Kabuki12

Me three!!!

bikingshearer 

Most of my rides are solo and I can let a snot rocket fly pretty much whenever I want, but I had to be more mindful not to fire one off with other people in the blast zone. Thanks to the ocean air, my upper respiratory tract and sinuses were in good shape, so the snot itself was of a good consistency and not at all . . .

Oh, you didn't meant that kind of snot analysis, did you? Sorry, my bad.

Robvolz 

They are listening. I had a quick sit-down with the organizers and they were sympathetic and asked me to do this.

It will be written up in a way that they see our passion for the event and want simply want to see it better and grow.

The lighthouse issue was brought up by another BF member who contacted the lighthouse people and got the skinny (weeks ago).

L'reoica did not fit the criteria for having that many people on a historically listed property. They would have needed bike racks for every bike. Laying bikes down on sensitive vegetation is not an option. They also would have needed additional porta-potties. Plus paperwork filled out months in advance, approved by local government officials and double checked.

To me, bike racks can be a couple portable Park work stands with a post in-between to perch a saddle on, and sorta-potties are a couple phone calls away. Easy for us to problem solve, difficult to organize when you are in Italy and English is your 2nd language.

It's interesting to me, but probably not others, the differences between Cino and L'erioca. Cino has all the volunteers. Why? Because their school (it is a Montessori school fundraiser) benefits from as many hands on deck as possible.

The good news, many went up to the organizers, introduced themselves and asked how they could help make it better. Not by offering their services for pay, but volunteering whatever their expertise.

It will continue. They plan on sticking with Cambria which I think is a cute town. Somewhere like SLO, you are less likely to bump into another vintage rider in a local cafe.

They will also re-introduce the concours. It costs next to nothing to produce and everyone missed it.

My question: what's with the post ride soup??? Some sort of Italian tradition?

More in a bit. I bought some mussels and making paella.

Robvolz 

I was right within firing range when you had that conversation.

I hit the brakes pretty quickly.



Within snot missile range
Danger. danger. Danger.

Safe distance.

Manny66 

It was Great meeting you, and sharing a beer with you Robb , I could tell from our conversations at the Bar that we both had a deep emotional connection to the nostalgia and the memories that the Vintage bikes bring Us . Im glad you also spoke to the Organizers about having this event be A success because Not having it would be huge disappointment to many in the Vintage community . You seem like a Go Getter and Im sure you will relay the findings from the BF members to Yupil and Amadeo to iron out some of the issues.

btw, Too bad I missed out on the Champagne ! I heard it was a fun time.

bbpo8

This was my first Eroica and I had a great time. Many thanks to the organizers.
Successes
1. I did the Santa Lucia route which was gorgeous. A variety of scenes from narrow tree-lined canyon, to quiet roads among wineries, to dramatic views from the mountain tops.
2. Friendly, informal atmosphere. The shared love of old vintage bikes and no snobbery that I could detect. The volunteers were supportive.
3. Cambria is a delightful town with many quality restaurants, a nice bike shop, and neatby Moonstone Beach. My non-riding partner enjoyed it. We stayed at the Cambria Pines which was .... astonishing. 1920s buildings, a nursery, garden, dog friendly.
4. The route was well marked.
5. Cowbells and cheering at the top of Cypress Mountain by volunteers was great for morale.

Weaknesses
1. An up-to-date map with cue sheet would have been helpful. The changes of food/water stops was disconcerting.
2. I would think the shorter Piedras Blancas route along Highway One didn't show off the area the way another route might. Maybe one with less car traffic.
3. It might be good to describe the ambitious climbs so that newcomers aren't surprised. I talked to a couple of riders who were discouraged by them

Opportunities
1. Perhaps people would welcome presentations on vintage bikes? They could be open to anyone, and help spread enthusiasm.

Threats
1. Suggestions about checking your brakes before the descents might be in order. Other riders warned me about the last descent, which was welcome advice.
2. Need to encourage the volunteers who helped put on the event. It's a gem of a ride and I hope it continues.

Erzulis Boat 

Exactly. I bring 2 water bottles, and some food, as this isn't my first Eroica. It's all about the ride, the rest stops are just an extra bonus!

