Bike for Bender- SART Hell Ride

As @riiz pointed out, the SART Hell Ride also falls on Halloween... Along with the (maybe) Julian Death March and the Quick and Dirty Filthy 50.

My only experience with the Bike for Bender organization was the Pioneertown Gravel Grinder, and it was a good ride, with a really good atmosphere... If I hadn't spent so much time talking to them at the aid stations, I might have put in a better time. I will definitely do this one again...

I made a new thread, so it gets its own calendar entry...

http://www.bikeforbender.com/sart-hell-ride/

 

This is a great ride and perhaps a chance for a meet and greet?

 

I signed up to go to this last year; but it was nasty rainy that morning and I bailed on the ride.

I would like to do this, as I too found the Pioneertown ride to be organized well. However, that'll be a week after VQ and I might need to rebuild some wife points (as I'll be riding a lot for training prior)

So tentative!

 

I'm still kicking around the hollow shell of a Death March if it happens on Halloween...

 

I've thought about doing this event the past couple years but still haven't. Sounds fairly doable with 2500 feet climbing but a longish day on the bike w/36 miles on mostly singletrack. Hmmm...

http://www.bikeforbender.com/sart-hell-ride/

edit/add: I like the cause, getting youngsters into biking "Donations will help support the 2016 High School League Kickstarter Scholarship Program and the High School League Summer Camp Scholarship Program."

All I see on the website is $20 for the shuttle. Is there a fee/donation if you self shuttle? Maybe I'm missing it...

 

I've done the SART Hell Ride two or three times and it never disappoints. Always a little bottle-necky for the first few miles and then it magically opens up and is always a blast. As we get closer to the date, post up if you'll be there and hopefully I can put some names to faces. I'll likely be coming from either the West LA area or SGV, so post up if you're looking for a carpool. I will likely have at least one spot available in my car.

 

No. It's mostly just a large advertised group ride. The $20 is for shuttle reservations, and if you have a group of people who are willing to self shuttle, then you don't even need to pay that!

 

The Pioneertown ride was the same way... They had donation jars at the registration table in the morning. It was voluntary, but I gave the same amount that I've paid for similar rides. It was a good cause, and there were quite a few teens out there that day. I chatted with a few... before they left me in the dust.

 

I have been wanting to do this for a couple of years. This is the one that ends up at the Hangar Micro Brewery...right?
You wanna go prepared for this one as last year I think it rained and folks were soaked...!

 

Did it last year as a OTB club ride.
Here is my recollection of that day: It was freaking dark and cold early in the morning at the brewery parking lot. Once we situated ourselves in our self organized shuttles, we drove up.
It started to rain as we drove past the post office (oh crap...). Stopped raining at the drop point, but it was BUTT COLD. Oh well, we geared up and took off before the official group picture at the start moment, just to avoid the bottleneck. It started to rain AND hail and then we were both wet and cold. Crap, I could not feel my fingers.
At Morton peak I changed into some dry clothes and was good to go, rain was but a memory by then. The single track coming down from Morton peak was a blast.
Made it to the Hangar for some tasty brews and some pizza and some great company...

Hell ride ?? Hell yea... (38.9 miles in about 4.5 hours with 3617 ft elevation)

 

When I chatted with the volunteers at the turnaround point in Pioneertown, they touted the likelihood of bad weather for the Hell Ride... It's part of the culture of the ride! They proudly exclaimed that it would go down no matter the conditions...

 

Personally, I grew up in Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie... I've seen enough bad weather to last a life time.

 

Yeah the weather is usually freakish whatever day the Hell-ride jappens to fall on, one year it even snowed at the top, lol. But the weather is just one small part of the adventure, and the other half is the single-track that doesnt get ridden much like Thomas Hunting Grounds and Morton Peak. They are amazing and it shames me a bit that being somewhat local to them, I dont ride them more than once or twice a year.

 

This will be my 4th year it is an awesome event. It never disappoints the weather is a part of the ride. If you don't like extreme don't do this ride. If you are an "adventure cyclist" or a "craft beer snob" then you can't miss this one. There is a bit of exposure along the way. So grab your bars clip in and pedal damn it. See some of you out there.

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Oh lordy, "craft beer snob." I'm in!!!!

 

Practicing for the Hell Ride post ride party.

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A damn fine brew.

 

I plan to hit this up. It would be a great meet and greet. We need to figure out a way to meet and ride this event together.
Who all plans to do this ride?

 

My buddy and I have it in our calendar!!!

 

I'm new here but I'm in for this ride.

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I've done this ride the last three years. Even with extreme weather still fun.

 

Yes, I'm nuts. I just looked at the GPS track, and I'd like to do it in the other direction. Holy crap, that would be hard.

 

Yes it would be hard.

 

Or go big and do it as an out and back......

 

There would be some hike a bike for sure![emoji27]

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Awesome! Let's stay in contact!

 

Tempting...

 

Not the same day as the event. I hope.

 

Hmmmm...Probably not.

 

Worthy ride, and an even more worthwhile cause put on by a great group...I'm on the fence.

Doing it in reverse is nuts for even me...which means its probably something I'll try...that being said, the gem of the ride is the portion of SART below the Post Office at Angelus Oaks, rarely ridden, and a great mix of flow, exposure, dg, rock, soil, meadows, with a very small climb in the middle up a section of fire road. I wouldn't rate it the greatest ST ever, but because it seems to be rarely ridden (on my Breathless Agony descent in early May, no tire tracks in the dust below the Morton Peak Fire lookout), that makes it special. I'd also suggest that with the forecast of El Nino coming up, there's likely to be significant trail repair required after the winter...this would give you an appreciation for the trail, and perhaps some motivation to volunteer some time as conditions permit...it'd be nice to get this nominated as an IMBA Epic.