The Lighthouse Century...

[bikerchick68]

elephant seals basking in the beautiful sunshiney day

[bikerchick68]

Zebras at Hearst Castle...

[bikerchick68]

I LOOOOVE downhill!!!! (notice the big grin? )

[natheless]

Oh, that looks marvelous!!

[Trekhawk]

Hey bikerchick68 - great photos. Does this ride fill up quick?
Looks like a good one to mark the calendar for next year. Im assuming its down San Diego way (sorry for being an ignorant Aussie)?

Im hoping to do my first century next year but around Feb - May. Maybe I will be able to do a few next year. I was really interested in the Death Valley century ride but it is full already (bummer).

If you have any other good rides to recommend between Feb-May of next year that would be great. I have left my window pretty big timing wise for my first century as my husband goes away alot and this will be another consideration when choosing my first century - that and well making sure its not too hard a ride.

[bikerchick68]

trekhawk... in February there is the Tour de Palm Springs... another GREAT beginner ride! The first 50 miles has some rollers and the last 50 is flat... table top, pancake, like a board flat!!! Also well run, and well marked. TdePS was my first century this Feb and it was a perfect starter ride!

here's a link with the whole list so you can choose... I've done 6 this year (so far ) so if ya see one ask and if I know anything about it I'll fill ya in!

http://bbcnet.com/RideCalendar/RideListDate.asp

as to Lighthouse... yeah, since it is such a well done ride it fills quickly. I signed up 3 months ago for it... it's actually 6 hours north of San Diego by Hearst Castle and the Madonna Inn...

[Trekhawk]

trekhawk... in February there is the Tour de Palm Springs... another GREAT beginner ride! The first 50 miles has some rollers and the last 50 is flat... table top, pancake, like a board flat!!! Also well run, and well marked. TdePS was my first century this Feb and it was a perfect starter ride!
.

bikerchick68 - thanks for this info. I have not been to Palm Springs so this could be a good way to get in a century and sight see as well.

[SadieKate]

If you have any other good rides to recommend between Feb-May of next year that would be great.

Check out Jo's adventures at Bike Around the Buttes. Also, consider the Mildflower (Flatflower?) by Chico Velo, same day as their Wildflower Century.

Rakekay - actually 2,000 ft of climbing can be "refreshing" during a century. Having done the Delta Century out of Stockton which has maybe 10 ft of climbing, I can vouch for the necessity some gradient changes. You end up using the same muscles and the same gears and just grinding away with no variety or relief. If you think you have crotch problems now, try 100 flat miles. Ask yellow and BikerZ what it is like to sit just 40-some miles with no hills. 2,000 sounds like a great first time century.

BikerChick - you're giving Jobob and Veronica stiff competition for the best photojournalism award. Nice!

[bcipam]

The Lighthouse Century is actually in Central California - quite a ways up from San Diego. Starting point is San Luis Obispo. You travel up north past Santa Maria, Cambria and just South of Big Sur. Very scenic ride. There are actually two centuries offered - a flat, coastline century and the "hilly" century. The Hilly goes inland just before Cambria towards Paso Robles.

The Flat isn't all that easy. For the last 10 miles before the turn around, there is usually a ferocious headwind. I mean tough going. But then the turn around you sail. I remember one year being pushed up this one hill at 32 miles per hour. I have trouble doing that speed on the flats!

The Lighthouse is one of two Centuries sponsered by SLOBC - San Luis Obispo Bike Club (see slobc.org). Both rides - this and the Creston Wildflower fill up quickly. The Wildflower usually sells out the same morning registration is open. Lighthouse not much longer than that. Both rides worth putting on the calendar (the Wildflower is in April).

[Trekhawk]

Check out Jo's adventures at Bike Around the Buttes. Also, consider the Mildflower (Flatflower?) by Chico Velo, same day as their Wildflower Century.

SadieKate - I have thought about the buttes ride as next to Tahoe its probably the closest to us here but I was a bit worried about the time limit.
I think they start packing up at about 3.30 and Im pretty slow. I know by then I will be a bit quicker but it still makes me a bit nervous.

[Veronica]

I was really interested in the Death Valley century ride but it is full already (bummer).

We love Death Valley.


But the century is not so much fun. We've done it twice. I was looking for our write up on the second one, but it doesn't seem to be on our website. But there is a thread about our experience here on TE. Death Valley

V.