GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The 10th Grand Rapids Gran Fondo cycling event was held on Saturday morning.
With the ability to choose between an 80-mile, 40-mile, 25-mile or 12-mile family ride route, there was a way for cyclists of all skill levels to go the distance.
The event kicked off at 130 Fulton Street W with ride start times beginning at 8 a.m.
Jon Conkling, the event director, said Gran Fondo is roughly translated to mean "big ride" to represent the scale of the cycling event.
He said in addition to the event being all about biking, it also functions as a fundraiser to support West Michigan charities.
Conkling said the event previously supported the fight against skin cancer as well as West Michigan trails.
This year the event supported Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, with 100% of fundraising efforts going towards their mission and the work they do in West Michigan.
So far, cyclists have raised more than $73,000 for Mary Free Bed.
Cyclists came from near and far to participate, including Doug and Kim Harmon from Pennsylvania.
Doug said he used to live in Grand Rapids and had participated in the Gran Fonda before. Last year, he and Kim rode the 25-mile route.
Now, they're married and came back to participate in the 40-mile ride.
The cyclists were also joined by the event's yearly celebrity rider.
This year, Tejay Van Garderen joined in the fun. He's a former American professional road-racing cyclist and competed from 2008-2021. He's also a two-time top-five Tour de France finisher.
Following the bike rides, there was a finish-line festival with gourmet food, craft beer, music and more.
"Riding bikes is a great health and wellness activity," Conklin said. "It's good if you can't run. It's easy on your knees. It's good cardiovascular-ly. It's great to deal with friends and family. So, it's a great social activity. It's a great health activity. And with this event, specifically, we raise a lot of money for a great charity with Mary Free Bed. So it's kind of a win-win all the way around."
Conklin, Doug and Kim said as it gets warmer outside it's becoming increasingly important for cyclists to wear helmets and be aware of cars, as well as for drivers to be cautious and aware of bikes on the road.
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