Solvang Century??? Who had done it?

**Jiffer** · 02-21-2009, 04:47 PM

My friends and I have been debating about doing the Solvang Century, which is now only 3 weeks away. None of us have ever done it and we just decided today to go for it. Having not trained for it thus far, I was personally intending to only do the Half, but my friend is trying to psyche me into the full. She just did the Palm Springs century last weekend, so she's trained. I haven't ridden more than 30-ish miles this season, but I have felt surprisingly strong in what I have done. I'm climbing better for sure and my lungs are coping better.

The full century has 5000 feet of climbing. The most I've done in one ride, including Amtrak century, is about 3000. However, from what I've read, and from having driven in the Solvang area before, I know that the hills there are much more rolling than they are where I live. And I know from riding in Tahoe that I like rolling hills SO much more than my hills here, which are just UP for a long time before you go DOWN for a long time ... as opposed to a little up, a little down with some momentum to help you up the next.

Can someone tell me from personal experience what the climbing is like? Would you call it rolling? I saw a graph that shows the longest stretch near the end. How bad is this in real life?

Who thinks I can and should do this!

**OakLeaf** · 02-21-2009, 05:07 PM

I can't tell you anything from personal experience.

But one of my buds from Ohio is doing it. She's done Mountain Mama several years, Columbus Fall Challenge several years as well. She did Cinderella on a rented mountain bike last year. The weather there has been gawdawful, she has a brand new Seven that she's been staring at since the few days when it's been decent enough to even take a road bike out, she hasn't wanted to take that one. (She's shipping her old Dolce to Solvang also.)

So you should do it.

**Jiffer** · 02-21-2009, 05:11 PM

Ummm ... I should do it cause your crazy friend is?

Sounds like something I would say!

**smilingcat** · 02-21-2009, 05:34 PM

enjoy your ride and do the fifty. Had you been doing 60 milers then you could jump to the 100 but if you have been riding only 30ish recently then just do the 50. Have fun and not kill yourself with the 100.

Personally, I haven't done the Salvang. not even the prelude in Nov. It is a popular ride though.

Have fun. And how many aebleskivers are you going to eat per mile of riding??

Its one of two reasons to go there.

smilingcat

**Fredwina** · 02-21-2009, 05:48 PM

Jiffer,
Yes you can do the century!

I did in 2006 with the Rain, Hail, sleet and snow.
Most of the nastiest climbing is at about mile 90. You've got a false flat on Foxen Canyon out of Santa Maria, and then you've got on long and steep one, followed by the "wall" on Ballard Canyon. It where Versus was filming the ATOC on Friday with the big hair guy.
I was going to do it this year, but decided I need to pay bills and get my 'bent legs

**Tokie** · 02-21-2009, 06:21 PM

The Santa Ynez Valley is just over the hill from here. The Solvang Century is a hard century. Even before you turn and head back to where you find the painful last climbs (and sadly, riders walking their bikes up the climbs), there is a section with rather unforgiving headwinds and roads with rutted shoulders from tractors. The headwind section often takes the last bit of oomph out of you when you need it for the climbs. I would do the half century and make it a fun day. Yep, abelskivers and wine-tasting! Even when I'm in great shape for the full century, I cut this one short. It makes for much happier memories! Have fun! tokie

**Jiffer** · 02-22-2009, 06:47 PM

Hmmm. Mixed advice, so far. Well, I guess we're still in the mode of training as if we're doing it and see how we feel as it gets closer. We rode 30 yesterday followed by 40 today with some decent climbing both days. I think I'll know if my body isn't going to want to tolerate 100 miles when we do our long rides the week before the event. I'm feeling so much stronger this season already, which is encouraging.

Fredwina, that last big climb, is there anything around here that it compares to? Torrey Pines? Mount Baldy Road? Do you know the grade?

**Fredwina** · 02-22-2009, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jiffer

Hmmm. Mixed advice, so far. Well, I guess we're still in the mode of training as if we're doing it and see how we feel as it gets closer. We rode 30 yesterday followed by 40 today with some decent climbing both days. I think I'll know if my body isn't going to want to tolerate 100 miles when we do our long rides the week before the event. I'm feeling so much stronger this season already, which is encouraging.

Fredwina, that last big climb, is there anything around here that it compares to? Torrey Pines? Mount Baldy Road? Do you know the grade?

I'm thinking GMR to the shack

ps. you don't have to do 100 to train for century

**maillotpois** · 02-22-2009, 08:08 PM

I coached it back in 2005 for TNT and recall it being a not too bad early season century. Nothing outlandishly hard. Rollers. Weather will always be iffy, but you could luck out.

Go for it!

**NadiaMac** · 03-01-2009, 12:07 PM

I did Solvang as my first century in 2006 (with TNT, a great experience). The climbing is not bad-- mostly rollers and long rollers/short hills, and there are sustained sections that are fairly flat. The section that overlaps the TOC TT course is a fairly short climb and not particularly steep (it's beautiful and fun to ride and see the rider names painted on the course). There is one steeper hill, but again, the climb is not very long, at least by northern california/bay area climb standards, and everyone in my group of beginners just pedaled on through it. A bigger factor for my ride was the wind-- we had about 4o miles of significant head or cross wind. Riding with friends helped a lot. Have fun if you give it a shot!

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