Saturday A Ride 5/10 - Santa Cruz

Hello friends, can you remember the last time we rode to Santa Cruz? Because I can’t. How can we sleep each night, shamelessly, after having done such a great disservice to ourselves by neglecting to visit such a charming place for so long, especially when it’s this close by? Too many times we have descended into Boulder Creek and Felton, looked at the sign that says “Santa Cruz - 9 miles ahead”, thought to ourselves “wow, we’re so close to Santa Cruz, I wish I could just go, maybe next time…”, and then did absolutely nothing to make it happen. And I’m totally projecting because by we I mean myself, as this exact thought has crossed my mind every single time I’ve ridden to Big Basin; and each time I find myself there again, wistfully thinking the same thing, I am even more guilt-ridden and unable to come to terms with why I still have not done a bike ride to Santa Cruz. I cope, doing mental gymnastics like “ah but I’ve done big rides to Jamison Creek and Alba down there already, it’s basically the same thing” or “it’s not a big deal, I can just drive there like a normal person” but deep down I know it is all absolute gibberish. Oh, how I have wronged myself and those around me. I refuse to live my life with regrets like this!! This is the week where at long last I am doing it!!! In this world where our lives are so fragile, where our health and ability to enjoy cycling can be so fleeting, it is far too egregious an offense to accept mediocrity when we have a clear path (literally) toward greatness.

Because this is quite a long ride, we will maintain a TRUE ENDURANCE PACE and keep it together all day, climbing at 3 w/kg at most, and we will keep it ESPECIALLY chill for the first half of the ride. I know it’s hard for some of you to imagine not setting a PR on the first climb at the beginning of a 7 hour long ride (imagine PRing OLH at the beginning of a long ride lmao) but we must pace ourselves responsibly, lest we bonk catastrophically on the way home - an ill fate so many of us have suffered. Earlier this year we started a Jamison Creek route with like a sub 40 minute Page Mill and several of us experienced this generational bonk in the second half of the ride. Like holy shit dude, I was on the verge of vomiting and tears before I even made it back up to Skyline. That said, I will likely bonk anyway, but am earnestly determined to make this ride happen.

We will start with OLH and 84 down to Haskins, and do a quick water and snack stop in Pescadero before getting some good pacelining practice down Hwy 1 all the way to Santa Cruz. Time permitting we will get lunch somewhere there and then make our way up to Mountain Charlie to Old Santa Cruz Hwy down to Lexington Reservoir. Once we get past the Los Gatos gravel trail, we can go home knowing we’ve done something incredible. Hope you will join us for an epic day out!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3339779954257998214

Summary: 112 miles / 7,800 feet

Start: Summit Bikes Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Richard Red