SFR Russian River 300K Brevet

Posted on March 3rd, 2010 in Century Rides, Photos by lane2train

After I failed to complete the Devil Mountain Double back in 2007 I decided that super long rides were not for me.  So, the 300K (188 miles) seemed out of the question but I’ve been doing so well this year with distances up to 150 miles that I felt like the 300K would be tough but doable.  And there’s something different about the brevets, at least for me.  There seems to be so much comradarie among the riders than on other organized rides.  In the past, I would start getting frustrated after about mile 120 and mad at myself after about mile 150 for signing up for such a distance.  Saturday, I never felt that way.  It was a great day.

Now for the 300K.  My good buddy Ken Emerson picked me up at 4:20 and it was off to the Golden Gate Bridge for a pep talk from Rob Hawks followed by 188 miles in the saddle.  Sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m doing on a bicycle at 6AM.  It had been raining most of the night but by the time we rolled we just had wet roads and, as usual, I forgot something important: this time it was my fenders.  I’m sure the people following me like Russ & Sheila Stevens weren’t too happy about that.  Sorry.

Like the last two brevets we wound our way through Sausalito, Corte Madera, Larkspur, then on up to Petaluma.  As forecasted, the rain started up again at mid-morning but thankfully it stopped by around noon.  For the first time this year, there was a secret checkpoint on the route.   When I signed the sheet I noticed that someone had left their route sheet and money in a plastic bag on the tailgate of the truck.  I asked Tim Houck, the checkpoint master, what was going to happen with it and he said he would take it back to Rob.  With some coercion he agreed to let me take it with me and that conversation separated me from Ken and one of his legion of friends, Kobayashi.  When I arrived at the check point in Petaluma, Ken told me his buddy Mojo needed money so I said “I have money.”  Mojo was standing at the front of the store wondering who was going to pay for the food and drinks he was holding in his hands so I asked him if he lost his route sheet.  When he said yes I handed him the plastic bag with his money and route sheet.  I can’t remember seeing anyone more grateful and I was really happy I found the owner.  It was a bonus that it was a good friend of Ken’s.

Rolling out of Petaluma I was lucky to be in great company with Barley & Susan Forsman, Mojo, Ken, and ironwoman Michele Santilhano. With a strong crew we cruised the next 30 miles to Healdsburg through farms and vineyards.  Leaving Healdsburg at mile 80 I was feeling strong so when I got to the front I put the hammer down and when I looked back Ken and Michele were both rolling along with me so I ground out the next 25 miles or so averaging 20mph.  I should have asked them to take the lead a few times or dialed it back a bit because by the time we got to Hwy 1 to turn south I needed a break.  Ken and I stopped for some Advil and a bit of a stretch but Michele kept churning with some other guys who had latched on.

As we headed down Highway 1 I was amazed at how violent the ocean was.  I heard later about the earthquake in Chile and wondered if the ocean behavior was related in any way to the earthquake.  After the coastal run we caught up to Michele at Diekmann’s at mile 120 but didn’t see her again until the end.  Barley and Susan caught us there and after a brief stop they also took off ahead of us.  They said Mojo wasn’t feeling too well so he was a bit behind and we didn’t see him again. Just as we were rolling, Clyde Butt rolled up with his new best friend, Andrea Symons from Germany (another ironwoman).

Ken and I slowed the pace a bit from Diekmann’s for the next 24 miles to Marshall at mile 144 where we had the best clam chowder ever.  That was the last checkpoint and it was getting dark.  As we were prepping to roll, Andrea pulled in and asked if she could join us for the last 40 or so miles.  That’s when we discovered how strong she is.  I could tell she was capable of taking off at a faster pace but she wanted the company and it was good to have the three of us for the extra lights since it was very dark on the backroads before we got back to civilization.

I had estimated that we could finish in 14 total hours but we spent a little longer at a couple of the stops, thankfully.  So, Ken, Andrea, and I pulled in at 8:37PM.  It’s such a great feeling to finish a challenging ride and not be completely wiped out.

