2017 Five Rivers 300k Brevet

No plan survives contact with CalTrans
(paraphrasing Helmuth von Moltke the Elder)

Event results can be seen here. The results will be posted to RUSA within a few days.

February the 4th saw the 2017 edition of the Five Rivers 300k Brevet. I rode the staff ride the weekend before, I even drove the last five miles of the route on the prior evening. But CalTrans decided to shut down Serfas Club Drive late Friday night with no warning - the main connection between north and south Corona for cyclists - again. I really hate CalTrans.

However, that was about the only problem we had on this ride. It rained on Friday and on Sunday but on Saturday eighteen riders left the Best Western, Corona at 6am under dry skies but on damp roads. David and Doug had wisely messaged me that they would be late so I returned to my hotel room and they hit the road forty minutes after the rest of the pack for a total of twenty riders.

Our only casualty was Boris who broke his carbon seatpost about halfway through the ride and had to call his wife to pick him up. Fortunately he was unharmed.

While waiting for the riders to return I went to my grand daughter's first birthday party

and also drove over to a Korean bakery called "85 Degrees" and bought a bunch of pastries.

Sun Wei flew around the route and completed it in 11:18 - a new course record. This was my cue to order pizza. As the other riders arrived they were treated to pizza (of varying freshness), Korean pastries, and cokes. When half the riders were in I ordered more pizza and Lisa and her group timed their arrival perfectly to coincide with the fresh pizza. It wasn't as good as Greg's but the riders didn't seem to mind too much. The pastries were very popular and I will be doing the same thing for the Orange ride on April 1st.

Steve, knowing he would be the lantern rouge, texted me as he reached the later controls which was much appreciated. I was able to text him directions around CalTrans. He arrived safely at 12:45am

We had only a couple of light sprinkles and the normal headwind into Long Beach. Considering the weather we have been having in the area lately, we were incredibly lucky.

I had a total of 21 riders and 20 finishers. Congratulations to all of you and commiserations to Boris. I hope that seatpost wasn't too expensive.

2017 Five Rivers 300k Staff Ride

Yesterday I rode the Five Rivers 300k Staff Ride. I had a great time.

Before we get to the meat of the ride report, there are three things you should know.

1. East-bound Pomona Road is closed about a mile from the end of the ride. There is an easy detour on Railroad. The map at https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5726294 has been updated. The final cue sheet will be posted on the pchrandos.com website asap.

2. There is some light to moderate sand/gravel in some dips on the bike paths from the recent storms. I had no problems riding over it with 28mm tires. There will probably be less when you ride the course.

3. The Huntington Beach half marathon is scheduled for the day after the Five Rivers 300k. They may close the beach path while they set up for the run but PCH will be open.

I started my ride at 4am in 55F temperatures and very strong winds of 20-25 mph. Fortunately they were tailwinds, but that just meant I would have headwinds towards the end of the ride. As I sped towards the coast the temperature dropped to 52F. I spent a lot of time travelling at 25mph in the dark and admiring my Luxos U's ability to highlight sand, gravel, and fallen branches in time for me to deal with them. When properly adjusted, the Luxos' beam is second to none in terms of width and evenly illuminating the road up to 100 feet ahead. Its ability to push the beam further up the road when I was travelling at high speed was a true blessing.

I stopped at the first control and, unlike last year, I had decided to really enjoy the ride so I actually sat down at the Starbucks there and had a proper meal while watching the sun come up.

Second Breakfast

I continued north west, still with a slight tailwind until I turned inland expecting a massive headwind. But all I had was a slight 10 mph side wind and even that died down almost completely by 8am.

The climb over Santa Fe dam was as hard as ever but the view of the snow covered mountains from the top was spectacular. I live at the top of the one in the middle.

Snow covered mountains from a distance

Snow covered mountains up close.

Even at the next control in Duarte there was almost no wind. It was still 52F but 52 in the sun feels very different from 52 in the dark. I had a massive Italian sub and another coffee at the VIP dining facility at the 7-11. Fast riders will be limited to the 7-11 here, but slower riders will be rewarded with the option of pizza next door.

The 7-11 VIP dining facility

The next segment back to the coast nearly always has a headwind but today the wind was on my side for a change. I had a light tailwind until I got within ten miles of the coast and then I had a strong tailwind. Crazy but true. I made amazing time through this section.

