Triple Loop 600k brevet

Last weekend I hosted the Triple Loop 600k - it was a bruiser. I had one rider on the 200k option, one on the 400k option, and fourteen on the 600k option. They started between 5am and 6am on Saturday morning.

The staff ride did not go to plan when my chain self-destructed just short of 400k. I had a chain tool, but I didn't have the skills to repair it properly. I've have since watched the appropriate YouTube videos. All the tools, still a fool!

The first loop is nice and flat and the first rider, Daniel, got in about one in the afternoon having ridden it in just over eight hours. We had our first DNF near the end of the ride when James, suffering from an adverse vaccine reaction, had to stop just seven miles from the end. I think we all know what it's like to ride when sick.

Greg Jones (not that one) completed the 200k so he now has a 200k and a 300k and is looking forward to the Four Fingers 400 on May 1st.

I had Costco pizza, 85 Degree pastries, Monsters, and orange juice waiting for the riders and that seemed to hit the spot for them. The 400k and 600k riders headed out after a little R&R with lights and an extra layer for the cold.

The second loop has more climbing as it heads south down the coast. I had a volunteer, Renee, on standby for any riders who needed help on this loop but everyone came through well. Please thank Renee, she was there for you. Daniel was the first rider to complete the second loop just before midnight - a very impressive time. He had to ride fast because he then drove 30 minutes home to sleep, before driving back to start the third loop! To make things even more interesting the hotel lost power all Saturday evening but, fortunately, this did impact any of the riders. 

Even though the weather forecast just two days before had predicted 80F in Beaumont and 10-12 mph winds, a Santa Ana wind event sprung up and the high was above 90F with 35mph winds gusting to 50. For some reason weather.com cannot predict Santa Ana conditions more that 24 hours before they happen. So it turned out the third loop started with a sixty mile climb into a strong headwind. There were a lot of DNFs as riders looked at the wind and either decided not to start or to turn around quickly.

Out of the fourteen riders that signed up for the 600k we had eight DNFs and six finishers. Congratulations to the finishers - that was the hardest Triple Loop I have ever hosted.

200k finishers

Greg Jones: 10:25

400k finishers

Hoang Nguyen: 25:49

600k finishers

Greg Cardell: 38:20 (SR)

Gregory Goebel: 36:08

Brandon Kirisaki: 39:55

John Marino: 33:35

Lihn Nguyen: 40:00

Daniel Tran: 39:38

I turned 100 a couple of days ago. 100 metric, that is, I'm 62 in imperial measurements. I've been waiting a long time to make that joke 😂

Amber and I rode the Triple Loop 600k staff ride last weekend and it went well except that it didn't. The first 200k went smoothly and we completed it without even trying hard in 9 hours 10 minutes. The Shell at the turnaround was closed for refurbishment so we used the Mobil next door. It looks as though it will be closed on the day of the event too.

We decided to ride the inland loop next to see if motorized traffic on the upper SART was still a problem in the evenings, and it is, so I made the right decision to leave this for the third loop. We were on our target 12.5 mph overall average as we approached the turnaround when Amber got a rear-wheel flat on her supposedly indestructible Schwalbe Marathons. 

We fixed it, no problem, then two miles later the master link on my new chain failed! I suspect it was not installed correctly. I whipped out my chain tool and fixed it. I had watched a video on YouTube on how to fix a bicycle chain. I should also have watched a video on how to install a bicycle chain because I did it exactly wrong and it took me 10 minutes to thread the chain instead of the 20 seconds it should have taken. Apparently the trick is to thread from the top. Then gravity helps you instead of hindering.

We kept riding and fifty miles later my fix broke. This time the side plates were bent so I couldn't fix it without pliers to bend them back. I threw the chain away, and asked Amber to ride the last 20 miles to the hotel and come get me. In the meantime I walked to the park entrance to meet her. The thing is, now that I have watched the right videos, I could have fixed the chain again (or even properly the first time).

I have a new phrase "All the tools, still a fool".

The upside is that even after 400k with significant climbing, we both felt great and perfectly ready to ride some more. I think we're up for the Crackerswamp in November. I have a new chain which I installed myself (after buying a Parks chain hook). If it comes off now I know who to blame. I also have to replace a bottle cage because the weld on one failed during the ride. That was the least of my problems.

Talking about bottle cages, it occurred to me I could 3D print a bottle cage holder that attaches to the bag mount on the front of my Brompton so I did it. I could not find anyone selling this. It's very cool.

Brompton Water Bottle Holder 3D drawing

Brompton Water Bottle Holder in action

I took it for a short test ride today and it works like a charm. It is very easy to get the bottles in and out while riding - certainly no more difficult than a road bike. I could also replace one of the bottles with a tool bag that is designed to fit into a cage. I used some low-end bottle cages that are exceptional value for money.

I got some great feedback on this on CycleChat.