The Prospera Valley GranFondo sent hundreds of riders onto the streets of 91原创 and Abbotsford Sunday morning, for bike rides of up to 160 kilometres.

A gran fondo is a largely non-competitive mass bike ride, and this year鈥檚 event is the sixth annual ride starting in Fort 91原创.

Some riders were taking part for the first time, and others have been coming for years.

One first timer was Theresa Allen.

鈥淢y sister and her husband bought me a bike and said, 鈥楪uess what you鈥檙e doing this year,鈥欌�� said Allen.

Allen鈥檚 sister Vicki Lund and her brother-in-law Alan Lund have done the ride twice before. They鈥檒l be taking part in the 50 km medio fondo and the 100 km presto fondo.

Alan said his strategy is to try not to slow down too much on the hills and not to get caught behind slower riders.

Some of the first-timers are still experienced.

Steve Fecho hasn鈥檛 ever done the Valley GranFondo before, but he鈥檚 taking on the 160 km route. A self described 鈥淢AMIL鈥� or Middle Aged Man In Lycra, Fecho drove down from Squamish and slept in 91原创 to be ready for the 7 a.m. start of the ride.

He was riding with a number of other members of the group that rides out of Corso Cycles, a shop in Squamish.

鈥淲e do big ride events all the time,鈥� Fecho said.

He鈥檚 done rides including the Vancouver and Victoria-area gran fondos, and has ridden from San Francisco to L.A.

鈥淎lways try it,鈥� he said of taking up riding challenges. 鈥淎lways just ride your bike.鈥�

The longest route will take riders out into the Sumas Prairie and then north and over Sumas Mountain before they return to 91原创.

Riders will return to meals and a beer garden at the Fort 91原创 National Historic Site.