Race Across The West 2024. Team EFI

Forest Gump Hill

 I did Race Across the West (RAW), way back in 2014, on a 4-person men's team. That race was a real adventure as they all are. You can read that story Here.

Our crew chief that year was my good cycling buddy Tony Musorofite with our friend Margaret Howell as our navigator. 

This year I was asked to crew for Tony's, two-person team EFI. Tony was going to do the race with another good friend of mine, Robert Mann. Robert did his first endurance event, a double century, with me back in 2017. He, not long after started riding fixed gear and has never stopped.  They had been planning it for some time but circumstances had them postponing it a few times.

This would be Tony's first race since breaking his hip shortly after the Race Across Oregon in 2020. I was also part of his crew for that race. You can read about that experience Here.

 His hip replacement got infected and after numerous additional surgeries and new hips, they finally got it right. We all felt so bad for him. That year he was planning the trifecta. Oregon, The 508, and Hoodoo 500, all on a fixed-gear bike!!

Team EFI

Team EFI is a 2-person fixed gear team. This means they will be riding every single inch of the course without coasting.

It is difficult enough to do a RAAM (Race Across America), qualifying race on a geared bike. 

Just imagine this!

You ride a bike that has only one gear and NO freewheel.

If you are not familiar with a fixed-gear bike (fixie), there is this. You can never stop peddling whether you are climbing or descending. That means, NO coasting and resting on descents, only spinning spinning spinning. From what I have been told, descending is the most difficult part of riding a fixie. 

You are also very limited to the speed you can go downhill so there is no making up any time on a descent.

There you have it. 

RAW starts in Oceanside California and is part of Race Across America. It is the desert, southwest portion of the race, and this years course is 861 miles from the coast to Durango, Colorado.

The Race Across America (RAAM) solo riders and the RAW solos and teams started together on June 11th. The RAAM teams began on the weekend that follows. 

The RAW teams have a 2-day, 20-hour time limit to finish the 861 miles. 

We all went down to Oceanside on Monday the 10th for pictures and check-in. We also had to get the support vehicle set up with all the required signage and lighting, which is required for road safety per the rules. 

After all the prep, it was off to the races on the 11th of June. 

Our very BIG crew vehicle.

Day One: Oceanside to Parker Arizona

Team EFI was the first to start at around noon at the Oceanside Pier. We all had a great time seeing friends at the start before we sent the guys off on their journey. 

The start in Oceanside

Tony and Robb did the neutral section at the start together. It's a 7-mile section on the San Luis Rey bike path where all the racers cannot exceed a certain speed and they cannot pass the other racers to gain time.

Robb did the first section once racing started, so we picked up Tony and headed to the pre-planned rider exchange in Bonsall CA. 

We put Tony on the bike at the start of the first major climb of the race, Old Castle Road. It was a pretty tough climb in the heat. The temps were already climbing drastically from our start near the cool coast of California. 

Tony climbing Old Castle Road

Tony did great on the climb before we made the next exchange. We slowly made the climb to the Mount Palomar area. This section is pretty tough and hot. The guys were already showing signs of heat exhaustion and we were not even in the desert yet. Both our crew and Rob's crew made great efforts to keep the riders cool with cooling vests and lots of ice and water. 

It was during this section that a race official summoned both our vans. He said that our flashing amber lights were supposed to be on during daylight hours and not just at night. 

The rules were somewhat confusing saying that the lights must be on at all times when actively supporting the riders. Both our rider crew chiefs read the rule the same and thought since we were just leap-frogging the rider and turning the lights on when stopped, that this was by the rules. Well, he wrote us up and we think we got a 1-hour penalty. 

After this, Robb was on the bike. We had difficulty getting the roof lights to work properly. Tony had tested them countless times at home and they worked flawlessly. You know what they say about these ultra races....If something can go wrong...it will. 

We got it figured out but it took a lot of time and Robb was out on the bike way too long. We hurried up to make up time and get past him so we could make the exchange. We caught up just before the town of Ranchita and at the top of Montezuma Grade, better known as "The Glass Elevator". 

Tony wanted to do this famous descent so we made the exchange in Ranchita. Robb was toast and needed a good break now at this point. 

Tony switching with Robert in Ranchita with Montezuma Grade ahead

Rob is in the van with Phil tending to the bike. 

Down..down...down Tony went to Borrego Springs for about a 3,000-foot elevation drop.

It was amazing to watch Tony descend that elevator into that furnace heat, spinning like a crazy man. 

We saw the RAAM media crew at one of the turnouts and we were hoping that they had a drone up to capture the only fixie on the descent in the race. After watching some of the race videos we didn't see any shots of him descending. It would have really been a cool video to see. 

From Borrego, we made our way to Parker, Arizona via Brawley and Blythe Ca. 

The sun was setting as we headed into Brawley.

Sunset way outside of Borrego Springs

The guys had planned to ride longer during the night so each rider and crew could get some rest along the way. The temperature didn't go down much after dark and stayed in the 90s for quite some time. 

 The team made adjustments in their pulls, due to problems with heat exhaustion,  as we got through the night making it to Parker Arizona just after sunrise. There was a glitch in the course going into Parker. 

