Northern California - Who is signed up for the Wine Country Century?

I am! 100-mile route selected, but I may add the scenic portion at the beginning that Marco told me about.

Hope to see a lot of you there!

EDIT: The ride is FULL!

http://srcc.memberlodge.com/calendar?eventId=38499

TEAM GLADIATOR/CHEETAH:
x136 (100m ?)
BlastRadius (200k)
RoboCheme (100m)
Beaker (100m)
cccorlew and mylilpony (200k)
spingineer (200k)
gpelpel (200k)
MarkoPolo (100m)
kjfitz (100m ?)
(the famous) DiabloScott (100m)
jonathanb717 (200k)
kb5gl + stoker (100m)
artichoke (100m)
bigbossman (100m ?)
Old School (100m ?)
hs845 (200k)
SesameCrunch (200k)
taxi777 (you in yet???)
kaiserboy (200k)
roguedog (100k)
trinity000 et ux. (100m/35m)
jobob (200k)

Thanks for the post! I'd forgotten.

Only 2480 left now. :P

In for the 200K. 2478 left.

I just signed up for the 100 miler. I've never done a century, so my butt is getting sore just thinking about it.

Do you want to use this thread as a BF signup list? At least we could all start together.

Cliff

In for 100miles - phew only 2020 left.

Okay, okay, so maybe this one doesn't sell out quite as fast as I thought it did. :P

2 more spots taken! MyLilcccorlew™ just signed us up for the 100 miles (plus Pete's optional adventure ride)
We'll be staying at the Santa Rosa Travelodge.

I signed up ... act now, there are only 1981 spaces available ... ooh, are they going to sell out fast?

I am in for the 200k.

After all the glowing reviews of this ride, I couldn't resist. I'm in for the 100 miler.

What's the word here - does everyone try to find local digs (something about a crack-asterisk hotel, right??), or are some of you brave souls planning on driving up on the day....

or are some of you brave souls planning on driving up on the day....Yikes, no way. Even this cheap schmuck sprung for a room at the fabulous Motel 6 (Not to be confused with the crack-ho Motel 6 down the street) last year.

I'm in. I hammered it last year then paid the price the next day on the Grizzly Peak Century.

This year I've convinced a bunch of co-workers, who ride regularly but have never done a century, to sign up. It'll be a slow fun century this year.

Kevin

I don't get paid till Wed. Hopefully there's some openings for the 200K...I don't mind doing the Pete's wine mystery ride that Tricia mentioned if some are up for it...I think everyone just liked chillin at the hotel for a few during the ride...

What's the word here - does everyone try to find local digs (something about a crack-asterisk hotel, right??), or are some of you brave souls planning on driving up on the day....

I will be driving in the early morning from Lafayette. If you want to join me I have the space for one rider.
I did the drive last year, it took me less than 2 hours including a sidetrack and stop in Sonoma to pick up my entry from the original registrant.

I'm in for the 100 mile ride. Four days after I turn 50!

Don't know if my regular century buddy is coming - if not I can rideshare morning of.

Also signed up for Seattle to Portland this morning - here we go.

I'm in for the double metric - should be fun!

JB

edit: I'll probably drive up and back the day of the ride, unless the gf wants to make a weekend of it.

In with the tandem for the 100miler. Looks doable.

done aaaaaand done.
my first group ride - and it's going to be 100 miles - :D

any tips on how to not piss other riders off? :/

Very very tempting. Can't stay overnight the night prior, however. Bummer. That would be a long day of driving. I'm such wuss.

I'm in for the 100 mile ride. Four days after I turn 50!


Two miles for every year! I like it!

I'm in. Sure hope the crack-*****s are better this year......

Entries available are down to 978.

All you guys doing the 100 mile should go with the 200k riders in the early stages to get in the Coleman Valley part of the ride. You will end up with like 105-110 miles, but well worth it.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v241/221/92/11708168/n11708168_32521192_1563.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v241/221/92/11708168/n11708168_32521193_1868.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v241/221/92/11708168/n11708168_32521196_2684.jpg

all you guys doing the 100 mile should go with the 200k riders in the early stages to get in the coleman valley part of the ride. You will end up with like 105-110 miles, but well worth it.

+1

I received an email reminder last night about registering. I'm cutting back on paid rides this year and skipping this one. They will still get my money come Terrible Two time however.

I'm in. Sure hope the crack-*****s are better this year......

It's the attraction! :roflmao2: Sorry guys I'm not going this year. Instead I signed up for the Grizzley Peak Century the following day.

I'm very very tempted. My first century will be Solvang in March, this seems like it might make for a good second one.

Ahhhh... I'm on the fence... my century buddies are injured or working!!

All you guys doing the 100 mile should go with the 200k riders in the early stages to get in the Coleman Valley part of the ride. You will end up with like 105-110 miles, but well worth it.

