Hi to the 2012 Breathless Agony
Riders!!
We are very excited to report that
the 2012 Breathless Agony has sold out again this year!! We’re looking
forward to making sure you have a really memorable day of
cycling!!
The
goal of our entire team is to help you on this brutally hard course and have
fun!! This is a VERY hard ride. If you have a great attitude and are
having fun, this spreads like wildfire to everyone around you and before you
know it, you won’t even notice how Breathless you are and how Agonizing the
course is!! So have fun and don’t fear the Grim Reaper!!
A number of us rode the entire
Breathless Agony 4 Pass course last Saturday. Chuck took 224 photos which
you can see at
http://www.fototime.com/inv/91316845C751EF4
In a word, the course was
magnificent. In 20 years of riding these roads, he doesn’t remember the
hills ever being so green and breathtaking. His Strava report confirms
that he was Breathless at
http://app.strava.com/rides/7537355
but doesn’t show the Thermonuclear
Meltdown he suffered on Damnation Alley. He thinks he was having hot
flashes.
Details about the course are
below.
The Final Registered Riders List has
been posted at
http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyxriders12.htm
and your name is on
it!!
Please be sure to read all of this
information so you can be well prepared for the tough challenge awaiting you on
Saturday. It has plenty of new information even for those riders who are
coming back for “more Agony” this year.
NEW BREATHLESS AGONY
SOCKS
Each rider starting the Breathless
Agony Ride will receive a beautiful pair of Breathless Agony Socks. These
are SO COOL they’ll take your Breath Away!! Plus, they’ve been
scientifically proven to increase your Average On Bike Speed by 1.48 Miles Per
Hour so they’re even better than an aero
helmet!!
If
you are riding a Tandem, please reply to this e-mail and let us know who will be
on the Tandem.
START / FINISH
LOCATION
We’ll still be in
Take the 91 East to I-10 and Exit at
University St. Turn Left onto
Parking is available around
FREEWAY 215
CLOSURE
For those of you who might be coming
from
A map is at http://g.co/maps/u2ymc
The closure is described at http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20465435/215-freeways-big-shift-starts-may-7
More info is at http://www.215news.com/index.html
It looks like you can drive the I15
down to the I10 then out to
EARLY MORNING
BATHROOMS
The sign on the Bathrooms at
Here’s a good option: There is
a Starbuck's Coffee Shop just 2 miles from
http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyx.htm#Directions
There is also a Coffee Bean Coffee
Shop right across the street from Starbuck’s that opens at 5:00 A.M. on
Saturdays.
We’ll also have 4 Porta-Potties at
CHECK
IN
Check In will open at 5:30 A.M.
Saturday Morning at the above location.
Registration:
1 –
Bring your Helmet and I.D. to Registration – You absolutely must have your I.D.
with you to register and while riding this
event
Last year, some folks came to registration without their I.D. and we had to turn
them away.
2 – Show I.D. To Registration and
Volunteer will Check Your Name Off Sign In Sheet
3 – Sign
Waiver
4 – Volunteer will give you a
Breathless Agony Wristband for your Left Wrist. Rest Stop volunteers will
check to see if you have a Wristband to know whether to feed you or not and also
so they know you are registered so they will record your arrival times at each
Rest Stop. Riders without a Wristband won’t be checked in at Rest Stops so
they won’t get ride credit.
5 – Pickup your awesome Breathless
Agony Socks – The volunteer will know what size you ordered from when you
registered
6 – Pickup your Route
Sheet
After the above is complete you’ll
probably want to go back to your car. When you are ready to start your
ride, come back and check out with any of the Timekeepers at the corner of
If you have friends, enemies, or
family members who want to ride the Breathless Agony this year, please don’t
have them come to
START
TIMES
We must all work together to ensure
our ability to continue to host this event. We need to prevent large packs
of riders from rolling down the road together, preventing accidents, and
preventing bottlenecks at the Rest Stops
On 5/05/12 in
Rest Stop 1 in
In 2006, Scott McAfee rode from the
Start to Rest Stop 1 in 1:20 on the way to setting the overall course record
which stands at 4:37 from the Start to Rest Stop 4 at Onyx
Summit.
In 2009, Chuck Bramwell, a mere
mortal, rode from the Start to Rest Stop 1 in 1:47 about as fast he could go
with the help of his fellow riders on the Worker’s
Ride.