There was a bridge out on the course so we were re-routed just to the south of Parker, bypassing the town itself. 

Parker was the destination we had planned to get fuel and re-stock the ice chests. 

Tony was finishing his night pull, so we handed it off to Robb just outside of town then sped back to Parker for gas and re-stock. Robb was off on his way to Hope Arizona.

Day 2: Parker Arizona to Flagstaff Arizona

After our stop, we sped back on the course. Robb was cooking along really well and apparently rested well, and it took us a while to catch up so we could make the rider exchange to Tony.  

We heard from his crew that the heat was getting to him a bit so we were really working hard to catch up. 

The traffic on this particular Hwy was really bad with lots of trucks so it took us a while to catch up. Once we did, we made the exchange as we rolled closer to Hope Arizona. 

The Arizona desert really starts getting beautiful at this point on the course and it just keeps getting better....and tougher...until you reach Flagstaff and the cool altitude. 

We went through Hope and headed for the next Time Station in Congress Arizona.

It was really starting to get warm now and approaching 100 degrees. The dryness really takes a lot out of you also. 

After passing Hope and on the road to Congress, we stopped for supplies and a bathroom break at a local gas station. Robb was doing his pull on the bike and we were waiting for him.

This is where we needed to communicate better between our crews. We saw Roberts crew vehicle stopped in the same gas station near the road at the exit. We assumed they knew we were there waiting and that they would take Robert off the bike and Tony would roll. We had him ready.

 Well....Robert just flew by and the next time we looked up, his van was gone. One of the crew was in the bathroom so we had to wait for them before we could head out. Tony could have rolled since he was waiting for Robert. 

 Robb was getting toasted out there and we felt terrible as we sped to catch up. 

Then, we had a really hard time finding a place to turn out to make the exchange.

When we saw Robb, he looked ok. They had been dowsing him with ice water and he had a cooling vest on. He was just drenched. 

It was during this stretch between Hope and Congress that, after talking to their coach, we made the decision to take a sleep/rest break in Congress and start back up when it was starting to cool down. 

It was about 2 pm when we got into the Congress time station. We planned to roll out about 4. 

We really didn't get all that much rest there but it was a good break for the guys. It allowed them both to recover a bit. 

Next came a real challenge, Yarnell Grade!!

It really had not cooled down much and was still above 100 degrees as Robert took the first pull up the grade.

Yarnell Grade is about 7 miles, I believe, and not an easy climb, especially on a fixed gear. 

We made a few exchanges on the way up to the summit and the guys did great. I think the break did them well. They both killed it but it was a real suffer-fest!!

Next up was Skull Valley and a really tough climb in that section. It was really a beautiful area though. I did not get to see this section during my past RAW and RAAM races since it ended up during my rest period on both.

The boys did great through here as the sun started to set. 

Robb was on the bike as we entered Prescott Arizona. We needed to make a stop for supplies at the time station which was located at the local Walmart. 

A funny thing happened on route over the past hours with our rental crew vehicle. It is a Mercedes Diesel and we got a notification from the computer that fuel additive needs to be added soon and that we only had 10 more starts of the engine! We were hoping that the Walmart auto dept. would have the correct additive and they did. Tony was sleeping in the van as the girls went in for supplies and, hopefully, the additive. I drove around to find a good spot to park for the beast we were driving. 

Luckily they had the correct stuff and we were on our way.

Robb passed us while we were in the store. We followed the route and caught up to him and his crew on the Hwy not too far from our turn toward Jerome. 

We waited at the turn and made the exchange to Tony.

Next up was Mingus Mountain, a long 12-mile climb to the summit and an equally long descent down to the quaint and amazing town of Jerome. 

Jerome is a really cool town which is, sort of, built into the rocky side of the mountain. Too bad we went through at night. 

Robb did the descent through Jerome and into the Cottonwood area.

Tony took it in Cottonwood and we made a wrong turn. For some reason, the Ride With GPS navigation file for this section gave us the wrong directions. Tony was starting a climb that we all thought had him on his way to Sedona. 

Good thing for text messaging!!!!

We got a text from our friend Phil on Robert's crew telling us that he noticed on the tracking site that we were on the wrong road.

Luckily they caught it when they did. We were less than a mile from where the turn mistake was. We put Tony in the van and took him down to where we went off-course. 

NOW... we were on the climb to Sedona.

Sedona and Red Rock Canyon are a spectacular place and crazy tourist attraction.

Once at the high school in Sedona, everyone in the race is required to shuttle their rider to the summit of the 30-mile climb. The shuttle distance is about 20 miles. 

This was done due to the traffic jam it would cause if riders and crew were going up through this section at such a slow speed. With all the tourists and local traffic, it would be crazy and unsafe. 

We went through in the middle of the night but it would be a whole different story during the day in this area. 

The boys worked well on the long climb to the high school with Robb being the last one on the bike. We hurried up the shuttle route with Tony and waited at the parking lot on the summit.

It was a narrow and winding road and not an easy climb, even in the vehicle. 

