Repeat: Two Rock Valley Ford 200KM Brevet

125 miles, 4160 feet elevation, 10:55 total time (9:15 on the bicycle)

My first major ride in the last three months was the same as the last one I did — the Two Rock Valley Ford 200KM Brevet. This is a good route to be the first big ride of the season because it is long and only moderately hilly. This allows me to objectively assess how much conditioning I lost over the winter.

Since Thanksgiving, I have been cycling infrequently. There was the traveling to see relatives over holidays, busy weekends in between the traveling when home and family priorities took precedence, the flu, and seasonal rain. The time I was able to make for training were rides in the range of 20 to 50 miles. I generally avoided some of the steeper roads which I usually train on because steep descents are COLD in winter. Plus I wanted to avoid slippery or deteriorated roads. I stuck to riding the more moderate hills.

My friend Gabrielle reminded me that this ride was happening last weekend and that she was riding it. It happened that I had no other plans for the day so I registered for it at the deadline — the preceding Wednesday.

Two Rock Valley Ford 200k Brevet

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The route started in San Francisco (lower right point), and we traversed the loop counter-clockwise.

I left home at 5:30am and reached the start point by 6:30am. I checked in and found Gabrielle. We chatted and caught up with each other's activities since we last met. Unlike the same event in the fall, the sun was up before we started at 7:00am.

7:00am, 0 miles

Gabrielle and I were in one of the lead groups that departed. The immediate uphill climb to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge worked well to warm our bodies and fight off the morning chill. I kept the fast pace for about 15 miles, but then decided I needed to go slower to preserve some energy. Gabrielle sped off with the rest of the group and I never saw her again. I decided to let my legs dictate the pace I would keep for the rest of the ride.

10:00am, 43 miles, 2080 feet

The first stop was at a convenience store in Petaluma where I ate a donut (a good source of pure energy). Since I knew from last time that the store does not have a restroom, I used the facilities at the public park across the street. I was actually five minutes ahead of the pace of last time, due to the initial fast start I had. Although the day was warming up, I decided to keep my jacket and leg warmers on, at least until the next stop.

11:40am, 61 miles, 2480 feet

The next stop was in the tiny town of Valley Ford. Just like last time, I loaded up on simple carbohydrates by eating a small box of crackers and a bottle of soda. It was finally warm enough to take off the leg warmers and jacket. At this point my pace was still five minutes ahead of last time.

2:00pm, 84 miles, 3220 feet

The final intermediate stop was in Point Reyes Station. Here my pace was noticeably slower than before. I was now ten minutes behind last time. Like I usually do here, I ate a big cheese sandwich and another bottle of soda. By now my conditioning loss became apparent. I actually maintained a good energy level so I was not particularly tired, but my leg muscles had nothing left. They felt totally shredded.

All the remaining hills, including the smaller ones, were a struggle. I kept it in my lowest gear and cranked the pedals with whatever my legs could manage. On one uphill section at the 98 mile mark, I felt a slight but odd bouncing sensation. I examined my rear tire and saw that it was not flat, but that it had lost most of its air. Clearly it must have had a very small puncture causing it to lose air slowly. Considering that it still managed to keep some air, I decided to NOT replace the tube but rather to pump more air and see how long it would carry me. I guessed that if I only had to pump it back up two more times before I finish, then this would save time over the work involved in replacing the tube.

As I expected, around the 111 mile mark, I could feel that the rear tire was low on air again. And again, I simply pulled over and pumped it up. I did this again (for the last time) at the 120 mile mark. The day had definitely cooled down by this point and was getting dark. I could have put on my outer layers when I stopped to pump, but I was racing the sun and did not want to lose any minutes that would make me finish in the dark. Instead, I simply pumped frantically and jumped back on.

5:55pm, 125 miles, 4160 feet

The sun had set by the time I reach the finish, but there was enough twilight that I did not need my lights. However, by the time I officially checked in and returned to my car parked one mile away, it had gotten dark.

So the objective measurement of my conditioning loss is that my time on the bicycle was 25 minutes more this time than it was three months ago. The 45 minute increase in overall time also included the three sessions of tire pumping and some increase rest time at the stops. This is not too bad for the first big ride of the year. It should take only a couple more big rides (and several intermediate length ones in between) to get my conditioning back to where it should be.

