Santa Rosa Cycling Club Ride Report Blog

5th annual King Ridge First timers ride

Dennis Prior — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 03:54:39 GMT

Hello all,

Well we were finally able to pull off the 5th Annual Mountain Goat King Ridge first timers ride this year although now where near the 80+ riders we had registered last year due to the Covid19. We had 12 riders today with 8 of them being Mountain Goats and 4 first time riders. We had a number of people cancel this morning due to the uncertainty of the air which was probably a good idea especially with the high heat on the course. The route is challenging enough on a normal day but the heat really brings out the teeth in the course.

I finally made the call at 6am to carry on with the ride once I saw the air quality looked what seemed to be good. I should have looked closer to the temps for the day as we got a bit cooked up there today with temps consistantly between 97-93 degrees from up part way up King Ridge all the way to the descent part way down Meyers Grade. So thankful to Charlie and Nancy Doval for following us around the course and keeping our heads wet with water and our bottles filled. Lots of red faces once we got to Ratna Ling and I’v never seen so many riders putting their heads under the water spigot there to get cooled off and no one seemed in too big of a hurry to leave the shade and water. Once we got to Timber Cove Rd. We did the same head watering at the Timber Cove Fire Department. It was just that hot.

When we got to Hwy 1 we were greeted by Loie and Jan which was a nice surprise. With the temps cooled a bit on Hwy 1 we enjoyed a nice ride back into Duncans Mills with a pleasant tailwind to push us along. Once back at the vehicles we had our usual celebratory beer for everyone who did the ride and helped the first timers make the loop! Congrats to Kim W, Bob A, Nora l, and David L For making their first loop on this on iconic ride.

A huge thanks to Steve P, DC5, Robin R, Cintsy S, Jerry A, Gary H, and Nancy and Charlie Doval for volunteering their time to make this ride possible for the first timers. Without these folks constant support and encouragement throughout the course it would keep a lot of folks from even considering this challenging ride. There is nothing like coming down Meyers Grade and seeing the beautiful coastline looking south. It makes all the hard effort worth it.

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

2020 Three Hill Winter Trainer Ride Report

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 04:36:33 GMT

The Three Hill by the numbers — 6 riders, 107 miles, 8500', 7:28 riding time, 1 flat, a few raindrops, tons of Red Bud in bloom, and beautiful skies.

6 Riders showed up for the Three Hill, not a bad turnout considering the difficulty of the ride, along with the iffy weather that was predicted. At the start were Andy Shkabko (that's Ukranian), Richard A., Marc M., Jennie P., Sarah S., and myself.

We rolled a few ticks after 8 AM, with nothing in the way of a pep talk from the ride leader, as this was a regular crew. We set a nice pace over Calistoga Road, and following that, Andy, Jennie and Marc proceeded up Spring Mt., while I stopped for a wardrobe adjustment, then rode up with Richard and Sarah.

There were a few sprinkles at the start, and the roads were wet early on, but once we got over the hill to St. Helena, we were on dry roads.

Traveling up Howell Mountain, we found a deteriorating road, but still 100% rideable. There were a few more sprinkles as we headed to Pope Valley, but not enough to soak us or to kill our spirit. The day was absolutely beautiful, with clear, clean air, and saturated colors everywhere, and so many trees and shrubs in full flowery bloom!

Unfortunately, one rider decided to bring his older bike, primarily used for shorter rides from work, and/or rain rides, and the rather old rear tire decided to go flat, as a "softie" was discovered at Pope Valley. We got it fixed and all was good from there. The perp on this little blunder was the ride leader, who probably should know better ;-).

After the stop at the store for water, about mile 30, we had more or less dry roads for the rest of the ride. Pope Valley was gorgeous! The pace was fast at times, and social at others, but along Lake Hennessy, Marc decided to put in a strong pull, and we were flying along that stretch, with Marc tempering his pace such that everyone could stay on — as long as they were willing to suffer a bit at the 24 mph average speed.

Once on Silverado, we set a more moderate pace to Yountville, where we enjoyed snacks at the Velo Deli & Pizzeria.

Trinity was its usual self, steep and difficult with tired legs, but we all made it up and over without incident. Marc left us at Sonoma Mt., heading back to Petaluma to complete his 135+ mile day.

The rest of us rolled back to Howarth Park, where Andy peeled off, and Richard headed home. Sarah, Jennie, and I enjoyed a nice meal at Mary's, across from Howarth Park. It was nice to see that Mary's was quite busy despite the drama around Coronavirus.

We got away with one today. The weather was perfect for riding, and we never got cold or soaked. Instead, we enjoyed a gorgeous day on the bike, if a bit tough. Toward the end of the ride, as the weather cleared, the skies were a thing to behold!

Rider of the day is Richard Anderson, who showed up to do the ride after a big one on Friday! But I would be remiss if I did not mention Marc Moons, who tempered his pace all day for the good of the group.

Our course today:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26945984

Next up, the Four Hill Ride, tentatively scheduled on April 25th.

2020 Two Hill Winter Trainer Ride Report

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 00:52:23 GMT

Two Hill Winter Trainer by the numbers: 23 riders, 65 miles, 4600' climbed, 15.5 mph ave. speed (mine, others were faster and slower), one flat, tons of sunshine, and one perfect cool riding day.

We rolled out efficiently from Howarth Park a few ticks before 9:10 with this large, but skilled group. I led the charge up Calistoga Rd., going about as fast as I could, but knowing the many D riders behind me could pass at any time — but they didn't. This meant I had to hold my pace all the way up. Some riders fell off the pace, and by the time we started up St. Helena Rd., the group had split.

The pace up St. Helena Rd. was civil, and there were about 7 D riders in this front group, along with one struggling C rider. The latter would be me. Once it got steeper, the D riders were gone, and I was in no man's land between the D group and the following C group.

I rolled over the summit and caught a couple of riders on the descent, before arriving at our prescribed regroup at Madrona Ave. in St. Helena. At that point, I got a text from Sarah Schroer, stating that there was a flat toward the rear of the group. I gave the D riders the option of waiting, or forging ahead, and they chose to wait. Nice to keep the group together.

The pace down Silverado to Yountville was civil for the most part, but unfortunately, the large group caused a lot of surges, and for those of us at the back, it was surge after surge, followed by sitting up and coasting. This took its toll on a few riders, who fell off the back.

We had a sensibly short stop in Yountville, mostly for water, then the group headed toward Dry Creek and Trinity. Most riders kept their own pace on this difficult climb and descent, and all enjoyed the nice, new, smooth pavement descending the West side of Trinity.

One more regroup after crossing Hwy 12, then I took the lead as we headed back toward Santa Rosa, doing a very long pull. I kept the pace down so everyone could keep up. When I say I kept the pace down, I am referring to my tempo pace, which was easy for most of the group, but also manageable for those who could not, or did not want to, go at a higher pace.

Once I finally pulled aside, the pace increased, and we split into two groups again as we made our way back to Howarth Park. This time I was a bit wiser... I chose to ride with the slower group, which was enjoyable and conversational.

The most impressive number today was the size of the group. This ride was very well attended! Despite the large group, everyone rode safely, and there were no mishaps other than the one flat. The group was friendly and social, and demonstrated excellent bike handling skills and etiquette. Thank you everyone for coming out and enjoying a perfect day on the bike!

2020 One Hill Winter Trainer Ride Report

Paul McKenzie — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 01:42:03 GMT

The One Hill Winter Trainer by the numbers: 9 riders, 62 miles, 4200' climbed, 15.8 mph ave speed, 42 degrees and overcast at the start, 51 degrees and overcast at the finish, no flats, one minor mishap, and one tennis player on a town bike.

I selected this Sunday for the One Hill Winter Trainer, as the weather looked better than Saturday earlier in the week, and I did not want to compete with other Saturday events, such as the Napa 200K. Well, Saturday's weather turned out to be OK, but we still had 9 riders show up for the One Hill on Sunday.

We rolled out at about 10:05 AM, at a conversational pace. The tempo picked up a bit on the climb over Calistoga Rd., but the group stayed together, with the usual gaps on this short, but difficult, climb.

On St. Helena Rd, the big climb of the day, the pace was civil, but brisk, enough so that this rider was working to stay on, but the group crested the climb together. We rolled over the top, and Marc Moons set a fast, but very skilled and safe pace down the treacherous (in Winter) descent off of Spring Mt. The road was not as wet as it can be, but there were certainly some slippery areas and abundant green moss on the road in some places.

We had a regroup at the bottom in St. Helena before heading North on Silverado, and during that short stop, riders took in some snacks, and even shed some layers! There was a nice tailwind on Silverado, and we moved along well to the water stop in Calistoga.

There we were approached by a woman, 60-something, on a smart looking town bike, wearing a puffy jacket. with a tennis racket slung over her back. She approached us as a fellow cyclist, completely unintimidated by the lycra and carbon fiber. We talked about our route and she joined us as we headed North out of town. A photo of her can be seen on my Instagram account, @macpaulster.

Over the County Line climb we went, where Darrin Jenkins was the only rider that could match the pace of Marc Moons. Keep in mind Darrin rode the 200K on Saturday, and still had strong legs!

Finally, we tackled Chalk Hill and headed back to Howarth Park via Mark West Springs and Riebli Rd. Some riders were feeling quite a bit of fatigue at this point, including yours truly.

A few riders peeled off along the way, John turned around in St. Helena and headed back over Spring Mt. Doug S. left us in Calistoga and did some extra credit on the Toll Rd. Craig H threatened to leave us at Faught Rd to head back to Windsor, but he was enjoying the group so much he decided to finish with us. Dave S. veered off when we passed near his house. Marc Moons headed back to Petaluma, from where he started this morning, covering well over 100 miles, and Darrin also rolled past the finish to ride home.

Rider of the day is Darrin Jenkins, who, after putting in a big performance yesterday in the 200K, came out and was still the strongest rider of the day along with Marc Moons.

Stay tuned for the Two Hill Winter Trainer, to be scheduled sometime in February, and the Three and Four Hill rides in March and April.

Mountain Goats Geysers beginners ride Sunday October 20th

Dennis Prior — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:42:34 GMT

Hello all,

We had 43 registrants that signed up for the ride and few others show up who didn't sign up so we had a large group for this ride which was a surprise being we didn't give much notice. We had 8-10 beginners who have never done the ride before so that was great that we had so many first timers. Denny Davis was kind enough to sag this ride for us and we were very grateful for his time as this helped convince a number of people to try the ride. Also a huge thanks to David Mair whose idea this was for the Goats to put on another beginners ride around a beautiful course that is very remote.

It was a beautiful day with perfect temperatures for this ride. We had no mechanicals that I heard about and everyone made the loop! When we rolled out of the parking lot it was a large group kind of riding together for a while but by the time we got to Cloverdale the pack had broken up into manageable groups and once we got going up Sulphur Springs Canyon it spread out even more which made it nice for all those riding. We really don't want everyone cramped together going up the hills especially the steep sections. Once we got back to Geyserville we had a celebratory beer for those that we still hanging around and we got to enjoy all the smiling faces that accomplished something they haven't done before and were holding back from trying the ride.

So far of the 4 King Ridge beginners rides and this one yesterday that we have put on we have only had one person not complete one of these rides. So these very difficult rides are do-able if you slow down a bit, go at your own pace, and employ a few riding techniques that will help you get past the steeper sections of the rides. I can't say enough about the riding clinics that the SRCC puts on for its members. These clinics will make you a better and safer rider that will open up new and beautiful places that you would never otherwise experience. So when they have these skills classes, pace line classes, and the hill climbing and descending Classes that the Steve and Jessie Kroeck, Richard Anderson and their helpers put on you should sing up for them.....and by all means take them 2-3 times just to freshen up your skills. Another great class to take 2-3 times is the one Eric Peterson and some of his helpers put on about first aid and what to do if an accident occurs on a ride.

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

Mendocino Forrest MTB ride

Dennis Prior — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 03:20:00 GMT

We had Jerry A, Lorenzo, Peter S, Pam C, Laura B, and myself along with our great tour guide Phil. The single track forest trails were just amazing riding amongst the redwoods and the fern fields. You just couldn’t ask for a more perfect place to ride a mountain bike. We stayed away from the technical trails and had an absolutely wonderful day. If you ever get a chance to ride in the Mendocino Forest you should not miss the chance to do so but you will need a guide or you will quickly get lost and Phil is a great guide!

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

Davis Double Century Ride Report (Cold and Wet!)

James Gloystein — Fri, 24 May 2019 03:59:48 GMT

2019 Davis Double Century Ride Report -

Co-written by Jim Gloystein and David Levinger on May 19, 2019

Executive Summary

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Cold and wet. This was perhaps the worst weather day Jim Gloystein has ever experienced on the 47 times he's done this ride. During the ride, David quipped that his wife Angela called it Jim's "finest hour". Hmmmm...

Picking up packets

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A really neat thing happened on Friday night when picking up ride packets at the Veterans Memorial facility in Davis. Jim showed up first and grabbed his "standard" assigned number (which was rider #226). In the last 20 years, Jim had always gotten his rider number to match the number of DDCs he started. But the recent change of Race Directors never returned emails when this tradition was requested. However, David L. ended up registering the night before the start (as did several other folks) and we all quipped that they might wonder why he was registering with the impending doom of the weather. But during his registration David L. noticed a stack of numbers starting with #1 and asked Jennifer, who was running the "day of" registration, if she could help swap a number. She was happy to do so, and all of sudden Jim G. had rider #47 in his hand which matched the number of DDCs he's ridden. David is amazing how he never hesitates to ask for things and make a difference for his riding buddies.