We waited at the top for Robb and his crew. Tony was having some stomach issues and trying to recover. 

When they reached the top, and Robb had a good rest on the drive up, he took the descent into Flagstaff so Tony could recover a little more. 

It was a long and beautiful road down into the town of Flagstaff. The 12-mile descent into town is nice and wide and no cars in the wee hours of the morning. We figured that Robb was going to love this descent. It did get pretty chilly in the mountain air though. At around 7,000 feet, it was around 43 degrees in town when we got there. I think it was warmer at the top of Red Rock Canyon!

When we got the text message that Robert was a few miles from the time station, we got Tony ready.

Day 3: Flagstaff to Durango Colorado

The distance to the next time station was 75 miles. 

Tony wanted to take much of it and give Robb a good rest. He was feeling much better once he got going. 

Tony ended up doing a really good chunk of it and switched off with Robb a little before the turn to Tuba City in the Navajo Nation.

At the turn on Hwy 160 which is the "Navajo Trail", we were required to do "Direct Follow", even in daylight. 

We put Tony back on the road here for the climb from Hwy 89 heading toward the time station in Tuba City. We then switched off to Robb who took it to the time station. 

We needed fuel so we sped up to the time station. We also used this opportunity to put the fuel additive in the vehicle engine.

From here we made it across the Navajo Trail for the next turn in Kayenta which is the doorway to Monument Valley. 

It is a 71.8-mile stretch of road that had a lot of car and truck traffic at the time we were on it. It was not fun, especially since we had to be in direct follow mode with our riders. 

The final stretch was a 19-mile descent into town with a tailwind. 

Tony wanted that so we put him on his descending bike for this stretch. He crushed it, but it was not all a descent. Some kickers in there were tough with the gearing he had on that bike. 

We rolled into Kayenta and Robert was all ready to go. He rolled out into what was now a crosswind from his left. It was very very windy and dusty. We picked up some supplies and gas at the time station and then rolled out for our next exchange. 

They were working on the road and had traffic shut down for a bit. There was only one lane in operation so they had a follow car guiding people through about a 5-mile section. We waited for quite some time and thought that Robb was going to catch up with us. 

Once we got through and traffic was normal, we hit an intense dust storm!! You could barely see ahead and the view of Monument Valley really sucked at that point. 

We found one of the few spots to pull over and waited for Robb. I would say, it was a 45 mph gusting crosswind at this point, with a little bit of tailwind mixed in. 

Margaret and I got out to get the bike off and get Tony set up for his pull. The dust was terrible. This red, fine, dust just inundated everything. We wore face coverings when we went out but the dust took a toll immediately on our eyes. In fact, Margaret immediately had some sort of allergic reaction to the dust in her eyes she had never had before. It was intense and we were all worried. Luckily some Benedryl and a wet compress on her eyes did the trick after about an hour. We were very worried about our crew chief for a while. 

We got Tony out on the bike. The dust was intense for about 15 minutes but then things changed. 

I think we were below some wind tunnel canyon when we had the dust storm. It, all of a sudden, calmed down to a mild tailwind and the views got much better. It also started to cloud up and looked a little like thunderstorms forming. We did not have any rain but heard later that people behind us had rain and pretty intense hail through the same area. 

We handed off to Robert, a few miles before Forest Gump Hill. He descended the hill and then did the little climb where the viewpoint was. It was incredible. All the tourists at the viewpoint were cheering him on and doing the wave as he summited. Fun times!

Forest Gump Hill

We soon headed to Mexican Hat and the long descent to the time station. Tony took the descent and the little, but very tough, kicker to the time station gas station. 

Tony descends to Mexican Hat. A white knuckler!!

The Mexican Hat

Next up was some more of the beautiful colored desert terrain and rolling climbs taking us toward Montezuma Creek, Utah,  and the next time station. The distance was about 40 miles. 

We were getting close with only about 94 miles to go, once we reached the time station in Montezuma Creek. The sun was starting to set as we passed Montezuma Creek time station.

The next section which took us to Cortez Colorado, a distance of around 50 miles, just seemed endless. The first section which was just before sunset was really nice. After dark, it seemed like endless climbing, and seemed like we were going in circles because the terrain just looked the same for so long. 

It seemed to take forever.

We missed a turn toward Hovenweep National Monument and had to turn back. We then stopped at the turn to mark the turn for Robb and his crew. It was so easy to miss!!

We knew we were getting close to Cortez when we saw that airport from up in the hills. 

Robert was really riding strong at this point and seemed to be getting an incredible second wind this late in the race. He had such bad heat-related problems riding through the desert. This was really great to see as he pounded the hills into the night. 

After leaving the checkpoint in Cortez, we went up ahead for quite some time to find a good spot to pull over where we would make the exchange. We really thought it would take Robb a long time to reach us. Before we were ready, all of a sudden, there he was with his crew in tow. He really climbed that section fast! 

It was now starting to rain some and the wind was picking up pretty strong. It felt like thunderstorms were on the way.

I think they switched one more time. Tony took the descent into Durango and then we all stopped so the boys could ride in together to the finish. 

They had a great finish with over 4 hours to spare before cutoff time.

