Moonlight Magic Ride [Archive]

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Extort

01-03-07, 12:04 AM

Okay everyone, Planet Ultra has an event that they host every year during the light of the full moon, and I have it on my schedule....
but that might be the event that I have to bail on... looking at my schedule I might run out of vacation and energy and need a recovery weekend...

Therefore I wanted to find out if there was any interest in setting up one of our own. Drive out to the uninhabited areas, set up a start line and go...
here is a list (http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20061229/sc_space/fullmoonnamesfor2007) of all the dates available in 2007...

I figure that everyone will need some sort of stupid little headlight and taillight to stay legal, and I will bring along the larger headlights, but not use them very much... reflective jacket/vest would be helpful as well...

voltman

01-03-07, 12:06 AM

June 30, 9:49 a.m. EDT - The Full Strawberry Moon. Known to every Algonquin tribe. Europeans called it the Rose Moon.

Saturday, roll at 6:49!

jsigone

01-03-07, 12:09 AM

as long as it's not near freezing temps, I'm in.

We gonna ride off JUST the moon or can we use some of those cool strobe lights for our bikes?

cjbruin

01-03-07, 12:15 AM

I heard that the tradition is for all of the females to moon the males just prior to the start of the ride. I know I heard this somewhere.

voltman

01-03-07, 12:15 AM

So have I, in fact.

Brandy

01-03-07, 12:15 AM

I already told Tiff I wanted to do this one! OOPS! I didn't even read your whole post before I replied. Ummm...yeah, your idea sounds good too!

voltman

01-03-07, 12:17 AM

I already told Tiff I wanted to do this one! OOPS! I didn't even read your whole post before I replied. Ummm...yeah, your idea sounds good too!

You're talking about CJ's post, yes?

cjbruin

01-03-07, 12:18 AM

June 30, 9:49 a.m. EDT - The Full Strawberry Moon. Known to every Algonquin tribe. Europeans called it the Rose Moon.

Saturday, roll at 6:49!

Uh...wouldn't that be during the day?

voltman

01-03-07, 12:20 AM

Uh...wouldn't that be during the day?

Hey, it was on his list!

ronjon10

01-03-07, 12:21 AM

A good desert route would be pretty awesome in summer, temps get down to the 60's / 70's, even in J-Tree.

Indolent58

01-03-07, 12:22 AM

The Planet Ultra version starts in the afternoon and ends at 1AM. Are we talking about the whole ride being in the dark?

socalrider

01-03-07, 12:23 AM

This ride was similar to one years back called Mojave by Moonlight.. It went from Claremont to Calico Ghost Town.. The earlier version of this ride went over Cajon Pass.. Yes you had to ride on the freeway.. It was a trip.

Indolent58

01-03-07, 12:36 AM

chimivee

01-03-07, 12:55 AM

I've had this idea brewing to ride up to Santiago Peak under full moon. Chill at the top, and sip wine. Then switch on the lights for the descent. Mountain lions be damned. :D

merider1

01-03-07, 06:23 AM

I figure that everyone will need some sort of stupid little headlight and taillight to stay legal, and I will bring along the larger headlights, but not use them very much... reflective jacket/vest would be helpful as well...
:eek: But, but...I have to have my HID. :p Fine. Plan a fairly debris-less route and I'll consider a "stupid little headlight."

Scootcore

01-03-07, 09:25 AM

the moonlight magic route was totally debris-less....pretty amazing in that respect!!! this is a good idea though! just have to find a place without too many crazies on the road!!!

Grumpy Pig

01-03-07, 09:46 AM

Chartering a bus to Mt. Baldy Village and coming down GRR/GMR might be fun.

Pico

01-03-07, 10:04 AM

Chartering a bus to Mt. Baldy Village and coming down GRR/GMR might be fun.

Are kidding? You would be skipping the best part!:D

jsigone

01-03-07, 12:00 PM

I've had this idea brewing to ride up to Santiago Peak under full moon. Chill at the top, and sip wine. Then switch on the lights for the descent. Mountain lions be damned. :D

I'm down for that one:D

ronjon10

01-03-07, 01:25 PM

I figure that everyone will need some sort of stupid little headlight and taillight to stay legal, and I will bring along the larger headlights, but not use them very much... reflective jacket/vest would be helpful as well...

