Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - California Grand Tour

The Los Angeles Wheelmen are sponsoring their annual endurance ride, The Grand Tour, on June 27th. The ride starts & ends in Malibu and offers several distance options including:

Double Metric 125miles
Double Century 200 miles
Triple Century 300 miles
Quad Century 400 miles

Each distance option has a 24 hour time limit and the ride is fully supported. In addition to the actual ride, there are a series of weekly training rides over the next 12 weeks in the SoCal area. All the details can be found at: http://lawheelmen.org/

This is a great way to step into distance riding beyond a century ride. The double century even offers a lowland option that has less climbing for people new to that distance. Consider giving the ride a try!

I imagine anyone trying the tripple or quad already knows this but....

Unless the routes have been radically changed the highland and lowland routes meet at Rincon and turn back South towards the start, unless you are doing a tripple or quad, in which case they turn North for a 100 mile out and back.

Many years that means people plan for the tripple and decide at Rincon, and can 'bail out' to a mere double. (One year I was going to pace someone for that 100 mile out and back, I wasn't especially fit, but I was great for following into a headwind. Turned out it was very how and she decided on only 200 miles).

For those doing a double, the prevailing winds are South. That means a nice tailwind on that last 50 miles. Something very welcome.

I imagine anyone trying the tripple or quad already knows this but....

Unless the routes have been radically changed the highland and lowland routes meet at Rincon and turn back South towards the start, unless you are doing a tripple or quad, in which case they turn North for a 100 mile out and back.

Many years that means people plan for the tripple and decide at Rincon, and can 'bail out' to a mere double. (One year I was going to pace someone for that 100 mile out and back, I wasn't especially fit, but I was great for following into a headwind. Turned out it was very how and she decided on only 200 miles).

For those doing a double, the prevailing winds are South. That means a nice tailwind on that last 50 miles. Something very welcome.

The course hasn't changed for the triple and quad. Where the double riders get the nice tailwind home us triple and quad ride get a nice 50 mile headwind. Normally what happens for me is the wind quits just after I do the turn-around at Gaviolt so I don't get the tailwind home.

bump

This sounds pretty cool. I did my first century at the LA river ride and I'm in the mood for more distance!! I wish I had seen this earlier... I may have plans this saturday. Can you sign up on site if need be?

yes, you can sign up there, there is a $20 late fee. Actually you would be paying the late fee now anyway...

I'm thinking of putting some fresh lube on my chain for this one. Maybe add some air to my wheels too. Might even wash my socks.

I'm thinking of putting some fresh lube on my chain for this one. Maybe add some air to my wheels too. Might even wash my socks.

Please add the air to your tires. Your wheels don't really need any more air. Yes, lube on your chain would be good!

Rick / OCRR

Thanks, Rick.

I just checked. You're right. Wheels are OK.

Tires are OK too, but I wasn't sure about the air in the tubes.

Whaddaya think? Should I replace it? I mean the air. Maybe I got too many miles on that old air.

Thanks, Rick.
I just checked. You're right. Wheels are OK. Tires are OK too, but I wasn't sure about the air in the tubes.
Whaddaya think? Should I replace it? I mean the air. Maybe I got too many miles on that old air?

Well, I guess it's a matter of exactly how old the air is. Probably though, it doesn't matter. You can even mix old air with new air and suffer no harmful after-effects! The key is to keep the air in the tubes and the tubes in the tires. As long as you got that right, you'll be fine :thumb:.

Rick / OCRR

I like how the Wheelmen list the registered riders and which courses they are going to run:

http://www.bbcnet.com/RideReg3/Registered_Riders_LAW.asp?ID=48

As of this writting there are five riders going after the quadruple century. 400 in 24hrs is just: Holy Moly!

How many hours shy of 24 will an expert long distance rider be able to do this? It's just crazy I tell ya! :eek:

Many try but don't finish. I'd say George (Vireo) has a good chance.

