Tour de Palm Springs... who's going?

[redhot3368]

I just signed up for this ride...doing the Century!

Karen

[bikerchick68]

Karen cool! after the lunch sag the pavement gets nasty for a while... so be alert OK? My friend crashed in the 58 mile stretch last year... pavement sharks can getcha! Nothing scary... just watch that road

[Fredwina]

Ok , it's a week to go!
Who's showing up in Downtown Palm Springs on Saturday? and who is going to do the meet-n-eat afterwards? and do we need have more than one?
Me: I'm going, but I'm on the fence about what I'm doing. will probably do the century so I have an insurance century for my century of the month
I should be easily recognizable, as I have bought an accessory that will cause Shock and Awe among the peloton:

or maybe it's fear and loathing. I get those so easily confused

[bikerchick68]

Fredwina I'll be there. I'm in for dinner too... I may also have 2 friends that join us for dinner... let's see how many are actually showing up and then we can get a dinner count to see if we really need reservations... What time will dinner be? 5? I have to drive home from there back to San Diego... not staying the night...

I'm looking forward to meeting you and the Shark...

Dinner Count- 3

[Fredwina]

If you're only doing the 55 , them maybe I need to do the metric as well...
we start as early as 4 , the buffet is closed from 3-4, nothing else, we'll make Cali happy and go to In-n-out.

[Ninabike]

I won't be able to make it, but you girls have a great, and safe, ride, and fun dinner afterwards.

Nina

[Fredwina]

If your planning on eating afterwards (like 2-3ish, depending on when I get in), please PM me.
Hope everyone has a great ride.

[bikerchick68]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...ather+forecast

RAIN!!!! the forecast is rain... OK who is gonna cancel due to this? I gotta say I'm really considering it. I can't see driving 2 1/2 hours to pay $60 to ride 55 miles in the rain... what do you guys think? Am I wussing out? I HATE riding in the rain.

[caligurl]

that's where the desert differs from the coast.... i seriously doubt it will rain.... a few forcasts show 20%...... so that's 80% chance it won't rain... and most likely won't... the biggest chance for rain is tomorrow evening when the ride will already be over...

we're going.. but we've already paid.... i am changing what i'm wearing now, though... since it will be cloudy (no sun to warm me up) and cool (for me)....

[Fredwina]

geez, you chickens!
Rode with Cali for a Little while.
I shocked some for faster rides of the club but keeping with them
Bad news _ I had two flats one right after the rest stop at the park in La Quinta, and then immediately after that - I didn't get a chunk of Glass out of my tire and I got lost - wound on 111.
Didn't quite beat my Tuscon pace, but still did good. Had lunch with club in a restaurant in Downtown PS

[bikerchick68]

I AM a chicken... Cali hates cold... I hate rain! LOL. Sounds like you had a decent ride other than the flats... Last year people were flatting like crazy from those goathead thorns all over the place... We also got lost last year (we were riding with Homey and his son... Homey finally realized we were off track!) and ended with 109...

sorry I missed you and hopefully we'll get to meet another time...

[Kallisti]

If you've never done a century before and you live in SoCal, this would make a great first century. Plus it helps out a long list of local charities.
I wasn't sure if I was going to make this because I had the flu just last week. Fortunately, I made it, and did the 100 miler.
My riding partner and I started out almost an hour late, so we started out with a bit of a time deficit. The first forty just hurt me, mostly because it was the uphill/ high headwind section of the route. I was mouth-breathing which made this section even harder. Fortunately, my riding partner had been trained very well, so for a while I just tucked behind her and drafted. Then there's a many mile descent with very few cars, so we were just flying! I don't know if I believe my max speed (59 mph ), but I know at one point, I saw 46 mph. That was SO much fun! The rest of the ride was fairly easy, particularly after the mile 53 stop. We had lunch, rested for a bit, then a bit of rough road, then just sheer enjoyment. After that it was basically flat, and there seemed to be just enough tailwind to make it relaxing and enjoyable. It looked like everyone was enjoyed themselves, and we met some nice people along the way.
This was my first time doing this century, and I would definitely do it again. It was well organized, and lots of good times. It's reminded how much fun road riding can be.
Kallisti,
newest mtbchick

[caligurl]

bc68.... the ride was AWESOME this year!

the weather was near perfect!!!! a bit cool at the start.... but once you started riding... it warmed up quickly... then the elevation just before and along 62... (i hesitate to call it a hill... there were no hills in this ride, but you already know that!) the rest stops were all stocked (well... when i went through!) TONS of food.... lots of volunteers....

airport road was even smoothed over compared to last year/other years! not perfect... but they obviously did something to it! hte only really bad, bumpy part was just before and after lunch.... and the only left hand turn i have a problem with is the one, again... just after lunch when you cross over the traffic (2nd left after lunch)... they should have had the signs back further to give you more notice the turn was coming up.... all the other lefts were just your typical lefts... no issues.... the couse was WELL marked! cops or volunteers at the stop lights of major and not so major intersections for our protection and to make sure riders AND drivers were obeying the stops and not getting hurt....

i saw hardly any people on the side of the road with flats.... maybe 10 all day? but that's just the ones i saw... but just saying that to compare it to last year when there were flatted riders all over the place!

i hated the bands at the rest stops.... especially the last one... i was getting/had a headache and EVERY drumb beat just went straight to my head! (i'm pretty sure i got the headache cuz of hydration issues.... i was drinking gatorade at the rest stops like a mad woman and i NEVER do that... not even on hilly rides! but i knew i was down on water cuz i had jury duty friday and didn't drink hardly at all..... to avoid having to tinkle while in court!)

i have a pic of fredwina that i snapped when we saw her after lunch.... i have to post it from home though cuz i can't access photobucket here at work!

i was really pleased with the ride this year..... i was a little perterbed with the parking.... cuz they didn't have signs leading to parking just "road closed" and that's it... you had to wing it.... but we got there early enough to get a good spot even though we had to move once!

i wanted to beat my time this year by .1 mph average.... well.... i beat it by 1.1 mph average overall! so i was very pleased! of course.... i give hubby credit for that.... he was riding with a sore/pulled? hamstring and not riding up to his normal self.... so when he caught up with me (i left before him)... he ended up riding with me the rest of the day... several times i was pushing hard to try to keep up with him (ya.... even though he was "injured") so that boosted my time... cuz no doubt i wouldn't have pushed myself in some spots like i was with him!

[bikerchick68]

cali good job! And you too Kallisti!

Sounds like it was better than last year... last year I filed a grievance with them afterward for running completely out of lunch food at 10:45AM when I arrived for food... glad to hear they got that fixed...

I spent the $60 on plants to replace the ones killed by the freeze... rode Sat and spent Sunday planting in the rain... THAT I like doing... makes the ground workable and soft!