“Everything you love about cycling, and nothing you don’t.”

Ready to ride in the heart of the Rockies? We’re proud to showcase the world-class gravel and tarmac surfaces around the rugged western town of Gypsum, Colorado. In 2025, we’ll expand our our successful gravel race with a new offering: Bighorn Road.

“The best and gnarliest gravel I’ve ever ridden.”

Our three gravel courses show off the world-famous Vail Valley backcountry: 85 miles + 10k vert, 50 miles + 5k vert, and our Gravel Curious 20-miler (e-bike friendly) for those just dipping their toes into the off-road scene. Amongst the increasing offerings in the gravel space, we offer a truly unique experience: a combination of a world class course with a community-first approach. We have big cash prizes for the top racers, prizes and swag to all, and a one-of-a-kind cash prize to the last riders to complete the course, our infamous Ibex Award. When we say Bighorn is for everybody, we mean it!

“More wildlife than cars.”

Bighorn Road will capture all of the best elements of classic fondo events, with our usual adventurous twists: our 80-mile “Stone Sheep” course features 5,000 feet of climbing along the Colorado and Eagle Rivers, plus a 20-mile section of hardpacked dirt to keep things western. It’s the perfect long ride for a modern road bike, covering cell-signal-free country with the security of aid stations and police traffic control. The shorter “Dall Sheep” course is an out and back of 31 miles, with a few punchy climbs and 100% tarmac goodness. While short on distance, this course is still huge on views and excellent, twisting, roads.

Presenting Partner

Two events - Bighorn Gravel and Bighorn Road

Presented by Shimano $25k

12 Comped entries for Gravel 

12 Comped entries for Bighorn Road

Highlight Shimano Brand and Dealer Appreciation - opportunity for Product Launch

Invite marquee Shimano riders to come ride the guests and ride the events

Lodging  - We can offer discount room rates of $100 (a TBD portion of rooms can be fully comped) for Dealers, Employees and Key Customers

Conference room - We can provide a conference room to be used for comped 

Invitation to Shimano Employees - STU completion to obtain entry into Bighorn Road and Bighorn Gravel

Special one-off Bighorn/Shimano Jersey for Dealers, Employees and Participants

Via Dealer network - we invite random customers to participate in both events. We offer 10 free entries - riders will additionally receive a piece of Shimano swag

This level of interaction allows Shimano to engage with key dealers, key shop employees and key consumers - Very much like Sea Otter and Outerbike this opportunity offers true interaction with targeted key accounts for a fraction of the price.

We are asking for a 3 year commitment -the price will remain the same for 3 years while the value for Shimano goes up in year two and again in year three

Premier Partner

Two events - Bighorn Gravel and Bighorn Road

Shimano Premier Partner - $10k

4 Comped entries for Bighorn Gravel 

4 Comped entries for Bighorn Road 

Newsletter - logo placement

Event shirt - logo placement

Social tags and partnerships

Branded expo tents/banners

1 unique experiential activation

Activation Opportunities

  • Start/Finish Line

    Be featured where it counts. Especially cool if you’ve got an athlete competing for the podium! Your brand will be featured prominently in rider photos and race recaps.

  • Shakeout Rides

    Community counts, especially in gravel. Rides led by brand athletes and ambassadors provide great opportunities to connect with Bighorn riders and community members of shapes and sizes.

  • Aid Stations

    Sponsor the thing that keeps the people happy – FOOD! Whether you’re an industry leader or a new snack on the block, aid stations are a prime outlet for proving your product in the field.

  • Kids Race

    The fastest tykes in the west duke it out in our balance bike race, held on expo day. This event helps set Bighorn – and your brand – apart as a fit for the whole family.

  • Secret Activations/Photo Ops

    Bighorn Sheep “Hunting” somewhere on the course? Prize activations and engaging, viral content? Let’s get creative to craft a niche that’s right for your brand.

  • Expo Booths

    Included in all sponsor tiers, our event expo is a perfect opportunity for community engagement, product showcases, and swag giveaways. Open all weekend long!

Race registrations:

  • 2023 gravel registrations: 503 (sold out!)

  • 2024 gravel registrations: 523 (sold out!)

  • 2025 gravel registrations: 350 (sold out!)

  • 2025 road registrations: 225 (sold out!)

Website traffic:

  • 2024 Visits: 40,000 (+74% YOY)

  • 2024 Unique Visitors: 26,000 (+41% YOY)

  • 2024 Newsletter subscribers: 1,171 (+56% YOY)

Instagram engagement:

  • 2024 Followers: 2,316 (+42% YOY)

  • 2024 Impressions: 129,165 (+306% YOY)

YouTube engagement:

  • The Vegan Cyclist: 👀 204K 👍 5.9K 💬 343

  • Dylan Johnson: 👀 105K 👍 5K 💬 254

  • Ben Delaney: 👀27K 👍 854 💬 84

Don’t just listen to us, take it from our riders!

  • “World class course, and world class community. Add Bighorn to your 2024 calendar!”

    Tyler Pearce – The Vegan Cyclist

  • “Way harder than the Leadville 100, and the most money I've ever won at a race!”

    Dylan Johnson – Third Place Finisher

  • "Winning the Ibex Award was a total surprise, and I am so grateful for the army of support."

    Heather Rubi – Last Place Finisher