They set a new course record for 2-person fixed gear.

A huge CONGRATS to Tony and Robert.

200 Quest: The Grand Tour Double Century. (The final chapter)

 

Little did I think back in the mid-80s when I did my first double-century, that I would be able to accomplish 200 doubles in my lifetime. After all, I did say "I am never doing this again", after my first one, which just happened to be this one in 1987, The LA Wheelmen Grand tour.

 Go figure....look at me now. 

My plan was to do my 200th in 2024 but my health had other plans. While supporting some friends on an ultra-marathon race in June of 2024, I caused a compression fracture in my lumbar spine area by lifting a heavy ice chest in a wrong manner. 

To make a long story short.....I thought that it was just a pulled muscle and just had a sore back. 

I was fine to do a The Wheelmen Double-Double Century at the end of June in 2024. I didn't Blog about this event because it just was not that fun since my back bothered me so much.  

I got through the 300 mile first day just barely and  after the 100 mile second stage, ended up with severe stenosis in both legs which really hindered my standing and walking. (my legs would go completely numb when walking more than 5 minutes.) 

I really believe that I aggravated the fracture so much that I did it to myself by doing that event. If I had known I was riding with that serious of an issue, I would not have done it. 

After many tests, spinal x-ray and MRI, they found the compression fracture in the L4-L5 area. The nerves were badly being pinched in that area and there was a lot of arthritis also. 

I had spinal surgery in November and was off the bike for about 3 months. I was walking and hiking right away but couldn't bike. I ended up gaining about 15 pounds all in the wrong area. Around my waste. 

I set the goal to work hard and get enough recovery so I could finally do my 200th Triple Crown event at the Grand Tour at the end of June 2025 on the same event, one year later. It would be my first double century in a year. I think I may have been able to get through one of the earlier events but I wanted to train properly for it, plus, it is close to home so my family and friends could come out.

I used a structured training plan leading up to the event and did not push it, getting plenty of rest along the way. 

Event Day

I finished my training period two weeks from the start of the event and tapered well with plenty of rest.

Port Hueneme, where the event is started from, is only about 40 minutes from my house, so I drove in to the start.

First 40 mile loop

We all started with a large group at 5am. We had a group of around 35 riders starting with us.

My crazy fixed gear friend Robert offered to pull me all day. What a great guy, but I was a little apprehensive about trying to stay with him at my age. He is just a young kid. He assured me that he would slow down for me if necessary and wait at the top of the hills. (I'm not a strong climber, especially now!) 

Another brother in arms, Tony also came out on his fixed gear to ride with me. This would be only his second ride on outside roads since he did the 860 mile Race Across the West with Robert as a two man fixed gear team last year. (He trains indoors on rollers.) Tony did RAW solo on his fixed gear in 2018, I believe. Tony was our crew chief when we did RAW in 2014. He was also my crew at my solo Silver State 508 in 2016 along with my friends Victor and Ellen.

My buddy Tony giving me a hand. 

My friend Ron did the first loop with us before he took off on the highland course. Ron did my 100th double with me back in 2011. Rode with our group all day that year and documented our finish with a great video. I wish I could find it. We almost crashed the tandem riding into the parking lot at the finish on a speed bump. 

We did the first loop really fast, averaging around 18 MPH on the flat roads. There was only one hill on this first loop and my friend Tony, on a fixed gear bike, pushed me up most of it giving me a big boost. It was something. I caught up to the group on the descent just as we hit Las Posas Road.

We made it back to the first rest stop at 40 miles really fast where we all topped off our water and got some food. 

Some of the group did not stay long and some stayed a little longer. We now had a little smaller group which was fine.  

Port Hueneme to Moorpark       40-66.2 miles

After a short rest, we headed out to check point 2 in Moorpark, about 26 miles down the road with some gradual climbing along the way. 

The temps were still pretty cool but the sun came out as we headed inland to Peach Hill Park in Moorpark. It got pretty warm and ended up a little off the back when we did the final climb out of the Santa Rosa Valley. They all waited for me though. 

We arrived at the park at around 9am. 

It was awesome. My wife, our two amazing daughters, my son in law, and my grandkids were all there cheering me on. It was GREAT!!

From left to right: Tony, Robert, Granddaughter, little Isla Jade, Me, Ginny, Grandson Mateo, my daughter Nicole, her husband Matt, my oldest daughter Cherisse (Isla's mommy)

Thanks for the nice picture Cher!!

     Moorpark to Ventura  66.2-90.3 miles

On  the next stretch it was mainly flat to slightly down hill till the next rest stop in East Ventura.

We made it in pretty short order but I was pretty tired by the time we got there. We lost my buddy Tony somewhere along this stretch. Turned out he got a flat. We waited for him at the rest stop and he showed up a short time later. I needed the rest anyway. It felt so good.

Ventura to Ojai        90.3-113.6 

Next stop Ojai, and the most climbing on the route. It is also the warmest part of the ride, sometimes reaching 106 degrees Fahrenheit climbing to town. 

