Ride Around the San Francisco Bay Double Century

Vajda churns a massive gear on the little single speed Cannondale Hooligan

Although I've hatched many a plan for extreme adventure rides, this one wasn't my idea. It was the brain child of my new friend, Vajda. I met Vajda at Peets Coffee shop on my morning ride, and quickly discovered we had something in common beyond just being cyclists... Adventure riding. Vajda told me he'd ridden by bicycle around the entire San Francisco Bay before, and was planning another attempt. I was immediately intrigued. He planned a July 4th event which I couldn't make, and this one took the "flat route", staying in towns and avoiding climbs where possible. Then, he decided to plan the "Vista Route," which travels some of the Bay's wonderful side roads, but adds a ton of climbing. The route is about 200 miles with 12,000' of climbing. The date is set for July 28th, 2012, and I check my calendar — I'm "all in."

...I wake up at 3:30 A.M. on the 28th of July, to prepare for the ride. After coffee and breakfast, I "kit up," grab my supplies and ride across town to Oakland to meet the ambitious group. Along on the ride are Vajda, Omar, who works at Volagi Bicycles, Adam, part owner of  The Spoke in Oakland, and Katherine, a speedy little climber from Oakland who probably could be National Champion in age group Master's Racing if she had any interest.

The day starts off with a small glitch. Adam stayed over at Vajda's to make the early start more manageable, but forgot his bike shorts, so we alter the route slightly so we can drop by Adam's home to get him kitted up correctly. We roll from Oakland at 5 AM, and by the time we are ready to head for the hills with Adam ready to roll, we've lost a few ticks and it's 5:30.

 The group heads for the Oakland hills in the pre-dawn

Vajda is riding a small wheeled single speed bike with a 70 inch gear, or equivalent to something like a 53 x 20 gear on a 700c bike. If there is any doubt about Vajda's prowess on that little bike, it quickly disappears as he drops the group on the first steep climb we call Butters. I was astounded.

The group makes quick work of Butters, down Redwood Road, up and over the climb, down to Castro Valley, and up and over Palomares Canyon road into Sunol where we have our first brief stop. Turns out the Calaveras Time trial is today, so tons of riders warming up for their time trial.

Pacelining along Hwy 84 heading into Sunol

(l to r) Vajda, Omar, Adam, Katherine, at Sunol Café

Vajda gets jiggy in Sunol While I play the straight man (Photo: Omar)

We leave Sunol and head for Calaveras Road, one of the most beautiful routes in the Bay Area. This twisty gem of a road winds us along the Calaveras reservoir, in and out of creek canyons, and drops us into the South bay at San Jose.

 Katherine gets her climb on chasing me down on Calaveras Road.

Omar climbs on the extraordinarily beautiful, Calaveras Rd.

 Next we drop from the quiet Calaveras road into San Jose and work our way across the Southern end of the Bay. On the descent, Vadja dodges a car at 45 mph crossing an intersection, but all is good. Also good is that our crossing of this section is largely through an industrial park, housing some of Silicon Valley's largest companies, such as Cisco, and Samsung. They're closed on Saturday and it's still early, and it's quiet, so this section goes smooth. We enjoy our second stop at a Starbuck's. We suspect we are in Santa Clara at this point. It's just after 9 and we've got 70 miles out of the way.

A nice stop in Santa Clara, fueling up, checking messages, checking Google Maps. We think the guy on the computer is writing an article about us for Velo Magazine, but we might be wrong.

 Now we've got more urban riding to do, making our way from Santa Clara to Woodside. We're going a little Outlaw here, running lights and stop signs when we can. We just can't afford to sit idle with all the distance and elevation at hand, and frankly, if we do have down time, we'd rather spend it at a nice Café!

We find a local rider (red/white jersey) who helps us find the quickest route to Woodside.

Enjoying a little down time at the wonderful Robert's Market in Woodside.

After Woodside, we travel the ever popular Cañada Road corridor, with many cyclists trying to show us their stuff, on $10,000 machines with deep carbon rims. We gladly let them tow us along, comfortably sitting on their wheels, until they're completely winded, and once their pace drops, we float by, smile, and say, simply, "Thanks for the tow!"

The route gets a little tricky here with road closures, and no easy way through this section as we get closer to South San Francisco. We are forced to get on Hwy 280 for one exit, to connect to a bike path, then back to Skyline for the approach into San Francisco.

