I'll just write down my thoughts as they come to me.
To start with the conclusion: 'There were good points and bad points, but I was overall satisfied and would be willing to participate again.'
1. The roads near Imsil Comprehensive Stadium were in poor condition due to a lot of ongoing construction. However, the bad road sections were only briefly at the beginning,
and the rest were fine.
2. The number of participants was quite low. Checking the KOM rankings, it looks like about 270 people rode the Gran Fondo.
At other popular Gran Fondos, you tend to waste a lot of time at aid stations, but this one had no lines at all.
You could start eating the moment you arrived. lol. On the downside, it was hard to join a group. Up until the first aid station you could somehow find a similar group and tag along,
but in the second half it was almost like riding solo.
3. Basically, every aid station had water, cola, and bananas. The 1st aid station had Choco Pies, the 2nd had twisted donuts (kkwabaegi) + caffeine boosters, and the 3rd had
rice cake sticks (garaetteok). The organizers were kind and everything was great. However, it would be nice to add one more aid station.
4. I hope the Gyegok Tunnel 2 course is rerouted next time. It's a course that goes through a tunnel at the end of a viaduct uphill climb, and the road is narrow —
I was a bit scared thinking cars might collide trying to avoid cyclists, or that a car might knock a cyclist over. Being on a viaduct made it even more nerve-wracking.
Since it's a two-lane road, I understand it would be difficult to control even just one lane of traffic.
Normally after a Gran Fondo I don't even remember the names of the tunnels, but this was one tunnel name I felt I absolutely had to memorize.
5. The scenery was impressive. I'm not sure if it's a region where cherry blossoms bloom late, but while they had already fallen everywhere else, as of the 11th
there were still plenty of cherry blossoms here. The cycling path along the stream that felt like a cherry blossom tunnel, and the camel-back ridge around Okjeong Lake — the scenery was
absolutely stunning throughout. There were many moments that made me think this is exactly why I ride a bike. In the end, cycling is all about two wheels and your own legs,
the companions you ride with, and the scenery. The road conditions and aid stations are just secondary things, aren't they.
6. We took selfies on our phones and took pictures of each other. That's because there weren't many volunteer photographers.
The photo count is very low. That is a bit of a downside.
Those were my impressions. Thank you.
