L'Eroica California
#376
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Thanks! That's quite the old jalopy.
#377
Junior Member
This guy was awesome. I rode with him for the first few miles. He was passing people on the left and right on a narrow dirt path with grace and ease. He only spoke Italian and I did the best with speaking to him but I couldn't understand a word he said with his heavy accent. So cool.
#378
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I was one of the riders that missed that lunch loop turn off. The only markings at the turn that I saw were a sign pointing left for the short route riders and a sign pointing right (down Peachy Canyon) for the medium route riders. That's my brother in Davester's first photo, directly in front of him in the tri-color Molteni jersey, and I was right in front of him, in the yellow jersey (you can just see my back pockets in the photo).
Last edited by JoeBass; 04-14-15 at 01:13 AM.
#380
don't try this at home.
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That's hardcore!
The full size photo link.
Last edited by rm -rf; 04-14-15 at 06:44 AM.
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Reads pretty rewarding for those who rode.
The tire delamination problem... Sometimes what you don't know is just as well, very fortunate that it did not completely let go.
It will be interesting to read how a warranty claim is handled. Manufacturing errors do happen.
Please Otis, let us know.
I think that even if the organizers augment the food options next year that a musette bag would be smart from the get go.
The tire delamination problem... Sometimes what you don't know is just as well, very fortunate that it did not completely let go.
It will be interesting to read how a warranty claim is handled. Manufacturing errors do happen.
Please Otis, let us know.
I think that even if the organizers augment the food options next year that a musette bag would be smart from the get go.
#382
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Looks like a pretty great ride! Lovely scenery.
Did everyone drink their bottle of wine?
Did everyone drink their bottle of wine?
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#383
Junior Member
Wow, a 1920 era bike. With 1x3 gearing, and shifting by loosening the axle wingnut and moving the chain by hand. It has wood rims, I think. Sketchy sidepull brakes. Two spare tires. New spokes? And a bell.
That's hardcore!
The full size photo link.
That's hardcore!
The full size photo link.
#384
Senior Member
10,000 entries available and they SOLD OUT!!!???
It took a while for that to sink in,... that's a lot of people.
It took a while for that to sink in,... that's a lot of people.
#385
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It was a great event and a good showing for a first year event with only 5 months of organizing available to them. This event will never see 10,000 riders, it just could not handle that amount of people. In Italy 5500 riders is too many, and Britannia at about 2500 is good but when it grows it may suffer from it's success as well.
I'm just back from the event and was cruising through the posts and had to jump in and respond to this. I'll have some pics to post later. By the way, for those who were at the event that was my old Beemer with the sidecar along with my 1962 Legnano which I rode. Right now I am laying claim to having the oldest bike to finish the long route. Anyone want to challenge that with an older bike?
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Last edited by Oldairhead; 04-14-15 at 10:19 AM.
#386
Full Member
I rode the long route on Sunday. The ride itself was pretty dang epic. For me, one of the highlights was being handed a can of cold Coke at the top of Cypress Mountain. Sucking down that sugary goodness while taking in the view of the rolling hills out to the ocean was worth all the suffering getting up there. I really enjoyed all the gravel too. It made line choice on some of the descents a bit more interesting.
I plan on coming back next year, just with wider tires and bar end shifters.
The cap was 1000 people. I heard only 600 or so registered.
I plan on coming back next year, just with wider tires and bar end shifters.
The cap was 1000 people. I heard only 600 or so registered.
#388
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Had a great time at Eroica which was pretty much in our backyard here on the Central California Coast. Weather was perfect. Started at about 55 degrees at 8:30am and moved up to 85 degrees in the afternoon with fairly minimal wind. I understand that they capped the number of participants to 750 (not 10,000 as I said earlier') and it sold out. My wife and kids volunteered at registration and said that there were a number of people from different states and countries. I personally rode with people from Nova Scotia, Canada, Italy, Japan and Arizona (that's another country, right?). I rode the 70 mile (medium) length and found it very hard.
I think it was a very good first effort. There is no doubt I will do this next year if it is the area and maybe, gulp, do the long one. Here are my notes on the Goods and Bads:
Goods:
The Bad:
I think it was a very good first effort. There is no doubt I will do this next year if it is the area and maybe, gulp, do the long one. Here are my notes on the Goods and Bads:
Goods:
- The Concours the day before had a lot of amazing bike. Eye candy! Wear sunglasses because chrome was abundant.