5:45 - 6:00am All riders who
require more than 8 Hours to complete the 4 Passes. Please do not start in
this timeframe if you can complete the 4 Pass course in under 8
Hours.
6:00 - 6:30am All riders who
are attempting the 2 or 3 Pass Options and those riders who require 7 - 8 Hours
to complete the 4 Passes. Please do not start in this timeframe if you can
complete the course in under 7 Hours. If in doubt, start between 6:15 and
6:30am.
6:30 - 7:00am Anyone capable of
finishing all 4 Passes in 6 - 7 Hours should start between 6:30 and
7:00am. If you leave earlier than 6:30am, you run the
risk of arriving at Rest Stop #1 before it opens at 8:00 A.M. and you’ll have to
wait until it opens. You will also outrun our timekeepers and
photographers so your accomplishment won’t be
documented. Please be encouraging to the slower riders
as you pass them because everyone tackling this ride deserves a pat on the
back!!
7:00 – 7:15am Anyone capable of
finishing all 4 Passes in under 6 Hours should start between 7:00 and
7:15am. If you leave earlier than 7:00am, you run the
risk of arriving at Rest Stop #4 before it opens at 11:30am and you’ll have to
wait until it opens. You will also outrun our timekeepers and
photographers so your accomplishment won’t be
documented. Please be encouraging to the slower riders
as you pass them because everyone tackling this ride deserves a pat on the
back!!
REST STOP OPEN AND CLOSE
TIMES
Rest Stop #1 in
Rest Stop #2 at the Mill Creek
Ranger Station at mile 43 will be open from 9:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. There
are bathrooms available at the Ranger Station. We will also have
Porta-Potties for this location. Please thank the Rangers at the Ranger
Station for their support of this event. We couldn’t do it without
them. Rest Stop #2 is at the start of “Damnation Alley”, a road that goes
on forever right into Hell on a hot day. J
Rest Stop #3 at Angelus Oaks at mile
54 will be open from 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Rest Stop #3 is our Bacon stop
and Rest Stop Captain Greg Knight reports that they’re grilling up over 5 Pounds
of Bacon for those fastest riders into his Rest Stop. We will have
Porta-Potties for this location.
DO
NOT LEAVE ANGELUS OAKS TOWARDS REST STOP #4 AT ONYX
DO
NOT ride up to Onyx
Rest Stop #4 at Onyx Summit at mile
74 will be open from 11:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. We will have Porta-Potties for
this location. Be prepared to PARTY with us at the top!! Every 4
Pass Finisher will be awarded a beautiful medal commemorating their awesome day
of cycling!! DO NOT ride up to Onyx
TIMING
This event will be timed. Each
Rest Stop will have an Alphabetical List of Riders.
1.
Be sure to tell the
volunteers your name when you leave at the Start and when you arrive at each
Rest Stop. For your safety and fairness to everyone, you must
check in at every Rest Stop including Rest Stop #1. If you don’t check in
at a Rest Stop, we will give you a 15 minute penalty.
You don’t need
to check out of the Rest Stops because we only record the time you arrived at
each location. Thank the volunteers: this couldn't happen without
them!!
2.
The clock stops when you arrive at the last Rest Stop
that you go to. There is no reason to race down the mountain!! In
fact, the best thing you could do is to easy spin and let your legs recover
after all of the climbing they have just done!!
3.
At
the finish back at
The results will be posted on our
Web Site at www.BreathlessAgony.org showing the time from the Start to each Rest Stop.
There will be separate categories for Men versus Women versus
Tandems.
We tip our hat to those of you who
are attempting this Second Stage of the “King of the Mountains Century
Challenge” at http://www.planetultra.com/KOM/index.html
CUTOFF TIMES : Also included on the
Route Slips
To complete the 3 or 4 Pass Options,
you must begin the climb to Angelus Oaks from the Mill Creek Ranger Station Rest
Stop #2 by 10:30 A.M.
The Angelus Oaks Rest Stop #3 will close at 1:00 P.M. and the Onyx Summit Rest Stop #4 will
close at 3:30 P.M.
