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Looking for an “easy” century in N. California.

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Looking for an “easy” century in N. California.

Old 04-22-20, 02:02 PM
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Tomm Willians
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Looking for an “easy” century in N. California.

I’ve been working hard on my conditioning doing different disciplines of biking (solo not organized) and have a wild hair to try my first century at 60 years old. I live near Grass Valley California and want to know if anyone can suggest a flat-ish century somewhere between Redding and Sac ? Again not an organized event but a known route I can do on my own.

Cheers !
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Old 04-22-20, 02:04 PM
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The Sacramento Century in the fall is pancake flat. The biggest climb is up a levee.
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Old 04-22-20, 02:12 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
The Sacramento Century in the fall is pancake flat. The biggest climb is up a levee.
Is the route available?
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Old 04-22-20, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Tomm Willians
Is the route available?
A search for "Sacramento Century cycling" finds the Sacramento Century Challenge website. They've got a "Routes" page.

https://www.sacramentocentury.com/routes/
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Old 04-22-20, 02:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Tomm Willians
... I live near Grass Valley California and want to know if anyone can suggest a flat-ish century somewhere between Redding and Sac ...
If you ever want to get out of the heat and toward the coast (from Redding), there's always the Tour Of The Unknown Coast (in Humboldt Cty). They've got several routes (with RideWithGPS maps and route "slips" [turn by turn instructions]). Portions of some routes can be reasonably easy, but there are some sections (particularly on the "Lost Coast / Unknown Coast") that can get downright hilly. Utterly beautiful scenery, though. A worthwhile option if you've got a long weekend to burn and want something other than the valley flats.
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Old 04-22-20, 02:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Clyde1820
A search for "Sacramento Century cycling" finds the Sacramento Century Challenge website. They've got a "Routes" page.

https://www.sacramentocentury.com/routes/
Got it, thank you !
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Old 04-22-20, 05:35 PM
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102 miles. 872 feet. It can get pretty breezy in the Delta but the prevailing wind is from the SW, so you'll be riding out into the wind and have a nice tailwind on the way back. And you can definitely do this on your own. There are a number of little towns to stop to get food and water.

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Old 04-22-20, 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
102 miles. 872 feet. It can get pretty breezy in the Delta but the prevailing wind is from the SW, so you'll be riding out into the wind and have a nice tailwind on the way back. And you can definitely do this on your own. There are a number of little towns to stop to get food and water.
holy bleep. flatski central.
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Old 04-23-20, 02:13 AM
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Auburn to Old Sacramento via ARBT

Old Town Auburn to Old Sacramento is 48mi each way via the bike trail. Downhill on the way out, 2000ft’ish of climbing on the return.

Move the endpoint to Foresthill Rd and I-80 (park at Raley’s) and it should be 50.

If you don’t want all the climbing loaded on the end, start in Granite Bay and front load it (or I suppose you could park on Auburn Folsom at Shirland Tract/Rattlesnake and start with half the climb).

Good intermediate stops would be anywhere in Old Town Folsom and Bella Bru at Arden (plenty of fast food/gas station options there as well).

If you live in Grass Valley the climb up to Auburn shouldn’t be particularly difficult.
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Old 04-23-20, 09:50 AM
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Chico Velo Love Ride

The Chico Velo Love Ride century route goes around the Sutter Buttes plus an out and back north through the rice fields. If I remember right, the high point is about 300 feet. It's a pretty isolated route, so you have to be relatively self-sufficient. However it is a lovely part of California that most people never see. I wouldn't do it in mid-summer, but from October to early May, when the fires aren't burning and it is not yet scorchingly hot, it's really very nice.
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Old 04-23-20, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by teacherlady
The Chico Velo Love Ride century route goes around the Sutter Buttes plus an out and back north through the rice fields. If I remember right, the high point is about 300 feet. It's a pretty isolated route, so you have to be relatively self-sufficient. However it is a lovely part of California that most people never see. I wouldn't do it in mid-summer, but from October to early May, when the fires aren't burning and it is not yet scorchingly hot, it's really very nice.
Agreed. I grew up in that part of the state. This is the time to go, right now. Or wait until the fall, when it's cool again and the migratory birds are in the rice fields and Gray Lodge. Summer is frying-pan hot.
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Old 04-30-20, 01:32 PM
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I've down the Sacramento Century twice and it's a great event.

Another century idea (did this two years ago) was the Foxy's Fall Century, only I did the metric and rode to & from Discovery Park in Sacramento. There's a full century available option at the event, obviously.

But yeah, the Sac Century is about as flat as a 100 mile ride comes in California.
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Old 04-30-20, 06:43 PM
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always wanted to ride around the sutter buttes. too bad there's not a road that goes through them but private land holdings and whatnot.
figured i wouda ridden around them (30-35 miles if i remember correctly?) driving on the way up to or back from oregon at some point but hasn't happened yet.
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Old 07-17-20, 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
The Sacramento Century in the fall is pancake flat. The biggest climb is up a levee.
ha-ha

Wish this forum was like facebook with different kinds of likes.
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