So it all started over food. Jeff says “I need to drop off a car on Saturday in San Luis Obispo, anyone want to ride back?” It was so ridiculous that of course my answer would have to be yes. Jeff and I had just met just once before during the Don’t Get Fat Camp: PV Ride (Day 4) so it was going to be interesting spending 12+ hrs with someone who I barely knew wasn’t all that sure I could keep up with.
SLO to LA
Tandem CX!
For the past 2 weekends, Megan and I have raced the first two of three of the Southern California Cross Fever Series, put on by our dear friend Dorothy Wong. We decided, since Dorothy added a tandem category, we obviously had to race. I have to say, it was super fun, and we won the category by being awesome! We managed to fold the front wheel going into an uphill turn on our practice lap at the first race. Snap the chain going up a hill on the practice lap at the second race, and after the race realized the bottom bracket spindle on the rear cranks was broken. Oops! Thanks Dot!
SO SERIOUS!
How can this be anything but hilarious?
Dot had points leader jerseys made for the series, so we had them for the second race that was put on by our friend Paul in Palmdale. Another tandem was registered, but never made it. We were looking forward to having another team to race!
Yup, still funny.
Mark Kiecker also came out and ruled it at Hansen Dam, on the coolest looking bike at the whole race!
Don’t Get Fat Camp! Recap
The last two days of Don’t Get Fat Camp! (DGF) brought out some amazing folks for some beautiful beach-side riding. The 4th day took riders out to the Ballona Creek bike path, over the bridge in Marina Del Rey and then hit the bike path alongside the Ocean heading south. The group of 15 kept together until a series of very annoying flats kept some behind. After hitting Palos Verdes the group began climbing up through the beautiful mountain and then on to the 10 mile PV East loop, with rolling hills that lead back to the coast. Despite a good 8-10 flats, the ride was able to re-group at our new mountain house on the coast of PV.
After 4 days of hills, and due to the closure of Angeles Crest Hwy, a small group of Swarm! DGF campers rode to the beach, hit PCH north, and did a fast flat century across the Ventura County line to a place known as “the rock” and back down through Silver Lake. Pulling at speeds in the 25mph range, veteran Swarm!ers set a good pace for the new folks, giving a challenging century even with the flat terrain of PCH.
Though the saddle time was short, flats again got the better of the DGF crew and slowed them down. This earned our camp yet another new nickname, form Don’t Get Fat! to Fuck You Matt! to Don’t Get Flat! Camp. All appropriate depending on which days you rode with us. After a long Sunday, they were all rewarded, however, with the final vegan meal at local Mediterranean restaurant Carousel, and, an epic French Vanilla cake with an ironic Don’t Get Fat icing.
Thanks to everyone who came out to our first training camp. It was definitely a learning experience, and we are all looking forward to our next training camp “I Got Fat,” due in 2010. While it may seem like this was just a series of rides thrown together, a lot of work and thought and planning went into it. Matt! put in a ton of time to make sure we got to a variety of places in Los Angeles, good vegan food, and enough caffeine to jump start someone in a coma. We sincerely hope you had as much fun as we did on the rides, and we welcome any and all feedback so that we can make our next adventure even more epic!
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our Spring series in 2010 including an urban cyclocross race, Feel My Legs I’m a Racer, Thus Climbed Zarathustra, and I Got Fat! camp.
Don’t Get Fat! Camp Mid-Way Report Back
*Update for Day 5* Due to Angeles Crest still being closed we’re going to do a flat-ish 100 on PCH. Still meet at Cafe Tropical at 7, ride at 730. Route will be Sunset->Santa Monica blvd ->Federal->San Vicente->Ocean-> the nibble down to PCH->’the rock’->return. Eat at Carousel at Santa Monica and Normandie. I’m ready to fight mapmyride.com so no map! Westside meet-up can be the bathrooms/water at San Vicente/Ocean probably 9ish. Email bikeswarm on gmail if you’re trying to hop on and I’ll be sure to check it.
Swarm!s first “training camp” is off to an amazing start! After 3 days, riders are stoked, sore, and ready for more. With just enough balance between caffeine, challenging routes, and some damn good vegan fare, these rides have everything a cyclist in LA (or anywhere, for that matter) could want!
