PCH Randonneurs Corona 200k Brevet 6.4.2011

The day after a brevet is almost always up for grabs.  Sometimes I ride, but not very often.  Usually I prefer to do something other than cycling.  This morning I got up at the crack of 8am and went to yoga.  It was a good session although it did start out a little rough.  I wasn't sore, just a little stiff and it made the first half of the session sluggish.  I came around at the half way point and starting feeling a little more limber.  In the afternoon I walked down to the beach and finished reading Hell on Two Wheels.  I also took a nap.

Doheny State Beach looking towards Capistrano Beach

Saturday morning I had everything loaded up and ready so all I had to do was get in my car and drive out to Corona.  I left home about 0600 and got to Corona at about 0630.  As I was unloading my car I wondered what kind of ride I would take this morning.  Most of the time I take these brevets as social rides and ride along with a group.  I'm in decent form this season and had also been thinking about riding a hard 200k to just see how it things are progessing.

After getting geared up and the bike unloaded I took a quick spin around the parking lot where we were assembling for the ride.  I always do that to see if I'd boogered anything on the bike during transport.  The bike was fine and as I took my quick lap I decided that this I'd like to push my pace a little bit.  Terry Hutt, the event master, called a quick meeting at 0655 to go over a couple of particulars on the route and then set us free.

I figured that if I was going to make this a fast ride, I might as well go, so I took off right away.  As we climbed a slight grade over the 91 freeway I passed Willie Hunt, a 'bent rider, and said good morning.  I imagined that Willie would be good to go with me.  I didn't know who else might follow but I'd welcome the company for sure.  After the briefest time on public roadways we hit the SART (Santa Ana River Trail) where we'd be for about 30 miles.  The river trail has a pretty good surface and has a slight, slight grade towards the ocean.  With the typical on-shore breeze there is normally a head wind in our direction of travel as well.  We were early enough that I hoped we'd only experience the slighest breeze this morning.  I wanted to get to the coast and turned south where the traditional tailwind would then give us a nice boost down to San Clemente and control #3.

I pushed my pace for a long time, about an hour on SART seeing speeds in the 22-24  MPH range.  I scrupulously kept out of the red zone on my HRM staying below 164 BPM.  I could hear another bike behind me and assumed it to be Willie.  It was a cool morning which made working hard feel easier.  As we neared the coast we began to find the on shore breeze and Willie came around and asked if I was in a hurry.  I guess I was.  I had formulated a minor goal which was to arrive early at the first control.  Even with hauling ass on the river trial that would be no mean feat since we'd also have several miles of public roads to contend with near the control.  Around that time I realized that we had another rider along, Constantin Bancila, who came around shortly after Willie.  We continued in this fashion for the next few miles.  I managed to miss a turn off the trail but quickly noted the error and backtracked on course.  I reached the first control a couple of minutes after Willie and Constantin after being gapped at a stop light.  I managed to clock in at 0856 for a 0858 control opening time.  Success!

Constantin (foreground) & Willie

We messed around for 10 or 15 minutes before we got back on PCH headed south into a headwind.  Yup, unusual wind direction today as this would most often be a tailwind.  No problem, Willie on the front and Constantin and I swapping wheel #2 we made good time south bound generally running 20 MPH when we weren't stopped at a light.  The route took us down the Balboa Peninsula and back across to the mainland via the Balboa Ferry.  It had been years since I'd ridden the Balboa Ferry and it was fun.

Back on PCH in Newport Beach we kept heading south.  The sun came out between Newport and Laguna Beach and we stopped to have a quick nature break.  Working our way into Laguna Beach I got gapped off again at a stop light.  Many riders seem to fear riding through Laguna because PCH while four lanes wide is very narrow and has a steady row of parked cars.  For me there are two ways to ride Laguna.  The first is the conventional "take the lane" vehicular cycling method.   The second, and the one that I enjoy the most, is to car surf through the heavy traffic areas.  By that I mean you crank up your speed to match that of traffic and move along at automobile speeds in the lane taking advantage of the draft when ever you can.  I guess it is like an impromptu motor pacing session.  On a busy summer day the traffic speed is about 20 - 25 MPH in the most congested areas which is quite doable on a bicycle.  This day was not so congested so I simply took the lane as needed and moved on down the road.

