msincredible

Great job you guys, thanks for the reports!

cantdrv55

We should've ridden together. I thought I was the only one on the board doing the metric. A fella I met at the lunch stop and I dragged each other for the last 20 miles. That helped a lot.

dauphin

First of all, let me say that I had great trepidation in riding with Chris, Deb, Karen, Joel, Curtis, and the others that were there. These folks are extremely strong riders. I woke at 4am and stopped off at my gym to pick up a few things and hit the road to Davis around 5:15am. Good thing I left early as I managed to get in the late registration line near the front. Almost immediately I met Chris, Deb, and Karen in the mpr. Outside I met Joel in the parking lot, so I knew where everyone was to start from. Fortunately for me, the group decided on a moderate pace so that everyone could keep up and not feel too pressured. The weather conditions were perfect and the riding was fun for me. Some observations...Chris and Deb are just as the appear online..genuine, friendly, and excellent riders! Karen (Wolfpack) is a very strong rider...and a picture taking pro! She was hurting and you would never know it...very powerful. Joel was fun to ride with too. I tried to mimic his cadence, but my legs don't move that fast...he's a climbing machine. Curtis is way strong and fast...I enjoyed trying to stay with him as well. I did pretty well for the first 50 miles and then suffered a bit the rest of the way. I really enjoyed the opportunity to ride with such accomplished cyclists. That's the only way you really get better. Thanks to all for allowing me to tag along!

wolfpack 

ok...lemme just chime in here for a sec.....i really had plans to do the full ride, but even though i brought my saddle & pedals and Chris & i set his bike up to the measurements from my Ruby and Fuji (he rides a 54 and i ride a 52), i had some very serious butt pain. omg. even during and after my 200k in april and after AoMM, my butt never hurt as bad as it did during the ride up to the lunch rest stop. i felt great, my legs felt great, but my butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG. hurt like a mo'fo. the thoughts of riding 45-50 more miles was just too painful to endure. i'm sorry, but i just couldn't do it....

that being said....the ride was great!! the company was great!! it was so very nice to finally meet everyone. dauphin - baybuh!! you are pretty quiet! everyone was very strong and i was totally comfortable riding behind/with anyone in our group. after the first water stop, we're going along and all of a sudden, i hear Chris coming up and saying that the next section of rollers was their favorite to ride...and, he started to blow by me!! Curtis jumped on and i was a tad slow to catch the Tandem Train. but, i didn't let that deter me. down in the drops and i put out a really good sprint to catch up with them. it was an awesome ride up & down those rollers. butt be damned!! i'm riding this train while i can!

but, unfortunately, my butt just continued to hurt more and at one point i asked Chris & Deb if we had already passed the point where we could decide on the metric or the century. yes, we had. damn. ok, well, i'll try to go on, but i'm not sure i can. oh yea...the Flat Fairy only visited us once on the ride too. so, we finally reach the lunch stop and i have decided to SAG in. very disappointed because i wanted to do the climbs. oh well, maybe next year.

i bid farewell to my group, got the car keys from Chris and tried to find someone to tell me where to find SAG. i was initially told that it would be 3pm before anyone would be able to take me back to the start. finally, a SAG wagon arrives, but the guy is unsure of whether he just takes our bikes back to the start/finish or does he take bikes and riders??? yes, you take me and my bike!!! there is another guy wanting a ride back due to bad cramps, then one more with some serious back problems from a previous injury last week (plus his friend). we eventually get it all worked out, but we have to take the route back to the start/finish. ok, whatever, just take me back. actually, that worked out pretty well because i was able to take a few pictures along the route and wouldn't have to come back for pictures.

drove up Cardiac and i don't think i would have had any problems climbing it, would have been slow, but i could've done it had i not had the butt issues. finally arrived back at the S/F, went and found some food and sat outside waiting on Chris & Deb to arrive. they were about 30min behind me.

we sit outside, finish eating and lo 'n behold if bbm and bs (caught those abbreviations ) didn't show up. bbm is better looking in person than his posted pictures. i was sorta hoping to see that pretty red bike that he always takes pictures with - maybe another time. and, bs is such the BS'r. had a great time sitting around listening to everyone tell their stories. all great guys!

in the end....i had a great ride at Foxy's, albeit shortened, and i've had a wonderful time out here in NorCal. i would really love to come back next year, bring my own bike and do the full ride. we'll see....you never know what ole wolfpack will be up to next year this time.....

wolfpack 

oh yea, i'll do pictures either tonight or when i get back home. have a bit to do tonight before getting up at 3:30am to get ready to head to the airport.

Rushfan

Were you wearing a Benicia club jersey? I think I saw you at lunch after about 1:30...

cantdrv55

Yup, that was me. Got back around 1PM, grabbed a bite and headed home.

BlankCrows

Good report!

That guilty party was I. And someone even noticed that I was the last of the group out of the dinner line too. I can say and BBM will hopefully confirm that I rode that route yesterday better than last year!

bikingshearer 

Actually, I was thinking of both of us. And since we both finished what we started out to do and both felt pretty good at the end, I'd put this one in the "win" column. Plus, it's always a good time riding with you and bigbossman.

LouD-Reno

Thanks for the picture !!! The boys got a kick out of chatting with you there....

We'll be in Death valley this weekend as well.... albeit on a tandem.... the big guy gets the climb to Scotty's.... the little guy the descent !!!