An Early Start

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Several weeks before the May 18th start of the DDC, the weather reports started to predict rain late in the week before the ride. But the closer it got to the start, the percentage chance of rain kept climbing and soon occupied almost the entire Saturday. In the early days of the Davis Double, the weather was a lot more guesswork. But these days with all the advanced weather models and satellite data, there was no question it was going to be both wet and cold all day long. In fact, the temperature was between 48 and 50 degrees almost the entire day both before the sun came up and after the sun set.

So a decision was made amongst the 4 riders (Jim Gloystein, David Levinger, Steve Piazzo and a "new" member that has started riding with the Sonoma County Mountain Goats named Andy Tautges) to start earlier than usual to try to get as far down the course as possible before the rain started. We agreed to start at 3AM (yikes - that's really early!).

Sure enough, all four of us were in the Vet's parking lot by 2:50 AM, although we didn't leave on the dot (some people were still playing with electronics and lights). We finally got out on the course at 3:15. It was very calm at the time of the early morning, but still somewhat cold with the temps in the high 40s. We rode out of town and only passed one solo rider all the way to the first rest stop. We held a very good pace and traded pulls.

Of course, when we got to the Forbes Ranch, the first rest stop, it was completely dark since it didn't open until 6AM. We pressed on, and just after "first light" as we approached the town of Winters, Steve P. had a flat. So we pulled over in front of some kind of equipment yard and while Steve changed his rear tire, a friendly cat begged for our attention. Just as Steve packed up his tool bag and was ready to flip his bike over, he discovered his front tire was also flat. He had hit a pothole and must have gotten pinch flats on both wheels. So we went through the whole tube change rubric again while the friendly cat rubbed our tires and legs begging for attention.

We finally got back on the road, and headed up the canyon to Lake Berryessa and the first big climb of the day (Cardiac Hill). Steve and Andy zoomed ahead, while David held back with Jim who was slowly climbing up the long hill. We regrouped at the 2nd Rest Stop at Capay Valley Fire Station, which was now open. Taking in the usual food and peanut butter sandwiches, there was a contingent of Philippine workers who greeted a team of Philippine riders. They had some kind of authentic food which we couldn't pronounce (along with rice), but it was way too early in the morning to experiment with unknown food and all the miles we had yet to conquer.

Back on the road, we ran across two other riders who had "low" numbers pinned to their jerseys. As David rode by them, he asked them why they had a low number, and both riders said it was the number of DDCs they had ridden. One had #39 and the other had #42, so it was clear they had changed their policy on allocating requested numbers to some riders. And, of course, David pointed out to both of them that rider #47 was right behind them, so there was a lot of respect for these riders who also had done many years of riding this venerable course.

We pretty much rode together all the way to Pope Valley and Rest Stop #3 (mile 76). At that point Jim noted that he felt pretty good, and after munching on more peanut butter sandwiches and potato chips, we ventured off passing "Hubcap Ranch" and going up the hills just after Aetna Springs.

But that's when things got interesting. Just before we crested the last hill to Butts Canyon, it started to rain. Jim pulled over to put on his rain jacket and David stopped with him. Jim and David caught up to Steve and Andy at Middletown (mile 95), but not after having ridden a good 15 miles in the rain. Fortunately there were lots of places to get out of the rain at the Middletown Rest Stop and we loaded up with food and courage to go back out in the rain and greet the nasty little hill by Harbin Springs that precedes a 5-mile stretch of dirt road and the Big Canyon climb.

There, things got really, really interesting! The entrance to the gravel section is a downhill, and although the gravel was a pretty solid surface allowing one to keep a stable riding line, the mud in the roadway started covering all parts of one's bike. And, of course, if you put on the brakes, you heard the grinding sound of brake pads on mud covered rims. Worst of all, Jim's bike was making strange noises coming from the rear chain, mostly because the mud and grit was working it's way into the drive train. What a mess! At the top of one rise Steve pulled over and we all stopped. A SAG wagon pulled up behind us and asked us if everything was okay (and he took pity on our poor bikes which were now filthy with mud and goop). But the funniest thing was David asking the SAG driver if he was a bike fender salesman, because he could make a fortune! (we all had a good laugh, including the driver).

At some point, Andy and Steve (once again) took off and Jim was taking up the rear. But something seriously wrong was going on with Jim and he approached the Big Canyon climb. Not only was it cold (46 degrees) and wet (the rain was nonstop at this point), but Jim's lower back started to seize up on him. As a result, he couldn't put any power into the pedals. The lower back pain only got worse as the ascent got steeper, and Jim finally met up with David at the water stop (ha ha--everyone there was only trying to take a break from the rain) on the Big Canyon climb. It was all Jim could do to get up and over this climb, which is a good climb but not overly steep. David was a most gracious riding partner sticking with Jim even though Jim was almost literally crawling in his lowest gear. And Jim noted that going at this slow a pace without being able to put any power in the pedals had a debilitating side effect - he wasn't generating heat and was getting cold from the wind that was in our face while climbing.

But we reached the "Top of the DC" and rode to the start of Siegler Canyon Road where there is a long steady downhill to lunch at Lower Lake High School (mile 112). Jim started out the descent already very cold, and by the time we got to the lunch stop at Lower Lake, Jim was a "popsicle". So much so that when he walked into the lunch room he couldn't undo the buckle on his helmet. But thank goodness they had cranked up the heat in that High School room and after taking off wet outer layers, all four of us started to warm up. And what really hit the spot were several servings of "Cup O'Noodles" that put hot liquid back in our bodies as we slowly started to warm up and regain control of our bodies.

Steve and Andy had arrived ahead of David and Jim, but they were still quite cold. The conditions weren't merely unpleasant, but they were downright dangerous. People descending Siegler Canyon--one of the best downhills anywhere, incidentally--were getting so cold that they were losing control. Steve and Andy were first on the scene at the flat beneath the descent where a rider went off the road into a ditch, destroying his helmet and breaking his nose (though this guy was moderately cheerful inside the lunch stop).

Steve is a man without much spare insulation, and along with about half the riders present seemed to be risking hypothermia. He needed a full hour to warm up sufficiently to accept Andy's spare clothes and brace himself to resume. We looked a lot better than many others who were either mud-covered or outfitting themselves with Hefty trash bags as a defense against the weather. It was truly amazing how many people attempted this ride with a standard kit and nothing warmer than a vest!

Unfortunately, Jim's lower back was completely seized up and not getting any better, despite taking some Tylenol supplied by Steve. So Jim decided to "throw in the wet towel" and SAG the rest of the ride. A very hard decision, but his body was telling him there was no way he would be able to climb Resurrection Hill (on Rte 20) and keep up with the group. Unselfishly, Jim's chief reason for taking a SAG was that had he tried to continue, he would really slow the group down.

So Steve, Andy and David put all their rain gear back on and ventured off from lunch just after 2PM or so. Meanwhile, Jim signed up for a SAG ride home, only to find out there were around 50 people also wanting to get a SAG home. So they encouraged us to try to find our own personal SAG ride home if we could. Jim called an old friend in Davis and he agreed to drop everything and drive an hour and a half to Lower Lake to give Jim a ride home. His name is Lars and he has been a great friend of Jim's Davis-based family for years. Jim is now deeply indebted to Lars for his assistance in time of need. In fact, Jim had a rich contribution of help by Steve, Andy and David all day long. Especially David, who waited for Jim at various points when the hills considerably slowed him down. Oh, and one more coincidence - while waiting for his SAG ride to show up, Jim discovered that riders #39 and #42 had also decided to SAG the rest of the ride. The conclusion one could reach is that this day was a lot tougher than expected and it even devastated some of the riders who have experienced many hours on the course in the past.

On Jim's SAG ride home, it was decided to drive down Highway 16 which follows Cache Creek along the official DDC course. Just about the middle of that canyon is where Jim, riding in the SAG vehicle, passed the now-3 riders on a slight uphill. No fanfare needed - we silently went by and saw that several groups were riding together to battle the headwind and everyone looked pretty strong so Jim returned to Davis, got in his car, and drove back to his Mom's house for a hot shower and some delicious warm chicken soup.

And this is where Jim's DDC narrative ends, so he will hand the keyboard over to David to chronicle the 87 miles he rode without Jim after the lunch stop. David...take it away!

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Upon leaving the lunch stop, Andy proclaimed that the rain was going to stop. Lo and behold it did stop as they departed Lower Lake, and the sun even seemed to threaten the overcast. Unfortunately, after zooming north on 53 past the "trash bag boys" with SAG repairing a flat, Steve fell victim to another flat. Andy earned the nickname "Mary Poppins" as he pulled out another tube from his enormous seat post bag and helped repair it while David stared down approaching traffic.

The dry weather followed up the Hwy 20 Resurrection climb. The legs really are an incredible heat generator, and we were all in good spirits at the top (mile 132). More hot cocoa for Andy and Steve and then on to the descents leading to the remote and lovely Hwy 16 ride down Cache Creek. Give David a flat or 0.5% down slope and he loves to push the pace. But the rain reprieve didn't mean a layoff of the wind, and that meant a headwind. The rain resumed about mile 150. We made pretty good time to Guinda (mile 157), just 5 minutes slower than last year when we had beautiful weather. More hot soup and beverages. This time, Andy "Mary Poppins" pulled out his super-size hothands body warmers and gave them to Steve.

A few miles down the road from there David got his first flat a shard that teeth of steel Steve extracted. The first repair immediately failed. The second lasted until just in front of Cache Creek Casino. Fortunately, SAG had a spare tube and that did the trick. But a mile later, Andy's front tire flatted (the only front flat of the day). Andy was amazing and efficient with his positive attitude and quick good work repairing the flats. Thank you Andy for keeping us buoyant at these times!

OK, it's now starting to get dark. DANG, we started at 3:15 AM in order to finish before dark!! Ah, well, we have lights and we're all using them now. We get through the nasty 7 miles of traffic south of the casino and turn onto the back roads again. Oops, the rain is pouring now. Oh, David's light indicates red, meaning it's on reserve. We stop at the mile 176 rest stop and David charges his light for ten minutes while we stand in the rain and resolve ourselves.

Back on these truly vacant rural farm roads in the wind and rain. Andy turns off his light to conserve battery. David's light is back in the green. Now Steve's light goes dead, and we're all riding with one light. David's light indicator goes red, but it switches to full bright beam. Not sure what this means--never have run it all the way down before. What does David have? 15 minutes? 30? We're still 15 miles out David thinks. Andy still has his light off.

Our rural road goes over a highway and there's a cyclist stopped. Then we see the SAG beyond that. Steve says "that's it". A rational assessment of the issues of riding in the dark windy rain with risky lights. He's made it 182 or more. Andy and David are shooting for the Triple Crown and so we're forging on.

David's light never dies completely. At some point less than ten miles out, his light is dim enough that Andy turns his on and we're in business. David notices that with less than 20 miles to go, his power output surges. Even though the conditions aren't any better, it's flatter and there's no traffic.

Soon we're in civilization again with street lamps and were almost there. A couple turns in the city and we're back at the start. A quarter mile shy of the 200 mark, Andy and David ride laps around the lot and we meet Steve at the car. He's changed and dry. We're elated and relieved. We peel of the wet and change into the most wonderful feeling dry clothes ever.

At dinner, two guys next to us who we rode part of the way with tell us how much they like the Terrible Two--best support of any ride they've done. They completed it in 2017 (with 100+ degree heat) and even in 2012 when it was hotter still. They say that the weather today made this ride harder than those were.

A drive home after midnight, and the day is a wrap.

Stats on the ride from the DDC web site:

360 Total Registered for the double (includes several tandems)

68 Did Not Start

143 Did Not Finish

108 Finished

41 no data or faulty data (includes David)

David used Angela's Wahoo for the ride:

15 hours time moving

13.3 Average speed (Steve and Andy were a bit faster)

200 miles (David looped back in a few places)

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Some fun facts from Jim Gloystein

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- If you've never experienced watching the sunrise while riding in the pitch dark, you have to try this. It's "experiential" as David and Jim called it. With all the clouds overhead, it took a while to actually see "first light", but when it took place just as we were heading to the town of Winters, it was simply amazing.

- The 5-mile stretch of gravel; Although traction was not a problem, the unbelievable mess the mud created on one's bike was a huge problem. The first time one applied rim brakes, there was that awful grinding noise that sounded like you were sanding off paint. But my Cervelo was making even worse noises in the drivetrain itself - the grit and muck had gotten into the chain and rear derailleur and was making grinding sounds that make bike mechanics cringe. And looking down at one's front tire where you normally see a clear stream of water coming off the tire, this stream was dark brown and full of mud and grit! Thankfully one could wash some of this off with a water bottle after we got back to the pavement, but it was really quite harrowing to have your bike get so fouled up (of course, David L. being the exception because he was running fenders).

- Speaking of bike choices, as I was loading up my non-fendered Cervelo carbon fiber road bike in the car on the way to Davis, it occurred to me that I have two other bikes with full fenders, one of which is my venerable Surly Long Haul Trucker which I do full touring. I stopped for a minute and considered taking off the front and rear racks and using this bike (which also doubles as my winter "rain bike"), but I thought better that I should just go with every advantage I could in terms of light weight and good handling. If I had it to do over again, I would have taken the Surly "rain bike" and been much better off with fenders for the rainy day and gravel section.

- Electronic shifting; Jim has used SRAM wireless eTap electronic shifting for over three years. And not once did it malfunction despite all the rain and muck. Compared to lights and GPS devices that are touchy and highly prone to malfunction, this stuff is "battle tested" and worked no matter what. Upon having to clean my bike after I returned home, I noticed that the mud and muck had gotten into almost every crevice of the front and rear electronic derailleurs. The only way I could clean them was with "Q-tips" and alcohol. But as noted, they never once failed to work in a very harsh riding environment and that was worth a lot.

