Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

Pedalista_101417

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  Sam Schramski and Eric Lynch promote a bicycle ride featuring gardens

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  Shcramski sports a wolf mask; Lynch pretends to be a carrot.

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  Leslie Newton and Amun June Newton dance to the music.

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  Dave Baker puts air in Dennis Cearley's bike tire

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  Patrick Hoskins, chief popcorn chef, doles out popcorn to Erika Burleigh

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  Chris Allen and Toby McGuire get ready to go on the garden bicycle ride

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  Wylie St. Clair rides fast to make the blender work

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  Solomon Coeppl,3, heads down the slide

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  Zakira Baca swooshes down the slide

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  Jubilee Kline slides down

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  A bicyclist coming off the Gila Monster of the Gran Fondo turns from NM 15 to 32nd Street on his way to Gough Park.

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Pedalista changed this year from being a part of the Tour of the Gila to collaborating with the Gran Fondo, which also featured the Gila Monster ride, a staple of the Tour of the Gila. One hundred and eight amateurs took part in the grueling 115-mile Gila Monster for men, the 78-mile smaller Gila Monster for women or the 40-mile ride from Camp Thunderbird, all sending them to a finish in Gough Park in Silver City. 

Gran Fondo organizer Jack Brennan said 85 of the riders came from outside Grant County. "It was predominantly out-of-town riders this year."

A new event for Pedalista this year was a bicycle ride to six community gardens, beginning at the former Office of Sustainability garden and traveling to College Plaza, 6th Street School, Gospel Mission, Millie's Assisted Living  and ending at The Commons. The ride was a collaboration with The Volunteer Center, which hosted its Harvest Festival the same day.