Tomorrow is the first of many Big Days for this season. Seattle Rando's 200k "Chili Feed" brevet. With 92 registered users as of this morning, it's gonna be a helluva a rollout!
For me it isn't the distance that makes it a Big Day (I've already done a 200k this year, and this ride will end up being more like 280k with all the commuting to and from) - it's the group aspect of it. Even if we'll end up splitting into smaller groups, there are few better feelings in this world than rolling with lots of like-minded riders. And in this case, like-minded means we're all crazy enough to spend a day or more on the road, unsupported.
Last year's edition of it was wet - that's the main thing I remember. Having started at 5:30 AM at my house in Seattle, I slogged through the rain only to show up late. Rode in wet socks until about 3 PM, when I bought some new ones in Greenwater.
This time around, you bet I'm bringing extra socks (extra gloves too).
Saturday Route Weather
Seattle: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Southwest wind to 10 mph. [source]
The hourly forecast for Saturday shows a 50% chance of rain in Seattle, which is when I'll be rolling away from my door. But I can handle that, as it should clear up a bit as the day goes on (well I'm hoping anyway).
Greenwater: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Snow level 1500 feet. Afternoon pass temperatures in the upper 30s. Southeast wind in the passes 5 to 15 mph. [source]
Veloroutes shows the max elevation (in Greenwater, I presume) at ~1,800 feet. So that means we just might see some snow! I hear that last week's pre-ride did indeed encounter some of that in the Greenwater area. This could be interesting, but I'm all for some snow - makes for better pictures anyway.
Let the countdown to the Big Day begin...
Friday, March 20, 2009
First 2009 Brevet Tomorrow
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4 comments:
The control is at like 1700 feet and some change if I remember correctly. If you need a ride there or back, I'll keep a space for you.
I'm pretty excited though. I didn't know so many people were registered. It is always fun in bigger groups.
this is the most excited i've been for a 200k in a long time, and it is because of the massive amount of riders. I'll be catching a ride to and from with robert. if you change your mind about riding to the start give him a ring, he might have room for one more.
That is a lot of riders. Used to be that 100 was a big, really big number for a populaire ... on a sunny day.
This may seem obvious but it bears repeating: Best to plan on getting there early, earlier than you are currently planning on getting there. even with pre-registration it will take some time to get checked in, and it is always more fun to catch up with old friends than tyo be among the last minute crew, struggling to get the shoe covers on while hobbling forward in the line to get checked in.
(Hey! where's my other glove?!)
see y'all there.
Yr Pal Dr C
Thx for the offer, Robert, but the plan is to do the whole thing human-powered; we'll see.
Dr. C, thanks for the tips. Getting there early is not one of my fortes, let me put it that way. In fact, last year I was heading up the big hill to Greg's house as the peloton was heading down!
Luckily the ACP has thought about people like me, and you can start a brevet up to 1.5 (?) hours late. Not that it's a good idea to do so, but it's not the end of a ride either.
I'll just be happy to make it down to the start without getting a flat or getting lost. But that's all part of the (extra) challenge of riding to rides!
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