Gran Fondo San Diego

look closely behind the green curtain. not what I thought it was and very difficult to get a reply from anyone there… not a very responsive organization unless they are going to make all the money. no money no return phone call.

it was 108 miles of wonderful! i think the next one is beverly hills, CA. zoomin!

Dear Diary,
Rode in the Gran Fondo again this year and have to say this was my favorite ride yet out of the 3 Fondo’s I’ve done. The weather was perfect (cool start in the morning and warmed up as the ride progressed).
We must have gotten to the start line early this year because we were near the front of the line as the ride began. Had no problems getting out of downtown however saw a couple of accidents along the way. Bummer… hope all involved are ok.
Road conditions were pretty much ideal however on Harbor Drive South of the Ballpark definitely needs some work both heading North and South. There were plenty of flats to be had by all. Fortunately I was able to make it through unscathed.
For the most part, those in vehicles were patient and understanding in the fact that there were 1400+ riders driving through their neighborhoods. Of course there is always those certain individuals who don’t have the patience and tend to lay on their horns. Much of that can be attributed to the riders themselves as there were many who would take up the entire road. Definitely a lack of etiquette on the riders part which I didn’t notice in previous years.
Both SAG stations were nicely stocked this year and I think there was a lesson learned from last years Fondo. Plenty of sandwiches, fruit, cookies and drink to be had by all.
Nothing against motorcyclists because many of my friends ride, but there were plenty of douches on Otay Lakes Road this year. I’m not impressed that you’re able to go 90mph and let us hear how loud your bike is while we are schlepping our asses out and back.
This years Expo was somewhat of a disappointment as there were not nearly the amount of vendors as in years past. As usual, there was a beer garden and this year Sierra Nevada was the chosen company. A high upgrade over last years choice A couple of these post ride definitely did the trick. The meal itself wasn’t as good as in years past either. The marinara sauce was very salty and there wasn’t much of a selection to choose from.
On a downside, the organizers of the Fondo seemed to be… well unorganized. I picked up my packet on Saturday before the ride, got home and realized I was given the wrong sized jersey. After the ride yesterday, I tried retuning my jersey which was still packaged only to find out that they did not have the size I ordered. I spoke with Lindsey and hopefully she will make it right before the LA Gran Fondo. We’ll see how that plays out.
A huge props to all the volunteers throughout the course and to the various police, EMT and fire departments who made this ride as easy as can be. The volunteers were friendly and encouraging throughout the ride.
All in all, this Gran Fondo was a success!
Well diary, till next years Gran Fondo.
Jim

I just got an e-​mail from Star Events informing me that I will have to pay them an additional $ 73 at registration pick-​up tomorrow because they screwed up on the discount code through
. This was their mistake and I never would have registered for this overpriced ride if I hadn’t heard of the discount. I registered over a month ago, so they had ample opportunity to discover their mistake, ask me to pay the difference or give me my money back. Instead, they waited until the last minute – probably to pressure more people to just settle up.
The one-​star is because of the sloppy way they’ve handled this. I might reconsider if they do the right thing and realize that they shouldn’t penalize riders for their error. I know there are a hundred or more people in the same predicament. It will be interesting to see what happens!

MY FIRST CYCLING EVENT EVER!
The furthest I’ve ever ridden was 30 miles. So, when I named all the reasons as to why I can’t do this ride (I suck. I bike slow. I hate hills. It’s too far…), I was met with «If you can do 25, you can do 50! NO PROBLEM!» Low and behold, the closer it got to the date, I found out the ride was 60 miles! This will be interesting.
The day before the event, I walked around the expo, sampling on energy snacks and checking out pretty cool bikes. There were good deals on cycling clothing, if one were interested. I also picked up my ride packet, which contained my bike number and wristband. This gives you access to all the SAG stations and mechanical support during the ride. After the ride, you get a free meal and a safe place to park your bike.
The day of the event, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of riders participating. There were quite a few from France and Italy. Though many wore biking jerseys, had high end bikes and gear, I saw several participants on their mountain/​commuter bikes and in every day street clothes. This was an event for everyone, no matter the skill level. It was pretty cool.
During the ride, things to note:
— Most flats occur on the Harbor Drive ride going over the tracks. I counted about 10. Got spare?
— Don’t be a douche on these big rides. We are not Critical Mass.
— Know that the first SAG stop will always be crowded. It helps to plot alternative restroom points, along your route. McDonald’s, for a bathroom break, was a mile away. No line there.
— Pack extra snacks and lots of water. Refill and snack at SAG points, whenever you can.
— It helps to have people to ride with. (Thank you, Vinji and Alan!)
It was great to hear folks cheer for us. Lots of riders shouted out encouragement, as well, when they passed me up.
The only real negatives to this event were the fact that the map for the routes weren’t posted until a month before the event and that the food at the end was really lame. I ended up going to Burger Lounge with some friends, afterwards, because I couldn’t eat the pasta, bread or salad that was being served.
Overall, I was glad that I didn’t finish last. I was happier that I finished well before they closed out the event. And, even if I was dying the last 12 miles of my ride (headwind is not my friend), I still had lots of fun.
Would I do it this again? Most def.

