click photo for larger version
The route was
Alexander Valley Road
Lytton Station Road
Lytton Springs Road
Dry Creek Road
Grove Street
Chiquita Road
Lytton Springs Road and back to Jimtown Store
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Monday, November 20, 2017
Video - Sonoma Bicycle Ride
This was a beautiful day a couple of years ago. I did a bicycle ride from Jimtown to Healdsburg and back. I'll have to do it again soon.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Napa Vine Time Podcast Harvest 2017
I really like the Napa Vine Time podcast from the staff of 99.3 The Vine. Here is the latest episode.
Find them all at 993TheVine.com
Good Morning Bob gets the details from Napa’s 16 year old Travis Risley as he finished A Ride to Support Fallen Police Officers a bicycle ride the length of California to raise funds for the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation, which supports the families of fallen officers.
Big Rick gives you the first Napa harvest update of the 2017 season
Drive time Mindi lets you in on Things Mindi Loves
Sharpie talks to Fly With Wine about the best way to take your wine on an airline
Of course there is music as well. The host of Monday night’s Napa Homegrown Music show Victoria Field Sykes plays a favorite from Mars Lazar.
Thanks to our Napa Vine Time Podcast sponsors Hope And Grace wines.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Video: Amsterdam Bicycle Commute
Amsterdam is a crazy bicycling place. They are everywhere and the bicycle paths are shared with scooters and motorcycles.
Not many bicycle helmets are sold there!
Thursday, August 3, 2017
A Nightmare And Windmills! My First RAGBRAI A Bicycle Ride Across Iowa
You might think that a week long bicycle ride across Iowa would be boring. If not boring you might think it would be easy to describe. I assure you that the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa isn't boring or easy to describe.
RAGBRAI (as it is known to those that know of it) happens during the last full week of July. It travels a different route every year but goes from West to East across the state of Iowa.
About 10,000 officially sign up and ride for the week with estimates of close to 20,000 people doing a day or 2 or the whole thing as an unofficial RAGBRAI rider.
I had heard about it for a long time and knew some people that did it. It was a goal of mine to do the ride at some point in my life.
When the route was announced early in 2017 it was said to be the 3rd shortest and 3rd least amount of climbing (no Iowa isn't flat) in the history of RAGBRAI. 7 days and just over 400 miles. I called my friend Peter and we decided this was the year to give it a go.
As the day approached to hop on the plane I bet I wasn't alone in thinking that I should have trained more for the week ahead. I had ridden many miles outdoors and many hours indoors but 60 miles a day 7 days in a row was sure to be a test.
Things that are comfortable on a bicycle for 10 or 20 or 40 miles can change at 50 and 60 miles. Shoes and saddles and bike clothes needed to be put to the 4 and 5 hour test for the long days ahead. I narrowed down my picks as I trained.
In addition to that I had to figure out eating and drinking. How would GU or Hammer Gel packets sit in my stomach for that long of a time? What else should I carry with me and how much of all if it would I need each day?
I knew there was to be a lot of food on the ride as each town we passed would have multiple places to get some kind of food but I also wanted to plan for having the right fuel for me if I didn't want to wait in lines or if I didn't see something I wanted.
If the bike didn't work properly then I would be out of the ride fast. If I couldn't get the bike packed and shipped I wouldn't even get started!
Step 1 was to get my Zinn bicycle to a shop I trusted and a place that knew how I ride. Since my friend Rob manages the St Helena Cyclery shop and he is a regular on a weekly training ride I do they were the best choice to have a look at my bike.
Sure enough there were a few small things that needed service. They weren't a big deal but they were the kind of thing I had gotten used to and didn't notice. The fresh eyes of the service shop corrected them quickly.
While I could have taken my new bike bag on the plane as checked baggage I decided to use SendMyBike.com and it would be sent FedEx to Pork Belly Ventures - PBV. They would take all of the bikes to the PBV campground in Orange City, Iowa where the first overnight would be on Saturday before we headed out Sunday morning.