Me- "Well, I'll be darned, is that a taco truck up the road? I guess I'm going to have a delicious hot burrito instead of this smashed Clif Bar right now."

ETA- My brother and I didn't know about the taco truck. We banged the corner onto Cypress, and we were like, "What?" "Alriiiiight!"

obrentharris 

This is all good news. I thank you for doing this.

I paid for this year's event but, based on the last couple of years of diminishing returns, decided not to attend when I got another offer for a different kind of ride. I hope to return next year for a revitalized event. My analysis below is based, therefor, on the previous year.

Strengths: The bikes, the riders, the long routes, the concours, the swap.

Weaknesses: The food (and lack thereof). The loss of the roller races and of the general carnival atmosphere on Saturday. The short route.

Opportunities: A good number of participants and previous state-side organizers who are dedicated to keeping this going. Local non profits who, like the hospice folks in years past, can turn out the volunteers in exchange for a sizeable donation.

Threats: Previous bad experiences and the word of mouth that goes with those experiences. Poor communication. Ad hoc planning. (ie: First there is a swap and a concours, then there is no swap and concours, then there is a swap but no concours)

By the way, I'm another one who loves the final descent into Cambria, but it certainly motivates me to put those old Mafacs in top shape before the ride.
Brent

Manny66 

Erzulis Boat

ETA- My brother and I didn't know about the taco truck. We banged the corner onto Cypress, and we were like, "What?" "Alriiiiight!"


The Burrito was Delicious !

Classtime 

THIS WAS MY FIFTH EROICA CA
S: enthusiastic locals, fantastic long courses, the Eroica vibe,
W: No race book, Weak signage, we had a motorcycle leap frog with us for a while but disappeared when we got to the missing left turn sign and he could have caught that.
O: Many of us would have volunteered had we been given the invitation earlier—maybe ride one day volunteer the other, discounted entry for volunteers perhaps, continue with discounting fees for a second day of riding and promote that to encourage Nova riders to also ride Sunday like some of us ride on Saturday
T: B;+<€ing and moaning on the internet and Gugie’s Oregon Rectangle.

bikingshearer 

You were always safe, Rob. I would never do that to your stoker.
(And no, that was most definitely not a "safe distance.)

bikingshearer 

Respectfully disagree. These things are warnings, not causes. Sort of like the canary in the coal mine.

Only a semi-related historical side-note: Napoleon said he expected his soldiers to complain; it was when they stopped complaining that he worried.

Classtime 

I wasn’t sure where this went among SWOT.

On the Heroic ride, there were two riders on clipless pedals riding at the front. A compliant rider asked one of them why, and he said, “I don’t feel safe with toe clips.” Our choral response was, “We don’t either.”

I would like to see inspections at the start and a pail of loaner pedals for attempted scofflaws that they can swap out after the rest of us have started. The more like Italy’s Eroica the better. That’s what makes this ride special.

Manny66 

There was a Gentleman riding the Santa Lucia route on a full Carbon bike , I didnt really know what to make of it . I asked how , He said he showed up for the ride via Airplane (I think he had an accent) and that He was unaware it was a Vintage Event , so he was allowed to ride because he came from a long distance. Looking at it logically, It would suck to turn someone away that paid their fees and that flew here from another country with their bike, But...

repechage

looking at that saddle height… you have the Anquetil saddle height going there.

bikingshearer 

Again, I have to respectfully disagree. Yeah, I agree that the ethos of the event is non-clipless. I also understand that this is intended as a C&V-type party, complete with full-on cosplay, and I like that. But I really don't want to see inspections at the event unless and until this becomes a real problem, which so far it has not, I foresee many, many more problems created by inspections than they would be worth. Who's going to do the inspections? Who is going to enforce the inspectors' decisions and what sort of enforcement authority will they have? How technical are the inspectors going to told to be? (I now do Eroica and did Cino on PowerGrips, which have straps but no clips and are very much not 1970s - will I be allowed to ride with those?). If there is to be a bin of loaner pedals and accouterments, who is going to provide them? Will there also be a bin of brakes for those who show up with dual pivots? Saddles? Brake levers? I don't think a (very) small handful of non-compliers justifies adding more layers of bureaucracy and complexity. Let's get the basics right first - communication issues, day-of logistics - before addressing what appears to me to be a minor, non-mission critical issue.

