Gran Fondo Florida, March 17, 2024 - FIND OUT MORE!
United States | Southeast | Virginia >> Levis King Ridge Gran Fondo: Mammoth Panzer route open to everyone

Levi's King Ridge Gran Fondo - Mammoth Panzer route open to everyone

Limited places left for the mammoth 116 mile, 10,500 feet Panzer masterpiece. Prices increase September 1st. Register now and save.

Ride the route that inspired the penultimate stage of the AMGEN Tour of California

Over the 8 years, since it's incetion, Levi's King Ridge Gran Fondo has essentially written the choose-your-own-adventure book of Gran Fondo's !

With 11 route options to choose from, not a single rider in the history of the event has done them all! They have everything ranging from a family-style 8.3 mile spin with 50% of it on a bike path to a mammoth 116-mile, 10,000-foot masterpiece that has no equal, the Panzer Route, without doubt one of the Toughest Gran Fondo's in North America.

Regardless of what type of riding appeals to you or what fitness level you’re currently enjoying, they’ve got a route that works for you! Join up to 7,500 cyclists this October 1st in what has regularly been referred to as America's Premier Gran Fondo.

Family Route: 8 miles - The Family Route is a great beginner option. Or it you’re simply looking for an easy cruise before spending a day at the festival, this is for you. It’s also a great kid’s route with virtually no climbing at all. Come partake in the fanfare of the mass-start, but turn back before the road pitches up. The final 50% of this route is entirely on a dedicated bicycle path.  Kaiser Permanente will also be out on course providing riders with some optional activities around health and wellness.

Piccolo Fondo: 30 miles, 1,500 ft, 1 feed/aid station - The Piccolo distance takes participants across the vineyard plains to the redwood-flanked town of Occidental where they are greeted with a full-service rest stop. Make sure to stage appropriately at the start of the GranFondo if you are riding this route as no riders are permitted to return before 9:30am due to extensive inbound bike traffic. While this is the easiest route we offer, there is still a moderate climb into and out of Occidental.

Piccolo Plus: 35 miles, 2,170 ft, 1 feed/aid station - For those of you in the looking for a bit more challenge than what the basic Piccolo route offers, we humbly suggest taking on this additional 5-mile/600′ climb. This is a great way to kill some time if you’ve arrived in Occidental before the 9:30AM turnaround time. Simply continue further into town, turn right on Occidental Road, then follow the course signs to Coleman, Joy, and Bittner Roads before returning back to Occidental.

Medio Fondo: 61 miles, 3,970 ft, 4 feed/aid stations, 1 water stop only - Split the difference: the Medio route is a big step up from the Piccolo or  the Piccolo +, but it’s far less demanding than any of the options around the Gran route. It’s still extremely beautiful, riding along the edge of the Pacific, taking on harrowing descents through redwood forests, and embracing a gut-puncher of a climb up Coleman Valley Road.

Medio plus Willow Creek: 57 miles, 3,270 ft, 3  feed/aid stations - Long before it became fashionable, most “road” rides in Sonoma County, by necessity, had gravel stretches. Willow Creek is one of those hidden gems. It’s gated, so it’s entirely void of vehicular traffic and rich with peace and quiet, excepting that heavy breathing of yours. While shorter and with less overall vertical climbing than the paved version of the Medio route, you’ll find Willow Creek waiting to give you it’s very own brand of challenge and reward.

Gran Fondo: 102 miles, 8,943 ft, 7 feed/aid stations, 1 water stop only  - This is it. The original route that started this whole GranFondo circus. There isn’t enough space to detail all you’ll encounter here, but suffice to say that it’s the definitive cycling experience in our hemisphere. From the damp redwood forests at the base of King Ridge to the 360-degree panoramas at the butcher knife-thin top, this is the stuff of memory. And if you think the climbs are amazing, the descents down Hauser Bridge Road and Meyers Grade will stay with you for the rest of your days. While it’s our biggest and most popular route, it’s still not for the faint of heart (or leg): the fastest times recorded on this route are barely under 5 hours and done by professional riders who compete at the topmost level of the sport.

The year, Levi’s Gran Fondo inspired the penultimate stage of the AMGEN Tour of California that took place on Saturday May 21st.

Gran Fondo plus Willow Creek: As mentioned in the Medio route description, we invite you to diverge a bit and taste something a little different up Willow Creek Road, our car-free gravel climb up from where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s marginally easier than taking the Coleman Valley route but adds the challenge of gravel and an occasionally cratered road surface.

Gran Fondo plus Fort Ross: If you make your way to Cazadero after the cut-off time of 10:30am, or just want to cut out some of the Gran route, you can ascend the amazing Fort Ross Road and make your way directly to the Ritchey Ranch rest stop. This eliminates King Ridge, the King Ridge rest stop, and the infamous Hauser Bridge descent, but still brings you to the top of Seaview Ridge near the Ritchey Ranch rest stop where you can pull in for a moment before descending Meyers Grade to the coast.

Gran Fondo plus Willow Creek and Fort Ross: If you took the Fort Ross “shortcut,” you still have options, including Willow Creek, described earlier. This combination of choices is the shortest of all the Gran route options.

Panzer - NOW open to everyone: Sonoma County is a massive place and people come from around the world to experience all that it has to offer. You could spend a lifetime scouring its nooks and, truth be told, Levi’s GranFondo only scratches the surface. But this year we’re going to scratch a bit more. The Panzer route serves up more descents, more fir-lined canyons, more sweeping vistas, more quiet gravel, more mileage, and more climbing. It’s more of everything you love about the Gran route and that’s pretty much everything you love about riding your bike. As an added bonus and a special treat, panzerotti and espresso will be served to those few who take on the challenge and reach Stewart’s Point. What’s more, you get to keep the espresso cup to commemorate your trek into the farthest reaches of Sonoma County.

Panzer plus Willow Creek - NOW open to everyone: 113 miles, 9,803 ft, 6 aid stations - The same as the Panzer route with the alteration of taking Willow Creek back to the finish line rather than Coleman Valley. It’s a two-dirt road day, and a little bit easier on the legs and lungs if only by a fraction.

Grand Festival Finish

They’ve fitted the day with a festival of equal caliber to everything which preceded it. Roll home and hang up the bike with our secure bike parking facility. Enjoy a plethora of family activities, food and drink, hand-picked live bands, and of course, a place to sit and rest.

This festival is open to the public, so tell your friends to come and enjoy one of the best days of the year with you, whether you’re riding or not!

Register Now and Save, Prices Increase September 1st!

To register now, please visit - https://www.levisgranfondo.com/register

For full, detailed information on Levi's Gran Fondo, please visit: http://www.levisgranfondo.com

Limited places left for the Mammoth 116 mile, 10,500 feet Panzer masterpiece. Prices increase September 1st. Register now and save. Ride the route that inspired the penultimate stage of the AMGEN Tour of California