- The swag bag contained good stuff including a sweet Eroica hat, pin, patch and a nice bottle of local olive oil when finishing
- The food at the rest stops was good and bad. The first stop at Cass Winery 9:00am gave out water bottles with with either water or Viognier wine. Naturally, I took the wine. This may be the reason the ride was so hard. They also had breakfast burritos to go with the good wine. The second stop at Olea Olive Oil farms offered very fresh Belgium frites, bread and deep bowls of olive oil and spices. It was a lovely place. I would have loved a more substantial lunch but the fries added to the previous wine experience. The last rest stop was at Halter Ranch Winery and it was a cold cut lunch with some very nice wine. I would have liked the lunch a bit earlier. Almost no gels or quick bits to eat. Where are the chocolate chip cookies? Overall, good stops but I think the food choices could have been improved.
- The route was awesome. 90% of the hill climbs were on dirt and they were hard. I would say 75% of the people walked a portion. One canyon in particular was awesome and an aptly named nightmare, Killer Canyon. It was amazingly difficult. See pic below. The roads were actually in amazing condition (except for the last 1/4 mile).
- The bikes, oh, the bikes. Tons of bikes. Saw a ton of Raleigh, Merckx, Bottecchia, Cinelli and Bianchi. Most bikes were probably from the 1970's era.
The Bad:
- Signage needs to be improved. Right out of the gate we took a left and 100 of us stopped in the road because we had no idea where to go. Most turn signs were AFTER the turn and never ahead of the turn. Not a good idea when you have small groups of riders. I chalk this up to being brand new.
- No swap meet and very limited sellers. You would think this would be the perfect spot to exchange parts
- They ran out of Jerseys before it even started
I did the 43 mile ride, and it was plenty hard enough for me. Of course, as a serious Clydesdale with a 44x28 low gear (I usually run a 30x29 triple), it was pretty much guaranteed to be plenty hard enough for me. My personal disaster was the dirt climb to the second rest stop (the Olea olive oil ranch). It is definitely double-digits - definitely a walker for me. Small problem - I forgot to loosen my Binda Extra toe clip straps. They were advertised back in the day as keeping your feet firmly in place because they do not stretch. The ads were 100% accurate. I didn't have enough speed to be able to bend down to loosen them and i couldn't pull my feet out (believe me, I tried), so I had two choices: crash, or gut it out to the top of unpleasantly double-digit climb. I did not crash. However, I did hurt. A lot. At the top of the hard climb part (there was more road to the ranch that was gentle up or flat) and as soon as I could unclip, I pulled over, stopped, and gulped air as quickly as I could while the people who started walking when I wanted to and who I left behind with my undesired climbing walked by, all wondering if I was about to barf up a lung. That little unplanned output of energy pretty much cooked me for the day - I was never really recovered, feeling sluggish the entire final 16 miles. But all of that is on me, not the organizers.
I unfortunately had to miss the councours due to an intervening scheduling conflict, but there were so many unbelievably cool machines on the road and at the finish area that that ended up being minor disappointment.
Speaking of Rider #1 mentioned in previous posts, he was a real character. One of the bikes on the road was a 70cm (that is not a typo) early 1970s Cinelli. The owner let me through a leg over it. I'm 6'3 and usually ride a 62cm to 64cm frame. I could place my feet flat on the ground while straddling the top tube, by just barely with the bar crunched unpleasantly into my naughty bits. Rider #1 is not tall, but at the first rest stop, he climbed on the big-boy bike. When he managed to get onto the saddle, his foot could juuuuuust reach the pedal - at the very top of the stroke. It was quite a hoot.
Regarding equipment - modern components are better than the "classic" stuff. Clips and straps suck. Old brakes (mine were Universal 51s, a 60-plus year old design) do not work nearly as well as new dual-pivots. Brifters are much easier to use than downtube shifters. But lugged steel still rules.
Bottom line: The course was great, the weather was perfect, and I had a wonderful time. If L'Eroica cames back to Paso Robles next year, I'll be there. You should be there, too.
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#389
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Nope. 'Tis not I, although I have a similar profile to the guy in the orange jersey. No, I was on a blue 1961 Bianchi wearing a sky-blue with white panels Bianchi jersey.
