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Castell Grind

@castellgrind

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Llano was recently ranked in the top ten outdoor towns of Texas by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

What makes this part of the county so great?

The hunting: we’re the Deer Capital of Texas!
The water (hello, beautiful Llano River!)
Enchanted Rock, one of the state’s most iconic spots for outdoor exploration
The hiking, biking and climbing (a favorite destination for cyclists and mountain bikers)
Easy access to multiple unique state parks, including Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern
Festivals and events focused on the outdoors, inlcuding Llano Earth Arts Festival (LEAF), the Castell Grind and the Llano Outdoor Sports Expo

If you’re on the fence about whether to come out, just say yes! Come enjoy the outdoors in Llano County. There’s plenty to do in every season.

#TexasHillCountry #TexasOutdoors #HillCountryAdventure #ExploreTexas #OnlyInTexas

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What a weekend at Rule of Three 2026!!!! So many Texans, locals and new friends!!! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Allstrong tent and special thanks to all the Castell Grind supporters!!!! We love you all!! Thank you @sheilatb2 and @trkbrew for racing with me!!! ❤️

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Castell Gravel Grind 2026 delivered everything you hope gravel can be and then some.

In Central Texas, we’re spoiled with endless gravel, but if you’ve been around long enough, Castell always finds its way into the conversation. Fun fact, Castell is home to one of the oldest continuously operating dance halls in Texas, a tiny town with a big personality and deep roots in German heritage.

This year I finally lined up for the race and like always the big questions were floating around. Wet roads, deep sand, tire choice. None of it mattered. Conditions were about as perfect as you could ask for. Yes there was some sand, but nothing that took away from the day.

The route might be one of the most beautiful in Central Texas. Big statement but it earns it. Granite formations popping up out of nowhere, ranch land full of animals both familiar and unexpected, and Blue Bonnets stretching for miles. Every turn had something worth taking in.

As for the race itself, once I stopped staring at the views, it went well for me. Somewhere around mile 32 I missed a turn, added a few bonus miles seeking water and lost my group I was working with. Did it change the outcome? Sure. Did it ruin the day? Not even close. Sometimes the detours end up being the best part.

Huge thank you to @maheshwarrieratx for passing along the entry. Truly grateful and made the experience that much more meaningful.

Congrats to @eanesgary for taking the 🏆 and setting a new course record for the 75K!

On another note, Dirt Society keeps building and it’s been unreal to watch. Seeing more of the crew out there choosing dirt and soaking it all in is what it’s all about!

#CastellGrind #ChooseDirt #GravelCycling #TexasGravel #DirtSociety

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Special thanks to TJ for the video! I don’t usually get to be in my own videos. I also don’t get to ride during our race but we got here a day earlier this year and we had a ton of help so I got to enjoy the course on Thursday and Friday morning before the Castell Grind! #mortgagebanker #texasgirlforever #castellgrind #castelltexas

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Thanks to my riding partners, Mo, Sheila TB, Will and Elisa for helping me do the Full Grind! There’s no place like Texas! #mortgagebanker #texasgirlforlife #castellgrind #castelltexas

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A few unedited clips from the 2026 Castell Grind #castellgrind

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POV lead vehicle. The Castell Grind is an iconic annual gravel cycling event held in the remote town of Castell, Texas, roughly 90 minutes west of Austin. Launched in 2014, it has grown into a “grassroots” favorite in the Texas Hill Country, known for its scenic views, challenging terrain, and a community atmosphere centered around the Castell General Store. #castellgrind #castelltexas #castellgeneralstore #mortgagebanker

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Castell Grind 2026

Tucked away in the heart of Texas Hill Country,between Fredericksburg & Brady,west of Llano County lies a charming little town known for its old historic building, river view and the infamous Castell General store. For the 12th year, Castell a Texas-German held its iconic gravel event cycling. The once a ghost town became a popular gravel mecca! Castell Grind became massive in the world of gravel cycling!

The Castell Grind became a popular sell out event in Texas for its gravel cycling die to its desolate scenic hill country roads. Though there are some notorious sandy and gradual climbs,challenging gritty dirt,rugged terrain, grass-root adventure with the mix of hard packed gravel, tons of washboards, light colored rocks and bit of tarmac that made some riders felt they are racing on a road but road riding on dirt!.

The overall experience was nothing but fun and enjoyment. Crossing the finish line brought an instant smile to everyone despite the exhaustion. Post-ride experience at the bright yellow general store with cold drinks and bbq made everyone shared their battle stories about the ride,couldn’t ask for more perfect ending in a gravel ride Event!

See you in 2027 Castell!

#castell #cycling #gravelbike #reel #cyclistofinstagram

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#thePKcrew #gravelbike #cyclist #reel #cyclistlife

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Thanks for the awesome event @castellgrind!!

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"It's hard not to feel too disappointed with 6th - being one spot off the podium with a time that was better than last year's winner and faster than I expected to be is a bit frustrating, but a top 10 is great by most measures and there were a lot of good things about this race too. Firstly I lucked into being at one of the biggest and most in-demand gravel races in Texas, thanks to a transferred registration. I also got to work on tactics and fueling strategies and learned about the importance of positioning at these races. It's also just a privilege to be able to go out and ride my bike hard in a beautiful part of the state. If I can take these lessons and grow from that then that should be enough of a win. Hopefully I can come back next year and climb the podium!"

- @whedgie
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Support by
@blanks_sports_nutrition
@befreeridebikes
@cognitivefunctionbicycleshop
@ridelens_official
@completeathletept
@tacosnsalsa_satx

Photos by @picsbyptg and Amy Boyd
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Cycling, San Antonio, Texas, Mountain biking, road bike, gravel, bike, endurance, training, fitness, Krebs, carbs, upset the industry, be free ride bikes, race, gravel race, bike race, castell, grind

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Bike racing has sent me to some pretty dark places over the years but none quite like last weekend at the @castellgrind.

A primary season goal was to snag another win at this Texas gravel classic, but I honestly wasn’t sure I was even going to start the race at all. You see as luck would have it, a vicious viral infection hit me quite hard on no other than race week itself. A few days in bed and over a toilet would probably force most to stay home but curiosity and a glimmer of hope led me to that starting line on Saturday morning - for better or worse.

The opening miles actually felt somewhat normal and I was pretty surprised to bridge to the winning break with a solid early dig. This optimism was short lived however, as I soon started projectile vomiting somewhere around mile 25. From this point onward there was essentially no fueling on the day as it would only make its way out onto the side of the road minutes later. Needless to say, it was one of the more brutal experiences to race in such a depleted state and to hang in it long enough for the final sprint was a shock. I guess being able to “gut” out a podium on the day was a testament to the combination of a little grit and one damn efficient bike setup. You better believe we’ll pack those same two things up again and take another crack at this one next year 🫡

📸: @picsbyptg

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