On Friday evening after work I rode my Lucky Greek 100k populaire. As usual I had a headwind all the way out (maybe a little stronger than usual) but I still got to the turn around in slightly over two hours at about 7pm.
As I was riding I thought about all the ways this route has improved over the years. First of all the upper SART didn't even exist ten years ago - I would have had to ride out and back on Victoria. We're very lucky to have this 20 mile bike path skirting around all those busy roads - especially as they have become so much more busy since I started riding.
Then there's the fact that Parks and Recreation finally paved the last dirt section of the SART about two years ago. Norco - a notoriously bike unfriendly city -marked a bike lane, sharrows, and a bike route last year - a miracle in itself. Lastly, Rincon - a very rough road, was repaved this spring and a bike lane marked for 2/3 of its silky smooth length. These things add up and we should appreciate them.
Of course, the tailwind coming back after sunset was only half as strong as the headwind was goung out. Even so I had a great ride and a 4:30 total time.
Today Amber and I explored the upper reaches of the San Gabriel bike trail all the way to Azusa. The trail ends abruptly on San Gabriel Canyon road - not a road I want to cycle on. We turned around and headed back to Montecito, then jumped over to the Rio Hondo trail back to Long Beach, and then along the beach trail to PCH and to the cars in Sunset Beach.
We ate at Five Guys burgers - decent burgers but great fries. Total distance was 93 miles. Not bad - a 165 mile weekend. I think I'm going to ride the Simi Valley to Solana Beach 400k next weekend.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Orange Triple Loop 400/600k
Last weekend I hosted the third edition of the Orange County Triple loop. This is a 400 and 600k combination brevet held under the auspices of PCHRandos which is the local chapter of RUSA. This year I had almost an equal number of 400k and 600k riders. Is this a suggestion I need to rethink the last 200k?
It starts at the Motel6 in Orange, which is cheap and well located right next to the Santa Ana bike path. Unfortunately it is also a bad motel and I would never stay here except for this ride. Pete and Charlie lost power in their room and had no air conditioning, hot water, or anything for a day. Also, the shower's water control fell completely out of the wall when Pete went to use it. They got the room refunded but even so...
The prior week had seen a series of small storms come through the Southland but by Saturday the weather was cool and dry, with normal winds. The last of the lows was moving out and being replaced by a high pressure area. We are expected to have high temperatures in the mid-nineties next week so we were lucky to get the ride in between the storms and the heat wave.
Four riders were unable to start so I had about 20 riders start at 5am on Saturday with a tailwind and they flew down the river trail to the (not-so) secret control run by Charlie Lott. The first loop is very fast and fairly easy to navigate so the first riders were back to the Motel6 at mile 100 before my wife and I and Charlie got back from our 30 mile bike ride to Kokomo at 11:15.
Considering we're in the middle of Los Angeles, this is a surprisingly pretty loop especially when the dawn mist is sitting over the wetlands. The Seal Beach 5k run proved to be no hindrance at all as the riders passed through the area before and after the event. Grant had a few extra minutes to enjoy the scenery as he flatted near the start of the ride.
The second loop contains most of the climbing and tends to be warmer as we head inland. The climbing is mainly gentle from Orange to Redlands with about 1000' of elevation increase in 40 miles. Vickie hit a concrete lip on Waterman and blew out her tire. Being a smart cookie she carries a spare so was able to continue. Then the road tilts distinctly up and we climb to almost 3000' with Walnut being the most memorable of the climbs. But the view at the top is lovely.
This is also where it gets warmest and the temperatures reached about 80F. But if you get this far, it's almost all downhill and flat back to the start of the ride at 400k. If you time it right, you can get a tailwind all the way out to the 3000' mark and most of the way back. At mile 200 we have the best control. It's hosted by Ruth Cabre-Chacon and Kevin Foust. Home made food, made by people who understand cyclists' needs, and plenty of it. It's a bit of a maze getting to their house and I did have a rider who got a bit lost but he made it in the end.
