Poor College Kids' Road Race

Held on Jan 31st, 2009 start near Los Olivos CA. This is a 34 mile out-and-back (17 each way) course and the 50+ group did one lap. Here's the scoop: sit in until the climb on the return. The total climbing was 1800', which is neither trivial nor particulary much. It starts with a steady uphill for about four miles. A word to the wise, if you race in a big group (over 75 riders) you'll really want to be near the front at the beginning and the turnaround. The road is sufficiently narrow that team tactics can come into play. The 50+ group kicked up the pace in the last part of the outbound climb and and a few folks tried to ride off the front. We were all back together before the turnaround.

The road is narrow at the turnaround and if you're more than ten riders back you'll find yourself queueing up at 2MPH while a bunch of guys sprint back the other way. This is both ruthless and reasonable. The 50+ category is small enough that organizers don't care if you're a CAT5 rider. In particular, the race entry fee on this occasion included a one-day license (you are welcome for the subsidy, really!) The whole topic is enough for a separate blog, so more later. With about 5 miles to go you hit the real climb, even though it's only five minutes, it shatters the group. The finishing straight is way too narrow for any kind of group, so the way to deal with this is to go like crazy on the climb and hammer it home.

The Good:

• Nice location.
• Organized.
• It's a road race!

The Bad:

• Parking (suggest taking spot soon after turnoff and sign reading "park off road").
• A long way from civilization (2.5 hours from LA area).
• Gnarly full-stop turnaround.

The Ugly:

• Narrow road for a field sprint.