We have a double-metric coming up and I was kind of wondering the same things . . . group or solo? http://www.cibike.org/cool-breeze.html

I usually start out with a group of friends and riders from our club and see how the pace shakes out from the start. There's 8,500 feet of climbing but the only long climb is Casidas Pass, so nothing brutal.

I rode Tour de Big Bear last weekend (119 mi., 8,000 feet of climbing); started out with my friend David, but probably pushed too hard just trying to stay on his wheel and was burned out (somewhat) for the two long climbs up both sides of Onyx . . . so rode the balance mostly solo.

To get ready, hopefully, I'll lay off the climbing for this coming weekend and ride a double metric as a training ride, at a slower pace, and mostly along the coast (I think it's only 4,000 ft. of climbing). We start in Anaheim (at the train station) and ride to Oceanside, then most riders will take the train back while the rest of us fight the afternoon headwind and ride back.

So Barrettscv, I would advise you to not have a solo vs. group plan going in and just play it by ear as the miles roll out.

Rick / OCRR