LUNCH, MASSAGE,
At
Speaking of awesome Jerseys, check
out the new 2012
http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyxjersey.htm
There will also be a limited number
of matching Breathless Agony Vests, Arm Warmers, and Bike Shorts available for
purchase. This makes for an really great looking kit. This year we
couldn’t afford to hire the nice looking male model to showcase the kit in the
photo at the bottom of the page but you’ll see him in person at
In the event that we run out of any
Breathless Agony clothing this year, we will special order if there is enough
demand. Prepayment for special orders will be required. To comply
with health department regulations, we can’t allow the trying on of shorts … all
sales are final and we won’t be able to handle returns or exchanges.
New for this year is also a
Breathless Agony T-Shirt as described and shown at
http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyxTShirt.htm
This has breath-taking Red, Yellow,
Black and Gray logos on a Black T-Shirt showing Grim Reaper chasing you on the
Breathless Agony Course as well as "Now - Go Elevate Yourself" on the
Front. This high-quality short sleeve T-Shirt was designed by Robert and
Jill Kahler and is available for sale at the Finish Line Party at
Breathless Agony Beverage Glasses
will take your breath away. They’re only $5.00 each.
Newly designed Breathless Agony
Socks are only $8.00 a pair and will give you a 1.48 MPH increase in your
Average Speed.
All of these great Breathless Agony
products are listed on the Order Page at
http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyxjerseyorder.htm
so you can order them later as well
but they’ll all be available for purchase at the Finish Line party back at
COURSE
As highlighted on the Route Sheet,
don't miss the
left turn to Jack Rabbit Trail which is .5 Miles after the Quail Ranch Golf
Course. There is a street sign for Jack Rabbit Trail at
the turn!!
Test riders report that Jack Rabbit
trail has a few new danger spots that may have been not there last year.
The two spots, one on the right side of the trail and one on the left side of
the trail is where the road partially washed out and slid down the embankment,
In those two spots the road is about half it's width. Probably the rain caused
the slippage. So watch your line on Jack Rabbit Trail and think of
Paris-Roubaix.
We have met with the Mayor of Jack
Rabbit who has been busy preparing his main road for us. He’s the only guy
who lives out there!!
Several SAG vehicles will be out
roaming the course. Usually SAG vehicles will have a floor pump and basic
tools. However the SAG drivers will likely not be expert mechanics - so
please do your best to bring a properly tuned, fully functional bicycle, as well
as your own supplies, ability, and desire to happily make any repairs needed
along the way. If you ride exotic racing wheels on the Breathless Agony,
you will run the risk that they fail on these tough roads and we can't fix
'em. We've had a number of riders DNF because of wheel problems. We
sincerely do not want you to be another statistic.
The
The climb up to Oak Glen is steeper
than ever this year. The descent off Oak Glen may also be steeper … WATCH
YOUR DOWNHILL SPEED. It’s an extremely fun – world class descent but the
turns can be sharper than they look so keep your speed under control especially before
going into those turns!! More than one cyclist has lost it in those turns
… and we don’t want you to be one of them. We had a couple of bad crashes
on the first hairpin turn in 2009 due to excessive
speed.
The climb on
http://www.fototime.com/inv/91316845C751EF4
and there were beautiful California
Poppies blooming right to the side of the road. That pavement should be
SWEET next year!!
It
will be critical for all riders to ride single file in this construction zone
and don’t pass other cyclists for this 0.9 miles because there won’t be enough
room for the cars to pass.
Near the top of the Oak Glen climb
there is a sign outside a building called “The Wilshire Apple Shed”. Those
great folks will have a manned water/fruit station set up with a case of bananas
and a case of oranges for them. A welcome sign will greet you as you ride
up the hill. Their parking lot is available for any rider, crew, or
support and/or emergency vehicles. They will be offering a 10% discount to
all riders and support crew off everything in the café. So if you’re not
in a rush, drop by and give these great folks some
business!!
At the bottom of
This course will not be closed to
traffic and will not have police patrolling the roads and intersections.
The road surface conditions will be "terrible to excellent" depending on weather
conditions prior to the ride.
A group of volunteers rode the
entire course last Saturday. It was breathtaking. Rivers were
flowing full throttle, waterfalls were all over the place, and the climb to Onyx
Summit was right up to heaven. Snow and rain this winter has brought a lot
of debris onto the shoulder of the roads so be watchful of this. There is
a screaming downhill on Barton Flats before the final climb up to Onyx Summit
where you need to watch your speed … we had a rider crash there in 2009 because
he hit some rocks on the right side of the road at high speed and ended up in a
ditch. We don’t want any of you crashing on the Breathless Agony.