Would my SciCon bicycle bag be as easy to pack as the YouTube videos showed? Surely It couldn't be.
Well it was actually pretty simple! Wheels off and in the sides. Bike in the frame of the bag. Tighten the straps, zip it up. Simple. Except for one thing - my size 48 handlebars were too wide.
Ok no big deal. I took the handlebars off and put them (with padding) on the top tube. I had some handlebars that would fit and put them in place on the front of the bike. I guess I didn't have to do that but it seemed to give the bike bag a little bit of a "bumper" and protection. It took just a few minutes to get the new bars in place.
Once the bike was in I put some bike stuff in the accessory bag and slipped that and my frame pump in at the bottom of the bag between the bike frame.
The first time I did it I spent about 20 minutes getting it all set up correctly.
It worked fine.
I took it to FedEx and they tagged it and off it went about 10 days before RAGBRAI Day 1.
I flew from Oakland to Des Moines with a stop in Las Vegas to change planes. On Saturday morning Pork Belly Ventures had a shuttle to Orange City, Iowa. It was about a 4 hour ride to the far north west edge of the state. Looking out the window of the bus I saw windmills. Lots of windmills. A foreshadow of what was to come on my first RAGBRAI perhaps?
When we arrived I was pretty amazed to see over 500 tents set up at a golf course for the riders and crew of PBV. This moving campground was where we all became a family for a week under the care of the great staff of PBV the guide service for about 1,500 of the 15,000 RAGBRAI riders.
Earlier in the week I had a nightmare that when I opened my bicycle bag it was full of 100's of broken metal tubes. Happily when I got to camp I found my bike to be fine and about 10 minutes after opening the bag I was off for a quick ride to check things out. It was all good man. I was as ready as I could be for Day 1.
RAGBRAI (as it is known to those that know of it) happens during the last full week of July. It travels a different route every year but goes from West to East across the state of Iowa.
About 10,000 officially sign up and ride for the week with estimates of close to 20,000 people doing a day or 2 or the whole thing as an unofficial RAGBRAI rider.
I had heard about it for a long time and knew some people that did it. It was a goal of mine to do the ride at some point in my life.
When the route was announced early in 2017 it was said to be the 3rd shortest and 3rd least amount of climbing (no Iowa isn't flat) in the history of RAGBRAI. 7 days and just over 400 miles. I called my friend Peter and we decided this was the year to give it a go.
Here is a good video on RAGBRAI history
As the day approached to hop on the plane I bet I wasn't alone in thinking that I should have trained more for the week ahead. I had ridden many miles outdoors and many hours indoors but 60 miles a day 7 days in a row was sure to be a test.
Things that are comfortable on a bicycle for 10 or 20 or 40 miles can change at 50 and 60 miles. Shoes and saddles and bike clothes needed to be put to the 4 and 5 hour test for the long days ahead. I narrowed down my picks as I trained.
In addition to that I had to figure out eating and drinking. How would GU or Hammer Gel packets sit in my stomach for that long of a time? What else should I carry with me and how much of all if it would I need each day?
I knew there was to be a lot of food on the ride as each town we passed would have multiple places to get some kind of food but I also wanted to plan for having the right fuel for me if I didn't want to wait in lines or if I didn't see something I wanted.
The Bike
If the bike didn't work properly then I would be out of the ride fast. If I couldn't get the bike packed and shipped I wouldn't even get started!
Step 1 was to get my Zinn bicycle to a shop I trusted and a place that knew how I ride. Since my friend Rob manages the St Helena Cyclery shop and he is a regular on a weekly training ride I do they were the best choice to have a look at my bike.
Sure enough there were a few small things that needed service. They weren't a big deal but they were the kind of thing I had gotten used to and didn't notice. The fresh eyes of the service shop corrected them quickly.
While I could have taken my new bike bag on the plane as checked baggage I decided to use SendMyBike.com and it would be sent FedEx to Pork Belly Ventures - PBV. They would take all of the bikes to the PBV campground in Orange City, Iowa where the first overnight would be on Saturday before we headed out Sunday morning.
