One man's road closure is another man's bike path

Amber and I rode my Lucky Greek 100k permanent populaire on Sunday. It had rained all Saturday and the storm didn't pass until early Sunday morning. We started at 10am and I decided to ride my Trek 520 as it has 32mm tires and mudguards. There was a lot of standing water and mud on the trail.

When we got to Martha McLean park there was a trail closure sign with a detour. We kept going anyway because I always like to know why I'm risking my life in traffic and found the trail has been dug up and replaced with a plowed field and also fenced off. The closure is all the way along the sewage works - a section we normally try and pass as quickly as possible due to the smell. We didn't want to retrace our route two miles so we picked our bikes up and started walking. That was a mistake. Our shoes became caked with mud and navigating the fence at the far end was difficult and slightly dangerous.

We spent five minutes knocking the mud off our cleats at the far end and agreed to take the detour on the way back. We found the nice sign that explained the reason for the closure and noticed the trail is expected to be re-opened in April so my Night Audax ride should not be impacted.

A few miles down the road there was another sign saying Rincon was closed with a gate that we walked around. I decided to check that closure out as well. When we got part way down Rincon we saw half the road was flooded so we rode on the other half. As there was no traffic on the road this was pretty sweet. This time, ignoring the road closure paid off. It was like having a deluxe bike path for a mile.

We got to the Lucky Greek hungry so we ate too much (like I need an excuse). By the time we got back to Rincon on the return leg it was open and we had to deal with the usual traffic. We took the detour on Jurupa to get around the trail closure. Jurupa turns out to have a nice bike lane and was almost as pleasant as the trail. If the trail is not open in time for the Night Audax I guess I can live with the detour.

Just before we entered the detour on the way back we encountered two cyclists coming the other way that had just traversed the same trail closure we had. One was covered in mud - apparently he didn't quite have the bike handling skills required to ride a road bike through a plowed field. It was kind of funny but he wouldn't have enjoyed the joke. It's interesting how bloody-minded cyclists can be when you close our bike paths. I don't think the people who make these decisions appreciate how much we value them.

I know lot of crazy people

This weekend past saw the wettest Five Rivers 300k brevet ever. It was so wet there were actually rivers.

I had 36 riders signed up in total. Two rode the staff ride, 22 started the public ride and 20 finished it.

The weather forecast all week had been confident there would be heavy rain the day before the ride and light rain the day of the ride. In addition, Parks and Rec. had issued press releases saying the section of the SART from Taft to Memory Lane would be closed while they dealt with the homeless problem. Glenn Pinson was nice enough to scout out a detour for that 4.5 mile stretch of the route.

The storm scheduled for the day before never really arrived. There were some light showers, but nothing much. After I registered the riders that evening, I drove down to Yorba Linda park and jumped on my bike. My first task was to check the SART access off of Lakeview which had been locked on the day of the staff ride. It was unlocked for me so I didn't have to do anything illegal.

I rode on down to Taft where there was a soft barrier across the SART that I could move to one side. I continued on but noticed a security guard sitting on the SART at Katella. I don't know if he was being paid to stop homeless people returning or to stop legitimate trail users, but I decided to have the riders use the detour.

I returned to Taft, moved the barricade back into place, and rode on the detour. It wasn't too bad, being mostly right turns and with wide traffic lanes most of the way. I really wish Parks and Rec had set up detour signs. The SART is like our 91 freeway and no-one would consider closing the 91 for three months without detour signs. On the way back on the SART to my car I passed a sheriff's car patrolling along the SART. I think I was as surprised to see him as he was me. As I had a massive pair of bolt-cutters on my aerobars, I'm glad he didn't stop me. It could have been awkward.

It finally started raining about 15 minutes before the ride started and my riders endured 30 minutes of moderate rain. After that most of them experienced little more than scattered showers. There was at least one spill from the slick trail and the usual number of flats you expect when the pavement is wet. Alan called me at mile 40 to say he needed to DNF. He seemed to have a stomach problem that left him exhausted. Greg O ran out of energy or at least "joie de la bicyclette" and lyfted himself home later in the day.

