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After successful events in 2008 and 2010, Low-Key is returns to Paicines for the its semi-traditional dose of mileage excess: 102 miles for the full route, 103 km for the short route: 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 still again from the barren, frozen wastelands of Connecticut to present to you the 2011 Mega-Monster Enduro!
Saturday, 12 Feb 2011, 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 will also have a Porta-Potty available for the morning before the store opens.
Registration is over, obviously!
Best Western San Benito Inn in Hollister provides Low-Key with a discount for the night of February 11th, 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.
102 miles: Paicines to CA198 and back on CA25. It just doesn't get any simpler than that! We also offer a shorter, 103 km option, for those not up to the full route. Those who reach the 32 mile checkpoint after the 102 mile cut-off time can do the 103 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 102 mile route. The 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 102 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 102 mile course can turn around there and complete the 103 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 102 mile checkpoint opening and closing times is as follows:
102 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 |
Food and Water
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Actually, better than that. 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:
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 102 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, but not members of other teams. Teams are timed based on their second rider, or second-to-last rider, whichever is later (so 2-man teams need to finish both riders, while teams larger than two riders should drop at most one rider.
New for 2011 is an additional team option: the team relay. In team relay there is only one rider riding at any given time, but riders switch at the Bitterwater stop. For example, Rider A rides to Bitterwater where he or she touches Rider B, who rides to the turn-around and back. Then Rider B touches Rider A (or Rider C) who rides back to the start. So relay teams can be two or three riders.
Any human-powered bike is allowed in the "HPV" divisions. Daedalus? In the conventional divisions, 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 divisions.
We also have a "hybrid-electric" division, where the vehicle, bicycle or tricycle (2-3 wheels), faired or un-faired, must comply with the following rules:
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!
An email list is our primary communications channel: See http://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.
Make sure to upload any GPS data to Low-Key sponsor Strava! The full route is here!.
Email Kevin Winterfield