I was so sorry to hear today that our good friend, Lee Mitchell, known to us as "Fuzzy" was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and will begin treatment.  Our California Triple Crown community has Fuzzy's fan club here http://caltriplecrown.blogspot.com/2013/02/lee-mitchells-fan-club-page.html. 

I met Fuzzy in the same way that many of you have, by being saved by him, his music, and his red van.  I didn't finish the 2010 Davis Double, my first double attempt, but I learned a lot riding with Fuzzy back from Resurrection.  Like how he uses his music to let the riders know he's there if they need him.  And how he can bark at a rider who's forgotten to turn on his taillight or has a battery running low.  But mostly, how many riders know and love him and all he does for them.  Since that day I have met Lee here and there at the double century venues and at the 508, and have read his various guides on how to prepare for and ride long distance cycling events.  I wish Fuzzy wellness in his battle with cancer.

Triple Double

I'm two thirds the way through a three week span of 200 mile weekends after completing the SLO 300k this past Saturday.  At the pre-dawn start from Vickie's home we all talked about our plans for the year.  Not long into the ride I could tell that I felt well enough to find the pace at the front comfortable, and after the first info control made the short climb up from Avila Beach in the lead of the bunch.  We quickly found that Steve, Wade, myself, and two others that I had not met before, were willing to press on into the dawn at the front group.  We rode at a good pace, forming and reforming after the hills would break us up, until the flat section between the Nipomo Mesa, Guadalupe, and Los Alamos, where we formed a very efficient pace line.  I was very pleased to "run with the big boys" and use those pace line skills without the "bump and jostle" of most rando pace line groups.

After our stop at the Chevron in Los Alamos, Steve, Wade, and I made our ascent of my beloved Drum Canyon.  I took the point and gapped Steve by a few yards but he caught and passed me a few hundred yards before the top.  I picked up my pace, came up behind him, and we both passed over the cattle grate at the top side by side.  I think we were both pleased to have another rider to challenge.  I began the tough descent on the bumpy switchbacks; at one point running wide into the dirt, to which Steve exclaimed "whoa!" But as I reached the smoother straighter bottom section Steve was missing.  Sure enough, he had a water bottle shake loose and had to go back to retrieve it.

Steve and I had both discussed slowing our pace somewhat but I think Steve was really in his own realm, and I began to loose his wheel in the headwind along Purisima  Rd.  I caught him at the light at Harris Grade and we rode into the next stop at the Circle K.  Wade rode in a couple of minutes later and we quickly formed up to continue.  Just as we were leaving the next two riders were just arriving at the Circle K.  I was really thinking of slowing down my pace, and after riding up Hwy 1 and turning onto Santa Rosa Rd I drifted off the back.  I could also Steve was pulling away from Wade.

So I enjoyed my solo run along Santa Rosa Rd, through Buellton and Solvang (in the tailwind mostly) and stopped at Alamo Pintado.  Just saw Wade leaving and he said Steve was out ahead, so I was resigned to a solo run up Foxen Canyon - which was mighty windy.  I had remembered that the Sisquoc general store was closed so I made a stop in Los Olivos to get water - the place was over-run with tourists.  Into the Santa Maria valley, up Bull Canyon, and onward to the Nipomo McDonalds.  By this time I was pretty low on energy and the stop did me much good.  Jeff, Donado, and a third rider also caught me there but I was ready to go on.  I pressed ahead, much revived, up through Arroyo Grande and Corbett Canyon where I realized my headlight was not going to make it.  I called Vickie and she dispatched Bobbie with a headlight!  What a save!  So I was able to complete the ride, checking in about an hour behind Steve and Wade.  I am happy with that, feel great, and am ready for next weekend's Death Valley DC.  -  Oh, and BTW, I did ride both ways from my hotel to the start of the 300k so I do count that as 200 mi total. 

Overfed Leaping Gnome's photostream

Overfed Leaping Gnome's photostream on Flickr.

Waddya know, technology to do something for you!

Last Saturday I rode the Camino Real Double Century, my first double of 2013.  It was a beautiful day and the scene of it is taken from the top Newport Coast Dr at just about first light as I descend to Pacific Coast Highway.  There's just enough glimmer off the Pacific to see far-off Catalina Island in the crystal clear air.  Just later, at Dana Point, I stop at the top of Cove Rd to enjoy the broadening dawn as I am the first arrival at the mini-stop.  I only stop long enough for a hello and to shift off my windbreaker and viz vest and I plunge ahead just as the next group arrives.  Through the chill of Laguna Canyon and the winding neighborhood of San Clemente and onto the San Onofre Beach I paused, momentarily lost by the transition to the Old PCH rd, I unfortunately turn through 90 degrees and my Garmin instantly switches over to the return route, where I return through this same point.  Damn!  Now I have to stop the navigation, cycle the Garmin by re-loading the route, and re-starting from that point to put the Garmin back on-track.  So ends the dream-like ease of the ride.

