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By: | plymmer |
Started in: | San Francisco, CA, US |
Distance: | 217.0 mi |
Selected: | 217.0 mi |
Elevation: | + 19560 / - 19150 ft |
Moving Time: | 15:51:09 |
Gear: | 2010 Volagi Viaje |
Page Views: | 98 |
Departed: | Jun 27, 2015, 3:54 am |
Starts in: | San Francisco, CA, US |
Distance: | 217.0 mi |
Selected distance: | 217.0 mi |
Elevation: | + 19560 / - 19150 ft |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
Cat | |
FIETS | |
VAM | |
Ascent time | |
Descent time | |
Total Duration: | 22:29:51 |
Selection Duration: | 80991 |
Moving Time: | 15:51:09 |
Selection Moving Time: | 15:51:09 |
Stopped Time: | 06:38:42 |
Max Speed: | 55.0 mph |
Avg Speed: | 13.7 mph |
Pace: | 00:06:13 |
Moving Pace: | 00:04:23 |
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.
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Orr Springs 2015
It was to be a tough ending for 3 weeks of bike riding for me. La Ruta Loca, Terrible Two then Orr Springs. And a third 600K in one month. Any 600K is difficult but Orr Springs, with it's steep dirt climbs of loose rock really beats the hell out of you. Of course, I had forgotten the true pain of the ride last year. My intention was to get a sub-39 since I barely finished last year. Albeit on 2 bikes.
I was a bit worried since I am having some issues with my car and have not been able to drive it. Luckily, my roommate lent me his car since he was away and his bike rack was able to accommodate my odd shaped bike. Having got all my items that I would need for a full weekend of adventure north, way north of San Francisco, I set off for the Golden Gate Bridge. Parking had been secured for this ride at Sports Basement. We are lucky to have Sports Basement give us this opportunity. They must appreciate what we do, maybe we are like super people to them who really use the hell out of their bikes.
I get to the parking lot and see fellow randonneurs. Everybody is saddling up. I get out of their last and am in a bit of a panic. I get to the toll plaza and realize I still have plenty of time. Max is there with his arm in a sling having broken his collarbone on the worker's ride of this very ride. Metin has signed up thinking he might do parts of this ride since Alta Alpina was either cancelled or moved slightly. But Metin won't be riding because of a running injury. So I have to decide who to ride with.
We start off across the bridge and my decision is made by keeping up with the lead group after passing a rider that has left a gap. Bryan Kilgore, Bill Brier, Jon Beckham are all grouped and I join at the rear. It is a fast group and I barely hang on for dear life. We ride silently over the route, up highway 1 with the first control going by in a dark blur (have we passed the first control yet? about mile 20) and climb then along the oceanside and past five corners and then finally to Point Reyes. We stop for water and a bathroom break. Not too long and we are off again. Conversation starts with Bryan asking about my car, 1964 Valiant. Turns out he had a hardtop while younger days occurred to him. I hadn't ever ridden with Bryan. I've conversed with him several times at finish controls, etc. Privileged to be able to keep up with a fast rider like he and Bill Brier who I rode a lot with on the La Ruta Loca ride 2 weeks earlier. I didn't realize how fast he was and both zoomed this course with lightning speed.
We rode into Occidental, Bohemian Bakery at 7:50 am. Fast. Bohemian Bakery wasn't even open yet. We ordered food at a combination cafe/bakery. I was thinning of getting the brownie but opted for an item called the "Trainwreck". That would be a crumby confection then turned into water-sucking powder as soon as it hit my mouth. Not a fast item to eat at all and I needed all the water I could get. No time. So we rode on.
The roads are similar to the end of Terrible Two just a week ago. Bryan has to stop in Cazadero for water. We find that the store is not yet open. Seems they are late. And we are again, too fast. A local tells us where we can get water upon being asked and the directions seem to get completed and involve a climb. We go back to try and find this place but Bill spots a hose and faucet. Nice. The water comes out super fast as if it is being pinched. Therefore, we fill fast. Perpetuum is mixed and we are soon on our way, up to the first challenge King Ridge. We go past the split of Fort Ross Road and Cazadero Highway. We head to King Ridge. Two adventures. Ours is to the right. It seems the ride really starts here.
King Ridge is a good climb. Jon has gone ahead and Bill decides to catch up with him. Bryan and I ride together and turns out he is into pre-war blues like me. You never know about someone until you ride a brutal hill with them. We throw names of great bluesmen of the past, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Charley Patton and I tell him I play a lot of pre-war bluesmen on my radio show. Anyway, time passes and we take note of the informational control at Tin Barn Road and continue on. That is one steep downhill on Tin Barn Road. That will be a climb later as the adventure series continues.
