Sunday, November 24, 2013

No Gloves No Problem

Luckily the only thing I forgot were my gloves yesterday. I always worry about forgetting something important when I head out for a ride. Usually I'm driving about an hour or two to get to the start point, so really, if I forgot something important, i'm out of luck. Plus, our rides usually start earlier than the local bike shops open so I can't just run and buy a new item to replace that what I have forgotten.

Anywho, yesterday I headed back down to Sausalito/Marin City to meet up with the group for another ALC Marin Newbie ride. There was a few people that I recognized from last week (mainly the TRLs). The ride was 28 miles long and took us from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito to the Northgate Mall in San Rafael.


I actually added in about 4 miles but didn't factor it in since I wasn't going to start up my strava for a quick ride to and from the public restrooms up the path. I snapped this shot as I was beaded back to the meet-up point. It was a beautiful day out; just perfect for a ride (especially since only a few days ago we had rain and high winds).


The first two miles were pretty flat as we headed north on the Mill Valley - Sausalito path. After that little warm up we headed up Camino Alto, which was our big climb of the day. It was a 300 ft gain at an average of 4.1% (not an incredibly difficult climb, but a good quad strengthener). I was pretty happy with myself because I was able to keep an average pace of about 7.6 mph going up this hill. Usually when I hit hills I drop way down in speed and maybe average about 4 mph. So I felt like that was a big accomplishment. 

After any good climb, there is usually a nice downhill. The decent down Corte Madera Avenue was amazing since the road was freshly paved (all nice and smooth). I hit a max speed of about 30 mph with the help of a little counter steering and apexing the turns. I still held back a little, applying the breaks at times. With more practice I may eventually break the 40 mph barrier. For now, I'll stick with the lower to mid thirties. 

We passed through Corte Madera and headed over to the Larkspur Ferry Terminals. I love riding by the water. We took the Marin County Bicycle Route 20. Once we got to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal we cut through some parking lots and got onto the Cal Park Hill Pathway. This is a really cool pathway because there is this awesome tunnel you get to bike through. Apparently it was a pretty big deal when it opened up in 2010. (http://www.marinbike.org/Campaigns/Infrastructure/CalParkIndex.shtml

Sorry the photo isn't the best, I took it while I was riding 
(which actually goes against ALC rules, shhhhhhh!)

When the pathway ended we were in Industrial San Rafael. We headed up into downtown and road right past one of my favorite restaurants in the area.... Sol Food!! (http://www.solfoodrestaurant.com/) The food there is AMAZING! I really need to go there again some time soon. 

Enough about that, our destination was Panera Bread at the Northgate mall. We got to the mall by taking the bike path that parallels 101. I've seen the path while driving on the highway before, and I always wondered where it lead. Guess now I know. Once we finally made it to Panera we parked our bikes against the railing. 


One of the TRL's showed me the 'helmet bike lock'. As you can see, it is not really all that effective. But nonetheless, we weren't the only ones using the technique that day. Granted, it would be one more step someone would have to take if they wanted to steal our bikes. 




I stayed outside while some of the group went in to Panera to get something to eat. I can't eat a sandwich in the middle of a 28 mile ride. I usually don't really feel hungry unless it is a long ride. I probably should have at least eaten a Cliff bar or something, but oh well. I made it to the end of the ride and back home without keeling over.

After resting for a while, we all headed back pretty  much the same way we came. The one nice thing about out and back rides are your really only don't know where you are going for half the ride. The second half should at least look somewhat familiar (that is if you pay attention to where you are going and didn't get lost along the way).