Grand Tour Highland Triple or maybe I should say Double.

2:30am, hell of a time to get up for a bike ride. Oh well, what we do to do these rides. I had decided to start at 4am to do the triple. 4am comes along and Frank Neal logs me in and off I go. There is high fog and it’s around 55 degrees, would you expect anything else for Malibu on a June morning. First rest stop is in Port Hueneme, 35 miles away. I was riding alone until just after Mugu Rock then I met up with a rider and paced into Port Hueneme. Just under 2 hours and 35 miles, right on schedule and I was feeling good. I stripped off some of the clothing I had on, it’s going to get warmer since we will be heading inland, the headlights and left them in a bag for my wife to pick-up. She’s doing SAG work and is going to recharge my headlight batteries for me.

I head out of the rest stop towards the first big climb of the day, Potrero Road. It’s not a long climb, about 3 miles, but it’s steep. The first ½ mile is 9%, then it goes to 4% for the next 1 ½ miles. It’s the next section that is the killer, a mile of up to 20%! Finally at the top, what a climb and I’m doing some pretty good sweating now. I get to the next rest stop ahead of time and everything is going great. Out of the stop and heading towards the Moorpark rest stop I met and talk with a few local riders that help make the time pass quicker. I make it to the Moorpark stop, again ahead of time and feeling great.

The next big challenge is Grimes Canyon and on to Santa Paula. I was supposed to meet my wife at Moorpark, but she got held up helping someone with a flat. No problem, I re-watered and went on. She called me and said she would meet me some where on or after Grimes. Just as I topped Grimes my wife passed me. Halfway down Grimes she was parked along the side of the road, but I didn’t stop. I was in a line of traffic with a horse trailer in front, 3 cars behind him, another rider and myself and a van behind me. My wife quickly pulled in behind the van. Grimes is a twisty downhill, but can be fast. The horse trailer had been only going around 30, but were now close to the bottom and the road was opening up with one last right hand turn before the straight-away to the bottom. As I entered the right turn, a nice open turn with great banking, I was rolling along at 40 mph. Suddenly I heard a noise that chilled my poopy-doo, it was my rear tire exploding. The rear wheel of my bike took and immediate left turn, remember I was in a right turn. I looked down and all that was going through my mind was how hard the pavement was going to be and how much skin it was going to eat. I quickly steered left and caught the bike before I went down. Oh hell, now the rear wheel went right and I’m steering left. Damn the ground again and it looked harder this time. I caught the bike again and was thinking about the van behind me and if he was braking or just figuring on hitting me. I got the going straight with the flat tire and the tire hadn’t peeled of the wheel yet. As I started braking the bike decided it wanted to go across the lane and into the head-on traffic. Lucky no one was coming up the hill, I let it go and found a small driveway to finally stop the bike in. What a ride, I don’t ever, ever want to do that again. My wife pulled in behind me, jumped out and wanted to know just what the heck I was doing. She had watched the whole thing, but didn’t see the now exploded tire. I was visibly shaking, I could hardly talk. I asked her for my spare tire, a tube and my pump. Quickly I changed the tire and off I went.

I did realize how much that took out of me until I started to ride towards Santa Paula into a headwind, I could barely turn the cranks. I didn’t want to be on the bike, I started to think about just what had happen. I could have gone down to 40+ mph, I have been run over by the van behind me. Ok, maybe a few miles and I’ll be ok. It didn’t happen, the day just got worst and I couldn’t keep my mind in the game.

After that my day just when down the tubes. At the turn for the extra 100 mile loop I decided to make the ride a double and headed towards the finish line. I had a tailwind and was rolling along pretty good. Then it was just last 10 miles into the finish line at Malibu. My legs died, I could hardly pedal up the hills. I hadn’t felt this bad after a double in a long time. I finished, checked-in, jumped in my vehicle and my wife drove back to the hotel. Along the way she picked-up dinner, some wonderful food that tasted great. Then it was a shower and a great night’s sleep.

