Things are FINALLY starting to feel normal again, events are happening, people are moving and shaking, at least moving, and all is looking up. What could go wrong? Oh yeah, it’s that time of year again, wildfire season. Unfortunately Winthrop knows this season all too well. This particular one has affected the Gran Fondo Winthop course and has the area closed down until next year when the Forest Service can assess the condition of things. RIP 2021 GFW… a moment of silence please… Ok, now that we’ve got the bad news out of the way, how about some good news. As soon as we got the GFW news we began frantically working to come up with an alternative. Behold! I give you Gran Fondo Soap Lake! Grande: 125 miles/6700′ Medio: 62 miles/2800′. You may be thinking, “Jake, are you out of your mind, 120 miles!?!?” To which I say “dude, chillax, your were just going to ride 90+ miles with 11,000’+ of elevation, this is half climbing, you got this!” (lets not get hung up on the math). If you like to ride your bike to places that are out of the way, and not many people see, this ride is for you. You will be waaay out there, and see some pretty cool, desolate country. We hope to open registration early Sept, stay tuned for more info.

It seems there is light at the end of this tunnel.  Vicious Cycle WILL have events in 2021.  That is great news and we are stoked!  However, things will look a bit different.  We’ll be doing our best to make things flow smoothly, but please be patient, and ready to roll with the changes.

Gran Fondo Ephrata will be a two day event held on March 27/28.  There will be wave starts of 25 riders leaving every 10 min.  We will also be offering a virtual option that riders can scan a qr-code and ride the course anytime before March 25.  Upon scanning the code at the finish line their results will be automatically uploaded to results.

Gran Fondo Goldendale will be held on April 25.  There will be wave starts of 25 riders leaving every 10 min.  With the possibility of a virtual option.

Gran Fondo Leavenworth will be held on June 6 with the possibility of a second day.  There will be wave starts of 25 riders leaving every 10 min.  We will also offer a virtual option that will be from May 21 – June 3.

Gran Fondo Ellensburg will be held June 19.  There will be wave starts of 25 riders leaving every 10 min.  With the possibility of a virtual option.

Gran Fondo Winthrop will be Sept 18.  Hopefully we’ll be back to mass start event for this one.

It’s anyone’s guess what 2021 will look like after the shit show 2020 has been.  But if everything happens to be a-ok our calendar will look like what you see below.  Please please please use the lightest of pencil and have a large eraser nearby as we are going on a wing and a prayer here and hoping for the best.

Gran Fondo Ephrata – March 28
Gran Fondo Goldendale – April 25
Gran Fondo Leavenworth – May 23
Gran Fondo Ellensburg – June 13
Gran Fondo Winthrop – Sept 18

What did you do this summer?  The events were a bust for 2020 but we know there’s been some good riding and we’d love to hear your story.  Share your ride report/pics/vid/whatever and we’ll post up our faves, insta-star!  For your efforts we’ll award a rather timely Gran Fondo Ephrata neck gaiter, and some fuel for your next adventure from Clif.

It’s been a rough year for a lot of people for sure.  We have officially just cancelled our last few events, and feel a little silly for holding on to that sliver of hope for as long as we did, thinking just maybe…   It is what it is, as they say.  As we move closer to 2021 and things come into focus we will be sending out a coupon to all of our 2020 participants good for an entry into the event of their choice.  Until then, stay positive, and keep those wheels turning, lots of good riding to come!

The 2020 edition of Gran Fondo Ellensburg has unfortunately been cancelled due to COVID 19.  There are many factors at play in this decision, and it is not an easy call.  We are making every effort to do what’s right in these uncertain times.  All 2020 entries will be transferred to 2021 GFEburg.  We look forward to seeing you when it’s safe to do so, thank you for your support during this difficult time.

We put ourselves though all sorts of misery on the bike, intervals, climbs, rain/sleet/snow, all in the hope for strength and endurance… on the bike.  We find ourselves needing that strength and endurance now more than ever, as we shift our focus from bike to flattening the curve and staying away from so many things we used to take for granted.  We are all in this together though, and we are committed to getting through this safely. Then making the best of what we have left.

This is a bit messy but here goes:

Gran Fondo Ephrata will be rescheduled (again) to Oct 18.  All registered riders will be automatically entered in.

Gran Fondo Goldendale is cancelled.  We will automatically transfer all registered riders to the 2021 edition.

Gran Fondo Leavenworth is rescheduled to Oct 4.  All registered riders will automatically be entered in.

Gran Fondo Ellensburg is a wait and see.  If unsafe to do so we would cancel and transfer entries to 2021.

Hopefully things will be better by the end of September and Winthrop will be business as usual, along with the other rescheduled fall events. We know this new calendar isn’t ideal, but hopefully will give us something set our sights on and get us through this.  We look forward to seeing you all when it’s safe to do so again.  Thank you for your support through his tough time.  Please stay safe out there.

Bad news.  It seems there’s no shortage of it lately.  We went from sad about postponing GFE to unsure of our whole season, and very real concerns for the health and safety of our country.  Our day to day lives have been turned upside down as we all try to adapt to the new norm in an ever changing landscape.  We are definitely in for some hard times.  Businesses will struggle, families will struggle, our economy and our sanity will be crushed.  Through it all though, know that better days will come.  As cyclists we have the uncanny ability to block out the pain (come on legs, one more climb!) and zero in on the end goal, the finishline.  Life lessons, courtesy of your friend the bicycle.  The one friend you don’t have to stay distant from.  We believe in bikes.  And as long as it is advisable, we believe you should ride your bike.  Away from others.  Fresh air in your lungs, wind in your face.  The physical and mental benefits are immeasurable, especially in times like these.  Stay positive, stay active, and stay away.  We look forward to seeing you on the other side of this.

Gran Fondo Ephrata has never been an easy event. Ask around and you will hear fables of frigid rain, sideways snow, and leg cramps on Three Devils.  This year however we are facing a new challenge.  One that we cannot simply dig deep and keep pedaling through.  After much deliberation we have come to the conclusion that we will err on the side of safety for our cycling community, our volunteers, and our little town of Ephrata and postpone this event.  This has not been an easy decision to come to and we appreciate your patience through the process.  You will be receiving a coupon good for the Gran Fondo Ephrata Fall Classic on Oct 4.  Should that not work for you, the coupon is good for any 2020 Vicious Cycle Event.  We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support we get at these events and want to thank you for riding with us.  Please be safe out there, see you down the road.