Wine Country Century Reviews (2)

I have ridden this ride three times . . . it exemplifies the best of organized rides. The support is top notch. The made-to-order sandwiches are deliciously satisfying and the course is appropriately challenging! If you have sufficient miles logged to date, go for the double metric! It takes you over Coleman Valley, one of the most scenic routes (overlooking the Pacific Ocean!)

Sonoma County is the tops for road riding in California. Heck, even Levi Leipheimer makes his home here!

Things went surprisingly well considering

1) this was my first century
2) I fell off my training wagon early on (if one could even say I ever got *on* the wagon)
3) I hadn't ridden much in the weeks leading up to the event
4) the nice saddle I ordered for this event still hasn't arrived, so I had to ride on a very cheap and painful $20 seat
5) I forgot to pack my shoes

Thanks to #5, I ended up riding in flip-flops and purple duct tape, which worked out far better than could have been expected (and garnered a lot of attention).

Post-ride, the only soreness I had was either seat-related or between my shoulders, and today I've been totally fine (yay!). Definitely a good first-century experience, all things considered. The total elevation climb is mild (1800') with only 3 memorably difficult hills and the roads were in good conditions with surprisingly little car traffic.

The rest stops were amazing. Well-spaced-out (25/25/20/15)-- the first had breakfast, the third had lunch, all four had a vast array of snacks (from fruit and nuts to chips and candy) and Gatorade (and water, of course)-- with free maintenance booths, sunscreen and drop-off bags, and plenty of chemical toilets.

Everyone, riders and staff, was friendly and helpful and this event could not have been more positive for me. (Though-- I do wish there had been compost/recycle bins.)