It had warmed up to about 75F and it was the most beautiful day for a bike ride I can imagine. I had a leisurely lunch at Tequila Jacks and enjoyed a chicken quesadilla and a small beer while looking over the harbor. The yellow building on the left in the picture below is Twisters and Coffee which is a good option if you are in a hurry. One thing I tried today that worked is to ask for the bill when you get the food. That way you can pay and leave much more quickly.

Shoreline Village - yes, it was that pretty. No, that isn't my bike.

The beach path from Long Beach to Little Italy was surprisingly clear. According to the electronic counter next to the bike path I was only cyclist #431 for the day. I had a mild tailwind all the way to the turn off from PCH up to Castaway park - not that I'm gloating or anything :-)

If you look at the cue sheet there is a right turn at mile 147.3 onto San Diego Creek Trail. You can see the hard right after the bridge in the photograph below. Hopefully you won't miss the turn now.

Hard right onto San Diego Creek Trail. Yes, that is my bike.

I followed the trail all the way inland to the last receipt control at the Crossroads Center. I had another relaxed meal at the Ha Long Vietnamese Restaurant. It was all very civilized. There wasn't even enough wind to blow the straw wrapper off the table. That didn't last long.

Bahn Mi, boba, and a bucket o' caffeine.

Now I continued back inland towards Corona. Somewhere around the info control at mile 168 I realized I had picked up a headwind which quickly freshened into a 20-25 mph sufferfest. I couldn't really complain as I has been so lucky for most of the ride. I crawled up Green River road hill in my granny gear at about 4 mph into the teeth of a gale.

As I rode along Pomona Road I saw a sign saying "Road Closed". It looked pretty open to me so I rode over some dirt and onto the "closed" road. About a mile later there was a huge hole in the ground that I couldn't get over or around. I had to backtrack and find an alternative route. I guess they were right all along. At least you won't have to backtrack.

 The last 20 miles took me over two hours and I rolled into the hotel at 18:17 for a 14:17 ride time. I was 80 minutes slower than last year, but most of that was at the controls. My actual ride time was about the same.

The weather forecast for the 4th is cool and dry, but with mild, normal winds. See you soon.

I broke my Brooks

Amber and I rode the usual Beachwood BBQ 50 mile evening ride yesterday. On the way out we saw Greg, Stacy, and Martins completing my Four Rivers 200k brevet. It was quite cold so we both took some extra layers. We had the usual headwind.

At Beachwood I tried the hush puppies which didn't impress me, but I went' crazy and had a four-ounce glass of a chocolate, coconut stout. It was delicious. I liked the idea of a 4oz serving of beer. I can taste it but feel confident my blood alcohol level will be zero by the time I get back to the car.

Five miles from the end of the ride the tension bolt in my five year old Brooks B17 saddle broke. Perhaps this is a sign that I need to lose more weight.

It is supposed to be longer

I was able to finish the ride without any discomfort but it has to be fixed by next Saturday for the Five Rivers 300k staff ride. I ordered a new tension bolt online (five dollars plus a dollar for shipping).

My first plan was to pull the bolt from a new Brooks saddle I ordered for when this one dies but apparently Brooks uses a hydraulic press to install the bolt and I would say you need one to remove it. I don't have a hydraulic press so plan B is to either pull the bolt from the partially broken in B17 on my Trek or move the whole saddle over. The idea of riding a 300k on a partially broken in B17 is not appealing.

Update: With a strong screwdriver and a little grunting I managed to pull the tension bolt out of the B17 on my Trek 520 and install it onto the Serotta's saddle. When the replacement bolt comes from Brooks I will have such fun installing it on the Trek (not!)

New bolt on my old saddle

The "I can't believe it's still raining" 200k and a flat

I was contacted by Susan Otcenas, RUSA board member, and her partner, Jeff, about riding one of my 200k permanents on December 30th. I was already planning to ride my Four Rivers 200k that day so I persuaded them to join me. Both Susan and I needed the ride for our R12 awards.

Of course, a weather system came in that day so we were treated to quite a bit of rain and cold. I'm from England and they're from Oregon so we were able to complete the ride without dying of hypothermia.

However they showed their superior bad-weather planning by riding with mudguards. I rode with a rooster tail and a big black stripe up my back. I think living for 30 years in California has affected me.

