Feb/110
Spinning to Paradise and Back
Riders approaching the Durham Rest Stop, photo by Dave Wyman.
Chico’s 30-year-old Wildflower still one of the best centuries to test your riding legs, even for a rookie over 50
By Tim Hauserman
When you get to a certain age — say when the women you are riding with says, “Oh, yeah, my Dad’s about your age” — you begin to think about ways to test your physical capabilities that are challenging but don’t require jumping off rocks or screaming down mountains.
A century ride fits the bill. A hundred miles on a bicycle is certainly a physically challenging day. And just about every weekend in the spring, summer or fall you can find a unique century somewhere in California.
Last year, I decided to embark on one of the most popular, the Chico Wildflower.
For most of the last 30 years, bike riding for me has meant mountain biking on the awesome trails around Tahoe. But a few years ago, I found myself spending a lot of time riding on pavement: grunting up Barker Pass Road or hitting the bike trail between Tahoe City and Squaw.
So two years ago for my 50th birthday, I gave myself my first real road bike (that ten-speed in college doesn’t really count) and discovered the world of road riding. I began spinning on the flats, trudging over Donner Summit to Cisco Grove, or venturing to Sacramento for the 60 miles of pavement that is the American River Parkway.
The next step, once you begin to love road biking, is to take a dip into the world of century rides, metric first.
A great place to start for me was last June’s Tour de Manure in Sierraville. It’s a very civilized century: 200 feet of climbing and a nice metric distance of 100 kilometers (62 miles) through the expansive Sierra Valley set at 5,000 feet. It was all about spinning and holding on to a group that is going your speed.
Then in November it was off to Solvang for the Solvang Prelude Metric Century — a beautiful rolling journey through vineyards, farmland and fancy estates on the Central Coast.
Now I was ready for the next challenge — a full-blooded 100-mile century.
The Chico Wildflower, which celebrates it’s 30th anniversary ride on May 1, has been in the back of my mind for years. Primarily because it’s in Chico, where I went to school on the five-year plan. What’s the hurry when you are living in Chico and the tuition is $100 a semester?
Ah, Chico in the springtime. Bidwell Park. Frisbee. Jumping in the creek at One Mile. What a great place for a century … and the town is flat so how difficult can it be? To put the icing on the cake, the ride was on my birthday, so I had to do it.
Lots of Tahoe riders I’d met were effusive in their praise for the event, although they all seemed to have their own special shortcuts that would drop eight to 20 miles off the total.
What’s up with that? If you are going to do a century do the whole damn thing, right?
And do the whole thing I did. It was an incredible ride. You wind through Chico in the chill morning air and then warm up with a four-mile climb up Humboldt Road, a narrow rough pathway dishing out the quick realization that this isn’t going to be just a flat cruise through the orchards.
After a swift downhill on Highway 32 showcasing a nice view of Chico, you hit Honey Run Road and begin winding along Butte Creek, which in the spring is more of a small river coursing through a progressively deeper walled canyon of red-hued igneous rock. The route heads past delightful countryside with expansive estates hidden in the trees to the first rest stop at the Honey Run Covered Bridge, a Chico-area landmark.
Now comes the big climb, up narrow, switchbacking Honey Run Road to Paradise. Like all substantial climbs, it seems to go on forever, but it’s a great ride in the shade and the numerous chalk signs on the old pavement offer encouragement to help pull you up the hill.
When it eventually tops out at the next rest break you’ve reached Paradise — literally, not just cause the climb is over — and you begin to appreciate what an organizational undertaking this ride is. Hundreds of riders mill about or wait in line to drink and eat and use the loo. It seems like it is all running smoothly.
With lots of miles to go, however, the milling must end and I am off to Pentz Road and a big-ring downhill toward Oroville. Give me the long steady hills and even the flats, but my chicken feathers flutter on the downhills. When I see a sign that says 12% grade, I put on the brakes and feel the breeze of dozens of riders roaring past. Near the bottom of the hill is a sign, “Speed limit 55, so pedal harder.” I put on the breaks and more people pass me. The number of fearless flyers amazes me.
The downhill is followed by lovely views of the coast range capped with snow, impossibly green fields marching on for miles and wildflowers galore bringing you to the shores of Lake Oroville’s Thermalito Forebay and another well-organized rest stop. Only 15 miles and the dreaded Table Mountain between me and lunch.
Table Mountain is a steady mostly unshaded climb. The heat gets the attention of us Tahoe guys. 80-plus degrees in April? That’s not what we’re acclimatized to. I pass a sign that says four miles to the top and about three days later I reach the three-mile mark.
Eventually Table is topped. After a break for flower peeping on the mesa, it’s easy rolling terrain, with a couple of sucker uphills before a winding, steep downhill on a lumpy road brings you to Highway 70 and the lunch stop. I relax with the crowds of people lying like dogs under patches of shade.
Sixty miles completed, only 40 to go with no major climbs. Piece of cake, right? Well not exactly. It starts out easy enough. More magnificent riding across the grassy, wildflower dotted terrain. How did I miss this springtime glory when I was at Chico State? Too much time tubing down the Sacramento, or was it those countless hours in the library?