As an aside, I do find it interesting that the safety concern was clips and straps. Braking systems (everything from levers to brake pads and all in between) are a far greater cause of sphincter-pucker to me than clips and straps - those are just a nuisance.

merziac

And don't get me wrong, I'm not cut out for it either, but I ain't whinen, I got exactly what I paid for and plenty more.

I could hang out and talk for 3 days without turning a crank and get my moneys worth.

Markeologist

My wife and I did the last two in Paso and the first in Cambria…the last Paso ride had moved out of the downtown square which was a huge disappointment and Cambria was a further let down. The downtown Paso square setting made for a great venue with the surrounding restaurants, cafes, hotels, shops, the movie theatre showing relevant films, and a great park to just hang out in (green grass, shade)… they need to find a similar setting to make Eroica CA special again.

MrGastrognome

You just got to market it properly... Friction is the vinyl of shifting! Brifters are CDs/mp3s. Which would make wireless literally a streaming service.

Mr. Spadoni 

Corporate now wants SWOT reports to be rolled into your TPS reports.

Erzulis Boat 

We rode Cypress with some "kids" (probably 20 something, but to me looked like teenagers). 2 guys had "garage sale" (decals long gone) bikes that appeared to have been acquired the day before. Very period correct.

The other group had fully modern gravel/touring cycles with cantis/clipless. We had a good time chatting them up, and I didn't mind the new bikes, as I was just glad they showed up, as the turnout was so small.

The ride gets "gamed" more each time, and even I run aero levers, so I am not without sin. Hopefully it's just a few outliers, and doesn't get out of hand.

Sactown_Albert 

I wanted to add my observation that I thought Cambria was a good venue. The town was charming with plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. Also, just down Highway 1 are Cayucos and Morro Bay, which are even larger communities that have the infrastructure to absorb an influx of tourists. I stayed at the new Hampton Inn right off of Highway 1 in Morro Bay for the weekend. It is 17 miles to the ride start. I noticed a lot of hotels in the surrounding area because Morro Bay is a tourist destination. Cayucos is even closer to Cambria and has plenty of hotels (including MANY that are pet friendly) to absorb the influx of riders staying for an Eroica event.

The Highway 1 corridor in the general area has many developed cycle paths because it is a thruway for cyclists touring the Pacific coast. For people traveling from out of the area who may stay a few extra days, I think it would be good to highlight this.

We had a GREAT Saturday ride from Velo Cambria in Cambria to Cayucos (With a stop at Luna Cafe) and back. About 32 miles round trip. It was a perfect, get the legs moving, ride to get ready for the next day. I hope this ride, or something similar, becomes a tradition.

Caliwild

I agree... I actually like Cambria a lot. Madeline's restaurant has amazing food and an amazing wine list. The Sea Chest Oyster Bar has some of the best seafood I've ever had, and has a great vibe. Velo Cambria is an awesome bike shop with vintage and new bikes. And Moonstone Beach is super pretty, especially with it's nice boardwalk. Plus, you have Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal Rookery nearby. I've even been up to Cambria now on random weekends just to ride and hang out... There's definitely more than meets the eye.

NorcalGuzzi

Oh man, I was waiting for this movie (Office Space) reference to pop up. Nice one!

Robvolz 

Weaknesses
1. An up-to-date map with cue sheet would have been helpful. The changes of food/water stops was disconcerting.
2. I would think the shorter Piedras Blancas route along Highway One didn't show off the area the way another route might. Maybe one with less car traffic.
3. It might be good to describe the ambitious climbs so that newcomers aren't surprised. I talked to a couple of riders who were discouraged by them


On another site, I heard on the Heroic ride, the signs were placed too far back for cyclists, but perfect for cars. This led to some people heading up a private driveway only to find someone's house.

Oops