# Is anyone doing Levi's GranFondo?



## alex3780 (Nov 7, 2009)

I'm signed up for the century but am thinking about moving to the 60-mile ride. Anyone else doing either ride?

I'd love to meet up and have some company on all / part of the ride.


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

alex3780 said:


> I'm signed up for the century but am thinking about moving to the 60-mile ride. Anyone else doing either ride?
> 
> I'd love to meet up and have some company on all / part of the ride.


I am signed up for the Levi Gran Fondo next month. If you are near the peninsula, I am organizing a group ride from Palo Alto to the ocean and back for this Saturday.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Way too expensive.


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## steve90068 (Jul 29, 2009)

I'll be riding the Gran. Would love to meet up!


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

steve90068 said:


> I'll be riding the Gran. Would love to meet up!


Bill (aka Pokey) and I are signed up for the Gran Fondo. With 6000 people plus support crews, Santa Rosa is going to be one busy place on the 9th.

Not being familiar with the layout, I wouldn't know where to begin as setting up a place to meet. No worries. We can work on the details right before the event.

Derek


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## dtrancex (Jun 17, 2009)

*On my way*

canceled


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

dtrancex said:


> I'm signed up for the Gran, However i've developed Trochanterac Bursitis. This has drastically cut my riding and conditioning. I'm feeling it wise to do the Medio. My wife and I are coming in Fri morning.
> We have work in the area, but we're from Bend Or. Let me know [email protected] Dean
> 
> P.s. Still have been doing my mountain climbs and 200 a week plus MTB rides


Pokey and I will be stylin' in the new RBR kits on Saturday. Give us a shout (real loud) if you spot us. With such a huge event, it's hard syncing up with people.


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## Jaxattax (Dec 13, 2005)

*We fly out tomorrow*

Three of us from North Florida are headed out tomorrow. We're making it a mini-vacation by arriving a little early and bringing our non-riding wives. Really looking forward to it.


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Jaxattax said:


> Three of us from North Florida are headed out tomorrow. We're making it a mini-vacation by arriving a little early and bringing our non-riding wives. Really looking forward to it.


We'll have to pull together for an RBR group photo. Anyone have suggestions as to how/where/when to meet?


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## twain (May 18, 2004)

Derek-Eliott is doing the ride as well.


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## steve90068 (Jul 29, 2009)

I look like this except ill be wearing a white and grey Castelli jersey and will be riding my white and red Ridley Compact.

Say hi or throw something at me if you see me 

I'm also staying at the Quality inn in santa rosa....ghetto? yes but its cheap


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

I rode the Gran route on Sunday for the first time. I can tell you this... Cazadero Highway is a false flat and you may be tempted to roll too fast. Take it easy here, because you'll need your energy for the climb to come. You'll come to a three pronged fork in the road where Cazadero Hwy ends. The left is Fort Ross road, straight ahead (well, slightly to the right, but the middle fork at any rate) is King's Ridge Road. Take King's Ridge (duh!). After rolling along for around 2 miles, the climb starts in earnest and goes almost three and a half miles. It will pretty much turn to rollers after that until you get to the intersection of Tin Barn Road and Hauser Bridge Road (~ mile 47 and a rest stop). Be careful on the Hauser Bridge Rd. descent, as it has some decreasing radius turns heading down to the bridge. After the bridge you have around 2 miles back up to the top. Save some energy in the next set of rollers, because you have Coleman Valley coming up at ~ mile 75. 

Have fun, Stay Safe!

Just my $.02 worth!

Chuck


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## Jake25 (Sep 20, 2006)

For 6000 riders I'm surprised this thread isn't bigger.

Living in Santa Rosa makes attending this event pretty easy:thumbsup:


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## patpend2000 (Jan 31, 2006)

It was a great day at the Fondo yesterday, weather was great, the start with 6000 riders was much better than last years start. It helped to know the ride this year and where to conserve and where to push it a little more. The organizers did a great job with the ride, one place for improvement would be food at the end, I ended up wait over 1 hour to get some food, how about sandwiches or burgers etc... something that can be pre-made in large quantities.

