Northeast - Gran Fondo New York

Looks interesting...just saw this today:

http://www.granfondony.com

Looks interesting...just saw this today:

http://www.granfondony.com

one of our members is the organizer of this: his handle is passista

Is this going to be a competitive only ride or can the casual rider also participate?

Casual riders would be welcome.

Be ready to climb, though.

It's the usual Bear Mt. ride for us locals.
Better butter up your moms cause it takes place on Mother's Day.
Sorry mom :(

Really excited about this. Love doing centuries, but this looks like just enough of a casual contest (as in the real Gran Fondo style) to be something new. Wish it was sooner!

Is passista out there? I'd love to hear his/her take on it! I know it's a year away, but it sounds excellent!

I am super excited about this but there's not much info on it.
How many riders
Will they close the roads
How much to register
Anyone know the details??

I am super excited about this but there's not much info on it.
How many riders
Will they close the roads
How much to register
Anyone know the details??

passista said they expect ~6,000 riders.
GWB lane closures were mentioned, but I don't see how they can expect to close roads all the way to BM and back.
My guess is at least $100.
That's all I got.

Thanks ckelly49. All answers sound great! Wish it was this year...

Thanks ckelly49
except I think $100 may be a little low since a jersey is included in the registration.
How can they not give specific details since registration is only a month away.

Thanks ckelly49
except I think $100 may be a little low since a jersey is included in the registration.
How can they not give specific details since registration is only a month away.

I'm figuring more as well, but who knows. Just for example Levi's GranFondo is $130 w/ a t-shirt while the Colnago GranFondos are $99 w/ a jersey.

Hi guys

Sorry for replying only now, just stumbled upon this thread.

We're currently finalizing the details. Registration will open September 1. We had multiple requests from people to postpone the registration by a month as many are on vacation August 1 and don't want to risk to be shut out (especially all the Italians who want to come, we have massive feedback from there). Mid August we will have all the answers to your questions on our website (and if there should anything be still in question, just email us at info@granfondony.com).

Some more info for now:

Yes, it's for everyone, rider and racer. But it's 100+miles and has some funky hills. Spring-classic type course!

The course: while the locals will surely know parts of it, it's not gonna be your bread and butter GWB-Nyack-Bear Mtn ride. However, not only the course will be different but also the experience riding it in a big group. Also, there will be great prizes up for grabs for the fast climbers in various categories and raffle prizes for all participants.
The jersey will be from a top brand (we're talking to several companies right now). It will be mandatory to wear it and have your number printed on it.

So much for now, please keep checking our website or join us on facebook.com/granfondony (http://facebook.com/granfondony) for latest news and updates.

Thanks much guys, it will be awesome!

Uli

Looks like a junior brevet.

Lol, I've never seen a Brevet with timed climbs and competition. How about you sign up and see yourself in how many more ways it is different.

That said, Brevets are a cool thing. Like the spirit. Just ride.

Sounds like a stage in the Tour de France.

Lol, I've never seen a Brevet with timed climbs

A brevet is a timed event from start to finish.

Not being familiar with the Italian reference, it's hard for me to tell from your website exactly what this thing is. What is it? An informal ride with a competitive sprint up the hill?


How about you sign up and see yourself in how many more ways it is different.

Good luck with it--but thousands of people, aid stations, and a sweep car are definitely not for me.

Sounds like a stage in the Tour de France.

Probably as far fetched as a brevet. :) BUT: it's always what you make of it, right?

A brevet is a timed event from start to finish.

Usually they are to be completed within a certain time limited. Of course they may be brevets out there which are actually timed. You seem to know more about these than I do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevet_(cycling)


Not being familiar with the Italian reference, it's hard for me to tell from your website exactly what this thing is. What is it? An informal ride with a competitive sprint up the hill?

That's pretty close. In Italy, a GF is like a bike race but you don't need a licence. And you can take it easy as well if you prefer. It's like the marathon of cycling. Everyone from pro to finisher starts together.
We will have a few timed climbs that together will count towards the King of Mountain competition. We're working on full road closure in the future but I'm sure you can imagine that this is tougher to achieve in NYC than on Italian countryside roads.


Good luck with it--but thousands of people, aid stations, and a sweep car are definitely not for me.

Fair enough. I would encourage you nonetheless to give it a shot. Who knows, maybe it actually suits you more than you think.

Cheers!
Uli

I would encourage you nonetheless to give it a shot. Who knows, maybe it actually suits you more than you think.

No, I've had enough of big crowds of cyclists, but good luck with it!

Thanks!

I like the photo of the guy holding the umbrella at the starting line.
Reminds me of the Five Boro Bike Tour :roflmao:

But seriously, it sounds like a great event.

Haha, yep, classic. It poured right until the start so the streets were soaked and everyone got nicely wet before the sun came out.

One more for you:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_5iJ3uK2J0wo/TCTHFvYmhqI/AAAAAAAABWc/RcuKZzTR8Ac/s800/P1020320.JPG

No, I've had enough of big crowds of cyclists, but good luck with it!

