Lesper4

The half marathon the next day gives you a better shirt for the same price. Long sleeve tech tee (wicking) and post food.

TrojanHorse

Course markings last year were spectacular! It's the only century I've every done where I wasn't worried about getting lost. Well, that and you have 11k riders to follow. Ha ha.

I think Cool Breeze is the only century that provides food (that I've done). Solvang lets you pay $20 for BBQ chicken.... um, no. The entry fee for tdps is cheap enough that I'm alright with providing my own post ride food.

A beer garden though... I'd donate a kidney.

CommuteCommando

Maybe next year for me. I'll be doing Solvang this year. I did check out the TDPS route and was kinda surprised to see how weak the PDF route map and que sheets were. I did a RWGPS route based on the cue sheet, and there were a couple of bad directions given and I am kinda iffy about the section from mile 75-80.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/3824962

I did this one, and being local, I parked about two miles along the route so I could dump layers in my car. (near where you cross under the pedestrian bridge after leaving Pacific street)

The bike the coast had all you can eat 3" Subway Sandwiches at the midpoint SAG for the full century riders. I had one more than I should have.

TrojanHorse

Hmmph. Tour de cure did too. Holy cats those sammiches were good. I um, enjoyed them.

Here's the solvang route from last year - https://www.strava.com/activities/43801246

I'm sure I could turn it into a rwgps route if it stays the same.

CommuteCommando

Yep, it's the same. There is a rwgps route on their website. Thanks to you, I now know where the categorized climbs are too. (I edited my earlier comment)

TrojanHorse

It's a pretty route... it's hard to tell from the elevation graph but there are tons of rollers in there. Going through the AF Base was a train wreck last year. Lots of confusion - you were supposed to stand in line at a particular table based on last name (but it wasn't obvious which table was which) and promise to be good, and then they let you through. I think it eventually turned into "do you have a number? Ok, go" and since there wasn't any signing of paperwork or any sort of identification process, skipping the tables probably would have been for the best.

Willma_Fingerdo

Solvang last year going thru the base sucked, won't do that again. The wind sucked last year also. PLUS the price is now $110.00 and limited to the first 3000.

TrojanHorse

How much was it last year? $100? I forget. $110 is getting into steep territory, especially since they want you to pay for lunch when you're done.

I imagine the participation limit is partly due to the issues they had going through the base... I wouldn't be sad to see them take that off the route. Plus, it's an air force base, that's barely military as it is. I mean... two marines looking serious would be enough to enforce discipline in the "peloton" going through an air force base.

CommuteCommando

Ironically, I routinely ride through a Marine base. Show ID, wear a helmet, and you're good to go, unless they're doing maneuvers. I guess Vandenberg gets more serious due to all the missile and satellite stuff.

TrojanHorse

That's because Marines know what they're doing... and of course, they're not being invaded by 5,000 cyclists at once either, so there's that.