2010 Two Rock Valley Ford 200KM Brevet

125 miles, 4100 feet elevation, 10:10 total time (8:50 on the bicycle)

The timing was right for me to try another 200KM ride. This was the final event of the year organized by San Francisco Randonneurs.

7:00am, 0 miles

It was still dark when we started. There was little motor traffic at this time. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and descending into Sausalito, daybreak started and the streets became visible.

The first part of the route is exactly the same as the 115KM Populaire I did a couple months back. The maze of city streets can be confusing with all the turns involved, but I had enough fellow cyclists to follow that I did not need to consult the map. Finally in the town of Fairfax, we started the more rural part of the route, with few intersections and more interesting terrain.

Once we climbed the first small hill, we entered a light fog. The sky was looking threatening, but the forecast said that rain would not hit until the next day. At this point I noticed that my chain was not always staying in the same gear. The shifting mechanism was out of alignment, but I did not want to stop and try to adjust it mid-ride. It was not too bad, and I did not want to risk making the problem worse on an unsupported ride.

On the final hill before the first stop, I had a minor mechanical issue. I tried to shift into my lowest gear, but the chain went off the edge of the sprocket. Fortunately I did not lose my balance as the wheel got stuck while pedaling uphill. I got off, pulled out the chain that had gotten wedged between the large sprocket and the spokes, and I guided it back in place. Each of the riders that passed me as I was stopped asked if I needed help, but I told them that I was fine. I got underway again suffering only from greasy fingertips. But I was careful for the rest of the ride to go no lower than my second-lowest gear.

10:05am, 43 miles

Our first stop was in the town of Petaluma and we had the choice of stopping at either a convenience store or a coffee shop. I thought I would have a better selection of high-calorie junk food at the convenience store. I did manage to get a satisfying donut (danish), but the store had no restroom. It was not urgent for me to use one, but it was a good idea to go at this time. After eating I continued on to the coffee shop and used the restroom there. This allowed me to also wash all the grease from my fingers.

The next part of the route was an almost straight west leg towards the coast through the Two Rock Valley. This part contained rolling hills and a steady headwind. Fortunately, the wind was lighter than usual so it did not make the ride too difficult.

Here, I again came close to crashing. As I approached a medium sized tree, I did not see that it had one dead branch that stuck out at face-level over the edge of the road where I was riding. The rest of the tree was green and leafy, but the dead branch was bare and brown like the hills in the background. Because it was camouflaged, I did not see it until the last second. I was startled as it appeared suddenly in my face. I reflexively swerved to avoid it, but the sudden turn made me feel like I was about to topple. I corrected, then re-corrected, and finally regained control and managed to stay upright. Fortunately the rest of the ride had no more thrills like this.

11:45am, 61 miles

The next stop was at the small hamlet of Valley Ford, which is on Highway 1. This was another convenience store. I was not hungry, but knew I needed to consume more calories. I thought it best to get something easy to digest, so I bought a small box of butter crackers and a soft drink. I could not eat all of the crackers so I took what I could not consume with me. They would be a good emergency snack if I ran low on energy.

Now the route turned south, and the wind was mostly at our back. The rolling hills continued as we followed the edge of Tomales Bay. Here the sky had thick clouds which blocked out a good amount of the sunlight. It felt like later in the evening, but a glance at my watch confirmed that it was still only early afternoon.

1:50pm, 84 miles

The final stop was in the town of Point Reyes Station. Although it is a small town, it is at the crossroads of several tourist destinations so it has a good amount of services and visitors. We could visit any establishment here, so I chose a market where I could get a vegetable sandwich and a soft drink. After eating simple carbohydrates thus far, I thought it would be a good idea to now eat something more balanced. Unfortunately, the eggplant in the sandwich was tough and fibrous. I thought it might disagree with my stomach, but I had no problems for the rest of the ride.

The next part of the route closes a loop before retracing much of the morning route. I usually see many other recreational cyclists in this area, but the threatening clouds seemed to have kept most of them away.

By the time I reached back to the city of Fairfax, the scenic part of the route was over and it was city streets again until the end. I needed to use my GPS unit to navigate through the maze since my fellow riders had spread out by this time.

As we approached San Fransisco again, the skies were clear and the sunshine was bright, so here there were many more recreational cyclists than near the coast.

