SesameCrunch

Allright, this topic has been started in another thread and there's been enough interest to warrant its own discussion.

I'm proposing a "mild" century for us NorCal Forum-ites in late September. This ride will start in Santa Cruz and go up Hwy1 and some parallel roads into Half Moon Bay. We'll have lunch at a coffee shop in HMB and then turn around and head back to Santa Cruz via Hwy1 all the way (with the wind at our backs). Mileage will be just over 100 miles and elevation will be around 4,000 ft. There are plenty of stores and parks along the way for rest stops. If there's enough people, I'll arrange for some SAG support along the way.

This will be great route for a first century - not too hard, but still challenging! We'll be riding along the ocean, through open farmland, up coastal hills and a little into the redwoods. I organized this last year for a bunch of my friends and we had a great time.



I'm thinking Sunday, Sep. 23rd. So, who's interested?

Starting Location: Natural Bridges State Beach - Corner of Delaware and Natural Bridges
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...=16&iwloc=addr

Start time:
Century riders - 8am
Half Century riders - 11:30am from HMB Coffee & Cafe

Lunch Stop: Half Moon Bay Coffee and Cafe - corner of Main St. and Stone Pine Rd (North end of Main St.)
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...wloc=addr&om=1

Roll Call:
Full Century Riders
SesameCrunch
JoBob
ZorroV999
gpliu
damnpoor
Made in Warsaw
Cgallagh
RedRider
Smoooth
Sassy
MsIncredible
Mtnwalker
SJroadie
twocoasttb
MrCJOlsen

Half Century Riders
Gee3
AzureDrpTp
Steelblue
X136
Bigbossman

jobob

I'd love to do it but can't on the weekend of the 30th, that's the Waves to Wine ride.

Any chance you could make it Sat the 22nd or Sun the 23rd?

Gee3

I'm with Joanne... that's the same weekend as the MS ride. Why not do it another weekend and join us on the MS ride.

spingineer

I'll have to check if I'm on-call that weekend.

jobob

Thanks Alan ! I'll be there.

cgallagh

Red Rider and I are looking at our schedules. Right now we don't see anything to stop us. Will stay posted and see but this looks like a fun ride for the tandem.

zorrov999

I'm in ! Sunday, September 23rd works for me

AzureDrpTp

This would be my first century... And Sunday the 23rd is perfect for me. Count me in!

msincredible

I should be in, I think I'm flying back into the country the day before.

SesameCrunch

I just had another brainstorm - If you're not up for a full century yet, you could meet us in Half Moon Bay and just ride down to Santa Cruz. But, be sure to arrange for transportation back first from one of the century riders. That would be a 50 mile, flat ride with the wind at your back!

cantdrv55

OMG, I'd love to do this! Unfortunately, the 23rd is too soon after my son's birth (Sept 14). If you all can push it back to October, I can make it. If not, I'll ride it next time (if there is a next time).

BlastRadius

I'll check the family calendar.

So for the ride we'd drive to Santa Cruz, then ride north and back?

SesameCrunch

That's the plan, Henry. I don't want to flirt with the wind. It can be pretty brutal riding 45 miles into a strong headwind, as I'm sure you know... On the other hand, 15-20mph winds at your back - now we're talking!

Gee3

The one thing I'm nervous about doing a century is that I've been getting cramps at around the 40 mile mark so I'm hesitant to do it in fear of bonking and slowing down the group. (it's also my worry for the MS ride!)

Although the 50 mile ride from Half Moon Bay down to Santa Cruz might be okay if I can get a ride back!

I'm checking to see if Andy (NeCrO632) can do it also if he's not out of town that weekend.

I guess I better get those Hammer Endurolyte pills that bigbossman recommnded to prevent cramps.

Gary

mtnwalker

From what I understand cramps are caused by lack of electrolytes and dehydration. What do you bring with you on your long rides? I usually have two bottles with me. One with water and one with accelerade. I then bring a pouch of accelerade powder with me to mix if I need to. I usually take a swig from from each bottle, alternating them.

Gee3

I do about the same thing. I have two bottles, one water, one Powerade powder since Accelerade upsets my stomach. (I'd also get cramps with Accelerade) I also carry gels and bars and an extra baggy or two of the powder. I even tried the electrolyte drops in the water and still got cramps, although it was close to 116 degrees in TX at that time...

Someone said that their daughter has a fast metabolism so he needed to feed her every 30 mins or else she'd cramp up. So I'm thinking or hoping I can do the same. I'll have to try on my next ride. Maybe I'll drop a gel every 30-35 mins next time.

jonathanb715

I think one of the tricks to riding long distances is to eat and drink often - like every 10 minutes. Your body can only absorb so much (usually stated as something like 250 calories per hour) but that doesn't mean you should eat that much once an hour - a smaller amount more frequently works really well for me. I try to keep stuff I can munch on while riding in my back pocket (carrots, apple slices, bars, sandwiches). I also like Hammer products (Perpetuem works best for me on really long rides), and carry lots of extra in ziploc bags in my pockets. I find the real commercial sports drinks (Gatorade and Powerade, owned by Pepsi and Coke, respectively) don't work real well for me - a nutritionist friend tells me the fructose used to sweeten them (it is also the primary source of carbs in those drinks) may have a lot to do with it. She said your stomach has trouble absorbing the fructose when your body is working hard.

I used to also use Accelerade, but it gave me gas. Cytomax works ok for me, for the most part (despite also containing some fructose). The other Hammer products (HEED, Sustained Energy) seem really good. Read the labels - they don't all provide the same electrolytes or nutrients.

One other thing - sometimes changes in your pedalling motion can relieve cramps in your legs, especially in your calves. Focus on keeping your heel as low as possible while pedalling around.

JB

Gee3

Oops, I meant Powerbar, not powerade... hehe! But maybe i'll look into Cytomax and Heed when i run out next time. I'll be sure to check out the labels more closely.

Yeah, maybe I'll have to start eating a little a lot more often. I'll just cut up Clif bars into little squares and pop some more often instead of eating one whole bar at one time. Plus too many bars and stuff makes me feel too full and makes it hard to ride.

And yes, I recently learned that I was able to stave off the cramps by pedaling, I guess, more correctly. And keeping the heel down was exactly what I was doing once the cramps hit. It realy worked! Now I just need to teach myself to do that all the time instead of after I cramp! lol!

Thanks for the help!

Gary

jinws

Sounds fun, I'm in.

qpliu

The 23rd is good. I'll be there.

Start at Delaware and Natural Bridges?

damnpoor

OMFG, I am so there. You just answered my growing need to ride the coast. It's like a child growing inside of me, and I will give birth to it on the 23rd with you all as witness.

sweetnsourbkr

Wait wait ... you DO know that riding north constitutes a headwind, right? I'm a little confused by the routing ...

jobob

The headwind should be much lighter in the morning.

hopefully

cantdrv55

LOL

mtnwalker

That looks like a lot of fun. I can't see the pics at work and didn't see it 'till now. Barring family occasions I will be there.