See Ya !!!

bigbossman 

Excellent ride report.

cantdrv55

lol

huytheskigod

11 hours of fishing for one tiny rainbow trout (in the 11th hour) that popped off as I was fumbling to get it out of the water...sooooooo not worth missing Foxy's Same mantra: Will try next year.

gpinto

This was my first organized ride, as I am new to the "scene". I did the metric and loved it. In a few words:

- Flat was good for my first long ride (68 miles total)
- starting it solo did not mean I rode it solo for the whole time
- hitched with a group and averaged 18.4 mph to the first rest stop in Elmira
- beautiful hot air ballons on the way to the first stop. did not want to stop to take pictures, so I would not lose the group I was with, as we were doing good.
- rode mostly solo to the second rest stop with the headwind (avg dropped to 17 mph)
- started solo after the second rest stop, but after a while found myself pacing with a group of 7 riders doing 19 to 21 mph.
- final avg: 17.6 mph
- packed too much snacks
- felt great overall

Thanks DBC for a great event. I'll be back!

mjwood25

Overall it was a fantastic ride with amazing weather. We started off at 7:20 am and headed west through the stoplights. After getting through town our train started to pick up steam and people. By the time we turned left and began the journey South we had accumulated 20-30 riders. The sun was beginning to come up, the air was crisp and I could enjoy the panorama taking it easy midpack.

We continued to pick up riders and by the time we crossed I80 we had ~40 strong in the group. We passed a bride-to-be in white on a white bike and groom in all black. It was a little past 8:30 when we pulled into Elmira and enjoyed some coffee cake and fruit. Our group of 3 pulled out and turned North towards Vacaville and we were swept up by a large group of 30 riders that stuck together up Gibson Canyon and through to the water stop. Time for some cytomax, h2o and an electrolyte pill. The large group took off ahead of our group of 3. We tried to chase but in the end decided to go our own speed through Fairfield and up Wooden Valley. The sun was out in full force at this point and the ride up Wooden Valley was spectacular. Riding along the creek I was bombarded by the scent of bay leaf. We pulled into the lunch stop, grabbed a sandwich and rested on the blankets and pillows. The DJ was playing some Whitney Houston songs and was irritated that I moved my blanket into the shade. I guess he had thought long and hard about the arrangement of the blankets and was none-to-pleased by hot sweaty riders not wanted to rest in the sun.

One sandwich, two V8s and a handful of chips later and we were off heading up the first climb. Climbing right off the bat after a nice rest and lunch isn’t ideal, but we pushed onwards. The descents were enjoyable, but the climbs were hot and thankfully not that long. After the dam we cruised into Lake Solano craving sugar and caffeine.

Thankfully at the Lake Solano stop they had fully leaded Coke. The bride and groom arrived and we cheered as they walked over to the wedding. After stamping the mud out of my cleats, we left for the mostly flat 24 miles back to Davis. Being from Davis, we do the Lake Solano ride all the time and I look forward to this stretch because we can stop in Winters for some fuel. This time we flew past having found our second wind. We picked up ~10 riders and had a nice, zippy paceline all the way back to Stevenson (graffiti) bridge. Rolling in on the final stretch heading East a group came flying by and I latched on for a free ride back to Davis.

The post-ride food was amazing and the ice cream sandwich hit the spot.

Overall
5:40 riding time
6:30 w/ stops
18 mph ave
108 miles door-to-door

dauphin

I have to admit, I was more than ready for the hi-test Coca Cola when I got to the Lake Solano stop.

overthere

BS didn't bs. Here's a post we got on the DBC listserv:

To John Hess, Volunteers, All Foxy Riders and DBCers,

We too had three generations riding the Foxy on Saturday - and they were all Delano's! (as in "Ed Delano") We were so proud to see this event that has grown over the years to such a well-run and respectable great bicycling event for all ages. Our gratitude to John Hess and the Davis Bike Club and its members for continuing this tradition with such professionalism and dedication (and those before you who kept it going year after year!) Foxy Grandpa Delano was my grandfather. My Dad, myself, siblings, and our children (ages 10 to 79) rode Saturday and were delighted to see how the ride has evolved over the years - My dad remembers when the ride was a small group of Saturday morning bicyclists in October.

So KUDOS to all of you! - John, volunteers, club members, and riders!! As family members of the founder of the ride, we were truly honored to be there and be part of the event! See you next year!

Kathleen Delano Wilens

khill

This was my wife's first Century and it was a great one! DBC did a first rate job and the weather was perfect. Total time was 7:05 and total time on the bike was 6:10, really happy and proud of my wife Kristen for hanging tough and finishing strong. A few pics..

Jimmy D1

I rode Foxy's on my fixed wheel bike! First century fixed! Super fun, but it took alot of patience to not flip my wheel and coast down the hill from the dam to putah creek. The pace lines were a big help at the start and I worked with 2 super smooth, strong women on the way back. I can't wait to do another fixed long ride. Congrats to everyone and what great weather!

Red Rider

Congrats to Kristen! Finishing your first century is kind of magical -- it's a huge accomplishment.

That 3rd picture, on the right is a picnic table and the red-head in the Team Precision kit is me -- nice surprise! A bit of serendipity there.

I agree that the food and weather were excellent. We enjoyed our ride as well.

bikingshearer 

Yeah, yeah, whatever. But how did you like the floor show provided by the "Velocipedic Fooles" afterwards?

Red Rider

As usual, the VFs had me in stitches.

Who needs crunches and sit ups when you can tone your abs laughing at the antics and repartee' of BS and BBM? I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. You guys missed your calling -- you should be stand-up comics.

donny javid

Did anyone else get poison oak??? I put my helmet down at the lunch break and ended up getting poison oak on my neck from the straps. Other than that, this was a fun (1st century) experience. Cardiac hill wasn't so bad.

bikingshearer 

You know, in my umbeldy-umph years of riding, and seeing all manner of ways to damage one's self on a ride, I think yours is a first.

Don't try this at home, kids, donny javid is a trained professional.






Oh, and the calomine lotion is on aisle 5A.

cantdrv55

lol, yep that's a new one but I can see how it can happen.