Always feels weird to get on a freeway on ramp on your bike. This is Hwy 280

After one exit we are reminded to get off the freeway. No problem... let's get the hell out of here!

We find our way along Skyline again, heading into South San Francisco. Vajda falls off the pace a bit here, legs saying enough of this big gear. Not wanting to hold up the group, he ejects and heads down the hill to catch BART, and prepare for the after party. While Vajda is arguably the strongest rider in the group, the little bike and big gear are just too much today on this arduous route.

Once we approach San Francisco, we've got some route finding to do. I'm trying to navigate with my Garmin, while others are going from memory and pulling out iPhones and Google maps. All this while trying to negotiate mid-day traffic in the big city! However, once we get into San Francisco proper, Adam becomes a whole new person. He's worked these streets as a bike messenger and it shows. He knows the streets and the pace kicks up. First thing he does, is a little Skitchin', grabbing the bed of a pickup truck, perfectly timed, and drops us all on a climb. Legend has it that he beat Chris Phipps, one of the best racers and climbers in NorCal in an inner City race. They were neck and neck on the last leg. Adam knew he would be totally outclassed by Phipps on the last segment, so he skitch'd up a hill leaving Phipps and the others in the dust, and winning the big prize... the very bike he is riding today!

If you look close you can see Adam hanging on to the pickup truck, Skitchin' while we're dropped!

 As we approach Golden Gate Park Katherine announces she's had enough for the day and heads for BART, while Omar, Adam, and I head to Velo Rouge Café to meet Amory, who plans to do the last leg with us.

Adam and Omar rolling through Golden Gate Park

 We arrive at Velo Rouge Café and Amory is there waiting for us. We figure we are good on time so decide to take a nice "sit down" stop.

Velo Rouge Café, San Francisco, Arguello at McAllister, Amory in the yellow helmet, "eating safe."

My sandwich and Salad, the Fausto Coppi. Omar enjoys soup.

 After Velo Rouge, I start crackin' the whip. "OK boys, it's after 3 and we've got a long way to go."
We head out through the Presidio and onto the the Golden Gate bridge. Man, what a shit show. Seems every single bike is rented out from Blazing Saddles and no-one knows how to ride a straight line. Crazy dangerous trying to make time on the bridge, but we make it through, somehow, in one piece.

Making our way through the Presidio. Amory's fresh legs and smile are welcome to the weary group.

Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge

The madness on the bridge is about to begin, I was nearly crashed out several times by inattentive tourists.

 We get over the bridge and it's a smooth ride through Sausalito, Corte Madera, and up and over Wolfe Grade to San Rafael. Then on to Novato to prepare for the dreaded Hwy 37. We have another stop at Peets in Novato just before the Hwy 37 journey. We try a back way to access Hwy 37 just to save a bit on the busy road.

A little cyclocross to access Hwy 37 brought us across a few obstacles.

Here we go! Entering the dreaded Hwy 37.

Comical. Normally the concern is getting buzzed by cars at 70 mph, but here we are buzzing them in our paceline. They're stopped and we are doing 25 mph. Race day at Sears Point!

 Things turn sour here. There is a horrible obstacle in the road. I can't even describe it. It's like a dismantled truck scale or something. But they didn't clean up the surface. There are huge pot holes and steel bars sticking up. Omar goes through first, he has no time to warn. He veers right and misses it. I'm next. It's basically... do the biggest bunny hop of my life... or eat shit. I figure I can at least get my front wheel over, and maybe case the rear and flat or ruin the wheel but I'll be OK. I leap, I clear it, I'm good. Amory is next with Adam on his right shoulder. Amory is lined up with the biggest pot holes you've ever seen. He veers right, takes Adam's front wheel out and they are both down in a horrible crash. I see Adam's head hit the pavement out of the corner of my eye just as I land my jump. I'm terrified. I flip it and head back to the scene. Adam is already sitting up, he's lucid, talking clearly. Wow man, what a relief. Really. I can't tell you how relieved I was.

Broken handlebars keep Adam from continuing, but he's otherwise OK if a little banged up. Amory is OK, slightly bent wheel and some bad scrapes. They're not going to continue. A super nice dude in a VW bus comes along and volunteers to help. He does, and Omar and I continue, knowing our boys are OK.

Wicked cross wind here and Omar shelters me for much of this before finally succumbing and saying, "We've got to switch places!" We do, and after what seems like an eternity, we make it to Vallejo. I feel it's in the bag now if we don't do anything stupid.

