Millie and I drove to Lompoc Friday afternoon for a night’s stay in the Day’s Inn.  The hotels in Solvang were nearly fully booked several months ago with the only rooms being much more expensive than they were worth.  After arriving in Lompoc I drove the 20 miles to Solvang to pick up my registration packet.  The crowds were huge with at least 3000 of the 4000 people arriving at about the same time.  However, it was very smooth and fast.  I spent a few minutes checking out all the booths of the cycle stores, health food vendors, and a variety of other interesting cycle-related businesses.

After a surprisingly restful night’s sleep we loaded up the car at 6:30 Saturday morning (Millie loves that part of my rides) so I could get on the road before 8:00.  At around 7:30 I launched from Solvang with hundreds of the other 5500 riders.  My pictures show what a great day it was for us but only one photo shows how windy it was out there.

The 100 miles were pretty much uneventful with only the occasional close call with crazy riders from hardcore bike teams and a few minor accidents that seemed to be mostly the fault of the cyclist involved.  As usual I came across a few of my friends from here and there as well as some really nice people to talk to which helped to break the monotony of non-stop pedal pushing.

While I was out on the road Millie spent time in one of her favorite cities.  There are a bunch of craft stores and shops with the kinds of knickknacks she loves to collect.  I don’t even want to know how much money she spent.

Solvang is one of my favorite centuries that I’m sure I’ll ride again, hopefully even faster.  I probably could have pushed harder but I always worry about running out of gas with miles remaining to ride.  As usual, I had plenty in the tank but that feels better than being completely wasted prior to a 250-mile drive home and a 10K run the next 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.

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.

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!

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.

One of my good friends, Ken (Mr Fixie) Emerson, drove another good friend Steve (Mr GPS) Saeedi and me up to Santa Rosa the afternoon before the ride so we could register and get a good night’s sleep.  At the registration area the similarities to a Gran Fondo became evident with several tents with good deals on bikes, biking gear, and nutrition items.

After a nice meal at Luigi’s (I had my favorite spaghetti & meatballs), we headed back to the hotel for another restless night before a big ride; I can never sleep well before a ride.  That morning we biked the two miles over the ride start where Ken met up with at least 50 people who know him from hither and yon.  That guy knows more people than I’ll ever meet.

Next came more Gran Fondofication: a mass start of 3500 riders through the streets of Santa Rosa.  The Gran Fondo (135 miles), Medio Fondo (60 miles), and Piccolo Fondo (35 miles) riders were all launched at the same time which led to massive traffic jams on the streets of that fair city.  I looked for letters to the editor in the local paper Sunday and Monday but noone complained.

I was glad to be riding the Medio Fondo since I had another 140 miles planned the rest of the week-end.  It was a great ride from Santa Rosa along the Russian River, out to the coast, and back to the city.  Levi does train on some beautiful roads.  Ken and Steve rode the Gran Fondo with the big boys and girls so I didn’t see them after the start.

Back at race central there were hundreds of people, food galore, a band, along with rows and rows of tents with even more goodies for sale than the night before.  At an Italian Gran Fondo that kind of activity goes on all week prior to the race but not much English is spoken.  Saturday, I didn’t hear a word of Italian besides Gran, Medio, Piccolo, and Fondo.

After my “free” lunch I hopped on my bike to ride 40 miles down to Novato to meet up with some folks for a Sunday ride down to San Jose, only another 105 miles.  A fun week-end on the bike.  Photos here.

My ride photos and GPS output are here.

I definitely found this year’s ride to be a challenge.  Steve stopped by my house and rode down to Scotts Valley with me.  It turned out to be the only time I could keep up with him all day.  Steve and I met up with Ken & Barry at the high school and after a couple of photos we took off for the first of 11,000 feet of climbing.

Ken, Steve, and Barry were strong as usual and I struggled to keep them in sight riding up Mountain Charlie.  They were kind enough to wait for me at the rest stops even though I encouraged them to roll on and not stay out all day with me.  When I hit Jamison Creek Road for the time trial, the heat was really getting to me so I struggled to get to the top.  Then I hit Zayante and that really took it out of me.  A very tough day for yours truly.

Of the other rides I’ve repeated I’ve gone faster each year.  This was my fourth time on this one and I’ve been getting faster each year until this one.  I was 15 minutes slower this year than last, kinda disappointing.  Better luck next time.

Click on the map above to get to my photos or this link.  This was my 16th century of 2008 so I’m still a little bit behind my pace of 33 in 2007.

I rode the 10 miles from my house to the 7:30AM start since I really didn’t want to search around for a parking spot and with gas nearly $5.00 a gallon it was a good excuse to have a warm up ride.

It was a festive occasion in downtown San Jose with lots of riders, runners, volunteers, and dignitaries.  I was lucky to get to the front of the staging area since Lance and his entourage led us out of downtown along with a police escort.  I was able to stay in sight of Lance for the first 15 miles until we hit the Shannon Road climb when the front 40 or so riders took off and left me and others in their dust.

After that I spent most of the ride alone and occasionally jumping on trains of riders as they flew by.  I had a great ride with 5 and 1/2 hours of saddle time over the 95-mile distance.  With 5000 feet of climbing, I’m satisfied with that time.  And it was nice to ride for such a great cause.

Click on the map above to get to my photos or this link.  This was my 15th century of 2008 so I’m a little bit behind my pace of 33 in 2007.

Due to the immediate climb up Old Santa Cruz, Mountain Charlie, Summit, Bear Creek, and Skyline we split up quite a bit.  By the time we made it to the Skyline peak there were four of us out front with Richard leading the way.    After San Gregorio I didn’t see any of the group I was supposed to be leading and I found out later that we used four different routes back to Los Gatos.  Only one person, John P, rode the 110-mile route with 9,000 feet of climbing.

It was really cool out at the coast so the ride through Pescadero and San Gregorio was a lot more enjoyable than when I made it to the top of the Tunitas Creek climb.  Descending Kings Mountain, the temperature was at least 100F with massive heat radiating off the pavement.  It was then that I decided to take the easy way back and skip Mt Eden, Pierce, and Highway 9 on the way back.

It was great to be back at my car with a cold chocolate milk and water waiting for me.  But it wasn’t fun riding up the 2 miles of unpaved Los Gatos Creek Trail to get there.

Check here for photos or click on the map above.

This was my 14th century (90+ miles) of the year.  I’ve done 1810 miles on the road counting the shorter rides along with the centuries.