Three rides in the last 7 days and all of them up and around Mt. Tam. Life could be worse.
Last weekend I joined the shop ride from Studio Velo for the first time, and we did Alpine Dam/Seven Sisters. Great ride with a nice group of folks. I like this ride because it leaves early and typically ends by 10:30, so I can get on with the day.
Yesterday I did my first mountain bike ride in over 15 years -- a casual jaunt up the railroad grade to the top of Mt. Tam, then down Eldridge/Blithedale and back to Mill Valley. I felt great on the climb ("hey, this isn't so bad") and got utterly DROPPED on the downhill. I clearly suck at riding fast over sharp rocks. That said, it was a very fun outing and I'm already thinking those magical words -- "bike upgrade".
Today was a hammerfest, back on the Alpine Dam loop. I joined Eric and Tom from my bike-to-work gruppo for their regular Sunday ride. About 10-12 guys, all strong riders, and they put down a very aggressive pace once out of Fairfax. Lots of breaks, sprints, bomber downhills. All fun stuff. We flashed the loop in record time (for me) and I was able to hang with the front group and not blow up. Actually felt damn strong today despite having ridden yesterday and most of the week commuting. If only you could feel strong like that every day.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
King Ridge!
Finally got to do this fantastic ride yesterday! Oh my, it did not disappoint. This route has it all: deserted roads along meandering streams, redwood groves, steep climbing, ridgetop views to forever, the occasional vineyard, cows, llamas, raccoons and possibly a seal or two, screaming descents sweeping down switchbacks to the ocean, a fast run down a rugged coastline marked by huge rocky sentinels, capped off by a stiff climb up yet another untrafficked road to a hanging valley above the ocean. Incredible!
We started in Occidental with a quick breakfast at Howards, then headed north along Bohemian Highway. The first 20 miles are a perfect warmup -- downhill to the Russian River, then an easy spin downstream. We turned up Austin Creek towards Cazadero and immediately left the world behind. Tiny roads with no cars to speak of, and towering redwoods all around. At Cazadero, the climbing began quickly on King Ridge Road. A few initial rollers to get the blood flowing, and then a painful series of escalating stairsteps with grades up to 18% or so. The reward was topping out on the ridge and taking in the panoramas over the entire Sonoma coast and mountain regions.
A series of rolling hills and more ridges on a perfectly carved one lane road -- consisting of more ups than downs -- brought us to the intersection of Hauser Bridge and Tin Barn roads. We turned left here and plunged a couple of miles down to the South Fork of the Gualala River, where we crossed an improbable old bridge in the middle of nowhere and then began the long climb back up the Seaview Ridge (now referred to by some of the more tired of the crew as the "27 Sisters"). It was near the Fort Ross School when Mark admitted his early attacks on King Ridge were causing "the onset of a nice slow bonk", and asking optimistically "where are all of these bakeries you keep talking about?". Ultimately the Seaview Ridge ends and we enjoyed an absolutely blasting descent down Meyers Grade to Highway 1, where the fun did not end. Several more miles of downhill to the beach at Russian Gulch still awaited us. This is epic scenery, no doubt about it. Lots of smiles were plastered on our faces as we pedaled our way south towards the mouth of the Russian River at Jenner.
There's not much in Jenner, except it is only "town" along the route past Cazadero so we stopped in (at the bizarrely named "Jenner 'C' Store") for an assortment of absolutely horrible foods. David went for the devilled eggs. Matt and I went the Payday candybar route. I think I saw Gavin or Mark noshing a Raisenette, while Steve preferred a canned espresso and a couple of fresh apricots personally transported by bicycle from Occidental. The top culinary prize went to Danielle for the XL sized, pre-packaged Kelloggs Rice Krispie bar.
We would need those empty calories for our last 20 miles that took us down the coast towards Bodega Bay, and then up the steep but gorgeous Coleman Valley Road back to Occidental. Those who had charged early in the day ended up paying for their exuberance. The wise old men of the group had sufficient gas left in the tank to actually enjoy (dare I say, relish?) the climb out of Coleman Valley. There are old cyclists and there are bold cyclists, but there are no old bold cyclists.
Some photos below from this magical day. Ride profile and map here.
We started in Occidental with a quick breakfast at Howards, then headed north along Bohemian Highway. The first 20 miles are a perfect warmup -- downhill to the Russian River, then an easy spin downstream. We turned up Austin Creek towards Cazadero and immediately left the world behind. Tiny roads with no cars to speak of, and towering redwoods all around. At Cazadero, the climbing began quickly on King Ridge Road. A few initial rollers to get the blood flowing, and then a painful series of escalating stairsteps with grades up to 18% or so. The reward was topping out on the ridge and taking in the panoramas over the entire Sonoma coast and mountain regions.
