Saturday Rides
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Santa Fe Century
Welcome to the 32nd Annual Santa Fe Century presented by Seacoast Bank! Proceeds from this event benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida.
New Start Location
The ride meets at the Daft Cow Brewing Company in the San Felasco Tech City, 13800 Tech City Cir Suite 100, Alachua, FL 32615. This location is on US 441 about 8 miles north of Gainesville (measured from SR 121).
Ride Start Time
- The ride starts at 8:00 AM.
- Registration opens at 6:45 AM and closes at 7:45 AM.
- Bagels and muffins served starting at 6:45 AM.
*Parking at San Felasco Tech City
Ride With GPS
We have established a Ride With GPS Event for the Santa Fe Century which will give you access to premium features when using the Ride With GPS app to navigate the routes.
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Gravel Challenge
A 65 mixed surface road ride designed for gravel/cyclocross bicycles. Do not attempt this ride on a skinny-tire road bike (there will be sand)! If you’re really fit, mountain bikes will of course also work on this ride.
The route will NOT be marked or signed; you’ll need to stay with the local pack or be able to navigate using GPS cues. Map and cue sheet files will be available before the event if you need to print paper. There are two rest stops on this route.
Breakfast
6:30am – 8:30am
Enjoy breakfast at the Northwest Boys & Girls Club, included in your Santa Fe Century fee.
Lunch
11am – 5pm FREE to all registered riders courtesy of Adam’s Rib Co. and Pomodoro Cafe.
Proceeds from this event benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County.
Legend: Green = paved, brown = unpaved, red = off-road
Photo by Cathy Bester @besterphoto
Photo by Cathy Bester @besterphoto
Photo by Cathy Bester @besterphoto
Details
Rest Stops
- The 25 and 53 mile stop in Providence will open at 9:00 am and close at 12:30 pm.
- The 75 and 90 mile stop in LaCrosse will open at 8:50 am and close at 4:30 pm.
- Drinks and lunch will be available at the end of the ride after 10:30 am at Daft Cow. The tap room opens at noon.
Course Markings
There are no official course markings. We expect most riders to use GPS navigation on the course. If you need printed paper, please print it beforehand from the links below.
BEWARE! There are large green arrows that follow last year’s route. While some of the route is the same, some of these arrows will take you off of the new course
In Case of Emergency
Dial 911 for emergency assistance. Notify the staff at the next rest stop in the case of major mechanical breakdown. Most sag wagons and rest stops will be equipped with cell phones.
SAG phone is (352)xxx-xxxx. (TBD)
Beer
Your uncut, yellow wristband, on you wrist, is good for a Daft Cow craft beer after the ride. Once it is cut off, it will no longer be good for a beer. The Taproom opens at noon.
Details
Amenities
- RideWithGPS files will be provided and the routes will be well marked.
- Rest stops will be provided about every 25 miles with drinks, fruits and snacks.
- The half way rest stop will have sandwiches for lunch.
- Sag wagons will be on course and following the last riders.
- Massages may be available for a fee at all ride start locations.
- Food will be served to all riders after the rides at the Northwest Boys & Girls Club, First Magnitude Brewery, and at Flemington.
Please make your own arrangements if you have special dietary needs.
Safety
Helmets are required! All riders are expected to follow all traffic laws while on public roadways. Riders should ride at a steady speed in a straight line and as far to the right as practical. Stay Alert! A defensive riding attitude will help prevent many accidents.
All persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while participating in the events.
- The centuries are mass starts. When there is a police or SAG escort stay behind the escort.
- Don’t ride more than two abreast. When traffic must slow to move around you, ride single file. [Florida Statutes 316.2065 (6)]
- Don’t bunch up at intersections or on hills.
- Signal when you change lanes, slow down, or stop.
- When passing someone, call out “on your left.” Florida Law requires that you give three feet of clearance.
- Your bicycle should be in good mechanical order. Carry tools, a spare tube, a patch kit, and a tire pump. Sag service will be concentrated toward the end of the ride and will have limited repair capability.
- Remember that these are tours and not competitive rides. Go as fast as you wish but do not jeopardize others in doing so.
Cancellations
There is a $10 handling fee for cancellation requests received before March 1st. The fee is $15 for requests received before March 27th. No cancellations after March 26th. If a special shirt was ordered, we may elect to send it to you and deduct the cost from your refund.
Facility Scheduled Hours of Operation
If we determine that there are no more riders to service, a facility will close early.
| Santa Fe Century | ||
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Boys & Girls Club | 6:30 am | 5:30 pm |
| Millhopper Road | 8:45 am | 10 am |
| Bland | 9:30 am | 11:30 am |
| Watermelon Park | 10:00 am | 1 pm |
| Worthington Springs | 10:30 am | 3:30 pm |
| Desoto Park (Hague) | 10 am | 5 pm |
| Horse Farm Hundred | ||
| First Magnitude Brewery | 7 am | 5:30 pm |
| Flemington Community Park | 7 am | 3 pm |
Festival T-Shirts
Shirts for 2026
From Gildan, we have soft cotton shirts (our standard shirt this year).
From Sport-Tek, we have a few technical shirts for women.
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