Cinderella's!

[snapdragen]

Tell me all about your ride. I'm sorry I missed you all, I think my sinus infection has returned with a vengance. Hope someone took pictures!

Janet

[jobob]

It was a super ride, I'm so sorry you couldn't make it!

Mellissa, Kim and I met up at the TE tent where we met Susan and Marjon, posed for some photos & then went off our merry ways. I spoke to Susan after the ride and evidently Adventure Girl showed up soon after we left, and Trek, come to find out I had just missed you at the TE tent after the ride. Maybe next year

I rode with a couple of women from mine & Snapdragen's group in the Cindy training series (Jeanette & Mary). This ride was actually easier than the last two rides of the training series, I thought. Everyone who said it wasn't very hilly was right.

The weather was really good for a ride, I thought. A bit chilly early on and it never got hot. It was overcast for a while, and then the sun came out. The wind kicked up some in the early afternoon but I gather that's par for the course out there.

As usual, I had no clue where I was most of the time but it was lovely.

Oy, learned a valuable lesson: Do not be behind a large group of riders going up a hill. There was a slightly steep hill on a busy road early in the ride, and a couple of the women couldn't make it to the top, so they stopped midway and got off their bikes to walk it. Domino effect ensued. My friends & I were able to get around, but one woman who couldn't veer around and had to stop suddenly couldn't get unclipped in time (kerplunk, ouch).

Gotta run, I'll post more as I remember it. Film at 11

- Jo.

[Veronica]

Traffic getting in was so bad, we didn't show up until about 8.

What is it with women stopping right on the corner? On so many of the corners, there would be a gaggle of women stopped, waiting for others I guess. But it made it so you always had to swing out of the bike lane and into the traffic lane to pass them.

Worst moment - going into the lunch rest stop and a woman in front of us fell off her bike. Emergency stops on a tandem are always entertaining. It 's good my SPDs are pretty easy to clip out of.

Our costumes got lots of rave reviews. I'll post pictures later.

Veronica

[Veronica]

My mustache fell off about 100 yards before we got to Thom. He went back and got it, but I never put it back on.

V.

[melissam]

Veronica,

EVERYONE was talking about your costumes. I don't know how I missed you, but I'm really sorry I did.

-- Melissa

[Veronica]

Thanks - it was fun. I had no idea how much Joann was waving that sword behind my head.

We've posted some other pics on our website. They're mostly of my club, but it gives you some idea of what the route was like. Total elevation gain - 1739.

V.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/

[Adventure Girl]

I left my house early because I was worried about traffic and about a log-jam getting in, parking and getting registered. I got to the parking lot right around 6:30 and there was no log jam… So I got in line and when registration started at 7:00, I was one of the first ones through. When I was ready to ride the line at registration was long, and the line of cars coming in was even longer! I looked around for Veronica and her sign, but I was too early. The TE booth wasn’t set up yet, so I decided to get an early start.

The ride was soooo much flatter than I expected. I think it was the flattest ride I have ever been on. (I really expected a lot more from Lemon Drop Hill). But it was lots of fun. And the weather was perfect. (The last century I did was 98 degrees!!). I hooked on to a group of 4 riders and we just cruised through. I was finished by 11:30.

After the ride I went to the TE tent and met Susan and Marjon (and Jeff) and did some shopping. I watched riders come in for a while. I was looking for Veronica on her tandem and Melissa on her 47cm Trek 5200. I saw a few tandems, but didn’t see Veronica. I saw two 2004 47cm Trek 5200’s, and I asked, “Are you Melissa?” but neither one was Melissa. Sorry I missed you all.

Jobob’s post about getting stuck behind a big group made me happy that I was out in front. I never had much traffic and never encountered any problems like this. There was a large variety of riders out there yesterday. And a huge variety of bikes!! Overall it was a really good event. The Valley Spokesmen did a nice job. The sag wagons were always around and the course was marked well. I never even looked at my map. I’d love to do it again next year.

[Veronica]

It's funny how they make a big deal out of lemon drop - but it's not the longest or the steepest climb. That first hill going towards Patterson Pass is. Although nothing like climbing up Patterson from the other side.

V.

[Adventure Girl]

They have all those little signs leading to the Lemon Drop man. Then there are more signs about half way up.... Then suddenly there's the man!! I expected WAYYYYY more! My guess is that it's about 1/4 of a mile, and about 3% to 4% grade at most.

I got my lemon drop from him, then I dropped it as I tried to put it in my mouth. So I stopped and he gave another one. Veronica, how did he do trying to give lemon drops to two riders on one bike?

[jobob]

It's funny how they make a big deal out of lemon drop - but it's not the longest or the steepest climb

LOL, when we got to the top and I saw the guy handing out lemon drops I though 'this is it?'

But, I could see how it would be a big deal, speaking as one for whom it would have been only a couple of months ago It comes quite a ways into the ride, and this ride seemed to be a real strech for many of the participants. I imagine there were a lot of riders who were near their limit by the time they reached it.

It would be nice if there could maybe be 2 routes, perhaps a 50K and a hillier 100K, with a later start for the shorter ride. But that would be so much more work for the VS club. Looks like getting that early start is the key!

Maybe next year we can try to meet up after the ride (if the Speed Demons would be willing to wait a bit )

- Jo.

[Veronica]

He had two in his hand to give to Joann. She refused them and told him lemon drops were for sissies and then gave a pirate grunt. He laughed.

V.

[jobob]

I saw two 2004 47cm Trek 5200’s,

What, you had a tape measure with you?

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by snapdragen
Tell me all about your ride. I'm sorry I missed you all, I think my sinus infection has returned with a vengance. Hope someone took pictures!

Janet

Janet:

Sorry you couldn't ride the Cinderella. Thanks for doing all your sun dances, though... They sure helped. Well, maybe not sunny, but at least it didn't rain.

If your sinus infection is bad again, maybe you have to go back to see your hunky doctor !!

[Trek420]

"It's funny how they make a big deal out of lemon drop - but it's not the longest or the steepest climb. That first hill going towards Patterson Pass is. Although nothing like climbing up Patterson from the other side. "

that is funny, I kept looking at the map and "hey, this isn't lemon drop" but when i got to lemon Drop hill itself was kind of underwhellmed. I'd pulled off at the base to grab a big drink of Garorade thinking "I'm going to need this" ...wasn't much of a hill and I'm not that good at hills.

I arrived a little after 7:00, there was a line and eveyone was impatient to get going through it. I saw a few of the Velogirls but they were already registered and heading out, couldn't find the TE site so I rode out. I ran into some people i know at the first stop (thankfully as some of you did...not literally) and caught up with others on the road afterward.

I did drop in at TE after i finished.

Only problem I had with the lemon drop handoff is someone swooping in right in front of me to get hers, but no harm, no foul. I'd like to do this again next year, better work on my costume.

[aka_kim]

I'm so dumb I've never even realized "lemon drop" was a climb -- so *that's* why the guy passes out candy there!

My native Southern Californian was showing herself on Saturday -- I was freezing all day. Maybe I have an iron deficiency or something, since I know it wasn't that cold.

It was a good ride, but now I realize I need to amp up my riding to be ready for Primavera in a few weeks. Now that ride has climbs!