There WERE plans to ride on Sunday that fell through on Saturday afternoon. What to do? Marcello's West County 100km permanent populaire seemed attractive. I could ride to/from the start, do the ride, and be home before dinner. Long before dinner, since I'm the one that cooks it.
Email exchange with Marcello, and all was arranged.
The plan was to depart my house about 9:15, start at 10, and be home around, mmm, 4. As I was doing the taxes last night (sigh), no ride preparation took place, other than the bike was very clean because I was installing longer mudflaps. But this is a 100k, with stores very reasonably spaced; no worries. The weather was also to be decent - the important part - no rain.
Departed around 9:45. Oops. So, while the official start was 10am; I started 18 minutes after that. Ah well. Nice ride. Lots of daffodils and flowering plum to admire, a field of alpaca, cows, goats, creeks, rivers, nursery fields... There was no place on this route that I hadn't ridden before.
The wind was mostly SSW, so the stretch from Hwy 6/Gales Creek Rd to Gaston had some elements of a slog to it. My face was so red in Gaston that I thought it was a sunburn, but apparently not; just wind.
The only parts which feel remote are the stretch from Cedar Canyon Rd to Gales Creek Rd on Hwy 6 (shoulder is now nice and clean), and most of Gales Creek Rd.
Started with a jacket, but took it off at the beginning of the route. Other than a hint of drizzle on Gales Creek, perfectly fine weather, mostly in the mid-50's.
Sweetpea was wonderful, as always. I really should set up the final fit, though.
My official 100km time was 5:12. Unofficially, 4:57.
Totals 77.23 miles, 14.44 avg mph. Not too shabby.
So, what did I think about, all by myself for the 6:24 I was out there? Not very much. Or, not much that I remember :-)
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