Tour De Sewer

This is my 3^rd time doing the ride. My friends and I come in from out of town every year. That is how much we love to do this ride. This year, 2014, the organizers failed greatly. The markings were very poor and many got lost or had to stop and figure out where they were. The volunteers were not educated at all about the route nor did they know the neighboring streets. Some of them led us down the wrong path a couple of times.
The first two years were not like this. The route was clearly marked, never had any questions which path to take and never had to refer to the cue sheet. Didn’t have to stop to talk to volunteers about which way to go. There are prizes to be won at the end. Good music. Good food. Nice shaded area on park benches to eat and socialize afterwards. Lots of parking.
I sent off a letter to the organizers and hope they assess what happened this year and improve to the standards that I’ve become use to.
Overall it is a good ride to do. I would say bring your phone and cue sheet and maybe a couple of pages from the thomas guide and refer to them frequently. Nothing worse than being lost, not knowing how much further you have to ride and no water to be had because you’re on the bike path

I rode in the Tour De Sewer for the first time in October 2012. I did the 60 mile ride with a friend and we both had a great time.
The good:
*Event volunteers were monitoring who was on the course and checking people off lists at multiple checkpoints, to make sure folks weren’t injured or missing.
*Most of the ride is on a bike path, so you don’t have to worry about crazy drivers.
*The ride was definitely manageable. There are a couple of inclines (in particular, one near the Santa Fe Dam that’s pretty steep), but it was fine. I loathe hills and I was OK.
*The ride benefits the Lions Club, a great organization.
*In-​N-​Out at the end of the ride. Yum! And, we got double-​doubles, not just cheeseburgers. It was a total indulgence for me!
*The path covers a wide area. There is so much scenery to take in – some of the areas you ride through are really gorgeous.
*The ride is on the smaller end of organized rides and doesn’t have thousands upon thousands of participants. It’s not über crowded, like the Tour De Palm Springs, or the VW City of Angels Fun Ride. (Although, with the latter, it’s not just the sheer number of people but rather, much of the crowding issue is due to the fact that ride organizers WANT people fairly close together, to control traffic in groups.)
*Rest stops are fine. Plenty of hydration and snacks. Volunteers are friendly.
*There was plenty of parking at the park where the ride began. Parking might have been more difficult for riders of the 15 and 25 mile courses, since they had later start times.
*Registration fee was reasonable.
*It was a local ride for me. Anytime that I can do an organized ride and not have to worry about driving up the night before and making hotel arrangements, or driving to the ride at 3 or 4 am, it is a good thing.
The not-​so-​good:
*There wasn’t an official start to the ride. Nobody announced that we should line up, or when it was time to go. It was kind of uneventful. Had we known this, we would have started the course earlier. Perhaps this method helps to avoid traffic jams on the bike path, and that’s fine, but just write it somewhere on the website or mail us ride info, or put a sign up at the event.
*There were a few places on the path that went past sketchy neighborhoods with lots of questionable loiterers.
*There were a few spots (many that corresponded with the above areas) that had broken glass on the path. I know it’s a 60 mile span and it’s not possible to check every inch, but perhaps the local agency that maintains the bike path could have done a sweep of the path the night/​morning before to make sure it was clear of debris.
*Bathrooms! As in, there were long stretches without any. There was one point where I was totally hurtin’ to go #1, and there was not a port-​a-​potty in sight for miles and miles. I made it to the next rest stop just in the nick of time, without a moment to spare.
*The end of the ride was kind of lackluster. Perhaps there was a lot of action and merriment earlier in the afternoon, at the end of the shorter rides, but the park was pretty empty when we rode in. Most people who had done the shorter rides had eaten and left, and the raffle had already occurred. I like it when a ride ends and there are things that are going on – people milling about, vendors, live bands and entertainment, etc. I suppose this is one of the drawbacks of a smaller ride– there are just fewer resources for these sorts of things.
Overall, it was a fun ride that benefits a worthy charity. I would definitely consider riding the Tour De Sewer again.