All long the way I ran into many of Bike Forum double riders. Many of them I know and remember their names, like Rick and Steve, and some I met for the first time and can’t remember their names, old age.

Posted int he socal forum as well...

I wanted to start at 6 but due to car troubles (bikes falling off car and tire blow out), I didn't start until 6:45. I was flying until somewhere around grimes where the heat started getting to me. I pulled a couple people through the strong headwinds on south mountain (until they dropped) and struggled on the climb out of Santa Paula. My thighs and calves were twinging so I had to take it easy all the way into the lunch stop. I ran into Eric "the ostrich" and we rode together for a bit until he had some food issues. My legs were twinging again so I limped into rincon at 3:00. The tailwind made the freeway back to Ventura fast even without working hard. I rode with another guy from Ventura who towed ne to the stop in hueneme. He had to wait for his friends so I went solo from there but with my muscles threatening to lock up a group caught me and I ended up riding the last 10 miles with one of the guys from the group. All together, just under 11 hours riding time and about 11:50 total time.

Posted int he socal forum as well...

I wanted to start at 6 but due to car troubles (bikes falling off car and tire blow out), I didn't start until 6:45. I was flying until somewhere around grimes where the heat started getting to me. I pulled a couple people through the strong headwinds on south mountain (until they dropped) and struggled on the climb out of Santa Paula. My thighs and calves were twinging so I had to take it easy all the way into the lunch stop. I ran into Eric "the ostrich" and we rode together for a bit until he had some food issues. My legs were twinging again so I limped into rincon at 3:00. The tailwind made the freeway back to Ventura fast even without working hard. I rode with another guy from Ventura who towed ne to the stop in hueneme. He had to wait for his friends so I went solo from there but with my muscles threatening to lock up a group caught me and I ended up riding the last 10 miles with one of the guys from the group. All together, just under 11 hours riding time and about 11:50 total time.

Steve, it was great to talk with you at the finish. When you first started talking with me I was thinking it was you but I have to admit I wasn't quit sure, the only time I've talked with you was at the Windmill Century and you were in your kit and we were zipping down the road. I had just got of the bike, my mind wasn't working right and my wife was trying to get me out of there for a great dinner she had planned.

Unfortunately there is a somber note to the Grand Tour: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/28/state/n054735D68.DTL&type=newsbayarea (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/28/state/n054735D68.DTL&type=newsbayarea) . They were hit by a drunk driver that left the scene, ditched his truck and tried to run on foot, he was caught. It was the son’s first double and all the dad could talk about at every rest stop was how proud he was of his son.

I should train more. Eat all the right things and fewer of the wrong things. Build a better bike. Maybe some wider shoes.

Mine was the double metric in a lazy 10:11.

That Mountain Dew on ice at the Community Center stop was damn good.

Hotwheels girl on the Cervelo Tri is Screamin' Hot!

I had a great Grand Tour Highland, some warm sections (but not Davis '09 hot) and some cool sections (but not Eastern Sierra '09 frozen), and overall a lovely day. One flat (snake bite), quickly fixed and no other problems the whole day!

Rode with my friend Terri all day, rode with some other bikeforum members, saw lots of friends on the ride and/or at the Checkpoints and Rest Stops, Lunch, etc.

My wife Jackie finished the Lowland Double before dark too, so she was happy (her 19th CA double).

Rick / OCRR

Unfortunately there is a somber note to the Grand Tour: Cyclist Killied in Malibu (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/28/state/n054735D68.DTL&type=newsbayarea) . They were hit by a drunk driver that left the scene, ditched his truck and tried to run on foot, he was caught. It was the son’s first double and all the dad could talk about at every rest stop was how proud he was of his son.

There is a more detailed article in the Ventura County Star (http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jun/29/oxnard-driver-arrested-in-cyclists-death/).