Doug rode a 12 hour 300k in his velomobile and caught me in the shower. I seriously was not expecting anyone to complete an R60 in those conditions. Shai came in an hour later on his fixie so I ordered pizza and soda around 7:30. Riders started drifting in a little after eight with tales of flooded underpasses and a locked gate on the Rio Hondo that wasn't there two weeks previously on the staff ride.

I ordered more pizza at 10 and every last bite was gone by midnight. The event officially finished at 02:10 (ten minute credit for the detour) and Mel, Pete, and Keith showed up at 01:44 which was good because I was getting a little worried about them.

Congratulations to all those who completed this ride. It was one to remember. For those of you planning your first PBP next year, this was a great opportunity to test your gear against the kind of weather you will probably have to deal with in France.

Five Rivers 300k staff ride

Amber and I rode the 2018 Five Rivers 300k staff ride yesterday. For some reason we keep doing brevets and permanents the day before a storm comes through. It always messes up the prevailing wind.

We couldn't get a room at the Best Western at short notice, so we had to start at the Motel 6 across the road. It was dark and 46F when we started and rain was predicted for the end of the day so we wore warm clothing and carried more with us.

Motel 6

It dropped down to 39F which made the descent on Green River road a little chilly, but it rose to a comfortable 60F as the sun came up. The reflection of the salmon colored pre-dawn sky on the Santa Ana river made it quite lovely.

Santa Ana trail

There is a soft barrier on the bike path at Taft that can be moved aside if no-one has done so already. Passage through this section is not a problem. About 1/4 of the tents between here and Memory Lane have been removed but the city still has a lot of work to do.

This year I remembered to make the turn towards Atlanta and Amber and I basked in the sunshine as we ate at the Von's control. It's 46 miles to the next control, but try as we might, we couldn't eat enough food to get us all the way there so we carried a little extra in our saddle bags. At this point I realized my bag of Perpetuum had a hole in it and half the powder had infiltrated every crevice of my saddle bag and contents :-(

First receipt control

When we turned inland on the San Gabriel river trail we had a spanking tailwind which was great but we knew it would hurt on the way back. The trail was quite busy and we kept getting stuck behind large groups of cyclists who were riding slightly slower than we wanted to. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

San Gabriel trail

During the climb over the Santa Fe dam my cleat came lose. It came lose last week too and I forgot to fix it. Don't be like me!

View from the top of the Santa Fe dam after I fixed my dam cleat

We got to the Duarte control too soon for pizza so we had to settle for 7-11 cuisine. By now it was a beautiful 75F. Again, despite our best efforts we were unable to eat enough for the next 39 mile stretch to Chronic Tacos especially considering the headwind we would soon be dealing with.

7-11 dining facilities

We picked up a headwind almost immediately on the return towards the coast. It started as a tolerable 10 mph but by the time we got to Long Beach it was 20 mph. I'm really glad I was able to trade pulls with Amber. This is a good stretch to buddy up. We normally get an onshore flow on this stretch of the ride, but today was exceptionally bad.

Rio Hondo bike path, the wind is so strong it's bending the pylons!

Eventually we got to Long Beach and turned south to pick up a well deserved tailwind. We passed through Shoreline village and went straight to Chronic Tacos. Be aware you can either stop anywhere in Shoreline Village or continue about two miles to Belmont pier and use any of the businesses near Ocean and Livingston. We'd been planning this stop for at least an hour. We were hungry and thirsty and decided to have a civilized meal. It was awesome!

Chronic Tacos

Continuing with our tailwind and taco fueled dash southward, we made good time down PCH. The left turn on Dover has a bike-friendly underpass which is currently closed for repair. It looks as if our best bet is to make the left turn onto Dover in traffic. Please be careful.

The tailwind got stronger as we turned inland and we made excellent time to the last receipt control at the Crossroads Center. We decided to go to the Ha Long cafe because Amber was feeling sleepy and wanted one of the excellent coffees. It was starting to get dark by now and the temperature dropped to 60F. I made the mistake of drinking a large jello and crushed ice drink which left me shivering. You'd think I'd know better by now.

Ha Long - great bahn mi, boba, and pad thai.

The navigation over the next few miles is a bit challenging as we jump from bike path to bike path but once we get onto Pioneer it gets easier. The East Irvine trail is always a pleasure, especially as it is so well lit at night.

