Levi’s Gran Fondo 2026: Was It Worth the Trip?

The trip started in Los Angeles, and I slowly made my way north through San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, and Napa before finally arriving in Windsor for Levi’s Gran Fondo. Most of the week is documented along the way, including some beautiful riding in Southern California, a rain-soaked drive to San Francisco, and one extremely comfortable dog who decided that my air mattress was meant to be shared. Then came Levi’s Gran Fondo, which featured a stacked elite field this year, major prize money, and some of the biggest names in professional cycling lining up at the front. In this video, I take a look at what that means for the event, what the experience is like for the average rider, and whether Levi’s still feels like a traditional gran fondo or increasingly like an elite race with a fondo attached to it. I cover some of the good, some of the bad, and a few things in between. Ultimately, whether it is worth the trip depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. This is not so much a race recap as it is the full journey, with a few stops, observations, and opinions along the way. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:32 - LA 1:03 - San Luis Obispo 2:15 - Such a good boy 2:23 - Montage time 5:32 - Levi's Elite Start 6:45 - The Routes 9:43 - The ride 11:55 - The cons 15:40 - Closing thoughts #LevisGranFondo #granfondo #cycling #roadcycling #bikerace