Surfing the web turned up your site with all the wonderful stories. I rode my first century a few years back and actually wrote a little ride report (which I am including here). Please feel free to include it on your site if it is of any interest.
Thanks for your work in putting the stories on line - I have found them quite enjoyable.
Sincerely,
eddy keller
(This century is billed as one of 10 toughest centuries in the country with its 10,840 feet of climbing (cumlative). Seems reasonable this should be my first century, eh?)
While I do ride a fair amount (2500 - 3000 miles a year), I am pretty much just a commuter with some recreational riding tossed in when I can. I have wanted to ride an organized ride, preferably a century, for a long time and, since this ride was practically in my own back yard and sponsored by my bicycle club, I had no arguable defense for not riding. I was really worried about getting the training miles in for this ride. I don't usually ride over 20 miles a day, spend extended hours in the saddle, nor ride the hills this ride promised so I told myself I'd follow the recommendations for riding a century that Bicycling Magazine has published the past few years and start training about 10 weeks before the ride to get in necessary miles. Best intentions. Yet true to form, I started the training late (8 weeks before the ride), didn't get near enough miles in my legs in preparation, (675 miles as opposed to the 1135 I think would have been proper), and spent less time hammering the mountains than I had hoped. Yet I did finish and am living to tell the tale so sometimes all does work out.
I left my house around 5:30 a.m. for a short 2 mile jaunt to the departure site: the visitor lot at Jet Propulsion Labs. It had been a long time since I was outside at 5:30 a.m. and I had forgotten how dark it was. My kids had depleted my Nice Light so I spent 2 miles praying I wouldn't taco my wheel in a pothole (great way to start and end one's first century), or get hit by a car. Arriving unscathed I hooked up with my training buddies and we were able to get out of the lot around 6:15 am.
The first 11 miles took us from JPL down Foothill Blvd to Angeles Crest Highway and then up the Crest to Clear Creek, a gain of about 2500 feet. This is basically all up hill with a couple of level spots. I had only ridden this once in training but felt I knew what to expect. Indeed the terrain, distance, and climb were familiar and offered no new challenges; however, being passed by 30 or so riders began to make me feel like I was standing still. I resisted the urge to keep up their pace - a wise move in retrospect. I arrived at the Clear Creek rest stop about 5 minutes ahead of my friends so I grabbed some snacks and waited. I was feeling really good at this point. Granted I had only done 11 miles but I was taking any opportunity to give myself psychological kudos.
After we regrouped, the next "section" was an 18 mile stretch comprised of 9 miles along the Angeles Forest Highway, a turn onto Upper Big Tujunga and 9 more miles back to Angeles Crest Highway. The ride along Angeles Forest is by far my favorite park of the ride. Traffic is usually light, although was heavier today than when we had ridden it during training rides, and the terrain is basically rollers. I was able to spend some time visiting with my co-riders and really enjoyed this section. We were passed by a motorcyclist with a rather large box strapped to his luggage rack. The box had openings on each end and protruding from each were, respectively, a canine head and a canine tail. My first introduction to my fellow traveler was when they passed and a bark from the dog startled the hell out of me. I am not really fond of dogs while cycling and this encounter did little to change that. I don't suppose the dog, which from my vantage point looked to be a medium sized labrador, was having much fun either.
The turn onto Big Tujunga took us into what I view as 9 miles of hell. Well... this isn't really true as the first 6 miles is pretty much the same type rollers as were along the Angeles Forest Highway and I was able to spend a nice time talking with another friend. The last three miles are the real challenge and they just seem to color the whole stretch. I don't really know the elevation gain but visually one doesn't appear to be making big climbs - it just seems that your speed slows, you seem to be spinning and getting nowhere, and there is little shade and breeze. It was along this part that my stomach (the one body part I hadn't worried about on the ride) began to tell me that I might want to rethink what I was going to put in it. I spent the next 15 miles convincing it that it didn't want to revolt. This stretch ended with a stop at the Shortcut rest stop and stopping was most welcome. My legs and body still felt fine, but my digestive track was grieving. I had previously ridden this stretch in 100+ heat and was quite thankful that the day so far had been quite pleasant (indeed the weather the whole day was quite good). Had it been hotter I don't think I could have kept my breakfast. Mileage thus far was 29 and elevation gain from the start was approx 3100 feet.
