I'm "quaking in my cycle shoes"!!!

[tygab]

Wow, that sounds like an awesome ride!

I would be careful with the back thing. Backs are very tricky and they can take a long time to heal right. But assuming you keep training with no significant discomfort, the mileage and challenge will be amazing. I don't live in CA but I've been fortunate to drive around Carmel and Big Sur a couple of times and that is some amazing terrain and vistas. You do not have to ride fast to enjoy the scenery, right?

Good luck and always put your health first - if your back or something else is causing you worries there is always another ride some other time. But if you feel healthy and ready for it, you probably are so enjoy!

[salsabike]

Can you go and ride parts of it for training? That might help de-scare you a little.

[Clare]

Tygab, thank you, you're absolutely right and a really good reminder that back issues are not something to take lightly. Even though it'll be such a huge dissapointment, I won't ride it if my back continues to hurt like it did on my last ride.

Highway 1 has some awesome vistas and thankfully I'll be going slow enough to take them all in!!!

I am thinking about calling up a friend and seeing if she'd like to join me in doing that climb this Saturday. I think she is going to do this ride too, but she's been having computer problems and doesn't know if she is actually signed up for it!

Clare