Santa Cruz 600k brevet report
Bill Bryant
2022 SCR Surf City 600k Brevet Report
This past weekend was the Santa Cruz Randonneurs’ Surf City 600 km brevet. We had a good turnout with 37 starters. A mix of new and veteran randonneurs gathered at the lighthouse for a 6 AM start. There was a palpable air of tension as they waited for the start; a tough ride lay in store for all of them. (There were also three other starters doing a 200 km brevet too. The El Granada route, the same as the first 200 km of the 600 km brevet, is the hilliest SCR 200 km brevet.)
The route went north to Moss Beach along the coast, then returned south with an excursion into the majestic redwood forests around La Honda and a trip over Haskins Hill before regaining the coast highway. With the return to Santa Cruz and Aptos and one-third of the distance and all of the major climbs completed, riders then traversed the southern side of the Monterey Bay around Moss Landing and Marina. From there they began a long trek along the western side of the Salinas Valley to faraway San Ardo, and 400 kms done. Once they made the turn, they had a 200 km ride back to Santa Cruz. The weekend weather was cool and breezy with a strong northwest wind that pushed riders southward from Moss Beach to San Ardo, but the Salinas Zephyr thoroughly beat them up as they tried to cover the final 200 km. All told, there was about 14,600 feet of climbing, according to RWGPS.
During Saturday most of the riders found others of similar speed and gathered into small groups for the night riding, a good strategy. Hour after hour they cycled with the wind at their backs until the hairpin in San Ardo. Tireless SCR volunteer Jack Holmgren was there to greet them from 1 AM until 8 AM, brewing up hot beverages and soup as they girded their loins to begin the hard ride north. All the riders were unanimous in their praise of Jack’s efforts and good cheer to help them complete the long ride.
And a tough ride it was. No 600 km brevet is easy but the headwinds on Sunday made this edition of the Surf City especially difficult. Everyone who finished deserves high praise for their determination and grit. And so too do the riders who attempted the ride but did not finish. They can be proud of how far they went despite some very difficult circumstances. They should remember that “a person is only as great as the challenges they choose to accept” and by this measure they are winners too. In the end, we had 25 finishers and 12 DNFs by closing time at 10 PM on Sunday evening (and all three 200 km riders completed their brevet successfully on Saturday afternoon.) Perhaps cutting things a little close, the last two 600 km riders arrived with 13 minutes to spare.
Despite a lack of sleep and a lot of pedaling, spirits were high at the final control in Santa Cruz. For quite a few riders it was their first-ever 600 km and their finisher’s medal will be treasured for a lifetime. The veterans were similarly happy and proud too. This brevet also meant very good placement in next year’s Paris-Brest-Paris pre-registration line and starting wave choice. All in all, everyone felt it was a good outcome and worth all the effort they left out on the road. Chapeau!
Bill Bryant
Santa Cruz Randonneurs