The Gainesville Cycling Festival is an annual event organized by the Gainesville Cycling Club. Every year, the weekend of rides is held during the fall, and this year’s event will take place on October 21-22, 2023.
About
The festival features two century routes on back-to-back days, with various options for mileage during the weekend. The featured rides for Saturday include the Santa Fe Century and the Gravel Challenge. These routes showcase the scenic rural roads north of Gainesville. Saturday’s festivities begin at the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, the organization that receives proceeds from the event.
Sunday’s featured ride, the Horse Farm Hundred, as the name suggests, heads south into Marion County, home to the largest number of horses and ponies in the world. The ride is known for its outstanding scenery and significant elevation gain for a ride in Florida. Also on Sunday, the Horse Farm Tours starts in Marion County with shorter routes and the Gravel Meander.
In addition to the weekend’s variety of ride options, the amenities offer a unique experience for riders through rest stop food options and the support services of the Bike SAG wagon for riders who may need assistance along the route.
In addition to fundraising for the Boys & Girls Club, net proceeds from the festival augment club dues.
Photo by Cathy Bester @besterphoto
Photo by Cathy Bester @besterphoto
Registration closes at 8:15 on Saturday at the North West Boys Club, and on Sunday at First Magnitude Brewing Company. Please plan accordingly!
Lodging & Camping
For motels convenient to both the Northwest Boys & Girls Club and First Magnitude, look at motels located in the center of town near the University of Florida. If you are riding from Flemington on Sunday, motels along I-75 will be more convenient. If you are riding only the Santa Fe Century, either I-75 or campus area motels will work. If you are riding only from First Magnitude, campus area and downtown motels are closest.
Donations
Any donations will go to a charity of your choice:
Peaceful Paths – Peaceful Paths is the certified domestic violence center that serves survivors of domestic violence in Alachua, Bradford, and Union counties. Peaceful Paths provides a wide range of services including emergency shelter, 24-hour helpline, victim advocacy, children’s programming, education and training, crisis counseling and support groups, community awareness and intervention, and violence prevention programs. Peaceful Paths is a member of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV).
Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida – If this isn’t your first GCF, you’ll remember that the Santa Fe Century rolls out from the Northwest location of the Boys & Girls Club. The festival has raised money for this organization for the past 27 years.
Since 1949, Alachua County Boys & Girls Club has provided positive educational, recreational, leadership, and sports programming for youth via quality after-school programs, summer camp, and additional afternoon programming during the summer for all Club members.
Gainesville Cycling Club’s Bikes 4 Vets – Bikes 4 Vets is one of the club’s service groups that connects local veterans with a reliable form of transportation: the bicycle. The group, led by Diann Dimitri, accepts donation bikes to rehabilitate for veterans or resell for funds to purchase bike parts, lights, and locks. Diann works with the Honor Center for Veterans to distribute the bicycles as part of the veterans’ re-entry into the community. Apart from acting as an efficient means of transportation, veterans benefit from the joy of riding for recreation on many of Gainesville’s trails and bike paths.
Safety & Best Practices
Due to COVID-19, we recommend following CDC guidelines on protecting yourself and others:
- Wash your hands often. It’s difficult to do this while outside riding, so hand sanitizer or wipes that contain at least 60% alcohol also work for keeping your hands clean.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Bring a mask for any situations that you might not be able to physically distance from others. Ex: Convenience store or restaurant stops before, during, or after your ride.
- Monitor your health and watch for symptoms - get tested for the virus regularly if testing is accessible.
- If you are riding in a group, ride with household members or trusted riding partners who communicate their risk factors with you.
Bicycle Colorado has a great resource on safely Riding Bikes during the COVID-19 outbreak.
General Safety Tips for Your Ride
- Make sure your bike gets regular maintenance to ensure a smooth ride, especially if you plan on riding a longer distance.
- Follow traffic laws and be visible. Many of the roads from our Santa Fe Century and Horse Farm Hundred routes are shared with motorists.
- Carry tools and supplies such as a flat repair kit and multi-tool.
- Let family members or friends know about your ride plans, when to expect you back, and how to contact you - our virtual festival will not have SAG vehicles!
- Bring an appropriate amount of nutrition and hydration for your intended ride.
Mailing address
Gainesville Cycling Club, Inc.
5015 NW 19th Place
Gainesville FL 32605-3435
For more information contact us via email at festival@gccfla.org