Ride Schedule - Event View

Packed into “the Fastest Hour” is 45 minutes of lung-busting, quad pumping flats with one relatively short 4% climb that comes two-thirds the way through the ride at just at the time your legs are trying to catch their breath. Starting from the Palm Desert Civic Center, the ride takes the same initial leisurely route as the Saturday Club rides, heading east on Magnesia Falls, north up Portola, east on Frank Sinatra, then north again on Cook. After crossing the 11 freeway on Cook, the ride makes a sharp turn east onto Varner where it off takes with speeds quickly ramping up to around 30 mph. At Washington the ride turns south back over the 10, then rips west on Country Club, northwest on Tamarisk, and west on Frank Sinatra until Gerald Ford where it snakes west and north along Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore until it meets Portola again, this time at its most northern and lowest point. By now your lungs and legs will have been at max for more than 20 mins, so it’s the perfect time for a 5 minute max power climb south on Portola. Do what you have to to hold on because once you make it to Frank Sinatra, your home free for the most part. The remaining couple of miles south on Portola are slightly down hill then dead flat, so the 30 mph is just fine, especially if you stay tucked in and stuck onto the wheel in front of you. At Magnesia Falls it’s finally over with a turn west and a return to where you started, the Civic Center. Locals are likely to tack more miles onto the 25 or so just ridden. Catch you breath, and feel free to join in.