After Ruth's house it's a pleasant, residential and rural ride along Victoria Ave and through late-night Corona back to the lower bike trail and thence back to the Motel. Jonathon got a little lost in Corona and somehow rode a couple of bonus miles but made it back just fine.
Everyone got back from the 400k - some earlier than others. Three of the 600k riders decided to DNF at the 400k mark, mainly because they were not going to be able to get enough sleep to safely continue. One of the problems with the triple loop format is that it makes it too easy to abandon at the 400k mark. But sometimes you should DNF for safety reasons and the triple loop makes it easier to make the right decision too. I don't think any riders made the wrong decision.
The third loop heads down to Oceanside and back. I like to ride through Camp Pendleton Marine Camp but quite a few riders said they preferred the shoulder of I5. All the 600k riders experienced strong headwinds between Oceanside and Dana Point - as expected. Then the route heads inland which takes the edge off the headwind.
I bought some brightly colored garden ornaments and a cheap taillight at Home Depot and placed them at the entrance to a partially obscured bike path near the end of the ride. It's hard enough to see near the end of a 30 mile ride so I was worried my 600k riders would miss it completely. I'm glad to say that everyone found it easily. The last of the 600k riders finished before dark. Everyone is safe and no-one missed the cut-off time.
It starts at the Motel6 in Orange, which is cheap and well located right next to the Santa Ana bike path. Unfortunately it is also a bad motel and I would never stay here except for this ride. Pete and Charlie lost power in their room and had no air conditioning, hot water, or anything for a day. Also, the shower's water control fell completely out of the wall when Pete went to use it. They got the room refunded but even so...
The prior week had seen a series of small storms come through the Southland but by Saturday the weather was cool and dry, with normal winds. The last of the lows was moving out and being replaced by a high pressure area. We are expected to have high temperatures in the mid-nineties next week so we were lucky to get the ride in between the storms and the heat wave.
Four riders were unable to start so I had about 20 riders start at 5am on Saturday with a tailwind and they flew down the river trail to the (not-so) secret control run by Charlie Lott. The first loop is very fast and fairly easy to navigate so the first riders were back to the Motel6 at mile 100 before my wife and I and Charlie got back from our 30 mile bike ride to Kokomo at 11:15.
Considering we're in the middle of Los Angeles, this is a surprisingly pretty loop especially when the dawn mist is sitting over the wetlands. The Seal Beach 5k run proved to be no hindrance at all as the riders passed through the area before and after the event. Grant had a few extra minutes to enjoy the scenery as he flatted near the start of the ride.
The second loop contains most of the climbing and tends to be warmer as we head inland. The climbing is mainly gentle from Orange to Redlands with about 1000' of elevation increase in 40 miles. Vickie hit a concrete lip on Waterman and blew out her tire. Being a smart cookie she carries a spare so was able to continue. Then the road tilts distinctly up and we climb to almost 3000' with Walnut being the most memorable of the climbs. But the view at the top is lovely.
This is also where it gets warmest and the temperatures reached about 80F. But if you get this far, it's almost all downhill and flat back to the start of the ride at 400k. If you time it right, you can get a tailwind all the way out to the 3000' mark and most of the way back. At mile 200 we have the best control. It's hosted by Ruth Cabre-Chacon and Kevin Foust. Home made food, made by people who understand cyclists' needs, and plenty of it. It's a bit of a maze getting to their house and I did have a rider who got a bit lost but he made it in the end.
After Ruth's house it's a pleasant, residential and rural ride along Victoria Ave and through late-night Corona back to the lower bike trail and thence back to the Motel. Jonathon got a little lost in Corona and somehow rode a couple of bonus miles but made it back just fine.
Everyone got back from the 400k - some earlier than others. Three of the 600k riders decided to DNF at the 400k mark, mainly because they were not going to be able to get enough sleep to safely continue. One of the problems with the triple loop format is that it makes it too easy to abandon at the 400k mark. But sometimes you should DNF for safety reasons and the triple loop makes it easier to make the right decision too. I don't think any riders made the wrong decision.