We catch up to Bill and Jon on Tin Barn Road. As we go towards Highway 1, the hills are getting to Jon. I manage to keep up but am feeling it also. The ride on Skaggs Spring Road is a fun descent. Just the end bit as I Bill, Bryan and I did a much bigger chunk of it last week. Jon zooms in to catch up and soon we are in Gualalalalala.
It is the market. We have a sandwich. Bryan warns of eating too much. I back off on a triple decker affair and go for a more conservative egg-ish plate (sandwich). It is good. Gatorade is chugged. A tall climb is next. We ride out.
Up Pacific Woods Road. Man, is this steep. Soon my mind waves bye-bye to Bill and Bryan for a long time. The climb doesn't seem to affect them in the least. I am disappointed in myself but soon let it go. The climb eases on Old Stage, just like the cue sheet says it would. Then the fun steep downhill of the deceiving, lull you in to slippy/gravel nightmare that I love so much. And there it is. I don't clean FIsh Rock Road this year like on my Trek last year. But that's OK. Climbing is tough as it takes every part of your concentration to stay upright, not slip. But even Fish Rock Road eases after a bit, a long bit. And, now I'm descending. On bumpy pinch-flat like surface. I had gapped Jon a while ago on Pacific Woods Road. Later he says he ate too much. Suddenly I feel something very wrong in the back wheel of my bike and abruptly stop. It seems the bungee cord I was using to hold my trunk bag down has bouncy-bouncied off the trunk bag and wrapped itself deep into my cluster near the lilly-white part of the roots of the spokes! Oh NO! I try to use a screwdriver tool (from a multi-tool) to push it out. No luck. Can't really reach it. A stick. No, it needs to be narrow to fit. I am resolved to taking off the wheel. Time is not on my side now. I find that turning the cluster moves the bungee cord out. And soon I remove it. This being after I tried to pull it out and break the cord. I let out a bellow of relief!
I roll onward. Not long after, Jon catches up. and we are riding together for a while. Looking at starve flyby I can see it was 20 minutes it took to remove the bungee cord. Jon is surprised to see me. He is having issues with eating too much food and digestive issues. We ride on and suddenly he is gone. He stopped and rested. Looking again at the strava flybys, Jon is pretty close the whole time and by the time I get to the deli, he catches up. I order light food at this point and ice cream along with a banana and gatorade and a cream soda. Lovely. I relieve myself in the laundromat bathroom (good to know this secret) and saddle up. Jon bids me adieu and I am solo for sure now. I tell Jon we will ride together when he catches up. That doesn't happen. But he isn't too far behind until Larsen and Orr Springs grades. Those must have hurt.
I put on a light around Larsen Grade but don't need it for a while. Good to be ready. Good to take a short break.
Larsen Grade is good. Another climb. Not too bad. The dirt makes these asphalt climbs seem easier I think. And then, the monster: Orr Springs Grade. The clouds are making some interesting moves; will there be a good sunset like Friday night? I doubted it. Two nights in a row when there hasn't been a good sunset in sooo long?!? Also, the clouds remind me of rain somehow. I keep that thought in the back of my head for a while. Then, while climbing Orr Springs Grade the sunset pops out at me! Wow. And that word doesn't describe it. What a great place to see the sunset when it is this good. It goes on for maybe 20-30 minutes! Just keeps getting better and better. Definitely takes the punch out of the climb that seems not as bad as last year after the familiarity. That was fantastic.
I get to the top soon enough. No reason to rest along the way, so I don't. The downhill to Ukiah is fun with a bit of trepidation alluding to last year and the Trek incident. The irony of crashing on this downhill this year due to negligence is not lost on me. And it was mentioned later in Ukiah by Megan and Aaron.
I roll into Ukiah and eventually come into the Motel 6. I pass by the room as I hear my name. Hey, its Megan and Aaron. And I rest my bike on the wall of the hotel and get severely pampered in the best kind of way by two excellent volunteers. Good conversation, and very good food. A french theme and crepes and a bagel. I eat lavishly and wash it lovingly down with the best chocolate milk ever. And then another full glass. I ask for a wake up call. I did bring an alarm clock but turns out Aaron is more than happy to wake me up at 1:45am. I arrived at 9:57pm. Apparently, Bryan and Bill arrived at sunset. Wow. Once again I feel inadequate. That passes.
