Ebikes to be permitted in the GranFondo Whistler
55-km Medio ride will allow participants to ride electric assist bicycles in the 2019 event
Owners of ebikes will be able to participate in the GranFondo Whistler for the first time in 2019. Cyclists will be able to sign up in the 55-km Medio category with the intention of riding an electric assist bike but they will not be permitted to take part in the timed portion of the mass participation event.
“We embrace that change in technology. What we want to do, as we’ve done with everything else, is stay at the forefront and create an opportunity for people to cycle,” Neil McKinnon, GranFondo Whistler co-founder told the Squamish Chief. “We don’t think the introduction of e-bikes is dissimilar to any other category of cycling.”
The organizers hope the inclusion of ebikes will encourage riders who otherwise would sit out the gran fondo to participate. The idea is that ebike participants will line-up not to ride the event competitively but to enjoy the experience of riding the Sea to Sky Highway.
The inclusion of ebikes will surely receive mixed responses from riders and participants. On one side of the debate are those in favour who say ebikes allow for more riders to take part in the event. Those against ebikes will question whether they belong in an international mass participation event like the GranFondo Whistler.
“I think the purists would probably say that there’s no place for e-bikes in an international event like the gran fondo. We agree with that, that’s why we’ve limited it to the Medio portion of the event,” McKinnon said. “Other people have said they welcome it because it allows for more inclusion.”
The GranFondo Whistler has three distances participants can choose from. The 55-km Medio fondo which will allow ebikes, and the 122-km GranFondo and 152-km Forte which will not.
In addition to being shorter, the Medio also has a controlled start that limits the speed of riders for safety reasons. It’s billed as the family-friendly ride option out of the three ride lengths.
“We wanted to keep the Forte and the GranFondo as those physical challenges, those aspirational events that people put in their calendar. But the Medio, and what ebikes represent, is allowing people of different ages or different athletic abilities to participate,” McKinnon told the Squamish Chief.
Despite the organizers allowing ebikes in the Medio fondo, it’s not expected they will take over the event. Ebikes are gaining popularity but are often used for transportation or commuting. Brands like Pinarello, Bianchi and Focus have only recently unveiled road specific ebikes.
The 2019 edition of the GranFondo Whistler is a UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier for the 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships which will be held on the Whistler course. The GranFondo Whistler takes place Sept. 7.
