gaucho777 

@gugie and @Davestster, Thanks for the feedback on the Cypress climb. I may have to adjust my gearing a bit and I haven't decided which bike to bring, but I've got time to sort that out. I wish I could join you two for Tourica down the coast, but that's at the start of the school year and I won't be able to take the needed time off. At least I'll have the summer off to get in some training. I'd love to join you for the first leg of Tourica if possible, and then meet up in Cambria. Have you decided on the route you are riding? I'm leaning toward La Via Dello Scalatore since I have to drive back Sunday evening.

gugie 

Day 1 is up King's Mountain, down Tunitas Creek, Hwy 1 to Costanoa. Actual starting point hasn't been decided, but last time I did it starting from The People's Republic I took BART to San Bruno, road up Sneath (damn steep between 280 and Skyline!), then Skyline to Sawyer Camp Trail, Canada Road to Woodside, and off you go up Kings Mountain. From there you can decide how far you want to go.

Pinging @73StellaSX76 if you want to join up. Note that we're leaving on a Monday, which might limit outside participation.

Brad L 

Update: My surgery went fine but they ended up removing around a 2 1/2" diameter chunk of skin. I had a pressure bandage for the first 6 days and now just letting it heal. I put in 39 miles on Zwift last Saturday and 28 yesterday. I've been cleared to ride outdoors as long as I put something over the wound to keep things from sticking to it. I'm headed out to the hills on Sunday and it's time to start ramping it back up!!

73StellaSX76

I won't make the tour down the coast but plan to head down Saturday or Sunday morning for the Eroica ride (I'm riding the LVDS route), heading back home Sunday after the ride. I can shuttle luggage or alternate bikes either way for you guys if there is a need. I have ridden the Stella down the coast from the Bay Area to the Mexican border c.1985. It's a pretty ride, and traffic should be less after Labor Day.

bikingshearer 

Keep in mind that Highway 1 is currently closed from 14 miles south to Big Sure down to close to Lucia due to a "slip out." The Caltrans highway condition web page is your friend so you can keep track.

mhespenheide 

In fairness, if you're talking about riding south to get to Cambria and have to divert inland due to the slide on 1, there are some amazing roads through the hills and the military base that drop you out onto the Nacimiento-Ferguson road.

gugie 

Highway 1 is opening tomorrow at Rat Creek (search Big Sur Rat Creek).




This could easily be called the Tour of If. If we all get our jabs in time (I think everyone in our group has or soon will), If Highway 1 is fixed (done), and IF our old bones can get us from the Bay Area to Cambria in 5 days (questionable!)

All bike tours, especially with a group require a bit of audaciousness. This is an example of skating to where the puck is headed (or where we think it is headed). Besides, there's no real commitment until our feet get clipped in and that first turn of the pedals.

gugie 

Some of our group might take you up on this! Will look forward to seeing you and your Stella again. I rode from SLO to San Diego in 1977 after graduating from high school, it'll be great to revisit probably the best part of that stretch again.

bikingshearer 

Well, I was right today. I am delighted that I will be wrong as of tomorrow.

This is a silver lining to an unspoken and not entirely welcome cloud - there has been precious little rain since the ones that washed out Hwy 1 and spawned that massive (by California standards) lightening storm that caused so many very bad fires.

Classtime 

I can't make it this time. I have registered for both the Saturday Nova ride and the Sunday Eroica CA ride. Let me know if you are interested in doing both of these rides for the price of Sunday's ride which I think was 150. (The organization is allowing transfers but not refunds.)
Jeff

gugie 

Sorry to hear that, we'll miss you.

Caliwild

Quick question (sorry if I missed this somewhere): How to you even register for this year's Eroica California? I logged in to my account but it doesn't even come up as a future event... Thanks in advance.

Classtime 

I was told that registration will open on the tenth.

gugie 

Time to rebook accomodations if you can...

Registration is opening May 14 for those who don't have their previous registration in escrow...

I'm 50% ticked off (our grupetto from the Bay Area has a lot of reservations made already), 50% glad that they've finally opened registration, which means they probably have locked in permits, COVID mitigation, the state of California has improved COVID numbers, etc.

So, go ahead and vent if you need, but I think it's time to accept it and move forward with plans.

