A “big ride”—October 9!
In Italian, a big ride is… a gran fondo. There’s a reason it’s our store’s name. And, on October 9, we’re planning Tennessee’s second real gran fondo, in the grand Italian tradition. Starting and ending at the historic country store in Fly, TN, our gran fondo will be an epic challenging course. Whether you’re a racer or a weekend rider, this gran fondo is a chance to ride some of the best roads in Middle Tennessee. And you can ride against the clock, race as a team, or just ride on your own at your own pace. That’s the beauty of a gran fondo!
And in the tradition of the great gran fondos, the ride will end with a wonderful meal.
Our Gran Fondo gran fondo will be presented with Start2Finish as our event managers. Follow this link (in process...) to click through to all details and on-line registration.
What is a gran fondo, you ask?
Literally, gran fondo translates to big ride. Started in Italy, a gran fondo is a classic bicycling event, one that’s designed for both serious racers and dedicated recreational cyclists—where everyone’s united by their love of cycling! In Italy, gran fondo rides attract thousands. In the U.S., they’re a growing phenomenon.
Every gran fondo shares a few key characteristics, however. First, the course is hard. Not impossible, but challenging. Second, everyone is welcome. Competitive cyclists and teams ride against the clock. But there are plenty of riders who participate for the exhilaration of a fun, tough ride over beautiful roads, with great company. Last but not least is the end-of-ride meal. It’s good—very good. After all, gran fondos started in Italy.
Gran fondos happen worldwide. We’re thrilled to add to this good company.
Registration Fees:
Gran Fondo - $60 Individual, $50 before September 30
Registration fee includes timed event, prizes for top times, event T-shirt, lunch and Yazoo beer!!
The timed event characteristic of the gran fondo lends itself to our modification to create a Team Competition in a "Gentlemen's Race" format. Follow
this link to check out these rules.
A Few Words about the Course:
This is a tough course. There are two miles of hard packed dirt roads included in both routes. There's a steep hill or two, but nothing scary. The 65 miles will feel like a few more when it's all wrapped up.
This is not a ride for beginners. We are not providing sag. We are providing rest stops, but this is a gran fondo, not a fully-supported century ride.
Where Exactly Is Fly, TN?
We begin our gran fondo from Fly's General Store,
5661 Leipers Creek Rd, Santa Fe, TN 38482-3417.
Here's
a link to Google Maps, complete with default directions from our store.
The "big picture" above.