After reaching Shortcut we rejoined the Angeles Crest Highway. The 8 miles from Shortcut to Newcomb Ranch marks a gain in elevation of about 1000 feet; however, I tend to remember more downs than ups. The route to Newcomb Ranch takes one through Charlton Flat and Chilao and, on the trip up, is a nice stretch of road - for which my stomach was grateful. Around here I really begin to notice the smell of the pines and cedars; it is really a nice place to be.
After Newcomb there is one of the worst climbs, in my opinion. The elevation gain is around 1600 feet and the climb tediously steady for 6 miles. At the rest stop at Newcomb I actually thought I might have trouble making the 100 miles. My stomach still was grousing, I didn't feel as good climbing as I had in training, and I was starting to feel like I had ridden more that the 37+ miles my odometer showed. I rested for about 15 - 20 minutes and decided to plod ahead. (Basically I looked at my odometer upon leaving Newcomb, did that quick math so I knew what the odometer would look like in 6 miles, and just spun 'em).
Even though I'd dreaded this part all morning it actually wasn't so bad. My stomach began feeling a bit better and actually requested (no, make that demanded) something. I ate two Power Bars and really felt better than I had since starting. Of course eating while riding is not my forte so I slipped over into the soft shoulder and did a very elegant fall. Some of us were never meant to be classy. Upon reaching Cloudburst Summit we were rewarded with 2 miles of downhill and a rest stop. By this time I had traveled 45 miles and climbed 7000 feet. The turn around point, Dawson Saddle, was 11 miles, including 900 feet of climbing, away. After a short break, I convinced myself that once I made Dawson I would be in a better position to evaluate my abilities and see if I had enough to strength to go on. The 11 miles of uphill looming ahead left me feeling drained before I began them.
Having ridden this section several times while training I knew it to be easier than much that had come before and it was time to just gut it out. This approach worked and I eventually made the top. The hardest part about this section for me is that you can see the top a good distance before you reach it and I tend to psych myself out thinking I am almost at the top before I am. This time was no exception, but I did eventually arrived and had a light meal of pasta salad and a peanut butter sandwich.
The trip down to the start was approximately 46 miles and only 8 miles of that was climbing. While I was starting to get pretty sore, my knees still felt okay and my legs still had some strength in reserve. I convinced myself I'd take it rest stop by rest stop. The time was growing short (I guess I didn't mention that along with everything else I really ride slowly) as we needed to be off the mountain by 6:00 p.m. and it was pushing 3:00 so off I took. The 11 miles down to the Buckhorn rest stop was quick and uneventful, though getting back on the bike was a chore, knowing the first big climb of going down was next. From Buckhorn there is a 2 mile climb to Cloudburst Summit followed by 6 miles of downhill to Newcomb Ranch. We decided to skip the rest stop at Newcomb and forge to the next, and last, rest stop at Shortcut.
The section from Newcomb to Charlton Flats is a grind. I don't believe there is a real large elevation change but the uphill seems to plod along forever. The last couple of miles before the Shortcut rest stop was all downhill so the latter part was quite easy. A quick bathroom break and a little stretching and then we were off. The next stop was JPL. The last climb of any substance was approaching as we climbed into Red Box. Almost 2 miles of uphill which, even given the miles already in my legs and the rate they were stiffening, wasn't bad at all. After cresting this climb there were several miles of downhill taking us to the last climb of the day, a short (.7 mile) jaunt up to Clear Creek and then 9 miles of downhill. I was surprised at how difficult this 9 mile downhill stretch could be after doing the 90+ miles that had preceded. We exited the Angeles National Forest and soon turned left onto Foothill Boulevard and, within a couple of miles, we were back at the lab. I picked up my T-shirt and rode the 2 miles back home. I was pretty stiff and sore the rest of the day but was able to scrimmage against my daughter's soccer team the next day with little complaint.
Verdict? I could definitely tell I needed more preparation but I am quite pleased to have succeeded in my attempt. This was made far easier by all the wonderful volunteers who supported this ride. Their encouragement and help plus the superlative organization by the JPL bike club made the event a success.