Not a longer one, no.

The cost associated with riding the GranFondo is much more than just the cost of food along the route, and for this reason “poaching” is not allowed and even monitored.

There is a significant investment made in services related to safety. Things like motorcycle marshal escorts, on-bike marshals, CHP, police, fire, and emergency communications, protocol and SAG support are just some of the things Bike Monkey takes on to produce the event to a high standard of safety. These are things that participants pay for when they sign up for the event.

As event promoters, we must also show respect for the rural communities through which we travel. This means having control over the number of participants at any given time or place so we can communicate the impact and allow ourselves and local, working residents to plan appropriately.

All rider number plates and bibs are color-coded to route. People identified by course marshals to be riding a longer route than the one for which they registered will be asked not to return next year. This is done as a matter of safety, not exclusivity and certainly not as punishment. As the event matures we hope to offer more people the opportunity to ride its longer routes. However, we are testing the limits of mass-participation cycling events and participants who understand and appreciate this effort will help us to ensure that the GranFondo lives on for many successful years.