Bishop, California
There is only one word to describe this ride, EPIC! This is by far the most beautiful scenery in this country! Planet Ultra, once again, did an outstanding job of hosting the event. Unparalleled support by staff and volunteers.
The ride started at 5:15am sharp. A short hop in and around Bishop and then to the Mountains! If you think you are a good climber, I double dog dare you to tackle this one. About 5 hours at 8 miles an hour and a butt load of altitude later, I finally made it to the summit at Mammoth. Did you know that there aren't very many oxygen molecules at 8500 feet? I forgot that part. And, did you know that the wind does blow in your face at that altitude? I forgot that part too! Well, anyway, the 3 ladies hosting checkpoint 3 made it all worth while. Cheery faces and cracking jokes the whole time. Over Deadman's Pass (gee why do they call it that I wondered) we started our trek towards Mono Lake. Now this was the coolest part. Seeing and taking in God's beauty.
If you have not been to the Eastern Sierra's you are missing a true wonder. I'm cruising along searching for oxygen while at the same time marveling at the vistas before me. And to think, I haven't covered a hundred miles yet! Let me say that June Lake was a real treat and if you are a fisherman, you would be in serious paradise. Anyway, the tailwind God blessed us with for a short while coming out of the June Lake loop and we made our way to Mono Lake park. Exiting June Lake we were greeted by Mr. Headwind for the next 15 miles until lunch. As fate would have it, the Planet Ultra staff put the lunch stop at the bottom of a long descent, by which, we would have to climb back up to continue the ride. Great, I thought, Subway sandwiches always taste better the second time around. Undaunted, my new found riding partner from Redding, CA (Jeff) and I pressed on to conquer the last pass of the day. It is amazing how little climbs can just kick your ass after a long day in the saddle with nothing but climbing. Up and down, and all around we went. The next rest stop was supposed to be at 130 miles, the summit. Well, my cosmo supercharged computer measured it at 136. How cruel I thought! Anyway, the two teenage gals checking everybody in were great! Full of teenage enthusiasm and encouragement, even for an old geezer like me! They hooped and cheered us all the way in. Great fun! I stopped to look over my shoulder and all I could see was snow covered peaks to the West. Awesome was the word coming to mind!
Watered up and ready to go, Jeff and I pressed on and this is where things got fun! 50 miles an hour downhill for what seemed like forever. That was the bomb for sure and I felt like those Tdf boys descending the Alps. The last 70 miles or so I ended up by myself. That's not all bad because it is amazing what goes through your mind peddling along as the sun descends to the West. As I cruised along Hwy 6 southbound back to Bishop, I got a great rush of accomplishment, I just kicked the 200 mile ride square in the butt! The best part by far were all the prior finishers standing in the parking lot cheering everyone on as they came in. Hands down, the best bike ride I have ever done!
I'd do it again in a heartbeat...Well, maybe a years worth at least.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Solvang Double Century—March 2004
Solvang, California
Once again we were greeted with superb weather, great riding conditions and excellent hosting at the Solvang Double Century. It amazes me how this part of the country is so perfect for cycling. We started our adventure at the wee hour of 0540 in the morning with a staggered mass start. In groups of 64, the hearty soles were released from the starting gate unaware of the most excellent conditions that would come our way. The only downside to the whole day was the brisk temperature during the first part of our ride. That, too, was abated quickly as the sun rose unopposed in the eastern sky. I must say that the sunrise over the eastern mountains near Santa Barbara was breathtaking. The initial route took us through the Solvang area of rolling hills, horse ranches and farms. I vowed to maintain my planned pace and conserve energy for the long miles ahead.
At about the 15 mile point we encountered a rather long but not impossible climb that gave me the opportunity to tag up with a very cheerful couple on a tandem. Marty, the stoker, and I struck up a great conversation about various topics including Double Century conquests, etc. As we continued to chat, she informed that her Captain had done 41 Doubles and she was working on her 47th. Geez, I thought to my self, I'm a real rookie, informing her that I was proudly working on my first one! To make things even more humbling, we passed two older gentlemen on a tandem and Marty promptly informed me that the Captain of this tandem team was the "King." I asked rather inquisitively, "The King, huh?...King of what?" Marty said, "the captain of that tandem has 87 Doubles to his credit." I thought to myself that I have truly met the Yoda of endurance cycling! As it turned out, I would see them again. More on that later. I lost Marty and her captain someplace on the downhill run towards Foxen canyon. I've always maintained that when you lose a Tandem wheel, you won't get it back. Anyway, by this time the temperature managed to climb out of the 30's and quickly into the pleasant upper 40's. For those not familiar with Foxen canyon road, let me describe it in a few words here. The road is about 20 or so miles from Solvang and winds it's way for miles through some of the most beautiful countryside in California. The road meanders through vineyards, horse farms, and pastures. It is about the closest thing a perfect cycling location you will find anywhere.
As I pressed on down Foxen canyon, the two older fellows on the tandem passed by me and somehow I managed jump on the back. As it turned, I was lucky enough to take advantage of their draft for 20 miles to first rest stop. Along the way, I managed to strike up a conversation with the "King of Doubles" and asked him how he managed to achieve such fame. His answer was short and to the point, "just spend twelve years doing it." If you do the math, that's seven and a quarter doubles a year!
The energy at the first rest stop was pretty high with folks quickly relieving themselves (in true road biker fashion), filling water bottles, and grabbing food. The key at these rest stops is to spend as little time as possible off the bike. As such, I fueled up with some of those great PP&J sandwiches, stoked the water bottles/camelback and pressed on. It appears that leaving quickly had its benefit. A rather large peloton with Tandems in the lead (of course) blasted by me like the Tour de France. As I stood to quicken my pace, one gentleman spouted out the obvious and told me if I wanted to join in, I would have get on the back. As it turned out, this group was composed of the Furnace Creek 508 vets from Bakersfield, or Kern County Wheelmen. For those unfamiliar, the Furnace Creek 508 is a 508 mile race that transits Death Valley; a real popular event for all the endurance fanatics. For the next 50 miles, they joked, whooped and hollered and really made the whole ride quite fun. My planned pace went out the window as we blasted through Santa Maria on our way to San Luis Obispo at well over 20 miles an hour.