At one point, my friend Tony disappeared again. Robert went back to see what happened and couldn't find him. He finally called him and it turned out he had more tire problems and was going to get a ride to fix it then meet us later up in Carpentaria. 

I felt really good until we did the final climb up to Ojai. It slowed me down a bit and I started to feel a slight onset of cramps. To avoid this, I slowed down and drank down a small bottle of pickle juice. It worked wonders and I did not have any cramp issues. I rolled into Ojai feeling toasted a bit but all in all pretty good. 

At the park in Ojai we took about a one hour break. I had a great ham and cheese sandwich with lots of mustard and a Pepsi. I felt pretty good but I knew with the warm temps, that I would not be able to push too hard in the headwinds getting back to Ventura. Even though it was mostly  downhill, its still tough when you have a headwind blowing up the hill like it does on this part of the course. 

Ron heading up into Casitas Springs

Casitas Springs. The birthplace of Johnny Cash

Robert and Ron goofing off.

    LUNCH!!

My friend and team mate from the Hoodoo 500 team Wise Owls, David. 

Ojai to Carpentaria   113.6-144.1

This stretch was tough for me. I think I was right in thinking that the food in my stomach was going to take a long time to digest and slow me down, making me sluggish. I felt good with no stomach issues, but I just didn't have any  power left in the legs. I think my body was just trying to digest the food and my legs were paying for it. I think it is really related to my age. My metabolism has slowed down so much in the last few years. I dont seem to need as much fuel when riding, allowing me to go longer distances at a steady pace, but I just dont recover as fast after putting more fuel in the body, especially solid food.

I really had a hard time staying with my group heading down to Ventura. I kept getting dropped on the very easy climbs in the headwind. I couldn't stay on their wheel and would burn myself out trying to catch up. I was toast once I reached the coast so when we got on PCH heading north, I just let them go and dialed it back to my training pace. Luckily there was not too bad of a headwind heading to the next checkpoint. It was more of a crosswind. It wasn't too bad.  

The kicker climb up to the checkpoint toasted me but I made it. I took a good break and talked with friends who were there before heading north to Summerland and the turn-around point. 

Carpentaria to the finish        144.1 - 190

After the final checkpoint, we made a short ride into a slight headwind up to the south side of Santa Barbara area. A town called Summerland. From there we turned around a little short due to construction which made the ride about 4 miles shorter which was fine with me. 

At the fire station about ready to roll.

Nice tail wind at this point. Look at the flag in the background.

We now had a great tailwind and we were hoping it stayed that way. It was not particularly strong but it was great, none the less. 

The rest of the ride was just a fun cruise down the coast. I was feeling much better and had no problem cruising at the pace my friends were setting. We made one short stop at the Sea Cliff Fire Station to top off our water and use the bathroom before heading for home. 

Our final trek took us back through Ventura, Oxnard and Channel Islands Harbor, before finishing in Port Hueneme. 

We rolled in to the finish in daylight at a little after 7pm. 

I was feeling great at the finish with all the fanfare. My friends had set up a party with cake, pizza and all kinds of goodies. 

My friend Quynh presented me with this awesome plaque that he made. Thanks buddy!!

And a cake!!

Teresa and Kermit. A couple very special people.

I cannot tell my friends enough, how much I appreciate them. It was amazing!

Thank You to everyone who came out to ride with me on this very special day and to all those who came to the party afterwards. It really means a lot to me. 

A big thanks to Teresa (Tiger), Kermit, Ira and everyone with the LA Wheelmen,  who helped  organize this very special day.

I have said it before and I will say it again. 

The best thing about the ultra-cycling community is the people you meet along the way!!

200 Quest 2024. (Part 3) #197. The Hemet Double Century

 

Rolling back to the finish at sunset

Next on the agenda was The Hemet Double Century. Last year this ride was pretty brutal. Due to storm damage on the second loop, we had to do the 111-mile, more urban, first loop twice in a row.

I was not planning to do this double this year. As mentioned in my last story, I did not complete the Mulholland Double so I had to make one up.

Like last year, I decided to pre-ride the course and then staff the ride on event day.

I got to Hemet plenty early and got much rest the night before.

I started my ride at around 3 am to try and beat the early morning rush hour traffic through the Marino Valley and Corona areas. It worked out great.

It was cool the whole first lap but the course was not fun due to the amount of stoplights. I did miss all the traffic going through the Moreno Valley and Corona areas.

The section of Highway 74 was really bad. At every concrete section where there was a bus stop, there was a big asphalt berm where the asphalt met the concrete. It felt like hitting a curb and was so bad at some points that you had to jump it, or you would get thrown off the bike. I am glad that the event does not go through that area at night. It could be disastrous for some riders.

There were not really any things to take pictures of on the first loop. Most of it is new development except for Temescal Canyon.

I finished the first loop around 11 am and took a 30-minute break back at the hotel.

The only issue I had was my asthma. Right from the start I could not breathe well. I believe it was the amount of pollen in the air in this large farm area. Once the air warmed up a bit, my breathing improved but I did not feel quite right the whole first lap.

I started the second lap feeling pretty good.

The second lap is another loop that goes immediately to the south and climbs up Sage Road, taking you the back way to Temecula from the east.