We do not offer First Aid services
on this ride. If you have a medical emergency, you should call 911 or we
will call 911 for you.
Tips from Alan Darnell of the Veloce
Santiago Team: When riding rough pavement, stay back in the saddle.
Your front wheel will tend to glide over the bumps and irregularities with more
ease. Be careful. Watch your line over the rough sections.
Most of us riding Breathless Agony have spent considerable time on the
road. We know cycling has its risks. We know that we need to ride
within ourselves with the conditions in mind. Excessive speed is usually
the problem. By controlling your speed, you will greatly reduce your
risk. Even though it is not a race, some ride for time. Even though
the decent is fun, you don't gain any time going to the bottom. The time
stops at the top. Take it easy going down.
WEATHER
Normally, this ride can be cool or
cold at the top of the climbs. Weather.com is forecasting the Start at
Redlands to be 53-81 degrees with 0% chance of rain (YAHOO!!), Rest Stop #1 in
Beaumont to be 48-76 degrees with 0% chance of rain, Rest Stop #3 at Angelus
Oaks to be 43-69 degrees with 0% chance of rain, and Big Bear Lake near Onyx
Summit at 8,443 Feet to be 36-65 degrees with a 0% chance of rain. So it
looks like a perfect day for a SERIOUS mountain climb. Onyx
There may be a small puddle at the
top of Jack Rabbit trail so you may want to bring some plastic bags for your
feet. Chuck rode right through the center of the puddle last Saturday so
it was rideable for sure. It will probably be all dried up by tomorrow.
We recommend you carry a U.S. Postal
Service Express Mail Mailing Envelope which folds up very compactly fitting in
your seat pack and which will serve as a great wind protector on your chest for
the descents on this course. These envelopes are made of Tyvek which is
wind resistant. Thanks to the San Diego Randonneurs for sharing this tip:
these mailing envelopes work great so pick some up at your Post
Office.
In 2005, everyone was very cold at
the top. See http://www.cyclingpros.com/Onyx0504.htm
for the actual temperatures. One of the challenges of the Breathless Agony
course is the descent which may be very cold so you must come
prepared.
FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND PERSONAL
SUPPORT VEHICLES
We appreciate the many volunteers
who help us with the Breathless Agony Century. We don’t want additional
friends and family to wait at the rest stops because the roads are already
congested enough with drivers and the cyclists don’t want more cars on the road
during the event. Following, feeding, and constant attending to rider’s
needs are not allowed on this ride and we will DQ any rider with a personal
support vehicle.
In particular this year, there is no
room for additional vehicles at Onyx Summit at the top of the mountain.
There will not be room for any vehicles
of family or friends at Onyx Summit.
IF
YOU DON’T READ ANYTHING ELSE, READ THIS TWICE:
Personal
support vehicles are too dangerous for motorists and too dangerous for riders
with Personal Support Vehicles.
Disqualifications
are going to be handed out and any of our volunteers are authorized to
disqualify riders with Personal Support Vehicles.
Don't
risk disqualification because you allowed a Personal Support Vehicle on the
course.
RULES
Traffic
regulations must be adhered to at all times: Safety is our most important
issue. Be sure to carry I.D. with
you.
Ride
single file in pacelines since there are many shoulders not wide enough for
double wide pacelines.
RUNNING
RE
The
You are
not allowed to have someone else ride for you. Chuck tried to have Big Jens
Voigt ride for him one year but Robert caught onto that and Chuck was
DQ’d. J
You are not allowed to load your
bike on a vehicle and drive down from Onyx Summit. This is further
explained at http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyx.htm#q13
In order to get full credit for the
4 Pass Option of this ride and to be able to order the official recognition at
the Finish of being able to purchase the coveted Breathless Agony Jersey, you
must:
1 -- Ride the entire route of 114
Miles with your helmet on the whole way
2 -- Check out with the Timekeeper
at the Start, Rest Stops 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well as the Finish at
3 -- Leave the Angelus Oaks Rest
Stop before it closes at 1:00 P.M.
4 -- Arrive at the Onyx Summit Rest
Stop before it closes at 3:30 P.M.