Omar and I working the crosswinds and rumble bumps on Hwy 37

Omar (l) and Paul (r) on Hwy 37 at about mile 170. Still smiling... sort of. (Photo: Omar)

 We then make it to Mare Island, a deserted Navy Base in Vallejo. There are some run down, bombed out buildings, but some nice restored areas as well.

Nice old draw bridge on Mare Island

 We need one more stop before we can finish this puppy off. We stop at a convenience store and there is an armed guard. He asks if we know where we are, and I say yes, I think we are in Vallejo. He says, you'd better not leave these bikes here for long. I say I am going to stay with the bikes while Omar goes inside. He looks me up and down, shakes his head like, "You ain't gonna stop what's gonna happen here, white boy!" So we grab our supplies and get the hell out of there.

Convenience Store in Vallejo. Stop at your own risk.

 Now onto the Carquinez bridge and the new bike path for the final leg. We cross the bridge and it's gorgeous in the evening light.

Omar crossing the Carquinez Bridge in evening light.

 After the bridge we have a minor route finding glitch, but get it sorted out and it looks like we have a few ticks before dark. Vajda originally wanted to finish with the optional Arlington climb. I told him that I didn't think it was practical and nobody would want to add that rather brutal option late in the ride. But my legs are good, Omar is good, so we decide to knock it out for Vajda, and besides, why not take in some great evening views of the entire bay we just rode around?

Omar climbing The Arlington. Sun is low, shadows are long, spirits are high.

Paul does the last dance on the Arlington, still cranking out 280W. I've never felt this good at the end of a Double. (Photo: Omar)

The sun sets on the Bay in an epic day. Omar is happy to be done.

Omar and I roll down the Arlington and finish off the ride. I head home, but meet up with the group at Vajda's for a feast of Zachary's Pizza, Chicken Pot Pie, and fruit pies along with some beer and plenty of talk about future adventures. Adam and Amory are fine, and we're all good for the next adventure. We've got some ideas... stay tuned.

Here is the Strava file showing about 200 miles and 12,000'. My Garmin was left off for one leg so I am missing some mileage and climbing:

A few parting notes:

This was truly an epic adventure. Undoubtedly the most "interesting" Double Century I have ever done, and there have been about 50 of them. The challenges of this route are many. The distance and climbing are a given. But throw in lack of support, city traffic, stop lights, down time, route finding, roads that were not meant for cycling, etc. etc., and you have a truly epic day where all cycling skills come into play. This was a great group. Strong, competent, cooperative, no egos, and good energy. It was too bad that not all finished, but it was still a great day for everyone. Photos were all from an iPhone and most were taken on the bike on the fly, so the quality is what it is. Photos by Paul McKenzie unless otherwise noted. Enjoy

Paul's Sierra Bicycle Tour 2010

The inspiration for my Sierra Bicycle Tour was two-fold. First, lacking any significant vacation this summer from working too much, I wanted to fit in a bike tour. Second, it would be good preparation for the Everest Challenge Bike race, a favorite of mine. My friend Bill Dunn was NOT putting on his September Supper tour so it seemed up to me to have a go. I invited friends, but was willing to go at it alone with no support if necessary. In the end, my teammates Conrad and Andy joined me. Both Cat 2 racers and 20 years my junior, they'd certainly present any needed challenges! Also along were Janet, Sarah, and Bill. Their function was to drive the van and find good riding along the way. We were essentially unsupported along the way, just meeting them at the end of the day. I'll keep the day descriptions reasonably short, but you can also visit the Flickr Photo Set, in which all photos are captioned.

The Tour Route is as follows:

Day 1: Sattley to Foresthill via Downieville, Colfax, Iowa Hill. 124 miles, 11,200'
Day 2: Foresthill to Kyburz via Mosquito Ridge, Ralston Ridge, Ice House. 92 miles, 12,000'
Day 3: Kyburz to Murphys via Silver Fork, North South, Sheep Ranch. 108 miles 12,000'
Day 4: Murphys to Walker via Columbia, Big Hill, Sonora Pass. 110 miles, 11,800'
Day 5: Walker to Truckee via Monitor Pass, Luther Pass, West Shore. 110 miles, 8700'

Day 1





It's a bit too long to ride from Truckee, so LT shuttled us out to Sattley, making the ride 'just' 124 miles instead of about 165 miles! It was a cool, beautiful morning as we departed. We made quick work of Yuba Pass, and the climb was a good warm up. We rode at sub tempo and made the 7 mile 1700' climb in around 40 minutes. Then it was a long downhill to Bassetts and Downieville, taking in views of the Sierra Buttes along the way. We arrived in Downieville at mile 32 in just an hour and a half. Ahead of schedule, Conrad suggested a coffee stop.

