2014 SLO Roubaix pre-ride

Just three of us showed up Saturday morning, Andy, Mike and me. If this is any indicator of interest it looks like next Sunday may be a light turnout. The fact that this outlaw race conflicts with Sea Otter this year won't help. This is a whole lot less expensive than Sea Otter, and loads of fun on top of it argues for staying home and riding local. The course changes on this each year. This year we rolled out Hwy. 1 to San Luisito which we will have as the first "race' section. If I'm clever I can finish this with the front group. Then on towards MB for a little fun in the singletrack. This section beat the hell out of me this year as it did last. Truely, I suck when it comes to riding the narrow and twisty. The drop bar bike and skinny cross tires don't help matters at all. I ran 50 psi on this pre-ride, but I'm taking it down on event day. Next comes the first KOM as we grunt up to Turri Rd. peak. No chance for me here. Then back towards town on LOVR with a sprint for the city limits sign. Last year I got 4th here. Not quite sure how I managed that without a sprint - just wound it up and held my pace when others backed off as they fell out of contention for the outright win. The House of Bread for the mid ride break. Then through town and up the grade on Stagecoach. This is the major KOM of the ride. I'll take it at tempo. The combination of 64 year old legs and a boat anchor of a bike will limit things here. Then down Cuesta Springs and under the freeway to the RR tracks and onto the freeway briefly. A sprint at the Santa Margarita city limits, and then a tour of the alleyways. Back onto the freeway - we did Tassahara Rd, but may not on race day. Last KOM on offer will be up Cuesta Springs. Then a bone jarring descent of Stagecoach. I managed to land crossed up on a big bunnyhop on Saturday and all hell broke loose underneath me as the bike fishtailed all over the road. Just barely got it under control and ended up in the ditch while still upright. Then through town for the final race section - up the obscenely steep road to Terrace Hill - twice around the track and back down. What a ball buster! My lower back was killing me after this pre-ride and it was done mostly at tempo without really contesting any of the sections. Two days later and I'm still a bit ragged and weary. Sunday should be epic.