I received an email today with this in it. I realize it's a ways off, but was still curious if anyone is/would even consider it? I'm not (certainly not at the moment), but it does sound like a good one (challenging for sure). Also, it is limited to 25 riders!


BORREGO DOUBLE ORDEAL ANNOUNCED

After many hours of discussion, review, and revisions, a brand new Double Century is being added to the 2008 California Triple Crown Schedule!! The Borrego Double Ordeal will be held on November 1, 2008 and will feature beautiful climbs up Montezuma and Mesa Grande with an awesome 4,000 Foot descent down Banner Grade to finish!! This ride has it all starting in the Desert, climbing to the Mountains, descending to the Ocean, climbing to the Mountains, and descending back to the Desert. The Borrego Double Ordeal is the only California Triple Crown Double that showcases the desert, mountains, and the ocean featured on the California Triple Crown Logo, all in one day. The beauty of this ride actually begins the night before if you choose to camp out under billions of stars, perhaps singing around a campfire or swapping funny bike stories, surrounded by a silhouette of desert mountains, just 3 miles from the ride start. Marveling the spectacular sunrise climb up over the desert will make your 11 mile climb up Montezuma grade seem well worth the effort it took to drive out there the day before. You'll then travel down hill and around Lake Henshaw, by-passing Mt. Palomar, through a forested road and over to the small town of Valley Center. This will be followed by meandering through lots of down hill on well-paved back roads eventually connecting to a wonderful bike path avoiding city traffic to the Ocean. Oceanside will welcome you with it's beautiful lighthouse and harbor. The gentle tailwinds will encourage you as you begin your trek back, again along the care-free bike path. Your destination is now Julian, the one-horse town that summits your long but gradual climbing. The climb up Mesa Grande Road is one of the best country roads in California. From Julian, you will soar down 4,000 feet on the awesome Banner Grade heading out of the mountains towards the back side of Borrego Springs. You'll want to have plenty of batteries and powerful lights for this final descent back to the Finish Line. By then, you'll either be enjoying the desert in a lovely sunset, or in awesome wonderment of the billions and billions of stars and amazing tranquility. Borrego Springs is a great place to celebrate the finish of your Borrego Double Ordeal.

This new course is estimated to have 15,100 Feet of Polar Elevation Gain so it will be an Extremely High degree of difficulty. Please send your Altimeter readings to Frank Neal on this Double after riding it next year. There will be a 25 Rider Limit in 2008 so register early!!

This ride will be produced by Anny Beck and friends. All the information on the Borrego Double Ordeal can be found at http://www.caltriplecrown.com/schedule.htm#borrego including: -- Link to the Web Site -- Photos of the 2nd Half of the Borrego Double Ordeal by Frank Neal and Chuck Bramwell of 11/15/07 -- Link to Elevation Chart -- Link to 2006 Test Ride Results -- Link to 2006 Test Ride Photos by Kermit Ganier Thanks go out to those hearty test riders who tackled this tough course in November of 2006: Stephane Beaudry, Janet Christiansen, James Cook, Dan Crain, Ken Holloway, Fred Klinzmann, Drew Petersen, and David Slaton. We're excited about this new Double Century and wish Anny all the best in her many efforts to make it happen.