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"We had a great ride!!! Our throats were as tired as our legs; we talked to everyone that passed us or we passed. The words of encouragement and support drove us up that hill; one young man even pushed us, twice! Many thanks to you and your support staff, one of the finest rides I have ever done!" |
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"This ride is a benchmark for all other rides – starting with the course (of course), the SAG, the volunteers, the communications, the website… everything. Thank you for all your hard work to make this happen. I rode twenty organized rides last year including six doubles and the Death Ride, and I think this was my favorite, the first one I circled on my calendar for this year. I took ˝ hour off my time from last year and am inordinately proud of myself, this will be the ride I do every year to measure my progress… " |
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"Thanks for organizing another amazing BA! It just gets better every year :-) This ride is a "must do" for me and my riding buddies; it's been five years now and it just gets better every time. It was great to see you in San Diego county a few weeks ago practising on Palomar mountain; we use that ride as our main training climb for BA, it works! You and your whole team should be very proud of the BEST climbing century in SoCal; you all ROCK!!" |
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"This was my first year doing Breathless Agony and I want to commend you all for putting on a FANTASTIC ride!!! It makes all other centuries I have done (many) pale in comparison. It was a difficult ride, but the support & volunteers were AMAZING, the weather was PERFECT and the spirit all around was just SO POSITIVE!!! That last climb up to Onyx Summit definitely makes one "dig deep" but the party at the top was well worth it!!! Kudos to all of you, and you can definitely count on us coming back for more next year!!! WAY TO GO!!!" |
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"Yesterday, I completed stage two of the King of the Mountains Century Challenge: Breathless Agony. First, let me say that this event was amazingly well run. HUGE thanks to Santiago Cycling for doing such a kick ass job. I can’t stress this enough. The event staff were enthusiastic and encouraging from start to finish. SAGs were well staffed and well stocked. Perhaps overstocked (but that’s not a bad thing!); at each rest stop, before I could even get off my bike, I had event staff greeting me, offering words of encouragement and offering to fill my bottles for me. World class service. Overall, awesome event and an awesome ride. I’m looking forward to doing it again next year" |
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"Huge kudos to you and all of the volunteers for putting together a fantastic ride. This was my first time riding the B.A. and I was very impressed. The only downer for me was getting cramps at the 50 mile mark and having to struggle to the top. But, hey that gives me something to improve upon. Thank you again and I look forward to doing this next year." |
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"The support was superb. I am always amazed at how many people so generously give up being with their family, friends, and pets to spend the day helping us perfect strangers try to reach our goals and dreams . It is one of the kindest gestures one can give. Please pass along my thanks to each and every one of the volunteers that made this ride possible." |
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"Thank you for your time and your efforts in all these matters. And thank you for your part in creating what is a truely spectacular event in the arena of personal accomplishment." |
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"Robert, thanks for the note and I appreciate all of your support. I wish that I could have made more of your classes this fall and spring - they are a big help in my conditioning. Thanks for the work you did on my bike last week - correcting my fitting, the new gear and tune up, made all the difference in the world. I know that it was a busy week for you, but you made time to get my bike ready for B.A., and that really made a difference in my ride. By the way - great SAG support. The four stops were GREAT (and of course the lunch in the park). I have been in a few Centuries in the past year - a couple Solvang's, Palm Springs, Amtrak, and a couple smaller rides. Your stops, complete with sandwiches, fruit, Cliff, Gu, Gatorade, snacks were incredible. However, the single biggest difference were your volunteers! There were plenty of volunteers - all of them were friendly, passionate, caring and encouraging - they really wanted to be there and to help make our ride the best it could be. Thanks for making B.A. such a great experience." |
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"I find your efforts for putting on such a wonderful event inspirational in seeing what dedicated people, willing to work hard, can accomplish for the good of others. The venue that you make available to ordinary folks like myself, is nothing short of wonderful, Chuck. I now have an incredible gauge for which to strive to achieve from a personal fitness level that I had no concept was attainable. The guys and gals that finished with the incredible times posted ahead of my efforts prove, beyond any doubt to me, that I have so much more fitness possibilities and an absolutely HUGE and steep learning curve ahead of me. That, Chuck, is truly inspirational to me and only now known to me as a result of your efforts. I’m struggling for the proper words but please accept a very heartfelt “THANK YOU!!” knowing that your efforts are appreciated so much more than mere words can describe." |