Continuing on the North San Juan we rode along the Yuba River with beautiful views in the morning light. Then we left the river and made a couple of good climbs arriving in North San Juan, mile 61, in under 3 hours. I knew the pace would slow later once we hit the severe climbs after Colfax.

We made our way through Nevada City and Grass Valley on a route I had scouted earlier, then took Lower Colfax Rd. and Hwy 174 to Colfax, where we stopped for food and drink.



Leaving Colfax it was on to a fast descent to down to the North Fork of the American River before making the severe climb up to Iowa Hill. The pace took it's toll and Conrad and Andy dropped me here. On to Foresthill we enjoyed the last 8 miles of slight downhill at 30 mph. We arrived in Foresthill with plenty of time to shower and head to the Wortin's Market Deli for burger and burritos, while enjoying the outdoor views of the terrain we'd attack on Day 2.

Day 2

Day two, Foresthill to Kyburz, is certainly the most remote route of the trip. There are no services along the route except for Uncle Tom's Cabin, a small bar .3 mile off the route on a dirt road.

We mounted up around 8;30 AM and headed into Foresthill to hit the coffee shop and check email.



A bit of a slow start but then we descended Mosquito Ridge Rd. to the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River. Then we climbed the famed Corkscrew Grade, caught Janet on her ride, and fought with the knats on the climb. Always tough to ride a 15%+ grade seated while swatting knats with one hand!



Once we gained the top we rolled along Ralston Ridge to Ramsey's Crossing where we got water from the creek and sterilized with Conrad's SteriPen. Then we rode Eleven Pines road all the way to Uncle Toms Cabin at around mile 52, and we already had over 6,000' of climbing by this point. We stopped at the bar and Conrad tagged the ceiling with a dollar bill and our team name.

When we left, I noticed a bump in my rear tire. Not wanting to look at it and realize the bad news I continued to climb, when POW!, the tire exploded like a gunshot. We booted the tire and continued to roll. With 40 miles to go and the condition of the blistered tire, I knew my chances of making it were slim. But I nursed that thing all the way to Kyburz by leaning forward and standing most of the way. On the descent to Kyburz, I used only the front brake, stopping frequently to cool the rim. I had sent Andy and Conrad on a little detour to Wright's Lake so they'd be behind me and not have to suffer with my slow pace. Somehow, I made it all the way to Kyburz, though the 6 mile descent on Hwy 50 was stressful with the bad tire!



The van and crew showed up later and we showered, jumped in the van and headed down Hwy 50 about 7 miles to Dante's Italian restaurant for a nice dinner.

Day 3

We rolled out of the Sierra Inn Motel at around 8:30 and were a bit surprised by the beginning of Silver Fork Rd., as it hit us hard from the gun with a very steep extended climb.



By now the legs were complaining about the hard days. We'd climb 3300' in the first 16 miles to Mormon Emmigrant Rd, where we enjoyed another 16 miles, this time flat or downhill. The first 16 miles took an hour and a half, the second 16 miles took a half hour!

We then navigated the remote North South Road with many ups and downs, but all manageable. We stopped for water at a camp ground but it was closed for the season. Out came the SteriPen again.

After North South we emerged on Omo Ranch road briefly, then took Hwy 88 for a few miles to Shake Ridge road, where we enjoyed another speedy flat/down section, with Andy and Conrad drilling it at 38 mph, and me sitting on the back. We descended Rams Horn Grade, one of my favorite little descents to the town of Volcano where we enjoyed a nice stop before things got really difficult again.



We headed to Railroad Flat Rd., on the way crossing the Mokelumne River. After Railroad Flat, we got onto Sheep Ranch Rd. for some more epic steep climbing. Conrad and Andy had dropped me by this time so I struggled along alone. A couple of steep, bumpy descents reminded this rider that the body was beat!

I rolled into Murphys to find Conrad and Andy enjoying beer and a "snack" in the form of a Pizza. I joined for a beer and a slice before we headed over to our friend Barranca's place. She'd put us up for the night and make dinner for us. Awesome.



