Solvang Double Century Road Ride 2008
March 29th, 2008
It was a beautiful day of riding through the Central Coast, filled with vinyards, wildflowers, coastal
views and ocean breezes.
Mile 0, 5:40 AM
The ride started out at Solvang at 5:40 AM and went through the eastern Santa Yanez
valley via Foxen Canyon, along dozens of back roads through Santa Maria, Edna Valley,
and San Louis Obisbo, to Morro Bay, and looped back through Shell beach, Pismo beach,
Guadalupe, and Los Alamos. I started the ride at 5:40 AM and finished at 8:40 PM.
The course (with 6.5 miles of "extra credit" due to getting lost-- see Lost.jpg)
was just over 200 miles.
Mile 25
Heading up Foxen Canyon to the Fess Parker winery just after sunrise.
Mile 30
View of the Santa Barbara mountains from the top of Foxen Canyon.
Mile 70
Country roads make for difficult navigation at times. Thanks to this sign
I did 7 miles of extra credit! Combined with getting sick from the polluted
tap water at rest stop #1 I really felt like quitting at this point, but quitting
was not an option! Later I would meet a rider who had a saying that would be echoing in
my head later in the ride: EFI! "If I have to walk the last ten miles I will finish
this race" he said. "How? In your riding shoes? You can't walk in those." I responded.
Mr. EFI exlaimed, "I'll take them off and walk barefoot!"
Mile 100
After a strong headwind on PCH leading into Morro Bay (big thanks
to the tandem that let me draft 1/2 of the way) the skys opened up and shined down
on Morro Rock. From Morro Bay I scouted the harbor patrol office for my Uncle, who ends up was
camping and not in town, and I departed south via South Bay/Los Osos to checkpoint
#3 in SLO. It was low tide and the ride across South Bay was sunny and warm.
Mile 122
Riding through Shell Beach was amazing, and the 15mph NW tailwind
was nice too.
Mile 130
Pismo Beach.jpg Some goofly biker with Piso beach in the background. Took PCH all
the way through Pisomo to Guadalupe.
Mile 164
Vinyards.jpg Approaching Los Almos to checkpoint #5 via highway 135. Every mile
after this point up to checkpoint #5 seemed like 100 miles. The wineries and cattle
ranches seemed endless. Saddle soreness, numb feet, jello legs, aching wrists, neck,
and back, all seemed to blend together. Funny story: When I pulled off the road
to snap this photo two rednecks wearing quilted flannel jackets in a beat up '80s
Ford stopped next to me, and the passenger, who probably had been drinking, antagonized
"hey man, I question your sexuality with those tight shorts you're wearing." Dumbfounded
I replied "Sorry dude, but I don't have time to address your concern, I've been
riding since 5:40 AM this morning." The redneck's jaw dropped, he looked at his
buddy, who look back at him blankly, and after a few seconds replied cold sober
"holy ****. God bless you man!".
Mile 190
Sunset fell on checkpoint #5 as I pulled in for one final rest. The temperature
was dropping quite rappidly and a cup of warm soup was a real treat.
A few of the riders who had been struggling the last ten or so miles waited it out
for a ride back to the start. I wasn't going to quit being only a few miles from
the finish.
Before leaving I didn't have the foresight to put on my arm and leg warmers, figuring
I'd be at the finish in no time. Was I ever wrong. The next section of the ride
was a climb up "Bull Canyon". At the top of the last climb I popped a wheelie, eager
to begin the long bumpy decent back down to the main highway. The dropping temperature
and wind chill left me numb and even more exhausted by the time I reached the main
highway well past dark.
Mile 200.2
Finish.jpg Its finally over! And I have the bloodshot eyes to prove I did the whole
course and then some!
Although the official routesheet was only 193 miles, the 7 miles of extra credit
in Santa Maria makes for an even first double century.