Crossing Highway 99 we ride through miles and miles of orchard country to Durham and Dayton. It’s flat. I’m tired. I understand that at this point the trick is to jump on a group riding by and stick on the back rider like my life depends on it. The problem with this theory is that you’ve got to have enough oomph to latch on as they pass you. After several attempts, I realize my turbo will not kick in. I manage to hold on to one group for a few minutes — until Mr. Hammer takes the front and begins pounding nails in my hurt locker.
Just before Dayton I come upon a moment of decision that many century riders must face: One rider is telling two tired ladies that if they just take this little old road instead of the main route it will cut 10 miles off the remaining 25. He is like the little devil of conscience sitting on my shoulder and egging me on … But I stubbornly refuse to listen and press on. And on. And on.
The last 20 miles of a century can be an uncomfortable tug-of-war between your will to finish and your body’s aching desire to get off the bike. Time and distance seem to creep along in slow motion. But I keep the pedals turning on fumes and centrifugal force and the green power of pride.
Suddenly I am on the tree-lined streets on the outskirts of Chico, and my spirits rise with a tide of energy born of relief and accomplishment, knowing that the end is near.
It’s a great day because I realize that even though another year had accrued to my personal tally, I can still ride one hundred miles … One hundred beautiful miles with nearly 4000 other cycle-happy folks sharing the road and the common bond of a rewarding achievement.
Tim Hauserman is the author of Cross-Country Skiing in thee Sierra Nevada and Monsters in the Woods: Backpacking with Children.
If You Go:
This year’s 30th Wildflower Century is on May 1. The registration deadline is April 15. The ride is limited to 4,000 riders. The entry fee is $65 and includes a 30th Anniversary Chico Wildflower Century t-shirt. Contact the Chico Velo Cycling Club for more information: www.chicovelo.org
You can camp at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds where the ride begins. There are restrooms, nice grassy areas to set up your tent and it’s fun hanging out with a bunch of other riders the night before. Just camp as far away as possible from the go-cart track. It’s very loud and they ride late into the night.
Upcoming California Centuries
FEBRUARY 2011
February 26 — Spring Death Valley Century
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
MARCH 2011
March 12 — Solvang Century & Half Century
Solvang, www.bikescor.com
March 26 — Hell’s Gate Hundred
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
APRIL 2011
April 3 — New Moon Century Ride
Santa Monica, www.newmooncentury.com
April 16 — Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic
San Diego County, www.adventurecorps.com
April 16 — Tierra Bella Bicycle Tour
Gilroy, www.actc.org
April 17 — Diablo Century
Walnut Creek, www.ccjcc.org
MAY 2011
May 1— Chico Wildflower Century
Butte County, www.chicovelo.org
May 1 — Grizzly Peak Century
Moraga, www.grizz.org
May 1— Delta Century
Lodi, www.stocktonbikeclub.org
May 7 — Wine Country Century
Sonoma County, www.srcc.com
May 7 — Tour of the Unknown Coast
Humboldt County, www.tuccycle.org
May 14— Hungry Buzzard Century
Visalia, www.sscbike.org
May 15 — Strawberry Fields Forever
Aptos, www.strawberryfields.org
May 28 — Heartbreak Hundred
Frazier Park, www.planetultra.com
JUNE 2011
June 4 — 2008 Auburn Century
Gold Country, www.auburncentury.com
June 11— Fiesta Metric Century
San Diego, www.shadowtour.com
June 11 —Sierra Century
Rocklin, Placer County, www.sierracentury.org
June 25 — Summer Solstice Century
Quincy, www.SummerSolsticeCentury.org
June 26 — Climb To Kaiser
Clovis, www.FresnoCycling.com
AUGUST 2011
August 7 — Mt. Shasta Summit Century
Shasta, www.ShastaSummitCentury.com
August 13 — Tahoe-Sierra 100
Soda Springs, www.globalbiorhythmevents.com
TBA — 2007 Marin Century
www.MarinCyclists.com
SEPTEMBER 2011
September 24 — Tahoe Sierra Century
Squaw Valley, www.TahoeSierraCentury.com
OCTOBER 2011
October 29 — Fall Death Valley Century
Death Valley, www.adventurecorps.com
Oct/091
Destination: Chico—A Bike-Friendly, Park-Rich Sporting Oasis in the Sacramento Valley
By Pete Gauvin • Photos by Matt Muirhead
Many people live for years in California without ever visiting Chico. Surrounded on three sides by farmland and set against
the Sierra foothills 90 miles north of Sacramento, Chico sits safely off major thoroughfares. Unless Chico is your destination, or you’re headed up Highway 32 to Lake Almanor or Lassen National Park, there’s little reason one would need to go there.
Thus, a lot of people miss this attractive, affable university town and never discover its civic charms or realize the richness of outdoor opportunities afforded nearby.
For residents, that’s a good thing. For despite being off the radar of many, Chico has been discovered by plenty of others. It has grown substantially in recent years, undergoing suburban growing pains and an unprecedented rise in property values for a somewhat remote valley town. The population of the “Greater Chico Urban Area” now hovers near 100,000 and average home prices near $300,000.
