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weaponsgrade
10-04-2009, 03:10 PM
Any other Nor-Cals ride it? This has to be one of the most beautiful rides I've ever done. Most of the roads were very remote. The locals were dotted around various parts of the course and would ring cow bells and cheer you on. That was great. At the start I unknowingly found myself staged in the fast group. We (they) were flying and I was happy just to hang off the back to the first rest stop. The descent along the coast was just incredible. The kind where you can stand at the top, look down and across and see the road wrapping around like a ribbon down to the beach. Parts of the coast had these big rock formations jutting up - there's probably some name for them, and waves would crash up and spray around them.

I was feeling really good until around mile 75 or so on what I think is the Coleman Valley climb. This part of the road was in the Tour of California and there was still paint on the road from the fans. The wind kicked up and I was wishing for a triple as riders kept passing. I got a second wind at the last rest stop. The last few miles of the ride are on a gravel road that cuts through farm fields. There was a nice late afternoon sun and it reminded me of that TdF Grahm Watson photo of the peloton w/ the sunflowers in the foreground.
XTC
10-04-2009, 05:23 PM
Sounds like a great ride....

Any chance you might post the route?
weaponsgrade
10-04-2009, 06:29 PM
http://www.levisgranfondo.com/course/
Waldo
10-05-2009, 03:50 PM
I did it. Perfect weather and scenery and prevailing tailwinds. Enjoyed the ride tremendously. Would have even more so had I not gone with hammerheads right off the bat.
jeffg
10-05-2009, 05:06 PM
I did it. Perfect weather and scenery and prevailing tailwinds. Enjoyed the ride tremendously. Would have even more so had I not gone with hammerheads right off the bat.

I can vouch for him (except for the early hammerhead part ... I flatted early and had to chase Vlad for over half the ride).

As for routes, Santa Rosa cycling club has many variations on its website.
My favorite is the simple one that basically is the same as the Gran Fondo route but starts in Occidental:
http://srcc.memberlodge.com/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=34484

Other notable variations include taking a right at the intersection of King Ridge and Tin Barn and then either (a) heading west to the coast and then climbing up to the ridge so you can bomb Meyers Grade by climbing either Kruse Ranch or Fort Ross or (b) heading east and doing Skaggs Springs back to Lake Sonoma and then going Dry Creek/West Dry Creek/Westside/Wohler/River/Vine Hill/Graton Rd back to Occidental.

If you do (b) bring a Camelbak or a private sag!
Waldo
10-05-2009, 05:26 PM
Well, I'm not sure what to call that first 3-5 miles, but it was definitely not a warm-up. You have legs of two men, my friend. :beer:
tmanley
10-05-2009, 06:42 PM
It was probably the best organized ride I have ever done. I had a slight mishap near the bottom of Meyers Grade, but other than that I can say it was the most enjoyable five hours and thirty minutes I've spent on my bike. I will do it again and stay in the area for the whole weekend like I did this year (found a sweet cottage on a vineyard via craigslist).
jeffg
10-06-2009, 11:59 AM
Well, I'm not sure what to call that first 3-5 miles, but it was definitely not a warm-up. You have legs of two men, my friend. :beer:

Well, looking at the PT data, the average/normalized power for the first twenty minutes was about the same as for the entire ride (190/233, just over 17 mph moving average). We did slow down after I finally caught back up after that nail induced flat in the first 10 miles at mile 70! I was definitely in the pain cave after blowing through almost all the rest stops and riding at 17.5 mph (200/242 watts) for four hours over that course. For some reason digging deeper on this ride made less sense than on doubles, so I am glad we had a mellow ride into the finish (and thanks for waiting for that second flat - the tire is actually intact and fine, a nail and a thorn are just bad luck).

As for two sets of legs, if I can just get to one fit midsection, I'll be fine ... :beer: Well, the fondue dinner last night to support our school foundation did not help any ...
Der_Kruscher
10-06-2009, 02:07 PM
My company (Sports Basement) was a sponsor so I could have done it for free and probably met the man himself but I opted out because of a 'cross race on Sunday. As it turns out, I should have done the Fondo :) Maybe next year...
Waldo
10-06-2009, 02:16 PM
Free entry or not, the whole brouhaha about ride organizers first trying to keep non-registered people off the roads, then relenting and insisting they'd keep ride crashers out of rest stops was pure smoke. No one checked numbers or bracelets anywhere, and my grandmother dressed in her housecoat could have partaken of rest stop fare any time she would have wanted to. So, next year, if the ride is full, just contribute to Levi's chosen charity and come on the ride.
jeffg
10-06-2009, 06:00 PM
Found this one of me, but Vlad should have been right behind me ... I'll keep looking

http://granfondo.smugmug.com/photos/672476195_r9yos-M.jpg (http://granfondo.smugmug.com/2009/Veronika-Lenzi/9745219_7XKen/1/#672476195_r9yos-A-LB)
Rubeboy
10-06-2009, 07:22 PM
Found one of me too.

This was very early on in the ride, before the first of the climbs.
I was planning on riding this at an easy pace then was going to try to race on Sunday. Sunday did not happen for me. The climbs on this ride kicked my butt with the 15%+ grades. I don't know how to go 'easy' on 15%+.

