Solana Beach 400... "Kelly Two-Speed"

Solana Beach-400 route map

Just a block from the start it happened! All I wanted to do was shift into a higher gear. NADA. Looks like the 2003 Dura Ace Brifters finally reached their end. I had just re-lubed them earlier that week in anticipation of this ride. For years now, the right hand Brifter had been a little "sitcky" when shifting, but with a little cleaning and lube finesse it was always doable. Looks like my ride is over before a mile in! NOT TO HAPPEN.

Long time rando John Mestemacher was nice enough to pick me up for the drive down. I'd be riding with him today, just like last year on the "cane ride" After starting line accolades, the 22 riders were off!. Several riders were driving in just as were were leaving. Tough way to start a long route. I was grinding up Torrey Pines in a massive gear. Nice way to blow up early. I could shift into a easier gear, but not the other way. Looks like I would be a true 2-speeder today! But which rear cog to choose? I waited for John at the top of Torrey. He had a few ideas from his recent experiences with his own Brifters... he replaced them with down tube shifters! How nice was that? I finally got the 19T cog for the day with the 50/34 up front. A real 2 speed day!

Fuji stealth rando bike with ill brifters

Larry Jindra joined us at the Rose Canyon Bike Path for the ride over to the first control. Matt Cazales rode
by and we chatted a bit. He got there late and forgot his bottles too. His riding partner never stopped for even one red light through Mission Valley! The 7-Eleven was packed with riders. Nothing under two bucks this morning.

Dave Horwitt joined us there for the ride toward Lakeside. He related the full story of his ill-fated Vegas To OC 600K last week. Another one of Willie's specials. We also picked up Bill Stevenson. He was waiting around for Mac Imacseng. I thought Mac was up ahead with Tim's group and he could most likely join up with them at their usual stopping place in Alpine: Starbucks!

In Lakeside, Koji joined in and we all chatted and rode together for a while. Koji  Bill , Mac and Dave slowly pulled away as John and I chugged up to Alpine. We stopped at the Circle K, where Koji and Svetlana were. She was looking for a soft shoulder, and related her story to us while packing away hot dogs. She looked down and out to me. I told her all the nitrates in those dogs would slow her down some more! Nice guy.  We left her there and passed the large gruppo sitting at the east side Starbucks. I waived, as I knew that would fire them up to chase us down. With my gearing, I wandered up the 2 double-digit rollers before Dave rejoined John and I on the windless section on I-8 eastward. Very nice through there. By now, Tim's group was in hot pursuit!

Route goes byLake Cuyamaca

At the exit to Old Hwy. 80, we joined several riders who had started in Rancho San Diego and were going up to Mt. Laguna via Pine Valley with a group of around 30 riders. Nice sunny weather now as John, Dave and I started the climb up 79. Part way up, Tim's group joined up and we rode with them for a while. Tim, Andi, Karin, Mac and Robert. Dave joined with the group as John and I paced up the climb. We saw a rider struggling ahead. It was Mac, who couldn't keep the group pace and dropped back. We chatted a bit as I had to ride by him with my 2-speed gearing. We all joined up later for the nice ride around the lake. I dropped a energy bar on the road and had to wait for traffic to clear before turning around to check it out. We all had a good freewheel down into Julian.

As usual, we did a receipt stop at Cozens Station on the corner in Julian, before blasting down for our designated lunch stop in Santa Ysabel. Tim's gruppo stopped at the corner market and I made sure I waived as we went by! They would be in hot pursuit soon enough.

Great rando stop in Santa Ysabel

Nice stop at Don's Market. It's a rando friendly stop, as they have it all there. Mac looked like he wanted to
rest there for an hour. Another group of 6 pulled in, wearing mostly PCH green jerseys. We all chatted a bit as we refueled in the shade. John shared a tuna sandwich with me to go with my ice cream sandwich. Mac was stretching out and said his hamstrings were bothering him. Three of us left a little ahead of the PCH group.

John was pulling along Hwy. 79 to Warner Springs. Mac would sometimes ride off the front, doing what, I don't know. Didn't help the mini-paceline, for sure. We had a rare tailwind up to Sunshine Summit. The PCH gruppo passed us just before Sunshine Summit. They pulled off at the fire station, looking confused. Tim's group was sitting over at the SS Market. I waived for sure at Dave as we rode by. I knew they would be cutting their break short to catch us! Not like we were riding at any race pace.

Nice ride down from the summit. Mac lost his battery pak on the rough road. He went off the side of the road in the dirt. I immediately saw it in my mirror, yelled at John and turned around. Mac finally found the battery pak and we continued the ride to Aguanga. Just before the last downhill, all the groups joined together for one big, fast erratic paceline. Riders were all over the place, so John and I pulled off for our planned stop at the Aguanga store. I guess Mac didn't remember, for he was attached to the group and kept rolling on the nasty Hwy. 79 section to Sage Road. Just after the store, Bill had a flat and was left on his own.