5:10pm, 125 miles

The finish was at the same place we started, but I could see everything clearly in the daylight. I kept a good pace and kept close to the same time as my last brevet, which was the same distance but with less elevation. However, about two thirds of the 70 riders finished earlier than I did.

I packed up the bicycle and started what should have been the 50 minute drive home. However, I got caught in a traffic jam trying to get out of San Francisco. So, it ended up taking an hour and a half to get home. Surprisingly, my butt got more sore sitting in traffic than during the bicycle ride.

This will most likely be the final organized bicycle event of the calendar year. It is not too cold for events, but with the rains starting and short daylight hours, clubs do not bother to schedule anything now. I hope to find some time to ride on my own and keep in shape.

2010 Winters 200KM Brevet

126 miles, 3100 feet total elevation, 10:10 total time (8:27 on the bicycle)

I had a chance to do another brevet this past weekend. It was organized by San Francisco Randonneurs, who also held the one I did three months ago. Most of the route was new to me, which was the main draw. The ride started in the town of Hercules and immediately crossed the Carquinez Bridge. It then continued on back roads to the town of Winters before looping back and returning to Hercules.

7:00am, 0 miles, 0 feet total

I left home at 5:30am and arrived at the start at 6:40, giving me just enough time to set up and register. After checking in, I proceeded to get my bicycle ready. I discovered that the box I packed with some of my gear was left at home. I needed to quickly assess if I was missing anything crucial that would require me to abandon the ride.

I had my helmet and prescription goggles. I had my shoes. I was already wearing my cycling clothes, so that was not a problem. I did not have my GPS unit. However, I had studied the route closely and I could simply navigate with the paper map (the organizers had extra copies) and my odometer. I definitely needed to carry water and I did not have my water bottles. One of the organizers had one on hand that he gave me. I filled it with the water I had in the car for the drive. I was missing my headlight, but we were starting after sunrise, and my normal pace should get me done before sunset. I did not have my gloves or ear covers. It was a chilly morning, but I could deal with the cold until the day warmed. My ride would not be unsafe without any of the items I forgot, so I was comfortable doing the ride. The whole group started at 7:00am.

SFR-Winters-200K-Brevet-2010

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The route started at the southernmost point, followed the loop counter-clockwise, and returned.

8:40am, 24 miles, 300 feet total

The first stop was at a store in Fairfield. Here I bought some bottled water, and made my selection based on which bottle would best be carried on my bicycle and could be refilled. Now I was back to carrying two water bottles and did not have to fear the heat. Through this part of the route, many of the cyclists were bunched together. There was very long line at the checkout. I was buying a small cake for a snack. Since I was just waiting in line, I ate the cake and by the time I reached the clerk, she just scanned the empty bag.

After this stop the cyclists became more spread out. I chatted with a couple other cyclists when we were keeping the same pace for a while. As we neared the next stop, we missed a turn because we were talking to each other. We reached an intersection that did not correspond to the route directions, and so realized we had missed a turn. We backtracked and found the correct branch to take. It was just a two mile diversion.

11:00am, 59 miles, 1000 feet total

Although brevets are unsupported rides, this one unusually had a staffed lunch stop where food was provided. Since this ride is one of the last in the group's calendar year, they do it as more of a social event, and so provide lunch. It was the halfway point distance-wise, but none of the significant climbing had yet started.

The next stretch of the route was the most scenic. It was the middle of the day and hot in the direct sun. There were a couple big hills. The climbs were relatively long, but not as steep as what I usually train on. I had no problem keeping a strong pace.

1:30pm, 80 miles, 2900 feet total

The next stop was convenience store in the middle of nowhere. I only took a short break here and continued. I almost missed a turn again at a junction without road signs. There was a crew of firemen on the side of the road and they were able to confirm for me that the road I needed to take was indeed the one at the junction. The riders were all spread out at this point so I was seeing few of my fellow cyclists by this point.

The remainder of the loop was flat again and not particularly interesting. This section was through Napa Valley, and consisted of vineyard after vineyard. Eventually the route returned to the convenience store which was also the first stop. The loop part of the route was finished. Since it was near a highway, I was able to call Vaishali and update her about my status. I did not have phone reception earlier because the roads were so remote.