Continuing south into Dana Point I could see Willie and Constantin a short distance ahead and knew we'd make the third control together.  After a 15 minute stop we got back on the road heading north.  We crossed paths with some southbound randonneurs just north of the control.  Back through Dana Point, heading north on PCH, I saw my wife Michelle and our neighbor Michelle walking our dog Koni heading home from the coffee shop.  The best I could come up with was a quick "Michelle, Michelle" as we sped by.

North edge of Dana Point

At the north end of Dana Point we pulled back onto the extensive complex of Orange County bike trails.  After a short time it became apparent that Constantin had either stopped or gotten lost.  We didn't see him again this day.  Willie and I rode the bike trail which is uphill for about 20 miles going from sea level to around 1500'.  The majority of the climbing is in the last 12 miles and this is one of my favorite routes for an inland training ride.  Just short of the high point in the route there was a control.  We found Terry Hutt waiting there with snacks and fresh water.  Since the cloud cover had cleared the day was warming up.  This was a really nice location for a control and resupply.  After another 15 minute stop we got back on the road.  I didn't see Willie again until the finish.  He owns Santiago Canyon on his 'bent.  I know how fast I traveled between control 4 and 5 and I can only imagine how quickly that same terrain would be covered on a 'bent.

Willie (foreground), Terry Hutt, control 4

At control 5 I stopped at the Subway and had a sandwich.  Up to this point I was quite happy with my ride.  Was looking at a nine hour ET for this brevet with about 7 1/2 hours riding time.

Wylie Coyote

Back on SART after a few miles of cross town riding, I got moving again.  Setting my pace at 22 MPH I gobbled up the trail easily still enjoying the speed.  As I peaked a small rise in the trail I saw a coyote jogging along the trail.  I think that I was approaching much quicker than he expected and it afforded a good picture opportunity.


I finished the ride at 1605 and found Willie talking to Jim Harris at the finish.  After a few minutes of hanging around at the finish shooting the breeze with Willie and Jim, I loaded up and drove home.

This was a outstanding day on the bicycle.  Willie and Constantin were fun and willing participants in a fast 200k.  Terry Hutt did a great job with the route and he routed us through some areas in my home turf that I seldom ride.  Jim Harris was at the finish as a volunteer and when I learned he lives in Palmdale that really clarified his level of commitment.  Thanks Jim and Terry!

PCH Corona 200k Ride Stats:
Distance: 209 km
Riding Speed Average: 27.5 km/h
Ascent 1304 m
Time 09:05 hh:mm

One Flat Three Times, Then Another: San Diego Randonneurs Rainbow 200k

Rainbow 200k rider's meeting

I had just come off a 77 km/h down hill that was interrupted by a stoplight.  A half mile later I started feeling the familiar squirm of a soft tire.  I was someplace in the San Marcos area and I wanted to find a nice grassy spot to pull over and take care of the tire.  The flat wouldn't wait so I stopped on a grassy hillside next to a freeway interchange.

Flat repair #1

It was plenty safe but noisy.  I pulled the wheel, stripped off the tire and began a search around the tire for the cause of the flat.  Strangely I couldn't find anything stuck in the tire.  Knowing full well these things, tubes, don't generally let the air out of themselves I looked again.  No luck.  I inflated the tube but I couldn't hear or feel the leak.  Humph.  I decided to swap in a virgin tube that would at least get me to a quiet area so I could work.  Back on the road, I made it another mile and as the rear end of the bike went squishy again I pulled off at on a equestrian trail and went back to work.  I still couldn't find anything in the tire but I found and patched the hole in the tube.  I always put my tires on with the label aligned with the valve stem so I have a reference for tire repair.

