Rode the frontside (minus Pulgas out and back) and the San Mateo climb yesterday (base access from a friend, but cannot ride Basilone going south)
Some notes
-Stupid hill out of transition is still there
-Pavement on front side is better than I have seen in years past, but it is a military base there are are potholes, gravel at intersections etc. I assume the more significant hazards will be marked but just be aware.
-Pavement behind the commissary sucks as usual
-There was some road construction just before Pulgas narrowing and re-routing the northbound lane, but no real issue
-The airstrip concrete section is also just like it always has been, rough in spots and some annoying perpendicular stress cracks, just be aware the couple areas crossing from concrete to asphalt
-The Trestles dip, always seems a little wild west there. A couple longitudinal cracks wide enough for your tires if you take the wrong line
-Minor pavement collapse on eastbound Cristianitos just a little before the gate
-San Mateo Hill - also still there
-After the Cristianitos gate, there are a number of intersections with either some poorly applied asphalt and some steel plates. Again, hopefully marked but if not… Easy enough to avoid without warnings if your head is up
As noted couldn’t ride further south on Basilone but I don’t remember many issues there from years past. Intended to but never made it to Vandegrift
Awesome recon. My wife was slated to do it this year but has canceled for hip surgery.
FYI to readers:
-Hazards were not marked last year, at least not at the speeds and aero position I was using. (I recall seeing no hazard warnings… but maybe they were and I just have my head down too much).
-There are thorns on the right side of the narrow uphill path next to the fence with plants coming through it. You’ll know what I mean if you don’t know now. Don’t ride Vittoria Corsa Speeds. Do hug left a little if possible without blocking folks coming up the hill.
-Many of the turns during the second half of the course (IIRC) have some rough pavement and manholes as mentioned, but the exits are all VERY wide. I think I pedaled through most of them and stayed in the bars. When I didn’t stay in aero, I wished I had, because the turn exits are so wide. 2 wide lanes + shoulder, or even 3+ lanes.
I am pretty sure I know the ST answer, but I will ask my question anyway. Is a disc the way to go on this course? I only ask because Race directors email mentions a “windy” road. Any reason not to use 88mm front wheel and just use my smaller 50mm front?
What is the grade of San Mateo Hill? (that’s the first one, correct?) I rode the course on Rouvy yesterday, and they had the grade at 18% for what I estimate was about half a mile. Is that accurate? That seems less like a hill and more like a wall.
I agree. Rouvy makes the hill see much worse than it really, so if you can complete Rouvy then you should be fine, but don’t get me wrong, it’s still a steep hill that I’ve witnessed people walking their bikes up. I think it’s short enough to be manageable.
It would be nice to know the mileage numbers for the major climbs, condition of pavement, and an idea of the weather for this upcoming Saturday. I’m not sure if the predicted 63° is going to be really cold and I need to bundle up or if the sun really is going to come out and make it feel warmer than 63°.
The major climbs are somewhere about miles 28- 30 shortest and steepest, mile 35 ish a little longer and less steep. Major climbs done by mile 42 ish. Longer and less steep still and with a little false summit. None are really “climbs†by west coast standards. All 5 - 8 minutes.
ETA - the speed trap is between climbs two and three
There are a few ramps on the front side leading up to the climbs. By no means otherwise flat and easy to burn out the frontside if not careful
Oh yeah start the bike in small chainring. There’s a steep ramp a couple hundred yards out from the bike start
Road conditions on Pendleton are shit in a good year with all the tanks and heavy equipment. If the asphalt around here is any indication from the rain it’s just gonna be shittier. Secure all bottles.
From current forecast weather will be cold coming off the bike but there are a couple early efforts that will warm you up and the sun will be great. Should be a slight headwind north and tailwind south and the wind tunnel should be in full effect (miles 48ish to 52 ish)
Biggest potential issue is rain Wednesday and Thursday, they recommend stay out of the ocean for 72 hours after a rain due to bacteria counts. If the forecast holds this is 48 hours at best. Someone will make that call tho
Thank you so much. I’m coming from Colorado, so I assumed the talk of the hills being unbearable were somewhat over exaggerated.