San Diego Creek trail

The only real problem we had was the right turn from Lakeview onto the Santa Ana river trail at mile 171.3. For some inexplicable reason the gate was locked. Amber and I found a way around, but it wasn't easy and needs two people. I am pretty sure I can get the gate unlocked for us, but if I can't we can continue 1/10th of a mile and make a right on La Palma which will bring us back on course about four miles later with no extra climbing and no extra mileage.

PS. It didn't rain

So to summarize there are three things to take away from this blog post.
1. The bike path is open and the homeless population is reduced but still present
2. The left turn from PCH onto Dover needs to be done with traffic
3. The right turn from Lakeview onto the bike path may be closed, but we can use La Palma instead.

See you soon.

Headwinds and bad nutrition

After spending the past week on vacation in Albuquerque and not getting enough exercise, Amber and I decided to ride my Anaheim to Oceanside permanent in preparation for my 300k staff ride next week.

We started 30 minutes late, due to Caltrans and headed out north along the SART from the Anaheim Amtrak station. Despite brightly colored signs stating the SART was closed, it was open and as heavily populated as ever. I'll be riding the entire length next Sunday and I'll post an update on the conditions.

We picked up a headwind as soon as we turned south which sucked because normally we have a tailwind all the way. We got to Cook's Corner ready to eat but just as we got there about 100 motorcycles arrived and blocked our turn. We figured we'd have to wait at least an hour with all those bikers in line in front of us, so we took a photo and kept going. I had a pro-bar which we split to give us enough energy to get to a gas station at mile 40.

When we got to the gas station it turned out they had no sandwiches. All we could find to eat was cookies and chips. Not a great meal after 40 miles of climbing and headwinds. Fortunately, the Kaylani coffee house was only 10 miles further.

We got to Kaylani in San Clemente only to discover they have gone out of business. It looks like the building is going to be occupied by a deli, which is good, but we got nothing to eat. Because it was cold and windy, we took the beach path through San Clemente and it was relatively clear of pedestrians.

Neither of us had remembered to renew our Camp Pendleton passes so we were surprised when they let us through without a murmur. Ten more miles of headwind and we were at Angelo's in Oceanside. We ate our first real food in eight hours and eighty miles. It was yummy.

On the train back we even got to sit down, which doesn't always happen.

That was a tough ride, made worse by the food. Over an 80 mile ride into a headwind I only got to eat half a pro-bar, some Gatorade, a bag of chips, and some toffee covered peanuts.

No such thing as an easy 200k

Due to the terrible mudslides around Montecito, Greg decided to run the "Between a Rock and a Rincon" route instead of the scheduled "Santa Barbara Easy" last Saturday. Fortunately both rides start and end at the same place and are quite flat.

Amber and I stayed at the Best Western in Simi Valley and we both felt the extra cost over the Motel 6 was well worth it, especially as the ride's 7am start time allowed us to enjoy a nice pre-ride breakfast at the hotel.

We had 34 riders registered and even though we had a few no-shows, a large group rolled out on a cool, calm, and dry Saturday morning. After warming up a little on the rollers of Tierra Rejada we enjoyed a gentle downhill to the coast on Santa Rosa, trying to avoid the rumble strip as best we could.

This 200k only has one receipt control but it has seven info controls. Perhaps it should have been named "Infopalooza". I managed to get to the receipt control in Carpenteria at mile 57 by digesting my enormous complementary breakfast supplemented with a ProBar. As the info control stops were quick, we made excellent time. Greg even managed to route us onto two bike paths I'd never been on before - I thought I knew them all.

In Ventura the nature of the route confused both Amber's and my navigation systems (rwgps) which suddenly though we were on the south bound portion of the route. It wasn't until a mile or so later, when I saw the ocean, that I realized what had happened and turned around. From that point until Carpenteria my gps thought I was south bound and gave me the wrong cues. Fortunately I knew how to get to Carpenteria.

Heading back south we had a gentle tail wind and the info controls made it seem like a scavenger hunt. Greg had made the info control questions multiple choice which is an excellent idea - one I shall copy. For longer rides, it's understandable that riders will be fuzzy with exhaustion and sleep deprivation so I think having multiple choices will really help them understand and answer the question correctly. Unfortunately, his first two info control questions concerned the cash price of regular gas at gas stations. Both of them had raised their prices in the 24 hours since Greg had checked them!