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"I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how impressed I was with "The Agony" this last weekend. EVERYTHING was so well organized. The volunteers were abundant and all so nice. Checkout went smoothly, the stops were organized with good food and again very friendly volunteers. Those cowbells were a beautiful sound as you approached the stops. Support vehicles with water along the way were GREAT!!!!! Medals and water glasses were a nice touch. Jersey is beautiful and food at the end was very appreciated. All and all you and your staff did a fantastic job. Ride was still grinding and challenging do not think otherwise. Thank you for a great experience," |
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"You guys did a great job again this year (this was my third Breathless). This is by far the best supported century. It's great to be able to get water or other assistance between the rest stops. Thanks to all the volunteers and thanks for delivering on the weather." |
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"Great ride (second time). Your volunteers are the best in the business. " |
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"You guys ran an unbelievable event. First class all the way. I found the sag stops extremely well organized and the volunteers were terrific. It makes the suffering a little more endurable… And the after ride burrito’s were great. You let both Sam and me in after the sign up window was closed and we really thank you for that." |
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"I and my fellow Goodrich Cyclepaths would like to thank you for the great job you guys did on this years Breathless. This is the 3rd time some of us have done this ride and I have to tell you, YOU GUYS OUTDID YOURSELVES ON THIS ONE!! The volunteers were totally awesome, a friendlier and more helpful bunch I have yet to see. I don’t know what you guys did to make the weather cooperate but I’m guessing some pretty serious Mojo was at work. The rest stops were well stocked and my only regret was that I didn’t take the time to more fully enjoy the offerings as others in my group were in a hurry to get to Onyx. The Red Diamond rattlesnake you planted alongside Damnation Alley was an interesting touch and sure got my adrenaline flowing when it rattled at us. Anyway once again great job and please let all the volunteers know that they were greatly appreciated, especially the guy driving the big Dodge diesel who stopped to give us encouragement at the 8000’ foot level. Dale Webster President – Goodrich Cyclepaths Bicycle Club" |
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"As a ride participant, I wanted to express my thanks to you and all the support persons on these ride. What a friendly group of people, excellent food, and hydrated drinks for us. Very nice seeing you up there." |
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"Thank you for the excellent support you gave for this year's Breathless Agony. It seems that every year, your system is getting better and better. I like the new change that you guys took my bike from me at the summit and not worry about it. It also gave us more room to lay down our tired bodies! Thank you and more power to you and all the volunteers! Christina 4th time BA Rider" |
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"Thanks for putting together another great event. The support and SAG were even better than last year. All the rest stops had plenty of supplies to keep us energized and the volunteers kept us motivated. This year we had at least 9 people from my club (Pasadena Triathlon Club) joined in the fun, and we all finished and had a great time. I like to give you guys a big THANK YOU and please thank all the volunteers and the Grim Reaper! Everyone wanted a picture with the Grim Reaper and he was so nice and accommodating. We really appreciate everything. BTW, the only disappointment was that before the ride I kept looking on the website to see if Chuck has any videos for the 2009 worker's ride, but didn't find any. It was very motivational to see him cranking up in the heat last year! :-) THANKS again!" |
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"What can I say? That beer glass is the best thing since bread was first sliced and Al Gore invented the Internet. I'm not sure how you can top that next year, other than perhaps providing Breathless Agony Summit Ale for those riders that get their glass unbroken to Onyx Summit??" |
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"Thanks for an awesome day.. The challenge absolutely lived up to the hype.. Great weather and terrific support made for an outstanding day. I like the Jersey and loved the ride and would like to be able to continue to live through it until next year ... All my best and thanks for all your work," |
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"Thanks for putting on a great ride. I rode the Breathless Agony for the first time last year and after the ride called some friends in Utah and told them they need to come down for this ride. Two of three made it and due to your dedicated volunteer's help we had a great ride and made it to Onyx Summit with about 30 minutes to spare. My out of state friends had arranged to meet a little prior to 6AM since we needed the early start to finish prior to the cut off. As I proceeded to go over to registration, my rear wheel spoke broke resulting in my wheel not even moving. I proceeded to registration and was told to talk to your dedicated volunteer guy in shorts. I proceeded to explain to him my issue and I had already thought I was going to be heading to a bike shop around 9AM and meeting up with my friends at checkpoint 2. Your dedicated volunteer took my plight as a