Flat repair #2

I couldn't find anything stuck in the tire.  I had also forgotten which way the tube was oriented in the tire, you've got two choices you know, so I wasn't sure which position on the tire, about 60 degrees away from the valve stem, held the hidden object that was causing the flat.  I suspected it was a tire wire, one of those fine steel wires from a steel belted radial blowout.  Those will go through any bike tire and can be devilishly hard to find.  I put the tube back in hoping the patch being thicker than a tube would hold off the tire wire and put a boot in the position on the opposite side of the valve stem.   Back on the road and riding with the sensitivity of the princess in the Princess and the Pea I found the tire slowly flatting as I rolled into control #3.  It was good there.  Jaime had brought a tire pump along and I made use of it and found and repaired another small hole.  I still couldn't find anything stuck in the tire.  At this point it occurred to me that I might actually DNF a 200k because I'd either run out of tubes or patches which I found a little funny.  I also strained a quadriceps kicking myself in the ass for not carrying a spare tire along.  Did I mention that I had noticed that the rear tire was corded in a couple places?  That gave me some pause and I considered swapping it to the front to conserve it for the remainder of the ride and to make future repairs more appealing.  Front tires have glacial wear rates, however wear at the rear is easily discernible, particularly if you are doing a lot of climbing.  I decided to let things be and moved on.  From the control I headed over to the AM/PM where I ran directly into on of those aggregate concrete waste receptacles because I'd forgotten to close the quick release on my rear brake after installing the wheel.  If you've seen me on the road recently, you'll know that I'm riding a beautiful Waterford that is pretty new.  I ride my bikes pretty hard so I knew Estelle (the Waterford) would begin to show some wear.

I think that'll buff out.

I just wasn't expecting the "wear" to happen so soon in such an inauspicious manner: a collision with trash can in broad daylight, completely sober!  I recovered and after mentally letting out one of Jerry Stiller's "serenity NOW!" screams I went in to the AM/PM, got my Gatorade, filled my bottles, and took off.

The climbs up Old Castle, Lilac, Crouser, and Rice were enjoyable and uneventful: the tire held through it all.   I really enjoyed bombing down the backside of Crouser.  The water in the road was no sweat, it just added to my enjoyment of a technical descent.  Really.

At control four Tom and Tina  Reynolds where there with soup and homemade bread.  A few other riders were milling around as was my buddy John Hillard who had somehow wandered into the area but wasn't riding the 200k that day.

John, Jesus of the Control.

The soup was a treat that I enjoyed but I had been thinking about a tuna salad sandwich on the flat road into Rainbow so I satisfied that urge and gulped a chocolate milk and a V8 while I was at it.  The tire was still holding, two patches and a boot so I didn't mess with it and rolled out. 

As I rolled down Live Oak Park Rd.  I began noticing that squishy tire feeling and pulled off into a nice wide driveway to make repairs.  Upon disassembling the tire I located another small hole in the tube and patched it.  It was real close to the others but far enough away that I suspect this was a completely new flat.  Once again a search of the tire had revealed nothing!  I had noted the proper orientation of the tube relative to the tire so I knew with certainty where to place the boot.

Flat repair #4

I did meet the owner of the driveway who was coming out to enjoy the day and have a nice relaxing session of weed whacking.  He was quite generous but was fresh out of 700x28 Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech tires so I moved on.

I made a stop at the 7-11 at Vandegrift and N. River Rd which is somewhat of a tradition with me.  Once a couple of years ago I bonked on the bike trail headed towards Oceanside.  That was a much harder faster ride then than the Rainbow 200k yesterday but it was a lesson learned.  Since that time I almost always stop there to fuel up after emerging from the back country.

The ride down the coast from Oceanside was better than usual.  There was the prevailing tailwind and I ran into Dion Dyer just south of Carlsbad.  Dion was in more of a hurry than I and he eventually pulled ahead.  I always enjoy these last few miles of a brevet and try not to hurry though them.  It's a time when I can savour the end of the ride.  I went up the outside at Torrey Pines (per the route sheet), which I hadn't done in many trips south.  Traffic was light and the grade seemed a bit flat after riding the inside for so long.   The tire made it to the end and when I looked this afternoon was still holding air.

I met my goal for this ride which was to take it easy and to make what is a pretty challenging route a piece of cake.  Holding my heart rate under 151 except for the rarest of occasions was the center piece of that plan.  My scale up for this season is off to a fine start.  A couple of 300k brevets are coming right up and I am really looking forward to them.

Rainbow 200 Ride Stats:
Distance: 195 km
Riding Speed Average: 21.9 km/h
Ascent 2210 m
Time 10:59 hh:mm

Ride Volunteers: Thank you!
Start line - Robert Leone, Dennis Stryker

San Elijo/Elfin Forest - Osvaldo Colavin

Deer Springs Road Control - Jaime Gurrola

Rainbow Control - Tom & Tina Reynolds

SAG - Guy Laronche

Finish Line - Tim Sullivan, Dennis Stryker

Inagural Orange County 200k

In spite of having the San Diego Randonneurs' Rainbow 200k on my calendar for next weekend I just had to ride the OC 200k.  Sanctioned by the PCH Randonneurs, Willie Hunt put together the first Orange County based brevet.  The approximate course is shown here.  This is very familiar terrain for me.  The brevet traversed a couple of areas in the opposite direction of my normal travel and that made it more interesting.

