Southern California - San Luis Rey RR

I've never done this course before, so I want to know if I'll need my 50x11 for descents or if my 12 cog will be fine. Also, is anyone planning on pre-riding the course the day before? I intend to drive down there on Sat and ride the course just one lap to get accustomed to it.

I'd suggest using your 11. SLR has a really fast straight descent, that immediately follows the climb (and feed zone) and if you aren't a big aero rider, you can get dropped by not having a wheel. Sometimes the hardest part of that race (for me anyway) is trying to close gaps on the descent.

Hmm, should I invest in a 52 chainring? I can spin up to about 42/43 mph in my 50/11, and probably another 2 mph with a 52. I'll try to have a wheel anyway. Thanks for the heads up!

Hmm, should I invest in a 52 chainring? I can spin up to about 42/43 mph in my 50/11, and probably another 2 mph with a 52. I'll try to have a wheel anyway. Thanks for the heads up!

I think you'll be fine with 50x11. I've done this with a 53x12 as my big gear, and the 50x11 is bigger than that.

I was just talking about this descent with another rider during Punchbowl today. Staying close on that descent is just as important as the climb itself. About 3/4 of the way down, you'll get blasted with a headwind coming up from the little valley, and if you're not tucked in with the pack, you're asking for trouble. I was no more than 20 yards off going over the top in '06 and i couldn't make up that much ground on the descent. Very frustrating.

Thanks. Sounds like I need to ride smart next weekend. Any of you doing the 4s, see you there! Oh, and once again I'm going to try and get there the day before to ride the course if I can.

I'm in the 4's. I'll be racing saturday morning, but i can make it out later in the day to pre-run if you want to meet. That is, if i don't go to the RedBull AirRace.

I'm in the 4's. I'll be racing saturday morning, but i can make it out later in the day to pre-run if you want to meet. That is, if i don't go to the RedBull AirRace.
Sweet! I was looking for things for my wife and her brother to do while I'm riding and racing. Thanks! I'll be sure to post here if I can get out there on Saturday (it will be in the afternoon).

Another question: It says "wheel support is provided for the pro/1/2 men only. Wheels in, wheels out. No unauthorized follow vehicles allowed." Does that mean, as a Cat 4, that there's no point in bringing spares and that I should carry a patch and pump if I don't want to be walking back?

Not that that's a bad thing, as I might be riding the train there anyway. Just want to know what the general provisions are for this event.

That's typically what it means. Wheels in, Wheels out, just like a crit. Except the course is 11 miles long, so you're basically SOL if something goes wrong. I don't know if there's SAG.
For road races, i'll typically carry my phone if I have someone with me at the venue. That way they can just come and pick me up. If I don't have anyone there i'll just carry a tube and Co2. Some races have sweeper vehicles, but I don't know if we have one at SLR.

Another question: It says "wheel support is provided for the pro/1/2 men only. Wheels in, wheels out. No unauthorized follow vehicles allowed." Does that mean, as a Cat 4, that there's no point in bringing spares and that I should carry a patch and pump if I don't want to be walking back?

Not that that's a bad thing, as I might be riding the train there anyway. Just want to know what the general provisions are for this event.

Hi,

I wasn't crazy about the way they swept the course five years ago. I was OTB with 3 other guys on our last lap when I hit something on the big descent. Pinch flatted both tires at 45 MPH. :eek: Got the bike stopped about 2/3rds of the way down the hill and then started walking back. I assumed that there would be someone sweeping the course -- there wasn't! :mad:

I walked all the way back up the hill to the corner where I begged a ride from the corner marshal back to the start/finish. The guys I was with had already finished and they were sure that I'd crashed. Anyway, that's the last time that I tried racing with clinchers since you can't pinch flat tubulars.

The way I see it, that's the only time I ever got stranded out on a course in 30+ years so I continue to take my chances.

As noted elsewhere, I'll be there in the Masters 45+ race.

Alright, well I'll bring my pump and patch kit just in case. I'd like to be on tubulars, but my budget won't allow that for a while.

Anybody know the people who are putting this on?
*** thought he was registered, but he's not and the 4s are full now.
waaa! :cry:
We'll give them pics of the race
I'm begging somebody to put a good word in.
I was thinking of doing the W 3/4 race while we were there, but I of course won't go if Steve isn't racing.

I don't know them, but do you think they'll allow a rider consensus stating that we feel he's a safe rider and adding one to the field size won't hurt?

