Bike City 100
Thread started by
theroyalacademy at 06.30.08 - 6:51 pm
So I've started to plan a century ride (to take place probably late July) and I need some other people's help.....
The idea of the ride is that it will pass through or stop at the meeting point for many (most?) of the regular rides posted here on MR. I think I have it going through at least 12-15 so far. The idea is to sort of promote the idea of being an "all city" rider in this bike city of ours, as well as to see some areas that maybe most of us never/rarely get out to. That being said, it is still 100 miles, so it certainly isn't for everyone.
The route, as it stands, starts in Chinatown, goes up to Pasadena, over to the Valley, way up to Northridge, down to Westwood, then Santa Monica and Venice, through Culver City, to the Bike District, downtown, and then back to Chinatown.
While many of these areas are familiar to me, and some I've ridden at least a few times, several are completely new territory. So, I'd like to hook up with some locals in each area who can help me plan the best route through (and also recommend good locations for late/24-hr. food & water stops, since this will likely be a night ride). I especially need some help in Pasadena, as I've only been through there once on my bike.
Anyway, if you have any knowledge to share or esp. if you are willing to help scout out the route with me, hit me up
here.
THANKS!
reply
you are more than welcome to use any leg or draw help from last year's wolfpack hustle century ride... there are some good cross city route's in there...
View Larger Map
Roadblock06.30.08 - 6:54 pm
reply
P.S. I want to make it clear that I am not trying to make any claims about being "all city" myself or anything. I am a fairly new rider and still pretty ignorant of the city, actually. So this is also partially a way for me to gain experience in other parts of town.
That being said, I do get tired of all the east/west competition stuff (however tongue-in-cheek it may be). Ride = good, wherever it be.
Love, my friends, LOVE!
theroyalacademy06.30.08 - 7:02 pm
reply
yes yes yes yes!!!!
Let me know if can be of any meatspace help at all - i'd be glad to go scout some roads with ya if necessary.
Lance K06.30.08 - 7:41 pm
reply
Cool, Lance, thanks. Yeah, let's talk at the Mosey this Wednesday.
theroyalacademy06.30.08 - 7:43 pm
reply
Hey royal................ I know some parts of Pasadena, so let me know what parts you wanna go through....e-mail me @ FlatBlackphotography@yahoo.com . There's a really good taco truck on Fair Oaks that's open all night long and has killer food.......
Freeekeone06.30.08 - 7:52 pm
reply
Freekeone, excellent, yeah I'll hit you up after I get back from SF this weekend.
theroyalacademy07.1.08 - 11:20 am
reply
Hey, so the route is shaping up and a date has been picked -- August 16th.
Here's the post.
Still need to scout up in the Valley some, esp. up around Northridge. Anyone else want to help scout or give tips on late night Valley stops? Tern, I know you said you wanted to help. Are you available at all?
theroyalacademy08.5.08 - 12:02 am
reply
FREEKEONE...
that taco truck... it wouldn't be this old mexican dude and his wife and his burritos are the best for miles around, would it?
i remember when i worked on union and fair oaks he would post up there in a gypsy looking cart but then he disappeared like a gypsy.
i wonder if it's him.
Jazzy Phat Nastee08.5.08 - 12:06 am
reply
@theroyalacademy....I just got your email. I'm happy to help out. Do you want to scout the Valley / Northridge this weekend?
tern08.5.08 - 12:13 am
reply
ROYAL--- whats going to be the pace of this ride? Im down to try this. ALL CITY sounds good.
Rikk3308.5.08 - 11:53 am
reply
I don't have a bike computer or anything, and am therefore not good with estimating speeds, but my guess is around 15-20mph avg. riding speed; 10mph overall avg. (incl. all stops). Meaning: we'll start around 7pm and end around 5am.
So, I guess, sorta fast, yeah. But not kill ourselves fast.
No century is easy, however, and this one is especially not shying away from elevation (we're going to do Sepulveda Pass at about mile 70)...... Something to think about.
theroyalacademy08.5.08 - 12:03 pm
reply
Well, still sounds good. I stay in the valley let me know if you need any details about the streets over here. We need to hit the T.N.S,S.F.V Critical Mass,Bicykillers, Cruzz with us/Barchopz spots.
Rikk3308.5.08 - 12:30 pm
reply
Jazzy............. The I know of is the taco truck that uses the auto shop parking lot just north of California and south of del mar on Fair Oaks...
Freeekeone08.5.08 - 12:33 pm
reply
@rikk
Yeah, you should come out. Realistically, the pace is hard to gauge because it will depend on who does the ride. My goal is that we'll pretty much stay together as a group. It's not a race, so the fast people might have to hold back a bit. ....But then the slower people might have reach inside themselves and find that extra bit of speed (and endurance!).
It'll be fun!
And, yeah, we're hitting up all those spots you mentioned. Let me look at the original route I sketched out and I might indeed have some questions about streets out there. I've ridden the Valley a lot, but certainly not as much as you locals.
theroyalacademy08.5.08 - 3:28 pm
reply
I guess, for anyone wondering whether this is the ride for them, ask yourself the following question:
Does going over Sepulveda Pass after already riding 70+ miles sound like a crazy idea to you?
If yes, then this is probably not for you. If no, then we'll see you on the 16th.
(And notice I said "crazy idea," not "bad idea." I mean, it sounds like a bad idea to me, but it doesn't sound
crazy.)
theroyalacademy08.5.08 - 3:33 pm
reply
I'll bring out my bicykiller legs for this one. haha...
Rikk3308.5.08 - 3:49 pm
reply
This sounds like a must do ride! I'm in!
In regards to the taco trucks on Fair Oaks. I just happen to hit both of them up on after the RideArc this last Friday. Both of the trucks are passable for good Mexican food, but far from some of the best. They must be open way late. I was there at 3am and there was alot of peeps at both of them.
User108.5.08 - 7:54 pm
reply
This sounds overwhelmingly cool. I'm going to use this as an excuse to hit up as many go-fast rides as possible next week. Raccoons, Wolfpack, Forge'n'Gorge and Bicykillers, wrapped up by the All City 100. It'll be the all-week, all-city pentathalon. If anyone else wants to join me in this, let me know.
Perhaps the following week, my aching knees and I will try to do as many get-drunk rides as possible, just to restore some kind of balance. Well, "balance" might not be the ideal word choice there, but you get the idea...
PS - I think Sepulveda at mile 70 actually sounds like teh radness.
nathansnider08.5.08 - 9:23 pm
reply
@theroyalacademy. See you Sunday for the final scout.
tern08.8.08 - 6:13 am
reply
you guys should call all the places where you stop to verify that they're open. maybe get some sort of discount, 20% for 100 riders
:D
aksendz08.8.08 - 7:11 am
reply
@tern
Sunday. Yes. I'm trying to see if I can get my mtg. moved earlier so we can meet at a slightly more reasonable time. Will keep you posted.....
@aksendz
Wow, it would be great if 100 people did the century. But it will most likely be more like 10 or, at most, 20 or so. Doubt we'll be getting any discounts. But, yeah, definitely making sure all stopping points will be open (it's one reason why we scout).
theroyalacademy08.8.08 - 8:15 am
reply