This is about the time the temperature started to climb towards the 80s so off came the arm warmers, etc. The funny thing about cruising along in a fast group, is the fact that you don't realize how much you are sweating until you stop. Lesson learned here is: riding fast equals drink a lot! Out of San Luis for the first time we pressed towards Morro Bay along Hwy 101 to see the "Rock" before returning to San Luis Obispo for lunch. Not to my surprise, the "King" and his stoker blasted by me, and once again, I used up some juice to get on their wheel. By this time, we had a really nice tailwind literally shoving us down Los Osos road. We topped 30 mph easily for about 20 miles. What a ride!
As usual, Planet Ultra did a great job supporting the lunch stop. I grabbed a turkey sandwich and a can of v-8 juice and munched away. It always amazes me how your stomach doesn't even feel like you put anything into it when you do these types of events. Anyway, fueled up, I popped a couple of e-caps and pressed on my way to my next goal: the rest stop at Guadalupe. I slowed my pace going through Shell Beach and up the climb to the Guadalupe plateau. At 125 miles, I wanted to make sure I would finish this thing. At the top of the Guadalupe Plateau, you are presented with a really nice view back over your shoulder at Shell Beach: vast sand dunes and an awesome picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean. This is the spot that leads into the farmland of the central coast. Tons of acreage growing everything from garden flowers to red cabbage. This is also the spot where the wind is either your friend or your nemesis! Fortunately, the wind gods were in our favor and we enjoyed a nice tailwind and screamer downhill run all the way into Guadalupe.
I must say that Guadalupe is not your average California town. It is small and more reminiscent of central Indiana. Old looking movie houses and architecture from the 30s or 40s. Nonetheless, we were greeted by some awesome volunteers at this rest stop and the topic of conversation amongst riders was the quick pace. Almost to a rider, everyone was well ahead of planned pace and personal timelines. I, too, thought I'm gonna finish this thing before dark. So, what seemed like my 50th PP&J, I pounded down nourishment and pressed on my way. I soloed out of Guadalupe but was quickly caught by some other friendly riders who kindly let me join their wheel. We exchanged pulls for about 15 miles, but the pace seemed a bit fast for me so I dropped off the back to conserve energy. The route from this point is relatively flat until you reach Hwy 135. From here it is a long 3 or 4 mile grind up to the summit that finally leads into the last rest stop at Los Alamos.
About 7 miles out from Los Alamos I tagged up with an elderly gentlemen named Howard. As we rode together, we exchanged pleasantries and stories of rides gone by. He informed me that he was 73 and his doctor and family thought he shouldn't be doing doubles any longer. I asked him how many doubles he does in a year and to my surprise, he said he was trying to cut down from 5 to 3! There again, I felt like such a rookie compared to these seasoned veterans. The story also gave me the motivation I needed to finish this ride!
Los Alamos is a lot like Guadalupe, it is a little out of character, at least in my mind, of what a town in California should look like. The rest stop was nestled up against a house that looked like something out of Mayberry RFD gone bad. Nonetheless, the food and refreshments were a welcome site and I had made it to 170 miles! What got my attention here was the look on some of the riders’ faces. There was this far-off stare amongst a lot of them that looked like they were concentrating on something beyond their immediate vision. I think most of us call it BONK! There were even a few that huddled together while nursing down a well deserved hot bowl of cup-of-soup. I kept thinking to myself that if I stay here too long, I’m going to start looking and feeling like these guys. Apart from the 3 mile climb at 5 percent grade and horrendously bumpy Drum Canyon road, the last 21 miles into Solvang was rewarding and rather uneventful. My total ride time was: 10 hours, 35 minutes and 36 seconds. 12 hours and 14 minutes unofficial total time. As they say, most of a double century is mental and I certainly concur. See you on the road!
Once again we were greeted with superb weather, great riding conditions and excellent hosting at the Solvang Double Century. It amazes me how this part of the country is so perfect for cycling. We started our adventure at the wee hour of 0540 in the morning with a staggered mass start. In groups of 64, the hearty soles were released from the starting gate unaware of the most excellent conditions that would come our way. The only downside to the whole day was the brisk temperature during the first part of our ride. That, too, was abated quickly as the sun rose unopposed in the eastern sky. I must say that the sunrise over the eastern mountains near Santa Barbara was breathtaking. The initial route took us through the Solvang area of rolling hills, horse ranches and farms. I vowed to maintain my planned pace and conserve energy for the long miles ahead.
At about the 15 mile point we encountered a rather long but not impossible climb that gave me the opportunity to tag up with a very cheerful couple on a tandem. Marty, the stoker, and I struck up a great conversation about various topics including Double Century conquests, etc. As we continued to chat, she informed that her Captain had done 41 Doubles and she was working on her 47th. Geez, I thought to my self, I'm a real rookie, informing her that I was proudly working on my first one! To make things even more humbling, we passed two older gentlemen on a tandem and Marty promptly informed me that the Captain of this tandem team was the "King." I asked rather inquisitively, "The King, huh?...King of what?" Marty said, "the captain of that tandem has 87 Doubles to his credit." I thought to myself that I have truly met the Yoda of endurance cycling! As it turned out, I would see them again. More on that later. I lost Marty and her captain someplace on the downhill run towards Foxen canyon. I've always maintained that when you lose a Tandem wheel, you won't get it back. Anyway, by this time the temperature managed to climb out of the 30's and quickly into the pleasant upper 40's. For those not familiar with Foxen canyon road, let me describe it in a few words here. The road is about 20 or so miles from Solvang and winds it's way for miles through some of the most beautiful countryside in California. The road meanders through vineyards, horse farms, and pastures. It is about the closest thing a perfect cycling location you will find anywhere.