A series of rolling hills and more ridges on a perfectly carved one lane road -- consisting of more ups than downs -- brought us to the intersection of Hauser Bridge and Tin Barn roads. We turned left here and plunged a couple of miles down to the South Fork of the Gualala River, where we crossed an improbable old bridge in the middle of nowhere and then began the long climb back up the Seaview Ridge (now referred to by some of the more tired of the crew as the "27 Sisters"). It was near the Fort Ross School when Mark admitted his early attacks on King Ridge were causing "the onset of a nice slow bonk", and asking optimistically "where are all of these bakeries you keep talking about?". Ultimately the Seaview Ridge ends and we enjoyed an absolutely blasting descent down Meyers Grade to Highway 1, where the fun did not end. Several more miles of downhill to the beach at Russian Gulch still awaited us. This is epic scenery, no doubt about it. Lots of smiles were plastered on our faces as we pedaled our way south towards the mouth of the Russian River at Jenner.
There's not much in Jenner, except it is only "town" along the route past Cazadero so we stopped in (at the bizarrely named "Jenner 'C' Store") for an assortment of absolutely horrible foods. David went for the devilled eggs. Matt and I went the Payday candybar route. I think I saw Gavin or Mark noshing a Raisenette, while Steve preferred a canned espresso and a couple of fresh apricots personally transported by bicycle from Occidental. The top culinary prize went to Danielle for the XL sized, pre-packaged Kelloggs Rice Krispie bar.
We would need those empty calories for our last 20 miles that took us down the coast towards Bodega Bay, and then up the steep but gorgeous Coleman Valley Road back to Occidental. Those who had charged early in the day ended up paying for their exuberance. The wise old men of the group had sufficient gas left in the tank to actually enjoy (dare I say, relish?) the climb out of Coleman Valley. There are old cyclists and there are bold cyclists, but there are no old bold cyclists.
Some photos below from this magical day. Ride profile and map here.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Marshall Wall and More
Another great weekend of cycling in Marin. JG and I rode Marshall Wall with a return through Olema on Saturday with Matt and the PurplePatch crew. Unfortunately time was tight so we didn't stop at the Bovine for my beloved Pain d'Amande. Instead I had a Payday bar and cup of coffee at the Marshall Store. Good, but not even close to the Bovine.
I did bring out the new clown shoes for their inaugural appearance, which prompted JG to comment that in the sunlight they looked like the cover of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Nice.
I did bring out the new clown shoes for their inaugural appearance, which prompted JG to comment that in the sunlight they looked like the cover of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Nice.
On Sunday we spent the day out at Stinson Beach with friends, so I rode with a friend out to the beach the long way: Pantoll - Seven Sisters - Fairfax - Pt. Reyes - down the coast. And yes, this time I did stop at the Bovine and got my Pain d'Amande. It was worth the wait.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Antlerman at the Giro!
I've been having a great time getting up early to watch the live feed of the Giro d'Italia on the Universal Sports website. I saw during today's video the infamous "Antlerman" pacing the peloton up one of the climbs. Love him or hate him, you gotta admit that Antlerman is one passionate dude. He is at every major race around the world. Does this guy work?
Last Year's Tour of California. Leading the peleton up Sierra Road.
Last week, somewhere in the Dolomites.
Pacing the Maglia Rosa group up the Sestriere just yesterday. This guy gets around!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Chileno Valley / Petaluma
Several of the usual suspects were out yesterday for a brisk 85 mile ride from the Depot up to Chileno Valley and then across into Petaluma and back. (Route map). No pictures today, just pushing the pedals and keeping the pace. Recap and some observations:
1. Fun paceline effort with Matt, Danielle and a random guy from the top of Golf Course Hill into Nicasio. Flying!
2. The Cheese Factory Hill is the worst in the county. Steep, with lots of buzzing cars and slow AIDS ride people to pass.
3. Chileno Valley rules. Its like the Marshall road, only better. The view from the top of Wilson Hill out to Sonoma is gorgeous. And the descent of the top is straight and fast.
4. Spring Hill Road does NOT rule. Lots of trucks and the worst pavement around. A necessary evil.
5. The hill from Petaluma back to the Cheese Factory should not be underestimated. It goes on twice as long as you remember.
6. Whites Hill from the west should be done very fast in the big ring. Perfect grade to fly up, and a good leg tester at the end of a long ride.
7. I was messing around and racing Matt at the top of Camino Alto and pushed him into the ditch. Oops! Sorry Matt. This poor woman coming up the other side saw the whole thing and I thought she was going to make a citizens arrest on me.
1. Fun paceline effort with Matt, Danielle and a random guy from the top of Golf Course Hill into Nicasio. Flying!
2. The Cheese Factory Hill is the worst in the county. Steep, with lots of buzzing cars and slow AIDS ride people to pass.