I think the good thing with this ride is that there will probably be more experienced riders given the distance and amount of climbing which should make riding in the initial crowd not a problem. My only issue with crowds is when the riders don't know what they're going and you end up in a big mess of people wheeling around everywhere.




The jersey will be from a top brand (we're talking to several companies right now). It will be mandatory to wear it and have your number printed on it.



If you haven't already, take a look at Capoforma who make some nice custom kits but might be a bit more pricey than someone like Verge or Champion Systems.



Good luck with it--but thousands of people, aid stations, and a sweep car are definitely not for me.


They should have someone in a Vespa passing by telling us to pedal faster and how much left to go....I think I'd like that.
;)

If you haven't already, take a look at Capoforma who make some nice custom kits but might be a bit more pricey than someone like Verge or Champion Systems.

Thanks for that suggestions, definitely our price range. We will have really nice Jerseys, top end quality stuff, nothing cheap given that the riders will have to wear them at the GF - the number will be printed on the jersey - and everyone will want to ride in them.


They should have someone in a Vespa passing by telling us to pedal faster and how much left to go....I think I'd like that.
;)

Not a bad idea! :)

Thanks for that suggestions, definitely our price range. We will have really nice Jerseys, top end quality stuff, nothing cheap given that the riders will have to wear them at the GF - the number will be printed on the jersey - and everyone will want to ride in them.


The nice thing about using Capo is that though they're an American company, Bergamo in Italy makes their clothing which might be nice in keeping with the Italian theme. Oh and if you do get someone on a Vespa to yell at us make sure it's an old Italian man so he can swear at us in Italian.

:p

I didn't know that about Capo - cool.

I would get my old phys ed teacher if he wouldn't be dead. He used to follow us on a Vespa when we had to run.

Thanks for that suggestions, definitely our price range. We will have really nice Jerseys, top end quality stuff, nothing cheap given that the riders will have to wear them at the GF - the number will be printed on the jersey - and everyone will want to ride in them.

Excellent! Be sure that, if you go that way, you go for a full-length zipper on the jersey! Given you'll want folks to keep wearing the jersey, a full-length zipper is the bee's knees during the hottest summer months.

Otherwise, I'm sure you'll find a great jersey supplier. I've had great luck with custom jerseys and shorts from Voler, Pactimo, Louis Garneau and Champion Systems in the past.

Sounds like it'll be a great ride!

Full zip is a given of course. I stopped riding anything else years ago.

Thanks!

just wish this was any other time except Mother's Day...oh well :(

I'm sure you can imagine that it is not easy to find a date that works for everyone. My mum doesn't even know about it yet! Maybe I should get her to ride more so she can take part at GFNY? :)

The nice thing about using Capo is that though they're an American company, Bergamo in Italy makes their clothing which might be nice in keeping with the Italian theme. Oh and if you do get someone on a Vespa to yell at us make sure it's an old Italian man so he can swear at us in Italian.

:p

no need for an old italian dude to that:innocent:.

please allow me to demonstrate:

vaffanculo, finocchio

I'm sure you can imagine that it is not easy to find a date that works for everyone. My mum doesn't even know about it yet! Maybe I should get her to ride more so she can take part at GFNY? :)

lol

Thanks for that suggestions, definitely our price range. We will have really nice Jerseys, top end quality stuff, nothing cheap given that the riders will have to wear them at the GF - the number will be printed on the jersey - and everyone will want to ride in them.



Not a bad idea! :)

sorry, but that's a horrible idea. having numbers pinned to jerseys & ziptied onto bikes is the way to go. also, please don't use henry hudson drive: narrow roads + people who can't handle bike = disaster

what's your problem with the printed numbers? it's unusual but that's why we like it. authorities want us to have the riders easily identifiable and that's the way we are going to do it.

you mean the bike way?

what's your problem with the printed numbers? it's unusual but that's why we like it. authorities want us to have the riders easily identifiable and that's the way we are going to do it.

you mean the bike way?

i just prefer being able to pin & unpin the numbers. i mean, if you have two sets, one in a horizontal orientation and one vertical, you can identify people pretty well. besides, it gives rider the option of not buying the jersey or not wearing it should the rider feel like representing a team.

bike way, whatever you want to call the road that goes under the GWB. it'll be a nightmare when you have six-eight people riding abreast when one of them realizes that there's a huge pothole that needs to be dodged and there's no place to go.

i just prefer being able to pin & unpin the numbers. i mean, if you have two sets, one in a horizontal orientation and one vertical, you can identify people pretty well. besides, it gives rider the option of not buying the jersey or not wearing it should the rider feel like representing a team.

We definitely thought about just using pinned number. However, we've agreed with the authorities on mandatory jerseys and this is how we will do it.

I understand that some may want to use their team kits. However, there are GF in Italy where paid riders take part. Some of the GF teams in Italy pay a salary of up to 50,000€ p.a. Even these riders, who are paid by the sponsors on their jersey, wear the event jerseys where mandatory (e.g. GF Marco Pantani and GF Fausto Coppi). The jersey will be great so quality is not an issue. I actually believe it will be an upgrade for most team riders. Join us on facebook.com/granfondony to stay in the loop about the jersey.


bike way, whatever you want to call the road that goes under the GWB. it'll be a nightmare when you have six-eight people riding abreast when one of them realizes that there's a huge pothole that needs to be dodged and there's no place to go.