The third loop heads down to Oceanside and back. I like to ride through Camp Pendleton Marine Camp but quite a few riders said they preferred the shoulder of I5. All the 600k riders experienced strong headwinds between Oceanside and Dana Point - as expected. Then the route heads inland which takes the edge off the headwind.
I bought some brightly colored garden ornaments and a cheap taillight at Home Depot and placed them at the entrance to a partially obscured bike path near the end of the ride. It's hard enough to see near the end of a 30 mile ride so I was worried my 600k riders would miss it completely. I'm glad to say that everyone found it easily. The last of the 600k riders finished before dark. Everyone is safe and no-one missed the cut-off time.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Preparing for a 600k brevet
I have my annual 600k brevet this weekend and I'm getting a bit nervous. A 600k is right at the edge of my ability and I need a little luck to complete one - or at least a lack of bad luck.
One way you can reduce the chance of bad luck is by making sure all your equipment is in good condition. Because of the flat from hell I recently replaced my rear tire and pump. I've also replaced my rear cassette, chain, and middle chain ring. In addition I have purchased new gloves and a new illuminated vest. Oh - and new CO2 cartridges too.
So instead of just riding the 600k with a bunch of new gear and praying, I went for a test ride last night. Everything works great. I made sure I inflated my new tire with my new pump, I checked that I could shift throughout the entire gear range, I made sure my new gloves fit, and I tried the new vest for fit and function. I even made sure the new CO2 cartridges fit my shiny object.
A section of the route that has been closed for road work for the past few months has just opened. Caltrans repaved the road and it is now silky smooth with a bike lane marked for half its length. I made sure I checked it on the way to the ride.
Even as I type I'm charging up my tail lights. When they're done I'll charge up the headlights, and then my Garmin Edge. I still need to print out the brevet cards and routesheet, double check my hotel reservations, pack a bag, etc etc. Then the following weekend, April 5th, I'll be hosting the actual ride. I have about 20 people signed up - I'll probably have 30 by the day of the ride.
One way you can reduce the chance of bad luck is by making sure all your equipment is in good condition. Because of the flat from hell I recently replaced my rear tire and pump. I've also replaced my rear cassette, chain, and middle chain ring. In addition I have purchased new gloves and a new illuminated vest. Oh - and new CO2 cartridges too.
So instead of just riding the 600k with a bunch of new gear and praying, I went for a test ride last night. Everything works great. I made sure I inflated my new tire with my new pump, I checked that I could shift throughout the entire gear range, I made sure my new gloves fit, and I tried the new vest for fit and function. I even made sure the new CO2 cartridges fit my shiny object.
A section of the route that has been closed for road work for the past few months has just opened. Caltrans repaved the road and it is now silky smooth with a bike lane marked for half its length. I made sure I checked it on the way to the ride.
Even as I type I'm charging up my tail lights. When they're done I'll charge up the headlights, and then my Garmin Edge. I still need to print out the brevet cards and routesheet, double check my hotel reservations, pack a bag, etc etc. Then the following weekend, April 5th, I'll be hosting the actual ride. I have about 20 people signed up - I'll probably have 30 by the day of the ride.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Biketopia
I've been rereading Margaret McMillan's excellent book Paris 1919 about Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George, Clemenceu, and Orlando's attempts to reconstruct a collapsing Europe after the First World War. Wilson's watchword was 'self-determination' by which he meant people should have a say about the kind of government they are ruled by. The problem is that people identify themselves by race, ethnicity, language, religion, history, economics, politics, and a whole host of other things. So what, exactly, denotes a group of people that can form a country?
I identify myself as a cyclist. I wondered if a 100,000 like-minded people got together and persuaded the US government to allocate 1000 sq. miles of the US of A to be a bicycle only zone, what would happen?
For example, where would we want this? Should we chose an area that is already good for cycling like between Solvang and SLO or the area around Eugene, OR? Or should we chose an area that is currently very bad for cycling like most of Florida (see my earlier post about the ten most dangerous cycling cities), and, by excluding cars, make it very good?
