Northern California - Tour of the Unknown Coast

This ride in Humboldt is billed as "California's toughest century (http://www.tuccycle.org/map.html)" - so fess up, anyone ridden it, anyone planning to? I'm excited by the mile long 18% climb at mile 82.

My sister goes to Humboldt state and she found about this one for me, so I'll get to visit and get a major ride in all on one weekend (May 12). I wonder what shape I'll be in if I do the Napa Tour de Cure century the weekend before (May 6).

Do you're normal resting in between weekends, but throw in a lot of walking the first day after the Tour De Cure. I did that century twice, and my legs were okay by the next day at noon (I'm a mailman). There's only 1,385 feet of climbing on the Tour De Cure, plus rollers on Silverado Trail. We might get a headwind this year like a few years ago.
You might be gone by the time I'm at the start. I'm doing the 50 miler. I'll be the 53 year old chubby guy with neon yellow jacket/jersey and silver Rans Stratus recumbent.

Wow, I heard that the valley would be pretty flat and the only climb over into Sonoma. ~1400 feet of climbing over that distance should leave me pretty fresh, and a week is plenty to get ready for the next ride.

Maybe I'll see you there - I'll be an unassuming 22 year old on a black and blue LeMond Etape-amalet.

Speaking of the Tour de Cure, or the Humboldt ride for that matter, does anyone have a Bikely, Toporoute, Routeslip, or GPX file of past or current routes? I'd like to do a Google Earth flyover.

Have done the TUC many many years ago (and I can't imagine that the route changes by much) and the climb you mention is one of the more interesting features of the ride. It starts off in the early morning through Avenue of the Giants on the way out to the coast. Lots of trees. Big trees. Eventually you get out to the beach and then you head north into a headwind (at least it felt like it to me...) at the end of which is The Wall... It's rideable, but as I recall I was overgeared at the time, and ended up walking the last 1/3 of the climb or so because it was faster than riding. Just be prepared if it's windy.
It's a scenic ride, definitely worth doing.

Speaking of the Tour de Cure, or the Humboldt ride for that matter, does anyone have a Bikely, Toporoute, Routeslip, or GPX file of past or current routes? I'd like to do a Google Earth flyover.

Nope. I went to the TuC site looked at the map, went to bikely, made a route and propfiled it. nice lump in the middle, looks as bad as the one near the end.

Never done the tour officialy, but being just a hop-skip-and a jump away, I have done some sections of it over the years. It's gorgeous, till the fog rolls in, and the hills have ALWAYS kicked my butt. It's been a couple of years since I tried the hills, though. I'm hoping they've eroded a little.:)

I might just sign up for this years.

I might just sign up for this years.

I say go for it, I'm psyched :D My sister's boyfriend's mom ( :p ) used to race internationally, she said she's going to do it (and kick my butt).