- Rain gear; you either love it or hate it. There's no perfect solution, so you try to find gear that minimizes the agony of riding in the rain. There were people with no rain gear (and just shorts and a jersey top - what were they thinking?) and then there were a plethora of Shower's pass jackets and knock offs. No matter what, everyone gets wet, whether from the rain or the sweat buildup inside rain gear. The trick is to have good insulation underneath (yes, wool is unbeatable) and not to get too overheated from non-breathable rain gear.

Two Hill Winter Trainer "C" Pace

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:36:28 GMT

Nobody showed up for my "C" ride today... Don't get me wrong, there were 10 riders present, but none of them wanted to ride at a "C" pace!

In round numbers, 2 Climbs, 66 miles, 5,000', 4-4.5 hours moving (depending on rider), dry roads, rushing creeks, no mishaps or flats (other than Jens' Di2 battery starting to run low).

7 riders rolled out from Howarth at 9:07 AM. Darrin, Craig, Carl S, MarC, Sam, Nick, and your fearless, if slow, rider leader. In short order, Miguel rolled up on the rear. On the Calistoga Rd. climb, Jady rolled past us at a good clip. I was leading the climb, with my ducks all tucked in behind me in a neat, single file row. Everyone was in warm up mode, so didn't take the bait — this time. Jens met us at the top of the climb, having ridden from Calistoga, so we were now 10 strong, pun intended. With the addition of Miguel, Jady, and Jens, the roster wasn't exactly deteriorating ;-)

On the St. Helena/Spring Mt. climb, I was a good ride leader and led from the rear. I wish I could say it was by choice. The only rider I could keep in sight was Craig H. I was able to claim the Lanterne Rouge on Spring Mountain without competition.

Spring Mt. featured dry pavement this time around, with only a few wet spots. The creek was still rushing, and again provided a beautiful distraction on the climb. The descent was much safer this week vs. last with more or less dry pavement.

Once on Silverado, the pace heated up, and I was immediately dropped. This meant a solo ride into Yountville, where the group waited patiently. Knowing they wanted to stick to the knitting, I made my stop brief, with a Coke and a quick snack.

We then headed for Trinity via Dry Creek. The ride along the frontage road was civil, and we all stuck together, but the pace heated up again on Dry Creek, and the group was completely shattered, every man for himself. Dry Creek was far from dry, and the rushing water was again an enjoyable distraction on the long drag toward Trinity.

On Trinity, I thought my Lanterne Rouge status was safe, until, near the top, I slowly reeled Craig in. Desperately wanting to hold onto my LR status, I eased up just a bit to ride behind Craig. But I eventually lost my resolve, and pushed a bit toward the summit, gaining a small gap on Craig going over the top.

We regrouped again at the bottom of Trinity, and I snapped a group photo. MarC, Miguel and Darrin broke off and took Sonoma Mt. to their respective destinations. Jady, Nick, and Sam powered ahead, and we were unable to match their pace, and did not see hide nor hair of them for the remainder of the ride. Jens, Carl, Craig, and I, finished ride together, safely back at Howarth at 1:50 PM.

Rider of the day is Craig H. Not because he did anything spectacular, but he was largely the only rider I could keep in sight all day, and he let me nip him on Trinity, so he's on my radar. Oh, and he did take that little bump of a climb at the end of the ride going into Spring Lake toward the bike paths!

This ride was pretty shattered, with riders going at different paces, and some getting dropped from time to time. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I think everyone enjoyed this ride very much, and got a great work out on a perfect Winter cycling day. A big thank you for those who came out today and rode safely. It's a pleasure to lead a ride with such a competent group. Stay tuned for the Three Hill!

One Hill Winter Trainer

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 02:33:44 GMT

The One Hill Winter Trainer ride finally happened today, after several weather delays. 7 riders, 62 miles, 4300', 4:06 riding time, wet roads, roaring creeks, snow capped peaks, a few sprinkles, and one downpour.

Darrin J, MarC M, Dave S, Richard A, Carl A, and Sarah S, a.k.a. "The Usual Suspects," rolled out with me from Howarth Park at 9:10 AM, under dry skies, and over wet roads. Spring Mt. was quite wet, with several places where water was running across the road. The creek along the road was rushing with water, and was an enjoyable distraction during much of the climb.

The group was well matched (with MarC taking it easy and riding a mt. bike), and there was little separation over the summit. We regrouped at the bottom after an extra careful descent of the treacherous East side of Spring Mt.

We formed a pace line up Silverado, and stopped briefly in Calistoga for water, then were treated to an incredible view of Mt. St. Helena, well covered in snow, as we headed toward Hwy 128. After descending the County Line climb, some light rain fell as we rolled by Ida Clayton Rd, and looked up to see more snow on the ridge top.

The rain subsided as we tackled Chalk Hill, Faught Rd, then Mark West, to Riebli, and back toward Howarth. At the final stop light, I noted to the other riders that the sky looked terribly dark. With about 200 meters to go, the sky opened up, and we experienced a heavy downpour. All riders made a mad dash to their cars seeking cover from the heavy rain. While we didn't get a chance for a proper goodbye, I am confident in saying that all present had a wonderful Winter ride experience, in beautiful conditions.

A big thank you to all riders who made the effort to attend the One Hill Trainer. Rider of the day goes to Dave Smith, who, after recovering from a serious injury, is back riding again, as strong as ever. Dave crushed the climbs, and also put in some very strong pulls at the front on the flats. Welcome back, Dave!

Three County - Four Hill Ride Report

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 18:30:54 GMT

16 riders (12 men, 4 women), 121 miles, 10,000', 3 flats, a few sprinkles, tacky dirt, lush green grasses, wildflowers, 1 cougar skeleton. That's the short story of the Three County - Four Hill Ride.

The Four Hills climbed are Geysers, Old Toll, Hopland Grade, and Mountain House.

Dave left the start in Healdsburg one hour before our group to get a head start. At 8:00 AM 10 more riders left the start, heading for Geysers. Conditions were beautiful, with a mix of bright sun, puffy clouds, light fog, and also some darker, threatening clouds.

The temperature dripped as we climbed Geysers, but the cool weather was comfortable given the effort. Jennie pretty much dropped the entire group on the first Geysers climb, but the male members of the species faired just a little bit better on the second hump.

Descending Geysers, Jennie was laughing at the contrast of road conditions on that stretch, from smooth, wide pavement with center double yellow, to narrow, potholed single lane, to bumpy dirt, with a few significant slumps in the pavement thrown in for good measure.

At Geysers and River Road, we picked up the "Cloverdale Crew," Trudi, Catherine, and Nick. And we lost Steve, who'd had enough after Geysers. But wait... there's more. Up the road, also starting in Cloverdale, was Darren.

Despite closed lanes for repair along the 8 mile stretch of Hwy 101, it wasn't really any worse than usual, and not too unpleasant on the bikes. Unfortunately, one rider got a flat on this stretch, followed by a second, unrelated flat. The bulk of the group carried on to our stop at the store in Hopland... no sense in having the entire group waiting along Hwy 101. Darren was waiting for us at the store. At this point it began to rain lightly, and skies were looking ominous.

After a regroup and a break in Hopland, we tackled Old Toll Road, a beautiful old road, with a mostly dirt surface. Fortunately, the sprinkles were short lived, and we were treated to absolutely perfect conditions on Old Toll, the best I have ever seen. The descent featured none of the loose dirt normally seen, as the light rain left everything nice and tacky. I caught up with David on the descent, so he was making good progress, holding off the group to about the half way point. Many riders commented on how much fun the dirt descent was — no argument here, I had the time of my life!

Once back on to pavement, we had another regroup planned, but several riders were a bit chilly and wanted to continue on. I let them go and we formed a second group. Unfortunately, the chasing group experienced another flat tire (different rider this time), so this put the "C" Group a further behind the "C/D" group.

The final regroup in Hopland resulted in a similar strategy. With the C group behind, the C/D group wanted to forge ahead and finish the ride. I sent them forward and rode in with the C group. We caught David again on Mountain House, and he was able to finish the ride with our trailing group.

The Cloverdale Contingency finished where they started, while the Healdsburg Homies were all in safe and sound by 6:15 PM. It turned out to be a perfect day for this amazing ride, with just a few sprinkles and dramatic weather. We never got soaked, and while a few riders complained of being a bit chilly while stopped, most were quite comfortable during the day.

Thanks to everyone for riding safely, being social, and accommodating the requirements of riding efficiently in a group.

Three Hill Winter Trainer

Paul McKenzie — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 04:49:17 GMT

Another great day on the bike if a little cool. We assembled at Howarth Park at 9 AM for this 107 mile adventure. Looking around, it was clear the field represented the who's who of "D" riders in the club... for this supposed "C" ride. The group that left Howarth, right on time, totaled 16, and the group swelled to 20 by the time we got to Pope Valley.

The specs:

20 riders, 106.4 miles, 8500' elevation, some ice, some sand on roads, 7:06 riding time, 7:52 Elapsed time. 15.0 mph average speed, which I would call a C/D pace, no flats, no crashes, one minor mechanical that was fixed quickly. Hundreds of noisy croaking Toads.

At the rider meeting I stressed two points. First, being careful on the wet, slippery Winter descents. Second, asking the D riders to hold back a bit when in a pace line to accommodate the C rider pace that was advertised. The first point was heeded by the group, however, the second, not so much. Asking these thoroughbreds to hold back in the pace line turned out to be a fool's errand.

The group split up nicely going up Calistoga road, allowing cars to pass. Ice was visible at the edges of the road, but the tire track was free of ice, and we didn't experience any slippage. Descending Calistoga Road and on to St. Helena Road, it was evident that the County had sanded the roads heavily, as there was black ice last evening and early this morning. Again, clear for us, but frost still visible at the edges of the road.

Everyone set their own pace up St. Helena Road, and descending Spring Mountain, I found myself behind John E and John M. These guys are two of the most competent, experienced riders I know, and to watch both of them dissect this tricky descent at a safe but efficient pace was quite a joy!

We regrouped in St. Helena, and it didn't take long for the large group of 16 to reassemble.

As we headed out of town, I'd heard that Matt had a mechanical, so I sent the group ahead while I returned to find Matt. He and Michael came rolling along with the issue already resolved, and we chased to catch the group. The group had stopped at the Porta Potties left on the side of the road by the Marathon that was happening today. Craig had told me about the Marathon event on Silverado during the pre ride meeting, and I thought to myself... "This could be interesting." As it turned out, the only inconvenience was later in the day when the trucks were stopping on Silverado to pick up the Honey Buckets, and we had to swerve into the traffic lane to avoid the trucks.

At this time, just before ascending Howell Mountain, we picked up Eduardo and Gilberto, two nice Irish lads (just kidding), who'd ridden from Napa to meet us. Following the climb up Howell Mountain, we stopped for supplies at Pope Valley, where we picked up Jady and Nick.

As we left, and Jens was setting a swift pace at the front, I suggested, "I sense there will be a split in this group."

Heading out Pope Canyon Road, the likes of Marc, Jens, Jady, Michael, and several others, lit up the pace big time. The speed varied between about 20 mph to 35 mph over the rolling terrain. The pavement was terrible, and I found myself going into race mode, fighting to stay near the front so as to stay out of danger, and not get dropped should there be a split. Sure enough, the group did split, and when we came to the final little climb before Lake Berryessa, I cried "Uncle" and let the front group go.

Jennie Phillips was with me at that point, and we found ourselves in no man's/woman's land. Dropped from the front group, but ahead of the chasers. The good news is that we worked very well together splitting pulls on Knoxville Berryessa Road. The group was pretty shattered at that point. We later encountered Chayan and Eduardo, who'd stopped for a break, and they later passed us again. We also picked up John M and Gilberto, who'd been shelled by the front group, and Jennie and I towed their carcasses into Yountville. Jennie and I worked together for the entire stretch from Lake Berryessa to Yountville trading equal pulls. Thankfully, Jennie is still recovering from a broken wrist sustained in November, so I was able to match her pace, and we worked together like a well oiled machine.

We had a quick lunch stop in Yountville, and the main group was ready to go, though the later riders had just arrived. I elected to go with the main group, knowing the riders left behind could find their way.

The last obstacle of the day was Trinity, and I, along with a few others, struggled to turn the pedals up the steep climb, running on fumes after bouts of riding very hard throughout the day.

When clouds blocked the sun, it was quite cool, but at other times, the warm sun and gorgeous clouds were comforting. Every time we passed a pond, we could hear hundreds of toads croaking so loud it was almost deafening. Apparently they are enjoying the aftermath of the wet weather!

For the final stretch back to Howarth, the group had dwindled to 9. Some were ahead, several broke off to head back to Petaluma or Napa, and a few were behind. The group of 9 arrived back at Howarth a few ticks before 5 PM.

We didn't have any takers for Pizza and Beer at Mary's, but Jennie and I went there anyway, to enjoy some well deserved food. As we finished up, Jay came in to let us know that the riders behind were in safely. They'd finished at about 6 PM, a long day, but still in daylight. Jay was in good spirits, and I was relieved to find there seemed to be no hard feelings about the ride leader leaving a few riders to fend for themselves.

Overall it was a fabulous, hard, training ride, with many competent riders. It was a large group for such a difficult ride, and I am very pleased with the turnout.

We'll up the ante again with the Four Hill ride in April. This one will include Geysers, Old Toll, Hopland Grade, and Mountain House. Although not for the faint of heart, the Four Hill is by far my favorite of the series. I think I'll call this one a C/D ride, knowing it'll attract mostly the D crowd again.

