TrojanHorse

That's pretty awesome, but this isn't a $60 ride either.

jimincalif

jsigone

jimincalif

expatbrit

jsigone

Drove up from San Diego after work, left 6:15pm, arrived to hotel at 11:30pm. Got checked in, family got settled in while I prepped the bike and sorted my final clothing selection since it was 5% chance of rain and high of 65*. Finally closed eyes at 1am, alarm rung at 5am. I wanted to sleep in so bad, but last call for packet pickup was at 6:30 4 miles away from the hotel. Wahoo started at 5:41am, the temp was low 40s and blew thru my clothing. Light Rapha rain jacket, leg warmers, no shoe covers since it was going to be nice when the sun came out. 3.8 miles to the starting line, threw on my number plate and one guy followed me thru the start. He didn't come around me for the first 10 miles. I was warmed up when I crossed paths with my hotel so no need to stop for more clothing. About 15 miles in a group of chatty folks caught us I rode with them pretty much til the first SAG stop around mile 30, we had some light rain just before sag, I pulled over and shoved my Camera that I had on a strap into my jersey pocket under the rain jacket. I should have pulled a dry bag out from my saddle bag but thought I'd have it out again soon.




Full Moon

The group of 8 riders left without me at SAG1, I was solo, rain started about 5 miles down and was consistent. I got caught by the fast group of 20 riders on the good hill, I surged and sucked wheel. They were hammering up this dang climb and were all over the place. Looking at the hill profile, I knew a downhill was coming and I didn't want to ride behind them.and pulled the cord. About 10 seconds later heard a bunch of yelling and that famous carbon fiber sound as it hits the pavement half the group was picking up bikes off the floor. The front half rode away so they were scrambling to get on right before the summit. I rode the next downhill which was skinny all alone and happy in the rain.



Somewhere before the next Sag, a tall guy named Ken caught me, on cinelli pushing a HUGE gear, 51 x 17!! We rode and chatted til the next Sag where he left me as I was eating. Ran into another friend there at Sag, chatted for a min before I took off. He was riding strong with 2 others and caught/blew past me on a hill as we got closer to Morro Bay. Just after the Morro Bay state park I past the 100 mile point and of course it started to rain again and shoes were soaked again. Next Sag was mile 112 where I finally caught up to @TrojanHorse and @tunavic they left me as I was still eating my Subway sandwich lunch, salty chips and a Coke. I caught them just as we crossed into Pismo Beach and coastline.









We rode together for the next 40 miles or so and got onto a longer hill were I fell in the groove and ended up taking off. The Final sag stop at mile 167 had Subway and Top Ramen, other said the soup was so hot that it needed to cool for 10 mins. I opted for a sandwich and I didn't want my legs to get cold n stiff in the rain. TrojanHorse and Tunavic rolled in as I was about to leave. Next section was my dark section. Some backroad, 3% grade forever at 8-10mph, felt slow as hell for 30 some mins, spit out on Foxden Canyon, more low grades then BAM 10-11% grade for half a mile. OUCH. Crested the top at 179 miles, reward was mellow downhill for the next few miles and got back in the groove. Mile 186 or so was another steep bugger of a hill followed by another nice downhill and flat to the finish line at 7:45pm, last minutes of twilight. Few miles from the finished I called my wife to get me at get me at the finish line. I didn't want to ride back the 3.8 miles in the dark on a busy road. Plus we can get dinner at Anderson Pea Soup since they close at 10pm. I order hot chocolate, coke, Chicken pot pie, another Fried chicken Dinner plate (only at half that plate)

• 196.60mi
  Distance (?)
• 12:15:31
  Moving Time
• 7,684ft
  Elevation (?)
• 436
  Historic Relative Effort

• 164W
  Weighted Avg Power
• 6,283kJ
  Total Work
• 447
  Training Load
• 59%
  Intensity

Placed mid pack 71 of 233 riders

RubeRad

Wait, what? Did you foresee and avoid a crash situation? Or was it just a coincidence you decided to peel off just before that group had a random multi-crash?

TrojanHorse

Also known as "Sean got a flat, thanks for nothing!"

Although Jeff was pulling away at that point anyway. The roads were in such crappy shape, people were flatting all day. What I mean is the roads themselves were in crappy shape PLUS all the extra hazards that the rain brings. Blech.

I did something to my knee 2.5 weeks ago and could barely walk for about 3 days, so I was plenty concerned about that! We started out 20 min. before they set up the timing chute, so I didn't get a time... they call it "tourist class" but I don't care, I was more concerned about finishing at all, not time.

Left Pea Soup Andersens at 3:45, met up with a like-minded group of early departers at the Hampton and took off about 4:15. The pace was a little slow but I knew it was going to be a long day so I didn't care. And since the first 23 miles were basically all uphill AND I couldn't see my garmin to see how fast we were going, I really didn't mind at all. I had a mechanical at about 22 miles, so we lost our fellow turtles.

The sun was peeking up over the horizon at our first rest stop at 36 miles, so I removed my leg warmers. Whoops. That was apparently the cue to start raining because we got rained on for most of the next 4 hours. I unfortunately saw the same weather report Jeff did because I left my perfectly good showers pass rain jacket and some rain booties in the room. My feet ended up soaking wet all day, thank goodness for wool socks.

