SLGF 2014 Route

More back roads, better scenery- 
Here are the Skatelife Granfondo 2014 routes!

Images courtesy of Map My Ride 2014

Day one of the SLGF takes cyclists119 km from Okanagan Falls to Princeton. Our route begins on backroads through a grassland reserve then connects to Hwy 3 at Yellow Lake. From this summit we have a nice downhill cruise to Keremeos for lunch. Then, after taking on the Keremeos head wind we turn off to Old Hedley Road for a fun stretch through Princeton farm country. Riders finish in Princeton after a great first day!

 

 

 

 

Day 2 is 112 km from Princeton to Okanagan Falls. Our route is generally the same, but with a tail wind and more descending. Again, the main stop for the day is Keremeos. After a break the work begins as we ascend up and over Twin Lakes Rd. Our much deserved home stretch is a fun rural descent back to Okanagan Falls to complete a fabulous cycling tour!

speed metal & fast eating

Peter is only smiling so he can get more mud in his teeth (photo IanHylands)

Congratulations to SLGF rider Peter Sinclair for a great showing in this weekend's Test of Metal race in Squamish.
Despite a day-long downpour, Peter laid down a speedy 3.05 hr ride to take 28th place overall in a field of over 900 competitors!

Nice work Peter!





Hungry to ride? What to eat during the SLGF.

On a long ride like the Skatelife GranFondo the last thing you want to be dealing with is bonking from either too little or too much food during the day.
Here are some helpful tips from ultracycling.com on how to eat on the big day.

On the morning of your ride

"Novice riders tend to either eat too little before a big ride, fearing an upset stomach, or else eat too much, fearing that they will bonk. Today is not the day to figure out what to eat before riding! You should experiment in training, and on event day have a tried-and-true plan of familiar foods and fluids. Some cyclists prefer a light breakfast the hour before a century or brevet; some prefer food at the starting line; others have learned to wake up at 4 a.m., eat a bowl of oatmeal, and then go back to bed.
Drink plenty of familiar fluids up to two hours before the ride so you have time to absorb the water and urinate the excess. Drink one more glass 5 to 15 minutes before you start riding. If you are used to having coffee or tea in the morning, do so today as well.
Don't forget to bring your foods and fluids that you prepared the night before."

Some of the scenery to come this weekend.  
(photo Notice Quiet Nature Photography, ©Sherry Robinson 2009)

If you want to pack your food in the van for the day, bring a bin to put your stuff in. The van will make several passes past the group through the day so food will never be far off if you need it.
We will also make a brief stop for lunch in Kamloops after 90 km. Our stop will be close to a few shops & cafes so you can pick up something to eat, or pack a lunch to keep in the van. 

See you all next weekend!

A couple route pics

A couple weeks ago I took a drive through the Skatelife GranFondo route & took a couple pics of the terrain. It was a pretty overcast day in late April. When we ride it- June 23-24 we'll see deep blue sky & bright sun!

Dry open terrain between Kamloops & Cache Creek- Day 1 preview

A sign of things to come on Day 2- except we're going up, and it's more than 2 km!

After the peak, it's all open ranch land

the final stretch gradually descending into Merritt

The roads are pretty quiet & decent quality for secondary highways. It will be a great out of the way loop to ride. Looking forward to seeing you there.