Back in '16 I rode my 1964 Legnano Roma with original old school Campy 52/42 and a 28t 6 speed rear. I ended up walking 3 hills. I skipped '17 with health issues, and built a "cheater" '73 Raleigh Super Course with a Sugino 32/40/50 triple and a Shimano Megarange 34t 6 speed freewheel. I also lost 40 lbs, since '16. I still walked 3 hills, but I got farther before I bailed. Ride whatever you want, its all good, but cheater gears worked better for me. I'm 69 years old.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b64d2ba84e.jpg

Agreed!

Ridewithgps allows you to choose unpaved roads. You can find the 2018 ride there, the 2019 will include the three big climbs.

An FYI to all, I was able to upload a GPX file of the 75-mile Santa Lucia Route by using the GPX-to-route tool in the Strava Labs website. After upload, it gives you an option to link to your account, and it indeed showed up as a new route in my Strava account. I compared it to the RideWithGPS official map and it copied perfectly.

I have a crude workaround for this.

When creating a route (in the menu "my routes").

Click on "map options" select "Global Heatmap"

First, try to create the route, as you normally do, by closely following the heatmap on the dirt roads you are adding to the route.

If this does not work (and I have never yet figured out why sometimes it doesn't work), then you need to go to Plan Bee.

Click on "map options" select "Global Heatmap". Toggle TOP bar menu (different menu) to "Manual Mode":

(There will be warning, you can't create a route sheet bla bla bla.)

Now, painstakingly create dot-dot-dot-dot along the heatmap, then save the route.

Plan See

I have created three different routes, adding up to one route before, example:
First route click click automatic route sheet. Save as part 1
Get to dirt road, second route, manual mode, dot-dot-dot-dot. Save as part 2
Third route click click automatic route sheet. Save as part 3




but that is mostly for looking at, not for navigating with.

But, it doesn't work with the longer routes :notamused:

If you are really fit and have plenty of experience riding climbs with standard race gearing 52/42 to 14-28, you can use this gearing and push up the hills as you like. For some of us older or less fit riders (I'm 63), we just can't climb those hills like we used to (or ever did!) and need more mechanical advantage. Many of us were more recreational riders rather than being racers, track or road, and/or have lost some of that physical edge we used to have - happens. Eroica is about recreating the challenge of the Classic European Tours and Giros, and giving everyone the chance to feel the burn and fatigue, and to suffer as much or as little as we want. However, there is precious little suffering and more like plenty of suffering on the medium and longer routes. For some, its a Typical Sunday ride, for others, a great challenge like a marathon - where having fun, pushing yourself at your own pace, and enjoying/suffering along with plenty of new friends and acquaintances, all the while enjoying all those vintage bikes, the grand scenery of California's Central Coast and the Pacific Ocean, and exploring Cambria, Cayucos, San Simeon, Morro Bay, and inland areas like Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. With some climbs in the 7%-18% range and descents just as challenging, the vast majority will welcome a little bit more gearing before we bail and walk. Others will motor right on up.

Regardless, the Eroica "rules and regulations" permit non-standard gearing as a means to enjoy the ride - even with alpine gearing, its still a huge challenge. So come out and have fun, hope to see you there.

BTW, in the photo above, we are on the 2018 "short" 45 mile route, walking up a hill just east of Cass Winery at mile 13 to 13.7 where the grade was about 9 to 9.9% followed by another short climb from mile 14 at about 8%. I'm in the Italian colors jersey leading the walking pack on the right.

There was also another climb pushing 12% at mile 25.
Here's the GPS route map and cue:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26973358

Mech986, thank you very much for your thoughtful message and your perspective. Enjoying the ride and the general experience is definitely a primary factor in participating (along with the bike mechanic geek in me that needs a reason to build up something new). Since I live in the area in SLO, I'll be able to do some recon of the route over the winter -- when I realize that my ambitions are bigger than my legs, you may indeed see a big cog out back with a long cage from Soma.

Cheers,

Keith

If making the event, I'm considering taking two bikes.

- Modern CF 29er atb with fast rubber, drop bar clip-ons (to be legal on Sat.). Then for an extended week, pull the drop bar ends, swap tires to off road and enjoy the trails.