Oh, and without trying, I hit the Major Sponsor Sweepstakes: Bianchi frame; jersey made by Santini; Brooks saddle; Giro helmet (I was old school from the neck down but went full modern from the neck up - there are limits to my nostalgia insanity); and Continental tires (25mm Sprinter Gatorskin tubs, they worked flawlessly). I did not do this on purpose - the only thing I bought after knowing who the sponsors were were the tires, and those were replace a set of narrower Contis. No prize for being an unintentional shill, though.
Oh, and without trying, I hit the Major Sponsor Sweepstakes: Bianchi frame; jersey made by Santini; Brooks saddle; Giro helmet (I was old school from the neck down but went full modern from the neck up - there are limits to my nostalgia insanity); and Continental tires (25mm Sprinter Gatorskin tubs, they worked flawlessly). I did not do this on purpose - the only thing I bought after knowing who the sponsors were were the tires, and those were replace a set of narrower Contis. No prize for being an unintentional shill, though.
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#391
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Simply a fantastic day. I would agree with Guy Gadois as to the plusses and minuses, but to me, the minuses were far, far outweighed by the plusses. What an amazing collection of bike porn, up close and in person. One comment on one of GG's minuses: the Santini folks took orders for the Eroica California jerseys, and they honored the special event price for them ($120 vs. $150 or so for regularly. it's a good looking jersey, and I am looking forward to getting mine.
I did the 43 mile ride, and it was plenty hard enough for me. Of course, as a serious Clydesdale with a 44x28 low gear (I usually run a 30x29 triple), it was pretty much guaranteed to be plenty hard enough for me. My personal disaster was the dirt climb to the second rest stop (the Olea olive oil ranch). It is definitely double-digits - definitely a walker for me. Small problem - I forgot to loosen my Binda Extra toe clip straps. They were advertised back in the day as keeping your feet firmly in place because they do not stretch. The ads were 100% accurate. I didn't have enough speed to be able to bend down to loosen them and i couldn't pull my feet out (believe me, I tried), so I had two choices: crash, or gut it out to the top of unpleasantly double-digit climb. I did not crash. However, I did hurt. A lot. At the top of the hard climb part (there was more road to the ranch that was gentle up or flat) and as soon as I could unclip, I pulled over, stopped, and gulped air as quickly as I could while the people who started walking when I wanted to and who I left behind with my undesired climbing walked by, all wondering if I was about to barf up a lung. That little unplanned output of energy pretty much cooked me for the day - I was never really recovered, feeling sluggish the entire final 16 miles. But all of that is on me, not the organizers.
I unfortunately had to miss the councours due to an intervening scheduling conflict, but there were so many unbelievably cool machines on the road and at the finish area that that ended up being minor disappointment.
Speaking of Rider #1 mentioned in previous posts, he was a real character. One of the bikes on the road was a 70cm (that is not a typo) early 1970s Cinelli. The owner let me through a leg over it. I'm 6'3 and usually ride a 62cm to 64cm frame. I could place my feet flat on the ground while straddling the top tube, by just barely with the bar crunched unpleasantly into my naughty bits. Rider #1 is not tall, but at the first rest stop, he climbed on the big-boy bike. When he managed to get onto the saddle, his foot could juuuuuust reach the pedal - at the very top of the stroke. It was quite a hoot.
Regarding equipment - modern components are better than the "classic" stuff. Clips and straps suck. Old brakes (mine were Universal 51s, a 60-plus year old design) do not work nearly as well as new dual-pivots. Brifters are much easier to use than downtube shifters. But lugged steel still rules.
Bottom line: The course was great, the weather was perfect, and I had a wonderful time. If L'Eroica cames back to Paso Robles next year, I'll be there. You should be there, too.
I did the 43 mile ride, and it was plenty hard enough for me. Of course, as a serious Clydesdale with a 44x28 low gear (I usually run a 30x29 triple), it was pretty much guaranteed to be plenty hard enough for me. My personal disaster was the dirt climb to the second rest stop (the Olea olive oil ranch). It is definitely double-digits - definitely a walker for me. Small problem - I forgot to loosen my Binda Extra toe clip straps. They were advertised back in the day as keeping your feet firmly in place because they do not stretch. The ads were 100% accurate. I didn't have enough speed to be able to bend down to loosen them and i couldn't pull my feet out (believe me, I tried), so I had two choices: crash, or gut it out to the top of unpleasantly double-digit climb. I did not crash. However, I did hurt. A lot. At the top of the hard climb part (there was more road to the ranch that was gentle up or flat) and as soon as I could unclip, I pulled over, stopped, and gulped air as quickly as I could while the people who started walking when I wanted to and who I left behind with my undesired climbing walked by, all wondering if I was about to barf up a lung. That little unplanned output of energy pretty much cooked me for the day - I was never really recovered, feeling sluggish the entire final 16 miles. But all of that is on me, not the organizers.
