Join Ride with GPS and discover even more new routes and riding buddies. Print turn-by-turn cue sheets so you know where you are heading. And then, log your rides and watch your progress.
Page Views: | 117 |
Departed: | Mar 29, 2014, 6:04 am |
Starts in: | San Francisco, CA, US |
Distance: | 258.3 mi |
Selected distance: | 258.3 mi |
Elevation: | + 14274 / - 14433 ft |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
Cat | |
FIETS | |
VAM | |
Ascent time | |
Descent time | |
Total Duration: | 18:33:00 |
Selection Duration: | 66780 |
Moving Time: | 15:57:00 |
Selection Moving Time: | 15:57:00 |
Stopped Time: | 02:36:00 |
Avg Speed: | 15.5 mph |
Pace: | 00:04:18 |
Moving Pace: | 00:03:42 |
Best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices
Best format for turn by turn directions on Edge 500, 510. Will provide true turn by turn navigation on Edge 800, 810, 1000, Touring including custom cue entries. Great for training when we release those features. Not currently optimal for Virtual Partner.
Useful for uploading your activity to another service, keeping records on your own computer etc.
Useful for any GPS unit. Contains no cuesheet entries, only track information (breadcrumb trail). Will provide turn by turn directions (true navigation) on the Edge 705/800/810/1000/Touring, but will not have any custom cues. Works great for Mio Cyclo. Find GPS specific help in our help system.
Ride this route frequently? Select the ride (or a section of it) in the elevation profile and create a segment to compare your ride performance against yourself (and others).
Estimated Time shows a prediction of how long it would take you to ride a given route. This number is based on your recent riding history, and represents an estimate of moving time. Each time you upload a new ride, your Estimated Time profile will adjust to reflect your most recent riding. Only rides exceeding 10 miles (16 km) will affect these estimates.
Go BasicOur Basic members have unrestricted access to everything we offer in our mobile apps. Learn more by visiting our Compare Plans page.
Tell us a little about yourself
Rock solid GPS logging, helpful navigation, live logging and more are all available when you install our app.
SFR Hopland 400K Brevet
This was to be the longest ride of my life. A 400K, equivalent to 248 miles. I've ridden a mountain bike for 24 hours but I haven't ridden that far.
So, I was a bit worried about the ride the week leading up to it. Strangely, not too worried. I have done 200 mile rides so I figured the distance wouldn't kill me.
I prepared as usual, this time I packed plenty of gu and other food stuffs I could use for fuel since I didn't know when or how long I would be stopping. Everything packed the night before, should be ready to go in the morning.
In the morning I get ready and leave for San Francisco. Plenty of time, I leave at 4:15 am. A couple of miles down the freeway I realize I forgot my front light. Ooo. I rummage around for it and it is nowhere in the car. Yikes! I go all the way back to the house and find it. Forgot. Well, even less time now. No margin for error.
Up to San Francisco. The plan is to park at the Log Cabin parking lot at Storey and Lincoln. Very close to the toll plaza but kind of weird getting to. It takes me a while, but I find it, park the car. I buy a parking ticket that should be good until I get back. I wasn't quite sure when that would be though. Anywhere from 16 to 27 hours? Who knows? How fast would I be?
By the time I am ready I ride down to the toll plaza, get my brevet card and leave, it is 6:03 am. Oh, no! I'm late. Everyone has left. I fly across the bridge, down Alexander Avenue and through Sausalito. I start seeing riders lights. I feel a bit better. I pass people. By the time I am on the bike path I see a lot more people in bunches. I catch up to Jason on his fix (wow!) and chat with him a while. I catch up to Metin and decide to hang with him.
The weather has taken a turn for the worst but going up Camino Alto it isn't that bad. I have my waterproof jacket on and waterproof gloves. I feel pretty good about the outlook. By the time we get to Sir Francis Drake it is raining and there is no letting up. The ride in the pace-line is good. My lack of fenders make my feet soaked. The spray kicks up on me and the riders behind. I'm not that popular but there is another rider who I later end up riding with who doesn't have fenders. We ride through a lot of rain and I am getting mentally exhausted and cold and miserable. I am seriously thinking of turning back but I go on.
We get to Bodega, the Bodega Country Store. They are pretty keen on Alfred Hitchcock there since the movie "the Birds" was filmed in the area. I order a big piece of pizza and tell not to bother to heat it up. That would take too long. The pizza is good but I am shivering. I could have easily gotten the uncontrollable shakes but shook it off. I was cold but I can't give in to that.
I get outside again and am greeted with a lack of rain in the air. It feels better. Maybe I might make it. I am pleased to learn that Joy Road is a long uphill that is very taxing. That is just what I need. I catch up with some riders, among them is Rob and Michael. I climb with them and end up pace-lining with them when the downhill comes. I try to pull but my wheel spray is bother Rob. I apologize saying I want to pull and take my turn but don't want to soak him. He says he understands. I must get fenders.
We get to the Guernville Safeway and purchase food. The group is taking an extended break. I wait a while, expecting to ride on with Rob and Michael but there is a group leaving, Greg, Jessie and Megan. Metin asks them to wait but don't really hear. I decide to ride with Metin. I really didn't want to rest that long. I've gotten pretty good at being ready pretty quick. So, Metin and I take off trying to catch up. A red light dooms us! By the time we get going the group is nowhere to be seen.