The Gran Fondo is an organized road bike race/​ride that starts in Little Italy and traverses either 100mi or 100 km (a «metric century» or 60mi) through San Diego County. Entrance fees were about $ 120 and that got you a jersey, a number, a timing chip to wear and a post-​ride dinner. I heard over 2,000 cyclists participated in 2011. An expo center with various vendors was setup in the parking lot of the County Administration Building.
Overall, the event was fairly well-​run, but there were some things I found interesting:
— While this event supported Melanoma aid, you’d think they’d make sunscreen available to the riders being exposed for upwards of 10 hours. Not so much. Irony defined.
— (Related to the metric century only) From a scenic perspective, the course was not impressive. Riding past Harbor Drive through National City to Chula Vista (the first 20 miles), the view was of shopping centers, suburb developments and warehouses. Near the Otay Lakes, the view improved, but that was a 10mi stretch (x2 — out and turn-​around) out of 60mi. Only ¹⁄₃ of the route was scenic!
— The route was only published very late and used this Flash-​based website so you couldn’t check it on your phone while riding. A friend returning from the 105mi course got lost in Chula Vista when the signs blew down. It would have been cool to get a print-​out of the map or be able to download the way points to GPS.
— At the first aid station at the Olympic Training Center, they ran out of water, but they did have some good snacks.
— Riders were given right-​of-​way by local police through National City only and then you were on your own in traffic.
— There were some nice fans and cheering sections along the route.

I signed up early for the April 10, 2011 San Diego Medio Fondo. Today is March 21, 2011. I still have no idea of the rout and elevation profile. I have emailed the *gods* to try to give us peons an idea of what we should train for, but I realize they were more interested in my entry fee than providing support.
Perhaps we are not worthy of knowing what the route is since we are not of the «elite». But, actually, this is a huge ride for me and a HUGE cost. It may actually be more paramount than the elite riders’ experience.
This was my only outlet in, once again, asking for a route map/​profile… even if we only riding out the first 26 miles and returning on the same route. I feel so depressed and unmotivated in trying to train-​up for this ride.
At least there is spaghetti at the end
Update!
Attended the event, They ran out of water. They ran out of the jerseys that we preordered. They didn’t have rest stops as promised. My friend is diabetic and had extreme problems when there was no rest stop at Mile 40. There was no gas stations or stores for another 15 miles. The course was not clear as to whether the medio route was 53, 56 or 63 miles… I have been on many cycling events/​fundraisors and this was the least prepared and serviced as any I have attended. I think Colgano put all their time in getting vendors to pay for their expo, for the jerseys to advertise and for the VIP. They never even mentioned their charity, I wonder how much was donated to that. Shame on you Colgano!

Tough course but a very good ride. Lot’s more climbing than advertised. I think the ride was advertised as 4800 feet of climb but it was more like 6800 feet. One complaint is that I have still not received my jersey. I signed up the day before the race at the expo and was told it would be mailed to me. I have sent multiple emails to the info email link on the site which is the only way I could find to try and contact the organizers but have never
heard back. I doubt it is still being monitored so I guess I’m out of luck. A real bummer considering the high entry fee of $ 100.

The inaugural 2009 Gran Fondo was a huge success! It was on March 1, 2009. Ernesto Colnago himself was there!
The event is a bicycle ride with a 45-​mile and a 100-​mile option. The 45-​mile route goes from Little Italy to the Olympic training center in Chula Vista and back. The 100-​mile route goes out to the Olympic training center, up Honey Springs grade, past Alpine, Crest, and Spring Valley and back to Little Italy.
The ride was organized very well with great aid stations and even support vehicles to assist with flats. It was really cool to ride through the Olympic training center and get to see some of the facilities. The roads in some places were a little iffy, especially on the part known as the Bayshore Bikeway. I don’t think they should put those signs up until there is actually a nice bikeway in place. Harbor Drive is just not a nice road to ride on. I saw two crashes, both involving train tracks. One of them was in pretty bad shape. Cross at 90 degrees! Most of the people on the ride were friendly. There will always be those people who take themselves extremely seriously on a fun ride. Overall, I think the event was great, and I look forward to having another one in 2010.