Monday, April 21, 2014

Prepping for 2015!

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Yes, we do hope to make this an annual event! Went out scouting the trails this beautiful weekend, and came up with some gems!

There are two main goals for designing next year's course: Reduce the amount of low/no-shoulder road being shared with fast cars and dial back the technical singletrack descents. Those were the two critiques we heard from multiple people, and we listen because we care! But don't fear, we'll still have a bit of climbing involved!!!

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Who comes to Redlands to ride a bike?

The Redlands Strada Rossa drew participants from all over Southern California (and Virginia!). Redlands as a destination for bike riding is a pretty cool idea. We would love for Redlands to be on people's minds when they're thinking "What should I do this weekend?"

On that note, here is a map showing the towns that riders came from. This is only for those that showed up, so we're not trying to inflate it to show anything that's not there. Only one tag per town, so somewhere like Carlsbad that had four riders only gets one point. A very cool map, the benefit of living in a GIS town! Thanks John, for putting this together!



And here is last year's map to compare/contrast:

Monday, March 17, 2014

And that's a wrap!

Wow.

Really, wow.

This event is now in the history books. A total success as far as my unbiased opinion goes!

The volunteer crew was fantastic. The ride was billed as unsupported, and we wanted to make people were self-contained. That said, providing some water and moral support at key junctures made sense. Hopefully it helped keep riders safe and happy out there.

The plans for the future definitely include a 2015 iteration of this ride. So plan on a mid-March rendezvous in Redlands! It’ll probably be about the same size to keep it manageable and make sure the kinks are worked out.

Thanks again to everyone that came in to help. We even had riders that asked if they could do anything. Amazing outpouring of good will from everyone’s part.

Our goals of 1) Promoting the Inland Empire as a bicycling option, 2) Highlighting the city of Redlands and it’s trail networks as a destination, 3) Fostering a bit of cross-pollination of the bicycle cultures, and 4) Having a kick-ass day were all met!

Only criticisms we heard were a stretch of San Timoteo between Live Oak Canyon and Alessandro was too busy with fast auto traffic and that trails could have been marked better.

And here's some really cool data on where the participants came from. Of the 133 riders we had sign in Saturday, we know the city that 104 came from:

CityStart
altadena
altadena
Apple Valley
Banning
Beaumont
Brea
Carlsbad
carlsbad
Carlsbad
Carlsbad
Carlsbad
Carlsbd
claremont
colton
Crestline
Crestline
crestline
dana point
El Cajon
Encinitas
fontana
Fontana
Forest Falls
Fullerton
Hemet
Hemet
hesperia
Highland
Highland
Highland
highland
Huntington beach
Irvine
La Canada
La Mesa
laguna beach
laguna Beach
Loma Linda
Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Mentone
Mentone
Mentone
mentone
Mentone
MIDLOTHIANVA
Montclair
Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley
Murrieta
Oceanside
ontario
Orange
Pasadena
Pomona
Rancho Cucamonga
redlands
Redlands
Redlands
redlands
Redlands
Redlands
Redlands
redlands
Redlands
Redlands
Redlands
Redlands
Redlands
Redlands
RIALTO
Rialto
Riverside
Riverside
Riverside
Riverside
Riverside
RIVERSIDE
Riverside
San Bernardino
San Bernardino
San Diego
san luis obispo
Santa Ana
Santa Ana
Sunland
Tustin
Vista
Vista
Vista
Vista
walnut
West Hills
Winchester
Yucaipa
Yucaipa
Yucaipa
yucaipa
Yucaipa
Yucaipa
Yucaipa

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Last Minute Prep

Two late-breaking items of interest: Don's Bicycles of Redlands is offering 20% off all accessories for Strada Rossa riders on Friday the 14th! If you need last-minute tires, tubes, chain, cassette or a new wheelset, get to it!

Also, Redlands Bike BBQ will be open tomorrow night at 6:00 to put Stan's latex sealant in your tubes. You don't need special tubes or tools, they'll show you how to do it! Donations accepted!

Bail Out Points

While this is a recreational/fun ride, it is still going to be pretty damn tough.  Plus it's unfortunately going to be hot... at least 85F. Be sure to have plenty of self-contained water and know the water options on the route (Hulda Crooks Park tennis courts, Wildowood City Park, Crafton Hills College gym).

