Ben FR

Anyone planning to do this ride: https://granfondosandiego.com/

Comments?

toronto-rider

I do, will be registering on Monday and booking the hotel.
The following week is Solvang Century.

Jancouver

I was planning to do this ride until I realized that I have already signed up for a tri event on the same day.

robertkat

Thought about it, as I was given a 30% off coupon but then I decided it might not be the best idea. I'll probably be up very late on a 400k starting the morning before. Honestly though, from my experience, the ride sucked last year. The rest stops were, for the most part stupid and poorly stocked, unless you plan on eating nothing but bananas and snack crackers. I know that this will be the second year, so hopefully things will be improved. If you do it, remember a few things about the route - when you get to Honey Springs, it will suddenly get very warm, and stay that way until you get back to the last 10 miles of the course. Bring two large bottles. The roads are very rough and dirty for most of the course. If you have any special nutrition needs or desires, bring your own food. My biggest gripe is the cost. When you pay that much, the jersey isn't "free". Also, I didn't register by a certain time, so I had to wait to get my jersey as they needed to print up more. It took them 10 months to do so and the jerseys we got were of a poorer quality than everyone else.

diphthong

would like to do it since it is in my back yard but recovering from a broken clavicle
and 3 broken ribs sustained in a...cycling accident very end of november. gone for
a couple of 50-60 miles rides in the last two weeks and felt great but it's been
mostly on easy terrain-nothing like the uphill 13.8 km demands of honey springs rd.
the roads aren't the smoothest east of the 'burbs but at least they aren't potholed and
crack-ridden like some of the roads in the first/last 10 miles.

yea, unless you're in excellent shape, you may want to save something for honey
springs rd. it's easy to blast out there but that stretch right before the first shaded
area (mother grundy truck trail turnoff area) can really take a bite and make things
miserable for the remainder of the climb/ride. that stretch from the intersection of
lyons valley rd. & honey springs north to japatul road is really rolling, open & beautiful
though-a definite highlight. will likely register at the last possible moment. need another
few weeks to tackle that climb a few times and gauge how well the body's healed-or not.

calamarichris

Sorry Ooga.
I wasn't planning on it, since it's a week before Solvang, but I just learned it goes over the Coronado Bridge! That novelty alone makes it worth the entry feel IMO. I'll be there and dressed in my finest Polyester.


Can I talk you out of that 30% off coupon, Roberto?

diphthong

[QUOTE=calamarichris;10260675]Sorry Ooga.
I wasn't planning on it, since it's a week before Solvang, but I just learned it goes over the Coronado Bridge! That novelty alone makes it worth the entry feel IMO. I'll be there and dressed in my finest Polyester.


oh yeah! agreed-a jaunt across the pond is just the ticket! guess i'll just have to suck it up then.
the route in reverse would be a safer one but use of the bridge later in the day isn't/wasn't
going to happen. a little concerned about three sections of the course though and where they
come up in the ride. lyons valley road is a blast but a least one person is going to misjudge
one of those tight switchbacks as you descend past the general store and end up in the
prickly pear cacti. a couple more miles down lyons valley road, there is a downhill curve that is
deceptively sharp. riding north down harbor drive near the finish, the pavement is ripped all to hell
and combined with railroad tracks for extra good times. i fear that more than a rider or two will be
very tired at this point and biff it in the nassco shipyard area. i pray that i am wrong. it is a
challenging course and besides the honey springs hill, there is that short, wtf climb at the base of
the gnarly lyons valley switchbacks along with the ascent up to jamul. jamul drive is a great descent
and the san miguel road one is good as well.

the part i fear the most? riding otay lakes road (this time heading west) after hanging a right off
the 94 coming from jamul. the usual headwind that picks up after 11 am (especially once to the skydiving area) is gonna hurt.

calamarichris

[QUOTE=ooga-booga;10261320]You say that as if it's a bad thing. A ride without danger is like pasta without wine or love without sex.

diphthong

[QUOTE=calamarichris;10261383]true dat. it's the rides with danger that we all live for. i don't necessarily mind the freds
wiping out but when they take you or someone else totally undeserving (out) with them,
well that just blows.

robertkat

Wow. I just looked at the website. They changed the route. Up until a few days ago it was the same as last year. It should be nice not having to battle traffic through Sprung Valley on the return trip. Looks fun, but again, not sure I'm up for that sort of recovery ride after the horror I must face the day before. Chris - I'll see if I can find the letter and if the code is still good.

diphthong

yeah, the route change is out of the blue but a good thing methinks. the bridge is a huge pull even though it's
incorporated into the shorter bike the bay september ride.

voltman

Seconded on the talking you out of that 30% off coupon.

robertkat

It's actually 23% off code. Unfortunately, the letter states that persons using the code will be manually checked against the list of people to whom it was issued. So if you don't have the code already, it's no good for you and if I give it out and you guys use it, you will be refused entry to the event with no refund. Sorry. Figures. Have fun anyhow. Maybe I'll sign up at the last minute and roll with the laughing group.

tylertfb

How is that route to ride solo, on regular days? I was thinking of doing the part starting from otay lakes road and out and around Jamul. Is the road ok? Decent shoulder? Ok to do alone?

diphthong

riding solo on a mon-fri is not a problem. the hilly/mountainous/boonies parts are very low traffic and if you descend down
into suburbia...er...rancho san diego, there are bike lanes. there are two dicey parts for traffic: one is heading east out of
jamul just past the fire station on the way to the otay lakes road turnoff. it's a 2 lane road & there is very little shoulder
for the better part of 2-2.5 miles with 55+ mph traffic. the other is otay lakes road from its junction with hwy 94 all the
way to the west shore of the lake/wueste rd (olympic training center turnoff). it too is a 2 lane road with slightly less high
speed traffic. in my experiences, the drivers are pretty well behaved on otay lakes because they are used to seeing cyclists on it.
it is one of the south bay/chula vista area default rides for roadies and the conduit out to the mountains.
there are plenty of stores in rancho san diego, a thousand trails one on otay lakes, one on lyons valley road just before the
switchbacks and several in jamul if you need to refuel. road quality throughout is good, not great.
there are good stretches but it can be a little "buzzy" on aluminum because of the rough finish. if you've got carbon or steel,
bring it. you are wise to contemplate the weekdays; weekends bring out team ninja on their crotch rockets and the corresponding
weekend warriors. seen too many motorcycle accidents out there in the last ten years-nearly all of them on the weekends.

sd_mike

I'm just still confused. $100 for a ride anyone can do for free at any time? I can get my own jersey made from Voler cheaper than that, with enough left to pay for food along the way. Sure, it is a group thing, but still $100 for something anyone can do for free? The bridge is the only thing that you can't do normally, and it isn't that big a deal. I don't mean to pick on the ride, but I see a lot of rides that are really costly and don't offer much for that cost.

robertkat

^^^ Yes but there will be oodles of hot tri-girls. Bring ear plugs if you ride with them. I think the 100 bones pays for Ernesto Colnago and a couple Ferraris to start everyone off. They do have some help from SD Sheriff at a couple intersection out east to help with traffic safety.

Crash716

hmmm....most of this is my normal sunday training route...i wonder how much trouble i'll get into for doing it without paying.

sd_mike

I would say none. Roads are public. If they aren't closing the roads for this ride, go have fun!