I unfortunately had to miss the councours due to an intervening scheduling conflict, but there were so many unbelievably cool machines on the road and at the finish area that that ended up being minor disappointment.
Speaking of Rider #1 mentioned in previous posts, he was a real character. One of the bikes on the road was a 70cm (that is not a typo) early 1970s Cinelli. The owner let me through a leg over it. I'm 6'3 and usually ride a 62cm to 64cm frame. I could place my feet flat on the ground while straddling the top tube, by just barely with the bar crunched unpleasantly into my naughty bits. Rider #1 is not tall, but at the first rest stop, he climbed on the big-boy bike. When he managed to get onto the saddle, his foot could juuuuuust reach the pedal - at the very top of the stroke. It was quite a hoot.
Regarding equipment - modern components are better than the "classic" stuff. Clips and straps suck. Old brakes (mine were Universal 51s, a 60-plus year old design) do not work nearly as well as new dual-pivots. Brifters are much easier to use than downtube shifters. But lugged steel still rules.
Bottom line: The course was great, the weather was perfect, and I had a wonderful time. If L'Eroica cames back to Paso Robles next year, I'll be there. You should be there, too.
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
#392
Senior Member
#393
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
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That's the guy. His name is Rick. I remember seeing his eBay posting for that tall Cinelli's twin (he ordered it a couple years after he got the orange one in case anything happened to the orange one). Quite a character (and I meant that in a good way) - he would cheerfully talk to, and share opinions with, pretty much anyone. He told me about Tomassini helping build the frame, but I missed out on him selling bikes to Lemond, not that I'm surprised.
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#394
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Well that looked a hoot. All WE need is some organized person to put together such an event in the Northeast.
#395
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#396
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Well I can produce, on a moment's notice, an ~ ten mile loop, quite hilly, including the infamous 'Rattlesnake Hill', that very roughly follows the circumference of a ~600 acre lake. Around, and around, and around we go!
#397
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Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
#398
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Eroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on FlickrEroica California by djk762, on Flickr
Eroica California by djk762, on FlickrEroica California by djk762, on Flickr
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The central area of the park contained the concourse, vendor booths and the start/arrival and was filled with vintage and classic bikes, mostly of Italian manufacture. The sun was out, shining brightly and making it hard to get a decent photo of the bikes on display.
I think the course was plenty tough enough for my endurance level. There were many, many hills with rocky ascents and slippery, gravel-filled road transitions on the medium route. It took all of my concentration to pick out the best line of attack and to avoid getting a wheel stuck in a rut. I’m happy to say that I never fell over! I’m also very pleased with the 30mm Schwalbe CX Pro tires I selected. Luckily, I didn’t experience any tire cuts or flats and I did have complete confidence in them whenever I unavoidably glanced against several rocks. What did happen though, was that by the end of the ride my seat post and saddle had slid down about one and a half inches from all of the jostling and frame juddering, but I had not noticed it one bit until I got home and saw that my saddle was now lower than the handlebar! My handlebar-mounted video camera too, constantly had to be repositioned. Many of the video clips I made now have tilted horizons, yet exhibit very dynamic looking perspectives!
I walked the bike a fair amount of the time towards the end of the ride as my legs did not have much more to give. The route signs were sometimes hard to read as they were rather small in size and lacking clear direction until one arrived closer to the sign. At times, when no reassuring signs were visible after several miles at a stretch, I rode in fear of having possibly missed a turn-off but this never happened as I managed to make all of the turns.
I carried a musette bag and brought enough water, almonds and raisins just in case there wasn’t enough food at the rest stops and I am very glad that I did. I was very tempted to take on the generous bottle of viognier at the first rest stop but opted instead for water. I only partook in a small glass of rosé at the third and last stop as a small personal reward for having successfully completed the route up to that point. That wine paired satisfyingly with the cold cuts and pasta meal.