While some of this ‘progress’ is less than grand, there is still a lot to recommend Chico.
With its compact and lively downtown, a vibrant and leafy campus, porch-profuse older neighborhoods, the third largest municipal park in the nation, and an active population of cyclists, runners and outdoor enthusiasts buzzing through it all, Chico is like a hybrid between Boulder and the fictional Mayberry, with a little Modesto thrown in.
The outdoor ethic runs rich and deep in Chico. Stimulated by California State University, Chico, the town’s relative isolation, and the bounty and proximity of its natural surroundings, Chico has long been a breeding ground for outdoor athletes and innovators.
Companies such as Overland Equipment, Caribou Mountaineering, Moon Travel guidebooks and Jeff Lindsay’s Mountain Goat cycles, one of the first names in high-end custom mountain bikes, have got their start here. There are also companies like Knudsen Juices, which makes one of the few non-artificial sports drinks and supports many local events such as the Bidwell Classic Half Marathon (March 5th) and the Wildflower Century (April 24th).
And who could overlook one of the mightiest of microbreweries, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which if not directly related to outdoor sports, is certainly a symbiotic business. After all, based on purely observational sampling, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would seem to be the unofficial favorite reward at the end of many a Californian’s outdoor adventure. The brewery, established in 1981 and still independent, also sponsors one of the state’s top cycling teams and its colorful jerseys are favorites with weekend warriors and century riders.
And if all notable outdoor towns must be home to at least one microbrewery, Chico’s got an edge — it’s home to two. In addition to Sierra Nevada, Butte Creek Brewing has been fermenting an impressive lineup of organic beers in town since 1996.
But if thanks goes to anyone for Chico’s pleasant blend of town and nature, it goes to John and Annie Bidwell. John founded Chico and donated the land for the university. After his death, in 1905 Annie deeded more than 2,200 acres of their ranch along Big Chico Creek to the city for a public park.
Bidwell Park
Bidwell Park, which now spans 3,750 acres, begins as a streamside urban forest near downtown with developed playgrounds and swimming areas and runs 12 miles northeast into the heart of a deep and wild canyon. Lower Bidwell offers paved bike paths and wood-chip running trails under a canopy of lofty oak and sycamore trees. Upper Bidwell has numerous rugged trails for mountain biking and trail running with splendid views and craggy swimming holes.
Two-Wheeled Town
In addition to being a capital for good beer, Chico is a capital for cycling. With flats for commuting and plenty of bike lanes in town, miles of surrounding farm roads and long climbs into the foothills for roadies, and Upper Bidwell and plenty of dirt nearby for mountain biking, Chico has something to offer two-wheeled enthusiasts of every stripe. In 1997, Bicycle
magazine chose it as the nation’s “Most Bicycle Friendly City.”
Chico might have been the site of the first off-road bike race, the Bidwell Bump a rim-thrashing, bone-jarring ride over rutted dirt and lava rock in Upper Bidwell according to storied fat-tire explorer Chuck “Bodfish” Elliot, who organized the first event in 1976.
The cycling community is supported by a bevy of bike shops and a vibrant cycling club/advocacy group, Chico Velo, which sponsors one of the top centuries in the nation, the aforementioned Wildflower Century, which draws more than 2,500 riders. This spring classic winds up beautiful Butte Creek Canyon past the Honey Run Covered Bridge to Paradise, descends back to the valley, and then circles up and over the wildflower abundance of Table Mountain before returning through rolling green hills and orchards to Chico.
Chico Velo’s website, www.chicovelo.org, offers maps and descriptions for popular road rides in the area. For mountain bike routes, visit one of the local shops or pick up a copy of Mountain Biking Chico by Mark Menard (Falcon Guides, $10.95).
Water, Snow and Rock
Beyond great cycling, Chico has a lot more to offer outdoor enthusiasts. The Sacramento River, which winds down the valley only five miles west of town, offers mellow paddling for canoeists and kayakers. Nearby Butte Creek offers novice whitewater kayakers a scenic Class II+ six-mile run in spring and early summer (see description at California Creekin’, www.creekin.net). Many more North State rivers, numerous reservoirs and mountain lakes provide a wealth of other options for wild- and calm-water paddling.
For a great spring day hike or trail run, Feather Falls, at 640 feet the sixth highest waterfall in the U.S., is one of the most impressive attractions in Butte County. The trailhead is off Lumpkin Road above Lake Oroville; roundtrip is seven miles.
Rock climbers will find plenty of impressive granite in the Feather River canyon. Backpackers can head for the Ishi Wilderness, Lassen Park or the Trinity Alps. Backcountry skiers and riders can find some of the deepest, best quality snow in the state at Mt. Lassen, an hour and a half from Chico. A bumper crop of spring corn snow usually lasts well into June and makes for easy picking after the Lassen Loop Road is opened to the summit trail parking area at 8,500 feet.
Of course, when you’re pooped from all the adventure, you’ll find plenty of options to hoist a made-in-Chico microbrew back in town.