As I pressed on down Foxen canyon, the two older fellows on the tandem passed by me and somehow I managed jump on the back. As it turned, I was lucky enough to take advantage of their draft for 20 miles to first rest stop. Along the way, I managed to strike up a conversation with the "King of Doubles" and asked him how he managed to achieve such fame. His answer was short and to the point, "just spend twelve years doing it." If you do the math, that's seven and a quarter doubles a year!
The energy at the first rest stop was pretty high with folks quickly relieving themselves (in true road biker fashion), filling water bottles, and grabbing food. The key at these rest stops is to spend as little time as possible off the bike. As such, I fueled up with some of those great PP&J sandwiches, stoked the water bottles/camelback and pressed on. It appears that leaving quickly had its benefit. A rather large peloton with Tandems in the lead (of course) blasted by me like the Tour de France. As I stood to quicken my pace, one gentleman spouted out the obvious and told me if I wanted to join in, I would have get on the back. As it turned out, this group was composed of the Furnace Creek 508 vets from Bakersfield, or Kern County Wheelmen. For those unfamiliar, the Furnace Creek 508 is a 508 mile race that transits Death Valley; a real popular event for all the endurance fanatics. For the next 50 miles, they joked, whooped and hollered and really made the whole ride quite fun. My planned pace went out the window as we blasted through Santa Maria on our way to San Luis Obispo at well over 20 miles an hour.
This is about the time the temperature started to climb towards the 80s so off came the arm warmers, etc. The funny thing about cruising along in a fast group, is the fact that you don't realize how much you are sweating until you stop. Lesson learned here is: riding fast equals drink a lot! Out of San Luis for the first time we pressed towards Morro Bay along Hwy 101 to see the "Rock" before returning to San Luis Obispo for lunch. Not to my surprise, the "King" and his stoker blasted by me, and once again, I used up some juice to get on their wheel. By this time, we had a really nice tailwind literally shoving us down Los Osos road. We topped 30 mph easily for about 20 miles. What a ride!
As usual, Planet Ultra did a great job supporting the lunch stop. I grabbed a turkey sandwich and a can of v-8 juice and munched away. It always amazes me how your stomach doesn't even feel like you put anything into it when you do these types of events. Anyway, fueled up, I popped a couple of e-caps and pressed on my way to my next goal: the rest stop at Guadalupe. I slowed my pace going through Shell Beach and up the climb to the Guadalupe plateau. At 125 miles, I wanted to make sure I would finish this thing. At the top of the Guadalupe Plateau, you are presented with a really nice view back over your shoulder at Shell Beach: vast sand dunes and an awesome picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean. This is the spot that leads into the farmland of the central coast. Tons of acreage growing everything from garden flowers to red cabbage. This is also the spot where the wind is either your friend or your nemesis! Fortunately, the wind gods were in our favor and we enjoyed a nice tailwind and screamer downhill run all the way into Guadalupe.
I must say that Guadalupe is not your average California town. It is small and more reminiscent of central Indiana. Old looking movie houses and architecture from the 30s or 40s. Nonetheless, we were greeted by some awesome volunteers at this rest stop and the topic of conversation amongst riders was the quick pace. Almost to a rider, everyone was well ahead of planned pace and personal timelines. I, too, thought I'm gonna finish this thing before dark. So, what seemed like my 50th PP&J, I pounded down nourishment and pressed on my way. I soloed out of Guadalupe but was quickly caught by some other friendly riders who kindly let me join their wheel. We exchanged pulls for about 15 miles, but the pace seemed a bit fast for me so I dropped off the back to conserve energy. The route from this point is relatively flat until you reach Hwy 135. From here it is a long 3 or 4 mile grind up to the summit that finally leads into the last rest stop at Los Alamos.
About 7 miles out from Los Alamos I tagged up with an elderly gentlemen named Howard. As we rode together, we exchanged pleasantries and stories of rides gone by. He informed me that he was 73 and his doctor and family thought he shouldn't be doing doubles any longer. I asked him how many doubles he does in a year and to my surprise, he said he was trying to cut down from 5 to 3! There again, I felt like such a rookie compared to these seasoned veterans. The story also gave me the motivation I needed to finish this ride!
Los Alamos is a lot like Guadalupe, it is a little out of character, at least in my mind, of what a town in California should look like. The rest stop was nestled up against a house that looked like something out of Mayberry RFD gone bad. Nonetheless, the food and refreshments were a welcome site and I had made it to 170 miles! What got my attention here was the look on some of the riders’ faces. There was this far-off stare amongst a lot of them that looked like they were concentrating on something beyond their immediate vision. I think most of us call it BONK! There were even a few that huddled together while nursing down a well deserved hot bowl of cup-of-soup. I kept thinking to myself that if I stay here too long, I’m going to start looking and feeling like these guys. Apart from the 3 mile climb at 5 percent grade and horrendously bumpy Drum Canyon road, the last 21 miles into Solvang was rewarding and rather uneventful. My total ride time was: 10 hours, 35 minutes and 36 seconds. 12 hours and 14 minutes unofficial total time. As they say, most of a double century is mental and I certainly concur. See you on the road!
Lighthouse Century—September 2004
San Luis Obispo, California
The Green Valley Cyclists in their first off-station ride of the year roared into San Luis Obispo and gave central coast Californians a taste of Nevada style riding. JC, Linda, Perri, Kim, Sherri, Dick, Eddy, Dennis, Julia, Jim, Sandy, Mark, Bobbie and Kent all came away after the ride with a smile that denotes a sense of accomplishment.
