Rainbow 200 Brevet

Garmin Stats from the Rainbow 200 Brevet today.

"What was that?" 10PM Friday night and time for some restful sleep before the Rainbow 200 tomorrow. NOT TO BE! Two new hotsie neighbor girls decided it's time for their first party night. I can get up & bang their door, call security and a hour later get results OR put a pillow over and get some silent sleep. That's what I did.

5 hours of solid sleep later and I'm getting ready. Lite oatmeal breakfast with my usual stuff on top. Checked the local weather on the computer while I was eating... 42.6 degrees. Quick hot shower to relax the muscles, followed by the homemade muscle rubdown. I prepped stuff yesterday so I loaded the HB bag. Arm warmers, knee warmers, woolie cap. Calf high Smartwool socks. I can roll them down as required later when it warms up. That's all I'll need extra today. Ride-ins are tough this time of year with the 40 degree temp swing in the next 7 hours. Have to dress right and not take too much or too little. Cheapo helmet light and the good rear blinkie for the carbon bike. Seemed the front brakes weren't centered correctly. Adjusting screw is working loose. I'll need to add some blue Loctite tomorrow to prevent that. Rolled out at 0430 to cool, clear conditions.

Rode through San Marcos and caught every red light there was! I warmed up quickly, as I pedaled towards the coast. Paper vest under my well-used RUSA jersey was just right. Passed one cyclists near Palomar Airport. No rear lights, but had a nice reflective jacket on. Stopped for a whizz along the warmer coast. Only saw one more cyclists along the whole trek up to Torrey Pines. Nice easy pace to keep warm. Decided to take the Rainbow route through UCSD Campus. Ended up in a parking lot under construction! Sun was making it light now. I was still too early, so decided to ride down Nobel and check things out. Pulled into Doyle Park at 6:45.

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Added the newer G'skin Hardshells: Bulletproof?

Went to the bathroom and filled my bottles up. Next, stood in line for my brevet card. Nice large turnout today. I heard 43 riders signed in! Rode around a bit, chatting with the usual randos. Lots of new riders I didn't know. There was no "rider list" on the website to check who is who. They must be trying to "streamline" things? Doesn't work. I always liked to see who was signed up and learn some names. New recruit, NCCC rider John Fry III was there. Dave Danovsky with blue jacket was chatting with Dave Horwitt about the "Crusin' The OC modified route a few weeks back. Keith Olsen looked good with the weight loss. Don Parsons and James Allen were riding after a long absence. Buddies Dan Phillips, Bill Stevenson and Mac Imacseng, super climber Robert Abraham and of course the normal "racer" group was well represented. Surprisingly, we started the Rainbow 200 at 0700!

I always like to make my contribution to the ride with pushing the light buttons for the first few miles. This also lets me see the racers as they pass by. I was planning on hooking  up Dan, Bill, Mac, Robert and a few others to at least San Elijo Control. It's always a mad dash for the first few miles. A group of 12 finally settled down along San Dieguito Road with a nice rando pace of 22 mph! I wondered how long that would last. Of course, the converasation was about the Brevet Week in March. Robert had his new long compression socks on this trip. "Where's your buddy Keith?" he asked. "Right behind you!" Keith was right there as we approached the first real climb up Del Dios past the dam. I tucked  in close behind Dan Phillips as the headwind was blowing the roadside bushes around. Groups always get busted up on this first climb, and today was no exception. We chatted about keeping a paceline along Harmony Grove. Picked up the Seattle boys now and they were glad to lead the way through Harmony Grove at a blistering 24mph. I was holding on to the closest wheel! Seattle boys stopped at the Fire Station for a whizz as our little group was scattered along the climb to San Elijo town Control.

After hopping the curb, I took off my arm warmers, knee warmers and woolie cap first. Then refilled my bottles while Tim Sullivan signed off my card. Robert and I were off. He had to stop at the bathroom on the corner. I said I'd do a slo roll up the tough climb. Slo it was, locked in at 8 mph, but I felt good. Three local club riders passed me on the way up. I had water and banana food  on the way down the other side. No red lights this time for me riding solo. I could see another rider ahead. Caught him at the Hwy. 78 crossover red light. Didn't know who he was, but he was fast! Did my pace thing and saw the fast rider turn onto the old Twin Oaks Valley Road. Guess he wasn't a rando after all. Felt really good up the narrow Deer Springs Road with lite traffic to the AM/PM Control. Fast guy in the 2011 PBP jersey was pulling out as I rolled in. Audry was there and was nice to chat with. I filled my bottle and grabbed a banana as she was signing off my card. Another 5 minute stop. Mac and Robert were just tuning in as I left. I said I would "slo roll" and had to make a stop up the road. So be it.