The first day gathered 12 riders together in Silverlake before heading West toward the Hollywood Hills.
Weaving through some beautiful neighborhoods and finding some obscure climbs (thanks Matt!) just getting to Mulholland was challenging for some riders. But, it’s winter, so it’s ok; right? Thanks to the storms of last week, the air was clear and the view from the top of the hills amazing.
Day Two and Three brought some new and old faces to the Swarm! crew. Day two took a tour through LA’s urban parks in the Hollywood and Echo Park area, providing some amazing scenery and hill climbing without ever leaving the city. Where else can you ride to the Hollywood sign, through a film shoot, movie studios, and green parks! The third day was the most challenging thus far, climbing through the East side of LA in Mt. Washington and out to Pasadena before coming back. With around 50 miles and a ton of climbing, day three drew the smallest crowd so far, but definitely a group of dedicated and stoked riders.
Swarm! loves LA. Can you tell? And we love sharing it with everyone, whether you live here or not. Through this series of rides we hope to engage riders in different parts of the city that they may or may not be familiar with, to encourage riding anywhere and everywhere they can, even if it’s in their own backyard; “Thanks for taking me around my own neighborhood, showing me some new places to ride…maybe not the greatest road quality, but great places.” Jances.
There’s still time left to come join us. Saturday and Sunday being our more epic days; the first out to Palos Verdes, and Sunday a climbtastic day out on Angeles Crest Highway. Check back for more maps, or we’ll see you Saturday at Peets on Larchmont at 7am!
Day4 route through Palos Verdes
And remember, don’t get fat this winter.
Don’t Get Fat! Training Camp
**Update 2**
Day 3 map. Leaving Sunset Blvd and Griffith Park Ave (Silver Lake farmers market location) at 730am to ride to the ride.
**UPDATE** We made maps for Day 1 and Day 2. Check them out if you’d like to know where we’re going! And join us for a 655-755am yoga class at Urth Yoga on 2809 W. Sunset Blvd. Indoor bike parking and $5 class and $1 mat rental!***
Join Swarm! as we drink coffee, ride in spandex and eat vegan food all over Los Angeles during a 5-day Don’t Get Fat ‘training camp’. Each day we’ll meet at a coffee shop, ride a great route and end at a vegan-friendly restaurant.
(first time is coffee, second is rolling, estimated mileage in parentheses)
Dec16 Wed 8/830am- Intelligensia, riding Beachwood through the Hollywood Hills onto Mulholland (50), eat at Flore – MAP
Dec17 Thur- 8/830am- Trails Cafe, riding Griffith and Elysian (40), eat at Pure Luck - MAP
Dec18 Fri- 8/830am- CycleWay Coffee, riding the hills of Mt Washington, South Pas and some other little-known roads (50), eat at Hugo’s tacos in Atwater
Dec19 Sat-7/730am- Peet’s on Larchmont, riding Palos Verdes with two options of difficulty (60/75), eating at India Sweets and Spices on Venice Blvd
Dec20 Sun-7/730am- Cafe Tropical, riding Big Tujunga, Angeles Forest/Crest. (75-100), eating at Carousel
What should I bring?
Snacks, tube; the usual for a self-supported ride. Also money for coffee and food. On the longer rides we’ll have a stop for additional food and water.
Can I keep up?
If you do Wolf Pack Hustle, BiciKillers, Caturday Warriors or something similar, yes.
Will you wait up?
Probably. Though if you show up in jeans on a track bike, probably not. Unless you are Cole or some other monster then you’ll have to wait for us.
Do I have to do everything?
Hanging out is mandatory unless you can’t then that’s cool.
Does it cost anything?
The value of these rides is greater than money; we require your time and stokedness.
What are the percentages for the climbs and what wattage can I expect to put out per hour, on average?
These rides are probably not for you.
Who is putting this on?
A ‘bunch of fucking boring semi-employed geeks’ known as Swarm!. Questions? Get in touch at bikeswarm on gmail.
This guy needed a coffee.
Look out for Swarm! events for 2010
Feb: Dan’s urban cyclocross race, “I Got Fat” training camp
March: Thus Climbed Zarathustra; Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer (5th year!)