Thanks to Rob Hawks and all the volunteers who make these events such a great success.  And a big thanks to all the friendly cyclists who support each other so well throughout the ride.

SFR Two Rock Valley Ford 200K Brevet

Posted on February 7th, 2010 in Century Rides, Photos by lane2train

This was almost a no-go for me since it had been raining all night and most of the drive up to the Golden Gate Bridge.  (I hate riding in the rain).  The rain subsided just long enough for the 83 riders to register.  And then it rained for the next few hours, all the way up to Petaluma.  We were soaked by the time we arrived at the first check point on the road.  I hate that!

Back to the beginning…as usual I didn’t sleep well the night before a big ride and the sleep was disturbed by rain pounding on our house.  I couldn’t stop imagining myself soaking wet on the bike.  Time finally came for me to drive over  to Ken’s house so we could load the bikes into his big white van…at 5AM!!  We parked at Crissy Field at 6:15 in time for registration at 6:45 and launch at 7:00.

While waiting for launch, Ken checked out Barley’s fancy little fixie.  I can’t believe he can ride something like that and keep up with people on real bikes.  Barley is the man.

Rob Hawks gave his usual inspiring speech and imploring us yet again not to do anything stupid.  I did some stupid things during the ride but I don’t think anyone noticed, thankfully.  After the invocation, we were off to points north just as the rain picked up again.

I was able to hang with Ken until the big climb up Camino Alto and then I was in catch up mode.  After a very wet ride, especially descending into Petaluma where the rain felt like needles on my face, I caught Ken at the 7/11 for the first checkpoint on the road.  After Becky and Jason arrived we headed into a headwind over to Valley Ford where we had to ford some streams running across the road before making it to the Valley Ford Market for the 2nd check point on the course.  The rain stopped by the time we left Petaluma and it was partly cloudy the rest of the day so I was almost dry by the end.

Ken & crew left the market ahead of me so I took off with Barley and Susan for a little chit-chat before chasing down Ken just as he approached the  final checkpoint on the course at Pt Reyes Station.  Ken and I had a great bowl of soup at the Bovine Bakery.   After a short rest Ken, Becky, Jason, and I took off for the 40 mile ride back to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fortunately, Ken took it easy so I was able to keep up with him the rest of the way.   We ended up rolling in with Barley and Susan at 4:15 over an hour faster than the last brevet.  And, I felt like I still had some gas in the tank.  Getting faster and stronger but not nearly where I need to be to keep up with my buddies.   Maybe someday.

Sights & stuff on the ride: lots of green hills looked like Northern Ireland, wet roads reminding me of the great flood, rain that reminded me I don’t like riding in the rain, hardcore ultracyclists who reminded me how far I am from where I want to be, and snaps from the Golden Gate Bridge of the beautiful city of San Francisco and the historic Alcatraz Island.

Next stop, the Russian River 300K (186 miles) on February 27th.   On mile 150 I’ll need lots of tissues as I cry the next 36 miles.  It always happens that way.

SFR Pt Reyes Lighthouse 200K Brevet

Posted on January 25th, 2010 in Century Rides, Photos by lane2train

After completing three 100+ mile rides over the past three week-ends I felt ready to tackle the first brevet of the 2010 season.  I’ve ridden on the roads north of the Golden Gate Bridge a few times and was a little concerned about Highway 1 with its narrow shoulders but I felt safe all day although a few drivers did come a bit close during the course of the ride.

The day started too early with an alarming sound from my Blackberry at 4:15.  And then an even more alarming sound, rain pounding on the house.  I hate riding in the rain and my bike seems to hate it more than I do.  But, I was committed and my buddy Clyde would be riding with me so I couldn’t bail out.

