Its Coming...

UPDATE Sept 2nd
Tulip notes index card size here, just print on 8.5x14 " cut em up and staple together and it should be good. We will of course have a bunch of these at the start too. Just for those self starters among you.
Profile is here
Bit of a sting in the tail!.
Have you seen the weather forecast? Unbelievably good. Just look at it, its ridiculous.

WATER STOPS: We will be providing water and bananas at the Gazebo in Low 60k into the route. Note: the ride to the start is about 8k. Many will want to take 3 bottles to cover this distance. The Gazebo is checkpoint #1; everybody must sign in so all are accounted for. There is also a depanneur here.

Water stop #2 is at the spring in Wakefield. It is as 100k. If you don't know it, look for the covering on the right side of the road as you descend from the 105 into Wakefield. Cars will likely be parked there. Excellent food can be acquired from Pipolinka just before the turn south along the river.

The second checkpoint will be virtual. Teams will be required to take a group photo at the gate of the parkway (Gamelin), along with a photo of the time on a watch or computer. We're going with the honour system here.

MORE UPDATES BELOW

We are almost there. The QuinTuple falls on Sunday, September 6th, nestled in the middle of the long weekend. If you have other long weekend plans and have to miss it, I apologize for the timing. There is a lot going on in September, and this was the only weekend that worked for us, the organizers. We hope to see a good turnout nevertheless, and from all indications thusfar, we will.

Ok, so its time to get all the details down. I will update this post with 'Update' in red as more details surface. Here we go:

What? QuinTuple Pave Classic (Tall Tree Team Time Trial)

Yes, its dubbed a team TT, but the spirit is really team randonnee. Readers familiar with this genre will likely suspect I have invented this term; they would be correct, I have. I like the short version, 'team rando;' I think it is a format that holds a lot of promise. We'll see. We've found that doing group rides on difficult terrain is challenging, because there tends to be a broad range of abilities in the mix. That's cool we want to pull all sorts of riders into the fold to enjoy the routes. However, inevitably, some find themselves waiting too much, others chasing too much. The team rando format allows riders to ride in groups of similar abiilties, working together at whatever pace is desired. Two teams can work together, more even. Or teams can try to drop each other. Whatever, the idea is to have a good time.

• 5 riders per team, all riders must finish in order for time to count. Last rider's time is the team's time.
• Tandems count as two riders.
• Teams that can't manage 5 can ride with 4 as a last resort, but we encourage you to get up to 5.
• We will match up riders to complete/form teams.

Distance: 145k (including 10k neutral rolling start from Lac Leamy).

Elevation Gain: 1700m plus

When: Sunday September 6, 08:00 Departure. 7:00-7:45 registration (license not required). All weather event, with the exception of a major storm. If it looks like wild weather, check here on Saturday night for a decision.

Where: Departing from Lac Leamy, Gatineau. We will be amassed at the building between the parking lot and beach. Route terminates near the beginning/end (Gamelin) of the Gatineau Parkway. We recommend either being dropped off, or preferably, riding to Lac Leamy for the start, since the end is not all that close, and the after-party BBQ will be at Tall Tree on Richmond Rd.

Why: Fun, however you define it. This is an opportunity to hammer or take on a no-drop ride (or something in between) with four wind buddies over hilly, sometimes rough, scenic terrain. Its also a chance to ride a route that might be altogether new to you at a pace determined by your small group, rather than big, lumbering one. Don't want to stop much? Only stop for water. Want to have breaks? Take em. There are no such event exists in these parts, so we're gettin'r done.

The Route: The first 10k will be neutralized. We will stop at the designated zero-your-odometer point, then proceed to turn #1, where the race will begin. The route afford stops at two stores before arriving to Wakefield (one in Low, the other in Masham). We will have volunteers posted at the gazebo behind the Low dep with water for riders. The 'end' will be at 'the sign' on the Gatineau Parkway, near Gamelin. Its the sign the A and B loops sprint for...and others. The route is designed to strike a balance between scenery, challenging terrain, and fun. We could have put together a much harder route, but that wouldn't be very inclusive. We will run harder routes for other events. This one will be plenty challenging for most. The cue-sheets will be up here shortly. We're using 'tulip' direction symbols, which are nice and clear. You'll have the option of printing and mounting up your own cue-sheet in advance. See the D2R2 post for a tip on how to mount the sheets. Here is the map:

Quintuple Pave Classic http://www.bikely.com/

link to map here
If you want the .gpx trace click the above link, and click on 'share' along the top of the map and select 'download .gpx'

Current road conditions: Approximately 45k of the route is dirt road. As of Sunday, August 23rd, most of this was in excellent shape. There were only two short sections of loose gravel. The paved sections are generally good; much would be considered 'heavy,' ie. coarse. There are a few monster potholes on the very first stretch, but after that the roads are great. There is what appears to be either bridge or bank reconstruction underway at the Montagne and Riviere intersection. Dismounting and walking across the bridge will be necessary, followed by a short hike up the torn up, muddy road. Road pedals like Speedplays will NOT like this, I promise. We recommend MOUNTAIN BIKE SHOES and PEDALS. We will recon the section Saturday night prior the ride, and advise before we roll out.

Teams: Similar objectives and abilities shared among team-mates is desirable. If you don't have enough buddies to form a team, but want to participate, get in touch and we'll form a list and go from there. One way or another everyone will ride who wants to. I already have a list on the go; let me know asap. If you find yourself without a team come Sunday morning, show up early and we'll try to work it out. You'll ride regardless, but obviously we want to maintain the integrity of the format as much as possible. I've been asked what sort of team Rodd and I will run in. We have no intention of putting together a Tall Tree power team and ride away from everyone (assuming that's even possible). Rather, we will base our team/s on the teams that enter. For example, if the EMD guys come with a strong team, we'll try to match it so we can get some fun competition going. If the teams are more mixed in ability, we'll do the same. Don't be afraid of being perceived in an ill light if you come with a stacked team. Just come with whoever want to ride. Update: Each team will require one digital camera for route confirmation and to participate in the photo contest aspect of the event.

Legal: Riders will be required to sign a waiver before receiving their cue sheets. Don't sue us. We don't have any money. If you think you might be tempted to sue us if things go sideways for you, don't ride.

BBQ: A BBQ will be held at Tall Tree Cycles (click link at sidebar) after the ride. We'll have typical fare, along with vegan options. Since the entry for the ride is paltry, we'll need to charge enough to break even-ish on the BBQ stuff, so bring some change. If anyone would like to contribute salads and the like please let me know. We hope to acquire a keg of Beaus, BYOB also welcome. Update: Our keg plans were stymied by the legalities. We cannot serve alcohol at the BBQ, however, you are all (assuming you are of legal drinking age) free to purchase drinks from the LCBO near the shop and brown bag your bounty. We'll try to iron out this wrinkle for next year's Quintuple. We'll be taking a poll Sunday morning before rolling out to gauge BBQ numbers, so please be ready to tell us whether you'll be coming.

Team Captains, please confirm attendance at quintupleclassic@gmail.com by Thursday, Sept 3rd pm, so we can print appropriate # of cue-sheets, gauge BBQ needs.
UPDATE:
Cue Sheets with tulip notes here
I recommend downloading them in their large original size and printing them 4x6 and stapling them together like a pad, rip off the ones you're done with.
See above link for ideas on mounting these cues.