Suffering on Saturday in a different way

[Claire]

I think it's time to shake things up with a different early ride this Saturday. What can I say... I guess I'm inspired by the "off the books" mid-week ride that a few of us have taken up. I think it's time I made my way up the legendary Goldstream Heights climb. And every now and then it's nice to break free from the relentless circumambulations of the Saanich Peninsula.

I bet Lisa and Garth are up for an adventure. A couple more would probably constitute the critical mass needed to make this happen. To add to the epicness, I suspect it will be smokin' hot on Saturday. Naturally, we'll start at 6am (Cook St Sbux) so should miss the hottest of the hotness. I'm adding a second bottle cage just to be safe, though.

Exact ride route TBD and up for negotiation. May involve more than one option if anyone's feeling wussy.

Show of hands?

[robhasegawa]

Can't make it. Be extra cautious, could be very busy on the highway this weekend!

[Greg Miller]

Anyone going on the regular Sufferfest route? I need to pick up my car from the airport and was hoping to join the group till the airport.

[Claire]

Hard to say. I've heard from a few who just aren't able to ride tomorrow, period. I think it'll be a lean group, irrespective of route. Garth, Lisa and I are heading to the starting point for 6 and will see who's there and what the mojo is. If it's just us, we'll probably head up the 'hat. So, you may be on your own, or close to it. Sorry!

[Greg Miller]

No problem. I won't bother heading towards Cook St. but will head up on my own. Enjoy Goldstream Heights!

[jbarrett]

I'm in. That's at least three for a hat trick/trip. See you at Cook St.
Joe

[Claire]

Well, that was fun... and definitely suffery. A good group of five turned out: Lisa, me, Garth, Joe and Dr. Andy. Conditions were ideal: sunny and warm with a light puff of wind on the return - a whole lot better than Garth's last time up there (one of those torrentially rainy summer days). There was way too much crap/debris/gravel/shrapnel in the shoulder in both directions on the Malahat, but that was more than made up for by pleasant company, gorgeous scenery, tons of PRs and Strava cups/crowns and a complete lack of angry motorists shouting obscenities at us (as far as we noticed). Also, Andy had the decency to flat next to a loaded blackberry bush toward the end of the ride. Not an altogether bad thing.

[John D]

Sounds preferable to the time that Dave Spiers flatted at the very bottom of the 'Hat descent near Goldstream Park. I can still recall standing with our backs pressed like limpets against the mesh-covered cliff-face on a narrow strip of paved shoulder while Dave fixed his flat. Fortunately he didn't need any help.

[Julie]

I just did that ride on Wednesday & the hat (on Friday)is the cleanest I've ever seen it, since the "improvements" every mm counts. No big rocks, clay, beer bottles. I thought they had swept it for the long weekend. Are they cleaning it more often in the tourist months????
it does not look like that in May, June & the winter it's catastrophic.
Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did, would of been awesome if you guys did it at the same time. Gets montonous riding alone all the time, even with my never the same route twice (that's just impossible to try).
And yes it was RV central, Wowzers, took Finlayson to avoid chaos, only to end up in it, tons of drivers avoiding "the improvements" as well, and taking backroads. Oops. Still better than "the improvement" part of Langford. That project benefitted nobody. Not drivers, truckers & definetly NOT cyclists. What a waste.
Claire next time come up with your ride the day before I do it, not the day after and please feel free to invite me via text too on any ride.