2022 Buffalo River Gran Fondo Riders,

It's our pleasure to welcome you to the second annual riding of the Buffalo River Gran Fondo. It's a ride, not a race, so relax, enjoy yourself, and have a little fun.

PLEASE READ ALL BULLET POINTS

  • It might RAIN, it might not. The ride is a go - rain or shine. Who doesn't love a little adventure? We do, however, recommend packing a light water/wind-resistant jacket.

  • PLEASE PLEASE notify us if you are unable to make it to the ride.

  • Due to the current permitting process, the ride will start from the Amherst County Administration Building but will still end at Camp Trapezium. Riders, please park the morning of the ride and the duration of the event at the Amherst County Administration Building (153 Washington Street, Amherst, VA 24521). If you are camping, you can ride your bike from the camp to the start. Of course, friends and family are still welcome to park at Camp Trapezium.

  • The course is open to vehicle traffic, and all Virginia traffic laws MUST be obeyed by all riders.

  • Start - Please remember that both distances start at 9:30 am with all riders required to check in prior to the ride before 9:00 am. This check-in will occur at the Amherst County Administration Building parking lot.

  • Finish - Remember we will be finishing the ride at Camp Trapezium. Riders can show their bibs to receive a commemorative Silipint full of delicious beer and access to the post-ride pizza buffet starting at noon. The Buffet is for riders only, food will be available for purchase for friends and family.

  • Packet Pickup & Late Registration - Onsite registration along with packet pickup will be held Friday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Camp Trapezium and again Saturday morning at the Amherst County Administration Building from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. Please, do us a favor and pick up your bib at Friday night's pre-ride party at Camp Trapezium. (Bonus there will be food, beer, & music)

  • Friday Night's Pre-Ride Party info- Couple of things to help our servers out Friday night, with everyone up and mingling around remember to make yourself available to receive your food and drinks. Camp Trapezium will close at 10 pm, so we will need to depart the restaurant in a timely fashion to allow the staff to get home to their loved ones. Campers will need to proceed to the camping area at this time.

  • Camping - There is camping available Friday night at Camp Trapezium. The only bummer with Camp Trapezium is there are no available showers. Hopefully, we can find a solution to this as the event grows.

  • Course - The course will be well marked with signage and flagging. A SAG vehicle will be available for any rider if needed. The first 8.3 miles and the last 14 miles are the same for both ride distances. We will allow folks signed up for the Full Monty to shortcut it here. All riders "shortcutting" will need to inform the aid station of your plan. PLEASE consider uploading the GPS route to your device for easy course navigation.

  • Aid Stations - There will be three aid stations on the Full Monty (miles 8, 28, 54) and two on the Lil' Shorty route (miles 8 and 18). 1st Aid Station at 8.3 miles - Fancy Hill (Both Distances)

    • 1st Aid Station at 8.3 miles - Fancy Hill (Both Distances)

    • 2nd Aid Station at 28 miles - Top of Alhambra (Full Monty only)

    • 3rd Aid Station at mile 54 Full Monty & mile 18 Lil' Shorty - Ware's Gap (Riders must arrive by 3:30 pm to continue)

  • KOM/QOM Segments - There will be 3 King/Queen of Mountains segments (1 Segment for the shorter ride)with prizes for the fastest overall male & female riders for each individual segment. Once again, we will be awarding the coveted Skull to the male and female riders with the lowest combined segment times. You will need to be on Strava (it's free) and will also need to join the rides' Strava club to be eligible for awards. (Strava Club - www.strava.com/clubs/BRGF)

    • Segment 1 - www.strava.com/segments/29629158

    • Segment 2 - www.strava.com/segments/30009188

    • Segment 3 - www.strava.com/segments/30009156 (Lil' Shorty Segment)

Please consider coming to Camp Trapezium on Friday night, pick your packet up and stay around for the band, beer, & food. Let's support these guys!

I want to say thank you to everyone who has signed up for our event. I also would like to give a huge shout-out to our sponsors- Camp Trapezium, Bikes Unlimited, Sweet Briar College, & Amherst Mountain Biking Club- These guys are big reasons why we were able to pull this event off for another year. 

I'm sure that I have forgotten a bullet point or two, so you might be hearing from me again. If I missed something you want to know, hit me back at jeremy@mmgendurancesports.com. See everyone Friday night at Camp Trapezium!

Thanks,

Jeremy Ramsey

Buffalo River Gran Fondo- RD

jeremy@mmgendurancesports.com