The Fall Century In a Blur

August 23, 2005

    Mammoth's High Sierra Fall Century bike ride, a beautiful 96-mile tour that tests the lungs and stamina of just about everybody who rides it, is just another day in the saddle for a group of East Siders who turn in truly remarkable times. They're easy to spot. They begin their ride at 7:30 a.m. sharp. They are wearing the black, white and red uniform of Mammoth's Eastside Velo Club. And they are very, very fast.
    Howzabout 21 to 22 miles an hour, eh?
    This, over a course that runs up U.S. Hwy. 395 to Deadman Summit, down to Mono Lake, then up to Sagehen Summit, down into Adobe Valley and up to Wildrose Summit, then Watterson Divide.
    The group is led by the irrepressible Frenchman, Albert Arnaud, and includes such people as Dave Devries, Scott Busby, Dennis Phillips and Todd Hensley, plus anyone else who can grab a wheel and hang on. Most people take 8 to 11 hours to complete the Fall Century course, stopping for very excellent food at the rest stations. This group, however, hardly stops at all and completes the course in under five hours if things are going right.
    “We are looking to finish at 4:45,” Arnaud said. “That would be very fast.”
    As somewhat of a warm up last spring, that group of extreme riders took on 100 miles worth of Smith Valley, Nev., and in spite of headwinds and the long climb up the ironically named Sweetwater Grade, they completed 100 miles in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Then, at the 129-mile Tour of the California Alps (the Death Ride), Albert finished in 8:07 despite a combined 15,000 feet of climbing over five Sierra passes.
    The High Sierra Fall Century, which draws 800-1,000 riders each year, this season is on September 10.

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