Pacific Coast Highway 200km Brevet

Information

This is an unsupported event. Entry will be $5 to cover insurance and RUSA paperwork. There are plenty of mini-marts and such along the route; the route sheet will also offer some suggestions on where to refuel. There will be two locations where the controle cards must be signed, plus the finish line. This is going to be a nice, fun day on the bike!

Start/Finish Location
Find us on the patio of the Brentwood Starbucks at Barrington and San Vicente in Los Angeles 90049.

How to Get There
Exit Wilshire Blvd. west from the 405. At the light with Federal/San Vicente, go right/north. The left two lanes will veer left and become San Vicente after two blocks, BUT DON'T DO THAT. (If you go down to the first light, that's Barrington and the location of the Starbucks. Gorham angles down and hits Barrington at its intersection with San Vicente.)

Instead, STAY IN THE RIGHT LANE and go straight onto Bringham Ave instead of veering left onto San Vicente. As soon as you get onto Bringham, start looking for parking on your right, or left, or on the cross streets.

Parking
We recommend you park on Bringham Ave, which is immediately on the west side of the V.A., or on streets that connect to Bringham. This is all residential and, frankly, it may be a little difficult to find parking. So don't show up late! To get to the start line at Starbucks, just go west on Gorham (or San Vicente) from Bringham and you will hit the Starbucks after one block. Easy!

DON'T BE NOISY WHEN UNPACKING YOUR CAR! People live here!

Hotels
There are numerous nice chain-type hotels in West L.A./Santa Monica on Santa Monica Blvd a few miles west of the 405 and within a few miles of the start/finish.

Check-In
Sunday 6:00 to 7:00 am only. Please don't be late or show up at the last minute!

Start Time
This brevet mass starts at 7:15 am. Note: as always on Planet Ultra, there are no early departures!

Time Limit
The time limit , as per ACP guidelines, is 13.5 hours, so the course closes at 8:45 pm.

Twilight
Twilight begins at 6:16; Twilight ends at 17:58. Sunrise is 6:45; Sunset is 17:32.

Lights and Clothing Drop and Delivery
There is no gear drop or delivery on this event.

Route Description
We will ride from Brentwood up the coast through Malibu, Zuma Beach, and Oxnard to Ventura. There we will turn around and retrace our steps to Brentwood. It's a pure out and back course with just 2700' of total elevation gain. It's essentially flat with a few good rollers in the Zuma area. This is a classic ride up and down the prime real estate on Pacific Coast Highway. Piece of cake!

2003 Feedback from rider Amber Hutt
The Pacific Coast Highway 200-km Brevet is easily one of my most favorite rides. The ride starts in Brentwood, goes out to Ventura via Malibu, then doubles back to where you originally began. You cycle along PCH, which is smooth, clean, and has wide shoulders so that you are at a good distance from traffic. These roads are so spectacular that bicyclists from all over the world come to the United States just to ride them. Instead of listening to heavy traffic roar by, you get to hear the pleasant sound of the ocean's waves crashing against the large, brown rocks. During most of the ride, you are in sight of the sparkling, deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is peaceful and not rushed, so that you can take your time and enjoy the wonderful scenery. The ride is generally flat, so even if you are not one of the strongest bicyclists, I would still highly advise that you do this ride. This brevet is extraordinary, and not something that you want to miss out on, so come along and enjoy the scent of fresh air, the view of the ocean, and the mild temperatures as you ride your bike and have a great time!

Slideshow, Results and Report

February 9, 2003 results, slideshow, and ride report

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