Would my SciCon bicycle bag be as easy to pack as the YouTube videos showed? Surely It couldn't be.
Well it was actually pretty simple! Wheels off and in the sides. Bike in the frame of the bag. Tighten the straps, zip it up. Simple. Except for one thing - my size 48 handlebars were too wide.
Ok no big deal. I took the handlebars off and put them (with padding) on the top tube. I had some handlebars that would fit and put them in place on the front of the bike. I guess I didn't have to do that but it seemed to give the bike bag a little bit of a "bumper" and protection. It took just a few minutes to get the new bars in place.
Once the bike was in I put some bike stuff in the accessory bag and slipped that and my frame pump in at the bottom of the bag between the bike frame.
The first time I did it I spent about 20 minutes getting it all set up correctly.
It worked fine.
I took it to FedEx and they tagged it and off it went about 10 days before RAGBRAI Day 1.
I flew from Oakland to Des Moines with a stop in Las Vegas to change planes. On Saturday morning Pork Belly Ventures had a shuttle to Orange City, Iowa. It was about a 4 hour ride to the far north west edge of the state. Looking out the window of the bus I saw windmills. Lots of windmills. A foreshadow of what was to come on my first RAGBRAI perhaps?
When we arrived I was pretty amazed to see over 500 tents set up at a golf course for the riders and crew of PBV. This moving campground was where we all became a family for a week under the care of the great staff of PBV the guide service for about 1,500 of the 15,000 RAGBRAI riders.
Earlier in the week I had a nightmare that when I opened my bicycle bag it was full of 100's of broken metal tubes. Happily when I got to camp I found my bike to be fine and about 10 minutes after opening the bag I was off for a quick ride to check things out. It was all good man. I was as ready as I could be for Day 1.
Let the fun begin! More here soon!
My 2017 RAGBRAI entries
pre ride Did I Bit Off More Than I Can Chew?
you are here - arrival in Iowa A Nightmare And Windmills!
My 1st RAGBRAI (hopefully more to come)
Cool Video!
I finished my 1st RAGBRAI the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and I had fun! It was pretty hard for me but I really want to do it again. I will write up more and share photos soon.
The ride was 7 days and over 400 miles. It all started in Orange City Iowa where over 10,000 bicycle riders rolled out to a very warm welcome as we started day 1.
It was really awesome!
I finished my 1st RAGBRAI the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and I had fun! It was pretty hard for me but I really want to do it again. I will write up more and share photos soon.
The ride was 7 days and over 400 miles. It all started in Orange City Iowa where over 10,000 bicycle riders rolled out to a very warm welcome as we started day 1.
It was really awesome!
Monday, July 31, 2017
RAGBRAI I Did It! The Question Is...
RAGBRAI 2017
Would I do it again?
I am working on getting my photos together and writing more about RAGBRAI the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. There are so many stories to tell and things I was surprised by it will take me a while. It is hard to describe. It is so much more than over 10,000 bicycle riders spending a week on bicycles going across Iowa.
Part of my RAGBRAI experience was doing daily phone reports to our morning show Good Morning Bob on 99.3 The Vine in Napa.
I missed all the night time concerts and fun stuff in the overnight towns because I was too tired. By mid week 45 miles in to a 60 mile day I was struggling.
Don't get me wrong it was really fun. The daytime towns we visited were really cool and interesting and super fun!
All my friends that ride would love RAGBRAI and they are all in much better shape to enjoy it all. I highly recommend they do it next year no matter the course route (it changes every year)
So the answer is yes I would do it again, but I have to keep at it to get in better shape. I want to have even more fun and not finish every day so whooped.
It was the toughest thing I have ever done and I am really glad I did it. A benefit many RAGBRAI riders talk about is "the decision to do RAGBRAI changed my eating and exercise choices for the year before the ride."
That's true for me for sure. I'm probably in the best condition I have been in for a long time and I don't think it is that far to go to be able to comfortably do the ride again if I stay at it.