My guess is that there were about 600 + riders. I don’t recall seeing any “race” numbers below 101 nor above 700 something. In fact, my “race” number was actually one hundred more than my online registration number, so I am guessing that they began numbering entrants at 100 rather than 001.
On the whole, my gearing was just about right for the course with a 37T front and a 28T rear. I of course could have made good use of a 30+T, but I would still would have had to walk up many of those steeper climbs. On the route, I ran into only three other Peugeot bikes, which surprised me since a lot of those were imported and sold in the US back in the 1970s. The slightly longer wheelbase I set up was pleasantly noticeable. (I had removed the rear dropout axle stops to gain an extra half inch).
On arrival, I was greeted by a few well-wishers who stood behind the barricaded corridor through which cyclists would re-enter the park and this was very welcomed after a hard day in the saddle! All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with beautiful vistas and quiet moments in the tree-shaded canyons and on the backroads of Paso Robles. I met several riders on the route too, who cheered and gave encouraging words to one another. I did not knowingly meet any other BFFers, but maybe next time!
view 1
view 2
rest stop 1
2nd rest stop: olive oil & bread and Belgian style fries
3rd rest stop: cold cuts, pasta and rosé wine
concourse
Eddy Merckx bike
I think the course was plenty tough enough for my endurance level. There were many, many hills with rocky ascents and slippery, gravel-filled road transitions on the medium route. It took all of my concentration to pick out the best line of attack and to avoid getting a wheel stuck in a rut. I’m happy to say that I never fell over! I’m also very pleased with the 30mm Schwalbe CX Pro tires I selected. Luckily, I didn’t experience any tire cuts or flats and I did have complete confidence in them whenever I unavoidably glanced against several rocks. What did happen though, was that by the end of the ride my seat post and saddle had slid down about one and a half inches from all of the jostling and frame juddering, but I had not noticed it one bit until I got home and saw that my saddle was now lower than the handlebar! My handlebar-mounted video camera too, constantly had to be repositioned. Many of the video clips I made now have tilted horizons, yet exhibit very dynamic looking perspectives!
I walked the bike a fair amount of the time towards the end of the ride as my legs did not have much more to give. The route signs were sometimes hard to read as they were rather small in size and lacking clear direction until one arrived closer to the sign. At times, when no reassuring signs were visible after several miles at a stretch, I rode in fear of having possibly missed a turn-off but this never happened as I managed to make all of the turns.
I carried a musette bag and brought enough water, almonds and raisins just in case there wasn’t enough food at the rest stops and I am very glad that I did. I was very tempted to take on the generous bottle of viognier at the first rest stop but opted instead for water. I only partook in a small glass of rosé at the third and last stop as a small personal reward for having successfully completed the route up to that point. That wine paired satisfyingly with the cold cuts and pasta meal.
My guess is that there were about 600 + riders. I don’t recall seeing any “race” numbers below 101 nor above 700 something. In fact, my “race” number was actually one hundred more than my online registration number, so I am guessing that they began numbering entrants at 100 rather than 001.
On the whole, my gearing was just about right for the course with a 37T front and a 28T rear. I of course could have made good use of a 30+T, but I would still would have had to walk up many of those steeper climbs. On the route, I ran into only three other Peugeot bikes, which surprised me since a lot of those were imported and sold in the US back in the 1970s. The slightly longer wheelbase I set up was pleasantly noticeable. (I had removed the rear dropout axle stops to gain an extra half inch).
On arrival, I was greeted by a few well-wishers who stood behind the barricaded corridor through which cyclists would re-enter the park and this was very welcomed after a hard day in the saddle! All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with beautiful vistas and quiet moments in the tree-shaded canyons and on the backroads of Paso Robles. I met several riders on the route too, who cheered and gave encouraging words to one another. I did not knowingly meet any other BFFers, but maybe next time!
view 1
view 2
rest stop 1
2nd rest stop: olive oil & bread and Belgian style fries
3rd rest stop: cold cuts, pasta and rosé wine
concourse
Eddy Merckx bike
#400
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: York, PA
Posts: 551
Bikes: '72 Peugeot PX-10; '74 Raleigh International; '87 Specialized RockHopper; '88 Specialized StumpJumper; '02 Cannondale Scalpel
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Thanks everyone- great reporting and PHOTOS!
Really enjoying it, almost like having been there, those wide angle views are perfect.
Really enjoying it, almost like having been there, those wide angle views are perfect.