600k – Pinnacles Traveler – 2015,2016,2019

Name: Pinnacles Traveler 600K (ACP Brevet; Route# 1715)
601 km or 373.5 miles; 15,550 vertical ft on rwgps

Ride is filled.

Ride Start: Saturday, April 27 at 0500 (PDT)

Ride End: Sunday, April 28 at 2100

Sunrise & Sunset: 6:16 AM to 7:46 PM

Time Limit: 40 hours

Worker Ride: April 20-21. We will support the worker ride in Pinnacles, and at a night stop with dinner in Arroyo Grande.  We have a great group of volunteers!

Volunteer positions needed: got it covered.

Cost: $80 includes small bag transport, lunch in Pinnacles, dinner in Santa Maria and pizza/beverages at ride end in Oxnard.

Refunds:   Registration may be cancelled with only a $5 penalty up to April 1. From April 1 to April 19, there is a 50% penalty unless we have willing  waitlisted riders.  No Registration changes after April 19 at midnight, one week before ride. There are no refunds after that date.

Registration:   OPENED & FILLED SUNDAY JANUARY 13.  Limited to 40 riders.   Waitlist is depleted.

Important Documents:   official 2019 Pinnacles Traveler 600k route

Start Location:  Pacific Motor Inn,
Overnight Location:  Best Western Plus Big America , 1725 N. Broadway, Santa Maria, 805-922-5200,  good condition.  There are other hotels nearby, but I recommend sharing rooms here.  There will be hot dinner until 3am.
Finish Location: Best Western Oxnard Inn, map, 1156 S Oxnard Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93030;  805-483-9581
This is a quiet comfortable hotel, and only 1 mile from the train station, that we have used several times.  Good breakfast bar there in morning.  Pizza for dinner at the finish.
Amtrak Information: Coast Starlight and Surfliner trains; get reservations.  BOTH trains allow unboxed bikes now, though the numbers allowed are limited.

Description:  A challenging point-to-point brevet between two Amtrak full service towns from San Jose to Oxnard.  Weather may be cool, hot, or maybe even rainy; some headwinds are typical in afternoons.

Leaves San Jose  before dawn.  Riders are quickly out of San Jose and into foothills by Uvas Reservoir.  Then cross  through Gilroy and Hollister (@52 miles, fill up here) on the way to Airline Rd. Enjoy a long low traffic ride past Pinnacles National Park with water support to a manned lunch control at Peachtree Rd (@114 miles). After 40 more quiet miles, arrive in civilization in Paso Robles. Pass over the coast range via Hwy 46 and Old Creek Rd to the coast near Morro Bay. Continue by San Luis Obispo to the overnight stop in Santa Maria (@236 miles), which will be late night for most. This location was acclaimed by past riders as the best to set  up for a great 2nd day.

NOTE: past riders say this is a ride to savor, not to ride through. Anyone trying to ride through will miss seeing Foxen Canyon, Alisal Canyon, and the coast to Santa Barbara, experiencing the beauty of the city and the beaches.

Leave Santa Maria after a good breakfast at dawn, and follow the whole length of rural Foxen Canyon and Ballard Canyon Rds into Buellton (@280 miles).  To get to Gaviota – head to Solvang, and take Alisal Road to Nojoqui Summit, where riders join Hwy 101 (generally 8-10′ shoulder) to travel to Goleta (@322 miles) and Santa Barbara along the Pacific Ocean.

Goleta bike paths are used, and the route crosses the mesa, to reach Cliff Rd and the Lazy Acres Market above Santa Barbara.   From there, the path to Ventura is well known by local riders. Travel the multi-million dollar beachfront bike path from Bates Rd to Seacliff, instead of riding the highway (yahoo!).  Finally, Wooley Rd goes to the finish in Oxnard (373 miles), only a mile from the full service Amtrak train station.

Registration includes: Transfer of one small drop bag (under 25 pounds) from San Jose > Santa Maria > Oxnard.  Sweep sag as necessary to make sure all riders are accounted for.  Riders who decide to stop are responsible for their own transportation; buses and Amtrak are available from some towns.

• Peachtree Control – Water/drinks and sandwiches
• Santa Maria Overnight – hot dinner, drinks and snacks/bars to go
• Oxnard Finish – staffed beginning at noon; anyone earlier may be signed in by hotel clerk.  Afternoon & evening finishers  get pizza and drinks; showers available.
The ride fee does not include sleeping accommodations, please make reservations as you see fit at the event hotels above, which will have baggage service.  We can’t pick up/ drop off  elsewhere in Santa Maria, though you are free to stay in other hotels (returning your drop bag by 0630)

Bike & Box transfer:    Please work with other regional riders to arrange box transport south if needed, we can only take flattened boxes.   Riders must make their own travel arrangements after the end of the ride in Oxnard.  From the South, northbound Surfliner trains with walk-on bike service (by reservation only)  ends in San Luis Obispo.  Therefore, take the Coast Starlight train (bike in baggage car unboxed) for through service to San Jose.   Riders are encouraged to share rooms and transportation. The SLORando google group is a good place to start, please join the group.

RUSA Rules for Riders: Lights and reflective gear are required for all riders at the start, at night, and during poor visibility conditions (fog/rain).  These must be kept with you on the bike during the ride.  No rider may use personal sag support between controls.  Riders not following these rules will be disqualified.

Bike Inspection before the start for lights mounted on the bike and personal reflective gear.  These must stay with you on the bike at all times.

Use SLORando google group for general questions
or email SLO RBA