Still not sure about temperature, I feel like I might want a long sleeve jersey over my kit to feel comfortable. I’m thinking gloves as well.
I really hope they don’t cancel the swim. I feel like the bacteria theory was accurate when California got very little rain. At this point I feel like everything has been washed away. I swam in Santa Monica a few weeks back and it had rained numerous times leading up to it and the water seemed perfectly normal.
Coming from Colorado? Yeah the first hill you’ll notice, the second two you’ll be like…. That was it?
Another heads up, at least for me. Big downhill after climb 1 (not the speed trap). Left turn at the bottom. From there for about 5 or so miles to the next climb is a mind fxck false flat that you will feel like you should be going faster but you just aren’t.
And if you don’t race with mph (I don’t typically) have a screen set up so you can make sure you are below 25 for The speed trap. Not the whole time but on average. Always surprising to me how much I have to brake to be in compliance there
Swim will be called by officials. Nothing we can do about it. And the storm drains come from far away so there’s always crap being washed in after any rain. Fingers crossed.
I’m coming from the UK to race (as part of a California road trip with the family) and am half extremely excited, half petrified and wishing I was just spectating!
Weather here in the UK has been 40s/low 50s and raining for weeks now so I’m not worried about the temperature. My main worries are the swim (haven’t swum open water since last year and never experienced a surf entry) and that I will be riding a hired bike that I won’t see or sit on until the day before. I am used to crappy roads in the UK but I’m not excited at the prospect of having to change a tyre on an unfamiliar bike, especially as my own bikes are all tubeless so I don’t have to do this a lot anyway.
Overall, looking forward to what will hopefully be a cool experience though!
I’m coming from the UK to race (as part of a California road trip with the family) and am half extremely excited, half petrified and wishing I was just spectating!
Weather here in the UK has been 40s/low 50s and raining for weeks now so I’m not worried about the temperature. My main worries are the swim (haven’t swum open water since last year and never experienced a surf entry) and that I will be riding a hired bike that I won’t see or sit on until the day before. I am used to crappy roads in the UK but I’m not excited at the prospect of having to change a tyre on an unfamiliar bike, especially as my own bikes are all tubeless so I don’t have to do this a lot anyway.
Overall, looking forward to what will hopefully be a cool experience though!
If the water quality holds get in Thurs or Fri to experience the surf entry if you’re concerned. I’ve never seen it too wild the 3 years they have had the new swim course. Its a fairly gradual pure sand bottom. You get mid thigh deep you and dolphin dive under the surf, grip the sand bottom till it passes over you and start swimming. No matter the size of the surf if you dive below its relatively calm. At most 2-3 bobs under the surf and you’ll be past the breakers. Just don’t meander in the surf line, always move forward!
This just posted in one of my groups. I am not quite sure what the first reference is to… It might be just after the Las Pulgas out and back, you exit the base and go down the hill then a very sharp radius right turn, just before the first aid station. Or… it could be about 2 miles up, we ride on an abandoned airstrip (can’t miss it, all concrete), then veer left and go under the 5. Always muddy there. Either way, use caution. I assume it’s the latter by the tunnel reference.
The Christianitos section is the northern west to east section of the course.
One more tip. about 5 miles into the course it veers off Vandegrift and goes behind the PX. I guess so they can keep the starbucks open. It goes in a service alley that always has tons of potholes
For the PX part is there a way to snake through without hitting too many potholes or is it just kind of an inevitable thing and one should proceed slowly?
For the PX part is there a way to snake through without hitting too many potholes or is it just kind of an inevitable thing and one should proceed slowly?
No, you can avoid them. Just heads up riding considering others will be doing the same. don’t have to be super slow, just don’t bomb it
