Success for the new Black Bear Gran Fondo

Hundreds of cyclists participated in the Grayling Rotary Club's Black Bear Gran Fondo in Michigan

A re-mastered version of the Black Bear Bicycle Tour - last Saturday, completing a 101-mile loop or a 57-mile loop, both of which started and finished at Hanson Hills Recreation Area.

It was the 16th year for the Black Bear bicycling event. Organizers for the first Black Bear Bicycle Tour in 2001 created the event as a way to give cyclists an opportunity to complete a "century ride" - a 100-mile course - during the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, a 120-mile race from Grayling to Oscoda. Black Bear Bicycle Tour participants could try to reach Oscoda before the first AuSable Marathon teams, or they could dictate their own pace and enjoy the scenery.

The Black Bear, a "gran fondo" is "a mass participation cycling event that got its start in Italy in the early 1900's. Loosely translated, it means everything from 'great foundation,' 'great distance' to 'great endurance.' Some cyclists ride for the satisfaction and pride of just making it to the finish line. Others want to improve upon their previous times and to challenge themselves. Some ride to win."

From the beginning, the Black Bear event promoted itself as something that could be a race or a tour or both for the participating cyclists.

This year - during the 16th Black Bear, the first as the Gran Fondo - organizers for the event continued to offer options for cyclists. Participants could complete a "century ride" on the 101-mile course or they could attempt the shorter 57-mile course. Organizers started the two different sets of riders in two waves, and inside those two waves they grouped the participants according to their estimated speeds.

The course this year started and ended at Hanson Hills and took riders through or near a variety of area locales.

Riders travelled on both flat and gently rolling hills, past lakes, rivers, and forests, with points of interest all along the way including Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Camp Grayling, Wellington Farm Park, around Higgins Lake, down to Houghton Lake, past South Higgins Lake State Park, Village of Roscommon, the AuSable River crosses at numerous points, Mason Tract paths, Forest Dunes Golf Club, over to Luzerne and back to the start through Grayling.

The new loops for the Black Bear event were significantly different than the Grayling to Oscoda course. The Gran Fondo is no longer held during the AuSable Marathon. This year's Marathon is slated for July 30-31.

Having a looped course based in Grayling eliminated the task of transporting participants from Oscoda back to Grayling.

"The looped routes are great for Black Bear participants and the Grayling Rotary as transportation is no longer a challenge for either. Loops also allow volunteers to more easily provide support to the event," said Stephanie Riemer, Black Bear Gran Fondo Registrar.

Riemer said more than 230 people registered for the 2016 Black Bear Gran Fondo.

Riemer said event organizers heard a lot of positive response from participants with regard to the retooled Black Bear. Specifically, riders said they liked the loop format over point to point, they preferred the race being on a Saturday as opposed to Sunday, and they enjoyed the feast at the end of the event.

"It was a great event and we heard tons of positive feedback from the cyclers. More than 70 volunteers, huge support from our community in the form of financial support and many contributions, the great celebration meal and rest stations, the timed looped rides that return to Hanson Hills, and the atmosphere all were all appreciated by our cyclers," Riemer said.

Link to 2016 Belack Bear results https://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-22613