There are other considerations. What if you were having a heart-attack and the nearest doctor was either a 5 minute ambulance drive or a 20 minute bike ride away. Which would you chose? Would we have to have bicycle taxies for the sick and infirm? What about bicycle delivery trucks, fire trucks, and farm equipment? Would we make an exception for trains?
It's fun to speculate. I have to say - I think the benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks.
I identify myself as a cyclist. I wondered if a 100,000 like-minded people got together and persuaded the US government to allocate 1000 sq. miles of the US of A to be a bicycle only zone, what would happen?
For example, where would we want this? Should we chose an area that is already good for cycling like between Solvang and SLO or the area around Eugene, OR? Or should we chose an area that is currently very bad for cycling like most of Florida (see my earlier post about the ten most dangerous cycling cities), and, by excluding cars, make it very good?
There are other considerations. What if you were having a heart-attack and the nearest doctor was either a 5 minute ambulance drive or a 20 minute bike ride away. Which would you chose? Would we have to have bicycle taxies for the sick and infirm? What about bicycle delivery trucks, fire trucks, and farm equipment? Would we make an exception for trains?
It's fun to speculate. I have to say - I think the benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Which top 10 cycling list did San Bernardino/Riverside make recently
Just out of curiosity I recently Googled the best and worst cities in the USA for cycling. As I expected Portland OR and Eugene OR made the top 10 best cities for cycling. I've always loved both those cities. If you ever get a chance to ride in either one I recommend it. I fell in love with Eugene's extensive river park bike trails two years ago. Look at the picture below. It's hard to believe you're in the middle of a large city and that there's over 100km of these trails in total.
I've been blogging about the increase in ghost bikes lately and now I understand the problem. Did you know that San Bernardino/Riverside/Ontario is rated the 5th most dangerous metropolitan area to be a cyclist in the entire USA and the absolute worst in California? I'm just glad I don't live in Florida. Is it all the elderly drivers?
1. Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
3. Jacksonville, Florida
4. Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano, Florida
5. Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario, California
6. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada
7. Memphis, Tennessee
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown, Texas
10. Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/10-most-dangerous-cities-for-biking-and-walking.html#ixzz2wHMlaEdj
I've been blogging about the increase in ghost bikes lately and now I understand the problem. Did you know that San Bernardino/Riverside/Ontario is rated the 5th most dangerous metropolitan area to be a cyclist in the entire USA and the absolute worst in California? I'm just glad I don't live in Florida. Is it all the elderly drivers?
1. Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
3. Jacksonville, Florida
4. Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano, Florida
5. Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario, California
6. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada
7. Memphis, Tennessee
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown, Texas
10. Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/10-most-dangerous-cities-for-biking-and-walking.html#ixzz2wHMlaEdj
Sunday, March 16, 2014
The Flat from Hell
Yesterday I rode my SART 200k starting at 5pm to try to beat the heat. There were mild Santa Ana conditions which reversed the normal wind flow for most of the ride so I got down to the turn around in Newport Beach in slightly over four hours - an excellent time for me.
The Newport Beach Café does not seem to be doing so well. They've reduced their hours and their shelves are largely empty. They no longer sell any sandwiches after the deli closes so I had to search hard for some calories. In the end I settled on a box of oreo cookies which wasn't exactly appetizing. I may have to find an alternative for when I do this ride at night in future. I also drank a can of Monster.
Obviously when I turned around I had a headwind so I where I was riding at 18mph on the way down I was struggling to hold 14mph on the way back. I kept waiting for the Monster and cookies to kick in but they took forever. It was at least 30 minutes before my energy level came back up.
At mile 22 on the return I decided to stop and use the restroom, top up my bottles, and eat an Odwalla bar. Let me describe an Odwalla Strawberry and Pomegranate protein bar to you. Imagine a bear had feasted on strawberries and pomegranates and then taken a huge dump. Someone comes along and press and shapes the crap into a bar and puts it in a wrapper. It tastes slightly of berries but that is about it. Also, it doesn't have the pleasant chewy consistency that I assume bear crap has - this bar has the consistency of drywall. On the plus side it has calories, it does speed me up, and I'll be regular for a month. Normally I like Odwalla but this particular bar won't be gracing my shopping basket again.
