Gran Fondo Leavenworth

Located in the heart of the Washington Cascades Gran Fondo Leavenworth is the perfect mix of pavement, Forest Service roads, and mega mountain passes (3!)

Warning! This ride is HARD and is intended for experienced cyclists. There will be over 8400′ of climbing (which is A LOT), much of which is on rough Forest Service roads. It will likely be HOT as well.

What you get: You will receive a super cool limited Gran Fondo Leavenworth souvenir, a well thought out, and well marked course to ride, a well stocked aid station to refuel at mid ride, and a Bavarian meal to refuel post ride courtesy of Der Hinterhof. We will also post the times of all finishers for bragging rights.

Route: The course is designed to give riders a glimpse of some very rugged, out of the way parts of the central Washington Cascades. In the spirit of rustic central Washington, much of the route is primitive Forest Service roads. There will be a water station at the junction of Mad River Road (approx mile 22), a full aid station with all the staples (pbj, fresh fruit, Clif, etc) at Entiat (approx mile 51) and one more water station near the top of Swakane (approx mile 70) as well as a few sag wagons for additional assistance. It is highly recommended to make use of each aid station - even if you may think you don’t need it. 

Gear: With so many variable course conditions it is hard to say what’s right or wrong. Gravel, cx, or mtb, any one will work, but all will have a disadvantage at some point. 

I’m running Donnelly MSO 40’s (bigger the better at GFL) on my Raleigh Roker. Hydro disc brakes are also very nice to have!  There will be LOTS of climbing so plan accordingly. 

There will be a few sag wagons and aid stations, but it’s good practice to be as self sufficient as possible on these types of rides. Weather is always something to consider too. It will likely be hot, but high in the mountains anything can happen. Bring on the adventure baby!