We saw one rider that had crashed badly before the rest stop on King's Ridge, they ended up calling in life flight, I hope the rider is ok.

Moving the last stop to the coast was a great idea instead of on the middle of the hill outside of Jenner.

I also got my picture with Levi as he was walking through the crowd after the event and stopping to take pictures and sign autographs.

Can't wait until 2011 Fondo


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## Tarmacjack (Jul 26, 2010)

I was there yesterday. Last year I did the medio and this year I did the gran. Wow! that was an intense ride but it was awesome and there was a lot of support for the riders. I'm glad they moved one of the stops to the coast. It made for a nice break before having to climb over Coleman Valle which was brutal after already around 6200 feet of climbing. I think it was put together a bit better than last year, they were able to work the kinks out. I live in Sonoma County and ride those roads all the time so it cool to go out on a big ride with that many people and talk with those who have never been out here.

I was hoping to get my picture taken with Odessa! Didn't work out though.


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## cheddarlove (Oct 17, 2005)

Great ride, great weather and very well sponsored and organized. Although I was less than pleased about Registration being just before the holidays. 
Also not happy with transfer fees. My tandem partner bailed due to injury so we were SOL for selling her spot.
May or may not do it next year. Depends the time of year the tickets go on sale.


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## alex3780 (Nov 7, 2009)

what a great ride. we really need to get the norcal gang together and hammer the gran route next year.

being new to the west coast, the ride along the coast was EASILY the prettiest few miles of cycling I've ever done.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

A rookie friend told me there were a ton of accidents. Is that true or just her impression?

fc


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## .steve (Jul 13, 2005)

I saw one as I was going into Cazadero and one on King Ridge; the one into Cazadero looked pretty bad. I didn't see the hit and run bastard around Graton but have been following that on the Fondo twitterfeed. All in all though, I don't think it was overly crazy, the amount of accidents.


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## alex3780 (Nov 7, 2009)

there was also a 12-13 year old kid out cold on the first descent. i mean with 6000 people on some pretty crowded, ripped up and challenging roads, there are bound to be issues. overall it was fine.


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## gestell (Feb 5, 2005)

I was in a crash on the King Ridge descent just after the slooow sign ...came around the bend and a rider in front of me went down...I tried to avoid his bike and ended up going in the ditch and launching into another bike that was there. I was a little shaken and after surveying my body and bike I only came away with a golf ball sized contusion below my knee. The other guy was pretty torn up and the EMT was tending to him so I rolled out in pain. When I arrived at the next stop I consulted an EMT and he would not let me continue unless the swelling went down....so 45 minutes later (2 cokes, a few ice packs and some excellent lemonade) I am back on the road in some pain(especially climbing) and Coleman Valley coming up but happy to continue since I flew 4 hours to do it. It was all worth it once I got to Meyers Grade and saw the coastline looming before me.....stunning. Coleman Valley was everything I could handle and more especially in my state and coming when it did, at roughly 72 miles. My day was trashed as far as time goes after the crash but I was glad to finish. I heard some EMT's talking about having to airlift 2 riders out and I saw other crashes.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

There were quite a few crashes out there. The worst was probably the hit and run on Graton Rd. That rider is still in ICU.

I saw one guy with a FUBAR'd, taco'd ZIPP carbon rear wheel. Apparently, he overheated it coming down Houser Bridge road and the rim collapsed when he made the turn after crossing the bridge. He was a little scraped up, but didn't seem too bad.


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

Mark your calendars for 10/1/11. Hope to make it next year.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

EBrider said:


> Mark your calendars for 10/1/11. Hope to make it next year.


I'll have to start saving my pennies ... registration in December presumably?


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

ukbloke said:


> I'll have to start saving my pennies ... registration in December presumably?


Not sure about registration. I just got a tweet on the ride date.

I may have to try it. I haven't yet because its usually the day before the Diablo Challenge, but I may do both if that's the case.


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