It’s now June and it’s already quite warm and the warmth will eventually turn over to very hot days. Cycling in hot weather can take its toll on you quickly, especially if you’re out riding to prepare for races and other rides throughout the season.
If you’re looking for a cooler place to ride that offers a challenging course, you might want to think about participating in the Boone Gran Fondo in the mountains of North Carolina. Boone is a short jaunt from the main town of Asheville and is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
About the Boone Gran Fondo
The Boone Gran Fondo is part of the Suarez Gran Fondo National Series, a collection of rides around the country where riders can build points toward participation in the Gran Fondo National Championships.
Like all the other gran fondos in the Suarez series, the Boone Gran Fondo is an event ride and a race with timed segments. It takes place every summer outside Asheville, NC in Boone. For 2024, the event takes place on August 1.
Boone Gran Fondo Courses
The event is marketed on its website in an understated way to pull in participants by stating the ride is challenging but not too bad. In fact, the organizers of the Boone Gran Fondo state, “The climbs aren’t very long, but that means there’s not a lot of time for recovery on the descents, either. This is a great course for all-around riders.”
The courses and distances are pretty typical of most gran fondo events. There is a 94 mile route, a 57 mile route, and a 24 mile route. The ride consists of “twists and turns through wooded climbs and descents before returning to the party atmosphere of downtown Boone.” Four timed race segments occur as certain milestones are reached during the ride.
Registration and Cost for the Boone Gran Fondo
Registration for the event begins early in the year. This year, it began on January 8th. At that time, the 94 mile and 57 mile rides were $145 to register. The 24 mile was $90.
After January 8th, registration slowly creeps up in $10.00 increments. If you wait until August and register the day before or the day of the ride, you’ll pay $200 for the 94 and 57 mile rides and $145 for the 24 mile ride. These fees are about $10.00 higher on the Bikereg.com site, so make sure to register at the actual event website and save a few dollars.
But if you register early, you can $55.00. Plus, if you register at least 26 days before the event, you’ll receive the bonus of a Boone Gran Fondo jersey. The other perk of registering early is a supportive family atmosphere with great local food and beer at the end. Additionally, all riders are eligible for a raffle of over $5,000 in prizes from the event’s sponsors.
Last Thoughts
If you’re looking for a cool escape (literally) from 90 degree temperatures this summer, then the Boone Gran Fondo looks like a fun and challenging foray into riding a gran fondo. The mountains of North Carolina are beautiful during the summer.
After the ride is over or even beforehand, you can get in some extra miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and indulge in the hospitality of Asheville. So, go ahead and register now while you still can and save a few dollars on those expensive registration fees.
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