challenge and we headed over to his vehicle to see what he could do. He went right to work on the task. The first obstacle was the spoke was on the cassette side, but he had his McGyver box and pulled out everything he needed to get the task done. Every challenge my wheel or tire presented he took on and he was not going to be stopped. He put my wheel together and had Robert finish the final task of truing the wheel. We were able to get on the road around 7AM. During the ride I would run into your dedicated volunteer who helped me and he would ask about the wheel and each time I'd see him I'd tell him its holding up great. Your dedicated volunteer saved my day since I had been planning to do this ride since last year with my friends and he made what I thought was going to be a bad day into a great day. Its people like your dedicated volunteer and all the support people that make these rides. Keep up the great work and I'll see you next year." |
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"This is just a note to thank you and all the volunteers and staff for a great and fun ride yesterday. This was my first time doing this ride. I only did the 2 pass option. That was enough for this 65 year old! I am more of a mountain biker than a roadie and really missed my low gears. My 39x27 was quite a challenge. I have never been in this area before (except on the freeways) and was amazed and delighted by the awesome scenery and wide open spaces. The rest stops and lunch were very well organized with plenty of food. I am glad my roadie friend talked me into doing this." |
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"Yesterday's Breathless Agony ride was truly one of the hardest, brutal rides I've done-right up there with The Death Ride, for sure!!!! I just want to thank you, all of your volunteers, SAG folks and the Grim Reaper for being out on the course yesterday. The SAG guys were up and down all day yesterday keeping an eye out on all of the riders, making sure we had plenty of water and encouragement. I couldn't have finished without all of the encouragement they and the other volunteers provided. This was really one of the very best organized and supported rides I've done. Thanx for all the hard work you put in for all of us!! It was a beautiful ride. I have one more KOM (Queen) ride to go.... P.S. I want people to know what an incredible job you all did. I did that ride by myself, so I really meant it when I said that the volunteers were a key part to my finishing the ride!!" |
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"I just wanted to thank both of you for hosting such a wonderful event yesterday. The rest stops, the workers and of course the race was so well done. From a rider's stand point, I wouldn't change a thing. Robert, I owe you a debt of gratitude for making it posible for me to complete yesterday's ride and your training classes and guidance enabled me to get that medal. Chuck, Your great emails and rides throughout the year inspires all of us that there is so much that we can do in cycling. Both of you give us riders many good reasons to achieve personal success on our bikes. Thanks again," |
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"I wanted to thank you for such an awesome event yesterday. The word to describe that ride is epic. The staff was so friendly and wonderful, the support, food and atmosphere were great. You were able to get me in this ride from the waiting list as I am trying to earn my KOM this year. Thanks for making that happen. 2 down, 1 to go! Thanks again for a great day." |
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"First I wanted to say thank you very much to you and your team for hosting the event this year. This was my first Breathless Agony. You did a wonderful job organizing it and I had a great time. I came all the way from Kansas City for the ride and I'm definitely planning on coming back in 2008. I wanted to let you know I have finished the post processing of a time lapse movie I made with a high definition video camera that was on my bike during the ride. I put it up on You Tube to share with everyone. You can find details and a link to the video at: http://www.orangesmoothie.org/breathless/ I would be delighted if you would care to share it with everyone in your next group email update. I know I would not have been able to finish without the wonderful support at all the rest stops. I know how much goes into putting an event like this together and you did a awesome job, Thanks again. I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to thank you in person at the event. " |
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"I'm still on cloud nine!! Gosh, I don't know why I was dragging my feet on signing up for the Breathless Agony. Maybe it's the "agony" part. ;-) On the other hand, I can hardly wait to do it again next year! This is an awesome ride!! I do appreciate the compliments. You are too kind! Thanks for putting on a GREAT ride and for the chance for me to register. " |
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"Yeah, it was agonizing and I advertised it as such to cohorts who may be there next year. What a great event! That last 2-3 miles was hell, esp with the altitude and cold. I'm a white knuckler on downhills (I'm a triathlete, what can I say), so probably smoked my pads all the way back to the park, but the uphill was the hardest ride I've ever done, including the 112 in the Ironman. Thanks again for putting on a great ride. " |
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"Overall another great year. Great food and friendly service. I have no complaints. I even enjoyed the weather too. " |
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"Thanks for putting on an excellent event. Kudos to the entire support crew! " |