- Sunday main event, undecided but might be the Teledyne Alpine.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6272a75cc7.png

I just saw the e-mail about the Classic+Nova combo. I like this a lot. I think what I'm going to do is ride the Nova Route (which is La Via Dello Scalatore) on my retro-roadie Stella and then do the Piedras Blancas route (35 miles, mostly flat) on my Gios. I wanted to ride the Gios but I don't want to modify it in the way that would be necessary for me to do any of the longer routes, so I had been leaning toward riding my Raleigh Competition and very low gears. I had also been toying with the idea of throwing downtube shifters on the Stella so I could ride it. The combo ticket looks like it solves both problems and gives me an excuse to bring two bikes. :thumb:

Now I'm glad I procrastinated and missed the early bird pricing. I'm excited about this!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/...8cb94abe_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1876/...0e498040_b.jpg

It also just occurred to me that this will allow me the irony of using an older bike for the Nova ride than I use for the Classic ride. :lol:

What is this?
"...Nova riders will get to experience amazing gravel sections NOT ON THE CLASSIC COURSE..."**********

Why would they get to suffer more than the classicals?

Maybe they are implying that an Eroica bike is not up to the task? Which is what many a Nova (not Nuovo) rider says?

That's not in agreement with what the route description for the Nova ride says or the map that they link to. It links to the 82-mile classic route. Maybe the website just isn't up to date?

Why pre-1987?
 

So here's a dumb newbie question (feel free to roll eyes) -- why "pre-1987"? What happened in cycling in 1987 that drew the line? It was the year of Stephen Roche, but certainly this isn't an anti-Irish thing. Seriously, what's the distinction?

Clipless pedals and index shifting, for starters. A brand new Rivendell would qualify, as it is built "in the spirit".

Ya gotta draw the line somewhere, that's where they drew it.

from the Eroica site:

"NOTE: Many people have asked the reason for these rules, specifically with regards to pedals and brakes. In our opinion, aero levers and clipless pedals are the sign of modern-age cycling. Both became popular in the mid-1980s and they forever changed the look of traditional road racing bicycles. Therefore, our founding members have decided not to allow them at our events. However, at 2018 Eroica California, we have decided to allow the aero brake levers with brake cable routed under the bar tape (only the brake lever function is allowed on the levers) to encourage more people to participate. Many of our participants simply swap pedals to comply for the event and switch them back. You can read how to do this in our 'News' section of our website on the homepage. "

82 + 110 is a maybe for me. Thinking about it....

Nova Eroica Virginia ride today.
 

Thought about posting this in the "where did you ride today?" thread but thought it might get some appreciation here. I recently rode a new route which ended on the slopes of Shenandoah NP. I'd noticed a couple of gravel roads branching off on that ride and a map consultation showed that with some courage I could use a road called Simmons Gap to connect this route to another one of my paved routes. I got my Wilier which is equipped with Vittoria Open Pavé tires but, to my later chagrin, also sporting a 53/39 crankset. I knew some climbing would be involved but boy howdy! This was a 38 mile ride with a total of about 11 miles of dirt/gravel. 2875 feet of climbing but half of it was done in about a 6 mile gravel stretch. There was 3 miles of about 9 -10% grade. The road forked and since I had left my carefully drawn map back in the car, I took a wrong turn which led to a flood road from the stream pictured above. There were gateposts for the national park so I turned around and went the other way at the fork getting ready for some gravel descent but alas was quickly faced with a pitch of about 20%. Got up a little ways, but in true Eroica fashion walked about a quarter mile. After a short descent there was another 18% pitch and I actually let out an audible whimper but managed to stay on the bike and muscle over it. This was followed by several miles of white knuckle steep descent and I actually contemplated which would be better, mid 2000's Campy brakes on carbon wheels (today's set up) or mid 80's Record brakes on Mavic G40's. Probably a wash.

At any rate, if any Virginians out there want to get a taste of what the Cypress Ranch climb and descent are like, this is a good approximation, although I think this might be a little harder. Drop me a line and I'd be happy to show you the route. BTW I know the bike isn't vintage but I wore my wool Fausto Coppi Ursus jersey; so that counts.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a648efa4d5.jpg

Summit View
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0b37b8bd7.jpg

Stream on border of Shenandoah NP
*https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a2b7e8bbd6.jpg
Looking back on the mountains I just rode through
*

Uhmmm... lIRC, I bought my first set of Look clipless pedals in 86.....

Tell that to the Eroica peoples. I'm just the messenger.