On Saturday, June 24, over 250 cyclists took part in the sixth annual Gibsons Grind Gran Fondo on a spectacular Sunshine Coast summer day.
The Gibsons Grind Gran Fondo, which loosely translates from Italian to “the big ride,” is a mass participation event that offers participants a choice of several different distances. The signature 110 km route starts at the Langdale ferry terminal, taking cyclists on a scenic and winding ride through Lower Gibsons and West Sechelt to Secret Cove Bay and back and includes a challenging 1,700 metres of climbing, equivalent to the Whistler Gran Fondo.
The 50km and 70 km options, while also challenging, make the event appealing to cyclists of all skills. From a rider’s perspective, the conditions were excellent with clear sunny skies, dry roads and plenty of challenging hills.
The event was planned and organized by the Gibsons Grind Organizing Committee with a goal of promoting cycling and improving road riding conditions for cyclists on the Sunshine Coast.
Larry Reid, the originator of the Fondo, says the event was designed to ensure that “you can ride with your parents, grandparents or be an elite athlete. There’s something for everyone.”
Timing is not included in the event to make it more of a ride than a race, although the elite cyclists have plenty of opportunity to showcase their skills.
The feedback from participants on this year’s event was overwhelmingly positive including comments from the riders such as: “Truly a community-feel event! Great people, great camaraderie! My daughter’s first Fondo … and she had so much fun! We will be back!”
“Well organized and managed event. A huge thank you to all the volunteers and crew who supported us throughout the day – bravo! And, we’ll see you next year!”
The organizers extend a well-deserved thank you to the sponsors, volunteers and residents of the Sunshine Coast for embracing the event and especially for their willingness to share the road.
Next year’s event is already drawing significant interest and will be held June 23, 2018.
– Submitted by Tim Hofmann
