One of the great things about living in Reno is the proximity of great dirt road adventure right on the edge of town. I do not need to load up the car to drive to where the pavement ends. Today I wanted to check out the Truckee River corridor and ride east to Lockwood.

I had been to this edge of town before to ride south along the Virginia Range above south east Reno. I knew the water treatment plant was just beyond where I turned into the mountains. But more than that was an unknown.

I rode around the secure facility, through a dirt lot to a road that continued along the Truckee River. I passed through a gate that was posted closed to motorized traffic but otherwise pedestrians, bicycles, horseback riders, and wild horses were welcome. The sand and rock were a good test of the 26+ wheel size of my Surly Instigator. I am impressed with the performance of the Dirt Wizard 26×2.75 tires.

The road ended at a diversion ditch just outside of Lockwood. I tried to follow the ditch until it became choked with brush. I back tracked to a canyon that appeared to have a high route I could follow east or west.

I continued east and climbed above an open mine. I descended into Lockwood on the mine service roads. From here I could have continued east on the Tahoe Pyramid Bikeway or turned south along Long Valley Creek to Lagomarsino Canyon. As today’s ride was a quick exploratory ride I returned to Reno/Sparks via Interstate 80. Again the Dirt Wizard tires performed well rolling along at a modest 20 mph.