3. Chileno Valley rules. Its like the Marshall road, only better. The view from the top of Wilson Hill out to Sonoma is gorgeous. And the descent of the top is straight and fast.
4. Spring Hill Road does NOT rule. Lots of trucks and the worst pavement around. A necessary evil.
5. The hill from Petaluma back to the Cheese Factory should not be underestimated. It goes on twice as long as you remember.
6. Whites Hill from the west should be done very fast in the big ring. Perfect grade to fly up, and a good leg tester at the end of a long ride.
7. I was messing around and racing Matt at the top of Camino Alto and pushed him into the ditch. Oops! Sorry Matt. This poor woman coming up the other side saw the whole thing and I thought she was going to make a citizens arrest on me.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
After Work Ride
The days are longer now, so getting a quick loop in after work out to the beach is not out of the question. Matt, David and Steve (a/k/a Clooney) were up for it, so we met in Mill Valley and made a run of it. Perfect afternoon to be out on the bike.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Auburn Adventure
Last Saturday I was up in the Sierra foothills above Auburn for a great group ride over some very challenging terrain. This ride is highly recommended if you're looking for a lot of climbing in pretty country without many cars around. Even better if you do it with SAG support like we did, because there isn't much out here and it can get pretty hot.
Matt had done a variation of this ride a few years back and had always talked about it as a true epic -- nearly 10K of climbing in the first half of the ride, followed by a 40 mile constant downhill run. Because of the early season snow, we weren't able to do the loop in this way, but we did an out-and-back ride with a similar profile. The difference was a 9 mile uphill to finish the ride. "Conserve" was thus the rule of the day.
The ride started in Foresthill and immediately dropped 9 miles into the steep canyon of the Middle Fork of the American River. From there, a brief but stout climb took us one drainage over to the Rubicon River and the base of the infamous "corkscrew" hill. This is not a fun hill to climb (even less fun to descend) -- a few miles of very steep grades up to 18-20%, ascending nearly 2,500 painful feet. The first half of the hill was already the hardest single climb I had ever ridden. Just when I thought I was at the top and was about to explode, Tad came around the corner in the SAG wagon and said "only about a mile and a half left to the top!" To add insult to injury, the road pitched up even steeper at that point for the next mile. Ugh.
Eventually we all made it to a rest and regroup at the top of the climb. From there, it was a steady series of rolling climbs up towards French Meadows reservoir over utterly deserted roads with great vistas all around. At around 5,500' above sea level, we turned around and reversed the route. The nine mile climb back out at the end wasn't so bad -- tempo climbing and felt damn good. Plus, beers and great food were waiting for us. The ride was a bit over 70 miles, but with 9,000' of climbing. Big day.
Matt and PurplePatch really outdid themselves on this one. Awesome ride support, great route selection, superb food and company. Here's the map of our route, and below are some photos.
Matt had done a variation of this ride a few years back and had always talked about it as a true epic -- nearly 10K of climbing in the first half of the ride, followed by a 40 mile constant downhill run. Because of the early season snow, we weren't able to do the loop in this way, but we did an out-and-back ride with a similar profile. The difference was a 9 mile uphill to finish the ride. "Conserve" was thus the rule of the day.
The ride started in Foresthill and immediately dropped 9 miles into the steep canyon of the Middle Fork of the American River. From there, a brief but stout climb took us one drainage over to the Rubicon River and the base of the infamous "corkscrew" hill. This is not a fun hill to climb (even less fun to descend) -- a few miles of very steep grades up to 18-20%, ascending nearly 2,500 painful feet. The first half of the hill was already the hardest single climb I had ever ridden. Just when I thought I was at the top and was about to explode, Tad came around the corner in the SAG wagon and said "only about a mile and a half left to the top!" To add insult to injury, the road pitched up even steeper at that point for the next mile. Ugh.
Eventually we all made it to a rest and regroup at the top of the climb. From there, it was a steady series of rolling climbs up towards French Meadows reservoir over utterly deserted roads with great vistas all around. At around 5,500' above sea level, we turned around and reversed the route. The nine mile climb back out at the end wasn't so bad -- tempo climbing and felt damn good. Plus, beers and great food were waiting for us. The ride was a bit over 70 miles, but with 9,000' of climbing. Big day.
Matt and PurplePatch really outdid themselves on this one. Awesome ride support, great route selection, superb food and company. Here's the map of our route, and below are some photos.
Matt gives the pre-ride briefing.
About to roll out. Kim looking fashionable as always.
The canyon we would ride into and climb out of -- several times!
The initial long descent of nine miles.
The "North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River". Confused?
Climbing "Stop Sign Hill"
Yours truly topping out on the Corkscrew. Note the "18% grade" sign behind me.
At the top near French Meadows.
Mike and I near the top.
Rolling home along the Rubicon River
Tad the master chef whips up some dinner.
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