The ride was also a resounding success for the SLOBC folks. Greater than 1300 riders took to the roads covering the metric century, the highland century, and the lowland century. Without a doubt this has to be one of the best supported and organized century rides in the country. Everything from food to route marking, to just plain good old hospitality was outstanding. If you do one ride in California next year, I highly recommend this one. The lowland century is a perfect first timer. The route is easy to follow, has just a wee bit of climbing and the rest stops are plentiful for the fledgling centurion. The highland route offers great vistas, climbs through the central coast and finishes up with the lowlanders at or around the 50 mile point. For those not up for the whole 100 miles, the metric is a perfect substitute. The metric route follows the lowlander routing but stops in the quaint town of Cambria that coincides with the awesome lunch stop. Several Green Valley Cyclists opted for this route this past Saturday.
We all agreed to meet in the parking lot of Cunega College for the start at 6:45. I could tell that Eddy and Kim where particularly excited seeing as how this was their first century attempt. The fun part of these rides is to witness all the preparation that goes on in the parking lot. Conversations abound, people packing supplies into jerseys, etc. The long lines at the honey huts (porta poties) are particularly interesting. You can always tell who downed that extra cup of coffee before driving over to the start point. One bit of advice when finishing up your business. Don't tuck your jersey into your shorts once you are done. You look kinda like a little kid trying to look like Spiderman, not mentioned giving away what business you were really doing in there.
The temperature at this time of year along the central coast can be a bit nippy. Eddy informed me that the old mercury was hovering around 53 degrees. This kept both of us wondering whether or not we came prepared enough in terms of clothing. I can say from experience, that a little less is usually better. Once you get going, the old body temperature starts to rise and all that extra clothing becomes somewhat of a nuisance.
After grabbing a couple of prestart pictures of the group, we headed out of the parking lot eagerly anticipating the journey ahead of us. Then it happened not more that 100 feet from the start. FLAT! I though to myself, you gotta be kidding me! Turned out that Mark punctured just after rolling out of the parking lot. I was one of the first to roll up and offer assistance. I said, "That's got to be a record!" Mark looked at me and started changing his tire when Dennis rolled up and said "Wow! That's a record" Not be out done, Dick rolled up to offer his help and said, "Man! that's a record!" The look on Mark's face was rather priceless. We all laughed and agreed that we overstated the obvious a few too many times. Kinda like going up to a real pregnant women and saying, "Gee are you pregnant or what?"
The lowland century route takes you back into San Luis for a short bit before venturing out into the countryside. The route up Hwy 1 into San Luis has a few surprises, especially when it is somewhat dark outside. A few riders were a bit unprepared for the hidden ruts in the road on the downhill into the city. One lady wiped out and eventually abandoned the ride. Sandy saw another guy sliding down the hill next to his bike in the middle of the road! Now I know it is not funny to take humor at someone else's misfortune, but the mental thought I had at that moment made me chuckle just a bit. The bottomline here is to let the rabbits all go there way. You will eventually see them again along the way.
As we made our way up Los Osos road and back to Hwy 1, Dennis, Dick, Eddy and myself decided to "pump up the volume" a bit. The pace was reasonable and welcome because we started to warm up given the extra effort. As we entered Hwy 1 North, the sun started to peak over the mountains and the clouds gave way to an awesome sunrise. There is just something really cool about riding along the beach at the break of daylight. The air is cool and the sounds and smell of the sea all seem rather relaxing. The quick pace brought us into Cayucos for out first rest stop of the day. The layout here was awesome! Everything, bagels, fruit, coffee, donuts, you name it. And...plenty of it!
The route from here darts inland for a few miles and meets up with he highland riders at the junction of Hwy 1 and Hwy 46. All riders basically follow the same route from here to Cambria. This kinda cool because the pacelines seem to get bigger as riders join up along the way. The only real climb on the lowland route starts just after the Hwy junction. The climb is not too long and the grade is reasonable, at least for some riders. After the long climb, you are rewarded with a bomber downhill thrust into Cambria. This is the turnaround point for the Metric folks and the lunch stop for all. The sweet thing about the Metric route is that you get first dibs on all the food! The lowland and highland crowd keeps pedaling for another 20 miles or so to the lighthouse turnaround.
Cruising past Hearst Castle is always a pleasure and even displays a few surprises along the way. As we reached San Simeon, we were greeted by a heard of Zebras that are remnants of the Hearst's zoo. It was a very interesting site to see the great American cattle grazing next to Zebras. This was also the point where Mr. Wind and his brother Mr. Gust met us with their not so pleasurable ride offerings. Dennis, Eddy, and myself found a great paceline spearheaded by the crazy Kern County Wheelmen. These guys/gals are stronger than oxen. They took turns pulling the entire group all the way to the lightouse turnaround. Great folks and great fun!
After some minor refueling and relieving, the 3 of us pushed up so we could get to some of that great lunch. If you are a century rider, the lunch stop comes at about the 72 mile point so it is a good idea to take advantage of some of the food at the earlier stops. The scene at the park was amazing. Light breeze, blue sky, temperature in the mid 60s to low 70s and a literal sea of bikes everywhere! I think I saw every make and model of every bike ever manufactured laying of standing in that place. Everything from a 5 speed steel Peugeot to Calfee dotted the landscape.