I spent most of the day not really knowing where I was, at least until we got on the road to Morro Bay and then again on the south bound portion from SLO down to Orcutt (rode that in October)... My goofy Garmin 520 did OK with navigating, but you see such a tiny portion of the road I failed to have any sense of where the road was. Vic and Julie had those enormous garmin 1030 touring units so I basically waited at turns for them.

I felt great all day until about mile 175 and then my legs started to lose some steam. I never bonked and never cramped (phew! one benefit of cool temps) but I think I could have managed my calorie intake better. I did all my eating at rest stops instead of grabbing food to go, so I'd be a little food-groggy after a stop and starving right before the next one. Oh well.

There was one climb near the end that Julie had been talking up for about 40 miles and I was cussing up a storm thinking about it. We had about 20 miles of steady "up" with a couple steep bits, and then this one jackass hill right near the end... We turned on to the hill and I kept waiting for it to get bad and suddenly we were over the top. Go figure. Total non-event.

The other lesson learned from Saturday is to manage rest stops better... I think we dawdled for about 20 min. at each stop and longer for lunch. Reload & go, eat on the road next time.

TrojanHorse

I love how you're looking for info at 10:30 the night we finished.

Let me tell you how that went. We basically got done at 8:30 pm, Julie decided she needed to try to get to 200 miles (she had 192), Vic had to hit the head and I checked us back in and got our meal tickets (that's right, a REAL DINNER at a REAL RESTAURANT!)

Got back to the room, cracked a beer, took my sopping went clothes off although they were mostly just sweaty and filthy at that point. Feet looked like prunes. Took said beer into the second hottest shower I've ever taken, pretty sure about that. Finish beer, put on dry, clean clothes, grab cooler and DRIVE a block to the restaurant. Got 3 dinners to go and met Vic and Julie back in their room. Had dinner and another beer. Went back to my room because I could hardly keep my eyes opened.

My apple watch apparently decided I tried unlocking it too often during the day (WTH? How is that even possible) so it told me to unpair it and delete it and then repair so I could use it again. I started that, fell asleep. Woke up a half hour later, took another swig of my beer, did the next step, fell asleep again. At midnight, realized that wasn't happening, dumped my beer and hit the rack.

At no point was there any possibility I could type a coherent sentence about the ride.

Had breakfast at Ellen's Danish Pancake house in the morning... good coffee, generally delicious pancake and sausage and tragically bland syrup for the cakes. it hit the spot though.

jsigone

Probably both? All that counts is I didn't crash w/ them

RubeRad

Too true. U don't want to mess up that beautiful [pinarello? face?]

jsigone

yah 2 guys picked up their S works spesh and one guy w/ a cervelo S5. One had a dropped chain. One of the guys in the back had a nice royal blue Independent Fab steel or Ti bike w/ full mavic carbones. Not sure if he went down but I know he was the wheel I let go of. SWEEEEET bike

jimincalif

Hey, I figured maybe you couldn't sleep after the ride! I sometimes can't.

Good for her, what's your excuse?


Your drove to Mother Hubbards? OK, I get that.

Well congrats, well done. Glad the knee was OK for you. Foxen Canyon after 175 miles, no thanks!

TrojanHorse

I had 195.8. 190 is a double... remember my earlier comment? I WAS DONE! LOL

She didn't get to 200 either, her light died on her.

jsigone

I thought you guys were going to Pea soup to eat, maybe didn't recognize me in street clothes at the finish or didn't care but YES hot food was high on the priority list. I didn't get that cup of boiling top ramen at the last rest stop, opted for a ham sandwich

who really puts 12% grade hill at mile 179 (for me) that Foxen Canyon sucked, the shallow grade leading up to it sucked. That last drive way canyon switchback also sucked. Glad it was only two switches. The SAG car came around me there and was giving me the thumbs up.....iduno about that HAHA

TrojanHorse

I don't recall seeing any 12% grades but I was pretty fried at that point, I'm sure it was there. I think I know what you're talking about though, that last peak on Foxen canyon was irritating. The switch back part was too short to really hate.

I was campaigning to just keep going on 154 and taking 246 back to Buellton but I"m glad we didn't! That would have added a ton of miles for no reason. I had no idea where we were on the map.

I think we had plans to be social after getting some food but it just never materialized! Too tired, really.

jsigone

sticking the 101 back would have been a nice flatter short cut. I wasn't in "dead mode" so wasn't needed.

CraigMBA

I've been riding in this area on and off for the past four years, and can attest that the roads in SB and SLO counties are the worst right now that I've ever seen. Part of the fun after the last couple of months of rain.

jimincalif

jsigone

CraigMBA

I ride GP4000's in 25mm. They work fantastically well, so long as I pay attention to the wear indicators and change them when they get too thin. Is the Gravelking good on asphalt?

The roads in SB county aren't bad per se (compared to, say, Madera or San Benito), they are just blow out with tons of loose gravel and other junk from all the storms last month. I rode Bull Canyon to 166 to Thompson to 101 yesterday (and today too) and felt really bad for you guys having to deal with all the debris.

I need to call the SLO county road department in the AM and ask them to sweep them.

jsigone