John and I got some water, a cola and sat down for 10 minutes at the store. We wondered how Mac was going to make it to Hemet without additional water! We left in good spirits, and put the push on over to Sage Road. That section of Hwy. 79 is real dangerous for riders, with no bike lane and heavy weekend traffic. Sage road was nice and quiet. There are 3 climbing sections on this road. Each separated by level/downhill sections. I've always liked climbing in this area and even with 2 speeds, managed to get through it OK. We saw two riders up ahead, and sure enough passed them at the fire station at the top. Bill had joined up with the Mac and stopped for water. Good strategy. John and I continued on to Hemet, looking for food!

Sage Road: 3 climbing sections toward Hemet

Bill joined back up at Stetson Street in Hemet. I told him Tim's group usually stop for a long break at the
Burger King on Flordia Ave. He took off as John and I went over to our usual Carl's Jr. stop on the corner. I was looking for something with potatoes, but settled for a choc malt instead. John woofed down a California Burrito in no time. We sat around and planned our next step. John hooked up his battery pak to his Garmin and we were off, looking for Gary Kanaby near the Walgreens control stop. Mac joined us on Lyons Street. Gary wasn't at the Walgreens but we did see him on the way south. John stopped and chatted with him. Seems someone (Jerry Brown/) in the PCH gruppo was missing or had crashed. We also saw one of their group riding around in Hemet. Different rumors abound on this.

Instead of the Warren/Simpson rough road/no bike lane route, we opted for longer, much safer Sandeson/Domenigoni Parkway. Smooth and wide, both routes had the same headwind. Over onto Newport Road, John saw a rider ahead. "Go get em Kelly". John was up to his old tricks and I didn't fall for that one. Later on, there was a cyclist... dude on a MTB riding our way! Nice.! We made good time over to Lake Elsinore in daylight. The PCH group joined up there, minus 2 riders! We asked them what happened in Hemet and they really didn't know! Jerry Brown disappeared off the back somewhere. That's what camaraderie is all about, knowing where riders are and helping them out! Go figure.

We (Mac, John and I) stopped at the Circle K Market on the north side of Lakeshore Drive. The PCH group went over to the JIB across the street. We lounged around for a while, got our lights ready for the upcoming darkness, put on a few clothes and decided we would do a final clothing stop in Temecula. John led the way down Grand Ave. Never did like this road.. sort of lumpy, spotty sand and no real bike lane. Lots of traffic too. After the turn off Clinton Keith, we slowed for a rando rider ahead. Bill was off to the side and joined up for the ride to the finish. Four of us made a nice group. Lights were on as the sun had long dropped behind the Santa Rosa Mtns to the west.

Stopping at the usual 7-Eleven near the I-15 in Temecula, I put on my knee warmers and helmet light for any long downhills ahead. Chugged a bottle of Vitamin Water and looked for something to eat. I told Mac I had some Cambodian Medicine for his hamstrings. He refused and thought I was joking. Not me. I showed him how to put it directly from the bottle. Soon we were off, will Bill leading the way. I had the right gearing for the short Rainbow climb and waited after the top for the others. I had a hard time spinning away trying to catch up after they blasted by. John missed the light over the I-15 onto Old Hwy. 395, but finally we were all together at the Hwy. 76 red light.

Tough climb up Day Lilly Hill for me. Didn't have the right 2 speed gearing for this one. Mac was feeling real good by now and caught up part way up. I did the "bait & switch" on him and then stopped over at the Shawn Harrison Memorial at Lilac Road. We regrouped at the top and rode together along Champagne Blvd past Lawrence Welk Resort. Mac and Bill rode ahead and we all met up at the Deer Springs AM/PM. Brian McGuire was there, getting ready to leave. I hit the hot chocolate, for I remember year's past the cold downhill to San Marcos ahead. Bill and I put in our paper vest too! We all bundled up good and set a fast pace downhill.

Too fast for my gearing, as I was spinning off the saddle. I welcomed the short hills, so I could keep pace without blowing up. It's 24 miles from the control to the finish. With the darkness, it seemed we were rolling along fast. Only 2 boxes left on the INFO stop. Last year there were 6 there! Rolled into the FINISH together, John, Bill, Mac and me. Finally located room #306, where Dennis and Greg were. Brian was there eating pizza. We grabbed a few goodies, said "adios" and called it a day. Good thing I had a ride back home with John. It was long past my bedtime.

-randorides