:eek: But, but...I have to have my HID. :p Fine. Plan a fairly debris-less route and I'll consider a "stupid little headlight."

I think he's volunteering to lead the paceline for the whole 100 miles. You the Man Extort!

merider1

01-03-07, 01:28 PM

I think he's volunteering to lead the paceline for the whole 100 miles. You the Man Extort!
:lol: In that case, he'd better bring the tow rope...:D

heddywouldgo

01-03-07, 02:04 PM

Suggested design for the Moonlight Magic ride jerseys...

http://www.magicunicorns.us/Index2/unicorn-moon.jpg

Extort

01-03-07, 02:21 PM

Suggested design for the Moonlight Magic ride jerseys...

http://www.magicunicorns.us/Index2/unicorn-moon.jpg

Could we replace the unicorn with a bicyclist doing a wheelie?

cjbruin

01-03-07, 03:00 PM

Suggested design for the Moonlight Magic ride jerseys...

http://www.magicunicorns.us/Index2/unicorn-moon.jpg

Wait. I thought this was supposed to be a ride. If we're playing Dungeons & Dragons, I'm changing my vote to "no".

Scootcore

01-03-07, 04:17 PM

Suggested design for the Moonlight Magic ride jerseys...

http://www.magicunicorns.us/Index2/unicorn-moon.jpg

i would kill to have that on the side of a van!!!! better yet, a mini van!!!

mateo44

01-03-07, 04:24 PM

If that unicorn was being ridden by a crying clown, I'd be much more into it.

Scootcore

01-03-07, 05:11 PM

If that unicorn was being ridden by a crying clown, I'd be much more into it.

thatd be pretty cool too!!!

Oleanshoebox

01-03-07, 10:12 PM

i voted 'sounds cool'.

sounds cool.

socalrider

01-03-07, 11:18 PM

The key for a long night ride is for it to happen during the full moon.. The Mojave by moonlight ride usually had temps in the 60-70's.. It was held in July..

chimivee

01-03-07, 11:29 PM

TrevorInSoCal

01-04-07, 12:46 AM

I've done the Mojave by moonlight a couple times. Both times I did it it started and ended in Victorville, and followed a loop to Barstow and back. I don't remember the exact route, but I remember National Trails Highway (Old route 66) being part of it. The first time out was my first ever organized century, and I went with a few friends. That time was pretty cool.

The last one, not so much. I couldn't talk anyone I knew into doing it, but really wanted to ride it so I went out there on my own. Got a bit of a late start (rolled up just as the back of the pack was rolling away), and the pack I fell in with was a little sedate for my tastes (I'd been putting in 200 mile weeks commuting plus mountain biking on the weekend and was in pretty good shape, and wanted to attempt a sub 5-hour century. I figured with a good group and a paceline, Mojave By Moonlight would be a good course to do it on.), so I figured there must be stronger riders up ahead and motored on. One older, but strong, gentleman went with me, and we had a pretty good pace going, swapping leads up to the rest stop 30 mi. out. At that point he told me to go on ahead 'cause he couldn't (or didn't want to) maintain the pace we were doing.

After that I didn't see another soul. I dunno where the rest of the riders were, but it was a pretty small turnout. The guy that was supposed to set up the second rest stop in Barstow got lost trying to find the park, and it was deserted when I arrived. I filled my water bottles in the sink of a gas-station bathroom down the street and kept rolling.

Next person I saw was at the final rest stop about 5 miles from the start finish (same guy. I asked what how I'd missed the first rest stop, and he said, "Oh, sorry, my fault. Got lost." so apparently they had one guy manning two rest stops about 50 miles apart?). At the finish I didn't see anyone in the parking lot except for maybe two or three people napping in their cars.

It was kinda eerie riding nearly 70 miles through the desert, at night, solo. Still managed a pretty decent time for a mostly solo century, but nowhere close to 5 hours. Think it was about 5:40. I still haven't done a sub 5-hour century.