Western Wheelers Bicycle Club - Planning Your Ride

Timing Your Ride

See Start Times for when each route starts from Foothill College.

You are responsible for keeping to your own pace. We strongly encourage you to look at the Routes, the Start Times, the Rest Stop operating times, and the Foothill Finish Line times to determine which course to take, when to start, and what pace to ride.

If you are a fast rider, do not leave Foothill at the beginning of your starting time slot and burn through the route, or you will arrive at Rest Stops that are not open yet.

If you are a slow rider, leave Foothill in the earlier portion of your start time. If you ride the course too slowly and fall behind schedule, you risk being ‘swept’ by our SAG towards the end of the day, or alternatively advised that you are now riding without support and you will likely arrive at subsequent Rest Stops and the Foothill Finish Line after they have closed.

Start Times

Rider start times are at

6:00 AM - 7:00 AM for the 100-mi PINK route

6:30 AM - 7:30 AM for the 75-mi ORANGE route

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM for the 62-mi YELLOW route

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM for the 38-mi GREEN route

One can check-in 15 minutes before the start time. All riders are expected to finish by 4:45 PM.

Check-in

All riders must check-in to receive their identification material. There is a numbered, color-coded band for the wrist, an aqua band for the bicycle, and a helmet sticker to identify your photographer pictures. Printed Cue Sheets with maps and cues will not be given out this year, but can be downloaded and printed at home before the ride. Riders can download Ride with GPS files and Cue Sheets from the Sequoia Routes webpage. There are two options for check in:

Early Check-in (Highly Encouraged)

Saturday May 31, noon to 7 PM

The Bicycle Outfitter

963 Fremont Ave.

Los Altos, CA 94024

Sunday Check-in

Opens 5:45 AM

Foothill College, Lot 1 corner near rest rooms

12345 El Monte Rd

Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

Rest Stop Opening & Closing Times

The Rest Stops are run by volunteers and will have hard-and-fast opening and closing times.They are not expected to be operational before Opening Time, and will start to pack up at Closing Time.

Rest Stop	Routes	Opening	Closing
Pulgas Water Temple	38-mi	8:45 AM	11:15 AM
La Honda	All routes except 38-mi	7:30 AM	10:30 AM
Puente Pescadero	100-mi & 75-mi	9:00 AM	11:30 AM
Higgins Canyon Refresh Station	100-mi only	10:30 AM	12:30 PM
Bike Hut	All routes except 38-mi	9:30 AM	2:00 PM
Top of Tunitas	All routes except 38-mi	10:30 AM	3:00 PM
Christ Church Portola Valley	38-mi outbound All Routes inbound	8:00 AM	3:45 PM

Clothing Drop-Off

You can drop excess clothing at the Bike Hut Rest Stop, and we'll move it to Foothill College (the finish).
Drop-off is available only at the Bike Hut, and pick up is only at Foothill.

You must drop off your clothing at Bike Hut by 1pm. Pick-up at Foothill is from 3pm-5:30pm.

How it Works

At Bike Hut, you’ll see a table set away from the food and drinks, with a “Clothing Drop-Off” sign.

1. Take a paper bag and fill it with the clothing you want to drop off

2. Take a sticker and pen

3. Write your info on the sticker, as directed

4. Affix the sticker to the bag and staple it closed

5. Hand to the Clothing Drop-Off worker operating the service

When you arrive at the Foothill Finish Line (congratulations!), pick up your bag at the Clothing Drop-Off table which will be located next to the entrance to the Bike Valet area. Someone will be there to check ID or wristband, and will retrieve your bag for you.

We'll do our very best to secure your belongings, but you use this Clothing Drop-Off service at your own risk.

Foothill Finish Line Activities and Closing Time

We expect all riders to cross the Foothill Finish Line by 4:45 PM.

A buffet and other treats are offered to all participants, and will be served from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM. If riders finish earlier they are welcome to find a place to rest and wait. Depending on supplies, box meals may be available for late finishers. You are welcome to enjoy the food, festivities, and camaraderie of your fellow cyclists throughout the afternoon.

Overall closing time for the Foothill Finish Line is 6:00 PM. At that point, the event will be completely shut down.

SAG Sweeps and Help on the Road

SAG cars will be continuously operational throughout the active areas across all the routes. If you need help on the road, call the Sequoia Ride phone number (408) 579-9755 — make sure to have this number handy. Emergency? Call 911. No phone coverage? Report to a SAG vehicle or Rest Stop. Each Rest Stop has a radio operator and most have bike mechanics available to help. Each SAG vehicle has a radio operator in case there is no phone service.

Towards the middle of the afternoon, if SAG sees that you are so far behind that you won’t finish on time, and miss the Rest Stop amenities in the interim, then we will ask if you want to be brought in, or at least brought forward to a rest stop that brings you to a place where you can finish on time. We won’t take you off the roads, but if you do not take a ride with SAG, then you will be considered riding on your own and no longer part of the event.