Fall Fondo

7th Annual Fall Fondo

Sunday, October 18, 2020

REGISTER HERE!

Be sure to purchase your El Grupo Supporter jersey or full kit no later than August 31 to ensure delivery before Fall Fondo. New lower prices this year! Click here to place your order.

Dear Fall Fondo Supporters and Riders,

Thank you for your support of El Grupo’s Fall Fondo in previous years. Your participation, sponsorship, and raffle donations have tremendously helped as El Grupo continues to be a leader in the Tucson community with youth cycling and personal development of young people. Last year you helped raise more than $45,000!

2020 is proving to be a challenging year for all — navigating health concerns, stay at home orders, and reopening of businesses are just some of the hurdles we’ve been managing. El Grupo faces these challenges as we prepare for our Annual Fall Fondo. With permits on hold from the City of Tucson, we have decided as an organization to forgo the traditional in-person event and choose to ride remotely on October 18, 2020.

While the finer details are still being worked through, we anticipate a very unique experience that continues to push the El Grupo mission of Empowering Youth Through Bicycles. As a past supporter, you’ll be receiving information on registration, swag, contests, routes, and raffle prizes in the coming weeks. Please take a moment to review some of the FAQ below about remote riding for a cause.

What does riding remote mean?

For 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, various cycling events have moved to a “virtual” or “remote” method of riding. Participants continue to register as they would for an in-person event, but are encouraged to ride any route and distance they choose by themselves or with those they are comfortable riding beside. Riders do not have to ride on October 18th to participate in El Grupo’s Remote Fall Fondo. Ride any day you like; we’ll just have special opportunities on October 18.

What do I get if I register?

Your registration keeps youth cycling and personal development alive in Tucson! Because you’re supporting our cycling community you’re registration will include a swag bag filled with goodies from our sponsors, a cycling neck gaiter (nose and mouth covering) that shows your support of El Grupo and our sponsors, one free virtual raffle ticket, a limited edition medal showcasing your achievement in supporting El Grupo, and an in-person rest stop to support you on October 18!

In-person rest stop? I thought this ride was remote.

El Grupo knows that a remote ride is less exciting than the traditional Fall Fondo we all know and love, and we want to support our riders in the most responsible way possible. While guidelines and restrictions may change between now and October 18, we anticipate having a rest stop on the El Grupo clubhouse grounds where riders can fill water bottles, grab a bite to eat, and pick up their supporter medals. Volunteers and youth riders will cheer you on while wearing masks as you continue on your journey.

How do I pick up my swag bag?

Swag bags will be available in advance of our ride. We’ll have designated days and times where Fall Fondo riders can come gather their goodies in a contactless fashion. Quick and easy!

What route do I ride?

We’ll be posting our turn by turn and GPS routes of the traditional 35 and 75 mile ride if you choose to ride either of those distances. But you can ride your favorite five-mile coffee cruise, or do hill repeats of Mt. Lemmon if you like. Any route is a good route for a remote ride!

What contest could you do for a remote ride?

So many great people ride our Fall Fondo and we want to highlight you on social media! We are still coming up with a few categories for a photo contest but you can expect:

The Most People in a Socially Distant Photo
Best El Grupo Team Pride Photo
Longest Ride Prize
Most Elevation Prize

Contests will run starting October 10 to October 25 to give riders plenty of time to safely organize and plan their contest submission. Prizes will be announced as we approach the event.

How will the raffle/silent auction be held?

El Grupo will host the raffle and/or silent auction on the website. Riders will be able to claim their free raffle ticket from registration, purchase raffle tickets in advance of the drawing date, or bid on items in a silent auction. We are exploring the opportunity to do this from your mobile device. We look forward to having our local businesses of Tucson represented just like in years past!