Northern California - In praise of Spooktacular Bakersfield

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Lanceoldstrong
10-25-09, 12:53 PM
Every year I do an event I love that is sadly off the radar for a lot of us here in the Bay Area.
The Spooktacular (http://www.kernwheelmen.org/spooktacular-alone.php) in Bakersfield is something special.

Bakersfield??? Yeah, you read it right. Hey, it is only 4.5 hours away from the East Bay, even closer for South Bay folks.

We all drive that far for other rides, so why not Bakersfield? or rather why Bakersfield?

For starters, excellent organization by the Kern Wheelmen (http://www.kernwheelmen.org/)who have put this ride on for 23 years and they do it right.
Add great spooky rest stops, fun volunteers, super food (Häagen-Dazs ice cream!), and mix in 6 routes for variety.

There are 3 different centuries to choose from depending on your tolerance/need for pain.

Hideous Hundred - 10,800 feet of climbing:eek:- 109 miles.
Horrible Hundred - 8,600 feet of climbing:eek: - 102 miles.
Nightmare Ninety - 4,500 feet of climbing - 92 miles.

The Morbid Metric - 2,900 feet of climbing - 62 miles.
A Frightful Forty - 500 feet of climbing - 40 miles.
The Trembling Twentyfive - great family ride.

The terrain here is really a change of pace, it is changing landscape of desert, mountains and oasis. My family and I did the 25 miler + 6 miles we like to tack on around very pretty Lake Ming to give us 31 miles.

If you give this a shot and go down here next year I think you'll be surprised and in for a treat.
Here are some pics

The Kern River
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1750-1.jpg?t=1256490663
A misty morning on Lake Ming
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1752-1.jpg?t=1256490728
Hey look it's the Junior Oldstrongs!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1757-1-1.jpg?t=1256490906
Volunteers getting the Haloween spirit at rest stops.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1796-1.jpg?t=1256490564
Roadside kitsch
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1784-1.jpg?t=1256491425
Cowboys and Oil fields
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1802-1.jpg?t=1256491590
A real desert oasis
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1808-1.jpg?t=1256491697
The Oldstrongs happy and well fed on DanteB's (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=67028)(BikeForum and Kernwheelmen member) fine Tri-tip
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1838-1.jpg?t=1256492026

bikingshearer
10-25-09, 12:59 PM
Sounds like the Oldstrong clan had a great time. Thanks for the report.
BlastRadius
10-25-09, 02:49 PM
That looks like a great ride. How old are the junior OldStrongs?

Beaker
10-25-09, 04:09 PM
Isn't a junior Oldstrong a Youngstrong?

Great report - as always. It's really nice to see your whole family enjoying the time together.
Lanceoldstrong
10-25-09, 07:44 PM
That looks like a great ride. How old are the junior OldStrongs?


Isn't a junior Oldstrong a Youngstrong?

Great report - as always. It's really nice to see your whole family enjoying the time together.

Lance Youngstrong is 9 and his sister Princess Youngstrong is 11
This is their 2nd time on this ride.
BlastRadius
10-25-09, 11:13 PM
Lance Youngstrong is 9 and his sister Princess Youngstrong is 11
This is their 2nd time on this ride.

Awesome. They're even riding drop bars.
bigbossman
10-25-09, 11:45 PM
Awesome. They're even riding drop bars.

Yeah - nice bikes. :D
rat fink
10-26-09, 12:05 AM
Oh man! I didn't know that this already took place. I was looking forward to participating. I had it on my calendar and everything...
Midland
10-26-09, 12:38 AM
Nice report, sounds y'all had great time. I'm thinking of giving that ride a shot next year, good chance to get in another Century before the end of the riding season.
Lanceoldstrong
10-26-09, 01:08 AM
Awesome. They're even riding drop bars.


Yeah - nice bikes. :D

Are there any other kind of bars?
Not on bikes that bigbossman builds!:thumb:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/Spooktacular%202009/IMG_1827-1.jpg?t=1256537208
BlastRadius
10-26-09, 11:19 AM
^Sweet! He looks like a road racer already.