Everything was going well and we were on schedule for a 9:30 ride time until we were about three miles inland on Port Hueneme Road. In the space of a quarter mile we went from having a gentle tail wind to having a powerful head wind. It seems the predicted Santa Ana winds had arrived about 12 hours early.

It was clear we would have a 30mph headwind while climbing the 11 miles of Santa Rosa Road, but it turned out the real problem was the strong crosswind while we were on PCH. Sure enough,  especially in the vicinity of Point Mugu, the cliffs and Mugu Rock concentrated and diverted the wind so that it was strong enough to cause a sandstorm across PCH and forced us to stop and wait as a particularly violent gust went by.

It was actually a relief to get onto Santa Rosa Road so that the wind was in our teeth, at least I wasn't worried about being blown off my bike. When we got to Camarillo we stopped at the Chevron and ate the massive cookies we had bought in Carpenteria and refilled with a little Gatorade. The wind was fairly calm at the gas station and I thought, perhaps, we had seen the worst of it. But no, as we left the shelter, the wind came back and we crawled up Santa Rosa at 10 mph.

When we turned onto Moorpark Rd, we still had a head wind. Go figure! Finally we turned onto Tierra Rejada and had two miles of well-earned tailwind. We finished with a 10:22 ride time so the wind cost us about an hour. Like I said to Amber "If all the rides were easy ..... that would be great!"

Greg was making pizza and it was good - the four cheese was one of the best I'd ever eaten. We shot the breeze (pun intended) for 45 minutes then headed back to our cars for the drive home.

This was my first ride with my new helmet mount. I purchased a small headlight during a flash sale on Amazon for a mere $15 and was very please with it, although it's not as good as my $80 Cygolite. Still, it would make a great helmet light but it doesn't come with a helmet mount. So I decided to foray into 3D printing. I downloaded some free CAD software from Design Spark and designed a mount so I could attach this light to my existing Cygolite helmet mount. Then a friend, who owns a 3D printer, printed it for me. After a couple of iterations I had the mount shown below.

See you later.

Lucky Greek and Acorn Bags

Amber and I decided to do a different route last night and rode from Anaheim Artic to the Lucky Greek in Corona. There are fewer problems with the homeless encampments in that direction and I get a good climb up Green River Road.

On the way back we saw a high illuminated sign on the bike path saying it would be closed 1/22/18. There was no indication of why or for how long.

I finally managed to order an Acorn Bags saddlebag for myself on the third attempt and also snagged some leather straps for tying a jacket or something to the outside.

Medium Saddlebag with light jacket lashed on

Even though I still think Carradice bags are superb, this is the perfect century/200k saddle bag.

Fast solo 200k

Last Saturday I decided to celebrate getting over my cold by riding my Four Rivers 200k solo. I tried to set the best time I could, while keeping my calories to a minimum. It was a beautiful day with a high of 68F and mild winds.

Starting out on the SART

Nearly at the park

First control where they messed up my order

I got to the Jack in the Box which is the first control and ordered a breakfast croissant. Somehow I ended up with a junior breakfast sandwich and hash browns but I couldn't be bothered to wait for them to fix the order. I took one bite and burned my mouth so I shoved it into my Carradice bag and took off.

Time for breakfast

I headed up the San Gabriel bike path and about 30 minutes later I started to get hungry so I ate the breakfast sandwich which was still warm and kept going to the Shell control. There's a Subway there so I got the veggie sandwich (my favorite while riding). I got here to the halfway point in almost exactly four hours, but I'd had some tailwind.

Heading back towards the beach on the Rio Hondo bike path I picked up a headwind almost immediately. No surprises there.

Rio Hondo bike path before the Whittier Dam

I still had a decent average when I got to Long Beach. I shot some video as I approached the next control. As I passed the electronic sign I saw I was about the 700th cyclist to pass it that day.

I ate a Chronic Taco because their carnitas quesadillas are fantastic. This was my longest stop at about 30 minutes. I should take a photo of the food one day.

View from Chronic Tacos

I left well fueled and headed back towards Huntington Beach and then picked up a tailwind as I rode inland back to Yorba Linda. I got back to the car in 8:48 - one of my better times for a 200k.