The Lighthouse Century...

[Trekhawk]

The Buttes has a time limit? That's news to me ! I really don't remember a time limit - and I don't think it ended at 3:30, I must have staggered in well after that
Maybe you're confusing it with some other ride? It's a really good first century, it has about oh, 50 feet of climbing ... except it does have some fuuuun headwinds for the last 20 miles or so, just when you need them the most

jobob - not confused its definitely there on the website. It states that the ride starts at between 7.00 and 7.55 and the course closes between 3.30 and 4.30pm. Im sure by the time this ride comes around again I could finish in time but I would prefer to not have to worry too much about a time limit.

[bikerchick68]

rakekay... LOL... yeah, that was NOT a typo... 2000ft of climbing is really not that much spread over 100 miles. Trust me... and the 2000 ft on this one is spread out... so NO big climbs at all...

veronica... that pic of death valley is outstanding!!! I'd frame that baby and have it hanging somewhere in my house!

trekhawk- cali is right about the scenery along the PS route... not thrilling, but there are enough people that do the ride that if you're even vaguely social you'll have lots of people to ride and chat with... and as to being slow... if you start at 7am and ride only 10 miles per hour you'll STILL be in before dinner stops being served! You don't have to be fast to ride a century... trust me! You'll be fine as long as you keep riding... if you do PS let me know... I will be there with another first time century rider (possibly 3) in February as well!!! If you go we'll swap cell numbers and meet up...

jobob- yep, my brother is a CA Triple Crown winner!!! He finished the Tour of Two Forests in just under 15 hours ride time... 197 miles with 13000+ ft climbing. He had FIVE flats and almost had to be sagged in as he was outta tubes, outta patches, outta CO2 and his pump broke. He pulled off and a SAG passed with another rider being sagged in... that man offered my bro the tube outta his seatbag since he was DNF'ing and my bro was on his way. Left at 6:15AM and rode in at 11PM. Spent more time than he wanted fixing flats but completed it and is thrilled!

FYI- Cali and I are both being pressured by the guys to ride doubles now... Cali might but me? HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAA! Yeah, I don't think so.

[caligurl]

i'll second the... you can do a century even if you are slow! i'm am NOT a fast rider! and i've done 10 centuries this year so far! i pace myself (or, if you believe bc's brother... i sandbag! lol! )

double century.... ya.... probably not! lol! but we'll let richard think i'm going to... then he'll stop harping! i do leave the option open though.... but it was bad enough doing the double metric on my own last sunday.... add 75 more miles to that? hmmmmmmm not right now! i need either a new seat (for some reason mine that had been wonderful for a year... had been bothering me at and since cool breeze??????) or new tights (different chamois)... i'm wearing shorts and leg warmers saturday and see of that makes a difference... i hate leg warmers for longer rides cuz they fall down and i have to keep pulling them up and tucking them under my shorts! oh... and if i were faster it would help to not be on the bike so many hours! lol!

[bikerchick68]

cali- I have a pair of unpadded tights that I can wear OVER my shorts... I hate the leg warmers too... but the tights protect my legs, and if I get hot I can stop and pull them off... since they're not padded they fold up just as small as leg warmers anyway... I just stuff 'em in my back pocket and keep moving... might be another option for you...

[caligurl]

i have a pair of non-padded tights.. but they are actually kind of slippery.... (which suprises me cuz they are PI's) i'm not all that crazy about them... usually just ride with them around here when it's colder and i want two layers on my butt!

i have a pair of REALLY warm perfomance tights.. but the chamois isn't century stuff! lol! (although i believe they call it their century!)

i may look into getting a better/different pair of non padded tights????

[Trekhawk]

trekhawk- cali is right about the scenery along the PS route... not thrilling, but there are enough people that do the ride that if you're even vaguely social you'll have lots of people to ride and chat with... and as to being slow... if you start at 7am and ride only 10 miles per hour you'll STILL be in before dinner stops being served! You don't have to be fast to ride a century... trust me! You'll be fine as long as you keep riding... if you do PS let me know... I will be there with another first time century rider (possibly 3) in February as well!!! If you go we'll swap cell numbers and meet up...

bikerchick68 - thanks for support. I will check out my husbands work trip time table and let you know. He is away at the moment but I will check it out when he gets back in a few weeks. I like the thought of there being plenty of riders. Years ago I did marathons and sometimes the only thing that got me thru was chatting to another runner along the way. It does take your mind off the pain and the time and miles seem to pass a little quicker.