3:30pm, 100 miles, 3000 feet total

There was only one other cyclist at the store when I arrived, but several came in while I was there. One of the guys I was riding with earlier suggested we ride together, so I waited an extra five minutes for him. The remainder of the route was the same as the morning. I returned back the the start at the time I expected to.

5:10pm, 126 miles, 3100 feet total

This group is holding their final ride of the year next month. It is also a 200KM brevet, and I will probably attempt that one too.

Point Reyes Populaire

115 KM (73 miles), 4250 feet elevation gain
5:30 hours total (4:45 on the bicycle)

My latest cycling event was enjoyable and a success. This was the second brevet that I have ever done (the first being the Chualar 200KM which I did two years ago). It is called a "Populaire" because it is less than the usual minimum 200KM for a brevet. It started in San Francisco, and the "Point Reyes" refers the furthest point on the route which is the town of Point Reyes Station.

Vaishali, Aasha, and I left home at 5:15am. I ate breakfast in the car while Vaishali drove. The starting point was at the visitors area at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. We reached there by 6:15am (including a stop for coffee for Vaishali). This gave me plenty of time to get my bicycle ready and get checked in. I chatted briefly with a couple people before the start, including Michele Santilhano, who recently complete the Race Across America. The whole group of around 150 riders started at 7:00am by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

It was distinctly cold at the beginning, but I did not want to put on my jacket because I knew the day would soon warm as the sun rose and as we left the fog of San Francisco. Plus I knew that I would build up enough heat with my pedaling. Knowing that this was not a particularly long distance and that the total elevation would be less than many of my training rides, I planned to keep a fast pace for the whole day. In addition, Vaishali had other plans for later in the day, so I needed to finish on time.

San Francisco Randonneurs Populaire

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The route started in San Francisco and headed northwest through Marin County. The loop was ridden clockwise, and we retraced the route back to San Francisco and back across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The first 15 miles of the route passed through many city streets. After that, there were no more issues of coexisting with motor traffic, watching for turns and intersections, and dealing with stop signs and lights. I was determined to keep a relatively fast pace of 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hour on the flat parts of the route. Many other riders were keeping the same pace, and several passed me, going even faster.

I made no stops until we reached the halfway point, which was about 35 miles from the start. We had a designated stop in the town of Point Reyes Station, which I reached 9:15am. I got a sandwich and soft drink at a store, and chatted with other riders as I ate lunch and rested a little. After a bathroom break, I headed back at 9:45am. This next part of the route is very popular with cyclists in general, and I was seeing many others now. The day had warmed considerably, but was thankfully not particularly hot. There was one more designated stop, which I reached by 10:30am. I only needed a brief bathroom break, and I knew that I would not need to stop again before the finish.

Although I do not bicycle in Marin County that often, I realized I was familiar with much of the route. Most of the scenic part overlapped with the Mt Tam Double Century which I did two years ago. Other parts, I had driven on at different times.

I stopped briefly at 11:30am to call Vaishali to let her know that I was about one hour from the finish. I reached the end at 12:30pm. My fast pace meant that we had plenty of time for our other plans. Although the route was less challenging than usual in terms of hills, my race against the clock made it interesting.

Chualar 200K Brevet

126 miles, 4700 feet total elevation
9 hours 45 minutes total (8 hours 30 minutes on the bicycle)

After completing the Mt Tam Double, I immediately set my next goal. I want to complete the Knoxville Double Century next month, and thereby achieve a "California Triple Crown" — three (California) double centuries in one calendar year. So my primary need is to maintain my conditioning level for another month. This past weekend, I found an event that would let me do that.

My friend Ravi suggested doing a 200K (200 kilometer, or 125 mile) brevet. Technically, a brevet is a specific type of randonnée. Both of these are French terms, which reflects the European origin of the sport (along with the metric distance measure) in the early 20th century. This is an organized event generally similar the centuries I have done, but with some differences.

The principal difference is that there is no support on the route. Centuries have rest stops, usually around every 20 miles, where food, water, and restrooms are provided. In a brevet, nothing is provided. The riders are required to fend for themselves, usually by doing some research before hand to know where there are stores, parks, and other facilities on the route. The riders must also be mechanically self-sufficient, being able to repair their bicycles in case of breakdowns. This is unlike centuries where they have support staff driving on the course with extra parts and expert help.