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"The individual who rode BA with the power of only one leg is Jerry Hubner. He came down with polio at the age of five, which left him with little strength in his left leg. He wears a carbon fiber brace to support the leg when he is riding. I met Jerry four years ago in spin class and have never met anyone as passionate about cycling. His father owned a bike shop, so he grew up around bikes and has been riding and working on them since he was a kid. He has a garage full of bikes which include a fixed gear for when he does time trials and a custom made daVinci tandem. Whenever I have a question about my bike or need something fixed, he is the first person I call. The smiles on our faces are not only for our own accomplishment but for his as well. It was the first time riding BA for all of us and it was a great day. The weather was prefect and the support was fantastic. I am sure Jerry will be out there with you again next year and once I recover, I may consider it as well. " |
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"Got in this year on the wait list, THANKS. The whole ride / experience was incredible, THANKS. Jack Rabbit was a gas. The weather was beautiful, you did a great job on that, THANKS. The party up top was awesome, THANKS. Thanks again. What a Good Time. Hope to see you next year. " |
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"I did every mile of the ride and it was fantastic. I went into this ride with a 3rd place in the King of the Mountains Challenge. I got a late start which was compounded when my chain busted at the bottom of Redlands Blvd with no tools. I was at the mercy of the mountains. Fortune smiled on me when a fellow named Daniel stopped to help. He didnt have a chain tool but he did have a bottle opener presumably for beers after long rides... well he pried my busted link open and I pounded the link back together with two rocks and rolled on up the hill... At any point, I could have quit but didn't. Thanx for allowing me to find out who I really am. Thanx for letting me meet the grim reaper. See you next year at the top and the bottom. " |
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"This was an awesome ride! Most of the course had very little traffic, fantastic vistas, and of course, epic climbs. And epic climbs usually mean great descents, which the "agony" ride has plenty of. The volunteers at the checkpoints were all outstanding and SAG support was always nearby! Now I know why the stretch along Highway 38 is called "Damnation Alley". Thanks again for a great day. " |
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"Once off the summit the temps warmed up and it was a glorious downhill ride on a beautiful day. Why would I give that away? I wear my jersey (in every color available in size medium) with pride and look in the mirror with confidence. Thanks SO MUCH for sponsoring such a wonderful ride. I LOVED it and I'll be back. P.S. This is by far my most favorite ride of all the rides I've done to date. By FAR!! " |
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"Thanks for all the fabulous volunteers on the Breathless Agony on Saturday! I was so cold all day - even going up the mountain - that I especially appreciated the guys at the top who outfitted me with a custom-fitted garbage bag for the way down! Thanks! " |
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"Great event! Great food! Great support! My second year in a row to the summit. After last year's ride I told several of my friends how challenging and fun the ride was. Four of them were able to sign up this year. One friend dropped out before the event due to an illness in the family, the other three rode successfully to the top. Save a space for me in 2008! " |
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"You guys put on an absolutely great ride. It was the toughest ride I've ever participated in & completed (all 114 miles). I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks again. " |
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"I just wanted to write you and thank you and all the Breathless Agony Staff for putting on a fantastic event. This was the first time for me and my friend. We were both amazed by the support we received from the moment we registered until the time we said goodbye eleven hours later in Sylvan Park. The thing that I was constantly amazed by is the fabulous support the support staff provided at every rest stop. And when I finished (with a less than astounding time) they made me feel like I had won a gold medal! Words really don't begin to convey what a great feeling I have from this ride and all the people associated with it. I think I probably owe the biggest thanks to you Chuck, I can only begin to imagine the hard work you put into this event. Thank you very much. I look forward to next year. " |
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"I’m happy to say that I did complete the whole 114 miles, actually 112.3 according to my computer. You guys did a great job as usual but you still haven’t flattened out the last nine miles to the top of Oynx Summit. I hope you have this rectified by the time I do this ride again. If possible try and reduce the gradient to a manageable 5%. Thank you, Dale Webster President – Goodrich Cyclepaths. P.S. The plastic trash bag was appreciated for the downhill." Checkout Dale Webster's 2007 Breathless Agony Story with his Goodrich Cyclepaths Cycle Club |
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"Thanks, It was great, what an awesome ride.. Look forward to it next year, thanks, " |
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"Thank you for a fantastic day of riding. The weather was great and so was all the support. See you next year! " |
