Thought you roadies would like to read this article published in OC Register... http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ride-93311-street-group.html If your interested in giving it a try, here you go.. Day: Sunday (all year) Start Time: 8:00 am Start: Tustin Market Place, off the 5 fwy at Jamboree in Tustin CA (In front of the Red Robin Distance: 30-35 miles Duration: 2-2.5 hours ------- I'll be there this weekend and most likely on-going.. Current Pace: most likely settled down "winter pace", good time to jump in.. Let us know who it goes, enjoy...
Uh...last few weeks, although "Dialed Down", have turned into riding 5-6 across at the front even where there is a generous bike lane and generally fueling a lot of hate against riders. Last week blew a few lights that weren't close and some of those involved people in a crosswalk. Its almost time to peel off and do the long version (Up Bake, down Portola to Rancho Santa Margarita, and to Cooks via the back way where the Luge comes in at Live Oak), or tag along with the Rock n' Road guys coming from their Mission Viejo Shop. Lets see how it goes today.
Ride Summary: Hung at the back today since the front was 5-10 wide even all the way up past Cooks Corner. At the back...you get moisture from people spitting and snotting into the wind at the front...great...and the "Natural Break" on the bike from mid-pack just before the El Toro turn...seriously...its a 90 minute ride if you are out of shape. There was some squeezing of brakes, wheels, and calamity just before Cooks...passed it like I gave a *%$!...no injuries so no stopping. Same A-hole deciding to be "that guy" for another week on El Toro at the Church Turn who has to occupy the left traffic lane...cuz the bike lane and the right lane are not big enough for your ego...you don't make the front anyway since I can keep up with you. Hope those of you who blew the few red lights on El Toro enjoyed getting caught by those of us who stopped, then torched your a$$ up the climb...a few of you wheel suck(ed) on groups trying to paceline the stretch to Irvine Lake...learn how to take a turn, even if it is short, and learn how to hold your line when you're not blowing a red light. I have a new pastime...riding the back of this group and pumping up those who give a damn and do right...and give $*** to those who think they're fast but seem to ride like they're god's gift to the world...its a better workout without the egos, elbow rubbing, and snot-dodging like its a Class 2 crit race. I doubt any of them at least said "hey" to the Mountain Bikes rolling up the climb (I think they were part of the Path ride I should have been on).
I believe this ride has just got to big. There is an opportunity to address the group before it heads out if you'd like to express your concerns. On one Como ride I did a guy got up and asked the group not to bunch up and it worked until we got into the climbs, but it did help. The real fast guys get off the front and then we're down to the regular riders and this is when we bunch up. I don't see a way of preventing this as people are going to be trying to go around and then another goes around him and before you know it, there's 4 across. I'm not condoning it, just explaining it. Still I really like this ride even though I usually get blown out by the front group but I can hang with the next groups usually. I just have a problem driving that far for a road ride.
I've been doing this ride religiously for years, and I'm going to give my observation as to what's been going on lately. This time of year the ride is slower. It's not slow, but slower than normal. Because of this, the front gets all bunched up and the entire ride gets dangerous because of it's size. When this ride is up to normal speed, it simply cannot be that wide at the front. Anyone who was there today knows for a fact that if the front group comes over Cook's with more than eight or so riders, it's a slow day. There were about forty of us today. The ride speed isn't breaking up the group as it normally does. This is a very recent problem at Como. If you're there regularly, you know this. All of the guys who are usually shed when the climbs start are allowed to hang around, and those guys all try to bunch up at the front as though they're the frontrunners. I'm sure they rush home to tell their girlfriends how they were at the front on such a premier ride. What's the answer to the problem? I don't know. But once the off season is over and the ride gets back to normal speed, the group will get thinned back out. Until then, it will probably remain a train wreck. This is neither a rant, complaint, nor gripe...just an observation.
Good Point...If I can hang at the back of what is group 2 going over the top after stopping at a few lights...its too slow. Pickettt must be on his mountain bike again...he needs to do this ride on some 50lb descent machine...I vote for an original Mountain Cycles San Andreas Aluminum monocoque frame and ride only the unpaved shoulder so the fleas on the tail of the group can keep up...
So you've seen me out there on my mountain bike? Whenever I ride it at Como, I spend the first ten miles answering the question, "How long do you think you're going to be able to keep up on that thing?" Anyway, I may do the rest of this winter's rides on it, just because it's safer.
found this video...i guess they have little races in the ride but at around 7:40 there's a sprint finish... [youtube]aiytdRFXRIY[/youtube]
Anyone know roughly what time they reach and regroup at Cook's Corner? I want to ride from my house and join the ride there rather than driving up to Tustin just to ride back down.
Quite a few people leave Mission Viejo Rock N Road with the shop ride at 7:45 and then hook up with Como coming back on Irvine BLVD.
I looked at my Garmin, and we're always passing Cook's Corner at around 8:58 a.m. The regroup you speak of will see the first of us at or about 9:05 a.m. However, the meat of the ride is finished by that regroup point. Inordinate amounts of descending from there until we get to the 241. Hope to see you out.
Anyone know if they still ride if it is raining out? If not, I'll probably head and do a PCH ride in rain rather than the canyon.
Did this ride today, but couldn't stay on to the main group. I met Jayhar at Cook's at about 8:45 and we waited about 10 minutes before the Como ride came up. We hopped on the back and I made my way up to mid-pack. He stayed in the back for a little while. About half a mile into it, the group split into two with Jayhar and I in the second group. He made his way up to the front, and stayed there while I did the same. Right before Modjeska grade, there was another split, and I worked my way into the second group, but on that little hill after the dip, I realized I went a little too hard and lost contact. I rode for myself for about a minute when a group came steaming by with a tandem pulling (I was doing about 40 and spinning at 140 rpms to give you a visual idea of how fast they were going). Unfortunately, since I don't have a double, I couldn't catch back up. After about a mile by myself, some guy and I got together and worked together almost to the lake when another group of 4 came up and we hopped with them. Fortunately, I was able to stay with them the rest of the way until I met up with Jayhar at Santiago Canyon/Jamboree. It was a great test to see where my fitness was and I look forward to doing it again in 2 weeks. Going to do 7 sisters next weekend. We did the 12.5 miles from Cook's to Santiago Canyon/Jamboree in 31 minutes. I can't even imagine what that front group did.