Thanks to all riders for heeding the warnings and riding safely, even if you ignored the pacing request ;-)

Two Hill Winter Trainer

Paul McKenzie — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 02:20:04 GMT

The Two Hill Winter Trainer was a smashing success today! 12 riders showed up for the ride, and the weather could not have been better. There were several ride options today, including the Kroecks' popular Valentine's Sweeheart ride, so I was pleased to see the good turnout. We even had a nice tailwind on Silverado. The specs... Two climbs, Spring Mountain and Trinity, 12 riders, 66 miles, 4700', Riding Time 4 hours 16 minutes, Elapsed Time 4 hours 58 minutes, average speed, 15.3 mph.

We rolled out of Howarth at precisely 9:10 AM with a competent group of a dozen riders, 10 men, and 2 women. As we approached the first climb up the short, but steep, Calistoga Rd., Joyce announced that she and John would be on their own, so I should not worry about them. Of course I didn't, as they are both experienced riders, and I appreciated that Joyce informed me of her plan.

When the road kicked up, Chayan and Sam hit it hard, and a good bit of the group followed. I kept a tempo pace until the top, put in an effort, and caught the group right at the summit, though Chayan and Sam were already waiting. Descending, I was in second position behind Sam, and I stopped at the right turn on to St. Helena Road to make sure the group made the turn. I waited for all to pass, except for Joyce and John, then began the long chase to catch the group.

I thought it would be an easy task to catch the group on the long climb, and I slowly caught Del, Jim, and Craig, but Walt, Steve, and Trudi remained elusive over the summit. Craig announced as I passed, that he is a BC rider trying to be a C rider. Looked to me like he was doing a very good job working toward his goal. I was able to reel in the speedy 3 on on the descent, and the four of us found Sam and Chayan patiently waiting at the regroup point at the intersection of Madrone St. in St. Helena. All riders were together in short order and we proceeded over to Silverado Trail.

We organized a nice pace line to cover the 10 miles to Yountville efficiently. Coincidentally, we had 10 riders, and after each of us had done exactly one pull, we arrived in Yountville, having enjoyed a tailwind for a good bit of the stretch. We could not have planned it better. What a great group!

After a leisurely snack stop in Yountville, Joyce and John showed up. At that point Del announced that he planned to join Joyce and John for the remainder of the ride.

We tackled the next flat stretch over to Dry Creek at a moderate pace, then the pace picked up on the gradual climb, and the group split again, with Sam and Chayan ahead, and the rest of us chasing. We found Sam and Chayan waiting at the intersection of Trinity, where Trudi announced that she would go ahead, as we'd catch her on the climb.

The group left shortly after, and everyone put in a good effort on the very difficult Trinity climb. As it turned out, Chayan was the only rider to catch and pass Trudi, while Walt barely caught her at the top. I decided to exercise my authority as ride leader and revoke Trudi's "I'm going to start the climb early cuz you'll catch me" card. Quite frankly, even with the new rule enforced, most of us are still going to get chick'd, but this will make it official ;-)

We watered up at the fire station, and began the descent, where Jim demonstrated his descending prowess. At the bottom, I suggested a moderate tempo pace line back to the start, and the group complied. Once again, this group, now 9 strong, worked very well together, and we arrived back at Howarth Park in under 5 hours total elapsed time, tired and satisfied, but not too knackered.

A huge thank you for everyone in this group. The group rode strong, safe, obeyed traffic laws, and socialized and communicated well with one another. Thank you! I can't wait to do it again. Stay tuned for the Three Hill Winter Trainer in March. The Three Hill will add a level of difficulty, but is still manageable as our Spring fitness improves.

Super Bowl Sunday Near Century

Joyce Chang — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 05:55:11 GMT

Thirteen riders started with me at Piner High School, en route to the Santa Rosa Creek Trail where we were to rendezvous with Susan Noble’s crew that started at the Trail House. Ten minutes before we started, Dennis Prior showed up at Piner HS from his house in Windsor and told me he’d soft pedal; he wanted to keep going so he wouldn’t get cold. That’s the last we saw of him until Wohler Bridge! These warm February days often start in the low 40’s so there was ample reason for Dennis not to want to stop. On my drive to Piner HS, I had heard on the radio that it was -3 degrees in Minneapolis, where they were playing the Super Bowl. 40-degree mornings here? No complaints.

As most of you know, it’s often a challenge to figure out when and where to meet another group. There’s always the possibility of a late start or a mechanical issue that prevents a well-coordinated meet-up. Today was no exception. Several of the faster riders wanted to forge ahead, so a few of us stopped oh-so-briefly to text Susan to let her know we were on the Creek Trail and that we’d be soft-pedaling ahead. Soon after our brief texting stop, Luke Scrivanich caught up with our group.

Baptiste, Gabriel, and Peter of the Petaluma Wheelmen were on the ride. We regrouped in Occidental for the 5.4-mile Coleman-Joy-Bittner loop. Most everyone knew the route, but the two in the back Baptiste and Peter apparently did not. When everyone completed the loop and regrouped back in Occidental, I didn’t see Baptiste and Peter. Gabriel said that Baptiste knew the area, so we shouldn’t worry about him. I’ll get back to this later.

Most of the folks had already taken off: Michael “I rode 70 miles yesterday so I’m tired” Barnes, Karen “89 miles is a stretch for me right now” Steele, Doug “I’m gonna shortcut it today cuz I’m not in shape” Wagner, Nancy “I’m gonna ride ahead and not wait” Vallance, Gwen “I might ride the Davis Double so I need to ride a ton of bonus miles” Hall, Luke “I like to gossip with you, Joyce” Scrivanich, Eduardo from Napa and Steve from Napa.

As we were descending the 16% downhill on Covey, I received a text from Baptiste: they were on their way, having missed the Bittner turn. I knew where they ended up -- oh Joy!

Steve Spitler, Del Bogart and I rode together until mile 32 at Wohler Bridge, where Dennis was basking on a rock in a beam of sunshine peaking through the tall redwoods. We filled our water bottles at the Sonoma County Water Agency building and rode with Dennis. At Madrona Manor we picked up Gwen who stood there waiting for us. Nancy had ridden into Healdsburg to shortcut the route.

Now our group of five headed over Dutcher Creek where at mile 56, the turnaround point, we headed south to Geyserville, our long-awaited food stop. Some coffee, pastries and string cheese freshened us up. Here at last, Susan Noble’s group pulled in: Susan, Robin Rothrock, Bob Dahlstet and Steve Piezzi. They had gotten to the Fulton and Creek Trail intersection a few minutes after we had, but for whatever reason it took until mile 62 to cross paths with them. Dennis wanted to head straight home to Windsor from Geyserville, so he peeled off on his own along Geyserville Ave.

Gwen, Steve, Del and I stayed on the prescribed route on Hwy 128 and Chalk Hill, totally unmolested by traffic as most of the yahoos in pick-up trucks were swilling their beer and smothering their chips with guacamole at their respective Super Bowl parties. What a glorious day to be out on the bike riding a near century! I take it back, Steve and Gwen rode well over 100 miles each as they started from their houses in Windsor.

When we returned to our cars at Piner HS, everyone’s vehicle was gone except Baptiste and Peter’s. Within 15 minutes, Baptiste and Peter rolled in. Just as I suspected, they had missed the Bittner turn off Joy Road and stayed on Joy until Bodega Hwy, Freestone, Bohemian Hwy and back to Occidental. They continued on the prescribed route but turned into Healdsburg rather than continue north on WDC to Dutcher Creek. They ended up riding something like 79 miles.

Luke later told me that he, Eduardo and Gabriel rode the entire route. Karen, Michael and Doug turned south at Canyon. I don’t know what happened to Steve from Napa, but presumably he returned safely.

Of fifteen riders, seven completed the entire ride. Way to go! Herding cats.

Second King Ridge Ride for beginners and all comers

Dennis Prior — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 04:31:59 GMT

Well we did the second King Ridge ride for beginners today and had 47-50 riders show up. I lost count after all my fingers and toes were counted but someone with better adding skills got up to 47 at the start but I think a few more joined as we left the parking lot in Duncan Mills.

21 of the folks were from the Mountain Goat group to help the new folks navigate the hill climbs and also give some of the other folks company going over the ride as the groups got spread out once the hill climbing began.

We cruised up Cazadero canyon in groups of 5 with about 100-200 yards between the groups so as to allow the cars to get around us as best as possible and that seemed to work pretty good although there were a few folks who didn't seem to get the concept but such is life with 47+ riders. The folks who have done the ride before just went off the front and I didn't see them again after that which was part of the plan. There was probably a group of about 12-15 that were at or near the back at one point or another. The new folks doing this ride for the first time did a great job and were real troopers and had a great attitude to the experience just like the group from last year.

When we started the first big climb up King Ridge Sarah Schroer and the C/D riders coming from Healdsburg passed us as they were headed for Tin Barn and Skaggs and then about 20 minutes later Miguel Sanchez showed up chasing down the C/D riders and the rumor had it that he caught them at Tin Barn and Skaggs so he must have been really moving after he said hello to us and started the chase.

Once on the ridge of King Ridge where the fields are open and the cattle are roaming around with the clear weather the new folks got to see what everyone has been talking about. You could even see the ocean at the end of the ridge before you drop down to Parameter's pond and vineyards.

Everyone made it down Hauser Bridge rd. to the bridge safe and sound. We had 3 of the goats lead the new folks down the hill with me at the back just to make sure no one picked up too much speed on that last 100yds as there is now a crater at around the 100yd point with only a sliver of asphalt to the left that we chose to take as a line(this wasn't there a month ago), but going only about 1mph really helped keep everyone safe and the bottom was a bit tore up but going slow it wasn't all that bad at all and no one really complained about the descent. We did our best to keep everyone's sphincter's somewhat relaxed on this portion of the ride! :-).

We climbed up to Ratna Ling where we filled up our water bottles and had a rest and snacks and then made the ride to Meyers Grade where the views on this clear day were once again breath taking heading down towards the coast. Once on Highway 1 we encountered a fair amount of Sunday traffic but made it back to Duncan Mills safe and sound.

11 of the original rides opted to head south on Highway 1 at jenner and add in Coleman Valley to make a 70 mile and 7,000' day of it!

We had only one mechanical and that was a flat on Seaview that we fixed but it kept losing air so we were able to every 4 miles or so to add some more with C02 cartridges to get the guy back to the start. He had a kevlar liner on the inside of his tire so I'm thinking that was the cause of the problem at least that would be my first guess.

A lot of happy faces after the ride and a huge thanks to those that showed up for the ride and helped the new folks on their first loop around King Ridge!

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

Dave and Steve's Wild Ass Adventure Pt. 2

Steven A Aquilino — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 04:23:42 GMT

We had an excellent day on the bike and a beautiful, challenging and fun ride. We had a total of 12 riders. Most of us started at Fort Ross, however the ride was apparently not challenging enough for Dave L. and Karl B., as they started from Cazadero and met the group at Fort Ross. The main ride was from Fort Ross, up the coast to Timber Cove Road up to Seaview. The debate is still on as to whether riding up Timber Cove or Meyer’s Grade is more difficult, with the consensus leaning to Timber Cove being a bit “less difficult.” From there we headed down Seaview and up Hauser Bridge Road, which is still a mess, especially the first part right after the bridge. Fortunately we all made it up safely and then proceeded down Tin Barn Rd. to Skaggs Springs Rd, down the Rancheria Wall and over to Annapolis Road. We took Annapolis Road to the coast which was a beautiful part of the ride with very little traffic and overall fairly good quality pavement. It got a little hot on this section, but once we got down to Hwy 1 the marine layer cooled us down quite a bit. We stopped for lunch at Stewart Point Store where most of us stayed inside to get out of the cold ocean breeze. From there it was a nice jaunt down the coast back to Fort Ross, When we finished we had ~52 miles and 6,000 ft. of climb, that is except for Dave and Karl who went back up Fort Ross road from the coast to Cazadero (with a side trip down to the Black Mountain Retreat Center) for some more bonus miles and climbing, finishing up with ~84 miles and 11,400 ft.! I can’t wait until I’m as old as Karl so I can be as strong a rider as he is!

Thanks to Dave M. for suggesting this ride on our 1st "wild ass adventure" last week, and to all the goats for a truly enjoyable day!

2017 Fearsome Five

Sarah Schroer — Sun, 14 May 2017 03:12:05 GMT

In 2007, Marc Moons led the inaugural edition of the Fearsome Five. Eleven years later, this iconic ride still brings out a solid group of tough riders. Marc and Rita are visiting friends and family in Belgium, and I was recruited to organize the event in their absence.

Twenty one riders turned out for this year’s edition of the Fearsome Five. For some people, completing three or four of the climbs was enough for the day. Others had their eyes on the big prize – seven riders finished all five peaks!

Special thanks to Paul McKenzie, who set up a much needed water and snack stop at the base of Pine Mountain and still managed to bag three peaks this year.

Here are the results:

First Time Finishers, and recipients of the coveted Fearsome Five beer mug:

Sam Addison – this young rider set a blistering pace from the very beginning of the day. A flat tire on Ida Clayton’s rough pavement slowed him down a bit, but he still finished strong. Sam is on a mission this year!

Doug Schrock – Doug chose a good day to earn his beer mug; not too hot, just a little windy. He kept a steady pace throughout the long day.

Tayler Hockett – not a member of SRCC (yet), Tayler has had his eye on the Fearsome Five for a few years. He showed up with a mountain bike cassette on his road bike – a great choice for the tough climbs on this ride!

Returning Champions:

Doug McKenzie – Doug completed the Fearsome Five in 2010, then took a long hiatus in order to pursue his musical career. He joined us again this year, and was finally awarded his beer mug.