The only thing I worried about a little on the way back was that large hill we climbed and then descended earlier. I wasn't too worried about the climb. I knew that I was going to be a little tired and would take the hill a little slower than before. I got to a point where I almost thought that I needed to stop and take a short breather, but a cyclist came up behind me and said 'you are almost there'. Upon hearing those words, I knew I could keep going. It's crazy how the words of a stranger can be so motivating. I'm glad he said that, because I made it to the top, without stopping. Unfortunately, next came the part I wasn't looking forward to, the downhill. As I mentioned earlier, I've been getting better with the downhill and have gained confidence. However, the Camino Alto side of the hill wasn't as smooth as the Corte Madera side. I am not a fan of cruising downhill at 30+ mph when there are potholes, cracks, bumps, etc. I was doing pretty good, until I came upon a turn that I couldn't slow down for and didn't want to venture out into the rough road to apex the turn. I ended up taking the turn wide, causing me to do a little off-roading. The side of the road was covered in leaves, dirt, etc., not ideal for a road bike. But thanks to the skills I learned in the Bike Skills 101 class as well as the Hillz and Skillz classes I took, I was able to stay calm, keep my bike moving and upright and made it safely back on to the road. I could have easily had a big crash, but those skills saved me. In that moment, I never felt more thankful and realized that that was money well spent for that class. I highly recommend anyone interested in cycling, or any sport that could cause potential injury to yourself, take a lesson or safety course!!! You never know when it will come in handy, and you never want to be in a position to regret not taking them.

The remainder of the ride was smoother and a lot more safe. I cruised on down the bike path and made it to the car. It was a great ride through some new territory for me. I'm happy to learn some new places to ride that aren't too far from home.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Tiburon Loop

Today I met up with a new group of people for an ALC Marin ride. It was a newbie ride, so it was only 25 miles. However, I've been wanting to do the Tiburon loop and this was a great day for it. Plus it was nice not to have to drive an hour and forty five minutes to meet up with fellow cyclist for an organized ALC ride. (I do love my SBB though!!)

I got down to Sausalito/Marin City a bit early, which was fine because I wasn't sure about the parking situation and ended up parking on a street a block away from the met up point. I didn't realize that there was parking behind Mike's Bikes. I guess I know for next time.

After the ALC safety speech we hopped on the Mill Valley - Sausalito bike path heading north. We were supposed to take a right where the restrooms were, but a couple of people accidently went straight. Luckily they figured out their mistake and made it back on route. I almost followed them but decided to turn back and hit up the bathroom. So, no getting lost for me!

Once we got on the other side of the highway and into Tiburon we got onto the Tiburon Linear Park path. This was a beautiful trail that went along the bay. I just had to stop and take a few photos.


It was a gorgeous day out and the sun reflecting off the water made for an amazing view.


Off in the distance you could barely see the golden gate bridge. I love the views in and around the North Bay. Its so beautiful up here, especially this time of year!



We made it to Shark's Deli off Tiburon Blvd to regroup and take a little break. Once we were all regrouped and rested, we headed back out and rode past the little downtown area. I definitely need to go back there and check out the area. There was a cute little Main street with shopping that I would be great for a leisurely stroll. I love exploring little towns like this. After passing Shoreline Park we started our little climb to the north side of Tiburon. The hills weren't too bad, but it was nice to have a little bit of climbing. The quads might not have been so thankful for it then, but they will be thankful later when they are stronger from it. The road finally leveled off (or at least it felt like it did) and because a great winding road along the coast. Now that I have a better feel for counter steering, the S curves were so much fun. I even had a nice 30 mph downhill bend that I handled with ease and confidence. That Savvy Bike Skills 101 class (http://www.savvybike.com/)  really paid off and was well worth the time and money!!!

Soon we were riding on the bike path along the Corte Madera shopping center. I've driven past there many times and always think to myself, I need to stop here one of these days. Well, the same thought popped in my head as I biked past. It looks like a really nice shopping area, which is good because there aren't really that many big malls up north here (or at least not that I know of). Maybe i'll check it out one of these days when I figure out some ideas for Christmas gifts.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. It was a great ride that I'm very glad I did. Apparently the same group is having another ride next Saturday starting at Mike's Bikes. It will be a 28 mile ride that will go up to Northgate Mall in San Rafael. Looks like I'll be joining them once again.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Nice Roll Through the Park

The hubby and I took a nice little ride over to Shollenberger Park today. My husband mentioned that he wanted to start up our Sunday mountain biking rides again, and today's weather was perfect for an easy ride. We did a total of about 7.25 miles. It was a nice flat ride which was perfect for getting him back on his bike.