Hey Marco and George-

I plotted that route and it adds a full 18 miles to take Coleman Valley to 1 to Jenner to River Road. I'm sure it is quite hilly, too. That realistically adds 1.5 or 2 hours (depending on how hilly) to the ride. Although it looks gorgeous (I've been to Jenner by car and I love it), I am reluctant to add that much to a ride that will already be very challenging for me (my longest ride so far is about 72 miles and that was almost a year ago). What do you think?

I am estimating that the century alone (100 miles w/o additional mileage) will take me about 9 hours (including stops). That would mean 11 hours if I include Coleman Valley. Too long of a day for me! Does that time estimate sound about right?

FYI, my 72-mile ride last year (around Tahoe) took me 5:45 (moving time 4:36) and I felt like I really tried to minimize the stops. Adding 28 miles to make it a century would probably add between 2 (best case) and 3 (more likely) hours to the ride. That would make a total of about 8-9 hours.

Here is what will make me slower:
Longer ride
Bonking at the end (I was pretty beat at the end of the 72-miler)
More time at the rest stops

Here is what *might* make me faster:
Better shape now?
Lower elevation (Tahoe ride is all above 6000 ft)
Paceline/drafting
Pete yelling at me, uh, I mean encouraging me

Thoughts? Am I biting off more than I can chew???

Come on Justin, you won't have any problem with the hillier route. Last year totals were 112 miles with 3930 feet of climbing. The toughest wasn't the climb but the wind on the coast (not too long) and the fact that we did very long rest stops, we had about 3 hours of stop time which is way too long for a 7+ hours of riding.

Justin, you toasted me on the night ride last week, and I did the double metric with an injured wrist ... stop sandbaggin' it.

Anyhow, I highly recommend the double metric, just to be able to go out via Coleman Valley, and the descent into the Russian Valley is just remarkable.

You'll do fine, just as long as you don't sag it in.

I appreciate the support! I feel like I do fine on all my local rides (usually hillier than this one), but I just don't usually have time for a really long one. I feel like I am toast at the end of each ride, whether it is 13 miles or 60 miles! I guess I will try to ride at a lower HR (maybe keep it under 75-80%) so that I don't use it all up too early. I just don't know how I'll be feeling after 8-9 hours of riding (including stops).

I plotted that route and it adds a full 18 miles to take Coleman Valley to 1 to Jenner to River Road. I'm sure it is quite hilly, too. That realistically adds 1.5 or 2 hours (depending on how hilly) to the ride. Although it looks gorgeous (I've been to Jenner by car and I love it), I am reluctant to add that much to a ride that will already be very challenging for me (my longest ride so far is about 72 miles and that was almost a year ago). What do you think?If you find yourself running out of steam or time near the end, there's a cutoff that takes about 20 miles (I think) off the course. It's not very scenic, but it's handy.

Last year's Wine Country was my first century. Previous to that, I think my longest rides were 50-60 miles. The only reason I didn't finish the full 200k was time. I started the ride late and am pretty slow to begin with, so by the time I got to the cutoff, I took it. Including the commutes to the ride from the motel and back afterward, I still got in a hundred miles, and I wasn't feeling too bad afterward.

I'd say go for it. In fact, I think there's another shortcut even earlier on if you need it. So no worries.

I appreciate the support! I feel like I do fine on all my local rides (usually hillier than this one), but I just don't usually have time for a really long one. I feel like I am toast at the end of each ride, whether it is 13 miles or 60 miles! I guess I will try to ride at a lower HR (maybe keep it under 75-80%) so that I don't use it all up too early. I just don't know how I'll be feeling after 8-9 hours of riding (including stops).

Control your HR and especially refuel your body properly, that's the key to long rides.

Anyhow, I highly recommend the double metric, just to be able to go out via Coleman Valley, and the descent into the Russian Valley is just remarkable.

I did the WCC 200K route a couple of years ago just for the Coleman Valley/Russian River part, but I was getting over the flu and I knew I wasn't up to the full distance, so a friend mapped out this shortcut for me from Guerneville back to the Wells Fargo center:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/WCC-200K-cut-off

It takes you along River Rd out of Guerneville and past the Wohler Bridge rest stop, then you backtrack along the beginining of the 100K route to get back to the Wells Fargo Center.

You can compare it to the 200K route map (from the WCC site):
http://srcc.memberlodge.com/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=34532

Edited to add: What I actually ended up doing was not taking River Rd. from Guerneville, but staying on the 200K route until the Wohler Bridge rest stop and then backtracking the 100K route from there. It ended up being about 78 miles and ~4100 ft of climbing.

Hey Marco and George-

I plotted that route and it adds a full 18 miles to take Coleman Valley to 1 to Jenner to River Road. I'm sure it is quite hilly, too. That realistically adds 1.5 or 2 hours (depending on how hilly) to the ride. Although it looks gorgeous (I've been to Jenner by car and I love it), I am reluctant to add that much to a ride that will already be very challenging for me (my longest ride so far is about 72 miles and that was almost a year ago). What do you think?