Miguel Sanchez – Miguel must have stayed up late on Friday night, or just figured he could ride fast enough to catch the leaders even if he did start an hour late! This was Miguel’s fifth Fearsome Five finish.

Carl Sanders – in training for ultra-distance events this year, Carl flew up (and down) the mountains for his fourth Fearsome Five finish.

Sarah Schroer – as substitute ride leader, there was no way Sarah could stop short of finishing all five peaks this year. This was her sixth Fearsome Five finish.

Four Peakers:

Jay Abraham

Firouzeh Attwood

Nicki Boyd

Karl Burkhauser

Don Graham

Greg Goto

David Levinger

Hunt Moore

Three (Plus) Peakers:

Joyce Chang and daughter Juliet Daniel

Scott Duncan

Kris Jones

Paul McKenzie

Robert Thompson

Devil Mountain Double

Joyce Chang — Tue, 02 May 2017 03:24:53 GMT

The Devil Made Me Do It

Back in 1999 when I finished the TT, I had heard about the DMD, but it never occurred to me to attempt it. Since it comes so early in the year, it seemed daunting to train for it, and I also was afraid of night riding. For slower riders like me, the shorter days in April would necessitate some night riding for a hard double century like DMD.

How things have changed! I equipped myself several years ago with a 1400-lumen Exposure Race handlebar-mounted light, a Light and Motion headlamp, a backup handlebar-mounted Cateye that can also strap onto my helmet, a 75-lumen taillight, and a motley assortment of reflective items. A few years ago, I had ridden a couple of double centuries in the autumn, and I became comfortable with night riding.

Sherry Adams agreed to shepherd me on my maiden DMD voyage. Sherry being Sherry met me at the corner of Deer Park and Silverado Trail in St Helena on the Friday afternoon before the DMD after a day of working (and riding her bike) somewhere near Howell Mountain. Sherry showed up with all her necessary gear for the weekend stowed in her rando bag. Incidentally, just my stash of electronics alone (lights, cords, transformers, spare batteries, Garmin, etc.) could have filled her rando bag. I loaded her bike onto my car rack and off we went to the Marriott San Ramon.

Weather forecast for the DMD was favorable: mild winds and highs around 79 degrees. Our 5AM mass start meant that riders would need their lights for about an hour in the morning. The faster riders could start at 6AM, no lights needed. The Quackcyclists modified this year’s course to eliminate the portion along Morgan Territory Road and the return on infamous Sierra Road, due to road closures from the rainy winter. As a result of the route change, the course dropped 8 miles and eliminated about 3000’ of climbing: DMD Lite. Only 86 riders came to ride this year’s course. For me, the drop in climbing was a bonus: the only way I could ever complete this ride is the year when they dumbed it down. I’m hoping they don’t sell a 2017 jersey with an asterisk next to the ride stats.

A beautiful sunrise emerged from behind the silhouette of Mt. Diablo on what would be a perfect day for the ride. Other than high winds at the top of Diablo, the remainder of the course was relatively calm and cool. Veteran DMD riders commented on how comfortable the morning was on Mt Diablo; usually folks shivered down the Mt Diablo descent.

After the out-and-back on Diablo, we meandered along the flatlands of Livermore suburbia towards Altamont Pass. A local rider came upon our small group of DMD riders and wanted to verify what our event tags meant. He asked us if we really were riding 200 miles in a day. After I confirmed this, he muttered something about his being an underachiever, using some self-deprecating term of “genetic garbage.” I’m glad we made his day! He peeled off as we approached Altamont Pass. Who would’ve known that just north of Interstate 580, a quiet frontage road ran parallel to the freeway over a cul and down into the next valley? We climbed with Manny D from Union City. Two other guys we rode with, Travis and a guy whose top tube was too short for him we dubbed Short Stem, were rather humorless. (Rider names were written below the rider number.) They pretty much ignored Sherry and me, despite several overtures to engage them.

I was relieved to arrive at the next rest stop (mile 64), as I worried about not having eaten enough at the previous rest stop at the top of Diablo. A local Filipino cycling club, headed by Jerry, the elder of the Filipino cycling group, manned this rest station. He and his buddies checked our bikes for us while we helped ourselves to fruit, bagels, PB&J, Hammer nutrition and bars. Throughout the day, Jerry and his Filipino crew leapfrogged us to the following rest stop and offered us yummy homemade Filipino food: stir-fried noodles, fried rice and chicken adobo.

Normally, riders would be climbing the exposed Patterson Pass climb much later in the day, but by eliminating Morgan Territory Road, we approached the summit before noon. Next was the 91-mile out-and-back up to Mt. Hamilton. Along Mines Road, we passed somebody Sherry knew from the Silver State 508, another humorless one we dubbed “Big Hair.” Sherry managed to get only one word out of Big Hair. Mines Road seemed to continue for an uphill eternity until we reached the Junction Cafe rest stop.

Sherry and I unexpectedly ran into speedy Carl Sanders at The Junction. Sherry correctly deduced that the only way this could’ve happened was that Carl was on his return leg through the rest stop, whereas we were on our outbound leg to Mt. Hamilton! We rode 18 miles to arrive at the top of Mt Hamilton: an 8-mile stretch of uneven terrain preceding the true climb, 5 miles of gentle climbing, and a final 5 miles of serious climbing to summit at 4185’.

The top of Mt. Hamilton provided terrific views of the Bay Area, but we didn’t linger long since there was no food here. During our return leg from Mt. Hamilton to The Junction rest stop, Sherry commented to me that she thought we would finish around midnight; I had been hoping for 10:30. In her matter-of-fact way, she said that I burnt up a lot of time at the rest stops, so far using up 1 hr, 20 minutes of time off the bike. Her prediction was that if I continued such inefficient behavior at rest stops, we might finish even later than midnight. Well that lit a fire under my ass! I swear that I wasted a good 5-10 minutes at each rest stop just waiting for dudes to do their business in the single porta-potty that each rest stop had. Not my fault...waaah!

Along Mines Road we picked up Andrew, a San Franciscan with a British accent. We descended down Mines Road in the dusk, still having enough ambient light to feel comfortable descending briskly. At the Mines Road rest stop (mile 165), I choked down a Cup o’ Noodles while Sherry patiently waited. Then it was onward to the next rest stop in 21 miles. When you’re tired and not thrilled about riding late into the night, what to do? Laugh and gossip! Sherry wins Shepherd of the Year: she always pulled, pacing me perfectly. She hardly needed to work when climbing at my speed so she belted out some songs: Rolling on the River, Say hey, we’re the Monkeys (even laconic Andrew chimed in), Good Day Sunshine. We laughed at our social faux pas (Is that guy’s name really Dung? I’ve been calling him that the entire ride!), and poked fun at Short Stem, Big Hair, Team Travis and Genetic Garbage. After the final rest stop at mile 186 and just a little climb up Norris Canyon, we rolled in at 11:15.

Total ride time: 16 hr 15 min. Time off the bike 2 hours.

Four Hill Ride

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 01 May 2017 04:06:00 GMT

Sunday’s Four Hill Ride was a journey for the adventurous cyclist, including as it did roads with abysmal pavement, roads without pavement, and pavement rarely traveled during SRCC rides. Seven riders accepted the day’s challenge, and two additional riders accompanied the group part of the way, then turned in a smaller arc as the rest of us launched ourselves north toward Lake County.

The weather was mild at the 8am start, with no need for knee warmers or jackets. As the day progressed, the temperature climbed toward 80 degrees, a bit warm for riders habituated by a long winter to cool and cloudy rather than warm and sunny.

Conditions were chatty as the group climbed Hill #1, Geysers Road. We safely negotiated the crumbling asphalt on the northern side of the ridge, then hit the wind on Interstate 101. Fortunately, a few strong riders took the lead and broke trail for the rest of us.

Hill #2 required more concentration. This was Old Toll Road, an almost traffic-free road which climbs east over the ridge between Hopland and Kelseyville. After crossing a minefield of potholes in the first few miles, we reached the relative smoothness of gravel for the rest of the way up and down.

The Hopland Grade was Hill #3 and featured very nice pavement, but by this time it was early afternoon and we were climbing in the lee of the ridge, with no breeze to cool us down. Water bottles were empty by the time we reached the top of the ridge and descended toward Hopland.

After refueling, we headed toward Hill #4. Mountain House Road was the smallest climb of the day, but by no means the least painful, as our tired legs could attest.

Reaching civilization again in Cloverdale, we were pushed along smooth pavement by a stiff tailwind. This made for a fast trip back to Healdsburg, where beer and burgers at the Bear Republic awaited us.

The adventure was a great success thanks to a well-matched group of competent and friendly cyclists whose spirits never flagged, even if their bodies wanted to!

The route can be viewed here: Four Hill Ride on RWGPS

Friday's Mountain Goat ride out of Cazadero.

Dennis Prior — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 15:44:00 GMT

We had 20 people show up for this challenging ride. We ended up with 57 miles and 8500' of elevation for the day. Congratulations to Robina and Karen as this was the most elevation they have ever done in one ride and there might have been a few more in the group also. We had three guests. Jens from Calistoga, Lorenzo brought Martin from the bay area, and Phil and Christine brought Don from Colorado.

As usual we rode at our social pace and the group spread out once in the hills but never to far apart for the most part. Quite a few folks hadn't had the privilege of going the opposite direction on Hauser Bridge and that is quite a climb right after the bridge starting up the hill towards Tin Barn and King Ridge I think the gamins were clicking in around 19%. At the intersection of Tin Barn and Hauser our Garmins were reading 20 miles and a little over 4,000' of elevation. We then headed out Tin Barn to Skaggs after a brief regroup and got to enjoy those wonderful descents down Skaggs to the coast. We had a great lunch break at Stewards Point and a wonderful tail wind as we went the twelve miles down the coast to Timber Cove Rd. We broke up into 4 group of 5 for pace lines so the cars could easily get by us on HWY 1 and Jens pulled the first group the whole way(he is quite a strong rider and rode down to our level throughout the day). The climb up Timber Cove was a bit of work with two different sections one at the bottom and one at the top at around 19% as we have gone down Timber Cove a number of times on our way to climb Ft. Ross Rd. from the coast.

After we finished the climb up Timber Cove about 1/2 the group regrouped at Seaview right at the intersection of Timber Cove and Seaview and mentioned the tough climbs we had in for the day so far and decided to just spin/grind our way back into Cazadero. Jens showed back up and checked in on the back group and gave Karen a salt tab as she was struggling on the ride and low and behold she caught her second wind and took off with Chris Jones never to be seen at the back of the pack again that day! :-.

I think Steve Piazzo got the most distance of the day as he rode from his house in Occidental and probably had around 90 miles yesterday. We had a few others riding in from Monte Rio and Duncan Mills.

Afterwards 10 of us had dinner(it was around 4'30 when we finished the ride) at Northwoods lodge and a well deserved beer. Christine said that ride was as tough if not tougher than a lot of the climbs she has done in the Alps. I haven't ever been to the Alps but I don't doubt that we have that type of climbing here in Sonoma County.

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

Friday March 17th ride from Geyserville to Hopland on 128 and Mountain House rd.

Dennis Prior — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 15:40:48 GMT

We had 18 folks show up for this ride on roads that is not very often ridden especially 128 out of Cloverdale and Mountain House rd. When we left Geyserville and headed up to Cloverdale there was a stiff head wind and everyone seemed at peace with just taking their time and chatting their way up to Cloverdale so the whole group stayed together and then we broke into 4 groups of 4-5 cylclists in each group riding up 128 so the cars could get safely pass us thereby making it safe for us. We all regrouped at Mountain House Rd. and then headed down he hills to Hopland at a very relaxed pace as the road is a bit chewed up from the rough winter with one small section completely gravel at this point but if you hit that going down hill at a good clip it would have ended badly for someone. So being most of us are of a certain age where we no longer bounce when we hit the pavement we decided to go with caution. Mountain House Road is a beautiful road to ride this time of year. With all the hills green and creeks running and the lovely oaks its a tough scenic road to beat. Also we noticed there were no grape vines on this road as well which made it unique to this area. We all made it to Hopland safe and sound with only one flat had a break at the pizzarea there in town and then headed back the way we came and regrouped at the intersection again and split into groups of 4-5 and headed on down 128 to Cloverdale and regrouped at Plank for a potty break and then pedaled on back into Geyserville and this time with the wind at our backs the pace picked up considerably as no one wanted to waste that cheap speed!

Three Hill Ride

Sarah Schroer — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 02:23:06 GMT

The weather was just about perfect for this annual springtime century ride, and a relatively large group of 16 riders showed up at the start of the event. In addition to several of the usual suspects, there were some new faces in the group, including a carload of visitors from Pleasanton. Although everyone climbed and descended the big hills at their own pace, the group was quite well matched and moved along nicely -- that's important on such a long, hard day!

Spring Mountain was the first hill, approached from the west on bumpy St Helena Road. Howell Mountain was the second climb, which was very peaceful as it is currently (and perhaps for the long term) closed to traffic due to weather damage. Then came a long section of rollers out to Lake Beryessa, beautiful right now with the water level reaching green grass along the shores. After a smooth ride along Hwy 128, we returned to the Napa Valley and had a lunch stop in Yountville. Finally, we approached the third climb up the eastern slope of Trinity Mountain.

The last leg of the journey brought us back to Santa Rosa via Warm Springs Road and Oakmont, where we checked out the newly constructed trail which connects Stonebridge Road to Channel Drive, bypassing private property in order to reach the narrow bridge past the old water treatment plant. Note that this trail is not yet open for use as the crushed rock surface still needs to cure.