Click for an interactive map.
The start and finish are A and E. The route is the counter-clockwise
route. Points B, C, and D are the "controls".

The brevet also requires that the riders stop at specific checkpoints, or "controls", along the route to show that they correctly traversed it. The term "brevet" specifically refers to the card each rider carries in which each control is recorded. A control could take several forms. It could be a manned station where a ride organizer stamps the card. Or it could be a requirement to make a purchase at a specific store on the route and submit the receipt (which has a timestamp). Or it could be a postcard submitted at a post office along the route (the postage cancellation proves the rider was at that location).

Ravi lives nearby, so we drove together to the start in Santa Cruz. The group of about 30 participants departed together at 7:30am. Each brevet has a time limit, and this one was 13.5 hours. Both Ravi and I independently estimated that we would finish in 10 hours, so I did not expect any time pressure of the kind I had in the Mt Tam Double.

The sun had already been out for a while when we started, but we were in blanket of thick fog, making it a cool and dreary start. The route followed close to the Pacific Coast for a long time, so the conditions remained the same for a couple hours. Most of the rural area around the route is productive farm land. We passed many fields where strawberries were being harvested.

Strawberry fields forever

Ravi and I were riding together, and we joined Ravi's friend Scott, and his friend Dave. People generally ride together with others keeping their same pace. This can help people avoid problems or getting lost.

I did not stop anywhere until we reached our first control, which was a small convenience store at the 50 mile mark. This is usually much longer than I would usually ride without stopping for water and a restroom, but cool misty air reduced my water requirements. If I needed it, I saw several gas stations along the way where I could have stopped for water an a restroom.

We needed to buy something at the stop to submit the receipt, but they did not have much real food there, just snack food. I bought a small bag of chips. I ate half the bag and ate the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I had packed and carried with me. From this stop we headed further inland, and the fog lifted. I felt the warm sun for the first time at 10:30am.

The next control was only 10 miles away, in the tiny town of Chualar, which is where the name of this event comes from. It is basically the furthest point of the route. Here we dropped the postcards that the organizers had included with our brevet cards. Since we were already stopped, we resupplied at the small store across the street from the post office.

We rode mostly southeast to get here, so the next part of the route heads back northwest towards the start, which is directly into the wind. Since we were in the base of the Salinas Valley, the winds are focused by the mountain ranges on either side. The four of us rode single-file in a paceline. This greatly helped reduce the effect of the wind, since only the person at the front of the line was fighting it. We rotated positions every half mile, with the person at the front falling back to the rear.

Our paceline.

After about 10 miles, the route turned and headed out of the valley over the hills. We no longer needed the paceline, so Scott and I rode alongside and chatted (it turns out he lives less than a mile from me) while Dave and Ravi sped ahead of us. When we reached a fork in the road, Scott and I were unsure whether Dave and Ravi took the correct branch. They were too far ahead of us to know for sure. We continued along the correct path. After 20 minutes, Dave caught us from behind. They had taken the wrong branch, but realized it before going too far. Unfortunately, they lost time and energy climbing the wrong hill.

Climbing the Gabilan Range on San Juan Grade.

After summiting, we descended to the next control in the town of San Juan Bautista. Here we needed to purchase something at the grocery store. They had prepared food available, so I ate a vegetarian tamale. Ravi finally caught up to us as we were eating. This stop was at roughly the two-thirds point of the route, so we made it a longer, lunch stop.

The four of us headed out together, with the next stop being the finish. Ravi kept a slower pace so he fell behind (he was working harder than the rest of us because he was riding a fixed-gear bicycle). We had agreed to just meet at the finish if we kept different paces. I took the opportunity to really push myself and finish strong. I kept a similar pace as Dave and Scott, though at times I sped ahead of them. I arrived at the finish at 5:15pm, 15 minutes before my estimate of 10 hours.

The organizers had drinks and snacks for us. I changed to clean clothes and chatted with the organizers and the other riders. After Ravi arrived and checked in at the finish, we did the one hour drive back from Santa Cruz and got back to Sunnyvale close to 7:30pm (we had left around 5:45am).

I thoroughly enjoyed my first brevet. I do not think there are any other ones scheduled locally this year, so I may have to wait until next year to do another. I have to find other ways to stay in shape for my next double century.