How was the Tour de Palm Springs??

[caligurl]

i actually had a good time! i've read reports on the other two forums that are either good or bad... my ride as good!

my most lasting impression of the ride... the sheer number of riders fixing flats! NEVER have i seen that many flatted riders on a century (including palm springs last year when i rode and the year before when i drove it, as i wasn't riding yet, then.. but went from stop to stop to cheer hubby on/take pics) ! i just kept praying that i wouldn't get one.. cuz even though i can change my tire.... it takes me a while

plus.. i had already had my time consuming adventure.... as i was climbing up the hill (if you can call it that).. before the first SAG stop... i realized my right cleat was moving around.... so i unclipped as i was riding and looked and sure enough... a screw (or screws) was missing.... now silly me... i had taken the multi-tool out of my bag for this ride.. thinking i wouldn't need it... i knew my bike shop was going to be at the first SAG stop.. so i figured i'd get there and let chris (owner) fix it... but then it seemed to be getting worse (not sure if it really was or i was just paranoid at that time)... so then i stopped.. couldn't unclip that foot at first and started asking riders as they sped past: "does anyone have a tool?"

some really nice guy named victor stopped and fixed me up! i got to sit on the side of the road, shoeless watching tons of riders whizz b.... i finally got back on the road... had chris check my cleats at the SAG and he deemed them good enough to get me throgugh the century!

my only other "adventure" was my self-imposed stress over the battery in my new edge.... i had just gotten it the day before... and for whatever reason.. it lost part of its charge overnight (or wasn't completely charged like it said it was) and i was down partially on my battery.. i just KNEW i was gonna lose it and not have my computer for the remainder of the ride.. fortunately that never happened.. and i made it back to the end with a bit of power to spare! PHEW! (but i still stressed about it the whole way!)

other than that.. it was an uneventful century.... as always the sag stops were loaded and with stuff i actually liked! (there were tons of sandwiches when i got to lunch and NO LINES!! YAY!) the park sag had put their orange slices on ice and were even icing the water! nice touch since it had gotten so warm!

i started out with armwarmers, leg warmers and a light windbreaker.... lost the windbreaker when i stopped to get my cleat fixed... finally got rid of the arm and leg warmers at lunch! (was holding out as long as i could with the arm warmers cuz i HATE tanlines from shortsleeves.. so was trying to avoid them i did end up with a little sunburn on my legs)

and of course... the infamous "cobble" section of road in coachella (airport road).... nope.. they didn't fix it in the past year! .... i wonder what the reason is for having 1 side nice and smooth and the other so crummy.. guess they ran out of money?????? the only other 2 really bad road spots were the downhill on dillon (where the paramedics were with a rider putting him on a backboard... a sign warning of the potholes sure woulda been nice) and then at the end again right before varner.. the "new" part that was a change from last year's route.. pretty bumpy (even with carbon fiber) other than that... i thought the roads were typical of other centuries i've ridden....

oh... right after the park SAG stop... it was in a construction area where the road itself wasn't bad.. but there was an obvious 1-2 inch higher section along the side of the road... well two guys in front of me were talking.. but they were one in front of the other... i guess the front guy got distracted.. hit that section.. and down he went.....

the riders taking up the whole road were annoying.... there was no need for it and stuff like that is what gives all cyclists a bad reputation... even at the beginning where there was even a whole lane specifically blocked off for us... there were riders going into the other lane... at one point on dylan.. some jerk tractor trailer driver started honking.. scared the bejeesus out of me! kept honking and honking.. of course if he encountered hordes of riders blocking the road.. i guess i can see why he felt like he had to blast us

plus the trash! plastic water bottles! tire tubes! sheesh! they'll be lucky to get permits to do the rides again if too many people that live around there complain about the mess left!

but other than that.. i enjoyed myself.... had a good ride... did it faster than last year even with the 30 minute side of the road camp out! (6 hours 39 minutes/15.4 mph average) so i'm happy.... i did push myself near the end cuz i was playing "beat the battery" since i was sure my edge battery was gonna die on me (it never did thank goodness!) plus i was riding alone.. no group... not pacelines.. just me, by myself!

i wish i had gotten to meet/see more people.... considering the number of bikejournal folks listed in the rides section (34)... the ones here.. the ones from bikeforums.net... and i'm sure that riders from the other forum must have been there.. but i have no idea who was planning on coming from there!

i got back... browsed the expo (lame) went to my bike shop to get a new saddle to try (a serfas terrazino or something like that?) and then went to in no out! (bad, cali!!!)

OH.. my gps said an average of 73.3... low of 55.9.... high of 82 so all in all a gorgeous day for a ride!