I see the profile on the website but was wondering from people who have done it before. How would you rank the bike course? I’ve done the Big Kahuna, Vineman, and Wildflower halfs. Any comparison?
Thanks!
I see the profile on the website but was wondering from people who have done it before. How would you rank the bike course? I’ve done the Big Kahuna, Vineman, and Wildflower halfs. Any comparison?
Thanks!
Haven’t done BK.
Harder than VM.
Not as hard as WF.
clm
First 30 miles nothing all that hard. After that, the “hill” is a bitch. Last year, saw people walking thier bikes near the top. The remaining hills after that …the next one isn’t all that steep but the grade just seems to go on for awhile. The last one is fairly low key. I am not that great of a climber so to me the hills were challenging/difficult. I have heard other describe Ralphs as one of the more challenging half iron bike courses. FWIW.
Mark
Definitely not a fast course. It’s deceiving b/c the 1st half is damn fast, but the 2nd half really bites back. You can really pay for it if you go out too hard(I seem to do it almost every time).
Mile 37 I believe is where you get the Degree’s HPOD. The hill is a wakeup call for the course as you begin to hit rolling hills for another 10-12 miles.
Once you hit the main straight away back to transition you get hit with some headwind and pass a sewer plant.
I see the profile on the website but was wondering from people who have done it before. How would you rank the bike course? I’ve done the Big Kahuna, Vineman, and Wildflower halfs. Any comparison?
Thanks!
Though I have not done BK, or Vineman, I have done Wildflower once, and Ralph’s twice. I also have trained on Ralph’s.
When you come out of T1, it starts flat, with only 1 steady, 1-2 min climb a mile or so into the ride. After that you will think you are racing on a table-top. I crossed 25 miles last year in 59:xx, which is fast for an Olympic split. I did the next 31 miles in 1:28. I finished 14th overall, so I’m no slouch, but there are guys who can rip it.
As you approach mile 30, you will look up and hope that you’re not going up the hill you see before you, but you are. It’s steep, and you will want AT LEAST a 25 tooth cog. It’s a corkscrew looking climb, and it’s rough! After that, the course is rolling with two other longer, but not as steep climbs, until about mile 50. The last 6 miles are flat as a pancake back to the transition.
The run is about as flat as you’ll find. Good rhythm course. Other things you may want/need to know: No warm-up in the water. No pre-swimming the course allowed. The Oceanside Harbor is much too busy, and the first time you’ll touch the water is probably 3-4 mins before your wave starts, so consider alternative warm-up means. Harbor is protected, flat, salt water. Wetsuit legal, and recommended. Buoys mark every 100 meters of the swim. You will want to look at the swim course on the map and look out onto the harbor to see how it looks, as I got a little lost out there in 2004, and a friend of mine did the same in 2005. Only 3 aid stations on the bike. Approximately an aid station every mile on the run. Could be hot like in 2004, or cold, wet, rainy and windy, like 2005. But I would be on good temps and sun.
Good luck!
I have done both Vineman and Ralph’s. Vineman is quite easy in terms of terrain with only that little slight hill after crossing onto westside road and then the (relatively) big climbs at Healdsburg and Chalk Hill. Ditto Jim… the First 25-30 miles are pretty smokin’ fast. 30-42 is three climbs with the first being the longest and steepest. Depending on your style you can sit or stand… but the first is pretty long for a stand… especially when on a TRI bike. At 42-ish or 44 you get a steep downhill where if you are in traffic they will warn you (with good reason) to slow down as it leads into a mildly sharp turn. This extended downhill continues for some time and as you smoke down into the valley and past the airfield. If they are STILL doing construction on vandegrift blvd (?) watch out for the big metal plates on the road. From here on in you scream it back into T-2.
Good luck.
BTW… Jim. On a whim I went to www.jimvance.com hahaha… oops… not quite the same guy. hehehe
Harbor is protected, flat, salt water<<
Ha! Not flat if you are in a later wave.
Could be hot like in 2004, or cold, wet, rainy and windy, like 2005.<<
Even numbered year, so it will be nice. I’ve done this race every other year (starting with the full in 2000), and the weather has always been good. Volunteering in the odd years, bad weather. 
clm
A 25 tooth cog on what size chain ring? A 39?
Good points Jim. I live in San Clemente and train on the Base alot, but can’t ride much of the course as it’s closed to civilians until race day.
I do surf in O’side alot though and I can tell you this morning the water was about 55 degrees down there! Bring your fullsuits and possibly hoods!
A 25 tooth cog on what size chain ring? A 39?
Yes, exactly. It’s a tough hill.
A 25 tooth cog on what size chain ring? A 39?
I was looking over my power file from Ralph’s last year. I rode the biggest of the hills at 265 watts, and my 34x23 gearing was way too big; I got bogged down and had to grind it out. I couldn’t shift into the 25 because of the wheel cover. If I’d had a 27, I’d have used it. I had a decent split there last year (2:42), but I’m bringing bigger cogs this year.
I’ve done Big Kahuna (twice) and Ralph’s once (last year). Ralph’s is more challenging than Big Kahuna. The hills are steep and they just keep on coming. The last 7-8 miles down Vandegrift on the way back to Oceanside are flat but usually you’re fighting a headwind. The first half of Big Kahuna can suck because of the wind, but with regard to hills, BK is not as hilly as Ralph’s. Personally, I like Big Kahuna better. Better time of year, better view, better run course. Ralph’s sucked last year because of the weather.
I’m generally a flatlander, so my 50/36 - 11/23 configuration normally does me just fine; however, I rode from Sacramento to Auburn for the first time this weekend, and there is about a two mile stretch right before Auburn where the elevation goes from about 800’ to 1300’. I was in 36 - 23 and was able to stay in the saddle, but I was definitely huffing and puffing. It sounds like a 12/27 is the way to go for me if don’t want to fry my legs going up that hill during the triathlon formally known as Ralph’s. Sound reasonable?
Jay
I am not sure if you can wear a hood in a TRI?
Bob
I’m generally a flatlander, so my 50/36 - 11/23 configuration normally does me just fine; however, I rode from Sacramento to Auburn for the first time this weekend, and there is about a two mile stretch right before Auburn where the elevation goes from about 800’ to 1300’. I was in 36 - 23 and was able to stay in the saddle, but I was definitely huffing and puffing. It sounds like a 12/27 is the way to go for me if don’t want to fry my legs going up that hill during the triathlon formally known as Ralph’s. Sound reasonable?
Totally reasonable. You really need your power to stay controlled and your cadence to stay in familiar ranges. I’ll have a 34x25 lowest gear this year, and I will definitely use it. Even with the long gentle descent back to T2, a 50x12 is fine. You can go 31-32 mph easy in that gear; any faster than that and you should save some power for the run.
Jay
I am not sure if you can wear a hood in a TRI?
Bob
They allow them at Ralphs every year.
for Palomar I normally ride with a 39x23 gear and use a 25 to accelerate out of the steep switch backs (700c wheels). For Ralph’s I plan on using the same size cassette, but with my tri bike (650c wheels) I’ll have a 44 chain ring on the front. A 44x25 with 650’s is the exact same as a 39x23 with 700c wheels.
Thanks for the info. Bob
Good to know on the hood! We’d definitely be looking at ice cream headaches if not!