However, we incur significant expenses well before race day, so please respect our financial obligations and avoid taking advantage of our lenient policies. The Castell Grind is not a large corporate event with extensive resources.

CANCELLATION & POSTPONEMENT

The Texas Hill Country is known for severe weather and potential flash flooding in spring. Since the Castell Grind began, it has been delayed once and narrowly avoided multiple severe weather events, including midnight lightning storms, hail, tornado threats, and flash floods. Temperatures have occasionally dropped dramatically, from 80°F on Friday night to 36°F on race morning. Weather conditions in Castell can change rapidly. We will closely monitor weather and radar before the race start. Over the years, we have developed a severe weather protocol and potential scenarios, outlined below.

RACE WILL GO ON AS PLANNED

• Radar showing sporadic spots of green or yellow in sounding areas with no threat of red or worsening conditions. Light rain without lightening or flash flooding.
• Radar showing green or yellow on or near Castell with no threat of red or worsening conditions. Light rain without lightening of flash flooding.
• Radar shows a red line of storms in Castell or coming to Castell Friday night but will pass prior to 7:30am race morning.  Lingering light rain at race start without lightening or flash flooding. 

RACE POSTPONED

• Radar shows a red line or cluster of severe storms in Castell or coming to Castell but will pass prior to 10:30am allowing for a 11:00am start. Lingering light rain after 10:30am without lighten or flash flooding. 

RACE CANCELLED

• Radar shows a red line or cluster of red storms in Castell or coming to Castell and extending beyond 10:30am. Severe flooding with impassable low water crossings.

In the event of a cancellation, no makeup or postponement date will be scheduled. Due to non-refundable expenses incurred by the Castell Grind, no refunds will be issued.

We strive to keep rules minimal, as they can feel restrictive, but a few are essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and vibrant event filled with gravel and community at the Castell Grind. Please keep these in mind.

1. Race numbers must be firmly attached to the front of your bike. Do not fold or alter your race number in anyway as this may affect the reading of your timing chip and impact your results.
2. The racer is solely responsible for his or her safety on the course.  This endurance event takes place in a rural environment with potential hazards including weather, terrain, vehicle traffic, and animals.  
3. Participate in the Castell Grind at your own risk.  All racers should be properly trained and physically capable of participating in this event with medical approval.
4. All riders must wear a bike helmet.
5. All riders must check in prior to starting and check out when off the course.  You must notify a race official if you withdraw from the race.
6. Poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated.
7. Follow provided route at all times.  The courses are available on the routes page of the Castell Grind website.
8. This is not a closed course, all riders must obey traffics laws.  Any one caught running stops signs will be penalized.
9. Leave no trace.  Pick up all your liter this includes water bottles.
10. Racers must be fully self-sufficient with food, water and gear. 
11. No crew support allowed on the course except at authorized locations.
12. Racers should assist other racers in need. This is encouraged. 
13. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.
14. Please remember we are guests on these roads and in the towns we pass through. Represent our sport well to ensure we’re welcomed back. Be courteous to vehicle drivers and property owners. 
15. E-Bikes (Class 1 only) and Tandems: The Castell Grind welcomes all forms of gravel riding. If you are riding an e-bike or tandem, please indicate it during registration, so we can ensure you are not in medal contention, as awards are not currently offered for these classes. 
16. The Castell Grind organizers reserve the right to alter the course and rules as unforeseen circumstances arise for the safety and well being of all involved. 
17. Ride hard, smile big, say please and thank you, and enjoy a gravelly day! Share the course with friends, return to savor the epic scenery at your own pace, and capture photos along the way.
18. If you liked the Castell Grind routes, visit the COMMUNITY GRAVEL page for similar routes and challenges close by.

The Castell Grind is an open course with vehicle traffic.

Always obey traffic laws and maintain safe, controlled speeds when passing through town. 

FULL GRIND

The Full Grind, a 62-mile figure-eight counterclockwise course, winds through the Texas Hill Country with a south loop around House Mountain and a north loop, intersecting at Castell’s midpoint. The town serves as a vital refueling hub for riders continuing the 62-mile journey, with a noon cutoff determining who can proceed to the north loop. Starting and ending with some of the Hill Country’s finest gravel, the route kicks off the south loop with Keyserville Road—a grueling 9-mile gradual climb that tests your endurance and tire choices, leaving an unforgettable mark. The final 15 miles of the north loop deliver relentless, rugged gravel, demanding skill and stamina. Recommended for intermediate to advanced cyclists with strong fitness and gravel experience, the Full Grind is the ultimate Hill Country challenge.

THREE-QUARTER GRIND

The Three-Quarter Grind, a 45-mile route, slices the south loop in half before looping back through Castell, crossing the Llano River, and joining the Full Grind’s north loop. Ideal for intermediate to advanced cyclists with a solid fitness base and gravel experience, this route offers a perfect blend of challenge and distance. Starting and finishing on the Hill Country’s finest gravel, it captivates with stunning views of Kings Mountain and Bodie Peak, which distract from the demanding final 15-mile gravel stretch—notoriously rugged terrain that tests riders to the finish line.

HALF GRIND

The Half Grind, a 31-mile route, traces the same south loop as the Full Grind, concluding in the heart of Castell. Perfect for novice to intermediate cyclists with a solid fitness base, this route offers an exhilarating challenge across remote, mixed-surface terrain. Showcasing the best of Castell’s gravel, it features winding roads, punchy climbs, cattle guards, wildlife, washboards, low-water crossings, vibrant wildflowers, and stunning views around House Mountain—an unforgettable introduction to the Texas Hill Country’s gravel scene.

Visit the ROUTES page for Ride with GPS links and downloadable PDF files.

If you read the Rider Bible and think this is your kind of event register here starting NOVEMBER 1 at NOON.

If you read the Rider Bible and think this is your kind of event but you have some reservations about riding the distance, we could always use a few volunteers.  If you volunteer you will earn yourself a free entry into next years event.