Continuing into the headwind I was descending Green River road towards Palisades when my rear tire blew out. I walk the bike to the next street lamp and get my flat gear out. Oops - I'm out of CO2 cartridges, I guess I'll have to use my pump. I put the new tire in and start to pump it up and part of the chuck blows out the back. It must have been damaged when it fell off the bike on the SLO 300k. So now I'm sitting by the side of the road at midnight with no way to inflate my tire. There's no point in calling the wife because she leaves her phone in the living room and we don't have a land line.
I had 30 miles to go and six and a half hours to complete the ride. I decided to finish the ride on the flat rear tire. It's really difficult to ride on a flat tire. It has far more drag (which is probably why we put air in them), it keeps sliding from side to side like it's on ice, and every tiny bump slams your butt (which is another reason we put air in them). After a while I felt comfortable riding at 8-10mph but that was the fastest I could safely ride.
Somehow, on the top half of the SART, the tube folded over on itself, creating a big lump in the tire and making a screeching sound like I was being following by a flock of angry seagulls. It drove me crazy and it couldn't have pleased all those transients sleeping under the bridges. It took me over four hours to complete the final 30 miles (remember I rode over 60 miles in the first four hours of the ride). I ended up with an 11:22 ride time. Not even my slowest 200k!
I'm sure I destroyed the tire treating it like that. I'm going to replace it with a Vittoria Randonneur tire. I need more CO2 cartridges and a new pump too. I hope the wheel is OK.
The Newport Beach Café does not seem to be doing so well. They've reduced their hours and their shelves are largely empty. They no longer sell any sandwiches after the deli closes so I had to search hard for some calories. In the end I settled on a box of oreo cookies which wasn't exactly appetizing. I may have to find an alternative for when I do this ride at night in future. I also drank a can of Monster.
Obviously when I turned around I had a headwind so I where I was riding at 18mph on the way down I was struggling to hold 14mph on the way back. I kept waiting for the Monster and cookies to kick in but they took forever. It was at least 30 minutes before my energy level came back up.
At mile 22 on the return I decided to stop and use the restroom, top up my bottles, and eat an Odwalla bar. Let me describe an Odwalla Strawberry and Pomegranate protein bar to you. Imagine a bear had feasted on strawberries and pomegranates and then taken a huge dump. Someone comes along and press and shapes the crap into a bar and puts it in a wrapper. It tastes slightly of berries but that is about it. Also, it doesn't have the pleasant chewy consistency that I assume bear crap has - this bar has the consistency of drywall. On the plus side it has calories, it does speed me up, and I'll be regular for a month. Normally I like Odwalla but this particular bar won't be gracing my shopping basket again.
Continuing into the headwind I was descending Green River road towards Palisades when my rear tire blew out. I walk the bike to the next street lamp and get my flat gear out. Oops - I'm out of CO2 cartridges, I guess I'll have to use my pump. I put the new tire in and start to pump it up and part of the chuck blows out the back. It must have been damaged when it fell off the bike on the SLO 300k. So now I'm sitting by the side of the road at midnight with no way to inflate my tire. There's no point in calling the wife because she leaves her phone in the living room and we don't have a land line.
I had 30 miles to go and six and a half hours to complete the ride. I decided to finish the ride on the flat rear tire. It's really difficult to ride on a flat tire. It has far more drag (which is probably why we put air in them), it keeps sliding from side to side like it's on ice, and every tiny bump slams your butt (which is another reason we put air in them). After a while I felt comfortable riding at 8-10mph but that was the fastest I could safely ride.
Somehow, on the top half of the SART, the tube folded over on itself, creating a big lump in the tire and making a screeching sound like I was being following by a flock of angry seagulls. It drove me crazy and it couldn't have pleased all those transients sleeping under the bridges. It took me over four hours to complete the final 30 miles (remember I rode over 60 miles in the first four hours of the ride). I ended up with an 11:22 ride time. Not even my slowest 200k!