Route is here: Three Hill Ride on RWGPS

Two Hill Ride

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 05:58:02 GMT

Sunday's weather kept many cyclists at home, warm and dry and with clean bikes. But half a dozen hardy souls weren't deterred by the forecast and showed up for the Two Hill Ride at Howarth Park. This was the second in a series of three rides of increasing difficulty, geared to improving fitness early in the year. The route was 66 miles with about 4700 feet of climbing. MAP

It was 45 degrees at 9am, not too cold, but rain started to fall as we set off, so rain jackets were unpacked immediately. That early shower stopped after about 30 minutes, by which time we were riding up St Helena Road. As the road climbed into the narrowing canyon, the temperature dropped into the low 30s, and no one stopped to take off layers. The sun came out intermittently, and we saw some warmer temperatures in the Napa Valley as we rode south along Silverado Trail, but repeated rain showers kept the jackets on. After a lunch stop in Yountville, we continued south to the outskirts of Napa before looping back to the north on Dry Creek Road. Here we were briefly pelted by hail, which collected along the edges of the road. The temperature began to fall again as we climbed up wet and slippery pavement to reach the summit of Trinity Road. On the western slope of the ridge, the sun shone through the clouds and raised steam from the road. Now the wind was picking up, and the flags warned of a strong headwind for the final stretch into Santa Rosa. After passing through Glen Ellen, half of the group split from the route and headed home to Petaluma over Sonoma Mountain Road, exchanging windy flats for an extra hill, while the Santa Rosa contingent battled their way north-west to Howarth Park.

All in all, a dramatic weather day but still enjoyed by those with the right gear and mindset.

Mountain Goats first ride up King Ridge for 2017

Dennis Prior — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 05:30:08 GMT

We had 20 riders show up for our first trip over King Ridge for 2017 and the road was in pretty good shape except for a few places where there were some slide outs, but everyone seemed to navigate them safely. We had three folks make their maiden voyage over King Ridge and a group of 4 added some miles and hills by going out tin barn to Skaggs and then going down Hwy 1 to Ft. Ross and then taking that back into Cazadero and a group of 2 others added even more miles once they got to Skaggs and decided to turn right and head down the Rancheria Wall and then climb back up it and then continue on Skaggs to the coast and after climbing Ft. Ross from the coast were they began to work their way back to Monte Rio where they started in order to get some more miles. David Livinger is building up steam for the Terrible Two and is trying to get Karl Burkhauser to join him! Either way they are off to a good start.

It's nice to see everything green and the creeks full of water.

One Hill Ride, C/D Pace

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 03:46:50 GMT

After weeks of heavy rain and grey skies, we've all been enjoying the current series of clear, calm days. At last, a chance to ride your bike without having to hose it down afterwards! It was with this sentiment that eight riders set off from Howarth Park on Sunday morning on the first in a series of winter/spring rides. This route is the shortest and easiest of the series, and is known as the One Hill Ride.

After differences of opinion regarding the number of hills on the 2016 version of this ride (which went over Sonoma Mountain Road to reach Cavedale, the "real" hill), I decided to revert to the traditional route for the event this year. This route takes riders over Spring Mountain from west to east, then cruises (or hammers) north along Silverado Trail and Hwy 128 to Chalk Hill Road before turning south again toward Santa Rosa. If one looks at the elevation profile for this route, it's easy to see the "one hill" that the route is named for. There were no complaints filed during or after the ride this time :)

In short, we enjoyed the great weather, the sound of rushing water in the creeks and the views of green hills and vineyards turning yellow with early mustard. Thanks to the group of friendly, competent riders who turned out for this ride. Let's hope for similar weather for next month's Two Hill Ride!

Mountain Goat ride up Pine Mountain on Veterans day

Dennis Prior — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:31:42 GMT

We had a beautiful day for a ride up Pine Mountain last Friday on Veterans day. We had 21 folks show up for this great ride with about 6-7 of them doing this for the first time. Everyone mad it to the start of the dirt on the road and then we all met up at Plank coffee for treats and refreshements. We cruised back over Dutcher Creek and Canyon back into Geyserville where some of the folks went to Diavola for lunch. I had to go to work! :-(. Next time. Here is a picture of the group less Charlie Williams the photographer.

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

Sunday Bakery Run

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 02:12:07 GMT

Cotati lay under a heavy blanket of fog on Sunday morning, and it was still cool at 9:30am when half a dozen riders assembled for a trip to Wildflour Bakery. However, the roads were dry, and after about 45 minutes of riding in a westerly direction we emerged from the fog into brilliant sunshine. The gently rolling pastures on Fallon Road were dressed in new green, and the wind seemed to be taking a day off. The first miles of quiet country scenery passed quickly, and except for a brief stretch along Highway One, we had the roads to ourselves.

The climbing started in the second half of the ride. In order to work up a suitable appetite, we were taking the long route to Wildflour Bakery – all the way to the coast, bumping over Bay Hill Road to avoid the town of Bodega Bay then taking Coleman Valley Road to Occidental before reaching Freestone. The fog was thick once again on the coast, and kept us cool as we climbed the steep pitch on Coleman Valley Road. Once we reached the crest of the ridge, we looked back at the white mass of moisture reaching its fingers into the coastal hills.

After enjoying well-earned pastries at Wildflour Bakery, we dodged potholes on Barnett Valley, Burnside and Bloomfield Roads (and we can add Canfield Road to that list). We finished up on smoother pavement along Roblar and West Sierra Roads, arriving in Cotati with roughly four hours of riding behind us.

The calm winds, warm sunshine and green hills created a spring-like atmosphere, despite the mid-November date of this ride. There may not be another Sunday like this one for many months to come!

Bakery Run Route

Wednesday Mountain Goat ride up King Ridge and Ft. Ross Rd. from the coast

Dennis Prior — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 22:31:39 GMT

Hello All,

We had a great ride yesterday. I think it might be the first annual Lorenzo and Jerry A bday ride! What a beautiful day! We started of with 15 and then 3 others caught up with us after we started. We had Jerry A, Karl, Robin, Chuck, Frankie, Karen, Steve G., Lorenzo, Steve A.,Dave M.,Steve P, Charlie, Mark, Guest Phil, David L, Joyce Chang, Christine, and myself

I'm not sure how far out front most of the riders were or who was riding with who as Dave M, Dave L, and Lorenzo and I were at the back solving the world problems as we rode up to Tin Barn....I only hope you appreciate all of our extremely hard efforts to improve the world we live in! We all descended safely down Hauser with some of us stopping at the water stop at Ratna Ling with most of the group riding on with a group of about 7 of us at the back which was Frankie, Lorenzo, David M, Steve A, Robin, Karen, and myself. There was a mix up after the rest stop at King Ridge and Tin Barn. I asked for a regroup at Timber Cove Rd. and some thought it was going to be at Ft. Ross Store so the back group became the front group with the now back group waiting for the now front group back at the store! :-) I'm going to have to clarify the stops a little more on the next adventure. In the past we have stopped at the Ft. Ross Store but a different route and on a colder day at the coast. We had quite a wait at the top of Ft. Ross Rd. from the coast for the rest of the group and especially David L as he was waiting a bit longer at the store for us to come by as he didn't want to leave us behind. What a good guy! We returned the favor at the top of Ft. Ross Rd.

After most of the group showed up at the top of Ft. Ross Rd. I sent the ones who had to get back to get on their way and the rest of us who were going to lunch at Northwood lodge after the ride hung around waiting for Phil and David to get up the hill. Karl went back down to make sure they were coming and David M also went down the hill a ways to join them. We then made it back down into Cazadero where 11 of us went to a late lunch at Northwood and planned out some more adventures as Karl also has a Bday coming up. I think we had 4 or so who have never climbed up Ft. Ross Rd. from the coast and they did a great job. I think it was Bday boy Jerry A, Robin, Karen, and Chuck...oh yeah and Phil!

It was a great day for all and thanks of all of those that could make the ride and make it so enjoyable and I'm sorry so many couldn't make this beautiful ride I've attached some pics just in case some of you missed them earlier.

Here are some pics from the ride.

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

C/D Ride from Petaluma to Cavedale

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 01:08:16 GMT

We had an intimate group of three for this morning's ride from Petaluma to Cavedale via Sonoma Mountain. The roads were almost completely dry, and surprisingly free of debris after two days of rain and wind. Still, we took extra care on the downhills, anticipating slippery surfaces. We were hit with a few raindrops at the top of Cavedale and Sonoma Mountain on our return, but despite this the weather was very pleasant, and the colors of turning leaves and mossy tree trunks were intensified by the overcast conditions. All in all, a great fall ride!

In spite of the prayers it got dang wet!

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 03:01:12 GMT

The route (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16887128) called for about 36 miles with a little hill action. 11 riders. Molly and John Mazzella (San Jose area folks now living in Penngrove), Nancy Levin (Jerry's friend from SF), Donna Scornavacca, Jerry Applegate, Don Billings, Dan Gould, Tom Schwartz, Patrick Scott, Johnnie Selhorst and yours truly. Great group of people, many of which had not met previously.

4 miles into the ride, Brother Dan missed seeing 1/8" long thorn on the creek path and suffered a flat. Jerry was instrumental in getting Dan back on the road. Shortly thereafter we started a getting few raindrops but the vast majority of the congregation enthusiastically decided to forge ahead. The rain then came down a little harder but still bearable. On Riblei Road Donna suffered a mechanical malfunction that resulted in a severely warped derailleur. Patrick was behind, saw her go down, called out and stopped to help. She was okay. Patrick assessed the damage and realized that not only was the derailleur toast but the juncture of the seat stay and chain stay was cracked. A guy in a Honda pickup stopped and gave Donna a ride back to Franklin Park. During this time the rain intensified and we decided to cut short the ride and get some hot coffee and whatever at Oliver's in Rincon Valley. While we huddled outside the market Donna drove by in her car,letting us know she made it back to her car.

After Oliver's 6 of the remaining decided to return to Franklin, Johnnie and Tom took my route slip and decided to do the rest of the ride. The rain was easing. Tom rode from Sebastopol to begin with and route was on the way home. Dan had enough and called Lorna for a ride back home. Don parted before coffee.
The ride back to Franklin was uneventful. Praise the Road and thanks to Patrick for coming up with a shorter return route instead of back-tracking.

Wet, short and cold but fun.

Sunday Morning 4-September-2016: Hessel Ranch to Downtown Tomales

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 05:07:06 GMT

The congregation met at our place on Hessel Road this morning and rolled out a few minutes after 0900. 22 faithful in all. The ride was uneventful in a good sense aside from the fact that I had two flats 4 miles into the ride! It is thorn season! But a leaking tube out of the box is really bad news! Thanks to Margo Addison for the 2nd tube and Jay Tomas for his help in changing the tube out twice.

We had several new people and one couple (Jay and Miriam Monahan) that just moved here from Vermont. This was their first ride in Sonoma County and they were duly impressed. Going through " Cow Pie Alley" (Gericke Road) and then the thriving metropolis of Fallon was a new experience for about a half a dozen riders.

As usual Tomales Bakery provided some outstanding pastries including a peach-raspberry pie.

Great tailwind for the better part of the ride home. Weather was stellar overall!

35.6 Miles/2,411' of climb

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16233912

Susan Noble 40/7 ride out Skaggs Spring Road.

Dennis Prior — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 11:17:21 GMT

We had 9 people out on the "Susan Noble 40/7" Mountain Goat ride yesterday leaving from Warm Springs Dam at 7am to beat the heat on the way back in from 20 miles out Skaggs Springs Road. There was a group of 4 that went off the front and the rest of us went at our usual social pace solving the world problems as we climbed up the hills. It started out foggy out the damn but once we started climbing Skaggs Springs the fog dissipated. The temperature on the 20 miles out was very nice with some gorgeous views of the valley below covered in fog. This road has some of the best views in the county with also some of the toughest climbing in the county to go along with the views......you got to climb to the top to get the views! The first 30 miles had 6200' of elevation. The ride back in got a little toasty up on the climbs to get back up to the ridge and our Garmins were reading anywhere from 96 to 100 but once on the descents back to the damn it cooled down nicely. Charlie Williams brought some cold beer for after the ride and we enjoyed that with some story telling of when we were all younger. Needless to say lots of smiling and laughter and how did we live to survive our youth, but just like the Skaggs Ride...what a ride it has been!

Redwoods and Ocean Views

Sarah Schroer — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 04:01:53 GMT

The prospect of a challenging ride on quiet roads through the forested hills of western Sonoma County brought fourteen riders to Monte Rio on Saturday morning. There were many of the usual suspects as well as a few new faces, including a visitor from Sacramento whose son was competing in the Vineman Triathalon not far from the start of our ride.

The early fog cleared just as we arrived and the sun began to warm the day quickly. We started the journey with plenty of tree cover through Cazadero and up Fort Ross Road, then broke out into warm sunshine again on Seaview Road. We had lost two riders by this time, one a victim of the strong pace set by the leaders and another who turned back to search for his friend.

After riding along the ridge for a few miles, we turned west and flew down smooth pavement on Timber Cove Road to the cool and foggy coast. A brief jaunt along Highway One, then the climbing began again on Fort Ross Road, this time heading east.

Once we regained the top of the ridge, we turned south toward Meyers Grade where we were met once again by coastal fog. This was disappointing, as I had primed our Sacramento visitor for the stunning views on the way down. He’ll just have to come back another day.

We stopped for refreshments in Jenner – always interesting to see what form of “nutrition” people will choose from the shelves of a gas station convenience store. As we left Jenner, three riders (including our friend from Sacramento) broke off from the group and turned east on River Road, heading for home. The remaining nine riders continued on to Willow Creek Road.

Months of dry weather have almost completely dried out the potholes in the first few miles of Willow Creek, and the surface has some slippery spots. Still, the climb through the redwoods is as beautiful as ever, and our efforts were rewarded with views of forested hills and that persistent wall of fog to the west.

