astardotcom

Don't know if this has been posted yet but Orange County is having their first gran fondo on October 9th

Looks interesting and fun enough.

Even though I'm familiar with all those roads, I'm definitely signing up.

Check it out:
https://ocgranfondo.com/

azncarbos

I'm already register! should be interesting....

socalslowguy

Thanks for the heads up on this.

StopDiegoStop

Met a guy at the St. John Neumann Church last week telling me about this ride. I want to do the century but it's too close to the Long Beach Marathon.

There's also an OC Ride For Aids that same day - Oct 9, 2010. Two inaugural events in the OC. Should be both fun!

https://www.ocaidsride.com/

WhiteCarbonDude

This is about the worst route someone could think of to ride around Orange County. Why would you take a bunch of riders up the Santa Ana river trail, can you say "CRASH!?" I love Santiago Canyon but then they take you for a loop around Lake Forest, I mean really!? Someone must have said, "we need more miles... Hey let's just ride around in circles."

lowlife1975

good thing i'll be up in santa rosa doing the king ridge fondo... wouldn't want to be cycling out on OC roads with two huge events lined up.

i think OC is a great cycling town but i don't think it makes for a very interesting fondo or any century ride for that matter. there just aren't very many closed roads or super scenic stretches that doesn't involve a bike strip and tons of cars zooming by. the routes planned for both events are going to have a load of stop lights and intersections. that makes for a crappy fondo experience already IMHO. and i doubt it'll be police escorted. also, KOM for santiago canyon? let's call a spade a spade... that canyon is rollers. ain't no mountain climb unless you venture onto the fire roads!

when i think fondo, i think back country riding, little to no stopping for traffic lights and cars, a real climb of more than a couple thousand feet at least, and at least one major destination or famed land mark spot to look forward to during the ride. in that sense, i think this OC fondo is going to fall very short.

Kaneko

Satiago Canyon Time Trial is on the same day as well! It will be a busy day

https://santiagocanyontt.com/Home.php

boniek1982

Disappointing that all these events arent coordinated. Also why is the route private? What are they worried about?

socalslowguy

So it sounds like the route isn't such a good idea after all? Too bad, the date is perfect for a fall century ride.

astardotcom

All good points about the route being a bust especially with 2 other events going on simultaneously =/

However, I still signed up because the registration fee isn't outrageous and it would be my first "gran fondo"

lowlife1975

i suppose if you're looking to do a fully supported century and don't want to drive far, the OC fondo might be okay, especially if its going to be your first. but even then, there are so many other centuries (i.e. solvang) that are much nicer.

problem with the route is that you get back bay, which is nice although short and is already crowded with joggers and bicyclists on any given weekend... then you transition to what i think is one of the most dangerous stretches of PCH. that juncture off of dover is scary and then as your pass through all the car dealerships, there is no bike line and tons of parked cars that you have to look out for. then you hit SART, 25 miles of dry channeled cement river bed action. and then another 5 of industrial/ residential on taft. finally you get to santiago canyon which is probably the nicest stretch. but it will be single file riding for the most part. the rest of the route is rolling terrain on major streets, passing through tons of strip malls and residences.

at the very least, the planners should have included a climb up pacific island drive, drop down laguna canyon and PCH and then maybe newport coast. that would have given people some more canyon views on laguna, an actual coastal view on PCH and then a nice little climb up newport coast. at least that section would have provided some of the best OC has to offer in terms of terrain and views.

Garfield Cat

The riders with choices will choose otherwise. The riders who just want to try out an O.C. century will have their fill. Best thing is O.C. has a lot of riders and the "go to" start is no big deal. No overnight stay at a motel means less money spent for O.C. residents.

L.B. Marathon is just that, a marathon. Their bike ride is way too short.

IVelocal

Aren't Gran Fondo usually timed? I know at least a climb in the San Diego Fondo is timed and I believe the King Ridge Gran Fondo in Santa Rosa is also a timed event.

insidious meme

Looks like I'll be riding around the neighborhood that day. Unless I felt like seeing where each of the events intersect each other, and watch for the train wreck.

Eticket

Okay BFer's who's riding ????

azncarbos

I will be riding....

jmX

Put a bike bag on your bike and you can ride this course for free, any day of the week. It's almost identical to the century ride I rode a couple weeks ago by myself. Water fountains are all along the way as well, so aside from carrying food you really don't need any additional support.

Anyway, I think the SART is nice. Describing it as "25 miles of dry channeled cement river bed" is a bit harsh. Miles 0 through 2 and miles 16 through 29 are quite nice.

azncarbos

True..... but I didn't pay.... because my buddy and his wife from SD is doing it and offer to pay for me. I ride that loop all the time.

bowser29

who's doing it this year? i'm thinking of signing up and would like to hear from those who did it in the past. how's the support and organization?

mtrider05

The support last year was okay, the water stops around Santiago could have been arranged a bit better. You have one stop once you get off the SART then nothing until you "summit" Santiago, normally this is a standard distance for stops but that's the main bit of climbing and it was quite warm. They changed a few things this year it looks like, the price is now $100 but it includes a jersey and there will be a mass start unlike last year when there was no organization and you just left whenever.

The route left a few things to be desired, pretty confusing navigating from the SART to Santiago and it was littered with stop lights. That being said, Santiago made up for a lot of it, that area is beautiful. All that being said, I would do it again and think I will be this year.

dahvaio

The OC Grand Fondo will be held on October 8th not the 9th...

kinofaucet

Check the date of the OP. 9th was 2010. 8th is 2011's date...

dahvaio

Funny. Should have checked but didn't expect someone to dig up an old thread. Thanks for the heads-up

toobspunk

This was so unorganized last year, no way I would ever pay to ride this.

Took about 6 months just to get my jersey from them too.

lpolliard

Wow...what's with all the negativity? Day after the ride and I was impressed. It has been a long time since I paid for an event. $99 for a supported ride, a very nice jersey, and a pasta lunch was a value I found hard to pass up. The escorted start was awesome. Irvine PD had all the side streets blocked off along Alton all the way out to the first bike trail, 2 miles. I love the design of the jersey. I am a fan of Bianchi and their Bianchi green. Hincapie makes a quality product. What do you people expect from a Gran Fondo in a suburban area. There will be stop lights. The use of the bike paths made the ride enjoyable, scenic and fast. After completing the very scenic Back Bay I had no problem passing at will. Back Bay was basically a no pass section, strictly for your viewing entertainment. SAG stops were adequately placed and stocked but I missed my orange slices.