LAFoothills

Did anyone do the Stagecoach Century on Jan 14 in California? This was my first century, and as I struggled against those terrific headwinds and crosswinds, my buddies told me this was one of the most difficult of their many centuries.

What made it particularly difficult was the 1 p.m. turnround deadline. This left me only 15 minutes to eat lunch and get back on the bike after 4 hours of battling those winds. Particularly motivating was the warning from an organizer: "The lunchroom closes in 10 minutes and a storm is coming!"

Thankfully, there were plenty of downhill/downwind stretches at the very end.

I'm hoping that other centuries are easier!

See you in Solvang?

dahvaio

I road the Stagecoach and as yourself it was my first Century... At the initial start I almost turned around because of how strong the headwind was. I felt like I was on my trainer, just hammering away and going nowhere... However, after the initial couple of miles I was on my way...

There were still points in the course where the headwinds, sidewinds, crosswinds, etc, that during some parts of the course I felt like I was leaning at a 30 degree angle while riding... One part that was really windy was the long stretch that was leading up to the last climb to the final (also the first) SAG Stop... I was cramping but still managed to really crank up the hill....

The ride was well supported and I thought it was planned very well. Since it was my first century I do not have too much to compare it with. I had a great time during the ride; however, I know that I could have finished a lot faster.

I finished around 12:40PM... I think I could have completed it faster had I ridden with a group the entire way... I caught up with several other guys from mile 38 and rode the rest of the way with them... Next year, I will get more of my riding buddies to ride because then I will have to do less work and should be able to complete it much faster.

my58vw

A group from our rec club rode it... hard core riders but they turned around 18 miles in... those winds must have been bad!

caligurl

i did the stagecoach... the winds were brutal.. but then... i'm used to the brutal desert winds that are worse than what we had saturday! but i still hate wind.. even though i get stuck riding in windy conditions a LOT!

however... weather.com didn't "tell" me that it was going to be windy... so i wasn't prepared... it didn't appear to be that windy at the start... it hit the minute we turned that first corner! at mile 1 i was b!tching and griping to myself and was thinking that if i kept going that slow.... i was gonna turn around...

fortunately i had an attitude adjustment (hey.. centuries are 90% mental.. right!?) and forged ahead!

i liked all the rest stops! made it nice and "easy" for a first century of the year! although rest stop #2 coulda had another porta potty or two! it was quite congested!!!!! lunch was GREAT! the first thing i noticed was the gorgeous deserts! didn't finish my chili and scarfed down the carrot cake instead!

i got to try the new banana nut clif bar.. can you say OHMIGOD!?! it's my new favorite!

we'll be back next year.. and hopefully it won't be windy!

oh.. and something that REALLY annoyed me.... how rude so many cyclists can be! why do so many riders assume that organized century/ride means they get to ride 3 or 4 across the road and block traffic? i used to hate that before i was a cyclist.... and i hate it more now that i am a cyclist! the rules/laws don't change just cuz you paid a club a few dollars to give you rest stops and food!

the roads weren't that busy... so i could have understood 2 abreast.. but of course watching/listening for traffic behind and getting over... but these idiots wouldn't budge!

zzzwillzzz

maybe with the crosswind they were riding an echelon- a paceline used in windy conditions where the riders get more protection from the wind by riding next to and sightly behind rather than directly behind as in a normal paceline

just guessing...

caligurl

no.. they were riding side by side to socialize! i konw the difference between and echelon paceline and a bunch of clubbers taking up the whole road!

SoCalAl

A GREAT RIDE and GREAT SUPPORT! See 'ya next year.

lsits

I did the ride. Not everyone from the Riverside Bike club turned around. I made it to the lunch stop and back. 92 miles. And I'm just a "C" rider. I'll have to give the others some s*** about it at the meeting tonight.