Ride Summary:

Terrain: Long climbs!, Steep climbs! Long decent!
Distance: 63 and 91 mile options
Speed: irrelevant, you are either climbing or descending, not much flat on this ride.
Rider Level: Solid Intermediate riders and up.
Sweep: We have secured SAG support for this ride. It will not be swept by a rider but SAG will never be far away.

Please read all the details of this event before you RSVP!

Please arrive early to get ready. We are going to be on the road as close to 7am as possible!!

The routes
Unless your ears perk up when people mention punishing hill climbing, you should avoid this ride. Please keep in mind that this is a ride not a race. Go at your own pace so you can make sure you finish. You should also be able to take care of your own repairs.

Both routes start at Raleys In Auburn. We will climb our way to Colfax and Iowa Hill Road via country roads. Once on Iowa Hill Rd. we will rapidly descend down to the American River, only to climb our way back out. At mile marker 18 we will encounter the toughest part of the climbing. This section is ~2 miles long and the grade averages 13.5%! You have been warned. You climb 1100 feet in less than 2 miles.

Once the rough stuff is over we will continue climbing on Iowa Hill Rd, only it is more gradual, all the way back to Foresthill Road. Once on Foresthill Road it is a straight shot back to the booming metropolis of Foresthill and Wortons market. The 63 mile option will continue up Foresthill Road and return to Raleys. You are looking at over 6000 feet of climbing and almost all of it is in the first 38 miles to complete this route.

Map of the Iowa Hill loop

The 91 mile option will make a ~30 mile trek down Mosquito Ridge Road and climb the "Corkscrew Wall". This is an out and back route so you can turn around at any time. Just keep in mind that the first portion of this leg is a decent so you will need to climb back up to Foresthill. Once back at Wortons the 91 milers will head back to Raleys on Foresthill Road. You are looking at an additional ~3500-4000 feet of climbing to complete this leg. 10k feet for the day.

Here is a map of the Mosquito Ridge/Corkscrew Wall leg. This is just to give you an idea of where we are going, "The Wall" is not listed on the map.

Cue sheets will be available next week. I will also bring several copies to the ride.

SAG Support
Lourdes has GRACIOUSLY VOLUNTEERED to drive a SAG wagon for this ride! She plans to follow us along the route for the entire day, please be sure to thank her for volunteering her time!

We have procured a minivan to ensure we have plenty of room. Our SAG wagon will carry all our goods so we can ride light. It will also carry:

• Light fuel (fruit, chips, pretzels, etc) and lots of ice cold water
  
• First Aid kit
  
• Tool kit to do minor repairs and good floor pump.
  
• chairs and some shade for our rest stops.
  

FYI - It will not be feasible to return you to your car if you drop out, you will be riding with the SAG wagon until you are able to ride again or after everyone has finished. In an effort to keep the group on track if you fall too far behind the group you may be SAG'd to catch up the the rest of the group.

I am collecting $10 from everyone to make sure there is no out of pocket expense for our SAG driver. We need $$ for gas, food, minivan, and her time. You can pay via Paypal using the link at the top of the page or you can bring your $10 and pay before we leave. Please do not forget your money!!! If you have any issues with this please contact me directly.

If you would like to comment on SAG support please post a note on the message board here.

What do I need to bring
While we do have a minivan there are several people signed up so space will be limited. You are responsible for your own food! You can have 1 grocery bag of food/bike items that should be clearly marked with your name. There will be a large cooler if you have items you need to keep cold but again space will be limited. Suggested items would be:

• 2-4 tubes w/ patch kits
  
• sunscreen
  
• bug repellent
  
• chapstick (wind burnt lips are the worst!)
  
• camera
  
• whatever food/drinks you think you will need. Cold water will be provided.
  
• Helmet - this one is not suggested, its mandatory!
  

Final thoughts
Please email me your cell number. I will be compiling a list for everyone to carry should you need to get in touch with someone. We will also have several radios as cell service is sketchy in some areas.

If you would like to comment on the ride itself or see actual GPS data please post a note on the message board here.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Ride safe and good luck!!