I must say that if you like to eat on these rides, this is the one for you! Being sort of an endurance kind of guy, I've learned that food can do a few not so good things to you if you are not careful. So, I pick and choose my fuel pretty carefully now. I've had a few of those not-so-good HAZMAT gas-events in the past! The SLOBC folks really out did themselves with this spread. You could choose from three different lunch meats, 3 different types of salad, several types of drinks, and they even served desert. Me, I just had my standard small sandwich loaded with no gas producing extras or condiments. Eddy looked pretty pleased and satisfied with the spread and Dennis stayed with his long time tradition of having a piece of pie as his long awaited ride reward.
The only bad thing about putting the lunch stop at the bottom of a big long hill is that fact that you have climb the big belly back up the hill to get to the other side. I guess that the upside is that you get to go faster on the downhill now because that extra food acts like extra weight. The last 30 miles is basically a repeat of the first part of the ride. Only this time you get Mr. Wind at your back and the roads are full of cars and people. Just after Cayucos, we picked up a pretty fast tandem team for about 6 miles. After that lunch and 80 miles under our legs we decided to let them go and not punish them any longer with our massive single bike strength and stamina.
The nice thing about finishing this ride is that you get to do it downhill! The long downhill takes you straight into the finish line at the college. It was great to see the people standing along the side walk waiting for their friends and relatives to show up after a long day in the saddle. I managed to get a few minutes on Eddy and Dennis and it was a real pleasure to get their pictures as they came in. This was Eddy's first century and Dennis' first century after getting a couple of new bionic hips! Both finished the 102 miles in 5:39! That's almost an 18 mph average! Well done! See you next year in San Luis Obispo for Lighthouse 2005.
The Green Valley Cyclists in their first off-station ride of the year roared into San Luis Obispo and gave central coast Californians a taste of Nevada style riding. JC, Linda, Perri, Kim, Sherri, Dick, Eddy, Dennis, Julia, Jim, Sandy, Mark, Bobbie and Kent all came away after the ride with a smile that denotes a sense of accomplishment.
The ride was also a resounding success for the SLOBC folks. Greater than 1300 riders took to the roads covering the metric century, the highland century, and the lowland century. Without a doubt this has to be one of the best supported and organized century rides in the country. Everything from food to route marking, to just plain good old hospitality was outstanding. If you do one ride in California next year, I highly recommend this one. The lowland century is a perfect first timer. The route is easy to follow, has just a wee bit of climbing and the rest stops are plentiful for the fledgling centurion. The highland route offers great vistas, climbs through the central coast and finishes up with the lowlanders at or around the 50 mile point. For those not up for the whole 100 miles, the metric is a perfect substitute. The metric route follows the lowlander routing but stops in the quaint town of Cambria that coincides with the awesome lunch stop. Several Green Valley Cyclists opted for this route this past Saturday.
We all agreed to meet in the parking lot of Cunega College for the start at 6:45. I could tell that Eddy and Kim where particularly excited seeing as how this was their first century attempt. The fun part of these rides is to witness all the preparation that goes on in the parking lot. Conversations abound, people packing supplies into jerseys, etc. The long lines at the honey huts (porta poties) are particularly interesting. You can always tell who downed that extra cup of coffee before driving over to the start point. One bit of advice when finishing up your business. Don't tuck your jersey into your shorts once you are done. You look kinda like a little kid trying to look like Spiderman, not mentioned giving away what business you were really doing in there.
The temperature at this time of year along the central coast can be a bit nippy. Eddy informed me that the old mercury was hovering around 53 degrees. This kept both of us wondering whether or not we came prepared enough in terms of clothing. I can say from experience, that a little less is usually better. Once you get going, the old body temperature starts to rise and all that extra clothing becomes somewhat of a nuisance.
After grabbing a couple of prestart pictures of the group, we headed out of the parking lot eagerly anticipating the journey ahead of us. Then it happened not more that 100 feet from the start. FLAT! I though to myself, you gotta be kidding me! Turned out that Mark punctured just after rolling out of the parking lot. I was one of the first to roll up and offer assistance. I said, "That's got to be a record!" Mark looked at me and started changing his tire when Dennis rolled up and said "Wow! That's a record" Not be out done, Dick rolled up to offer his help and said, "Man! that's a record!" The look on Mark's face was rather priceless. We all laughed and agreed that we overstated the obvious a few too many times. Kinda like going up to a real pregnant women and saying, "Gee are you pregnant or what?"
The lowland century route takes you back into San Luis for a short bit before venturing out into the countryside. The route up Hwy 1 into San Luis has a few surprises, especially when it is somewhat dark outside. A few riders were a bit unprepared for the hidden ruts in the road on the downhill into the city. One lady wiped out and eventually abandoned the ride. Sandy saw another guy sliding down the hill next to his bike in the middle of the road! Now I know it is not funny to take humor at someone else's misfortune, but the mental thought I had at that moment made me chuckle just a bit. The bottomline here is to let the rabbits all go there way. You will eventually see them again along the way.
As we made our way up Los Osos road and back to Hwy 1, Dennis, Dick, Eddy and myself decided to "pump up the volume" a bit. The pace was reasonable and welcome because we started to warm up given the extra effort. As we entered Hwy 1 North, the sun started to peak over the mountains and the clouds gave way to an awesome sunrise. There is just something really cool about riding along the beach at the break of daylight. The air is cool and the sounds and smell of the sea all seem rather relaxing. The quick pace brought us into Cayucos for out first rest stop of the day. The layout here was awesome! Everything, bagels, fruit, coffee, donuts, you name it. And...plenty of it!
The route from here darts inland for a few miles and meets up with he highland riders at the junction of Hwy 1 and Hwy 46. All riders basically follow the same route from here to Cambria. This kinda cool because the pacelines seem to get bigger as riders join up along the way. The only real climb on the lowland route starts just after the Hwy junction. The climb is not too long and the grade is reasonable, at least for some riders. After the long climb, you are rewarded with a bomber downhill thrust into Cambria. This is the turnaround point for the Metric folks and the lunch stop for all. The sweet thing about the Metric route is that you get first dibs on all the food! The lowland and highland crowd keeps pedaling for another 20 miles or so to the lighthouse turnaround.