I just got back from my first ride since. My legs still ache.
It was a great day out though.
jeffg
10-06-2009, 10:16 PM
Found this one of me, but Vlad should have been right behind me ... I'll keep looking



http://granfondo.smugmug.com/photos/672476650_cafNr-M.jpg (http://granfondo.smugmug.com/2009/Veronika-Lenzi/9745219_7XKen/1/#672476650_cafNr-A-LB)
tuco
10-07-2009, 02:04 AM
I can vouch for him (except for the early hammerhead part ... I flatted early and had to chase Vlad for over half the ride).

As for routes, Santa Rosa cycling club has many variations on its website.
My favorite is the simple one that basically is the same as the Gran Fondo route but starts in Occidental:
http://srcc.memberlodge.com/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=34484

Other notable variations include taking a right at the intersection of King Ridge and Tin Barn and then either (a) heading west to the coast and then climbing up to the ridge so you can bomb Meyers Grade by climbing either Kruse Ranch or Fort Ross or (b) heading east and doing Skaggs Springs back to Lake Sonoma and then going Dry Creek/West Dry Creek/Westside/Wohler/River/Vine Hill/Graton Rd back to Occidental.

If you do (b) bring a Camelbak or a private sag!
(c) Gran Fondo + Down Timbercove to Highway 1 + Up Ft. Ross Rd. Ft. Ross Road is a special climb.

The last time I was on Kruse Ranch Road, I am reasonable sure that it was largely unpaved. It was rideable, however in dry conditions a single car can leave a spectacular dust cloud that hangs in the still forest for some time.

Perhaps the biggest message here is that there are a *lot* of great routes in and around Sonoma and Napa Counties. A great number of climbs .. doh! I guess this is obvious. Why else would Levi make a home in Santa Rosa? :banana:
jeffg
10-07-2009, 09:50 AM
(c) Gran Fondo + Down Timbercove to Highway 1 + Up Ft. Ross Rd. Ft. Ross Road is a special climb.

The last time I was on Kruse Ranch Road, I am reasonable sure that it was largely unpaved. It was rideable, however in dry conditions a single car can leave a spectacular dust cloud that hangs in the still forest for some time.

Perhaps the biggest message here is that there are a *lot* of great routes in and around Sonoma and Napa Counties. A great number of climbs .. doh! I guess this is obvious. Why else would Levi make a home in Santa Rosa? :banana:

Yup!
Kruse is largely unpaved, as is Willow Creek Road, but both are fun climbs -- even the Geyers has some unpaved steep sections.

As for Fort Ross, my favorite variant is to turn at Tin Barn at the intersection with King Ridge, follow Skaggs to the Coast (you miss all the tough stuff) and ride Highway 1 to Fort Ross and then rejoin GF route at the top.
Waldo
10-07-2009, 12:57 PM
http://granfondo.smugmug.com/photos/672476650_cafNr-M.jpg (http://granfondo.smugmug.com/2009/Veronika-Lenzi/9745219_7XKen/1/#672476650_cafNr-A-LB)

Thanks for posting that one, Jeff. The other photo of me has me climbing with a knee warmer around my right ankle -- I got the left warmer off on a flat portion, but when the road kicked up I refused to dismount to remove the right one. Climbed King Ridge, dorky like that, for about 3 miles until there was a dip and I managed to get it off.

P.S. They only seem to photograph me when I'm in 34x28
Rubeboy
10-07-2009, 01:06 PM
If you look past your droopy knee warmer in the photo, you can see one rider apparently turning around on that climb. I felt like doing that on more than one occasion. I didn't, but it did cross my mind.
Waldo
10-07-2009, 03:46 PM
If you look past your droopy knee warmer in the photo, you can see one rider apparently turning around on that climb. I felt like doing that on more than one occasion. I didn't, but it did cross my mind.

All I can say is, "34x28, don't leave home without it." :banana:
PoppaWheelie
10-07-2009, 03:48 PM
If you look past your droopy knee warmer in the photo, you can see one rider apparently turning around on that climb. I felt like doing that on more than one occasion. I didn't, but it did cross my mind.

The guy between Mr. Turnaround and Vlad looks like he's about to fall over!
Rubeboy
10-07-2009, 04:22 PM
All I can say is, "34x28, don't leave home without it." :banana:
I had a 34x26 and I would not have argued if someone offered me one or two more gears.
jeffg
10-07-2009, 05:15 PM
I had a 34x26 and I would not have argued if someone offered me one or two more gears.
Agreed!

I had a 34x25 and needed to push hard to maintain an acceptable cadence. Managed a whopping 61 rpm up the main climbing section on King Ridge (1.2 miles, ~11%) for a scorching 6.6 mph :no:

Did about the same for the next section that is roughly the same gradient (but mercifully only half as long).

I have done this route with the same gearing before, so you think I would have learned ... listen to Vlad!
Waldo
10-07-2009, 05:17 PM
The guy between Mr. Turnaround and Vlad looks like he's about to fall over!

Oh yeah, there was all kinds of carnage behind me :bike:
Simon Q
10-08-2009, 06:48 PM
Looks amazing, I was eyeing that off a while back and I'd love to do it one time. The guys that writes my training plans, Alex Simmons, headed over for it. NorCal is one of my very favourite palces anywhere in the world and we are planning a drving holiday around NorCal in the next year or two so...

I'm doing this one on the weekend to open my account for the cyclosportif season (it's spring here). It's run over Stage 1 of the Herald Sun Tour then we watch the opening crit in the afternoon. Given that it's aligned with the Tour, I'd say there will be a big contingent of hammerheads for this one compared to other cyclosportifs so looking forward to seeing where I'm at...

http://www.heraldsuntour.com.au/index.php?id=264