How many are willing to sign up for Solvang?
 

It's a cool century in Cali, one of the classics actually. Not a race but cool, and I get credit for it on my team as if it were a race. Plus it gives me an excuse to stay in shape.

PAC said he might consider it.

We should invite buy1 as he is an excellent cyclist. I'm starting a bunch of new cyclist with that as their goal.

I'm going for sure. Did it last year. We make a family vacation out of it. Creekster was going to ride it with me next year. It would be fun if a bunch of us met up and at least started together. It's in March and the info on the ride can be found here:

www.solvangcentury.com

Steelblue speaks the truth. I am planning on being there,
 

but given my dated aluminum technology bike, I may only watch everyone else's shapely calves disappear up the road ahead of me.

never trust a veteran who sandbags
 

Creekster is the man.

We will let him pull us up the hill a la cheki for Lance.

Even if I get back in the saddle, my mount may be inadequate
 

I'm not sure this AARP couple could hang with any of you, particularly Archaea with his tricked out stable of bikes whose value approximates the GNP of Peru. My wife and I usually ride hybrids (pre-accident, I used it as a commuter to Palo Alto--it's a Specialized A1 Pro that cost about the same as two rounds at Pebble Beach). When my wife wants to talk, we ride a Burley Duet. She claims to be a pedaling back there, but I have my doubts.

Tandem or singles, when we've done centuries (and fairly flat ones at that) our average speed is only around 16 mph. So I fear that even if we do the Solvang, we'd chat it up with you guys at the start, and then admire your proud, firm buttocks as they disappear over the first ten miles.

Maybe we'd have to leave a half hour ahead of you to ensure there'd be some snacks waiting for us at the first stop.

So what kind of speeds are we looking at here?

Re: Even if I get back in the saddle, my mount may be inadeq
 

I plan to take about 6 hours of on the bike time. I think it would be a lot of fun to at least all start together and then perhaps all go out to eat afterward. Perhaps the guy who finishes fastest can buy us all dinner.

I am voting to stay with PAC's peloton
 

and Archaea's nice words notwithstanding, I am more likely to be in the 16-18 mph range myself. Btw, there is a good chance I will be on the tandem or maybe even our triple, if it ever gets here, meaning we will NOT be fast.

Based on our posts, it looks like I am more a leg man while PAC . . . .