Cruising past Hearst Castle is always a pleasure and even displays a few surprises along the way. As we reached San Simeon, we were greeted by a heard of Zebras that are remnants of the Hearst's zoo. It was a very interesting site to see the great American cattle grazing next to Zebras. This was also the point where Mr. Wind and his brother Mr. Gust met us with their not so pleasurable ride offerings. Dennis, Eddy, and myself found a great paceline spearheaded by the crazy Kern County Wheelmen. These guys/gals are stronger than oxen. They took turns pulling the entire group all the way to the lightouse turnaround. Great folks and great fun!
After some minor refueling and relieving, the 3 of us pushed up so we could get to some of that great lunch. If you are a century rider, the lunch stop comes at about the 72 mile point so it is a good idea to take advantage of some of the food at the earlier stops. The scene at the park was amazing. Light breeze, blue sky, temperature in the mid 60s to low 70s and a literal sea of bikes everywhere! I think I saw every make and model of every bike ever manufactured laying of standing in that place. Everything from a 5 speed steel Peugeot to Calfee dotted the landscape.
I must say that if you like to eat on these rides, this is the one for you! Being sort of an endurance kind of guy, I've learned that food can do a few not so good things to you if you are not careful. So, I pick and choose my fuel pretty carefully now. I've had a few of those not-so-good HAZMAT gas-events in the past! The SLOBC folks really out did themselves with this spread. You could choose from three different lunch meats, 3 different types of salad, several types of drinks, and they even served desert. Me, I just had my standard small sandwich loaded with no gas producing extras or condiments. Eddy looked pretty pleased and satisfied with the spread and Dennis stayed with his long time tradition of having a piece of pie as his long awaited ride reward.
The only bad thing about putting the lunch stop at the bottom of a big long hill is that fact that you have climb the big belly back up the hill to get to the other side. I guess that the upside is that you get to go faster on the downhill now because that extra food acts like extra weight. The last 30 miles is basically a repeat of the first part of the ride. Only this time you get Mr. Wind at your back and the roads are full of cars and people. Just after Cayucos, we picked up a pretty fast tandem team for about 6 miles. After that lunch and 80 miles under our legs we decided to let them go and not punish them any longer with our massive single bike strength and stamina.
The nice thing about finishing this ride is that you get to do it downhill! The long downhill takes you straight into the finish line at the college. It was great to see the people standing along the side walk waiting for their friends and relatives to show up after a long day in the saddle. I managed to get a few minutes on Eddy and Dennis and it was a real pleasure to get their pictures as they came in. This was Eddy's first century and Dennis' first century after getting a couple of new bionic hips! Both finished the 102 miles in 5:39! That's almost an 18 mph average! Well done! See you next year in San Luis Obispo for Lighthouse 2005.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Grand Tour Challenge, June 2003
Malibu, California—June 2003
First of all, let me say this right up front. This was one of the best Century events I have ridden, and my hat is off to the LA Wheelemen Bicycle Club for putting on such a well organized and supported event. As most of you know, the ride started and ended in Malibu California, a quaint small and unassuming little town along the California coast...not really. The Grand Tour is comprised of 400 mile, 300 mile, 200 mile, and 123 mile ride options with the 123 mile "Century" known as the "Century Challenge." I'll explain that title as we go along in this ride report, but I think it will be rather obvious why they added the word "Challenge" to the title.
Five Vegas Velo Club members, Bobbie Costin, Kent Costin, Barry Vinik and Shannon Goldsmith (Randy Paar started at 6:15am) pressed out past Pepperdine University cheered on by the line of celebrities and stars lining the streets at 6:30am. The weather was typical California coastal weather at this time of morning: 60 °F with low-overcast skies and no wind. Perfect riding weather! The first four miles North on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway or Highway 1) brought us to the foot of Latigo Canyon; one of many canyons that meander and crisscross through the Malibu local area and surrounding mountains. This little gem of a climb is part of why they call the ride the Century Challenge. The climb starts at roughly sea-level and ends 10.2 miles later at the summit. The challenge is the winding road and ever changing grades along the way. What is really cool about this climb is the view back over your shoulder. The ribbon of road can be seen as foreground to the blue and endless Pacific ocean. A really picturesque site I must say. Equally impressive are the number of REALLY big homes, or mansions, that dot the mountainside. I couldn't help but think: "How did these people build these massive estates up here." Anyway, back to the climb. We tagged up with the Riverside Bike Club crowd and had some great conversation when the grade availed itself to some aerobic climbing. Bobbie and I were on the tandem and we were both grateful for the "granny gear" on this ride. Amazingly, I only saw one other tandem team attempt this portion of the Grand Tour. As for the descents, they were numerous and very tight. Many were 180° switchbacks with blind corners all along the way down. Barry found that out the hard way when he came around a corner and found himself facing a stop sign thirty feet in front of him while barreling downhill at 30+ miles an hour. Fortunately for him, good brakes and skillful bike handling brought him to a safe stop.