I am estimating that the century alone (100 miles w/o additional mileage) will take me about 9 hours (including stops). That would mean 11 hours if I include Coleman Valley. Too long of a day for me! Does that time estimate sound about right?

FYI, my 72-mile ride last year (around Tahoe) took me 5:45 (moving time 4:36) and I felt like I really tried to minimize the stops. Adding 28 miles to make it a century would probably add between 2 (best case) and 3 (more likely) hours to the ride. That would make a total of about 8-9 hours.

Here is what will make me slower:
Longer ride
Bonking at the end (I was pretty beat at the end of the 72-miler)
More time at the rest stops

Here is what *might* make me faster:
Better shape now?
Lower elevation (Tahoe ride is all above 6000 ft)
Paceline/drafting
Pete yelling at me, uh, I mean encouraging me

Thoughts? Am I biting off more than I can chew???


Do I need to remind you that for our recent Diablo escapade you covered 60miles w/~5000ft climbing with 4:15h bike time??? Dude!

I appreciate the support! I feel like I do fine on all my local rides (usually hillier than this one), but I just don't usually have time for a really long one. I feel like I am toast at the end of each ride, whether it is 13 miles or 60 miles! I guess I will try to ride at a lower HR (maybe keep it under 75-80%) so that I don't use it all up too early. I just don't know how I'll be feeling after 8-9 hours of riding (including stops).

Suggestion #2 - make like Uncle Richard and get your first century in at the Prima Vera, there's more climbing there as well, so if you make the century there, the extra distance with less climbing should be a non issue :thumb: (oh shoot, what have I just gotten myself into)

I appreciate the support! I feel like I do fine on all my local rides (usually hillier than this one), but I just don't usually have time for a really long one. I feel like I am toast at the end of each ride, whether it is 13 miles or 60 miles! I guess I will try to ride at a lower HR (maybe keep it under 75-80%) so that I don't use it all up too early. I just don't know how I'll be feeling after 8-9 hours of riding (including stops).

You Sir, are a sandbagger! I've ridden with you or, more accurately, followed you up the hill, so I can't believe that you think that 100 miles is going to take you 9 hours. This course seems rather flat and with some drafting I was hoping to do it in 7, maybe 8, hours with stops. I'm more worried about how sore my neck and butt will be.

Anyway, if you're going to stick to your guns and just to the century, I'll ride with you.

Cliff

You Sir, are a sandbagger! I've ridden with you or, more accurately, followed you up the hill, so I can't believe that you think that 100 miles is going to take you 9 hours. This course seems rather flat and with some drafting I was hoping to do it in 7, maybe 8, hours with stops. I'm more worried about how sore my neck and butt will be.


Flat is relative, I suppose. I did this ride last year, and Garmin reported about 5500' of climbing.

Flat is relative, I suppose.There certainly must've been some climbing in order for there to be that crazy fast descent to the coast on the first 200k loop.

Signed up yesterday. My first organized ride. Hope to see many of your there!

-- OS

I'm registered. Did the 100 mile route last year and would like to try the 200K version this year (gulp).

ROJA, you should update the original post with everyone who is in so we know who to look for at the start.

Ramon, if you pay for any ride, you should do this one (plus your doubles).

Flat is relative, I suppose. I did this ride last year, and Garmin reported about 5500' of climbing.

The 100 miler is supposed to be 3300', which isn't much over that distance. Did you do the 200K?

We did Capt. Taxi777's modified version and, before my Gramin ran out of battery power with maybe 5 miles to go I had
3950 climbing, 109 miles

There was one section that was... impressive. I think it was the climb out to the coast where Pete yelled "I'm in the wrong gear... Oh wait, I'm outta gears!" I do however think that 23% is an error.

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecccorlew/hosting/wine-pete.png

Despite cccorlew's chart with the 23% grade, I just signed up for the 200K. 616 slots left.


Day before my birthday - it'll be a good way to commemorate my continued downhill slide...

I cite the same reasons as Ramon.

We are probably going to skip this one. Even though I had fun last year.

Ramon & I went for broke at the end of it in full TT mode.

The only memorable hills, were right before the Coleman Valley part. One pretty good climb, and then that steep bugger after swinging the left turn at the split up point.

After that, mostly rollers.

The 100 miler is supposed to be 3300', which isn't much over that distance. Did you do the 200K?

That's relative, too. I once did a century that had a little over 4,000' feet of climbing over 95 miles. I figured the same as you, not too much over that distance. The first climb was not until mile 60+, and by then it was close to 100 degrees out. Turns out, almost all the altitude gain was in the last 40 miles or so. :eek:

I did the 100 mile route. I think it is more than the advertised 3300' - looks like this:

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jd6572/2008%20rides/Wine%20Country%20Century/untitled.jpg

ROJA, you should update the original post with everyone who is in so we know who to look for at the start.

Ramon, if you pay for any ride, you should do this one (plus your doubles).

Great idea! Done- let me know if I missed anyone or if I put you down for the wrong route.

I'm doing the 200K (for real) this year.