Gravel can be the basis for a great adventure and holiday all in one. For those looking for an all-inclusive adventure, the TransRockies Gravel Royale is a terrific way to explore the remote British Columbian wilderness.
What is the TGR?
The TGR is a 3-day gravel stage race in eastern British Columbia, deep in the heart of the Rockies. Riders camp out for 4 nights, with a casual prep/meet & greet ride followed by three timed stages. Two distances are offered each day of about 50-60 and 80-100 km. Daily stage prizes are awarded along with overall classifications across a range of age group along with the elite categories.
But as with almost all gravel stages, it’s the classic “business up front, party in the back” mullet vibe. TGR is just as welcoming to riders like me who no longer care about placings and want to stop and take pictures at every vista.
Home Base – Nipika Resort
TGR ran its first edition in 2022, featuring a point-to-point itinerary. I was originally signed up for the 2023 edition, but wildfires in the region caused a last-minute cancellation. To reduce the risk of fire affecting the event in 2024, TGR went with a hub and spoke model, with Nipika Resort being the hub and home base, with different daily courses. Personally, I much preferred this hub and spoke model, as it made logistics so much easier for everyone involved. The TGR team didn’t have to take down and set up every day on top of their many other tasks. And we as riders didn’t have to pack up our kit daily, or worry about getting back to our cars at the end of the event.
Fair warning. Nipika, 30 min east of the closest town of Radium Hot Springs, is in a massive region of the province where there is no cell coverage. Personally, it was a great feature because that meant I was not digitally distracted and could just focus on cycling and meeting new friends.
All-Inclusive and Dialed in Logistics
While the TGR is a new-ish event, the TransRockies team has been organizing multi-day endurance (MTB, running, gravel) events for 2+ decades, and have the logistics dialed to perfection. Once you arrive onsite, you’re absolutely taken care of in every way imaginable so that you can just focus on riding and enjoying yourself.
Tents, bike racks, Chillville, start/finish chute. Everything is close together for tired legs.
Camping in single or double-occupancy tents is included. Just bring your own sleeping bag and pads. Or you can upgrade to lodging at Nipika Resort instead.
You can sign up for a bike care package, where TGR’s mechanics wash and prep your bike after each stage. Even without this package, the mechanics have à la carte supplies and services.
The hub for all post-ride activities is TGR’s Chillville. Non-alcoholic drinks and beers aplenty for hanging out and trading war stories and making new friends.
A full shower truck for warm showers after a long and dusty ride! Nipika Resort also has a nice cold swimming pond that many of us chose to use too.
Lots of ride food and drinks both at Nipika and at multiple aid stations throughout each stage.
Lots of daily draw prizes, from wheels and frames through to free entries to another TransRockies event.
Full and comprehensive medical support throughout. The medical team travels each day on motorcycles and ATVs. There is also physiotherapy support and optional massages.
Photographers and videographers throughout the course for terrific photos and a nightly video recap.
Food! Breakfast and dinners are included. The caterers are amazing, delivering massive amounts of quality food out in the wild.
Who is the TGR For?
Just like road cycling, gravel is as varied as there are gravel riders. Some are in it as another way to compete and push themselves to their limits. Some want to use it as a means to travel and explore, but without the hassle of bikepacking and have someone else handle all the everyday logistics instead (route, accommodations, food). Some want to use gravel as a way to meet new people.
Owen, a local gravel buddy, did TGR with me and I think it was an eye-opening experience for him. He had never been to British Columbia before, and he was rubber-necking the entire 3.5 h drive from Calgary. For him, it was absolutely an excuse to travel somewhere exotic and to do it on two wheels.
TGR also worked for Owen because he was able to push himself in ways he hadn’t done before on the bike. While we have done credit card bikepacking trips before, he’s never done a fully self-supported bikepacking trip. So this also got him out of his comfort zone in terms of what adventures could be had on a bike. Indeed, after not tent camping for 20 years, he’s been busy collecting sleeping systems and bike bags since our return.
For me, I grew up in British Columbia and had done a number of solo or group fully self-supported bikepacking trips before. But still, there’s no way I’d ever have found or even thought of riding these remote but insanely beautiful routes by myself. And even if I did plan out this route, let’s face it having all the TGR logistics supporting me meant that I could fully enjoy the experience instead.
And even if none of the above resonates with you, TransRockies Gravel Royale is at its heart awesome riding in an amazing part of the world with everything taken care of for you. Who can’t get behind that?
TGR is set for August 22-25, 2025. As of writing, early bird pricing is in effect ($1,899 CAD, $1,401 USD), with prices going up as spots gets filled to the full price of $2,099 CAD / $1,549 USD. All prices are tax-in before any add-on’s. There are also special pricing of $1,099 CAD / $799 USD for high school / post-secondary students (ages 12-14).
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