At this point the ride empties out onto the Mulholland highway for some more climbing and descending through some really cool looking rock formations near Thousand Oaks. Entering Lake Sherwood Drive you mingle with the best of the affluent that California has to offer. Lake Sherwood is home to some of the most exclusive residences in the country, and by their size it is rather obvious. In fact, it is so exclusive that Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't been able to acquire a membership to the community for several years. Guess that will change when he becomes governor, eh? Views of Rupert Murdoch’s estate and his surrounding circle of friends' residences seemed to dwarf our presence as we passed by on our humble two-wheeled vehicles. I kept thinking to myself that 'ole Rupert doesn't know what he's missing: a whole day on your bike enjoying all the things that are free! Passing by the lake and onto Potrero Road we were presented with some of the most beautiful horse country around. The road is newly paved and perfect for putting the hammer down, and that we did! After a short climb we arrived at the first and much needed rest stop. The LA wheelmen out did themselves by stocking this respite with plenty of food, water, and supplements. They also offered up a lot of encouragement and camaraderie as well. As I chatted with the one of the gentlemen manning the stop, I found out that this ride started in the 1950's by a woman who wanted to complete 200 miles in one day. It started as a bet between a couple of clubs in the local LA area as to who would finish and who would not. As it turned out she finished the ride along with a few other hearty soles and hence the Grand Tour was born. As we left the rest stop the same gentlemen warned me about Lynn Canyon Road and to be careful especially on a tandem. Well, I soon found out why. This little downhill is steeper than you can imagine and twists back an forth for what seemed like miles. In fact, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention as I dared to take my eyes off the road in front of me. It was a car, abandoned and upside down, half-way down a ravine just off our right side. Evidently, someone ran off the road and never bothered to retrieve their car. I couldn't imagine how someone could have lived through that. Towards the end of our descent, we learned all about rim heating. The front tire flatted from apparent rim heat generated by my braking on the way down. Luckily we weren't going all that fast so a controlled stop wasn't a problem. This is the spot where I also learned about taking the proper equipment along. If you think you need two tubes, take three! The first spare blew a valve stem so we had to use the last remaining spare as our primary. Anyway, back on the bike we went enjoying the rest of the downhill grade towards Pleasant Valley road and on our way to lunch.
I must say that rides with this type of climbing will leave you quite hungry and ready for every rest stop. At 56 miles into the ride brought us to our lunch stop in the town of Moorpark, a town just outside of Thousand Oaks. Once again, we were pleasantly greeted by the LA wheelmen with a superb spread for lunch. Lesson learned at this stop is that if you are lactose intolerant don't eat the vegetarian sandwich with extra cheese and cucumbers. Somehow I managed to get the wrong sandwich, and believe me your stoker won't appreciate the digestive result soon after dining. What got my attention at this stop was the porta-johns. Only in California does an outside plastic sink, complete with running water, appear along with the facilities!
Leaving Moorpark we started another bout of climbing into the countryside. This is where we learned about reading the ride sheet. Some dude trying to find the Highland Double route came blazing by us asking which way to go. We informed him that we were on the Century option and we could not help him. It appeared that he managed to get lost several times and his mileage was useless when trying to match it up with the ride sheet. Undaunted, he dropped us on the climb and proceed on his way. As we kept close tabs on the mileage, we failed to read the all important instructions that followed, so we too along with several others, ended up on the Highland Double route. It was a nice little detour, but it was all uphill towards Grimes Canyon. We finally realized we had made a wrong turn because at the summit of Grimes Canyon, several other Century riders were gathered scratching their noggins trying to figure out what went wrong. So, we did what every lost person does: we backtracked! Eventually, we found our way back to Broadway Road and once again we were on course and only 3 miles out of our way. The nice thing about being lost with other people is that you generate a kind of kindred spirit with others along the way. About 12 of us formed a real nice pace line all the way into Port Hueneme for what would be our final refueling stop of the day.
Not to be out done by the other LA Wheelmen volunteers, these folks spared no effort to make us feel welcome and appreciated. In fact, one of the volunteer's daughter made homemade chicken soup for all those interested. I'm sure those folks on the Double, Triple, and Quad were happy to take part in that meal. Fortunately for the four of us, we found ourselves paired up the Riverside Bicycle Club folks who stayed with us most of the way back to Malibu. As we proceeded back to Highway 1 on our final 25 miles back to Malibu were greeted by a much appreciated tailwind from the Northwest. If you haven't had the opportunity to ride down the PCH from this point, I highly recommend it. The air is clear, the sky is blue, and the sight and sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline as you ride by is just plain awesome. At this point, Bobbie was just about on empty. She had been a real trooper all day but her butt and knees were just about shot so it was definitely time for the ride to end. After a few painful "rollers" along the PCH we made our final turn into Pepperdine University and onto the finish line. Pulling up, I expected to see Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman or Jennifer Aniston waiting there with the Maillot Jaune, but I was greeted instead by a guy with a pile of flank steak and bake beans on a paper plate. A great post ride meal if I do say so myself.
First of all, let me say this right up front. This was one of the best Century events I have ridden, and my hat is off to the LA Wheelemen Bicycle Club for putting on such a well organized and supported event. As most of you know, the ride started and ended in Malibu California, a quaint small and unassuming little town along the California coast...not really. The Grand Tour is comprised of 400 mile, 300 mile, 200 mile, and 123 mile ride options with the 123 mile "Century" known as the "Century Challenge." I'll explain that title as we go along in this ride report, but I think it will be rather obvious why they added the word "Challenge" to the title.
Five Vegas Velo Club members, Bobbie Costin, Kent Costin, Barry Vinik and Shannon Goldsmith (Randy Paar started at 6:15am) pressed out past Pepperdine University cheered on by the line of celebrities and stars lining the streets at 6:30am. The weather was typical California coastal weather at this time of morning: 60 °F with low-overcast skies and no wind. Perfect riding weather! The first four miles North on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway or Highway 1) brought us to the foot of Latigo Canyon; one of many canyons that meander and crisscross through the Malibu local area and surrounding mountains. This little gem of a climb is part of why they call the ride the Century Challenge. The climb starts at roughly sea-level and ends 10.2 miles later at the summit. The challenge is the winding road and ever changing grades along the way. What is really cool about this climb is the view back over your shoulder. The ribbon of road can be seen as foreground to the blue and endless Pacific ocean. A really picturesque site I must say. Equally impressive are the number of REALLY big homes, or mansions, that dot the mountainside. I couldn't help but think: "How did these people build these massive estates up here." Anyway, back to the climb. We tagged up with the Riverside Bike Club crowd and had some great conversation when the grade availed itself to some aerobic climbing. Bobbie and I were on the tandem and we were both grateful for the "granny gear" on this ride. Amazingly, I only saw one other tandem team attempt this portion of the Grand Tour. As for the descents, they were numerous and very tight. Many were 180° switchbacks with blind corners all along the way down. Barry found that out the hard way when he came around a corner and found himself facing a stop sign thirty feet in front of him while barreling downhill at 30+ miles an hour. Fortunately for him, good brakes and skillful bike handling brought him to a safe stop.
