Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Moss Beach 200K Brevet

Good Evening to Everyone on the Board -

I am considering doing the Moss Beach 200K Brevet on March 12 as my first step in to Randonneuring. Has anyone here ridden this? A co-worker warned that there would be headwinds both ways and that I would generally hate life the entire time (he's an upbeat guy :) ) While I realize that things are what you make it, his words are giving me pause.

Is there merit to what he says? Might it be better to wait until later in the year (SF Rando has something slated in August, I think)? Or does it not matter inasmuch as all brevets in The Bay Area are going to have something nasty to deal with?

Thankx.

I would ask the organizer

The moss beach 200k is a fine ride. It starts at the lighthouse in Santa Cruz, heads up into some beautiful hills, then shoots up to moss beach. By the time you make the turn at moss beach the winds are generally picking up to blow you back at a pretty fast clip back to santa cruz.

Now, if the winds decide to come out of the south it can take a bit longer. But even then it just adds an hour or so to the 60 miles back.

--Colin

We did the Santa Cruz Gray Whale 200k New Year's Day from Aptos and had a wonderful time despite cooler temperatures, rain, and yes - a headwind for the return trip south. But the view of the coast was fantastic (we live in the midwest so it was a special ride for us). Also, there were few worries about getting off route or lost! We'd happily do it again and again.

... and that I would generally hate life the entire time ... .You won't hate life for the entire time.

Instead you will likely hate your bike ... for some small portion of the ride.

But if you haven't ridden faster than you should have ... the hate for the bike will pass ... and 10 miles later (or after eating something) you'll be fine ... maybe you will even feel great.