Evidence of the intense showers are everywhere. The road seems to be drying pretty quickly though. My feet are wet but warm since I have wool socks and gator feet covers. They will be wet all day. I am a bit worried about this but ride on helpless to change it. If it gets cold, I could be doomed.
The roads are pretty. Everything is so green up in this area. The rivers are brown with fresh water. West Dry Creek is new for me and a nice ride. The roads dry enough now for me to pull on the small pace line of Metin and I. I see a rider behind and mention it to Metin. He asks who it is and I say that he has a shower cap on. He says that is Carl. Carl catches up and leads the pace-line. An excellent pull as we increase our speed. We may yet catch up! Soon we do just that. So, the group is me, Metin, Megan, Jessie, and Greg. We lost Carl as he had some bike adjustment issues. His pull helped us catch up with this group we would stay with the rest of the day.
We stop in and Furber Ranch plaza for food and rest. Big climbs ahead! The group is pace-lining efficiently now. Everybody takes about two miles. My skills need work as I pull away and try to look back way too often to make sure the group is still there. I still end up loosing them a couple of times. I will get better.
The climbs are good. Highway 128 is a long grinder of a climb. Seven miles. It feels good to climb with the group, joking around. Spirits are high, weather is good. Some great downhills where we separate but soon pull together again. This group is committed to sticking together. It feels good.
After the climbs on Mountain House Road and the swoopy, fun downhill flying sections we see Hopland ahead. We all pull into the Valero together and park the bikes. Various food stuffs are purchased. Everybody keeping in mind buying food that is quickly purchased and easy and fast to consume. Time Always seems short on brevets and this is a long one. In the back of my mind I have been thinking that the front light wasn't the only item I forgot this morning. I also forgot dry street clothes. At the end of a ride, there is nothing better than dry non-bike clothes. I also realize that I forgot the keys to get back into my house when I get home. Oh no! I ask to use Metin's phone and call my roommate to leave the door open or leave a key in the mailbox. Ah, one less thing to worry about.
We push on to the continued non-rainy weather. The temperature is fairly warm and we all continue to pace-line on Old River Road. Then it is the 8 mile stretch on Highway 101. We cross the dangerous intersection without incident and start a fun and mostly downhill ride on the stretch of 101 About 3/4 of the way on this stretch Metin has a flat. Apparently his tires are the variety where the ride is like floating on clouds but are susceptible getting flats from items as tiny as a doll-sized staple according to Matthew. Matthew has taken this opportunity to catch up to us and will be joining us for the rest of the ride. The group just somehow got better.
Metin finishing changing the flat and we are off. Pretty country roads lead to Chalk Hill Road and we are climbing again. Then we hit some rather bland farm roads. Right as we hit Fulton Road the sun comes out right at the golden hour and we all get a charge out of the sight of it. A glow follows us lighting the way. Then it is the long section, Stony Point Road.
About mile 195, I hear a pop sound and Metin cries out that he has a flat. A rather large pothole that I managed to miss fells his bike. At this point we are riding with our lights. I relay the information to the rest of the group and we wait. One of the group goes back to help. At this point Megan gives me some pointers on pace-lining. She says I shouldn't look back so often as it creates a ripple to the group and slowing the flow. Good to know but the reason I look back is because I would other-wise pull ahead and me on my own leaving everyone else behind. There is a true art to pace-lining. I vow to get better as quick as possible. I apologize for my inefficiencies.
We pull into the Petaluma Safeway in need of water, rest and food. I bag 2 deli sandwiches and 2 water bottles. My feet have been wet all day but the wool keeps me warm. The temperatures have stayed warm enough. As I am paying the cashier asks me about the ride. I explain to her the distance and some of the adventure and she is well impressed. Such a good feeling to know that you are doing something quite extraordinary.
We finish up, gather our stuff together (everybody always waits as we are committed to staying together no matter what) and try to leave but the door is locked. We have to exit the door at the far side and as we are doing to we get encouragement and appreciation from the cashiers as we walk our steeds by. Another great feeling.
The last 44 miles are up next. We feel we are almost there. Two significant climbs and then the usual last bit, Sir Francis Drake, the wiggle, the bike path, Camino Alto and the bridge. I have never ridden Petaluma Point Reyes Road this direction and this was deep into and past the longest I have ever ridden. The climb proved taxing. We were all deep into our reserves but there was no stopping, or let up. We knew what we had to do, just keep moving. Patience was abundant as whoever was leading the pace-line was allowed to go the pace they could. No pressure, we would all get there.
Finally we are riding down Nicasio Valley Road to Sir Francis Drake. The ride past the reservoir was quite nice at night. We were close and we stuck together and crested White Hill, then through Fairfax and Magnolia and all the bits in between. Metin said we had this one "in the bag". I had to agree.
We finish to a choice of exactly what we wanted and needed food-wise. Signing in was a good feeling. I had ridden farther than I ever had ridden before. It hardly seemed possible, yet I never really doubted myself once I was on the road and halfway into the ride.
Another milestones accomplished. Fantastic feeling.
Roy.