Heading up the lower slopes of Sage Road

It doesn't look like you are climbing but the gradient is about 3% at this point. 

I had forgotten how steep and warm this climb could be. The last time I did it was in 2019 with my friend Quynh on my tandem bike.

This year I just took it easy but the heat got to me. Even though it was only in the 70’s in the air, I was reading close to 90 degrees on my computer due to the radiant heat coming off the road.

My heart rate was getting a bit too high which I have to watch now. I just crawled real slow in my lowest gear over the top and was then rewarded with a nice and cool descent to the turn toward Temecula. That helped me recover very nicely.

This section was nice and beautiful. The temps were cool with a nice breeze from the west. There were a few steep kicker climbs into the wine country. I just geared down and spun those easy gears.

Check out that kicker, would ya!!

Some really cool road art heading into Temecula

I made it relatively quickly into Temecula. The traffic was bad but once I got into town, there were pretty good bike lanes on most of the roads.

Once out of Temecula, I started my northwest ride toward the north end of Lake Elsinore. This is where the turnaround is.

This next stretch was not very pleasant and I entered one of those mental doldrums. Sort of brain fog. I had a headwind much of the way on Grand Ave heading into Elsinore.

Once in Elsinore, to make matters worse, the new high school was letting out and it was total gridlock.

It took me 20 minutes to get through the traffic because of construction at the turn into town before the turnaround.

I stopped at the 7-Eleven for a coke and water then attempted to get back on the road in the opposite direction. I could not even make it across the street due to the traffic. Someone finally let me cross. I then had to walk my bike through the construction zone due to the narrow road, construction barriers, and traffic. It was nasty and I think it took me 45 minutes just in that area including my stop for water.

I then had the pleasant surprise of a tailwind all the way southbound on Grand to my next turn, and it helped me recover. I was feeling good again.

On the way back to Hemet via Murrieta Hot Springs and Menifee areas, traffic was heavy in Murrieta in the late afternoon, while driving over Interstate 15. 

I completed the final climb out of the area and headed back towards Hemet on the main Highway after making the turnaround at the last rest stop.

It is really hard riding by yourself when all you have to look at are traffic lights, cars, and houses. It is so boring. 

The main expressway leading back to Hemet was quite nice with a crossing tailwind, but there was a lot of traffic heading back to town.

Heading east towards the finish, the sun sets behind me while the distant snowcapped mountains remain barely visible.

I got in a little after 7 pm. 

"My riding time was quite slow due to the frequent stops I had to make at the traffic lights. I found it difficult to get into a steady pace. Upon reflecting on my earlier rides on this course, I noticed that my average speed was much faster in the past due to the roads being less crowded."

Strava Link HERE 

At the finish, people were starting to check in for the event on Saturday. The first person I ran into was my friend Tony who was loading the trucks for the event. He told me I was sharing a room with him and he gave me a key.

I hung around a bit and talked, then went to my room for a much-needed shower and attempted to get to sleep.

My engine was still running and I could not start getting sleepy until around 10 pm. Go figure. I was wide awake. I had to get up at 4 am to head to man my rest stop, which was supposed to open at 5am for the early starters. 

My asthma was really bad as soon as I got up in the morning and I needed the inhaler! I have not needed to use it in about 4 months. It was pretty bad.

Once I was on the road and at my rest stop, I was feeling better.

Ariel and I at Checkpoint 1

I worked the rest stop, saw many friends riding the event, and then followed the course driving SAG Support.

 I stopped along the way and visited friends at a couple of other rest stops before heading home.

Jed, Bob, and I at Checkpoint 3

Although I don't enjoy the Hemet course anymore due to the urban expansion that has occurred since the early 90s, I decided to ride it regardless. I considered it good training for future events and wanted to assist with the event, so I thought I might as well pre-ride the course. Thankfully, it turned out to be alright.

On the agenda next is the Grand Tour Double-Double Century scheduled for the end of June. 

Before that, I will be crewing for my friends Robb and Tony who will be participating in The Race Across the West (RAW) on fixed-gear bikes. The journey spans around 960 miles through the southwest region, starting from Oceanside California, and concluding at Durango Colorado. It's going to be an epic adventure!.

 

 

200 Quest 2024 (Part 2)

 Little did I think back in the mid-80s when I did my first double-century, that I would be able to accomplish 200 doubles in my lifetime. After all, I did say "I am never doing this again", after my first one. Go figure....look at me now. 

As I write this, I am already over the 200 mark but they are not all official "California Triple Crown" double centuries. I have completed 197 California Triple Crown Doubles including the one I am writing about here.  

My hope is to finish the final 3 in 2024.

I am not quite sure where my 200th will be at this point but I hope to do it before the Triple Crown Awards Breakfast in September. I want to do it close to home so my family and my friends can be a part of the ride. 

First up for the year, and completed, was The Camino Real Double. My plan to do The Mulholland Double this year fell by the wayside as I only finished the first-century portion of it. I just wasn't feeling it, so I called it quits early. 

