Winter Solstice Double Century, 12-17-05

December 17, 2005--A small group of riders set out once again from Ken Holloway's home in San Jose, California, aiming to ride 200 miles on the (almost) shortest day of the year. Held each year in the dead of Winter, the Winter Solstice Double Century is very low-key: just three rest stops, limited sag support, and always the threat of cold or wet weather (or both). This year's edition turned out not so cold, but we did get rained on for about the last 40 miles.

This year's ride was by coincidence exactly six months from the start of the Big Fix, a fundraising cross-country fixed gear ride starting June 17, 2006. And with that ride looming ahead of us, Mojo Cosgrove and ( Campy Only's Eric Norris) decided to ride our fixed gear bicycles. This was our second time doing the WSDC on fixies, and once again it worked out fine--we even shaved a bit over an hour off last year's time ... although following the route sheet and not getting lost in the Silicon Valley in the dark helped a bit :-)

Presented below, photos by Campy Only's Email us if you would like a higher-res version of any of the photos.

BTW, if you would like to help sponsor Campy Only's Eric Norris in next year's Big Fix (and help fight a deadly childhood disease) click here to donate any amount via a secure online site. Thank you!

Mojo readies his Quickbeam for the day's journey	We had about two hours of darkness to start the ride	Top of Saratoga Road, a steep little pitch outside Gilroy	Gilroy rest stop. Century riders started and ended here	At Gilroy
Campy Only's fixed-gear Quickbeam, fully equipped with baggage	Heading south from Gilroy		Jim is a world record holder on a recumbent	Mojo and Jim enjoy some hot coffee on a cold morning. Mojo treated.
After our coffee stop, we caught up with Lori and her gold lame' cycling shorts	On Quien Sabe road, Mojo says, "Who knows?"	The store at Paicines, where they no longer let tired cyclists use the restroom	Watering up in Paicines	Another shot of our bike
Lori gets upside down in Paicines	Almost at the turnaround at the Pinnacles National Monument	Rest stop at Pinnacles	Mojo's bike	Heading back north
	Back in Gilroy for the second time		A somewhat foggy shot of Campy Only's Eric Norris cuddling up with a Starbuck's coffee. About 15 miles to go!

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