by Rohit Jain

My name is Rohit and 2025 was my first time participating in WCC. It was also the first time ever that I completed a metric century. I had heard about WCC from a friend in the early months of 2024 and something about it just stuck with me. I want to highlight that I grew up in India and recreational biking wasn't part of the scene at that time. Being in the US has let me discover my love for recreational biking. Therefore, when this event set in the beautiful wine country came about, I could not let it pass. I trained and signed up for the event in 2025. Since this was my first time participating in an organized bike ride, I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the starting point on the morning of the event. The volunteers working the different stations were very helpful and encouraging once they realized it was my maiden event. I loved the food and snacks handed out throughout the day.

What I loved the most about the event - that is what has stuck with me and will make me come back again next year - is how friendly and fun the participants were. Everyone had a moment to chat for a bit and to smile back. It did not matter that they were out of breath or that we were climbing the insane hill towards the end of the route. 

I strongly believe that the participants and the volunteers make an event, and WCC probably has the warmest group to meet.