I was so happy the other day to discover that there was a path that lead right over to the park from the end of our complex. This was perfect because my husband doesn't really like riding on the road (well neither do I on my mountain bike). 

We did a loop around the park and then took a side path that headed over to the Sheraton. It was nice to ride along the river and see all the boats docked at the Sheraton. As we headed back, it was decided that we'd do one more loop around the park and then head back home.

Once we got home, I felt that the bikes could use a little cleaning since they have been sitting in the garage since we moved here and before that they were sitting outside for a long time. I wiped down the frame and cleaned off the dust and dirt from the chain and gears. After the gears were all clean, I applied new chain grease. Now the bikes are all ready for their next outing.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Silicon Valley Hike & Bike


Today was the second annual Silicon Valley Hike & Bike. I decided that I wasn't going to ride in this event (even though it was only a 33 mile route, which I could have easily managed) because I'm trying to devote all of my 'charity' money towards my ALC ride next year. So I figured that they next best thing was to donate my time and offer to volunteer. I felt that it was another great cause and I wanted to be a part of it any way I could.

Earlier this week I found out that volunteers were to check in at registration at 7am. Well, that meant I had to wake up at 4:30am so I could leave the house a little after 5am to make it there on time. I know, I'm a little crazy to drive almost 2 hours for an event that I was just volunteering for. It is OK, I've accepted my craziness. After  some early morning Mickey Dee's and a hour and forty-five minute drive, I arrived at Santa Clara University fifteen minutes early.

Mostly everything was set up when I arrived, so there wasn't much for me to do. I was able to help get the registration tent stocked up with the Hike & Bike shirts. Open box - grab stack of shirts- lay on table. Man, it was hard work :)

 

Once the cyclist started showing up, I helped a few of my friends get their bib numbers pinned on to their jersey. Yet another difficult task (that's supposed to be read with sarcasm). From the looks of it, they had a pretty good turnout. I didn't hear any official count of the number of cyclist and hikers they had, but it looked like there were at least one hundred cyclist. Therma had a HUGE team there. They were also one of the sponsors for the event. The South Bay Blaze was pretty well represented as well. Here is a little team photo I took of them in front of the Hike & Bike bus that had apparently been driving around San Jose for the last week or so.


Here are a couple shots I got of the cyclists getting ready to head out on their 33 mile ride. The cyclists started the ride at 9:00 am. 



Next up was the hikers. They started their four mile hike to the Health Trust's Food Basket and back at 10:00 am. There was quite a good turn out of hikers as well. The were even a few Blaze members in the crowd.


At about noon, the cyclists were heading back in to the finish line. Oh, I forgot to mention that they had an awesome police escort the entire ride. That meant no stopping at red lights, how lucky!


I stood at the finish line and cheered in the riders with our typical 'ALC Cowbell Welcome'! 

I hope I didn't look like this :) 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Back to Back

I did my first back to back ride on my road bike today. I realized that I've ridden two days in a row before, but the second day was always on my mountain bike. Back in April I did 70 miles on the road bike, and then 14 miles on the mountain bike the next day. The following week I did 80 miles on the road bike and 3 miles on the mountain bike. So today's ride wasn't a huge accomplishment, but it is the first back to back i've done since April.

Today's ride was another flat ride. I only did a little over 13 miles, but the fact that I got back out for a ride today is what really matters. Also, my route looks silly when I see it on the map now.


After about 5 miles I took a little break to stretch at small park near the end of Sonoma Mountain Parkway. I just realized that the park is so small, its not even noted on Google Maps. Not that that is actually important.


