umd

I'm considering this race for next weekend. Can anyone tell me anything about it? Anyone doing it?

esammuli

Pescadero is friggin awesome. I highly recommend it.

arexjay

I can tell you a lot about it!

It starts at a school and rolls out through downtown Pescadero, to a flat sprint point prime (only on the first lap I think, worth pennies). After this, you hit two short hills on Stage Rd., nothing that should drop you but it'll definitely get the legs burning a bit. First one is about 4 minutes, then you descend for a couple minutes, and hit the second ~2 minute climb of similar intensity. Both are probably 5-8% grades that pitch up at certain points. The descent is narrow but shouldn't be too sketchy, it's recommended to stay near the front, though, as there are a lot of blind corners, it's a narrow one-lane road and this road is open to traffic (there are usually 1 or 2 vehicles on the road throughout everyone's races, and police at each end persuade them to take a different route).

You then turn right onto 84, which usually has a bit of a tailwind (but this depends on the time of the day and the weather gods, and you can definitely end up with a headwind, usually never a crosswind). There are a couple rollers near the end of this road, but nothing noteworthy.

You then turn right onto Pescadero Creek Rd., where you hit the feed zone on a little rise in the road, then it turns flat and you turn right onto the main climb, Haskins Grade. This is about 7-8% and should take around 7 or 8 minutes to ascend. The finish is on top of this climb, but you do more than one lap so you'll first be descending this once or twice. The descent shouldn't be too tricky if you're near the front and aren't bad at going downhill, but there will invariably be a crash or two due to a couple sharp turns. Be aware. You then hit some rollers for a bit, the road opens up through some farms and there is a headwind. You then turn right again onto Stage Rd. and through downtown Pescadero again.


It's a beautiful area, the downtown is quaint and cool (make sure to get some Garlic Artichoke bread from the bakery, oh man), and the race itself is one of my favorites of the year. I'm peaking for it. It usually brings out some solid talent and is a semi-classic of the area. Highly recommended.

umd

Cool. What cat are you?

arexjay

E4

mattm

Great description, makes me want to try this race if I ever go down there.

MtnRide

It's basically a pile of awesome with a little bit of rad.

ericm979

It's a neutral rollout from the school through town on the first trip through. The sprint point is after town, before the climb. The number of sprints depends on the field as some fields do more laps than others.

I've been motorcycle marshal for this race since its my club that puts it on. There's usually some ranch trucks on the stage rd part heading the opposite direction to the race. We try to get them to move over before the field arrives but they don't always cooperate.

esammuli

This can't be overstated.

Ygduf

qft. buddy once rode with a bag of garlic artichoke break taped under his saddlebag for like 40 miles on a ride of ours which went through pescadero.

ElJamoquio

I've never had their garlic bread. Ygduf, do you think your friend can bring me some?

umd

I was hoping for a little more rad than that.

Signed up anyway, see you there

jmechy

I'm in on this one too, let me know if you want to carpool or split a hotel.

MtnRide

Sorry, it's not socal so things top out at a little bit of rad. In any case, it's one of the more beautiful courses in the district. Best of luck, I'll be shooting photos and stuff.

brianappleby

Watch out for the skeleton with the machine gun.

If you get a chance, pre-ride the part on the 1-lane roads. The descents can get a bit tricky, and they're a great place to gain or make up time if you know them well.

umd

No chance to pre-ride. Staying in Watsonville tonight, driving the rest of the way in the morning. This year will be my pre-ride for the future.

TMonk

My apt. mate is hitting this one followed by P/1/2 Nevada City the next day

arexjay

He's gone!

Just a heads up for those of you doing this race, on the second descent on Stage Rd. (the first two short climbs you hit on said one-lane road) has a couple gravel spots, one is on the apex of a turn.

ericm979

Machine gun dude was sold. It's now at a house on 84.
https://www.chainreaction.com/diary.htm
scroll down to 1/24/10 for the story.

umd

That was a good amount of rad, and the bread was orgasmic.

arexjay

this race solidified the fact that i'm a diesel up a hill, not a sports car.

esammuli

How did you do?

umd

Did ok, near the front the whole race. Field shattered on the final climb, got 25th of 73.

umd

How did you do?

umd

4.9 W/kg up the climb the first two laps, only managed 4.5 W/kg on the finish lap. I think once I lost the field I kinda gave up