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"I know that I put a lot of work into earning my BA jersey. Great ride, top notch in every way. I can't wait till next year. I hope to bring an even larger group from Inland Inferno next year. All the best, " |
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"Had a great time killing myself on that blasted ride. A lot of fun! ... I firmly believe that downhills have to be earned. Thanks for putting on a great event. Perhaps I can do it again next year and maybe on a real climber's bike instead of my triathlon bike. " |
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"Thank you for the awsome ride and great support, see you next year for more agony." |
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"I would like to start off first by letting you know that I very much appreciated the fact that you went to the trouble to find me a spot in this event even though I was late with my registration. The ride was great. The support was fantastic. What a challenge. I actually found this ride to be somewhat more difficult than the Mulholland Challenge. The climbs were relentless. It was actually difficult to the end with the last 14 or so miles with a ridiculous headwind. Having said all that I did notice what you mentioned in the email about participants having arranged pickups on the return route. I did find this to be wrong and you are absolutely right about to be upset about it. You made it very clear in your ride description that arranged pickups were not allowed. I did purchase a jersey and I am quite proud of the fact that I indeed finished the 114 miles. I look forward to next years event. I just have not decided whether I will wear the Breathless Agony or the King of the Mountain Jersey. Time will tell. Once again, thank you. " |
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"Thank you Chuck and I'm proud to wear my jersey and can't wait for next year. I want to thank all the volunteers for their great work too. Take care everyone and safe riding! " |
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"Thanks for a fantastic ride. It was all I expected and much more. Cheers to your volunteers and I can not wait for next year. I DID finish the entire 114 mile ride and picked up my awesome jersey. With much appreciation. " |
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"Thank you for putting on a great ride, Chuck! The support was peerless. The volunteers at the rest stops were great and every time I looked around I would see a SAG car. I felt like he was my guardian angel ensuring that I made it up that mountain. I even saw him at Angeles Oaks when I was riding down the mountain. And as you know, it was a HUGE win for me to ride all 4 passes! Another thing that was amazing was as I was about 5 miles from the summit and riders were riding down the hill, they would yell encouragement to me and say things like, you're almost there .... keep going, you can do it .... you're 2 miles from the summit, etc. As I was approaching the final right turn to the final hill, one rider told me that that was the final turn & I would see the top. Chuck, I can't tell you how helpful and encouraging it was to be on the receiving end of those cheers. Fantastic! This year, my goal was to finish the ride and I'm thrilled that I did it! Now I'm looking forward to riding the Breathless Agony next year & improving on my time. Thanks again for a fantastic ride! " |
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"Thank you for getting me at the last minute, so that I could complete the King of the Mountain Challenge. My time should be around 6:40 which is slower than last year's but I've just started training again due to back problems, and so was very happy with my time. I was likewise disappointed to hear about the shuttlers. Coming down Onyx, I actually had to stop FIVE times due the bike shaking so bad, but the clock had already stopped so what was the hurry. I waited a few minutes, warmed up and then continued on. One of the best parts of the ride for me, was flying down from Angelus Oaks and catching a group that swelled to about 12 and then hammering all the way back to the park together in paceline. It was pretty cool. Too bad some decided to miss out on it. By the way, the bacon at the Angelus Oaks stop was awesome! Someone offered it to me and I thought they were kidding...they were not. It seemed like a really bad idea, but it was actually tasty and I was able to finish the climb pretty strong. Go Bacon! " |
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"Breathless Agony is a difficult (!!!) ride, but it is a great experience that I truly enjoyed for the first time on Saturday. To you and the rest of the folks that worked so hard to give us this opportunity, I wanted to say thank you again. " |
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"You and your staff ran a very well organized event. Nice friendly volunteers at every rest stop handing out advice and encouragement. I will be back next year to ride the whole course again! " |
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"It was an awesome ride and you had great staff to cheer us on. I live in Redlands and I have never done the whole ride; it was awesome! " |
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"This was my 1st Breathless Agony. I am a 3 time Ironman finisher and was probably just as excited if not more about riding the course Saturday. My knees actually hurt more than in any Ironman I have ever completed. Those last 8 miles are brutal. Great time though. I have always wanted to ride those hills up to BB. My wife has just not wanted to ride SAG. Thanks so much to you and your crew for putting this together. Will be back for next year for sure. " |