I'm sure I destroyed the tire treating it like that. I'm going to replace it with a Vittoria Randonneur tire. I need more CO2 cartridges and a new pump too. I hope the wheel is OK.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Too many ghost bikes
After a post I wrote recently about two new ghost bikes that had appeared on some of my favorite bike routes, Vicky Backman suggested that we need a more European approach to car/bike accidents where the car is assumed to be at fault because of the asymmetrical injuries caused by such accidents. That got me to thinking about whether such an approach would ever be accepted in the USA and whether it would even be appropriate.
For one thing, the USA is very car-centric. This isn't really surprising considering how big the country is. But even while gas prices are hyper inflationary and we go to war to ensure gas availability, the idea of replacing gas guzzlers with public transport or bicycles, or even just replacing them with smaller and more efficient cars, is greeted with cries of "Commie Fascist!" (Americans have never claimed to be politically savvy either). Hell, we even divert corn off the tables of starving children into the gas tanks of our SUVs.
Europe has slowly been moving away from individual cars and towards public transport, walking, cycling, etc. The health and cost benefits are clear and there is gathering momentum towards bringing non-motorized forms of transport into the mainstream. I read that in Amsterdam half of all non-commercial trips are made on bicycles. Compare that with Caltrans's attitude towards alternative transport as "a damn nuisance". Maybe in 50 years the USA will be where Europe is now. But I can't imagine a time when they will actually catch up. Protected bike lanes, separate stop lights, Right to Ride - I can only dream!
A few nights ago I was driving home from a meeting of the Inland Empire dot net user group late at night and in the space of five miles I saw four separate cyclists with no helmets, no lights, and no reflective gear. One of them was even riding against traffic on a four lane highway. The only reason I saw him at all is that he passing in front of a reflective sign. Just this morning there was a teenager riding his bike no handed in the middle of the road (literally) with headphones on. I had to pass him on his right. He didn't know I was there - he couldn't hear me. What if he had decided to move to the curb just as I was passing?
My dilemma is that with all these apparently suicidal cyclists on the road, how can we get motorists and law makers to give us the protection we need? As a motorist, I don't want the law to assume I'm at fault if I hit one of these crazy cyclists. And if I'm concerned, how do we persuade the public at large?
For one thing, the USA is very car-centric. This isn't really surprising considering how big the country is. But even while gas prices are hyper inflationary and we go to war to ensure gas availability, the idea of replacing gas guzzlers with public transport or bicycles, or even just replacing them with smaller and more efficient cars, is greeted with cries of "Commie Fascist!" (Americans have never claimed to be politically savvy either). Hell, we even divert corn off the tables of starving children into the gas tanks of our SUVs.
Europe has slowly been moving away from individual cars and towards public transport, walking, cycling, etc. The health and cost benefits are clear and there is gathering momentum towards bringing non-motorized forms of transport into the mainstream. I read that in Amsterdam half of all non-commercial trips are made on bicycles. Compare that with Caltrans's attitude towards alternative transport as "a damn nuisance". Maybe in 50 years the USA will be where Europe is now. But I can't imagine a time when they will actually catch up. Protected bike lanes, separate stop lights, Right to Ride - I can only dream!
A few nights ago I was driving home from a meeting of the Inland Empire dot net user group late at night and in the space of five miles I saw four separate cyclists with no helmets, no lights, and no reflective gear. One of them was even riding against traffic on a four lane highway. The only reason I saw him at all is that he passing in front of a reflective sign. Just this morning there was a teenager riding his bike no handed in the middle of the road (literally) with headphones on. I had to pass him on his right. He didn't know I was there - he couldn't hear me. What if he had decided to move to the curb just as I was passing?
My dilemma is that with all these apparently suicidal cyclists on the road, how can we get motorists and law makers to give us the protection we need? As a motorist, I don't want the law to assume I'm at fault if I hit one of these crazy cyclists. And if I'm concerned, how do we persuade the public at large?
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