Rosarito to Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Ride September 30, 2006

Nine months ago I decided it was time to end a few decades of sitting on my butt, getting no exercise, and change things around. I bought a bike and started riding it, bought a better bike, change the diet, and results started happening. The goal I focused on was riding the Rosarito to Ensenada 50 mile bike ride and this page is about my first-timer experience. My son Scott was visiting from his home in New Zealand and was able to also join the ride, along with two friends, Joe and Stu, from SeQual. Scott, in much better condition than the rest of us, took nearly all the photos on this page.

You can see the route and the altitude profile at motionbased.com. On the map display, you can click on a Google Earth link to see it there.

We took a bus from Mission Bay to Rosarito, run by Balboa Transportation - they did a great job. While we rode in a very comfortable bus, the bikes went by trailer. We were dropped off in Rosarito a mile or so from the start and biked over from there. (Click on any photo to see a larger version; right-click to download a high resolution version.

Signing in to board the bus at De Anza cove at Mission Bay	On the way to Rosarito. Back row: Stu and Joe. Front row: Scott and me.	The Rosarito drop off. Stu and I getting ready to ride.

At the starting area, we found a place for some breakfast, and wait for the actual start. We arrived here at about 8:15 AM, getting us positioned reasonably close to the start of the pack, and waited for the 10AM start.

The breakfast hangout. Stu and Joe at our table just behind me.	Stu and Joe with the Powerade girls.	Looking towards the starting line - the big Corona bottle.
The crowd in front of us, waiting to start.	Getting supplies at the start line.	The band at the starting line.
The crowd mills around, waiting.	Scott, Stu and Joe. Not much to do prior to the start but take pictures.	Me, Joe and Stu.
Scott and me.	Gosh, here we are again.	while 7,500 people waited even further back in line for the start.

I was told that we would be walking our bikes for quite a while after the start, until the crowd thinned out sufficiently to actually ride. We walked to the starting line, which only took about 10 minutes, and could ride about 50 yards after the start. Not bad. The crowd was thick on the road, however, until the first aid station. Leaving Rosarito there are a series of short rises and descents - the crowd would thin on the descents, and then bunch up badly on each rise. It took a while for this to thin out.

Walking towards the start line, waiting for the crowd to thin out.	The first aid station, about 16 miles from the start. A mob scene. It wasn't until after this that the crowd thinned sufficiently to get up to full riding speed.	Scott and me waiting at the first station for Stu, who had to have his 3 "P"s: A pepsi, a power bar, and a piss.

After the first 25 mile cruise down the coast, the road turns inland and the climbing starts. Not many photos were taken on the climb, just cranking away to get up the hill. Scott is much faster than the rest of us, and he pounded his way up and waited for us at the top.

At about 25 miles, the climbing starts, with a 800 foot climb followed by a series of rolling hills. then the final 400 feet up to the top of El Tigre.	Me, pumping away. This is on one of the rolling sections.	Joe, posing for the camera after a climb.
This is one of the flat areas between the rolling hills after the first big climb.	Me, on the rolling hills.	Down off the mountain, cruising towards Ensenada - the ride got really fun after knowing the mountain was behind us.

The descent was a blast - up to 40 mph zooming down the mountain, but no photos of the descent. The next group starts when we are down on the flats again for the final miles into Ensenada.

One of the very few oddly attired people. I expected more of a circus. Maybe the circus folks were at the back - mostly I saw serious riders.	Me, off the mountain...	and cruising towards Ensenada.
...and getting ever closer to Ensenada...	..enjoying the ride.	Scott, self portrait.

Once down on the last part of the ride, Scott continued to shoot more photos, and of course I have to display them here.

Once down onto the easy finish to this course, there was more time for photos. Here's Joe	and Stu	and Stu again, we we cruise on down the road.
This is more of us than you wanted to see, I know. Stu and Joe.	Stu, me and Joe	Stu, at a very nice stretch right along the coast.

And still more. Believe it or not, I edited out a lot of photos taken on this ride.

I really enjoyed this part of the ride close to the beach.	and closing in on Ensenada.	and, guess who?

The last of the ride photos, as we get the the finish line. Scott rode ahead to be in position to take the last photo.

Joe	Final Approach: Joe, with me and Stu in front.	The Finish! Stu, me and Joe

From the finish (which moved this year, as did the Fiesta), we rode over to the San Nicolas hotel to load the bikes and change clothes, and then walked back to the Fiesta which was close to the water at the huge Mexican flag, to kick back. It was a welcome advantage to have the bus and bike trailer available and attended at the end of the race. We felt secure our stuff and bikes were not going to be bothered while we went off to the Fiesta.

Finding that all important first beer was easy.	The Fiesta scene: crowded and fairly hot in the full sun.	The happy group, after a few tacos and some beer: me, Scott, Joe, Stu

We finally decided the Fiesta was too hot and too crowded, and so we walked over to a hotel bar just south of the Fiesta area. Afterwards, we decided this is what we should have done in the first place.

Joe was particular as to the Tequila	while Scott went for the Corona, something they ran out of early at the Fiesta for some unfathomable reason. Go figure, with all the Corona sponsorship of the ride.	A Father/Son moment, as Scott and I celibrate the end of our first ever endurance athletic event together. I think we'll try this again.

And now for my constructive criticisms, in case the race organizers are seeing this. Problem one: when I tried to pick up my pre-ordered jersey 90 minutes prior to the start, the only sizes left were S, XL, and XXL. They have no system for ordering jerseys according to the size you specify and then actually making sure your size will be there. I won't buy order another race jersey in the future until they fix this problem - it's inexcusable. Second: while the finish and fiesta moved, the bus pickup point did not, resulting in a rather long walk from the bus over to the Fiesta. I'm optimistic this one will get ironed out in the future.

All in all, a great experience and one to be remembered. It feels like a long way from the start of the process of getting ready last February, and I look forward to doing this and hopefully even more challenging rides in the future.

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