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"Thanks for putting on a great event. Rest stops were well run & lots of water!!! Many thanks. And a big thanks to all the volunteers! " |
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"Great ride, well organized and great volunteers, I tried to remember to thank everyone. I felt much better than the first time I rode it! " |
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"Great ride guys! Everything was flawless. The food, the organization, the volunteers, and all the friendly riders... just a fantastic event. I'll be back for more next year. " |
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"I rode the 2004 Breathless Agony and promised to return the next year – you had that testimonial on your site. A few months later I was diagnosed with acute osteoarthritis in both hips and told I would need both hips replaced before too long. Last year on July 11th as I lay in pre-op for a double hip replacement I told my girlfriend my goal was to ride Breathless the next May. My dream came true last week and I think I broke the six hour barrier as well. That was my other goal….. It was a very emotional day to first see another rider with a prosthetic leg and then cross that line at Onyx Summit. I had a great time with friends doing a great ride. It was not quite the same as my old Category 2 days but it wasn’t bad…. Thank you very much, " |
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"This was my 2nd year doing B.A. And it is BY FAR…the best run bike tour I have ever participated in…FIRST CLASS AND WORTH EVER PENNY…. You guys are great… " |
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"I just want to say thank you for another successful breathless agony ride! Every year you make a great ride even better! One of the best things that i noticed.... was the roving porta potties! Taking them from checkpoint to checkpoint prior to driving them up to onyx was a wonderful idea/plan!!!! I remember last year the looooooong lines at checkpoints one and two... and contemplated scoping out alternate facilities.... i didn't have to! So whether it was an accident or pre-planned... it made for VERY smooth facilities at the stops! Please do this again next year!!!!! So anyways.... i just wanted to give you all another big attaboy! The volunteers at all the stops were great! See you next year!!!!!!!!!!! " |
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"Wow . . . fun, fun, fun. Thanks for organizing such a great event. Everything was terrific. Fun group, excellent ride and a seriously good time. I met your friend Alan too, who was a blast. Anyone who looks that happy for 114 miles deserves some special reward. Alan was very nice and supportive to me - a newbie on this type of ride. Just wanted to say thanks!! " |
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"Thank you and all of the volunteers for a memorable ride. I completed rides like Paris-Brest-Paris 20 years ago! This was one of the hardest single day rides that I have ridden. It was made easier by all of the support along the way. " |
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"I just wanted to write you both to thank you for a fantastic "Breathless Agony" (can you call agony fantastic?). It was a fun day with great weather and a good ride mixed in. I know you both (and probably countless others) spent a lot of time preparing for and hosting the race. Everything thing seemed to go very smoothly. I appreciate all of your hard work. Also, please send my thanks to all the others who helped out on race day. The race was made all the better by friendly smiling faces greeting you with food and drink. I never thought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could taste that good :)" |
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"Just wanted to say thanks for a great ride. The course was challenging, the rest stops well-stocked, the volunteers extremely helpful and pleasant, check-in was painless. I thoroughly enjoyed my day of beautiful views, good climbs and engaging camaraderie." |
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"Thanks for a really great riding experience today on the Breathless Agony. It was my first year riding it and I was overwhelmed by how difficult it was. I even got a little choked up when I finally saw the end in sight. " |
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"Kudos to all the volunteers who served as breaths of fresh air during Breathless Agony. Great event!" |
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"First I will just say thank you for organizing the ride today! Everything was perfect, good food at the reststops and at the finish in the park, nice people serving us and even blankets at the final top. This was my was first time doing the ride and enjoyed it a lot." |
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"Thanks so much for putting on this event. What a great and exciting challenge (cold/foggy weather aside!), with wonderful support! Probably the best support I have ever experienced in any event I have participated in (mountain, road, running, etc). It was a great feeling to get to the top and have people cheering to the very end. Gotta love the Grim Reaper, too! THANK YOU! See you next year!" |
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"I loved this ride! thanx for putting it on!!!!" |
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"Looks like I'll be dumping the "speedplay" pedals next year - that pond crossing was my undoing. Great ride!" |
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"This is the most challenging ride that I have ever done since recovering from cancer. I am blessed and thankful to have finished in 5:32. I loved the U2 music - they are my favorite band." |