It rained most of the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge but it stopped shortly before we arrived.  Thankfully.  Clyde and I unloaded our bikes then rode the short trip up to the start point at the Joseph Strauss Statue.  That guy designed the bridge!  It was great to see some good friends from my ride club (ACTC), other riders I’ve seen before, and others who are just crazy enough to ride 126 miles in January.  After some speechifying by Rob Hawks we headed out across the Golden Gate Bridge on time at 7AM, still a bit dark.

Check out my photos but Brian Chun took even more and better snaps as usual.

My goal was to feel good all day so I started at a much slower pace I normally do and it paid off.  My first mistake of the day was losing track of Clyde.  I thought he was behind me so I slowed even more as many of the 119 riders passed me.  Fortunately, he stopped to make a few adjustments about five miles from the start so we were able to stick together most of the way out to the first check point at Pt Reyes Lighthouse where Bobbe cheerfully greeted us and I was able to have a quick chat with Steve and Ken before they took off toward the Marshall Store for check point 2.

After the brief respite at the lighthouse I took off ahead of Clyde to see if I could catch up to Ken and Steve.  On the way to Marshall I passed the tandemaniacs (Russ & Sheila and Dave & Deb) for the second time and by then they were probably an hour ahead of me and they were taking it easy, oh well.

I wasn’t able to catch up to Ken & Steve on the road but they were still chowing down when I pulled in for my favorite ride meal: clam chowder and it was great!  Ken and Steve waited around for me but when Clyde arrived I decided to ride back with him.  As they left the store I could hear them muttering about “waiting on the bum” and wishing they had taken off with Jason who had already rolled out on his fixie.

Clyde and I stuck together most of the way back to the Bridge, the temperature warmed up a bit, there were a few sprinkles but most of the climbing was done so it was a nice ride back to the start.  I was climbing strong so attacked most of the hills and Clyde who usually outclimbs me took it easy to reduce the knee pain he was having.  We rolled in a few minutes apart and we both felt good with more miles in our legs but glad to be off the bikes.

I’m really looking forward to the next 200K on February 6th.  Brevets are fun, especially the short ones.  The San Francisco Randonneurs are great folks and Rob Hawks is The Man!

Day 2 – Bay in Two Days – Oct 4, 2009

Posted on October 6th, 2009 in Century Rides, Photos by lane2train

Bay GPS RouteRuss and Sheila, outstanding members of the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, lead a 2-day ride around the San Francisco Bay at least once every year.  Since I was riding Levi’s Gran Fondo on day 1, I met them in Novato to ride with them and 25 other club members down to San Jose on Sunday, day 2.  The group of us had dinner at the restaurant attached to the hotel and I had my favorite pre-ride meal again: spaghetti & meatballs.

After another restless night at the luxurious EconoLodge of Novato, we had a great breakfast thanks to Russ.  The night before he bought various cereals, milk, bread, yogurt, breakfast pastries, and other tasty goodies.  Joanne, the queen of rider support, said to meet at 6:15 in her room so my roomate, Ben, and I were there at 6:13.  I’m sure she appreciated the promptness.

Following breakfast we hit the road at 7:15 to see some beautiful California scenery while we churned out 100 miles back home in the South Bay.  The ride was casual which was good for me after the 100 miles the day before.  Joanne did a great job supporting the ride and swapping off with other riders driving her fully stocked truck so she could put in some miles on her bike, too.

As usual, Russ and Sheila ensured that everyone had a fun ride and made it home safely.  There were mechanical problems here and there with loose lights and flat tires but all were resolved quickly so we could keep working our way south. 

By the time we made it to mile 80, my legs were feeling the 180 miles and we were hitting the toughest part of the ride: the 10-mile climb up Calaveras.  Russ and Sheila kept me company as I suffered through every stroke of my pedals.  I was so glad to see the top of that climb.  My knees were both hurting more than normal for some reason.  Ouch.

At about mile 95 I parted ways with the remaining crew as they headed back to Russ’s and Sheila’s house for sundaes and their cars.  I gingerly pedaled the remaining 10 miles home and was glad to finally make it back.

A few photos from the ride here.

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