it's practically official now

[Susie]

To answer everyone's questions:

Tprevost -- I'm already signed up for the Strawberry Fields full century. I did the Surf City ride in September, which is a very similar course. I'm really looking forward to doing Strawberry Fields in May.

Brandi -- I was wearing Terry full fingered gloves (http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=14148). As far as hand warmers, I bought Heat Factory mini warmers at my local outdoor store, but you can find them on http://www.heatfactory.ca/warmer.html. Basically, you open the package, squeeze the packet of stuff, and it heats right up and stays warm for up to 8 hours. You can tuck them just about anywhere and they really work (my toes can vouch for them). And Solvang is open registration. There were many folks actually registering the morning of the ride, which suprised me. If I hadn't have already spent the money, I wouldn't have gone. Conditions were way too nasty.

I have only one thing left to clean. I never knew that helmets could get so muddy on a road ride!

Susie

[Bike Goddess]

Susie- Congrats on sticking it out! I don't know if I would have lasted as long as you did given the hail, sleet, and rain. I did the century last year, and what a big difference the weather makes in a ride! No one expected this to happen so late in the season.!

For a detailed report on the full century go to: www.bikejournal.com There is a good report on the forum page from some guys who finished it. Rand does a good narrative.

Maybe next year I'll come down and do it! It was one of my favorite centuries last year. Of course we had sun and really nice conditions as well!

[tprevost]

Susie,

I SO wish I could go up and do the Strawberry Fields ride too! I did the metric twice but then we moved and well.... that was that! My DH's employer is in Santa Cruz (I was born and raised in bay area) and when I'm reminded of all the great rides sometimes I wanna move back!

Tracy

ps. get a couple of pics if you can so I can live vicariously through you!

[jobob]

Wow, Susie, what an accomplishment.

Those chemical warmer packs are a great idea. I might head over to my local REI and stock up on some, heaven knows how long this weather is going to last, and the Cinderella is only a couple of weeks away.

Here's what REI carries online, and I imagine the REI stores will carry them too. They don't cost much and they'd be worth their weight in gold on a cold and funky day.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Sear...t=REI_SEARCH:C

[tprevost]

Brandi,

There is a "windmill century" 7/22 up in Los Alamos. I'm going to do the century - here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://www.tailwindsbc.org/WindMill/

I'm staying in Solvang and will be hitting the day spa afterwards!

Tracy

[DeniseGoldberg]

Here's what REI carries online, and I imagine the REI stores will carry them too. They don't cost much and they'd be worth their weight in gold on a cold and funky day.

Those Heat Treat warmers are great - they were a constant companion for my feet all winter. You're right, they are pretty inexpensive - even more so if you go in with a friend and buy 10 or more at a time since REI offers a 20% discount at that volume (I usually split my orders with one of my co-workers who also bikes through the winter). I hope that all of us (both sides of the country!) lose those cold days pretty fast - although I can't complain about this weekend here in the northeast. Three decent riding days...

--- Denise

[caligurl]

GREAT JOB, susie!

i didn't even ride saturday! it was actually "nice" here in the morning.. but cold... BRRRRRRRRRRR so i decided we needed to go shopping instead! as we headed down the hill.. we first have to head UP... and hit snow! SOOOO pretty! but i was scared to death in our new car! not even 2 weeks old.. i just knew some idiot would hit us.. fortunately everyone was going slow!

got down the hill and of course.. changed back to rain.. but still cold for palm springs/palm desert.. again... BRRRRRRR

when we headed back up the hill.. i guess it had snowed off and on all day and was snowing as we went back home! it was dark.. but i could still see how pretty all the desert vegetation looked with snow hanging on it! again.. everyone was driving slow! phew! got home and no snow.. just wet ground.. so it had rained at some point (or snowed and melted.. but i think it was just rain here... about 2000 feet)

i would have never even started the ride in your weather conditions much less kept going!

i may have to get some of those warmers in anticipation of BA being cold again this year!

again... GREAT JOB!