Also, don't get your hopes up, but my CFO says we might want to skip the trip to San Diego this weekend. If we decide to do that (I really hope I don't have to) Steve can have my entry. But please don't get your hopes up, as I'm hoping I can make it.

Anybody know the people who are putting this on?
*** thought he was registered, but he's not and the 4s are full now.
waaa! :cry:
We'll give them pics of the race
I'm begging somebody to put a good word in.
I was thinking of doing the W 3/4 race while we were there, but I of course won't go if Steve isn't racing.

Call the number on the race flyer and get on the wait list. I did that 2 years ago, the guy was nice, helpful, and I got in without a problem. I think I just arrived a little extra early to deal with it.

I think his name is Don

Anybody know the people who are putting this on?
*** thought he was registered, but he's not and the 4s are full now.
waaa! :cry:
We'll give them pics of the race
I'm begging somebody to put a good word in.
I was thinking of doing the W 3/4 race while we were there, but I of course won't go if Steve isn't racing.
Check your PMs

My club is putting it on. I'll ask around tomorrow and see what I or anyone else can do.

Thanks!
*** was really looking forward to this race, as he did it last year. He hasn't done any races twice yet. (Except for Baker to Death Valley, but conditions were way different.)

I emailed them about transfering urbanknight's registration. I'll keep you posted.

What time do you guys expect the 4s to start?

10-ish, I think. I haven't even looked at the flyer.

EDIT - 10:15

It looks like I will probably be able to get in :)

It looks like I will probably be able to get in :)

Good luck... I decided take this weekend off from racing...

It looks like I will probably be able to get in :)

Hi,

Hopefully I'll be done by the time you start. Look for me OTB in the Masters 45+ race. :o ;)

It looks like I will probably be able to get in :)

Good, because I haven't been able to get ahold of anyone:p

Hopefully I'll be done by the time you start. Look for me OTB in the Masters 45+ race. :o ;)

Look for "OTB" in the 45+ race too :p

Steve should be in. I emailed Celo Pacific asking them to transfer my entry (my CFO says that we shouldn't spend the money on a trip to San Diego this month :( ). Have fun everyone.

Good luck to all racing SLR .. I was hoping to be there but "life" happens sometimes. Watchout for that wind you waste some watts if you are in the wrong spot..

OH man I have a strong feeling that this being my first road race I am going to get destroyed in cat 5

Steve should be in. I emailed Celo Pacific asking them to transfer my entry (my CFO says that we shouldn't spend the money on a trip to San Diego this month :( ). Have fun everyone.

Did you get a response? They can be kinda slow with e-mail stuff.

OH man I have a strong feeling that this being my first road race I am going to get destroyed in cat 5

You'll be fine. Don't stress out. Just remember to try and stay near the front of the group at the top of the climb and stay protected from that headwind at the bottom of the descent.
If you're still in it on the final climb, go for it during the little switchback section. once you reach the top of that, it's practicaly flat to finish.

OH man I have a strong feeling that this being my first road race I am going to get destroyed in cat 5

This was my second road race last year, after Devil's Punchbowl. You can look at my data (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2666715) to get an idea of the pace of the field. The field was full but I don't know how many no-shows there were (so there may not have been 50 starters). Only 36 finished.


Did you get a response? They can be kinda slow with e-mail stuff.

Yes, I spoke with them, it should all be taken care of :)

Oh, what's the best area to stay at? Last year not being familar with the area we stayed in oceanside but it was really far away.

Edit: thinking of staying in Vista because kuf and I like to eat at California Pizza Kitchen...

There isn't really anything closer than that. Try Fallbrook. I guess that would be the official host city. There's also Vista. But like I said, nothing is conveniently close.

Hi,

Temecula is about 25 minutes away. I'm staying with my parents in Murrieta.

Did you get a response? They can be kinda slow with e-mail stuff.
I didn't, but I believe Steve had already heard from them and they just wanted to hear from me to make sure Steve wasn't trying to steal my entry or something.

I didn't, but I believe Steve had already heard from them and they just wanted to hear from me to make sure Steve wasn't trying to steal my entry or something.

It's all set, thanks. I've been communicating with them all of my info so that they can have me set up for pre-reg when I get there and I don't need to try to convince them all over again to let me in. :)

I'll be there in the 5's. It's my first RR also, so my immediate goal is just to stay in it until the end, and not to crash. I've heard there's a gap in the road at the overpass on the decent, so be sure and watch out for pinch flats on that. Try to *safely* lighten your bike as you go over.

