Just FYI - Bicycle Club of Irvine each year hosts training rides to prepare for Ride Around the Bear. If you want more information go to bikeirvine.org and see "Calendar of Events". All the bear rides are listed. The training actually started in January so I am (sorry!) posting this alittle late. The next training ride is March 5 and everyone is invited to join. From the website:

Our Bear Training rides help you train for the Ride Around the Bear Century, hosted by the Orange County Wheelmen.

There are ten scheduled Bear Training rides, which increase in climbing and distance over the six months. Interspersed with the regular Sunday rides, these periodic remote rides such as Angeles Crest, Palos Verdes, and Graduation Day (to Mount Palomar) are a real challenge! The distances begin in the high 30-mile range and progress to 40 miles quickly. More attention is paid to the amount of climb, so the first ride has about 2400 ft. of total climb.

Please join us. It’s a great way to build endurance, even if you don’t plan to participate in the Ride Around the Bear. We recommend that you ride at your own pace. Don’t try to keep up with faster riders or slow down for slower ones.

The 2009 Ride Around the Bear is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, and begins in the city of Redlands, at the base of the San Bernadino Mountains. It climbs up Rte. 330 to Big Bear Lake and from there up to Onyx Summit, at an altitude of 8,400 ft. The descent is down Rte. 18 and back to Redlands. The total climb is approximately 9,500 ft.