The Climbs of the 2018 Gran Fondo NJ
Voted #2 Best Gran Fondo in the USA in 2018!
While Gran Fondo NJ offers some competitive challenges with up to 5 timed hill climbs. There are King of the Mountain and Queen of the Mountain awards for the Gran, Medio and Piccolo routes, as well as Men’s and Women’s, Him/Her and Clydesdale and Athena Awards.
The timed climbs represent only a fraction of the climbs on the routes and there is still plenty of climbing in between, so preparation, planning and endurance will also come into play if you’re planning to pursue your best time or the KOM/QOM awards!
The 107 mile Gran Fondo route includes the climbs of Doggone Hard Hill, Rollcoaster, No Pain – No Gain and Almost Home.
The 75 mile MiGran(e) Fondo includes the climbs of Doggone Hard Hill, and No Pain – No Gain, and Almost Home.
The 62 mile Medio Fondo includes the climbs of Doggone Hard Hill and Almost Home.
The 42 mile Piccolo Fondo includes its very own Mendham Mile climb.
Doggone Hard Hill
3.8km @ 4.5% - (Climb 1 of the Gran, Medio and Migrane)
The Doggone Hard Hill Climb is the first climb of the Medio and Gran Routes starting at mile 26. As riders enter the climb, the first thing they’ll notice is the drop in temperature (between 5 and 10 ºF) provided by the forest canopy as well as the Black River on the right. Don’t get overconfident on the first half of the climb, which averages about 3%, because half way through the road kicks to the left and the real climbing begins and the gradient varies between 8% and 13% on the last half. The Finish Marker at the top is always a welcome sign, and once past the timing mat, the faster riders can wait at the side of the route for others in their group without the feeling of being penalized. The climb is rated an HC4 (Haute Category), the rating that used to rate the climbs of the Tour de France.
Of those riding in the event over the past 5 years, Professional Cyclist Ben Jacques-Maynes (Team JAMIS - HAGENS BERMAN Presented by Sutter Home) currently holds the fastest time of 8 min 11 secs. Local rider Susan Moore from Washington Township, NJ currently holds the fastest time of 10 mins 28 secs
Will the above records be broken?
https://www.strava.com/activities/5392567/segments/102780736
http://veloviewer.com/segments/762746
The Rollercoaster
3.6km @ 2.2% - (Climb 2 of the Gran)
The Roller Coaster is the second climb of the Gran Route starting at mile 57. It kicks up to the right as you leave the Delaware River to your left, and unlike the first climb, starts off with a steep gradient (like the first climb of a roller coaster) and then once you crest the top, your momentum should help carry you through the series of rollers at the finish.
Of those riding in the event over the past 5 years, Mike Rosenhaus from Morristown NJ holds the fastest men’s time of 5m 51 secs, and local rider Susan Moore from Washington Township, NJ holds the fastest women’s time of 6m 42 secs.
https://www.strava.com/activities/5392567/segments/102780733
http://veloviewer.com/segments/757999
No Pain, No Gain
3.5km @ 5.0% - (Climb 3 of the Gran and Climb 2 of the Migrane)
The No Pain, No Gain Hill Climb is the third climb on the Gran and in the opinion of many, the toughest climb of the event. By the time riders reach it they will already have 73 miles in their legs, and over 5,200 feet of climbing so far. The climb is 2.2 miles of constantly varying gradient between 5% and 13% so you can’t establish any efficient rhythm. About the only relief on this climb is the shade from the forest canopy, the cooling effect of the stream beside the road, and the beautiful scenery if you can lift your eyes off the next 50 feet of pavement in front of you.
Of those riding in the event over the past 5 years, Laurent White from Flemington NJ holds the fastest men’s time of 7m 56 secs, and local rider Susan Moore from Washington Township, NJ holds the fastest women’s time of 9m 32 secs.
https://www.strava.com/activities/5392567/segments/102780734
http://veloviewer.com/segments/758003
Almost Home (Team In Training)
4.4 km @ 2.7% - (Climb 4 of the Gran, Climb 3 of the Migrane, Climb 2 of the Medio)
The Team in Training Hill Climb is the last timed climb of the Gran Route (at mile 80) and the Medio Route (at mile 35). It is a relatively relaxing ride up Frog Hollow Road under the shade of the trees and finishes off under full sun. Make sure you save enough gas in your legs for the short sharp kicker at the finish.
