Commute 6/3 20.44
Sierra *Almost* Metric Century 60.00Weekly Total 104.80 -- 10th Century Distance
Hit my tenth century distance this week! Whoo-hoo!! Just 15 to go ... at least I am back on schedule. I have two more organized
rides for this month that will definitely have me on schedule. If I can squeeze in one more week, I'll be a week ahead. But, I am
putting the cart before the horse, just need to stay on track.
Yesterdays' ride was the Sierra Century, a local classic that is known for it's difficulty, no matter which county is hosting the event.
For the last three years they have been riding out of Rocklin, and they have not lost their edge, the full century has a 6500'
elevation change, the metric 3200'. With their new location they are not only riding through countryside I love, they are 20 minutes
from my house. A really big plus for me, I love that I don't have to get up before the sun to get to this ride.
I got a bit of a late start on Saturday, didn't hit the route until 8:30ish. Not really sure about the time because I broke my
computer the Sunday before when I washed my bike. I thought not having the computer to track mileage and time would really
bug me, but I actually liked it better than having the computer. I was not concerned about speed at all, just moved as fast or as
slow as I wanted. Without the mileage to track I didn't focus on how far to the next stop, and they seemed to come up quicker
than I thought they should have. I think when I do replace the computer, I am going to place it somewhere that I can't constantly
monitor while riding. It was very liberating to not be tracking the ride, but to just be enjoying it.
And, this is a good route to enjoy. The scenery along the way is beautiful, all the rain we have had this year has kept the foothills
from drying out as early as usual. The locals don't appear to have become irritated with the event yet, I did not encounter a motorist
that did not give riders space on the road. I hope the continues, it will be a shame if clubs have to stop sponsoring these events
because of local resident hostility.
The Wheelmen do a nice job, the rest stops are well stocked,
the volunteers a friendly and encouraging. 1st stop for the
ride is at Camp Far West.
Judging from the number of fishing boats on the road out there a popular fishing hole in the area. I arrived at 10 am, and it was already starting to feel hot. I checked out the map of the route they had up and got all excited when I saw that we were going to go DOWN Baxter Grade and not up it. Was feeling pretty good about that till a volunteer pointed out that in order to go DOWN Baxter Grade, I first had to go UP Mt Vernon Rd. He was a real buzz kill. I decided I needed to get moving, Mt Vernon was going to take me a while. I headed out to the next destination, the 2nd rest stop at Dono dal Cielo Winery on Wise Rd.
Mt Vernon Rd was difficult, at least for me. Lots of rollers leading up to 3.7 mile climb that never really levels out at any point, just up and up, you round a corner thinking it will level out and it is just going up again. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, and to be honest a 100 yard walk at one of the steeper points, I reached Baxter Grade and the downhill. Which was, honestly, anti-climatic. Baxter Grade, to me, seems to be much steeper coming up it than fast going down it. So, 4 miles after climbing for what seemed an eternity, I arrived at the 2nd rest stop.
The lunch was good, there was free wine tasting (wine was, well, not pleasing to my palate, but others seemed to be enjoying it). From lunch it is an easy 15 miles back to the finish. On the cruise back, I ran into one of Dan W's racy buddies, some woman in a Kinetic's kit, I did not get her name, but she was nice, enjoyed talking to her while she was willing to cruise at my speed.
I arrived back at the start around 1:15, had the after-ride dinner, listened to the band, and then headed on home. The dinner was a disappointment. It certainly looked good, it was hot and fresh, but flavorless. The penne pasta alfredo tasted like flour, the bread stick was doughy. The salad was okay. This is one area that the Wheelmen have always been lacking, the dinner. Every Sierra Century I have done, the meal has been so-so. I guess you can't have it all, can you?
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