Road Ride Tour de Palm Springs 2014 - 103.5 miles of fun. Or something.

Discussion in 'The Roadie Hangout' started by Runs with Scissors, Dec 26, 2013.

  1. socal_eric

    socal_eric New Member

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    Hopefully you can find someone beforehand, but if not there should be a ton of different people and groups out there if it's as busy as usual. I'm not the best person to ride with as the old mountain bike and my clydesdale-and-a-quarter weight adds up to slower going up hills and furiously hammering the flats and downhill to stay with some of the slower roadies.

    As a weather update, looks like it warmed up a touch to a projected mid-70s and not too much wind. Should be a really nice day to ride through the valley.
     
  2. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors Climbing > desending

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    Per NWS, low temp in the morning is a balmy 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Way better than last year's observed 39. Wind warning is a tad worrisome though.
     
  3. socal_eric

    socal_eric New Member

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    Looking at the actual advisory, it doesn't appear to affect the lower valley areas and is mostly up on the ridge line, down south, and at the San Gorgonio Pass. The general course are looks like they're predicting a round a 5 mph winds which isn't too bad. Guess we'll see in a few hours. Hope every has a good ride.
     
  4. UPSed

    UPSed SPECIALizED

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    Looks like all the advisories have been cancelled. Should be a great day for a century.
     
  5. duke777

    duke777 Active Member

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    Hope it was a great time for all who went! Wish I could of gone.
     
  6. UPSed

    UPSed SPECIALizED

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    My girlfriend and I had a blast. The weather was much better this year. Not as organized as last year unfortunately as the SAG stops were really lacking in nutrition. I think if we do it next year we will just be self sufficient and go renegade.
     
  7. riiz

    riiz Member

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    I went renegade this year and didnt pay, but I brought my own food and water. I felt bad for the rest of my group, since they registered and the first two SAG stops were out of food. I was handing out my extra energry bars, cause the first SAG with food was at 43+ mile mark.

    The weather was alot warmer than last time, and the wind was just as bad through the Windmill section of the ride, but the downhill after is always a great reward.
     
  8. SamKT

    SamKT Member

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    My wife got hit by another cyclist. Thanks to everyone that stopped to help and waited with her until the paramedics arrived. Fracture in the shoulder.

    To to the cyclist that hit her, leaving her there was not cool.
     
  9. dirtmistress

    dirtmistress AKA Roadiemistress

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    A woman was killed on the ride today. Pain Freak knew her and had ridden with her earlier in the day. A car stopped at an intersection to let cyclists pass and a truck went around the car and hit her. This is getting really old.
     
  10. UPSed

    UPSed SPECIALizED

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    Yeah. It happened just behind us. At one of the SAG stops Riverside PD came up behind us and said someone had been hit and they were asking if anybody knew her. Sadly so many people on this ride don't take into consideration that the road is not closed. Yet they ride three to four abreast totally oblivious of the traffic behind them.
     
  11. duke777

    duke777 Active Member

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    OMG! It's not even safe to be riding an organized event with such large group and police presents?????

    this is getting really really old.
     
  12. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors Climbing > desending

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    I enjoyed the ride, again. I have to chime in on observing way too many cyclists spreading out across the road, and way too many stop signs blown without the traffic control telling you to. You know who you are.

    On a lighter note, since I was on my 29er, the most priceless expression was the guy on the $5K road bike who looked at me and just shook his head. As if a mountain bike has no place on the ride. Sheesh!
    And I thought the wind was worse this year than last year.
     
  13. mtbkrazy

    mtbkrazy Likes to Party!

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    What does your bike look like? I seen couple guys on 29er riding ..
     
  14. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors Climbing > desending

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    Black on gray Trek Mamba. I was truly impressed by the guy on the 29er singlespeed, though. And he was faster than me
     
  15. Skid Row

    Skid Row Member

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    Did the Tour De Palm Springs for the first time this year. A TON of riders.... heard someone mention it was close to 10K riders, but I have no way of verifying that. Had no way of picking out any STR riders amongst the sea of participants...

    It was fun, weather was almost perfect, but as already mentioned, the SAG stops was severely lacking in nutrition. I had to bum a power bar from Riiz and still almost bonked around mile 35.

    Very sad news to hear that a rider was struck and killed by a truck. My condolences to her family and friends, and yes, these tragic news are getting old fast.

    Here are a few pictures from the day, which was a good day aside from the tragic news and understocked SAG stops.

    start 1.jpg
    a sea of riders...

    start 2.jpg
    you can barely get out of the starting area....


    start 3.jpg
    from left... allie, mtbkrazy, riiz, jose, drew, and yours truly.

    start 4.jpg
    wind and the windmills....
     
  16. Aztlan

    Aztlan Member

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    I had a great ride, except for some cramps near the end. I started at 6:30am, it was very windy near the windmills. I ate some dirt, never ridden in wind like this. When we went over the FWY overpass, I felt like I was going to get blown down to the FWY. I also made some new friends on the ride. :) I found all the sag stops fully stocked, plenty of snacks and water. I did miss a turn around mile 88, looks like someone took a sign out. There were quite a few riders who missed it. I took the turn further up the road and made it back on course. I enjoyed the finish it was better that other century's, there was a marching band playing, cheerleaders, and a big crowd cheering you at the finish.

    I didn't hear about the death until I got home. My condolences to her family. That is so sad :(
     
  17. socal_eric

    socal_eric New Member

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    Yeah. That wind thing… At least it was only worst (as usual) on the the first uphill section. D'oh.

    I did end up taking the 29'er and was spinning my brains out but it was a pretty fun ride. Ended up finishing in 6:06 hours moving time.




    Very sorry to hear about your wife and totally uncool that the other cyclist didn't stay. I wish her a quick recovery. I also hadn't seen the news and didn't know someone else was killed but did hear an ambulance at one point and was hoping nobody got hit. :(
     
  18. emejay

    emejay most annoying avatar

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    It was a great day for a 100 mile ride!! The wind for the first 15 miles was like it was the previous times I have done this ride, but a great payback after you make the sharp right hand turn and then it's a tailwind and downhill for a looong way. SamKT, sorry to hear about your lady, I think I saw you at about mile 35-40 sitting at the road side??? I slowed, but it looked like you had it all under control. Automotive traffic is always a major fright for me, but on this ride the cycle traffic is cause for concern, especially the last 10-15 miles where the shorter course riders come in, riding 3 abreast at 10 MPH.

    Not until the next day did I learn of the Alta Loma ladies death....so sad. Most of the news sources I checked cited how cyclists need to follow the rules of the road, blah blah blah, but this link gives a different perspective. http://bikinginla.com/2014/02/08/tour-de-palm-springs-rider-killed-in-thermal-collision/ I remember going through that 2 way stop intersection at mile 67 and thought how this could be a problem. I can't help but think how I would have crossed had a car stopped for me. Also, visibility for the cross traffic is great as the road is straight and flat, and the driver had to see the gaggle of bikes crossing for some distance before.....I would be curious to get the whole story. A sad memory from an otherwise great day.
     

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