Welcome!

The Gruppo Sportivo (or GS-GFNY) are happy to have you aboard for our Sunday group rides leading up to the #thirdSundayinMay – in 2024 that’s May 19! To participate in the group rides you need to be registered for the race or be a member of GFNY Club. Additionally, you must be self-sufficient on your bike and follow some basic ground rules.

The group rides provide riders registered for GFNY NYC 2024 and GFNY Club members the opportunity to meet other riders, reconnect with riders you may know already, learn some new skills, and start to build up the base miles that you will need to have a great day on the bike at the GFNY NYC World Championship. Above all, the rides are designed to show you the course, and to keep enjoying cycling all year long. Let’s face it, these rides will keep you motivated on days when the couch seems like a much better idea. Trust us – it isn’t! When attending each week, you may eventually find yourself ready to try riding with a faster group, climbing more confidently, or handling the elements. Whatever your desired result, it’s the proven preparation for your best GFNY Championship NYC performance.

GFNY group rides begin this season on October 8 and roll all (weather permitting) winter on, and near, the GFNY NYC course. The rides are broken up into groups to match your ability to assure everyone has a great experience.  Each group has a ride leader who's there to keep things organized, safe and productive. 

1. To ride along during our GFNY NYC group rides, you need to register for GFNY NYC, become a member of GFNY Club or even better, do both!
   1. 1. Register for GFNY NYC at NYC.gfny.com/register 
      2. Join the GFNY Club
2. Register EACH WEEK for the ride that Sunday. (Registration is open only on Thursday & Friday for each Sunday ride.)

To join other GFNY Group Rides visit gfny.cc/user/register and select "Group Rides" to find rides close to you. Note, that GFNY Group Rides are generally for registered participants of the race, or for GFNY Club members.

BEFORE EASTER: Each Sunday before Easter rides will begin at 8 AM from Strictly Bicycles, 2347 Hudson Terrace, Fort Lee, NJ 07024. Please note the following:

• There is ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING in the Strictly Bicycles parking lot!
• Street parking is at your own risk and you must obey all local regulations.
• There is adequate off-street parking nearby in Allison Park.
• Strictly Bicycles may or may not be open before our rides begin, please plan accordingly and do not expect to buy nutrition or gear at the start.
  

AFTER EASTER: For the last few weeks after Easter Sunday and before GFNY World Championship NYC rides will begin at 9 AM from Haverstraw Bay Park, 21 Gagan Rd, Haverstraw, NY 10927. Please note the following:

• These rides will be shorter in distance but cover the more challenging parts of the course, including the named climbs
• The park has adequate parking, but please use the parking closest to the entrance and furthest from the water
• Bathrooms are available at the start/finish
• For those that live in places like NYC and do not drive, please use this Google Sheet to match up with others to carpool

Rides are broken up into groups by level: A, B and C. You can expect the following average speeds in each group:

Group A rides about 18-20 mph on average.

Group B rides about 16-18 mph on average.

Group C rides about 13-16 mph on average.

While we will always try to keep all riders together (and usually do!) these are “drop rides” meaning that you must be prepared to get back on your own if there is any reason you cannot stay with the group.

Distances will vary from week to week, and progressively build from a base-building phase through the winter to extending distance from February until race day. You can find route details each week shared to the GFNY Facebook page and posted to this RideWithGPS page.

Please take note of the ride rules, as well as the additional COVID rules listed below. 

• You MUST sign up and follow all ride rules. 
• Bring all the food/drink/spare tubes/some cash/credit cards etc. that you may need.
• Wear a helmet, obey all traffic laws and follow the instructions of the ride leaders.
• Ride single file.
• YOU ARE RIDING AT YOUR OWN RISK AT ALL TIMES.

Hotel Nyack

400 High Avenue Nyack, NY | Phone: (845) 675-8700

Casa Hudson

34 First Street Haverstraw, NY | Phone: (845) 219-1698

Doubletree by Hilton Nanuet

425 East Route 59 Nanuet, NY  | Phone: (845) 623-6000

Please contact Jared at jared@gfny.com

Our Gruppo Sportivo members are your GFNY NYC group ride leaders. 

• Head of Group Rides
• GS Member since 2014

Jared loves the exercise, freedom and camaraderie that riding gives him. While solo rides serve as his personal meditation, he’d love to go on a ride with his cycling role model Jens Voigt. Jared joined Gruppo Sportivo for two reasons: for the challenge and spectacle of GFNY and because he embraces proper group ride etiquette. “When each ride becomes a race, among individuals or smaller groups, there is little joy in the group ride. Racing is terrific, but its place is on a closed course, not an open road with many riders of varying abilities. That’s the place to share, learn, ride and socialize.” He also lost 20-pounds in his first training season and will never forget how much of a positive impact cycling has had on his well-being.

When Jared is not riding, he’s raving, sampling wine abroad with his wife or working in marketing.

• GS Member since 2012

Vito has been teaching, coaching, training and inspiring cyclists of all levels for more than 15 years; it is what provides him with his Life-purpose.
His cycling practice, which focuses on beginner and intermediate cyclists, has provided him with just about all of the meaningful relationships in his life, the highest possible level of mental, physical and emotional health and the knowledge and experience required to accomplish his objective - to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of his students.
Vito has been a member of GS-GFNY since inception in 2012. He holds two GFNY “records” - longest time on the course (GFNY 2013) and having helped the most GFNY participants make it to the finish line!

• GS Member since 2016

Thomas is your man if you are seeking to finish GFNY in six hours - or even faster. He leads the A group on long endurance rides at a solid pace.

• GS Member since 2018 

Mike is a cycling tech geek. He loves discussing bicycles, groupsets, wheelsets and cycling electronics with anyone who will listen. He’s a five time GNY finisher, though it should be six. Next time you ride with him ask him why he had to abandon the EPIC 2013 GFNY NYC.

Mike loves cycling for the camaraderie and personal challenges it provides. Chatting on the flats and pushing hard on the climbs in hopes of topping his previous efforts.

Mike’s favorite climb is cheesecote. It’s challenging has great views and is close enough to his house that he can climb it early in the morning before work. 

• GS Member since 2018

Hector is a skilled athlete who played soccer in his teens and transitioned to cycling. He was a competitive cyclist in Colombia and the United States. Hector is a 3x GFNY New York, 2x GFNY Cozumel and GFNY Colombia finisher. Hector is a family man who is always approachable and willing to lend a friendly hand to help others to enjoy and race like a pro. 

• GS Member since 2019

Chris has been riding GFNY since 2014, and has since ridden in 14 GFNY events in North America, South America, and Europe and has been a 3x GFNY finisher in both 2018 and 2019. As much as Chris enjoys competing in GFNY events, he loves to write about his adventures with GFNY and about cycling in general. Chris feels that of all the GFNY courses he has competed on, the GFNY NYC course still remains the most difficult for having a “complete” race, and considers the Col d’Andrea Pinarello his personal nemesis.

• GS Member since 2022

Pamela Abbott signed up for GFNY to get stronger and improve her group riding skills. She loves the inclusive, welcoming community and the challenge of reaching individual goals within a group event. 

Born in Seoul, Pamela is the President of Ovia Health, a digital women’s and family health platform. She’s passionate about building purpose-driven businesses, products and teams. 

• GS Member since 2022