SLO 400k pre ride note

[Michael B]

As I've just done the pre-ride with Vickie for this upcoming weekend's SLO 400k, I thought I'd share a thought:

From Cambria north to Ragged Point, all three of us had to step on the gas to make the control, as CalTrans has really messed up the paving on that section of hwy 1. The surface is HORRIBLE. Anyone doing this ride next weekend should bring 28mm tires. And aerobars, as the wind is a consistent 20mph out of the north. The rest of the ride was great. :-)  Thanks to Vickie and Kevin Main for a great ride. :-)

Michael Bratkowski

[SloVic]

Got to hand it to Caltrans, they definitely messed up. They  chip sealed 28 miles of Hwy 1 beginning just north of Cambria up into the Big Sur  region.  There are some nice recent new pavement sections here and there, but the chip seal is rough. They changed to a new specification for the size of chip-seal gravel for this and apparently other recent jobs on state highways.  They used 1/2" chip seal rock, and the county, the coastal businesses, the coastal communities and all of the local bike groups are all over them.  They said that extra heavy rolling would help, they gave up on that, said it wasn't detectably different.  They are correct.  Some riders have said it is "Texas chip-seal."  There has been continued county and Chamber of Commerce pressure on Caltrans, but fixes are a long way off.  The highway has been very well swept and cleaned, there is not an issue of loose rock.  When the job was first completed back in November/December, rocks were dinging car windshields severely. However,  I have ridden to Ragged Point twice in the last couple months, I experienced no loose rock.

As Michael B said, I highly recommend using wider tires if you have them. I rode 23's, no fun.  Going north from Cambria to Ragged Point is trying, you will be fighting the standard afternoon headwind, expect 20mph +, group up and "enjoy" it.  The road seems much nicer going back south at twice the speed (or more) with the tailwind.

Rest of ride was great, lots of rolling hills and wine country, looking very pretty. I got three flats in the first 31 miles, after riding about 1500 miles this year without a flat.  Two were glass, just before Santa Margarita.  The third was a defective tube.  We stopped at Bike Barn in Paso Robles to stock up and get Mike B's squeaky wheel fixed, they were terrific, and less than a mile off route. No further mechanical troubles.  South loop through Santa Maria was uneventful.

Check in for the ride will be on Saturday morning at Motel 6 North between 5 and 6am.  No evening check-in. Ride begins at 6am.  Hot dinner will be provided at the Motel 6 (180 miles) before the southern loop starts, likely lasagna, mac n cheese, chili.   Chicken soup and other comfort food at the end at M6, also.  Please register on-line and bring your waiver + check if you haven't sent it yet.  I will provide Ron Smith with an updated cue sheet tonight, some old typos remained.  I have one map issue to verify.  Will post notice here when the new sheet is available.

Enjoy the ride -

Vickie