                                                                                                    Solvang Double Century 

                                                                                            (John Clare Memorial Spring Edition)

I have done The Solvang Spring Double countless times over the years, from its inception back in the 90's. I lost count of how many I have done. 

The latest route starts in Buellton California and goes east through Solvang at the start in the early morning. It then goes through the area again at the finish while going back to Buellton.

This year we had rain at the start and scattered throughout the day. 

I opted to start at 5am since I am not that fast anymore and didn't want to finish too late in the evening. 

Getting ready to roll in the rain

Buellton to Checkpoint One

It was raining pretty well at the start but was forecasted to stop about an hour after the start. 

My ride did not start out too well! In fact, it started out REALLY BAD!

While I was riding through the dark and rainy road, just a little over a mile from the starting point, I suddenly hit a pothole or some sort of debris on the road. The impact caused me to crash violently. I was thrown into the curb on my right and then was propelled through the air along with my bike, and landed in a deep ravine beside the road. During those few seconds, I was thinking that I might break some bones upon landing.

I believe that I was fortunate to have some guardian angels watching over me. I say this because I had a bit of a hard landing, but thankfully the bushes below helped cushion my fall. Although I was hurt when it happened, I am grateful that the outcome was not worse. I thought my day was ruined before it even began, but it turned out okay in the end.

Someone helped me get my bike back up to the road since it was too steep for me to carry it up to the road myself.

I checked the bike out, fully thinking it was trashed, but it was in good shape. The only thing I lost in the crash was my helmet mirror. It was buried in the bushes somewhere. 

Upon feeling stiffness and soreness in my back and neck, I contemplated riding back to the start to DNF (did not finish).

After some consideration, I made up my mind to take it easy on the course for a while. My plan was to assess how I felt when I arrived at Foxen Canyon Road, where we were supposed to turn right and make our way to Santa Maria. This would be the point where I would make a crucial decision - whether to turn left and head back to the starting point or continue on with the ride.

After facing a few stops and losing some time, I decided to continue on with my journey. While my body was sore, I didn't experience any negative sensations in my limbs. I rode cautiously up the Foxen climb before reaching the first checkpoint, which was about 38 miles away. The rain had ceased, and the sky was clearing up. However, the road was still muddy and wet.

I quickly took some Ibuprofen, filled my water bottles, and hit the road, still feeling a bit stiff.

It seemed that news of my accident had started to spread among the rest stops, as everyone there seemed to already know about it. As I have a lot of acquaintances in the ultra community, word had apparently gotten around. Many people were surprised to see me arrive at the rest stops despite the accident.

Checkpoints One to Two

The next section of the ride was really nice. 

After getting past all the muddy mess in the farm areas, we headed up Bull Canyon to Hwy 166. 

Bull Canyon was a stunning location. Once we reached the top, we enjoyed a smooth descent towards a road that runs parallel to Highway 101, leading towards San Luis Obispo. This stretch of road was equally picturesque, with a few rain showers that only slightly brushed past us.

"I regret not bringing my camera due to the forecast of heavy rain. I managed to take a few pictures with my phone, but it was difficult with my full-fingered gloves on. I had to stop and take off my gloves to capture an image. Unfortunately, something happened that put me in a mental funk, which is unusual for me."

I spent a lot of time riding by myself and passing other people during this stretch. I also got passed by the really fast people who had started at 5;30 and 6 am behind me. Some of them were just flying in big, fast, pace lines. 

I stopped to strip all my rain gear off at this point and was passed by my friend Kevin Walsh. He had heard also of my crash and asked me about it. I have known Kevin since the very early days before the Triple Crown. We used to do the old doubles together back in the 80s and early 90s. Despite some health setbacks, Kevin is still one of the fastest guys out there on the circuit. 

I made a quick stop at the second checkpoint and headed out on the loop around San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Obispo Loop

The loop went out toward Morro Bay on Hwy 1 before turning south at Cuesta College. 

It was an easy climb over the hills to Los Osos and back to the checkpoint, which served as our lunch stop. 

The weather appeared threatening to the east, and I hoped it wasn't raining during lunch.

The hills above Cuesta College

The hills above Cuesta College

The hills above Cuesta College

Checkpoint 2 and the lunch stop were held at Adam Bramwell's house. Chuck Bramwell, Adam's dad, is the head of the California Triple Crown Double Century Series. I have known Chuck and his son Adam for many many years. Chuck and I rode the very first Triple Crown Doubles together back in the early 90's. Chuck's kids used to play with mine at the rest stops in Death Valley while our wives manned the checkpoints. Those were some great days!!

Also manning checkpoint 2 and the lunch stop were my friend Memo and his wife. Thanks so much to ya'all who took such good care of us!!

Lunch stop

Adam Bramwell and I at the lunch stop. He used to fly kites in Death Valley with my daughters when he was little.

During lunch, I spotted the man who assisted me in getting out of the ravine earlier in the day when I crashed. He was amazed to see that I was still riding despite the accident. Unfortunately, I didn't get his name, and I wish I could thank him properly in this story.

I talked to Adam for a bit at lunch, had a sandwich and some more Advil, and rolled after about a 45-minute stop. 

It was now off to the coast at Shell Beach before heading back inland. 

