Strawberry Fields Forever

Bill Bushnell — Sunday, May 21, 2000

I thought it might be cooler in Soquel than it was in Palo Alto on Sunday, so as all the weather forecasts were predicting unseasonably warm weather late last week, I decided to ride the Strawberry Fields century.

I had planned to pick up a car-less cyclist in Mountain View for the drive down to Soquel, but when I called to announce that I was on my way, she told me she had decided not to do the ride due to feeling ill. On my way over CA-17, I decided to take a short cut to the ride start that probably didn’t save me any time, but was an interesting diversion nonetheless since I hadn’t ridden one of the roads before due to its dead-ending on CA-17: Vine Hill Rd.

Riding the socked Gold Rush, I was on the road by 7:23. The first few miles of the ride went quickly. On the long climb up the creek I was passed by several fast cyclists, but I also managed to pass a few slower ones. With fresh legs the climb was not so bad nor did it seem as tedious and long as I remember it to be with 70 or 80 miles in my legs.

Highland Way is paved the whole way, although there are slide areas in several spots, including one very large slide, the top of which must be several hundred feet up the hillside.

The descent down Eureka Canyon begins tentatively on very rough and dirty paved road. I took the corners carefully, too carefully for one upright biker who passed me on this section pedaling as if his legs might come unhinged. As the road opened up I was able to release my brakes more often. Though there was neither mud nor water on the road, I slowed for the section where Ron Bobb had told me he had crashed just downhill from the sharp hairpin. Lower down the road straightened out and I started passing other cyclists, including the guy who passed me on the upper section.

After stopping at the Russian-themed rest stop in Corralitos I pressed on down Corralitos Rd. and then south on Freedom Blvd., past the old Easy Racers chicken coop shop behind Hansen’s Feed. The route skirted north of the Watsonville Airport through a small subdivision and then onto Larkin Valley and Mir Monte Roads before heading south on San Andreas Rd.

The Italian rest stop, just off Beach Rd. near the Pajaro River, was surrounded by strawberry fields giving off a sweet odor in the unseasonably warm air.

The route continued through strawberry fields in the Pajaro River valley and then onto Elkhorn Rd. alongside the Elkhorn Slough. At Castroville Blvd. the route headed inland and became hotter. The road also began to climb. As the wind was blowing in my direction I began to get hot. Just as I started to overheat at the top of the climb, the road descended quickly to the center of Prunedale.

After a few more short, mean hills, I arrived at Royal Oaks Park for lunch. I checked my thermometer; it read 102. Even though the rest stops were closely-spaced, about 15-20 miles apart, I was going through 50-70 oz of water in between. While it was hot inside the sock, I felt hotter outside the sock when I was in the sun. I think the light-colored cloth of the sock helps reflect some of the direct radiation. Several people commented that I must be hot in the thing. I answered that I’m actually cooler unless I get no air movement inside, which happens even in 60-degree weather if I’m climbing a hill at the speed of the wind.

Following lunch the route took a mostly downhill road back to the Pajaro River valley and eventually found its way to Gizdich Ranch where it seemed just as hot in the shade as it was in the sun. I stopped to sample a fruit tart and to stand for a minute under a spray mister that had been set up for the occasion.

The route continued northward across CA-152 and up a short section of Mt. Madonna Rd. and Hazel Dell Rd. Just as I was starting up the main climb on Hazel Dell, my rear derailer cable broke. (The cable broke with little warning about 1/2” from the shifter end of the cable, probably the apex of the bend it makes inside the shifter handle.) Fortunately I have a reverse-spring rear shifter or I would have been walking most of the remaining hills.

So I alternated between grinding in a 51/34 and spinning madly in a 20x34 on the uphills and coasting gently on the downhills. I could spin comfortably up to about 14 mph in a 63/34 on the level sections, but for the most part I coasted as much as possible. I was surprised that I still managed to pass most cyclists on the road in spite of my handicap.

The route returned down Browns Valley Rd. into Corralitos to revisit the Russian rest stop. This time I lollygagged longer and sampled the crepes that were still being prepared. I spoke at some length with Ken Holloway who having ridden the Davis Double the day before was riding a very leisurely paced 100k with some slower cyclist friends.

The route back to Soquel was the most direct scenic way along Hames, Day, Valencia, and Soquel Drive. I arrived about 15:45. The temperature in Soquel had already cooled to the low-80’s, but I still felt drained and slightly light-headed from the heat. So, I rested a bit and sipped soft drinks before eating the tasty pasta and salad dinner that had been prepared.

I hadn’t done this Century ride before, but the support was very good. Especially welcome because of the heat were the frequent and well-stocked rest stops. I only saw a few clearly marked SAG vehicles on the course, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t enough as I didn’t have a need for one. Overall it was a fun ride. What would normally have been a relatively easy century was made more difficult by the early-season heat. On the whole I had a good time and would do the ride again if it fits into my calendar in future years.

©2004, Bill Bushnell

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