At this point the ride empties out onto the Mulholland highway for some more climbing and descending through some really cool looking rock formations near Thousand Oaks. Entering Lake Sherwood Drive you mingle with the best of the affluent that California has to offer. Lake Sherwood is home to some of the most exclusive residences in the country, and by their size it is rather obvious. In fact, it is so exclusive that Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't been able to acquire a membership to the community for several years. Guess that will change when he becomes governor, eh? Views of Rupert Murdoch’s estate and his surrounding circle of friends' residences seemed to dwarf our presence as we passed by on our humble two-wheeled vehicles. I kept thinking to myself that 'ole Rupert doesn't know what he's missing: a whole day on your bike enjoying all the things that are free! Passing by the lake and onto Potrero Road we were presented with some of the most beautiful horse country around. The road is newly paved and perfect for putting the hammer down, and that we did! After a short climb we arrived at the first and much needed rest stop. The LA wheelmen out did themselves by stocking this respite with plenty of food, water, and supplements. They also offered up a lot of encouragement and camaraderie as well. As I chatted with the one of the gentlemen manning the stop, I found out that this ride started in the 1950's by a woman who wanted to complete 200 miles in one day. It started as a bet between a couple of clubs in the local LA area as to who would finish and who would not. As it turned out she finished the ride along with a few other hearty soles and hence the Grand Tour was born. As we left the rest stop the same gentlemen warned me about Lynn Canyon Road and to be careful especially on a tandem. Well, I soon found out why. This little downhill is steeper than you can imagine and twists back an forth for what seemed like miles. In fact, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention as I dared to take my eyes off the road in front of me. It was a car, abandoned and upside down, half-way down a ravine just off our right side. Evidently, someone ran off the road and never bothered to retrieve their car. I couldn't imagine how someone could have lived through that. Towards the end of our descent, we learned all about rim heating. The front tire flatted from apparent rim heat generated by my braking on the way down. Luckily we weren't going all that fast so a controlled stop wasn't a problem. This is the spot where I also learned about taking the proper equipment along. If you think you need two tubes, take three! The first spare blew a valve stem so we had to use the last remaining spare as our primary. Anyway, back on the bike we went enjoying the rest of the downhill grade towards Pleasant Valley road and on our way to lunch.
I must say that rides with this type of climbing will leave you quite hungry and ready for every rest stop. At 56 miles into the ride brought us to our lunch stop in the town of Moorpark, a town just outside of Thousand Oaks. Once again, we were pleasantly greeted by the LA wheelmen with a superb spread for lunch. Lesson learned at this stop is that if you are lactose intolerant don't eat the vegetarian sandwich with extra cheese and cucumbers. Somehow I managed to get the wrong sandwich, and believe me your stoker won't appreciate the digestive result soon after dining. What got my attention at this stop was the porta-johns. Only in California does an outside plastic sink, complete with running water, appear along with the facilities!
Leaving Moorpark we started another bout of climbing into the countryside. This is where we learned about reading the ride sheet. Some dude trying to find the Highland Double route came blazing by us asking which way to go. We informed him that we were on the Century option and we could not help him. It appeared that he managed to get lost several times and his mileage was useless when trying to match it up with the ride sheet. Undaunted, he dropped us on the climb and proceed on his way. As we kept close tabs on the mileage, we failed to read the all important instructions that followed, so we too along with several others, ended up on the Highland Double route. It was a nice little detour, but it was all uphill towards Grimes Canyon. We finally realized we had made a wrong turn because at the summit of Grimes Canyon, several other Century riders were gathered scratching their noggins trying to figure out what went wrong. So, we did what every lost person does: we backtracked! Eventually, we found our way back to Broadway Road and once again we were on course and only 3 miles out of our way. The nice thing about being lost with other people is that you generate a kind of kindred spirit with others along the way. About 12 of us formed a real nice pace line all the way into Port Hueneme for what would be our final refueling stop of the day.
Not to be out done by the other LA Wheelmen volunteers, these folks spared no effort to make us feel welcome and appreciated. In fact, one of the volunteer's daughter made homemade chicken soup for all those interested. I'm sure those folks on the Double, Triple, and Quad were happy to take part in that meal. Fortunately for the four of us, we found ourselves paired up the Riverside Bicycle Club folks who stayed with us most of the way back to Malibu. As we proceeded back to Highway 1 on our final 25 miles back to Malibu were greeted by a much appreciated tailwind from the Northwest. If you haven't had the opportunity to ride down the PCH from this point, I highly recommend it. The air is clear, the sky is blue, and the sight and sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline as you ride by is just plain awesome. At this point, Bobbie was just about on empty. She had been a real trooper all day but her butt and knees were just about shot so it was definitely time for the ride to end. After a few painful "rollers" along the PCH we made our final turn into Pepperdine University and onto the finish line. Pulling up, I expected to see Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman or Jennifer Aniston waiting there with the Maillot Jaune, but I was greeted instead by a guy with a pile of flank steak and bake beans on a paper plate. A great post ride meal if I do say so myself.
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