# Anybody else doing Jeremiah Bishop's Alpine Loop Gran Fondo?



## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

A friend and I are coming down from NYC to VA to participate. We are looking for an A19/20ish (average speed on flat/no wind) group to work with/coordinate.

Feel free to PM me if anyone wants to link up to enjoy sharing/reducing the pain together. We can't wait!


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## AntonioBiondo (Aug 3, 2010)

*JB's Fondo*

I plan on driving down from MD on Friday evening and riding solo. Couldn't convince anyone from the club to join me in the suffering. I'll be riding a red and black BH G5.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

How'd your ride go? I missed my cowbell time, but dang! What a set of dragons to kill! 

I thought I'd never get to the top of Reddish Knob, and was convinced I might have taken a wrong turn onto the nine circles of hell for a while, but the following descent made it worth it!


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## AntonioBiondo (Aug 3, 2010)

Hands down the hardest century (Fondo) anywhere. 

I ran into trouble on Reddish, two pinch flats and a torn sidewall. I didn't think I was going to make it off that mountain! Luckily someone riding by found pieces of a tire on the trail and I was able to salvage my ride (put piece of tire inside my torn tire) and I was able to climb to the top of Reddish and completely bomb that descent (30mph+ mph for 10 miles!)

I was the second to last person to make it to the finish before the cut-off. If it wasn't for the problems on Reddish I would have had a much better time.

Next year I will be better prepared (cut resistant tires!!).


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

Nice. Glad your luck held together with your tire for that descent. I crashed into the shoulder on one of the blind curves and somehow managed to 1) not fly into the trees 2) not be hurt 3) not damage my bike! Got up for a quick inspection, answer my buddy's question "are you ok!?" with a "Hell YEAH-YEH before continuing my bomb run down the rest of it. 

I'll look for you next time, as I am sure to return next year.


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## tsunayoshi (Dec 3, 2009)

I was part of a fairly mellow group that split apart once we started Reddish...took me 10hrs00m05s to come in, and one of my buddies got the Lanterne Rouge at 10hr25m. The middle climbs killed me as I wasn't eating enough, but all the food hit me going up Reddish Knob and I was able to steadily grind my way up with no issues, even passed 3 riders walking...then I didn't eat at the last aid station like an idiot so semi-bonked around Mole Hill, and somehow hit every damn red light on 33 heading back in as well as encountering 3 or 4 A-hole drivers. The 1st dirt climb in WV was insane.

The descent on 33 and the descent after the go-nogo Medio (mile 51?) split were a blast, we hit 48mph on the one after the split. The descents made the climbs totally worth it. So looking forward to next year now that I know what worked and what didn't training for this year's event, which was my longest/biggest ride ever.


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