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

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  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. Loop one 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
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200 Quest 2024 (Part 2)

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  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.             
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200 Quest 2024: Part One

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  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 official " California Triple Crown " double centuries. I have completed 194 California Triple Crown Doubles.   My hope is to finish the final 6 in 2024. First up for the year will be The Camino Real Double. I then hope to do Solvang, Mulholland, Tour of Two Forests or Hemet, and Grand Tour. This is the plan as I write this. CAMINO REAL DOUBLE CENTURY Like last year, I supported the event as a SAG driver. This year I worked the lunch stop. This year's event was a self-supported ride with only a lunch stop at mile 113. This was done because the course has become pretty hard to provide rider support with many areas that are on bike paths plus roads with traffic an
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6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships. (2023)

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  Borrego Springs   California is the location. Borrego is an amazing place to visit any time but it’s especially nice in October/November when the event is held.   This would be my 5th time doing this race. My first time was a solo tandem bike in the 60-69 tandem division, and the second time was 24 hour solo 60-69 division. In 2019 I did the 24 in the 2-mixed standard bike division with my friend Teresa, who was my tandem partner in 2016, and in 2022 I did solo 24-hour in the 70-79 division. It was quite the challenge in my 70s but I was able to surpass my goal of 300  miles and do 325 miles. The course is an 18-mile circuit with a pit area for support. The pit area is at the start/finish where the tracking device/lap counter is.  Whether you decide to do the 24, 12, or 6-hour event,  the idea is to get as many laps in as you can in your time period. At about 1.5 hours from the 5 pm finish, they put you on a short 4+ mile loop till finish time. That way racers will be able to be clos
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