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"The greatest testimonial I could give you is that 2004 was my second "Breathless Agony" following my first "Breathless Agony" in 2003. When there are so many great cycling events to experience, to repeat one is high praise. The ride Saturday was my best day on a bicycle. I have completed 9 Ironman triathlons on 6 continents in the last 4 years. Your ride is one of the best training rides ever..... great for strength and stamina building. It also was nice that the weather was magnificent and the support crew was efficient, friendly and helpful. "Long live the Breathless Agony!" |
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"Thanks for such a great ride! Everything went really well. I'm looking forward to next year!" |
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"This was my first shot at Breathless Agony. What a challenge!! :-) Onyx Summit was the toughest 75 miles of my career. To me, it was tougher than the first 75 miles of Devil Mountain (my only comparable ride). I'm a hot weather rider. It was the 90 Degrees at the Ranger Station that got me up to Angelus Oaks. After Angelus Oaks, I was on auto-pilot to Onyx. What a RUSH!!! Thanks!" Editors Note: Frank has ridden over 44 Double Centuries, 5 Triple Centuries and Paris-Brest-Paris, 1999 among many other accomplishments!! The Devil Mountain Double has nearly 20,000 Feet of Climbing in 200 Miles!! |
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"Chuck, You, Robert & Jill and all of the volunteers made Saturdays ride truly outstanding! Thanks for the hard work and the encouragement by everyone along the way, especially to the woman at Onyx Summit that filled my coke glass and helped me open a cherry pie. I could hardly stand up at the time!!" |
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"Wow! If I had thought of how intense this really was I don't know if would have done it! Over-all, I found I had enough to complete the ride with energy to spare, but I had never cramped before. Now I know the importance of electrolyte tablets. ... I just want to thank you all for putting all your time, and contact time into this event. I hope to ride it again, mainly because of the hospitality and concern you all showed. The ride is the thing, but people make it worth while!" |
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"I completed all four passes of the BA last Saturday, and am writing to thank you for a very nice experience. I really underestimated the difficulty of the ride, but I managed to finish before the cutoff time. I especially appreciate the quantity and quality of support provided. I did the ride in 2000, and the improvement I saw is remarkable. Please pass on my appreciation for all the work that everyone did. Now that the torturous memories of Damnation Alley are fading into the background, I'm looking forward to next year. Here's my bullet list of things that really increased the quality level (in no particular order): - the enthusiasm and service level of all the volunteers involved. Really top-notch! - manning the turn at Jack Rabbit Trail. I missed this turn (along with other people) in 2000, which put me behind, and out of it mentally. - the Rice Crispy treats. Great ride food. - the nice, clean porta-potties on the trailer. Very good idea. - the variety of drinks, including name-brand sodas. Plain water & Gatorade get tiresome; it's nice to have a Coke after Oak Glen. - the post-ride food. Surprising quantity and quality (although I know to get there earlier next year.) I only have one nit-pick thing I would suggest changing, and that is the font size on the route slip. No big deal, it'd just be easier to read. Again, thanks for all the effort everyone put in - you succeeded in creating a memorable event for everyone who participated." |
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"This was my 2nd year doing this ride and I'll probably will be back next year. You guys did a great job with the support. My only suggestion would be have some veggie burgers available at the lunch stop for us for don't eat meat. Other then that is was a great ride." |
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"Great ride and a good event if someone is planning on trying the Markleeville Death Ride." |
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"I thought the ride this year was the best I've seen it. The organization was smooth, the rest stops were very good and well staffed, and overall everyone (especially the Reaper) did a magnificent job! Can't wait for next year!" |
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"It's late Sunday. I'm tired. Thought I'd answer the questions now that I have graduated from the 'School for the Self-Abusive'. How Steep Is This Road? There are some questions one just does not ask. 'How high is up?' 'If a tree falls in the woods and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?' Some things just cannot be explained. They must be experienced. Where are the Steepest Parts? Yes! Are there any places where I can really recover? Yes (in the Jacuzzi upon returning home) Where are the hottest parts of the course? Yes! Where in the course is most of climbing? Yes! During my training, what kinds of gradients do I need to climb to simulate those on the Breathless Agony? Nothing in South Orange County comes close. Only thing I can think of is Newport Coast repeats. At least I focused on that the last 4 weeks. Where is Damnation Alley? Does it really go on forever? There are some things that one would just prefer to forget (until next year). and 'Yes'. Thanks for a great day. It was a very well organized event with a lot of the ‘little stuff’ covered. Things like easy registration, well stocked rest stops, properly located rest stops, people taking pictures, some guy dressed like the grim reaper on a very hot day (Thanks Chuck), a recognition award as we reached the summit, and a nice lunch at the end of the day to both allow fro some socializing and replacing all the sugar consumed during the day with some protein... Anyway, please pass this on to Robert, Jill and all the terrific volunteers. Your volunteers at registration, the rest stops, and unfortunately the ones I met in the gold SAG van as I was cramping at mile 73 just 3/4 a mile from the summit, were all extremely helpful and supportive from start to finish. Thanks again to all involved for a great event. Truly the toughest, but the one so far for which I've felt the most accomplishment. The Breathless Agony Award magnet is proudly positioned on the dash of my Subaru." |
