I'm back!!!

The Start of Gran Fondo NJ 2011
Photo Courtesy Warren Westura, Morristown.Patch.com

NOTE: There are 2 video links in this post - make sure to select the full HD viewing option for the best user experience.

My apologies to all my followers for the long pause in adding to the blog. It has been a very busy year with lots of cycling related news.

The bulk of my 2012 "Summer Behind Bars" was spent as the Event Director for Gran Fondo NJ. This was not only the first Gran Fondo NJ, but also the first time I have ever put into practice all the things I have learned from riding in other events of this nature.

I continue to be astonished by all the "behind the scenes" activities needed to deliver an event of this scale (three routes of 100, 60 and 40 miles; 5 rest stops, 3 "mini" rest stops; 1,000 participants to keep entertained; 120 miles of route to mark; 9,000 gallons of water to distribute along the route; etc.; etc.; etc.). The most fun was riding and scouting the planned routes - I managed to ride the 103 mile "Gran" route twice, the 63 mile "Medio" Route about 6 times, and the 40 mile "Piccolo" route more than 10 times - by the end of August, I could name every road and turn on all 3 routes by heart.

I spent the summer working many long days with the event promoter (Marty of Marty's Reliable Cycle - you will recognize him from the bike jerseys that appeared in my photos of 2010). As you can see in this video, we managed to pull everything off without a hitch - well one minor hitch...

The original event date was August 28th. Five days before the event we were thrown a "curve ball" by the weather gods - Hurricane Irene was predicted to make landfall with a direct hit in the area on the day of the event. With just 4 days to go, we were faced with a major decision and an even more major (if that is possible) logistical challenge - cancel the event, delay the event, or "damn the torpedoes" go forward with the event anyway. We approached this decision with the same guiding principle that we used for all other decisions regarding the Gran Fondo. As a cyclist participating in the event what would we like to experience. Riding in the rain is no fun, hurricanes can be extremely dangerous, and canceling the event would be a major letdown - so we decided to postpone.

Four days before the event we notified our 1,000 participants of the decision, as well as a new date just 3 weeks later.

Everyone (well about 99% of everyone) loved the decision - they weren't looking forward to the hurricane and its implications - on August 29th, judging from the damage inflicted upon the route, it was clear we had made the right choice.

Another three weeks of monitoring the clean-up operations to make sure we had passable, and safe routes, repainting the directions (all that running water and gravel "sanded off" many of the markings), rerouting one section of the course and getting the municipal approvals (a bridge was closed for repairs) and re-coordinating all our 200+ volunteers and support staff, and we pulled off an amazing experience. Thanks to all for their support and help, and to our riders who trained hard all summer, and were very accommodating to our date change.

If you have never ridden a Gran Fondo, I highly recommend it. It is a great blend of touring and competition - you can relax and enjoy the route along the way, and then on the timed hill climbs, test your climbing capabilities.

If you want, come down to New Jersey for next year's event - I have once again taken on the role of Event Director.

Cheers, and have a great winter training regimen.

Bill