I really LOVE fall and all of the trees changing colors. Its so pretty up here this time of year. Now if only we could get some snow during the winter (although that wouldn't be great for biking). And yes, I know, just go to Tahoe if you want the snow. I don't want to have to drive to see snow. I just want to look out my window and see the beautiful snow on the trees, like I did when I was back in PA. It's just so peaceful.


Yes, I took a selfie. Don't hate me.


And, see, I wasn't lying when I said that there is all kinds of farm life around here. This little cow actually walked towards me when it saw me closing in for a photo.


I rode up to the Petaluma Adobe, but due to budget issues, the park isn't open much during the week. Unfortunately today it was closed. I'll have to come back on a day they are actually open. On a positive note, it lead me to another great view and display of the beautiful colors of fall.
 



I had a great ride today. Maybe I'll get out on my bike again tomorrow and go for three days in a row.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Oh How I've Missed You Bike

I finally got back on my bike today for a nice mid-morning ride. The weather was beautiful, not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect! It's been a little while since i've been on my bike, so it was good to get back out there as well. The hubby and I just had a nice big get together with a bunch of our friends this past weekend to welcome them to our new place. The party went well, but with all the planning, cleaning, and food prep, I didn't take the time to get out for a ride in the last week or so.

So today I changed that and got in a nice 22 mile ride. This route was pretty flat today, so I was able to get my average speed up to about 15 mph. I had to map my ride using mapmyride.com after the fact, since my smart phone is currently with Samsung being repaired. So that means no fancy apps for me to keep track of my rides right now :( Oh well. What ever did I do before I had a smart phone?



The ride was pretty uneventful today, which is a good thing because I have been held up too many times recently by flat tires. I passed through farmland, like usual up here. I believe I passed a whole range of farm life; I saw horses, cows, donkeys, and even a mini horse.

I actually took a few photos during the ride today using my crappy old camera phone, however, I can't seem to find my memory card reader, so I can't pull the them off the phone yet. Maybe I'll update the post later once I located the reader.

**UPDATE**

I was finally able to find a memory card reader and get those photos off my phone. So, without further ado, here are some shots I got while out on my bike yesterday.


As I mentioned earlier, it was a gorgeous day out. My first pit stop was at a little plaza called The Grove. I'd only driven past it once before. There is a little pizza place here I may need to come back and check out. There is also a burger joint just down the block that may need some trying out as well. I love exploring the new town, especially on bike. You have more time to see what is around when you aren't flying by in a car.



My turn around point was the little town of Cotati. I liked the rustic feel of the town sign so I had to stop and get a photo. Also, they are apparently the Hub of Sonoma County. Who knew?


I just love the landscape around here. Petaluma itself is a pretty flat area, but the hills in the distance make for gorgeous views.

I am apparently attracted to rustic things recently. The sign on this structure caught my eye when I passed it heading to Cotati so I made sure to stop on my way back. I was riding on Old Redwood Highway, so that is where the 'EDWOOD HWY' comes in to play. I wish my phone could have gotten a little bit of a better photo. The sun wasn't helping either; I had to get to a position where the sun wouldn't completely blare out the shot.  


Under the structure were a bunch of tractors, which always remind me of my dad (well, that and the smell of engine grease). Check out the tires on that!


After my ride I decided it was time to get the ol' helmet  a good cleaning. I ended up cleaning both mine and the hubby's while I was at it. Its surprisingly easy to clean them. You just fill up your sink with some dish soap and water and then scrub them gently with an old tooth brush (or if you are like me and have a dental hygienist in the family you have a bunch of brand new tooth brushes just sitting around, waiting to scrub something).

Friday, November 1, 2013

Registration Package

I got a nice little package in the mail today. It was my registration package for the AIDS LifeCycle 2014! The package contained my participant ID card, which will allow me to get some discounts at many bay area venues. I also got my AIDS LifeCycle t-shirt. I can't wait to proudly wear it.







The shirt is a large, so it is a little bit bigger on me. I'm not to worried about the size because i'd rather it be a little big than too tight. Plus, with my new sewing machine, I can always make some alterations.