The dinner and outdoor dining at Barranca's was swell, couldn't have been a better end to the day.

Day 4



We'd been watching the weather for days as there was a storm brewing, and this was our day to navigate Sonora Pass. A storm at nearly 10,000' would not have been a good thing. As we started our day, it wasn't clear weather we'd see rain or not as the storm was predicted to possibly just miss us to the north.

We headed toward Columbia and arrived quickly before tackling Big Hill Road, a small cutoff that took us toward Twain Harte, avoiding busy Hwy 108. We finally emerged on 108 and Andy set a pace that was too high for me. Conrad elected to sit back and tow me along. He'd have to back off on the steeper grades to keep me on. He said I'd drop off when he hit about 180-200 watts, demonstrating the tiredness I was feeling. I struggled to get my heart rate over about 130 bpm!

We stopped at Strawberry and found Andy there. We enjoyed a snack and then carried on toward Sonora Pass. Weather was holding and fingers were crossed. Sarah was in the van at Dardinelle, while Bill and Janet were riding Sonora Pass. I told her if the weather turns sour, please come pluck us off the mountain. So we did have a backup plan.

While Andy and Conrad rolled ahead, I chipped away at Sonora Pass taking a full hour and twenty minutes for the 9 miles at my snail pace. Even on the 26% grade section, my max HR was 143, so there really wasn't much power going down! Amazingly, I got over the pass in good weather, and didn't even feel the need to put on my rain jacket for the descent.



The East side of Sonora Pass was beautiful in the broken, storm edge light, and was a spectacular end to the day. Out on Hwy 395 we had a 14 mile stretch into Walker with a 1-2% downgrade. I soft pedaled the section, managing to average 28 mph into Walker with little effort. I was counting my lucky stars on this day. Ahead of me, Conrad and Andy hammered the section at full effort and managed to average 40 mph into Walker, with their 53 x 11 gears spun out!

Nice dinner and beer in Walker at a local restaurant. Surprisingly, they closed at 7 PM, so it's good we arrived when we did!



Day 5

We had our usual breakfast in the hotel room, granola, fruit, yoghurt, etc., and made up some PBJ sandwiches with some slices of Janet's most excellent zucchini bread. This became our routine, decide who had the biggest room and that would be the breakfast room. Sarah rolled out early on solo adventure up Monitor Pass while Bill elected to rest, driving Janet over Monitor so she could do Ebbetts Pass. We referred to Bill, Janet, and Sarah as the "laughing group" as they elected to just do some fun riding each day vs. the big numbers that Andy, Conrad and I were doing.

It was a beautiful morning leaving Walker and the ride up 395 was smooth. We took a left on Monitor Pass and the three of us rode up the climb together at an easy pace, chatting the whole way. Andy and Conrad are both great conversationalists, and we covered many different topics in depth while riding. The roads we traveled lent themselves well to extended side by side riding with little traffic.



We passed Sarah near the top of Monitor Pass and continued toward Markleeville, after Conrad nailed maybe the fastest descent of the West side of Monitor I'd ever seen.

No supplies needed in Markleeville so we rolled through to Woodfords. At this point I think both Andy and Conrad could smell the barn and began to set a pace up the Canyon that I could not match. This would be the last I'd see of them. Conrad was taking a detour to Reno to pick up his car, while Andy headed toward Truckee. I enjoyed the ride past Emerald Bay and up the West Shore of Lake Tahoe.



As I rolled into Truckee, I was nearly run over by a very stupid or angry driver with a trailer who cut me off on the roundabout. I had to bunny hop the curb to avoid getting pinched off by the trailer he was towing.

After that I thought a cup of coffee might be nice before the final 1,000' climb up Northwoods to home. As I sat at Wild Cherries Coffee house, I got a text from Andy to the effect of, "I made it." I let him know I was close...

In the end, the tour was probably harder than even I expected. We averaged 110 miles and 11,000' per day with most days being similar in overall difficulty. It's a great tour but only for very fit cyclists who don't mind a little suffering. We'll see about next year. For now I'd like to do perhaps an easier version come next June when the passes open. Any interest?

P.S. Please check back for lots of comments and input from Conrad, Andy and the Laughing Group. Additional photos, maps, workout data, etc. will also be uploaded.