This is why you ride with mudguards in the rain

As we headed inland on the San Gabriel river trail we were treated to a fragment of washed-out rainbow. I don't recall ever cycling towards a rainbow before. It was rather nice.

The rain eased off and stopped completely as we got close to the Duarte turn-around. We ate at the Subway there, outside, and it was all very civilized.

Susan and Jeff enjoying a moment of sun shine at Subway

We then headed back to the beach on the Rio Hondo bike path into the usual headwind. The clouds and rain returned as we approached Long Beach so our semi-dry clothes got soaked again. We tried to eat at the Yard House but they had closed their patio due to the rain (wimps) so we went next door to Tequila Jacks which has a well covered patio that was still open. I hadn't noticed before, but they have an extensive "Tequila Menu". It turns out Jeff is fond of tequila so he enjoyed an aromatic shot. It rained very hard while we were there but eased off considerably before we left.

About fifteen miles from the end I got a flat. I'm not sure when my last flat was - about 4000 miles ago I think. Time for a new rear tire. Everything was wet so when I used the CO2 cartridge it literally froze to my fingers.

Keep away from tongue

When I tried to inflate the new tube with my pump about 1/4 cup of water squirted from the top as I pulled the handle up and there was so much grit in there the seal was no good. Jeff's pump didn't work either. Fortunately I had another CO2 cartridge.

Helmet light helps

We got to the end of the ride 11 hours and 25 minutes after we started. We were wet and cold and I was hungry. We went to Denny's where I had omelette, hash browns, toast, and hot chocolate. I don't think there's anywhere in England you could buy that at 8pm.

So it wasn't the most pleasant weather for a 200k but at least the beach path was clear and we were able to ride as fast as we wanted (which wasn't very fast). And the company made up for the weather.

That was the last ride of the year. My grand total mileage for 2016 is 11,163 miles. A personal best.

Got next year's 600k route

I've been spending some time trying to find a better route for the last loop of the Orange 600km brevet. I rode a 60 mile test loop today and I think I have a winner. I will play with it a little more and then send the new route in for approval.

I wore my RUSA long-sleeved wool jersey because I thought it was going to be cold (32F at my house) but when I got down to the beach it was a lovely 65F so I was a bit overdressed. I was surprised at how flexible this jersey is. I thought I would be uncomfortably warm but I wasn't. It's a great gift for the rando in you life (even if that rando is you).

I have been spending a little time writing up a detailed ride description for my Five Rivers 300k brevet using Sway. I am very pleased with the results. Take a look and see what you think.

https://sway.com/xOY5PkgvRpNrR0Hg

Scratch one route - need another

I am in the process of finding a new third loop for my 200/400/600 km ride on April 1st. I looked at a potential route through Mission Viejo but the extra climbing was in heavy traffic with no scenery. If I have to climb I want to enjoy it and have something to look at to take my mind off my quads. In addition a bike path I wanted to use was in terrible condition so I scratched that route and rethought it. On the plus side I got 80 miles of riding in under lovely overcast skies.

I'm now thinking of staying closer to the old route but jumping over to the San Diego Creek bike path and following it almost back to the beach before jumping over to the Santa Ana and heading inland on that.

Something like this https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18060975

Worst bike lock ever

Imagine a small bomb strapped to your down tube with a wire stretching back to your rear wheel. Anyone trying to steal the bike by pushing it away would get their ankles blown off.

Seriously, that's what someone is trying to get funding for.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3596716/Is-best-deterrent-bike-thieves-Inventor-comes-BOMB-attaches-cycle-goes-tries-pinch-it.html

Someone with the unlikely sounding name of Yannick Read is trying to get funding for this highly sue-worthy bike "lock". I think the idea is completely daft. Obviously it needs to be a shaped charge so it doesn't damage the bike and needs shrapnel to do the job properly.


In addition it needs to be spring loaded so it also triggers if the thief cuts the wire. There should be a "deluxe" version that comes with armor plated cycling socks for the inevitable time you forget about your own bike lock and blow your ankles off. I also think the bomb would be more effective embedded into the saddle.

I think Yannick needs a real psychopath bike-enthusiast on his development team -- ME!

Judging from the photo below (yes, there really is a bulb-horn but no rear brakes on his fixie!), Yannick is more into explosives than bicycles.