Team FMT attempts the Long Valley Fleche 225.7 M
This was an amazing Saturday to spring down NorCal. Four Fresh Fleche Mates met at Pour Girls Coffee in L-Ville to launch the inaugural Long Valley Fleche, a tour from Northern Mendocino to Crepes on Cole Cafe in San Francisco.
Pour Girls: Mary, Ryan and Karen
Branscomb Road: Karen leads
Westport: Guest Residence
A Paul Bunyan spacer fix for Ryan's warped road wheel, on Brian's DEAN Disc Braked bike!
The first order of business: Ryan buys some happy shaggy leggings in the spirit of Easter Saturday, then we sailed along Branscomb Road, Karen leading us up and over the overlook above Westport and Fort Bragg. From Westport to Fort Bragg's MacKerricher State Park, Brian comments on the drama of the "Little Sur" section. South of Cleone, Ryan flags down Brian, his rear wheel unable to spin freely due to a popped non-drive side spoke on his Ultegra tubeless hoop. We figure it out, Paul Bunyan-style, and have us cautiously rolling again: redwood sticks hold as spacers for our switched wheels, and we make it through Old Haul Road and the scenic coast of the state park. Once in town, Mark investigates our problem, and within two hours, Ryan is rolling with a new rear wheel. Karen is reaching 128 by now, far ahead.
The rest of our tour had more than its fair share of surges and stalls, but we had perfect conditions day and night. Extra stops were too many to count, yet we got a great glimpse of rural Mendocino's terrific coastal views, 128's Anderson Valley, Andrea's team of tough and swift climbers (like gunning it at the county line near Mountain House, jumping past us at Cloverdale Starbucks, and recovery-dining at Petaluma Denny's, a popular control, along with Carlos' Adventure Team). Plus Big Thanks to Karen for hosting us at the Santa Rosa "Pen". Guilty as Charged!
Ryan and Brian scurried ahead after crossing the Golden Gate, on course, despite time lost from our bank (our 22 hour control at Sausalito 7-11 was 20 minutes late, per Brian's purchase). This was one fault created by a prolonged Santa Rosa nap (we left after 0200 instead of 0100 in the first hours of Sunday), and a flat on Mary's bike along Stony Point, along with other time setbacks from fragmented climbs and indecisive, extra stops. The two boys finished, however, just 30 minutes past a qualifying finish time of 0900 Sunday, both glad to have tackled the kicker last hook: Land's End, Ocean Beach, and Twin Peaks,(the last two had info controls inserted by Roland) to skid in the rain to a well-deserved breakfast at Crepes on Cole. Amazing.Several teams had already dined and gone, after completing more grueling and longer routes! A strong, audacious club! Rob, finished at 0730, and stayed to support the rest of us and tally up and pay for our breakfast tab (Brian was the last to order). Grazie Mille to everyone, especially Rob, Roland, Bruce, and the many volunteers of SFR.24.5 hours, 225.7 miles, one new wheel, several extra stops, a nap session, and one flat. 2 out of 5 Fleche Mates keep spinning to cover the whole course. Not Bad for a pair of freshman Fleche friends!
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