It's amazing to see the max speeds reached on this descent because the profile doesn't look to be super extreme over the loop. It looks me me like the descent is going to be over in a blink and then it'll be flat mashing until you get back around to the climb.

ALSO, be careful on the intersection as you turn back onto the start/finish road. That's sharper than a 90 and I've heard it can be sketchy with people taking bad lines etc. I hope to make it out of this one with no new scars if possible =)

Good luck, and say hi if you see me. I'm racing in the B group of the 5's and will be wearing the black and red Don's Bikes kit.

-Jeremy

I will be starting in the 5's A group I will probably be wearing all black. I am not worried about the course I live 5 miles away and am training on it all the time. Yeah that turn you are talking about that goes back up to the start is really sketchy. I would take it wide and hopefully it gets swept cause it tends to get sandy or have water running across it.

Yes the bridge gap is one thing to watch for but remember it is the second one that you have to worry about. Amazingly they finished to road construction so the metal plates have been moved out of the road. Another part to watch out for is stay out of the bike lane as you start to come to the horse training center on camino del rey for some reason someone in a truck has kicked up mud all over the the bike lane and it dried up in chunks.

As for wanting to stay somewhere there is not many hotels in fallbrook I live there and there is one ok one and one is a dump. You can stay at the bed and breakfast that tori spelling used to own if you have the cash for it. Best bet would be north vista or temecula.

This was my second road race last year, after Devil's Punchbowl. You can look at my data (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2666715) to get an idea of the pace of the field. The field was full but I don't know how many no-shows there were (so there may not have been 50 starters). Only 36 finished.

Wow thanks *** for the data you have that actually helps out a lot. Actually i am not that worried anymore. It helps to know what kind of pace I need to maintain. I can average 20.5 miles an hour on that course alone with out really going over my LT so in a group should be fine.

I'll be there in the 5's. It's my first RR also, so my immediate goal is just to stay in it until the end, and not to crash. I've heard there's a gap in the road at the overpass on the decent, so be sure and watch out for pinch flats on that. Try to *safely* lighten your bike as you go over.

Bunny hop. First time down I didn't know it was there. Second time it knocked my chain off. Third time I hopped it.


It's amazing to see the max speeds reached on this descent because the profile doesn't look to be super extreme over the loop. It looks me me like the descent is going to be over in a blink and then it'll be flat mashing until you get back around to the climb.

In the pack it was easy to hit 50. I'm not a fast descender, and when I lost the group on the last lap I was only able to get to the mid 40s by myself.


I will be starting in the 5's A group I will probably be wearing all black. I am not worried about the course I live 5 miles away and am training on it all the time. Yeah that turn you are talking about that goes back up to the start is really sketchy. I would take it wide and hopefully it gets swept cause it tends to get sandy or have water running across it.

It was wet and sandy last year.


As for wanting to stay somewhere there is not many hotels in fallbrook I live there and there is one ok one and one is a dump. You can stay at the bed and breakfast that tori spelling used to own if you have the cash for it. Best bet would be north vista or temecula.

We are going to stay in Vista.

Wow thanks *** for the data you have that actually helps out a lot. Actually i am not that worried anymore. It helps to know what kind of pace I need to maintain. I can average 20.5 miles an hour on that course alone with out really going over my LT so in a group should be fine.

I only got 18th, and didn't finish with the pack. Actually the 5B field (I was in the 5A field) flew by me about halfway up the final climb, so you need to take 5-7 minutes off my time to get an idea of the leaders' pace.

well if anyone sees me out there stop by and say hi it would be nice to meet some other forum members. I will probably be wearing all black but I will be on a bright yellow and blue lemond. Good luck to everyone

Apparently we are actually going to be staying in San Marcos

Wow, San Marcos. That's farther than Oceanside in drive time:p

You could have stay at the Oceanside Motel6 right at the end of hwy 76. The venue is only 20 minutes or so from there. Though, San Marcos probably has the better night life.

Kuf does all the travel arrangements. oh well.

:p

Either one is closer than Santa Barbara. Look at it that way.

He makes a good point, this guy^^

Does anyone know if the registration in the 4's filled up for barrio logan? I'm going to be going down to see if I can get in day of no matter what, but would love to know if it didn't get filled.