Low-Key Events! |
After an enormously successful 2009 Low-Key Hillclimbs season, Low-Key is back again with its semi-traditional dose of mileage excess: the Mega-Monster Enduro! Treat it as a long time trial, a short ultra-marathon event, practice for the bike leg of a triathlon, or just embrace it for what it is: the MegaMonster! Low-Key founder Kevin Winterfield () returns again from the barren, frozen wastelands of Connecticut to present to you the 2010 Mega-Monster Enduro!
Saturday, 13 Feb 2010, between 8 am (slower riders) to 9:30 am (fastest riders). Faster riders will want to start 9 am to 9:30 am to avoid getting to the checkpoints before they open. Slower riders should start close to 8 am to avoid getting to the checkpoints after they close. The start is "low-key": when you're ready, you go, and we record your start time.
We start at the Paicines General Store in Paicines. Parking is available along the side of the highway (not at the store). Restrooms are available in the General Store to customers only, so please spend at least a dollar or so if you want to use the facilities (post-ride burritos are available!)
We'll be at the Best Western San Benito Inn in Hollister from around 4 pm until 9:30 pm the night before (Feb 12) for registration, or we'll also be at-site, at the Paicines General Store in Paicines from 7 am until 9:30 am on the 13th. No pre-reg.
$10 entry fee, volunteers get 2 weeks free, under 18 years old are free, coordinators from the 2009 Low-Key Hillclimbs are free! Waivers available at registration, but if you can, you'll want to print and fill out the PDF release form before the event.
New! Best Western San Benito Inn in Hollister has kindly offered Low-Key a discount for the night of February 12th, the night before the Enduro. Ask for the Megamonster Bicycle Race room rate: reference Sanjay at the Best Western if there's any confusion about the discount. Check here for Google Maps.
We'll open registration at the hotel from around 4 pm until 9:30 pm the night before the big event!
100 miles: Paicines to CA198 and back on CA25. It just doesn't get any simpler than that! We also offer a shorter, 100 km option, for those not up to the full route. Those who reach the 50 km checkpoint after the 100 mile cut-off time can do the 100 km route. To avoid getting to checkpoints before they open, faster riders should wait until 9 am to start. Checkpoints will be at miles 32 (Bitterwater), 51 (CA198), and 70 (Bitterwater) for the 100 mile (actually 102 mile) route. The 100 km (actually 103 km) route will turn around at the 32 mile checkpoint (Bitterwater).
Maps, etc:
Survivors of the first MegaMonster, held in 1996 from Gilroy to Pinnacles and back. Sprawl has since pushed the route south to Paicines. Dick Robinson photo. |
For 100 mile riders, there will be checkpoints at miles 32, 50, and 70, at which you must give your number to the volunteer. These checkpoints are only open for a certain time period. If you leave early (close to 8am), and are exceptionally fast, you may arrive at a checkpoint too early, and have to wait for it to open. If you aren't so fast, and leave late, you may arrive at a checkpoint after it closes. Those arriving to the 32 mile checkpoint after it closes for the 100 mile course can turn around there and complete the 100 km course, hopefully before the 4pm finish deadline.
You should ride up to the volunteers, stop (or come to a near stop), and give the number. Riding by and shouting as you pass is not considered "checking in". It's rider responsibility to check in.
A summary of 100 mile checkpoint opening and closing times is as follows:
100 mile route
checkpoint | direction | miles | open | close |
---|---|---|---|---|
S/F | out | 0 | 8am | 9:30am |
Bitterwater | out | 32 | 10am | noon |
CA198 | turnaround | 51 | 11am | 1pm |
Bitterwater | in | 70 | noon | 2:10pm |
S/F | in | 102 | noon | 4pm |
checkpoint | direction | miles | open | close |
---|---|---|---|---|
S/F | out | 0 | 8am | 9:30am |
Bitterwater | turnaround | 32 | 10am | 2:10pm |
S/F | in | 64 | noon | 4pm |
We'll have some water and Hammer Nutrition products at the rest stops. Thanks, Hammer! Additionally, riders can place bags labeled with their name and/or number in the vehicle
driving to a checkpoint, and it will be available there for them when they arrive. Remember this is an "Enduro", not your average
century ride, so don't expect fresh baked muffins! (although one never knows...)
Too many to list! Combinations of the following, plus whatever we invent on the spot:
Food and Water
Categories
Scoring is based on time between when you start and when you finish. For individuals, it's that easy! For 2-rider teams, it's the time of the second rider. For teams of 3 or more, it's the time of the second-to-last rider: 3 riders on the team, second rider; 4 riders on the team, third rider, etc. In the ranking, those completing the 100-miler rank ahead of those doing the 100-km route, so the slowest 100 miler gets ranked just above the fastest 100-k'er.
For individuals, we'll use the following no draft rule: there must be at least a full 1 second gap between each rider and leading riders, or at least a 2 meter gap to the side (if side-by-side, and you could reach out and touch fingertips, you're too close). The exception is members of the same team may draft off each other. Any human-powered bike is allowed in the "HPV" categories. Daedalus? In all other categories, any bike allowed in a USA Cycling road race, cyclocross race, mountain bike race, time trial, track race, BMX race, or a UCI acrobat cycling event, or International Unicycle Federation race, is allowed in the main categories. We also have a "hybrid-electric" category, where the bicycle or tricycle (2-3 wheels) must comply with the following rules: (1) must have functional pedals that allow the bicycle to be ridden on level ground at 8 meters in a second solely under human power (18 mph for one second), (2) must weigh no more than 100 lbs, (3) must have at least one on-board electric-powered motor to assist propulsion. No other motor type (e.g. internal combustion, nuclear, hampster wheel) is allowed. Since this is a bicycling event, the event officials have the right to exclude any vehicle that is deemed by the organizers to be unsafe or inconsistent with the spirit of this event. If you have any doubts please contact the event organizers ahead of time for approval.
And, as this is Low-Key, the roads are open to vehicular traffic, so CA Vehicle code applies.
Of course, a standard-approved (a list of applicable standards is available here) helmet is required for all participants.
Earphones, such as MP3 players or 2-way radio communication with Johanne Bruyneel, are not allowed. We may be Low-Key, but we want you to hear approaching vehicles.
We need volunteers to make this event happen! Volunteers get two free rides at a future Low-Key event! Or, bring along a volunteer, and ride for free! This is a long one, so the more volunteers we have, the better! Burritos at the Paicines General Store are on us!
Fire off an email () if interested!
An email list is our primary communications channel: See http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/lkhc/.
We're also have a Low-Key group on Facebook! It's the place to be for facebookie type stuff.
Drive to Paicines along CA25. Park there, but please use the side of the road, rather than business lots.
In the event of impending bad weather, Kevin will decide by 10pm the night before (Friday night) to cancel the ride, and will post a note to the Low-Key mailing list. A note to this web page will hopefully follow! If unforseen conditions arise, we may also cancel at the start of the Enduro in Paicines.
Email Kevin Winterfield