River Road/Palisades on the Jersey side or the bike path along Little Red Lighthouse? Whatever it will be, we will make sure it's the best for everyone. Again, facebook is your best friend for news.

Thanks
Uli

i just prefer being able to pin & unpin the numbers. i mean, if you have two sets, one in a horizontal orientation and one vertical, you can identify people pretty well. besides, it gives rider the option of not buying the jersey or not wearing it should the rider feel like representing a team.
bike way, whatever you want to call the road that goes under the GWB. it'll be a nightmare when you have six-eight people riding abreast when one of them realizes that there's a huge pothole that needs to be dodged and there's no place to go.

I see your point about Henry Hudson Drive because it's pretty perilous when you factor in a lot of cyclists on a relatively narrow stretch and no real guard rail in case someone loses control. I'd like to think everyone going is experienced at riding in groups and can handle their bikes but you can't take anything for granted. Also another thing to be mindful of at that time of year is the condition of the road because after a rainy Spring you get a lot of large rock and tree debris that often takes a while to clear up.

Imagine the horribly paved uphill at Alpine. A few Lance circa stage 8 moments? Then again, if the start can be managed well--a certain number of riders leaving at a time--it can't be too bad. That road is wider than the one lane of road (I assume traffic won't be closed on a rolling basis in both directions) most of the way up.

I'll keep you posted on the details. We don't plan to use River Road at this stage. On the other hand, it will be a classic type parcours and some rough roads would complement that nicely. ;) I've ridden large GF in Italy on tiny roads and have seen what they use at Tirreno-Adriatico. These 'roads' wouldn't be called roads here. Some lost bottles but that was it.
Again, we don't force it and seek out best possible options but I don't think it's such a big deal. It's not gonna be held on highways only as that would be mindbogglingly boring (ever watch the average Vuelta stage?).

Thanks for your thoughts!

I'll keep you posted on the details. We don't plan to use River Road at this stage. On the other hand, it will be a classic type parcours and some rough roads would complement that nicely. ;) I've ridden large GF in Italy on tiny roads and have seen what they use at Tirreno-Adriatico. These 'roads' wouldn't be called roads here. Some lost bottles but that was it.
Again, we don't force it and seek out best possible options but I don't think it's such a big deal. It's not gonna be held on highways only as that would be mindbogglingly boring (ever watch the average Vuelta stage?).

Thanks for your thoughts!

to paraphrase chris bordeman: this is sounding like a circus, and i don't want to be one of the clowns. you better get yourself a very good lawyer if you plan on doing this. for one thing, the general riding public probably has nowhere near the handling skills of those in europe. all it takes is one lost bottle and a pileup, and someone will find a hole in the waiver to get you a nice tort lawsuit

I appreciate your concerns and I understand where you are coming from. As I have said before (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?656111-Gran-Fondo-New-York&p=11119132&viewfull=1#post11119132), complimented by a smilie, we do have no intentions to use bad roads. That said, I've seen more crashes on good, wide roads than on tiny roads as people tend to be more cautious on the latter. But again, no plans to use bad roads!

I appreciate your concerns and I understand where you are coming from. As I have said before (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?656111-Gran-Fondo-New-York&p=11119132&viewfull=1#post11119132), complimented by a smilie, we do have no intentions to use bad roads. That said, I've seen more crashes on good, wide roads than on tiny roads as people tend to be more cautious on the latter. But again, no plans to use bad roads!

Thank you for putting up with our (probably mostly my) dose of skepticism, and I'm really looking forward to receiving more details (i've signed up for FB updates a month back).

No, absolutely appreciate the concerns. That's why I'm here. It's great to hear anyone's thoughts and it's good to question everything as long as it's reasonable as your comments are.

Thanks for joining us on FB, cheers

Uli

Hi guys

Just wanted to give an update for those of you interested in Gran Fondo New York. We're opening registration on October 15.
Our revamped website www.granfondony.com has tons of info on the course and more. Check it out.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Thanks!
Uli

The jersey will be from a top brand (we're talking to several companies right now). It will be mandatory to wear it and have your number printed on it.


Full zip is a given of course. I stopped riding anything else years ago.

Hi Uli,

Good luck with the ride - I'm sure it's an ambitious undertaking to organize an event like this! I did the Philly Gran Fondo ride this summer, and it was a lot of fun.

One piece of advice which I would strongly suggest is to provide very detailed fit information about the jerseys on the web site. For example, in addition to chest size, specify if it is a club/relaxed/American cut, or a racing/Euro cut. If a rider's number is printed on it, he's locked in to that one specific size. No one wants to see a parade of cyclists looking like they escaped from a shrink-wrap factory... especially if I decide to ride! (Recovering Clydesdale here.) Also, good call on the full zip.

I hope it all works out beyond your best expectations!

One piece of advice which I would strongly suggest is to provide very detailed fit information about the jerseys on the web site.

We definitely will. Also, should the shirt still be the wrong size, we will have a few to swap at package pick-up.

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!

Uli