Since this ride was a completely local to me, meaning I saved the horrible drive to the Moorpark area, or a only slightly better drive to someplace in the San Diego desert, I decided to ride to the ride.  That is generally my preference when it's doable and with a mere 20 miles between my home and the start it was very doable.  Up at 0410 and on the road by 0430, I rolled out of Dana Point headed for RSM (Rancho Santa Margarita).  I love riding early in the morning well before sun up.  There are few if any cars on the road and the winds are usually neutral.  I don't recall the temperature exactly but it was certainly in the mid 40s.  The hour and a half ride to RSM was easy and I held my pace down watching the Polar to make sure I never exceeded 151 BPM (<88% of my LT, lactate threshold).  My goal for the ride was to keep it easy and never push hard, except on the occasional climb.

I got to RSM at about 0605, found the ride start and an open coffee shop.  After collecting my brevet and route sheet I went to find a cup of coffee and a muffin to fuel the next twenty or thirty miles.  I was surprised by the turnout for this 200k.    I've heard there were about thirty riders at the start.  I had the good fortune to see a few people I know and catch up for a few minutes.  We rolled out at about 0634 and I must have selected the most direct route from the parking lot to the route as I didn't see any headlights behind me for five or ten minutes.  Slowly, as I hopped over the first two climbs riders began to catch up.  Santiago Canyon was beautiful as the sun came up over Santiago Peak.  There was still little traffic and riding northbound in the canyon is generally a downhill run to Jamboree Road and the first control.  I breezed the first control, finding Willie the ride master still there, and just had him sign my card so I could get right back on the road.  The downhill run continued from the first control all the way to Newport Beach and made for easy cruising at 30 km/h.  A few miles from the control the route merged onto the San Diego Creek bike trail.

One of many pelotons on the road.

On weekends this is a bicycle freeway with all kinds of riders rolling along the trail.  It is a surprisingly courteous scene with almost everyone paying attention.

One of the things that I always enjoy about the Newport Back Bay portion of the trail are the signs.  It's one of the few places in Southern California where as a bicyclist we can enjoy an exclusive privilege.


At the control in Newport I gulped down a chocolate milk and refilled my bottles with Gatoraide.  It was easy cruising along the California Riviera through Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach and Dana Point.  I started feeling a little hungry so I stopped at the 7-11 on the north end of San Clemente for another chocolate milk and a banana.  Right were the south bound grade heading up El Camino Real started, I encountered another rider.  We rode together for the rest of the day making the time pass easily.  The rider's name was Eric and he was out on his first brevet and his first 200k.  He had certainly picked a nice place to start his randonneuring endeavor.  We made the turn around at the McDonald's at the south end of Camp Pendelton at about 1150.  We had a quick lunch and got back on the road heading north.  We had a head wind north bound.  We also had a head wind southbound.  Sigh.  At least it wasn't all uphill too.

At Trails State Park we ran into Isabelle Drake and the three of us finished the ride together.  As we neared the finish it started getting quite chilly and damp, almost feeling like rain.  The mountains had clouds stuck on their tops.  The finish, at Willie's house was super.  Willie's wife, Patricia, had prepared lasagna and garlic bread.  I loved the lasagna but the surprise was sushi.  Yeah, I had lasagna and sushi on the same plate with garlic bread and a couple of Cokes.  It was sublime.  I felt like I was having a favorite food dinner.  After any randonneuring distance ride you should just eat whatever you want; my Polar claims I burned 10,000 some odd calories.  Even if the Polar is off 50% that's still a ticket for a heck of meal.

I jumped back on the bike for the downhill bomb on El Toro Rd. back to the coast.  The temperature warmed slightly as I got closer to the ocean.  I put Estelle back in the garage right at 1800 and headed in for a warm shower and some food.  It was a good day.

Next Saturday I'm still planning to ride the Rainbow 200k.  I do love that route and it is pretty challenging with about 6000 ft of climbing.  Unfortunately, I'll be driving there.

Days statistics:
Distance 263 km
Ascent 2110 m
Average Speed 23.6 km/hr
Elapsed Time 9:26 hr:mm