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"I just wanted to say thank you so much to you all that put on a great event. All the people that I came in contact with were just awesome. The event was everything you said it would be. I finished well within the required times and I was so excited. My wife asked if I would do it again and I said without a doubt. I am looking forward to receive my new jersey when it arrives. I want to start wearing here in Phoenix and hopefully next year I will bring a bus load of riders. Again, I had a great time at Breathless of Agony!" |
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"I just wanted to drop you a line to say how wonderfully organized this ride was. All your volunteers were great and the course was truly a challenge. I made it to pass 3, next year will have to try for Pass 4 - something to shoot for! The party at Sylvan was a wonderful way to finish the day. The food was great and I had a great time sharing stories with all the other riders. Also, all the people I met from Santiago Cycling Club were so friendly. I look forward to seeing many of them at the Ride around the Bear next month. Thanks again Chuck for all of your hard work in organizing this event! I'll be back next year." |
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"Thanks for a fantastic ride and the perfect weather! It gets better every year ... I always count on the Breathless to scare me into shape every Spring and it’s always epic for different reasons every year." |
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"Thanks for a great ride!! I look forward to doing it again next year (kinda). I wanted to add that I thought your aid stops were perfect. Great food and drink. The Mountain Dew really hit the spot for me. Dr Pepper would have been the only thing that could have made my eyes light up more than that green can (other than seeing the final crest of the mountains!). The stops were perfectly spaced and I wouldn't want to do the ride without them. Thanks so much to those who manned them and provided us the food and drink." |
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"Thanks for a great event. Support was great and the route was Tour de France stage quality. The descent was a blast following the summit. I will be back next year and more aware of all the turns early on (won’t miss any of them)." |
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"Just wanted to thank you and all the volunteers for all the hard work you put into today's ride. I made it to the top and had a good (maybe a little agonizing) time doing so. Probably the most enjoyable century I've done. Thanks to all and especially you for making it so. Hope to see you next year." |
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"Great day! Wonderful support and, I believe, the friendliest people I have ever done a ride with. Everyone was nice, supportive, just terrific. It is a HARD ride. That last couple of miles were brutal, but the end was worth it. Thanks for everything. I am doing the PAC Tour Ridge of the Rockies this year and can do it knowing I have all ready done the hard training. See you next year." |
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"Breathless Agony was the best ride I have done in the last five years. I was especially glad to be able to do the ride since I had some surgery on December 30th and I am still regaining strength and energy. I would like to take this opportunity to give credit to Robert Kahler. Without the Speed and Power Clinic I doubt that I would have recovered enough strength in this short time to complete such a demanding ride. The weather was perfect, the rest stops were well stocked and the volunteers were great. My coca-cola at Onyx summit was the best coke I have ever had." |
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"This was my first Breathless Agony ride, and I have to tell you it was likely one of the most physically demanding things I have ever done. As I drove home afterwards I was thinking that I would likely not do it again next year. Now that I have had a chance to heal a bit, I am actually entertaining the idea of returning next year. The support personal were outstanding! I believe of just about every one of my between Rest Stop breaks, I had someone from the support group stop and ask if I needed anything. I have ridden in quite a few Century rides, and I have to say that your team impressed me, by far, the most. Thank you very much." |
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"I really enjoyed the ride on Saturday. The weather was great, the scenery was beautiful, the volunteers were great, and the ride was as challenging as promised. I especially enjoyed seeing the Grim reaper out on the course. Humor and silliness are great at lifting the spirit during a long, tough ride. It warmed my heart to hear the Grim Reaper playing Allman Brothers. Thanks for the extra water at the Forest Falls turn, I needed it! ... Thanks so much for a terrific ride! All the energy that you and the other volunteers put into it made it a great experience for us riders." |