Tree lined Rice Canyon Road hides the bumps!

Sucked a GU, had a few Almond Butter/crackers and sucked the liquid down Champagne Blvd. Didn't see anyone but the PBP rider far ahead. Quite a few club riders out today. Stopped off for a whizz on Lilac Road, as I was waiting for Mac and Robert. Low geared it up Lilac to the Cooser climb. Paced up that sucker with 34/24 gearing. Closing in on the PBP jersey rider. Couldn't wait for the downhill to relax and stretch out. Ate on the way down and over to Rice Canyon. Still could see the PBP guy ahead, so it was sort of a motivation. I didn't give in to the urge to catch him but instead struggled with my own climbing. Rice always was a tough climb for me. Guess it must be the "roller" effect with the double digits thrown in. Entering Rainbow, I could see Robert behind. We met up at Mike Shaw's Rainbow Control. Told Robert I would be there for 5 minutes. PBP rider went inside the store. I ask Mike his name and didn't hear his response, or maybe I didn't remember it for long. Filled my bottles, added powder and grabbed a banana and several of those brownie snacks. As I was leaving, Bill, Dan & Mac came in. I was in eat, slo-roll, recovery mode now on the next few miles of downhill.

Boy, those brownie things were really good. Should have got a few more. PBP guy was coming up quick and I hoped he would pass me. Never did. The Mission Road toward Fallbrook climb took it's toll, as he dropped back. Wouldn't see him again till Del Mar. I was all solo now, waiting for the "thundering herd" to catch up. Had a nice ride down Live Oak Park and never missed a shift on the 8% climb up Reche Road this time either. Maintained a pleasant eatable pace down Green Canyon and the Mission Rd downhill in a tucked position. I knew I was in for it as I turned on Hwy. 76 at Bonsall.. Headwind and solo, a bad combo.

I've ridden this SLR many times and finally got it down. In the drops, slow it down to 17mph and just move on into the headwind. Pick up some company if possible to help out? Not today. Looked far behind and the "race-pace group" was nowhere in sight. Pulled into Oceanside just after 1 PM. For some reason, I thought there was a control stop there. I opted for the Circle K on Coast Hwy. My mistake. Traffic was horrific! I did get my bottles filled with ice water, so all wasn't lost. Back on track, it was messenger boy riding down the coast. Darting along side lines of cars isn't my idea of fun. Rode with a few riders from time to time. This eased up a bit after Encinitas. Robert and Mac joined up before Cardiff Kook statue.

Massive traffic made for horrific riding along Hwy. 101 today.

Pace was a little quicker now as Robert filled me in. PBP rider was just ahead as well as the unfriendly guy in red. Dan was riding with Bill. The race-pace group hit the SLR hard with Dan amping it up for the pace-line. Mac said he might go to PBP if he could sell some things to get his family there too! I told Mac he had a chance to break his last year's good time for the Rainbow 200. 45 minutes to go! PBP guy had another rider along now.. think it was his wife. Matching PBP jerseys. Nice. We decided to regroup at the top of Torrey climb and ride in together. Strong rando guy in red was just ahead and we closed at Torrey. Followed his quick pace through USCD Campus. He turned left over to Genesee as we kept route and rode past the parking lots to Regents Road. He regrouped as we caught a long red-light. Mac had 20 minutes now. Sprint time to the finish. Mac cut off 10 minutes from his good ride last year. Four of us finished up together... Mac, Robert, me and guy in red. Card signed off, I grabbed a mini-cola from the cooler, filled my bottle with water, said "adios" and hit the bathroom. No sitting around for me this year. After a wave-by, I was back on Regents Road on the return trip to home. Keep it movin' or it will get stiff!

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I was feeling OK, as I waived at the PBP jersey duo on Regents. I did a loop around and didn't go straight through the campus via the rando route. First real rando sighting was near the base of Torrey. Group of 6 starting the last climb of the day. I made a bathroom stop in Solana Beach and sat munching on a bench near the SB bike lane. Met several randos returning to the finish. Chatted with Keith Olsen and AZ guy, Dave Brake there. Tim Knowles and friend stopped by. Seems they rode most of the route today. We talked about dirt rides as his buddy just bought a new Salsa Mariachi bike for dirt. Back on the bike, I headed northward along the coast. Hard to tell the randos unless they were wearing a RUSA  or SDrando wool jersey. Turned off at Palomar Airport Road for the last 3 climbs of the day. Added my arm, leg and woolie warmers next. Sun had set, but still some ambient light about. Arrived home just before 6:00 PM. Not a bad day on the bike. A few Advil and lots of Chinese meds for the twisted knee. What the heck!

Clear skies all day
Hi: 84     Lo: 41 (Garmin stats)
184 miles

-randorides