Kabuki12

Yea , I am feeling a little frustrated at this point. I have vented on CR and will do everything I can to be there mainly because of the people and the bikes , not because the organization has been cooperative. As Gugie put it , we have been in "escrow" for quite some time and information on the event we paid for over year ago( a year and a half for us early birds) has been only posted on the web site. In past years information was sent out periodically leading up to the event via email but not this time , even when I asked. I am sure we will forget about these frustrations when it actually happens(fingers crossed) and we are with our bike buddies and drooling over the eye candy. I will put my wife in charge of changing up plans. I wouldn't let a bad move on the part of the organizers spoil my excitement for the event. Thanks for letting us know , Mark. Joe

gugie 

I think I'm at the point in my life where I don't think I'll be interested in these types of events anymore unless I know the organizers personally (talking about you, @mountaindave!) My favorite parts of the last 2 Eroica's I did were the comraderie of 5 guys jammed into an RV in 2018, then a dozen packed into a hippie hotel in 2019. It wasn't jamming into a fairgrounds building waiting in line to get a decent plate of food amongst the din of 600+ other people, the Concours was nice, but every year Bob Freeman puts on something similar (and better) up in the PNW, and the food doesn't hold a candle to what Cino provides. The roads are always there for the riding regardless. So what am I looking for in an event? Comraderie. You can't manufacture that with fancy words and websites.

If they can't bother to send out some email updates, or just update the site from time to time, the event is about them, and not about us.

Kabuki12

Who could forget the "Magic Bus" ? Good times for sure

gugie 

Erzulis Boat 

Heaven- Greeted by the English, cooked for by the French, entertained by the Italians, and scheduled by the Germans.

Hell- Greeted by the French, cooked for by the English, entertained by the Germans, and scheduled by the Italians.

What did you expect?


ETA- I almost made hotel reservations a few months ago, but after the 2019 Eroica, I came to a few realizations!

bikingshearer 

When were they planning to tell those of us whose money they have had for over a year? Yeah, I understand Covid and the problems it must have caused the organizers. I understand that sh*t happens. But even mediocre customer service says you keep your paying clientele informed, and sooner rather than later, so we can make the appropriate changes to our arrangements. That means e-mailing us about the change in date, not letting us stumble onto it by ourselves. In the wake of the substandard organization in 2019, this is not a good look.

I've successfully changed my motel reservation, and I've confirmed that my ride reservation is still in place. At this point, I still plan to go. But the Eroica organizers have lost a good amount of goodwill, and the supply is not inexhaustible.

When Wes was in charge, he clearly gave his heart and soul to this event and us participants. It really showed. All my dealings with the Eroica Italy people makes me feel like they regard us as an afterthought. I will most likely stick with it for 2021. But if the attitude from Italia doesn't improve, I will think long and hard about going again in 2022.

mech986 

does the change to Sept. 19 make any difference for you, assuming this date sticks?

Kabuki12

I did get an email in English and an actual apology after Kaori (no longer with Eroica California) sent me the new contact info. I clicked on the new contact and fired off a pretty firm statement of my feelings of how we have been treated by the organizers. They said they knew there are problems and are making efforts to make it better. I mentioned a few of my frustrations as far as 2019 was concerned, a dirt field for the headquarters, no poster in our bags(they ran out) , the less than challenging route for us short course folks , and the fruit plate for our stop (some folks were lucky enough to snag a sandwich). I also told them of the lack of consideration. Let’s just hope that it sticks as far as the date goes without further frustrations. If it wasn’t for Linn’s wonderful support in 2019 it could have been worse. Also they blamed the city for the sudden date change.

Manny66 

I'm surprised at the lack of a simple Email to keep the paid riders up to date on such a Very important announcement as a New Scheduled Date Change.

I heard of the new date on Facebook from a member of the S.D. Vintage cycling club, otherwise I probably would have been too late to rechedule a new Hotel reservation as I rarely get on the LEroica website. I'm not expecting much now, but I'm pretty optimistic that the Event will be adequate at best, LOL.
As the Only mass Vintage Event in the California area , Im still not going to miss out on it. Now the only thing left is to increase the saddle time for that 172 mile weekend ride.

bikingshearer 

That's been something of a mantra for two years now. At some point, it becomes meaningless.

The sudden change of date may be on the city - again, sh*t happens - but the failure to communicate properly with their already-paid-up customers is 100% on the organizers.

As of this morning, I still have not heard directly from the Eroica folks. I'll be paying attention to if/when they do. If they open it up for new registrations without first informing the already-registered and giving them a reasonable amount of time to change travel and lodging arrangements . . . . well, that would say a lot about where we fit on Eroica's priority list.

SwimmerMike 

According to the website the registration opens tomorrow, it sounds like their priority is obvious.

I procrastinated on making reservations (I figured I believe it was going to happen when both the registration was open and there was a clear path for California to open up). It looks like I need to get on it now.

Do most people do the Saturday ride also? I've been debating bring my Cyclocross bike down and do the first day to check out the course and make any last minute adjustments (tires, gearing, etc. if required) to Sunday's bike.

Mike