The final stretch from Occidental to Monte Rio could have been an easy ride, a chance to cool down and enjoy the smooth, shady pavement of Bohemian Highway. However, it seemed that the ride hadn’t been tough enough for some members of our group, as they mounted a series of attacks and counter-attacks down the hill. The ride leader brought up the rear. Next time I’ll add more hills.

View routehere

Three County Mixed Terrain, CD

Sarah Schroer — Sun, 01 May 2016 03:35:49 GMT

The Clear Lake Double Metric has been an April classic for many years. Unfortunately, a recently applied layer of gravel on Western Mine Road has rendered that route too hazardous for a club ride. In an attempt to equal the challenge and adventure of the CLDM, I mapped the Three County Mixed Terrain Ride. With more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain over 120 miles of less traveled roads in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, riders agreed that this route is a worthy substitute for the CLDM.

We started at 8am in Healdsburg with half a dozen riders and two spare tires. Riders included "Marshall" Marc, "SRCC" Carl, "24 Hour" Paul, "Stanford" Jeff, and "Competitive Cyclist" Sam (and of course, "Never Forget" Ride Leader Sarah). Even at that early hour, the wind was already blowing hard from the north, but our route tacked to the east along Anderson Valley Road and we were soon protected from the weather as we started up Geysers Road. At the summit, the wind seemed to come from all directions and threatened to catch our wheels on the descents. Sheltered once again in the trees along Big Sulphur Creek Canyon, we dodged potholes and startled a group of young pigs foraging on the side of the road.

Two more riders joined the group at the north end of Geysers Road, “cherry pickers” Darrin and Richard in proper SRCC attire, just in time for an eight mile stretch along Highway 101. Here we put our strongest riders out in front to battle with the headwind. This was the site of the only flat of the entire ride – the ride leader picked up a huge shard of glass in the debris fields on the shoulder of the highway.

With relief, we turned off the highway toward Hopland and stopped to fill bottles and stomachs at the Sanel Valley Market at Mile 50 – this store proved to be an oasis of junk food and more to keep the endurance cyclist going. After refueling, we continued east on CA 175 for a short distance, then turned off onto Old Toll Road, where the “adventure” segment of the route began.

At first, Old Toll Road is badly paved, but it soon turns to gravel and climbs for about nine miles at a gentle grade to the summit of the ridge. With heavy tree cover and few opportunities for a view, the traveler loses perspective of time and distance as the road curves endlessly upwards. Once over the summit, the vista opens to reveal scrub-covered hills and occasional glimpses of Clear Lake and beyond. The descent is much shorter than the climb, with less elevation lost than gained, and asphalt reappears at the bottom.

A ninth rider joined the group briefly on Old Toll Road and Hopland Grade – a club member named Alan Neal, who lives in Lakeport and was very pleased to have a club ride pass through his territory.

Back on solid ground, we negotiated a few turns to reach CA 175 once again, this time traveling westward up to the top of the ridge we had just crossed on the gravel road. This effort was rewarded with silk smooth pavement down toward Hopland – as gratifying as this descent was, we interrupted the trip in order to gaze at a wildfire burning on a hillside to the north of the road.

In Hopland once again, we stopped at the Sanel Valley Market for a second time before tackling the last 35 miles of the journey. Most of the climbing was behind us, but legs were tired and temperatures were pushing 80 degrees. We’d figured that we’d have a tailwind on the way home, but the winds were actually from the east as we started up Mountain House Road. The beautiful scenery took our minds off our fatigue, and soon we reached 128 and the final leg of the journey through Cloverdale and back to Healdsburg.

As a final gift of “wild” adventure, we spotted a Western Diamondback slithering along Dutcher Creek Road – the snake eyed us warily as we slowed to take a look. After that encounter, it was downhill and tailwinds all the way home!

'A' ride to Duncans Mills - Mike McGuire

Bridgette Martinez — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 02:24:50 GMT

Quite early this Sunday morning, 8:30, a stalwart group of seven 'A' riders set off for Duncans Mills. The roads were lightly trafficked, the temperature warming and the riders in a great mood for a ride. Two riders, Michelle and Tim, were new to our club and on their first club ride with John, Jeff, Sue and Alan ready to set the pace. While the course is mostly flat and surmountable, a couple of short hills got our attention as we proceeded west. A brief stop in Monte Rio to check on details for the Monte Rio rest stop for the WCC let us catch our collective breath before heading to the bakery in Duncans Mills. The stop was well rewarded with food and drink before the return ride to Santa Rosa. The only busy part of the ride was the return along River Road, but once we turned at Sunset Drive, the ride home resumed its pleasant bucolic tour along our back roads. Thanks to John, Michelle, Jeff, Tim, Sue and Alan for joining me on this delightful ride. Mike McGuire

Friday's Mountain Goat ride over Harrison Grade, Coleman Valley, Bay Hill, Joy Rd and Occidental rd.

Dennis Prior — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 23:38:08 GMT

Hello all,

We had a great ride today going over Harrison Grade, Coleman Valley to the coast, Bay Hill,Joy rd, and back over Occidental rd. We had I believe over 20 riders at the start of the ride. Dave and Carolyn Neal, Robin, Susan N, Karen Gouldilocks, Buck, Andy, Larry, Mark G, Lorenzo, and myself of the Mountain Goats and then Bob O, Melissa, John A, Johann, Lynn B., Brian, Jeff, "Oh so lucky Samson", and one other fellow who works for PG&E who's name I can't remember and I apologize for that….and maybe one or two others. We had a number of riders who had never been over Bay Hill or the joy or riding up Joy Rd. so it's always nice to see people try new terrain.

We had a great weather with some amazing views of the coast. The group got split into several groups after Harrison grade and for the most part it stayed that way all the way back with a big regroup at the town of Bodega and then gradually in groups of 2-4 everyone rolled out at different times and headed back to Ragle over "Oh so Joyful Rd.".

We did have one very scary incident on Coleman Valley Rd. Once we dropped down on Coleman Valley past Joy Rd. and then started the steep climbs up to the top this white Volvo station wagon came flying down the mountain and I mean flying down! Way too fast and blasted his horn at us and we were already on the right had side of the road. That move even incited Karen to a possible swear word! I commented that at least his front fender didn't have any lycra on it which meant he hadn't hit anyone in front of us…..but he did manage to run Samson off the road up ahead of us apparently. As we got further up the hill there were a group of about 6 riders on the side of the road and we thought maybe some one had a flat or mechanical but apparently the Volvo ran Samson off the road and over a barbed wire fence and into the bushes. He only ended up with a scratch on the back of his leg….and hopefully not any poison oak…Hence the name "Oh so lucky Samson". We all couldn't believe that was all that happened to him or his bike. We all felt very lucky for him.

So with all that being said he do we contact in law enforcement to let them know this happened because I'll bet he lives up that road somewhere or somewhere near by for him to be driving that fast down that stretch of road.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and keeps piling on those April Alpina elevations!

Enjoy the day,

Dennis

A First Timer rides the 23rd Apple Cider Century

Bob Owen — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 23:38:39 GMT

My first Apple Cider Century and great to see the large crowd gathering at Ragle. And my first time doing one hundred on an unsupported ride, so I ask Susan Noble what she is carrying in the way of food. She shows me a handful of energy sources and welcomes me to “our world.” Put some fig bars and gel shots in my pocket and I’m good to go. Also first time riding to Cazedero, up Fort Ross Rd., and down Meyers Grade through Jenner to 116. The crowd gives me comfort in that I can do this! Talking with Robin Z. takes my mind off my internal doubts. Looking over to my right I see the CD riders lined up, almost as if they are at a start line, although they are facing the crowd, not the exit. There are bunches of people clustered around Bridgette for the AB option and Dennis for a shorter B pace option.

Bill stands on the truck and gets everyone’s attention. How much can you say to more than 50 riders? How much do they hear? The CD group is released and MarC takes off with about a dozen, maybe more. Wonder what it’s like to ride "D pace on the climbs and C pace on the flats?” Is that like a constant speed over the whole ride? I think, “Now that’s a way to cull the herd.”

Bill leads us out. A huge group heading out from Ragle; stop signs and transitions help to spread the riders out. At Graton Rd., someone turns left and a bunch of others follow. I yell out, “Wrong way!”, and keep on straight. Robin and I ride over Green Valley and to the first rest stop in Monte Rio. He rides on where I stop to use the restroom. I don’t see Robin again. There’s a cluster of riders at the park in Monte Rio, getting relief and refueling. I decide to go on alone at this point as I’m sure I’ll be passed on the Fort Ross climb. Along River Rd I catch up to Joyce and Sherry and ride with them to Cazedero, where Sherry demonstrates the water stop etiquette by purchasing a half gallon of water and sharing it with me and Joyce. The remainder is left on the steps of the store for the next group of riders. I ask if they mind if I hang with them and they agree without hesitation. Dennis arrives just as we are about to leave.

We start to climb. I concentrate on breathing while Joyce and Sherry are having a conversation most of the way up. I feel fortunate that they have each other to talk with so I can stay with them. At Meyers Grade we regroup and head out again. Cows in the road! We slow and ride around a bunch of cows who are on the wrong side of the fence. Joyce and I quick-stop to add a layer before we descend into the mist on the lower half of Meyers Grade. A quick regroup at Hwy 1 and we’re off to Jenner. The mist is gone and we have great views of the ocean and coast. Some pace line work and we make it to Duncans Mills where we meet up with a faster bunch. I eat a slice of pizza, a cinnamon pastry and drink water. Del Bogart and Lynn Best decide to join us. We ask Bonnie too, but she heads out before we are ready.

Now that the big climb is behind us, it’s supposed to be easier from here, right? Well, I fall off the back on the BoHo ‘climb’. I catch up and pass Del stopped on the side of the road as his chain dropped, so when he catches me, we ride together through Occidental and down the other side. We catch Joyce, Sherry and Lynn just before reaching Freestone, with me drafting behind Del most of the way. A quick stop for water at Wildflour Bakery and we’re off again. On Franklin School around mile 73 I’m falling back again on the uphill. At Whitaker Bluff we stop to talk with Bill who is taking on some calories and enjoying the view, which allows me to catch the group again.

Arrive at Tomales and we scatter between the store and the bakery for whatever we need. Bonnie joins us, but as Del and I are lounging, and talking, in the deck chairs, we notice that Joyce, Sherry and Bonnie are gone. We strap on our helmets and with Lynn, set out to catch up with the women before turning left on Twin Bridges. Mission accomplished. Then we hit the Carmody bump and I fall off the back again. Legs are hurting but I keep pushing. Over the top and flying down the other side. I catch the group on Bloomfield and we are, more or less, together all the way back to Ragle. On Pleasant Hill Rd., waiting for a green light at Bodega, I say to Del, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to make it now”, and I was right.

Thank you Bill for leading your 23rd, and my 1st, Apple Cider Century! Thank you Sherry, Joyce, Del, Lynn, Bonnie and Robin Z. for the companionship on the ride and making it so much FUN!

Cycling, Serendipity, and Two Garbage Men

Steve Saxe — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 22:36:13 GMT

(I wrote this last spring after an especially memorable solo ride in the Mother Lode. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed the ride.)

I was five miles into a strenuous three-mile climb and questions were starting to pop into my head. The longtime, hardcore, local cyclist I met at the park five miles back described this as a three-mile climb. He didn’t seem to be a lunatic, but maybe three miles to a local is actually much longer to a visitor like me. Then there was the sun – it was on the wrong side of the road. I should have been going west and it was on my right (and I’m not in Australia). And finally, I recognized a carport with three RVs in it. Yesterday, as my wife and I were driving back to the inn, they appeared on the left. Now they appeared on the right. There was only one logical conclusion: I was going the wrong way.

Cycling in new places always carries a sense of adventure – that’s one of the main attractions. To fully enjoy the encounter, however, I maintain one should stay attentive to gentle nudges in new directions. My wife and I were taking a few days away and decided to explore California’s Mother Lode. I brought my bike and planned to take a couple of rides, as I find nothing helps me experience a place like cycling it. We had scouted some of these roads in the car the day before, but I hadn’t settled on a bike route. I wasn’t sure how much energy I might muster at this altitude on a lazy vacation day and I didn’t know the area, so there was some uncertainty from the beginning, with which I was at peace.

I am, unlike my park acquaintance, definitely not a longtime, hardcore cyclist. I came to cycling only four years ago, in my mid-to-late fifties, and still haven’t developed the killer instinct of serious riders. So when presented with the lovely Sierra foothills, no matter how scenic or enticing, I hedge my bets and keep my route options open. I had plotted out rides, for example, that spanned 45 miles 4,000 feet of climbing, but more as an academic exercise to be left to the serious student. And even though I had recently stepped up my training, I was more in the 30 miles and 2,000-foot camp myself. 2,500 feet was my daily personal best and I didn’t feel compelled to set any new records while on vacation.

With only my first destination fixed, I made the gentle 1100-foot climb from Sutter Creek, where we were staying, to the tiny town of Volcano, riding along burbling Sutter Creek. Mid-week morning traffic was light, the scenery was lovely, and the pavement ranged from excellent to passable. As I climbed the last, steeper section into town, I was breathing pretty hard and thinking I’d just rest a bit at the little park in town and head back down the same road, meet my wife for lunch, and go back to lazy vacationing. Eleven hundred feet seemed like a creditable accomplishment while on vacation, and I really didn’t feel like knocking myself out. So I made a quick loop down Volcano’s main street (100 yards, it didn’t take long), and started wheeling my bike toward the park gate for a rest.

