This weekend is the Davis Bike Club 400k Brevet. This is the third of four rides necessary to qualify to ride in the Gold Rush Randonnee. 400k is right around 250 miles. Plus, we just sold our Passat (thank god), so I’ll be riding to the start and home again after the finish. It’s only about 5 miles each way, so I can’t complain I guess. It’s just that I have to get there before the 6am start, and I’ll probably be riding home when all the drunk UCD students are headed home after a Saturday night of partying.
Anyway, this should be a great ride. I’ve ridden about 95% of the course before, so that’s comforting. The first part is the same as the 200k and 300k route: head south out of Davis, then west to Winters. From there we head south to Vacaville, west to Fairfield, and north again up Wooden Valley Road to Moskowite Corners. This is the same route a group of us took last Tuesday on our 100-mile refresher course (refresher for those who haven’t been riding hills, that is).
At Moskowite, the course rejoins the 20ok and 300k routes up into Chiles Valley, drops into Napa Valley by Lake Hennessey, and heads up to Calistoga along the Silverado Trail. From there, over the grade to Priest Valley and along Maacama Creek into Alexander Valley. Quick stop at Jimtown for espresso, then across Highway 101 into Sonoma wine country. (BTW, all of this should sound familiar if you read about the 2009 Fleche Route we rode two weeks ago.) We turn around at Lake Sonoma (which is the new part), then, more or less, back the same way. You can see the outbound route here, and the inbound route here.
We have 27 hours to complete this ride. I hope to do it, and enjoy it, in 18 to 20 hours. I could push it and try to make it in 16 maybe. But why? Seems to me that over 200 miles, if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, and you’re not racing, maybe you’re in the wrong sport.