Gran Fondo club members and Ultra cyclists Bill Glass, Jeff Sammons, and Jeff Bauer as they were getting ready to ride Paris Brest Paris, the ultimate Ultra event
- Want to take your cycling to a new place?
- Looking for a challenge and racing just isn't your bag?
- Looking for a new group of friends to spend 12 to 14 hours with on the backroads of Tennessee?
- Just curious about stepping your routes up to something a little more challenging?
You may just need to consider "going Ultra"
Nashville is lucky to have a fantastic
Ultra cycling community, organized under the charter of the Harpeth Bike Club. Most of the charter members of the group are also
Gran Fondo Cycling Club members, so expect to see a few familiar faces if you sign up for some of the local rides.
If we have peaked your interest,
visit the Ulta Cycling Home Page found within the HBC website. The Ultra site is a plethora of information with everyting from a primer for the complete newbie to a schedule of all upcoming events. We particularly like the ride schedule because each route is available as a downloadable file, complete with map and cue sheet. Ultra ride cue sheets are great in that they will be sure to route you on the safest roads in the area and will always pass convenience marts at regular intervals. Even if you aren't ready to tie into rides of 100 miles or more, you can use these routes as great resources to investigate new roads throughout the state. We commend our Tennessee coordinator Jeff Sammons (also a Gran Fondo club member) for the excelllent information he has made available to all.
The season for Ultra cycling kicks off anew in January each year, so take a look at the schedule and see if there are some rides that you would like to sign up for.
If You need Some help from Us...
Most people can just show up to their first ultra event with few modifications to their existing ride, maybe just adding some lights and a larger saddle bag. BUT, if you really get the rando fever, we will be glad to help you get ready for your longer events as we have learned the ropes working with our customers who are some of the leaders in the state. We even have the ultimate Ultra credential - we were the sponsoring bike shop for the Gran Fondo Fixies, a two man relay team who raced Race Across America (RAAM) in 2008. Local randonneur Jeff Bauer was the heart of this team and was supported by another ultra cyclist and GF club member Robert Hendry. The Gran Fondo Fixies were actually the first to finish this grueling 2000 plus mile joy ride across the U.S.
