A beautiful spring morning greeted over 100 riders who tackled the three courses of the 2016 Joe Martin Gran Fondo. I ended up doing the 106 mile course and it did not disappoint. I can’t remember the last time I rode over 100 miles. Most of my long rides these days are about 70 miles and those are far and few between. The route alone was worth participation. It has a mix of long flat sections and then some super fun twisty turny stuff with a couple longer sustained climbs. About 6,000 feet gain. All in all it was great to be on the bike and meet some new folks. I highly recommend you put this event on your calendar next year if you missed it this year. I would also highly recommend you try the 106 mile course! A great route.
Super chill start.
The group stayed together for the first hour to the base of Mt. Gaylor.
First ramp.
About 4 miles, stair-stepping up 330 feet.
The mountain would have it’s way with the bunch.
A group of 5 would form a selection.
After departing highway 71 heading west we got into the fun stuff. Mile after mile of twisty-turny Ozark goodness.
A welcomed sight. Aid stations every 20 miles.
The oranges hit the spot!
Highway 59 is a great stretch of road. Some busy sections but as we headed north we saw less cars.
Tons of this.
And this.
Randy J from Tulsa is training for the Race Across America RAAM team race and did a ton of work.
What a day!
Our little group worked well together. We ended up covering the distance in about 5 hours with 20+ mph average.
All useful stuff in the swag bag!
See you next year!
Total climbing: 8122 ft
Do you want to celebrate some Arkansas cycling history? Then come celebrate 40 years of the Joe Martin Stage Race! Not many races in the U.S. have lived this long. ANNNNDD the Gran Fondo is back! Come ride with us! Check out these killer promo codes below and receive a awesome discount on your entry!
Use the promotional codes below and you will receive a nice discount on your entry fee compliments of All Sports Productions. These codes expire on March 26th!
114 mile VIP code– OCA2017VIP114 — $30 discount
114 mile code — OCA2017JMGF114 — $20 discount
45 mile code — OCA2017JMGF45 — $15 discount
30 mile code — OCA2017JMGF30 — $10 discount
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