If at some point on the ride you need to get back to Redlands, please be familiar with the route back. The recommended bail out spots are San Timoteo Canyon Rd at the 31 mile mark. Followed by Calimesa Blvd at the 41 mile mark. The final logical way back would be Oak Glen Rd at the 50 mile mark.

San Timotoe Canyon Rd. route: Left on San Tim, Right on Alessandro, over hill into Redlands.
Map point: http://tinyurl.com/l3vvumz

Calimesa Blvd route: Continue straight on Calimesa Blvd (will be busy, high/fast traffic), cross Oak Glen Rd (light), continue on 14th St. Cross Yucaipa Blvd (light), continues on as Sand Canyon Rd. Follow into Redlands.
Map point: http://tinyurl.com/krmp5dc

Oak Glen Rd. route: Continue straight on Oak Glen (may be busy, moderate to high/fast traffic), follow down hill, Right on Chapman Heights Rd (light), Right on San Canyon Rd. Follow into Redlands.
Map point: http://tinyurl.com/lgdrlrv

Please know that everyone is invited to the after-ride party!!! No requirement to have finished or even to have begun the ride!!!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Final Map Unveil!

Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for!

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4102226

This is the final map, based on everything we know. It was pre-rode in it's entirety yesterday, and looks great! Couple sections of Orange Blossom Trail that are being bypassed due to storm damage. Jackrabbit trail in the Loma Linda hills is a little less than primo due to storm then motorcycle damage. Other than that, it's gonna' be a great route!

Pretty high on the epic-meter. It's doable in seven to eight hours at a moderate pace. It's being re-rode today at a fast pace to see what a good time for that is.

There is a water fountain at Hulda Crooks Park tennis courts at mile 16. They also have toilets up the hill behind that in the kid's park. Next water & toilets are at mile 46, Wildwood Canyon City Park. Final water is at Crafton Hills College gym, mile 59. No toilets. Plan accordingly! Remember, self-contained!!! There is also retail food and beverage available at mile 47 in Calimesa. Chevron & AM/PM, Taco Bell, Burger King. Those are the only retail services on the route.

Ride rolls at 8:00 for those planning needing more time. Faster riders should plan for a 9:00 roll out. Assembling in alley by Augie's coffe. They toast all their own beans on site, and have great coffee!

Ride ends where the party begins! Private party near downtown, you can see on the map. Will have food, local beer from Ritual, and local soft drinks from Empire.
Will be selling tickets for food and drink. It's very reasonably priced, and not included in your ride fee.


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Goatheads!

Only you can prevent goatheads! by cyclotourist
Goathead thorns have the potential to make this a miserable ride for you. There are a LOT out here. Out of towners have had to abandon when they weren't prepared for this and it killed their ride. Locals do better as I think we know how to watch out for them. Goatheads are not a native species so luckily they only grow where there is a water source. You won't find them on the trails. But you will find them in the suburban transition zones as well as the agriculture areas where there is water run-off. And guess what, we're riding through a lot of suburban transition and ag areas!

To avoid them the best thing you can do is to not ride in the gutters or on the dirt shoulders of roads. That 100% where you'll find them. Carry at least TWO extra tubes in addition to a patch kit.

I would also HIGHLY recommend using some sort of sealant. Either latex based or the glycol basd. Whatever, you will appreciate it. You don't need to run tubeless, just fill some of your tubes with the product. Here is a great set up to consider: http://oceanaircycles.com/2014/02/22/38mm-and-tubeless/ (Rob's going to be coming down for this ride!!!)

Sunday, February 23, 2014

What To Do In Redlands

You are encouraged to come a day early or stay a day after the RSR. Further, if you bring a non-riding significant other, they should be able to have a nice time hanging out around town. If they ride, but don't want to put that many miles on, there are very nice recreational rides in town through historic neighborhoods. In fact if you/they like looking at Victorian, bungalow, or Arts and Crafts era homes, you'll love it here.