Of those riding in the event over the past 5 years, Mike Rosenhaus from Morristown NJ holds the fastest men’s time of 8m 05 secs , and local rider Susan Moore from Washington Township, NJ holds the fastest women’s time of 9m 14 secs.
https://www.strava.com/activities/5392567/segments/102780735
http://veloviewer.com/segments/758006
The Mendham Mile
2.4km @ 2.9% (Piccolo)
The Mendham Mile is the timed climb for the Piccolo riders starting at mile 28 and winds its way 1.5 miles through a quaint neighborhood in Mendam. The biggest feature on the ride is a trip past the former residence of Whitney Houston on your left at mile 1.2 of the climb.
Local rider Joe Jacobs from Florham Park, NJ holds the current fastest time of 4 mins 26 secs.
Zaza Mozzarella from Morristown, New Jersey now holds the women’s record of 5m 15s beating another local rider Nikki Ragonese from Morristown, NJ who held the previous fastest time of 5 mins 49 secs
https://www.strava.com/activities/56420586/segments/1034383306
http://veloviewer.com/segments/1268511
Gran Fondo NJ - September 9 2018, Morristown, NJ
Gran Fondo NJ has raised over $1.1 million dollars for charitable causes, as its popularity continues to grow
Gran Fondo NJ is held annually on the first Sunday after Labor Day. The event attracts thousands of cyclists of all abilities to ride its 5 distances, from the 18-mile, non-competitive Breve Route, up to the 107-mile Gran Route with 4 timed hill climbs. Gran Fondo NJ showcases the beautiful scenery of Northern New Jersey winding its way out of Morristown NJ through 23 different municipalities and finishing back in Morristown with a post-ride festival held alongside the iconic Morristown Green. The event has rest stops approximately every 20 miles along the routes featuring the usual cycling fare as well as cannolis, wood-fired pizza, espressos and affogatos (a shot of espresso served over a scoop of ice cream, smores and more.
Last year’s event drew in over 2,400 registered participants from around the US and around the world and was supported by a team of over 250 dedicated volunteers. The event attracted over 100 teams, with 16 teams of 15 riders or more. Collectively the cyclists rode over 139,171 miles and burned over 7 million calories, and consumed much, much more.
Gran Fondo NJ was the first Cycling Event to Earn Gold Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its implementation of Sustainability practices in 2014. For the fourth consecutive year, as a result of its focus on sustainability, over 90% of the waste generated from the event has been diverted from landfills to composting or recycling facilities.
Gran Fondo NJ 2018 offers five challenging routes of 107, 75, 62, 42 and 18 miles, with timed hill climbs on the Gran, Migrane, Medio and Piccolo routes. You will feel like a pro with SAG support along the routes, including SRAM Neutral Support vehicles. The 62-mile Medio Fondo route was selected by the editors of Bicycling Magazine as one of "The 50 Best Rides in America." All routes begin and end in historic Morristown, New Jersey.
You'll feel like a pro finishing the ride in the finish line chute, welcomed by an encouraging team of volunteers. Relax and recover at the Post Ride Food Festival and Expo and re-live the excitement and challenges of the day with other participants as you celebrate the awards for KOM, QOM and Him/Her winners in front of the Podium Stage and Banner.
Gran Fondo NJ started in 2011 as the brainchild of Marty Epstein, owner of Marty's Reliable Cycle. The goals of the event were quite simple: Create a very challenging cycling event targeted at all levels of cyclists; Introduce the Gran Fondo experience to New Jersey and surrounding areas, and; Give back to the community while doing so. The event features some of the nicest cycling in the Unites States and provides a well-crafted balance of competition and fun. Only the toughest climbs on the routes are timed so participants can relax and enjoy the majority of the day, yet still challenge themselves to achieve a new "Personal Best."
Gran Fondo NJ has seen consistent year-over-year growth and is rated extremely highly by those who experience it. For the past 7 years in its post-ride survey, roughly 40% of participants have consistently rated it "The best one-day cycling event ever." and over 90% rated it 8 of 10 or higher. Whether it is the Mass Start with over 2,000 cyclists, the Seeing Eye dogs and puppies who greet you at the first rest stop, police controlled intersections along a well-marked route, the surprise foods at the six Rest Stops, or the seemingly endless climbs, finishing Gran Fondo NJ is sure to provide its riders with some amazing cycling memories.
In total, Gran Fondo NJ 2017 and its riders raised over $100,000 for charity and the event has raised over $1,100,000 since the first Gran Fondo NJ in 2011.
Registration has opened for Gran Fondo NJ 2018, being held on September 9th 2018. Register early for the best prices.
For more information, please visit granfondonj.com