I still lead into the first "official" checkpoint and gather a 4 of hearts card for my poker hand and a quick water refill, and I'm off again.  I am joined on the San Luis Rey River bike trail by a rider and we talk for a bit.  We make the transition from N. River Rd to Hwy 76 I see that the section of construction is complete, fantastic!  We ride together to the lunch stop, where we are passed along Camino Del Rey by the first of the "quick" group of later starters.  I make a quick work of lunch and head up Circle R Dr, giving Ann a quick call to let her know my progress.

Now my plan was to back off after turning onto Lilac Rd because I can't hold this pace and also can't finish before 14 hours.  So I sit up somewhat and get passed by the next "fast" group on the downhill towards the Maxwell memorial bridge, that beautiful span across I-5.  I labor somewhat along the climbs past Fallbrook because I am out of clean bottled water and have only the terrible "hose water" from the lunch stop, blech!  So I stop at the quick mart at Bonsall for fresh water and G-2, which I gulp down.  Much refreshed (but passed by several riders during the stop) I continue onward and catch some of those riders on the return trip down the bike path.  But at this point I am beginning to get a return of the asthma symptoms I remember from two years ago.

So through the mini-stop at Benet Rd, Oceanside, and the return trip up the I-5 to the CP3 stop (where I am still working on a hand of three hearts flush) I am limping somewhat on about half lung capacity.  The car exhaust will not let up over the next 30 miles as I make my way up to Trabuco Cyn.  I finally stop for half an hour at the Subway at the top of the hill after the aptly named "Hillcrest" and take a serious breather and lemonade!  This was very refreshing and I feel better as I make my way down Trabuco Cyn at sundown for the stop at CP3 and a nice cup of noodles!

So much refreshed I plunge into the dark, passing one rider and being passed by at least two, along Live Oak Cyn, Cooks Corner, and Santiago Cyn in the approaching starlight and city glow.  I really fell myself again and ride relaxed and easy into the finish with an elapsed time of 14 hrs:22 mins.  But I admit to Debra at the finish that I probably won't do the Camino Real again - it's just too urban. 

I guess I should admit it.  I have a passion for "classic" bikes.  In my terms that's 1960's to 1980's lightweight lugged steel frames, preferably hand-built here in California.  I have four that qualify, my 1975 Eisentraut Limited, my 1974 Masi Carlsbad Gran Criterium, my 1987 Tesch-Built Allez Team, and my 1988 Tesch-built Hwy-101.  I am a regular participant on the internet forums like bikeforums.org C&V and Classic Rendezvous Google Group.  I rode the 508 on my Eisentraut, long ago named "Gwaihir," hence my totem name "Great Eagle."  I hope to solo the 508 on my classic bike after I am 60 to attempt a record.

So today I rode the 74 Masi around my favorite local loop, called the "Three Canyons" ride.  From my doorstep it is 32.1 miles with about 3300 ft of climbing.  Looks like this.  It's a beautiful ride through some pretty country and is popular with AV riders and riders coming north from Santa Clarita.  It makes a pretty good test for gauging my physical status and also my bikes performance.  Today's ride was the third fastest of the 10 times I have recorded this ride.  I rode the 74 Masi, felt great.  But the odd thing is that my fastest recorded times on several courses have been with my 81 Allez.  Hmm.  I'll have to get that bike out more often.

Hello World

Hello world!

Well, not exactly.  I'm not new to the world, being 57 and all, but this is my new blog so I have to start it out somehow.  My old blog is here http://community.active.com/people/cobrapatrol/blog  just in case you can't read enough about an old cyclist who rediscovers riding endurance events.  So now I care about riding (and writing) just enough to put it here.  Some of my experiences and thoughts on randonneuring, wandering, new places and events in my life.  On various places on the web I am cobrapatrol, leaping_gnome, great.eagle.508, or just plain Jim #3.

So by way of introduction, I ride double centuries in the California Triple Crown series.  So far I have ridden the Davis Double (my first DC attempt, which I abandoned at Resurrection), Solvang Spring and Autumn, Mt Tam, Camino Real, Tour of Two Forests, Central Coast,  Grand Tour (double and triple), and the Death Valley Spring.  I also ride with the PCHRandos and have achieved Super Randonneur status, riding various brevets in southern and central coast California.  And in 2012 I rode the Furnace Creek 508 as part of the two man team Great Eagle.  I plan to continue all these endeavors  and add a few more,  like the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association Year-Rounder.

So hopefully I can contribute a few more rides.