Davis 12/24 Endurance Time Trial 2009

How far can you ride in 12 hours? How about 24 hours? On Saturday May 2, 2009, I lined up at the start of the Davis 12/24. Riders leave solo at 15-second intervals to attack the “day loop.” There is no drafting allowed, it’s basically a 12 hour (or 24 hour, your choice) time trial. There are age categories and team relay divisions as well.


When you're a Double Century Superstar, chicks come out of the woodwork
Adrienne Ruggles (l), supported me on Furnace Creek 508 2005
Janet supported Michelle Santilhano (r) on Furnace Creek 508 2008

The day loop is basically the hilly part of the Davis Double Century course. It’s 162.5 miles in length and includes about 8400' of climbing, including Cardiac Hill, Cobb Mountain, and Resurrection grade. Once the rider completes this day loop, it's time to head out on the flat “night loop.” The night loop is 18.4 miles in length and the rider races on the night loop until time runs out. On the last lap, the rider records his/her last mile marker on the night loop when the time is up and the mileage is totaled.

I rolled out of the start at 6:39 AM, under cloudy skies and feeling great.


I made the call to roll with just a skin suit and arm warmers...

Weather called for 50% chance of rain with a high of 69 degrees. I figured even if it rained I'd be plenty warm, so I donned a skin suit and arm warmers. I immediately began catching riders, and by the time I reached the bottom of Cardiac Hill at mile 11, I had passed a half dozen riders. By the top I had claimed another half dozen after dancing up the climb effortlessly.


Climbing up Cobb Mountain

My goal was to ride a minimum of 200 miles. The record for my age group is 220 miles. I made a small cheat sheet with time goals and mounted it on my stem. I had two times for each checkpoint. The first time was what I needed to do to make 200 miles, and the second time was “record pace.” 70 miles in I was well ahead of record pace.


Stem mounted "cheat sheet"

But then everything took a turn for the worse. The rain had started just an hour or so into the race, and was becoming heavier. The temperature also plummeted. At the bottom of Cobb Mountain, the hardest climb on the ride, I was really cold. I elected to add a light vest as I thought that anything more would cause me to overheat on the strenuous climb.

As I neared the top at 3,000' I was borderline hypothermic. Curious about the temperature, I checked it on my HR monitor...47 degrees. Not exactly the predicted 69 degrees. I was drenched from head to foot. At Loch Lomond, mile 77, Janet stopped my support car and I jumped in with the heater blasting. I was shivering uncontrollably and in bad shape. I couldn't unzip my clothing to change into dry gear. Janet had to help me with everything. It took forever to get myself ready for the rest of the ride. I watched a dozen or so riders pass as I fumbled with my clothing with numb hands. I was basically finished for the day.


Cold and wet, now in survival mode. Note rubber gloves.

I got back on the bike and shivered down the descents. Visibility was poor, and the roads were slick. Caution was in order. I finally made it to the aid station at Resurrection grade (mile 109) after a long, slow slog. There I had planned a bike change. It was time to switch from my super light Scott Addict, to another bike equipped with aero bars and set up for more of a Time Trial position. Seemed a little futile though, as my tired legs could barely manage 19 mph on flat terrain.


Nearing the end of the day loop the weather cleared for a bit

I slogged down the canyon along Cache Creek, then rode the flats toward the finish. I stopped in Guinda (mile 132) for a bit, then got on the bike for the final push toward the finish. It was windy and slow. I finally made it back to the finish at 4:30 PM. I had about two hours to cover the needed 38 miles to complete a total of 200 miles, my minimum goal. I suffered badly on my two laps of the “night loop.” I could only get my heart rate up to about 120 bpm, but that was enough to deliver lap times of about 1 hour. After completing two laps, I had a few minutes remaining, so I sprinted for one extra mile lest I be left with the dreaded 199.3 mile total, which is the total of the day loop plus two complete night loops.


The start of the night loop included this historic bridge in Winters, CA

The weather, and the fact that I've only done one 100-mile ride this year (a week ago), threw a wrench in my soup for a good performance, though I am content with the 200 mile accomplishment in the tough conditions. It's a great event and I will be back to fight another day. Speaking of soup, the organizers supplied nice hot soup for the riders at the finish. Janet gave me a cup of soup before I headed out on my last lap. Without it, I'm not sure I'd have made 200 miles!


Route sheet with notes

Special thanks to Organizer Patsy Inouye and Course Director Lee Mitchell and all the volunteers for putting on this epic event with great spirit and support for this hearty group of riders. Also thanks to Janet DeHaven who supported me on the ride and took all these great photos.