BCI - Ride Reports, Matsufuji

Ride Reports List

by Pam Matsufuji

Bakersfield, CA - October 26, 2002 – Well - I just completed my first “Spook Ride” - quite an experience! I got a jersey (another great design by the Kern Wheelmen) to commemorate the occasion.

Friday turned out to be a fun day. We checked into the Rio Bravo Resort, the host hotel. After a bite to eat, we drove the Hideous 100 route. After a short and steep climb, the road straightened out and the route takes a left onto Breckenridge Mountain (all other routes turn right). This is where the real fun begins. Obviously the road less traveled, it begins to climb, climb and climb. It first climbs past cattle grazing here and there and all over the road (so watch for "land mines"), and then starts to narrow. The scenery changes to aspens, oaks (gorgeous full oaks with leaves changing color) and other forest trees and shrubs. Then, the road continues up for a full 34 miles!

After reaching the summit, there is a long, harrowing, fast descent, about 20 miles, to the town of Caliente. This is the turnaround spot for the 60-mile ride and the lunch spot for all rides. Instead of taking the country roads back out - we headed back to Bakersfield to meet up with the other BCI members for dinner. We had a very pleasant and enjoyable meal at Uricchio's Trattoria (awesome) where “Papa” (the owner) bought us out an unexpected surprise - - his special potatoes. Oh my gosh, they were heavenly! After dinner, we checked out "cruise night." Bakersfield was hosting a special antique and classic car show. I was hitching a ride to the Rio with Don and Sue Butler in their Ford Explorer. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we turned right instead of left and got found ourselves in the car parade. We got some "stink eye" from some of the folks lined up on the street to watch the cool cars go by - I guess a Ford Explorer does not qualify as a “cool car.”

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, we walked over to the breakfast offered up by the Club. We had pancakes, scrambled eggs and fruit to jump start us.

The plan was for the century riders to leave before 7:00 a.m. while we, the metric century riders, started before 8:00 a.m. The start was pretty cold. It felt good to start out on a hill and warm up. After that short steep climb mentioned earlier, we turned right onto Breckridge and had a nice, easy downhill through orange groves,

around a place called the "Enchanted Forest" and then onto Edison Street. Edison was long and grindy (think Irvine Blvd.) for 13 miles. Eventually we headed out of town and into the hills. This is a city dump road. and there is some interesting sights along the way. We joked later that the Bike Club ought to do the ride as a "scavenger hunt" - you know, find the green couch, the old TV, and a shoe. Next, is a steep descent and then a long grade up to the first rest stop on Bena Rd.

After the stop, the real climb begins. There is a long 8-mile grade (think Newport Coast) for 8 miles. After the summit there is this technical, steep downhill that we didn't really enjoy because we started thinking we would have to come back up this. Some more climbing and then the final descent to the lunch stop at Caliente. The food was good (sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit and good deserts) but it was very cold (mid-50's and breezy). I later heard the 100-mile riders had it worst. After summiting and reaching the rest stop on top, the temperature was a chilly 42 degrees.

After lunch, we left Caliente to return whence we came. Totally dreading the bad up hill, I was pleasantly surprise to reach the summit - where did the hill go? I mean there was a grade but it wasn't too bad. The scenery was also very pretty through here. There was then a super downhill - I let it all hang out - no brakes - back down to the Bena rest stop. We started back out on Bena and had a blast pace lining back to Breckenride (with a time out for a short but very steep hill). The ride back to the hotel was pleasant and I felt great! It’s a great way to finish.

There was food waiting for us at the end of the ride too (you didn’t go hungry on this ride). Some of the century riders started coming in about an hour after us. The century riders were pretty much in agreement that this was one of the toughest centuries they had ever done. The cold weather had made it even more difficult. I think my favorite part of the ride was sitting at the dinner table listening to the guys swapping ride stories!

I recommend this ride and the Bike Club needs our support as only about 300 riders were up to the challenge. The town of Bakersfield is really fun and very inexpensive; lodging at the Resort was only $70/night. Mike Farrell - if you want a hill challenge - this is it!

The Spooky riders include:
Sue Butler, Bill Clark, Pam Matsufuji and Rhonda Larson