Lunch to Guadalupe

I was all by myself again for about 20 miles after lunch. I had passed many of the early starters as they were still at lunch when I left. I still had some of my friends ahead of me. I was not sure whether I would catch them at the slow pace I was going. I just kept it steady knowing about the nasty climbs coming up after Shell Beach. 

Allow me to share some details regarding the upcoming section.

 The most challenging part of the ride is right after departing from Shell Beach. I remember it vividly from the 2022 event when I participated with my friend Margaret on my tandem bike. It was the first time they had included this segment in the course.

We climb into the Arroyo Grande area through the coast mountains entering the area on Price Canyon. We turned onto Ormonde Road, a beautiful climb that resembles a rainforest with oak trees and mossy areas.

As we turned onto Noyes Road, 🤔 I realized that we were on the same road where we had an unexpected experience while riding the tandem bike back in 2022. The road is approximately 7-tenths of a mile long and has a steep incline of around 12-16% 😰. This climb was extremely challenging for me, as my back was sore from the previous crash, making it difficult to get out of my saddle 🤕. I had to take a break once to stretch and replenish my electrolytes 💦.

 After conquering the steep climb, there is a 10% grade on Hwy 227, which is followed by a pleasant and long descent towards the town. I felt great during the descent and even managed to pass three people who had previously overtaken me while I was stopped during the challenging climb.

After climbing up onto the large mesa, we could see the Oceano and Guadalupe areas below.

There is a rolling road in this section with a few short climbs. Then, it descends into the farmlands and reaches the quaint town of Guadalupe and the checkpoint.

As I was climbing up the steep slope towards the mesa, I caught up with my friend Ron Ng. Ron and I completed my 100th double century together back in 2011 on The Grand Tour Double. He was riding behind me when I had the accident and witnessed it firsthand. Ron was accompanied by his friend David, who also happened to be one of the official photographers for last year's Carmel Valley Double Century.

We all chatted a bit at the Guadalupe rest stop with our friends Shelby and Evan who were running the stop. 

Guadalupe to Los Alamos

Together, we left for the next stop in Los Alamos with a steady tailwind. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was still a tailwind.

I was still in some pain from the crash and pretty stiff at this point. I took some more anti-inflammatories and just rolled easy with Ron on this whole next stretch.

 We just took it easy all the way to Los Alamos. 

On the final stretch to the stop, we had an amazing rainbow right in front of us. This meant some rain ahead.

We experienced a brief rainstorm mixed with hail for about 20 minutes which stopped just as we arrived in Los Alamos.

Ron took this picture of the rainbow rolling toward Los Alamos. Great shot Ron!

This is the stop with the Ramen Soup. Nothing tastes better at this point on a ride than a cup of hot soup with a lot of sodium in it. It just rejuvenates you!

I guzzled one down as fast as I could and filled my water bottles for the final 25 miles or so, and we were off. 

Los Alamos to the finish

Three of us rolled off together for the final climbs and descents to the finish. Ron, David, and I.

 Ron and David are both from the Bay Area up north. This was David's second double century. He is a strong rider, especially on the climbs. 

We cruised up Aliso Canyon as it started to get dark and more clouds came in.

Aliso is a nice climb with a very nice, smooth road. 

After making a right turn back onto Foxen Canyon, we returned to Buellton. The climb up Foxen was steep but thankfully not too long. However, on the descent of the other side, we had to be extra cautious due to the potholes. It was particularly challenging in the darkness, so I took it slow and steady to avoid any accidents. On a positive note, there was no more rain, which was great news.

After the initial climb over Foxen, we had two more bumps to get over on the way to the finish. 

In the middle of the Foxen descent, lies the Foxen Wall. This is a short, steep wall, where Foxen Canyon Road veers left from Zaca Station Road.

I had a tough time climbing up this part of the road with my sore back.  However, I managed to make it over and now I have a nice, easy descent back down to Ballard Road. After that, there will be one more small climb left.

When we got to the summit of Ballard, I was only with David and we stopped for a bit for Ron. It was starting to rain again so we kept rolling cautiously in the dark dodging the potholes. 

Turns out that Ron had stopped to fix something with his lights and was quite a way back. He ended up getting hit with a downpour when he was on Ballard Road. 

We rolled into the finish around 9pm with no rain.

I was so beat that I just went up to my room, took a shower, and went to bed with only one Ensure Plus protein drink for dinner.

I actually slept pretty well after the crash and didn't experience too much pain. Although I was stiff, there was no serious pain in my ribs or intercostal muscles, which was great. I just had a stiff back. After returning home a few days later, the stiffness did get worse, but there was no significant pain. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that I was lucky to have some divine intervention on that day.

The following morning, I had a huge breakfast with my good friend Kevin Walsh at the local Danish Pancake House. It was so delicious!

A big thanks to Deb, Brian, and the crew at Planet Ultra for another great event. The support was great as usual. 

My stats for the ride:

• 192.18 mi
  Distance
 
• 14:07:33
  Moving Time
 
• 8,538 ft
  Elevation
• 
  

Next up...The Hemet Double Century.