“How many miles you got so far today?” I looked around and located the voice coming from across the street. Another cyclist, helmet and water at his side, was taking a rest at a picnic table by the post office. I glanced at my bike computer. “Twelve and a half,” I called back, redirecting my bike across the street. “You?” “Twenty-eight,” he said, “and it’ll be about 50 by the time I get home.” I sat down across the table from him, broke out my water bottle, and we fell into the comfortable conversation that complete strangers can have when they meet cycling.

My companion, it turned out, was not only a dedicated cyclist but a local expert, and chatty. He seemed to know the county from one end to the other, not only the cycling routes but the inns, restaurants, businesses, and people far and wide. “We have really good wines, not the cabs like you have in Sonoma, but good chardonnays and zinfandels. And the restaurant at the inn around the corner is fantastic, it’s run by the same guy who runs Taste in Plymouth,” and so on. “So,” I said, “what do you do when you’re not cycling?” My standard conversation-opener on club rides. “I’m a garbage man,” he said. “I own the garbage company in Amador County. We serve everyone from 100 feet to 8,800 feet in altitude!” “Ah, so that’s how you came to know the county so well,” I observed. Just then, a spiffy, new, green garbage truck came around the corner and roared down Main Street in front of us. He smiled and pointed at the truck. “I bought that truck three months ago - $350,000!”

I asked him about various routes back to Sutter Creek. He described four or five different ways to get there, then drew my attention to Daffodil Hill. He pointed north. “Just go around the corner there and stay on that road. It’s about three miles, then you meet Shake Ridge Road, turn left and you’ll go right back into Sutter Creek. It’s not too bad, about 10-11% grade at times. My buddies and I race up that road in the summer.”

I felt refreshed by then and inspired by my garbage-man acquaintance, so as he put on his helmet and jumped on his posh red-on-red Specialized, I resolved to take on Daffodil Hill, sight unseen.

It was a climb, alright, but I took it at my own pace and was feeling okay. The pavement was smooth and traffic was light. The temperature was perfect – cool in the shade and warm in the sun. To distract myself from the breathlessness and burning in my legs, I forced my attention to the scenery around me. It was beautiful. Creeks carved up a landscape of chaparral and tree-covered slopes. Ranches were spacious and houses were sparse. The road flattened out and I noticed a well-kept rustic fence to my right, separating a lush meadow from the road. There were a couple dozen picnic tables dotting the meadow, and I wondered if it was a public park, maybe somewhere to rest and have some water. As I approached the entrance, however, there was no sign. It seemed to be just someone’s elaborately furnished back yard. Puzzled by the incongruity, I looked back over my shoulder to be sure I didn’t miss anything, and rode on. My odometer said I must be close to the three-mile mark so I started looking for the left turn at Shake Ridge Road.

Around the next bend I saw another long, steep climb. Taking a deep breath, I shifted down and headed on up. The crest leveled off briefly and then led into another long climb. I dropped my head, muttered an oath, and started doubting my acquaintance’s judgment of distance – that was a long three miles! At the next crest, there was some blessed level ground, so I shifted up and tooled along absently as those questions started popping into my head. I glanced at the odometer again – five miles. Three-mile climb? Why is the sun on my right? Haven’t I seen those RVs before?

I pulled over on the gravel by some mailboxes and opened the mapping application on my phone. I pushed “my location” and the glowing dot slid smoothly into the middle of an empty grid. No data service up here. I inspected the mailboxes closely, hoping a street name might give me a clue. Nothing. I considered knocking on a door, but the gates all had “Posted – No Trespassing” signs on them. This isn’t a holler in West Virginia, but there was no point getting shot just because I don’t know where I am. A few cars went by, but none stopped at a nearby driveway.

I could simply have retraced my steps – I was sure that would get me back to the inn. But that’s no fun – I’d already seen those places! I stood there for a few minutes, looking around and trying to come up with a plan. Nothing was coming to me. Then I heard a roar in the distance, from the east, and it was getting louder. Lumbering over the hill came a huge, spiffy, new, green garbage truck. It was my acquaintance’s employee in his new truck! It was stopping to empty cans along the road as it made its way toward me. I clipped in and sprinted across the street to where the truck was about to stop. The green monster ground to a halt and the driver hopped out to queue up the can for the mechanical lifter. I waved and he stopped to look at me. “Hey,” I shouted over the noise, “I’m lost. What road is this?” “Shake Ridge,” he said. “Where you trying to get to?” I told him and he directed me back the way I came, with instructions. I considered mentioning my meeting with his boss, but that would make it complicated, so I just thanked him, turned around, and started back down the hill.

A few minutes later, I was on the screaming 40-mile-an-hour descent, giddy with joy as I reaped the fruits of my climbing labor, and I started wondering how the heck I missed my turn. At the bottom of the hill, I see ahead, clear as day, the intersection I must have ridden right through. As I approached, the turn to westbound Shake Ridge Road was on my right. On my left, wouldn’t you know, was a well-kept rustic fence and beyond it a lush meadow dotted with a couple dozen picnic tables. In my noble, and apparently effective, effort to take my mind off my climbing pains, I had zipped by and completely overlooked the turn home.

An hour later, as I rolled back into Sutter Creek and my data service returned, I opened my cycling app to look at the route. There was the climb to Volcano, the steep climb up Daffodil Hill – oddly missing 350 feet of altitude from the record – and the double-back on Shake Ridge, of course. But then I noticed the headline: 32 miles and almost 3,500 feet of climbing – a new personal best! And I wasn’t completely exhausted so my wife and I could still go sightseeing in Jackson that afternoon!

I took off that morning with nothing more in mind than my first destination and the intent to enjoy a bike ride. I ended up meeting a one garbage man who pointed the way out, and another garbage man who pointed the way back. I saw some gorgeous country and, owing to the human brain’s miraculous ability to overlook the obvious, unintentionally set a new personal best for hill climbing. Mission accomplished and then some, I would say.

One never knows where the road will lead. Two wheels, an attitude open to serendipity, and two garbage men can show the way.

A B-My Valentine Ride - February 13, 2016

Bridgette Martinez — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 18:50:57 GMT

Great ride with absolutely gorgeous weather with about 30 riders making their way from Healdsburg to Calistoga. For several riders, it was their first time on this route and all enjoying the beauty of Knight's Valley. After a stop at Calistoga Roastery, we headed back. See below for a video of our departure from our regroup at Jimtown.

IMG_6646.MOV

A couple more images from the ride below - top is contestants for the "best use of red" - John Mills won for decorating his bike; bottom is John providing a lecture on how to pass safely - "on your left!"

Two Hill Winter Trainer, February 14th

Sarah Schroer — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 05:52:40 GMT

It certainly didn't feel like winter today, but at least the two hills on today's ride lived up to expectations. No one was complaining about the unseasonably warm temperatures (or the steep hills), and we all enjoyed the brilliant yellow of mustard in the vineyards in the Napa valley.

Nine riders assembled at the start this morning. There were some of the usual suspects, as well as a few new or seldom seen faces. For trivia lovers, this Valentine's Day ride included five club members under the age of 50, and three under the age of 40. Of course, those over 50 put in a strong performance as always.

The route took us from Howarth Park to Calistoga Road, with an "insignificant" climb that taught us all to pace ourselves for the rest of the ride. Then Hill #1: St Helena Road over Spring Mountain. We regrouped in St Helena for a frisky paceline trip to Yountville. After a brief pit stop, the pace was leisurely along level ground toward Napa, then picked up again on the gradual uphill of Dry Creek Road. And on to Hill #2: the back side of Trinity. After that, it was all downhill back to Santa Rosa . . .well, not quite, but our tired legs were glad that the big hills were behind us.

Thanks to a great group of competent, friendly and courteous riders for coming out on a Sunday and leaving loved ones at home!

Weekend Warmup A Ride - February 6, 2016

Bridgette Martinez — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 17:48:41 GMT

Just a quick ride report and thanks to Bridgette for today's ride out of the Barlow. Great Ride! It was a chilly morning that I was quite surprised to have so many people show up to ride. So many in fact we decided to split into two groups. I took the original route with over 20 happy participants on a nice spirited AB pace ride up and over Cherry Ridge and down a pothole filled Occidental and Green Hill roads. There were quite a few large craters on the decent. I stood in about a foot deep one at the corner to help warn others of the danger of getting swallowed up in the abyss. On to the rollers of Westside/Eastside and wonderful treats at Cafe Noto. Pretty much a sprint back to the Barlow finished the day. Thanks again Bridgette for organizing the Saturday rides and helping make them such a success. I can only assume that the "flat" group Bridgette led had a great day as well. I think overall we had 30+ riders in the A and AB groups.

Grasshopper

Robert Redmond — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 20:28:22 GMT

from Sarah Schroer - Having heard much about the Grasshopper rides, when I found myself with a free Saturday I decided to check out one episode of this "Adventure Series". The weather forecast was for rain when I registered for the event last week, but it cleared up at the last minute.

There were about 240 riders at the start in Occidental, the glitterati up front and me towards the back. After a mass start at 10am, the group spread out going up Coleman Valley Road, and by the time we reached the first descent the crowd had thinned to a safe level. Bad cross winds going south on Hwy 1 to Bodega Bay made it hard to keep the bike going straight, and became bad headwinds once we turned east toward Valley Ford. I was in a good sized group, so mostly protected from the winds. Middle Road's hill and Fallon's rollers shelled many riders off the group, and by the time we reached Chileno Valley we were down to six -- 4 women and two guys. We worked well together, sharing pulls all the way to Wilson Hill. I got through the water stop quickly, just grabbed my bottles and took off by myself along the Marshall-Petaluma Road. I was soon caught by a freight train of fifteen riders, including some Team Swifters, who pulled me at a fast pace to the base of Marshall Wall. That group shattered on the climb, and once over the top I found myself alone again and running out of steam, so I settled into maintenance pace up to Tomales. The big group caught me on Hwy 1 and left me behind. Another group caught me on Franklin School Rd, but I couldn't latch on. I took it easy from Valley Ford to Joy Road, no other riders in sight, then put my head down and started up the hill. I was out of water at this point, and just about out of gas with legs threatening to cramp, but a test ride up Joy earlier in the week helped me greatly -- I knew just how much further I had to go. The finish was somewhat anticlimactic -- no cheering fans this time -- just a bucket of Cokes and bags of chips laid out on Charles Beck's front lawn.

Overall this event was a good experience, but not much fun. The good experience part was the novelty of riding with a very strong field of cyclists, including a fair number of women, and the challenge of riding for a time goal. The not much fun part was that for most of the ride, the pace was slightly above my comfort level, and the strong headwinds kept us in a well-ordered paceline which put a damper on friendly conversation. I paid for the fast pace of the first 50 miles by watching my average speed drop over the last 25 miles of the ride. According to the bike computer, my average heart rate was about 10 beats higher than usual for a long ride. I missed my time goal by about 15 minutes, finishing in 5:15. Still not a bad time for a tough ride, and according to Charles Beck only one hour and twenty minutes behind Levi :)

from Ken Cabeen - The wind foiled me shortly after the turn onto Hwy 1 off Coleman Valley. I was with a pretty fast group out of Occidental and over to the coast that I felt fairly confident of staying with. But just a little way down Hwy 1, the SE wind combined with my fatigue to pick me off the back of the group, and I watched helplessly as they pulled away. The direction of that wind made it impossible to draft, with everyone having to stay to the right. I don't think I've ever missed those prevailing coastal NW winds quite so much! I struggled on my own until being picked up by a group of twenty or so near the turn off to Doran Beach. In this group were two young boys, one of them really tiny and 11 years old! Future pros in the making. I stayed with this group as we made our way to the base of Wilson Hill, losing some and picking some up as we went. Everyone was together at the rest stop on top, but I left early wanting to keep moving and not stiffen up. I figured they'd all catch me somewhere before the climb on Marshall. I must have gone into a different gear then, as I decided to ride as fast a sustainable pace as I could, without soft pedaling to help the group catch me quicker. I figured maybe I'd stay ahead of them and improve my finishing time, but if they caught me, so be it; I'd be back in the company of a group I'd enjoyed riding with. I then began reeling in riders who'd gone ahead of me at Hwy 1, and by the time I got to the base of Marshall, I was still alone, except for very brief company of the riders I continued to catch and pass. I caught up to a pod of four a few miles after the turn onto Hwy 1 and we worked together to Tomales, where I left them on the rise leading to Franklin School Rd, passing more and more riders as I went. I saw a bunch more riders along the rollers to Valley Ford, where I was very happy to arrive, still feeling strong and the end seemingly in sight. I caught up to another small group waiting for the left turn onto Bodega Hwy, and we effortlessly sailed with tail winds along this very fast section of the ride, which belied the suffering that lie shortly ahead on the final gauntlet of Joy Rd. This is a tough climb, especially after almost 80 miles of going hard, and I again wondered out loud who named this road, to which another rider replied, "The guy who went DOWN it all the time!" Thankfully though, it's never quite as tough as I build it up in my mind to be. I reeled in another five or so riders, catching my last one around 50 yards from the finish, who voiced his sincere agreement with my utterance of "Hallelujah!" The finishing area scene at Charles' place was very cool, and I thank him very much for making his place available. I chatted with him and some other riders after enjoying a tour of his studio full of beautiful art work over a much welcomed Coke. I headed off for the ride home when I began to get cold, and ended up with 114 miles for the day. I was really, really shot after this ride. As with the other Hoppers I've done, I mostly don't realize how hard I've ridden them until after it's over. They seem to push me into another degree of effort and riding that I'm not overtly conscious of at some level while in the act of riding. The legs and lungs are very aware however! These rides are a blast, and I heartily recommend at least trying one if you've never done it. There are riders spanning the spectrum of ability, so there's always someone to ride with.