I have an excellent shower then get to sleep pretty quickly. I dream. Not of riding. But the kind of dreams that are quickly forgotten and frivolous. Still. Dreams.
The wake up call comes right on time. I am drifting half awake at that time anyway so I answer right away. I gear up, dress, chat with Andrew as he says he's a DNF. I see Jon there. Looking at starve flyby he took some time climbing Orr Springs grade. Tough climb. Hopefully he can continue on but I have my doubts.
So odd riding off from Ukiah in the early morning/late night. All alone. Old River Road is fast and fun. That rain I had foreseen comes to fruition. No. It is definitely sprinkling. And I'm not too pleased. I worry that the heavens may empty on me. I have only a jacket, no showers pass with me now. And, so warm I am with arm warmers only (with jersey and shorts, of course). I ride on still with worry. Suddenly a beep out of nowhere. Garmin low on batteries. I have spare. At the round-a-bout I put a fresh set in that get me all the way home. I am following the course that I programmed in, by the way, and it is fantastic! Much better than a cue sheet (which I have also). Great combination, especially at night.
I get to the bridge right near where Toll House Road turns to dirt. I let off some ballast. I decide that the ballast letting off from that bridge might become a tradition for me. Swing the leg on the bike and climb. Toll House Road is a tough climb and last a long time. I found it tough last year and really not much easier this year. Just goes on and on and with it being dark, no telling when it might end. So you just get though it. I saw a bike light as I was on the bridge, just a flash, and soon I am passing this rider. One of the other kooks who is doing this ride. We all must be nuts. Near the top, I hear voices. Not the kind that I should be worried about. Jolly banter. And soon Bryan and Bill come zooming by say something like, "giddy-up". They must have gotten a king's ransom of sleep. And off the go. Inadequacy returns. I get over it.
I get to the top and answer the information control question. Then the dicey downhill of donut dowsing dizziness. Yeah, I suppose I could have tried to catch up to Bill and Bryan but I knew they were long gone. Besides, it was good to ride alone and at my own pace. I was still sore from the climbing and starting to wonder about sleeping for 3 hours. Why bother? Just keep popping caffeine pills and I'm good.
The roads were pedestrian and went by a bit slower than they should have. I stepped it up a bit. Got to crack that whip. It got pretty again on Cole Creek Road and then the climb up Bottle Rock Road. I picked up a bottle rock as a keep-sake. Then the lovely downhills into Middletown and the weird feeling of passing "Jellystone Park". Somehow, maybe we can just leave that one in my childhood? No? Ah, well.
Middletown. Hardware Store/Deli and Market. Odd. I get a tuna salad sandwich and go to the bench across the road to eat it. I had to mention where I was going to the cashier. Never tire of that ego-boost. I eat in the hot sun. I put away my arm and leg warmer for a long time although Santa Rosa was a bit chilly.
Out again. Western Mines Road. Another steep slippery ball-busting climb. Good. Tough but soon I am at the top and answering the informational control question. Ida B Clayton Road is a fun descent. And no vehicular traffic. Fun and fast. Dodging the pot-holes should be a sport. Chalk Hill is good, some hills, mostly feels like rollers. I stop in at the restroom in Windsor and get water and mix perpetuum.
Then onto Sebastapol. I am in a bit of a panic because I am anxious to finish as fast as possible. I buy gatorade and said 79 cent a lb. banana. I go on.
The route has changed a bit here as last year it was a bit confusing. I like it. The roads go on and I remember that there are still a lot of climbs and my feet hurt. A lot. But I must go on. Chileno Valley Road is lovely with a tail wind and I very much enjoy it. Then Wilson Hill. Yeah, it hurt. But I was getting into familiar ground. That always feels good. My timing seemed good also. Not super fast but respectable.
Down Wilson Hill and then to Point Reyes-Petaluma Road and there was a strong headwind. But, alas, Nicasio Valley Road came up and saved the day for me. Very familiar territory. Into Nicasio with a headwind. And, then the climb. Down and to Sir Francis Drake.
My feet were hurting bad at this point. I was dangling them and alternating legs to pedal with. Felt good. Up White Hill and that super fast stretch to Fairfax. The wiggle was made poo-ey as they had some sort of street fair on the San Anselmo stretch. I walked my bike through it and it actually helped my feet. I was ready to ride again by the time I finally got to the other side.
Then the usual stuffs to the end. Across the bride and into the toll plaza to cheers. I finished third! Hooray!!
Thanks to all the fabulous volunteers especially Megan and Aaron in Ukiah. Good talking and unwinding at the end also.
Another lovely weekend on the bike.
Roy.