Places to visit, things to do:
  • Visit the A.K. Smiley Library
  • Visit the Redlands Bowl
  • Stroll through historic downtown
  • Eat lunch at The Farm restuarant
  • Grab a snack at Gourmet Pizza
  • Meander about on a historic home tour
  • Walk through BEAUTIFUL Prospect Park
  • Take an amazing bike ride along the Sunset Road route
  •  Check out Hangar 24 brewery (taster flights rock!)
  • Check out Ritual Brewing (who is helping us out with the post-ride libations!)
Finally, have them ride the route with you! As mentioned, there are plenty of bail out options, with all roads leading back to Rome the start.

Here's a good preview that will help sway you: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/lifestyle/20140222/redlands-gaining-reputation-as-food-beverage-destination

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Overnighting It

As the ride starts relatively early (8:00 or 9:00) and we're going to be having a pretty good post-ride get together (more on that to follow), you may want to get a room either before or after the ride.

The RSR does not have any affiliation or partnership with any of the hotels in town, but two we can recommend are the business friendly Ayers hotel http://www.ayreshotels.com/inland-empire/hotel-redlands.aspx and the wallet friendly Good Nite Inn www.goodnite.com/redlands

Both are close to get to the ride http://goo.gl/maps/dk805 and http://goo.gl/maps/DoDWC with the Ayers being slightly closer.

Monday, February 3, 2014

While You're Considering A Ride In Redlands...


Now that we're all full-up, you're undoubtedly inspired to do even more riding in the area. Please take a few moments to consider the Redlands Emerald Necklace Ride!

It's going to be a really pleasant 45 mile road ride showcasing some of the great roads and open spaces of Redlands. LOTS of food stops along the way, so you'll really enjoy the pace of this one! Put on by the Redlands Conservancy in tandem with the IEBA, the same good people helping out with the Redlands Strada Rossa!


And they're so legit, they even have a map you can see: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3340614

Sign up here: http://www.iebikingalliance.org/content.aspx?page_id=87&club_id=961736&item_id=323340

It would be a great way to explore the area prior to the main event on the 15th!



Friday, January 31, 2014

That's it, we're full!


Just had the 150th person sign up to ride today!!! Great response for something that started off thinking it would be cool to get 10-20 people to link the local dirt in the area!

There is now a wait list that's been opened up: http://www.iebikingalliance.org/content.aspx?page_id=87&club_id=961736&item_id=325924 I'm sure that there will be some cancellations over the next six weeks and we'll let the wait-listers knows, so please sign up on that list if you're hoping to get in on the action!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Due to Popular Demand...


What an unprecedented response! We just hit our best-case scenario of 100 people signing up with seven weeks to go! Soooo, the new and improved plan is to bump the registration number up to 150 and work with TWO start times.

8:00 Start: You think it will take a bit longer to do the ride. Maybe walk a little bit of the singletrack. Take a bit longer for a water break at Wildwood Park. You want to finish by 3:00.

9:00 Start: 60+ miles of riding over mixed surfaces. I can do that in my big ring! Heck, I'll finish by 2:00 and pick up three KOMs in the process!

So please self-segregate into whichever group you think best fits. We're hoping everyone will be done by 3:00 and ready to enjoy the post-ride bliss! Announcement of post-ride festivities will be forthcoming!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Tires Revisited

Check this out: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201673676142620

Locals have been pre-riding many of the trails, and are giving thumbs up saying skinny tires are fine. I wouldn't want to disagree with them, but do suggest you ride the fattest tire you can fit.

That said, these are currently on sale, and I would recommend them to anyone that can fit that size but not larger: http://www.velomine.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_396_400&products_id=2806

If you can fit larger, Clement MSO 40mm would be the tire of choice, but those run 38-39mm.

Most Challenge tires fit pretty true to size, and are a bear to install. But that Almanzo would be a screamer for this ride!!!

Hat tip to Dr. Of The River for sending this my way! No affiliation with any of the companies linked to above, yadda-yadda, the bisque was great.

Friday, January 10, 2014

And We're Live!

Water Canyon Trail by cyclotourist

Redlands Strada Rossa registration is now open!!! Whooo-hoo!

Click on through to the other side: http://www.iebikingalliance.org/

There is no charge for this ride, but we would like you to register so we can plan for post-ride calorie consumption! Please take a few minutes to register for the event through the IEBA site. They're good people by the way, and are working hard to get more people on bikes in inland Southern California.