Ash Friday Ride

[MTBMaven]

I'm gettin in a century on Friday if anyone in the Pasadena area is interested.

My plan:
Leave Pasadena at about 5:00AM
Take the San Gabriel River Trail (SGRT) to Seal Beach
Take PCH to Dana Point
Turn around and head back to Long Beach
Take transit back home

I really don't want to ride back up the SGRT. It is bad enough riding down to the beach. I would rather put in more miles along the coast than up and down the river trail. If the smoke is too bad in south OC I will turn around and figure something out.

So far the smoke has been almost non-existent here in Pas. Plus the winds are forecast to change by Friday, turning to a normal on shore flow. This will hopefully start to blow the smoke inland and away from the coast.

[SheDevil]

You'd be crazy to ride a bike in OC....we're suffocating.

[HUGH]

I think tomorrow the on shore winds are supposed to start kickin up. Thats what the news guy says anyway!!

HUGH

[MTBMaven]

Originally Posted by SheDevil

You'd be crazy to ride a bike in OC....we're suffocating.

It has been so hard to tell where is safe to ride. Here is Pas things are relatively clear. I have looked for a good recent satellite photo to tell where the smoke is heavy but have not had any luck.

Can anyone tell me what things are like in Long Beach/Seal Beach area?

[MuddyEdgar]

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

Can anyone tell me what things are like in Long Beach/Seal Beach area?

I live in Long Beach just a few blocks from the Ocean and I can tell you that it is ugly out there.

[MTBMaven]

Okay fine. I am going to Palm Springs then. I called a few hotels and the smoke is just barely coming over the top of the mountains. The plan is to leave at 5:00AM and ride the Tour de Palm Springs route.

[BrewMaster]

You can check air quality for any region here:

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?acti...cal&CityID=129

The lower the AQI score for PM (particulate matter), the better.

[bobzrag]

it's been smoke/ashy here in sb, hoping it clears up somewhere for a ride (or two) on the weekend!

[dstepper]

All day Laguna has been bad with white ash falling. Right now 10pm seems much better no wind no ash and either I am used to the smell of the smoke or it is alot better. If I remember I will updated ya all in the AM.

Brian bring your road bike to Quaking Aspen clean air and excellent roads. Then hang out camp side with us Saturday Night.

[Shannon]

Don't know how you feel about driving out of the way to ride, but the central coast is georgous. No smoke. About 60-65 through the weekend. Which we had more mtb trails but it is an excellent place for road riding. You could backtrack the Tour De CA course. Start in San Luis Obispo and ride up to Monterey along the coast.

[MTBMaven]

I drove out towards Palm Springs this morning at 5AM and turned around just shy. The air quality is terrible out there. The winds must have shifted over night and begun to blow that way.

Unfortunately I only budgeted time for a 6-7 hour ride on my off Friday. I have made other family plans throughout the weekend thus closing my window of opportunity. There is a slim chance I can do it on Sunday by riding to Torrance again from Pasadena with a little 30 extension up to MdR or something if the air cleans up there by Sunday AM.

If not this blows 8 straight months of centuries and my goal of 12 centuries in 12 months starting in Feb '07 ending in Jan '08. Personally I am really bummed. This has been a really inspiring goal that has motivated me to get into really great shape and loose almost 20 pounds.

In the end I am being stopped by forces out of my control. Forces that have ruined the lives of tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives. My problems don't amount to a blip on the radar compared to theirs. If Sunday doesn't work out then I know I gave it a good try. (plus I did 2 centuries in August )