Before 2006, there was a growing
tendency for riders to stop riding at Onyx Summit and ride in a vehicle back to
You need to ride your bike the full
114 Miles all the way up to Onyx Summit then all the way down the mountain to
the Start / Finish at
So here's the
logic:
-- This is a bike ride and the fewer
vehicles we add to the roads, the better and safer it will be for
everyone
-- We don't want more vehicles than
necessary on the roads ... polluting this beautiful course more ... wasting
expensive gas
-- We don't want Personal SAGS
helping some riders unfairly ... we will have to disqualify riders with Personal
SAGS
-- The 40 Mile descent down the
mountain is some of the most exciting and best parts of the ride so take your
time and enjoy the scenery
-- The clock stops at the top of the
mountain so don't rush coming down ... be safe ... use your brakes ... recover
from this most difficult test of your mind and body
-- Spin your legs out nice and easy
and you'll feel a whole lot better when you get back to the party at
-- There's a beautiful, newly paved,
wide bike lane down Damnation Alley from the
-- There are beautiful green hills
down near the Ranger Station that you didn't see on the climb up ... and which
you wouldn't even notice in a car
The Breathless Agony Century is a
114 Mile ride and we want you to get your money's
worth!!
NUTRITION
We will have GU, GU Chomps, and
Sport Beans at the Rest Stops along with a ton of great and fun foods to
eat.
We will have “Elevation Fuel”
available at the Rest Stops to mix into your Water Bottles. This is a new
product from a small startup company that we have tested extensively in our
cycling and we believe it will take your endurance to the next level.
There are 3 flavors:
We will also have Gatorade powder in
Lemon Lime,
We also will have a ton of really
good fresh food with great variety and excellent nutrition. Well, maybe
the Mountain Dews and Bacon at Rest Stop 3 aren’t so great nutrition but you
gotta have some fun on rides as hard as this one!! J
Don’t forget to ask for a “Damnation
Dog” at Rest Stop #2. These are like pure Rocket Fuel for “Damnation
Alley”.
Breathless Agony Jet Packs are still
in development as suggested in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H762vyv2eME
and updated in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soKkYRi94uI
but we’ve had a set back this year.
Chuck’s Jet Pack didn’t work again
this year.
In the meantime, to ride like you
have a Jet Pack strapped to your back, we highly recommend that you sign up for
Robert’s Torture Clinics at http://www.cyclingpros.com/Torture.htm
We are sponsored again this year by
Bristol Farms which is an outstanding Food Market in
Our charity is Project Healing
Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. which is a volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, initiated by members of Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly
Fishers, that serves military personnel who have come home wounded or injured to
aid their physical and emotional recovery by introducing or rebuilding the
skills of fly fishing, casting, fly tying, and rod building and by using and
enjoying these skills on fishing outings and as lifelong recreation. For those
suffering with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and many other types of
disabilities, fly fishing is a powerful stress-reliever. Many of our
participants have told us that PHWFF may have saved their lives, pulling them
out of a deep, dark depression following a terrible battlefield injury.
While initially focusing on military personnel in the
TIPS
This is a very difficult but
beautiful ride. It will take your breath away!! Remember to put on your
Sunscreen. Pace
yourself: Start out slowly, take your time, stop at the food
stops, drink and eat enough along the way. We have received over 7,000
Pounds of Food and Water on 4 HUGE Pallets and there is still more to
arrive!! Have fun on those downhills but be sure to ride safe!!
Conservative pacing, cheerful optimism,
and appreciative awareness can be important ingredients in this
ride. Most of all
work hard, enjoy yourself, and ride
safely!!
We are continued to be amazed how
difficult but beautiful the Breathless Agony course is. It’s more difficult than any stage of the
Tour de France that we’ve been able to see. You can
see how the pros climbed Oak Glen in the 2007 Redlands Bike Classic Results at
Velonews.com where they wrote:
"Climbing 1690 feet in about 8km at
an average grade of 6.7 percent, Oak Glen is a hard climb for March." Of
course, on the Breathless Agony, the Oak Glen Climb is only Pass 2 … it just a
warm up for the longer, endless climbs to follow. The Breathless Agony is
truly agonizing with most of it's climbing in the 30 miles from the Mill Creek
Ranger Station to the top of Onyx Summit ... a "brute of a climb that just goes
up and up." From the start in
Thanks for coming out for this most
amazing cycling challenge. We're looking for your suggestions!! We
hope to see you next year!!
Robert (Bossman) Kahler at www.CyclingPros.com
Jill (Mr. Jill) Kahler at www.MrJills.com
Chuck (Bramster) Bramwell at www.CalTripleCrown.com