I remember the hand crank lay down paraplegic trike bicycle rider I talked with, the 90 year old RAGBRAI veterans, the big guys and gals that I saw riding, and I will think of them all as I train.
During the week I thought about the 1st time I did a nonstop 5 mile bicycle ride in the Oakland Hills. I was so flippin happy! It was so tough to get that milestone. That wasn't so long ago!
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Napa Valley Bicycle Ride 25 Miles 1000 Feet of Climbing
Need a good 25 mile loop in the Napa Valley for a scenic and moderately challenging bicycle ride?
Here is a favorite of mine. Most of it is on quiet roads or a bike path and the clockwise version has a nice gradual climb.
It takes me about 2 1/2 hours at a casual pace and will probably take you less. You end up doing 25 miles and 1000 feet of gradual climbing and a fun downhill with great views but be sure your brakes are working well!
click the image for a bigger version
Start from Yountville and head down the awesome Vine Trail all the way to Redwood Road.
Take a right on Redwood to Dry Creek. Take a right and head up to the Dry Creek fire station. There will be some water and a Karma Kit with some bicycle necessities and a pump if you need it.
Continue east up the Oakville Grade (left from the fire station, right from Dry Creek road)
Get ready to lose all of that climbing in one shot to the valley floor. If it scares you a little take your time and even stop at the side of the road and check out the incredible view.
At the bottom you can grab something to eat if you take a left across 29 to Oakville Grocery.
To continue on this route turn right down Highway 29. It can be busy but the shoulder is pretty good and you get to ride right next to some world famous vineyards.
Cross 29 to Yount Mill road and you will be taken back to town on Yount St.
(If it is too busy to cross keep riding and there is a stoplight in just a little bit that will allow you to get back into Yountville.)
Make a right on Madison to the stop sign.
Turn left on Washington and you are back to downtown Yountville.
From here you are on your own because I don't know where you parked!
P.S. avoid the long lines at Bouchon and order from them online!
Here's a 1 minute video of the route
Thursday, February 23, 2017
I'm On The Board of Napa Valley Bicycle Coalition! Here's what we do...
When they said they wanted to make the board bigger I didn't take it personally.
I had the honor of being voted on to the board of the Napa Valley Bicycle Coalition last night. It is a group of really smart people that do a lot of cool things all over the Napa Valley to help advance the world of bicycle riding.
I am really impressed with the variety of topics they are involved with. At the government level NVBC works with city and county and state officials to have input on transportation and infrastructure planning. Proposed changes to a road? They will monitor it and give input. Issues at an intersection looking for ways to make things safer for bicycle riders and pedestrians? We give ideas to make it better for all including drivers.
Mountain biking access issues? We try to make sure everybody does the right thing and people are allowed to ride where and when they are supposed to ride.
Safety classes for kids? Yes we do that. Safety classes for adults? Yes we do that. A safer way for visitors to the Napa Valley to ride a bicycle while here? (a very growing trend) Yes we do that.
Helping plan a safe route to school for kids? (and teachers) Yes we do that.
Work with other bicycle coalitions and local and national groups to stay up to date on what works for their community and stay up to date on new ideas? Yes we do that.
Bicycle parking at Napa Valley events? Yes we do that.
Participate in and help organize events like Bike To Work Day? Yes we do that.
Promote bicycle riding for health? Yes we do that.
Work with the awesome new Vine Trail bicycle path in the Napa Valley? Yes we do that.
Work with local clubs and shops and special events in the Napa Valley like the Ride To Defeat ALS and the Tour de Cure Napa? Yes we do that.
Have fun riding our bicycles? Of course we do that!
The board is all volunteer and we raise money in various ways for what we do at events like the Bike Fest and with donations
I am really happy to join and hope I can help out to make things better, safer, and more popular. The mostly flat Napa Valley is a great place to use bicycle transportation for any reason. The infrastructure is being upgraded to meet these usage needs and the Napa Valley Bicycle Coalition will be part of all of it.
Have an issue we should know about? Let me know!
rick@bigrick.com
Monday, February 20, 2017
Queen Meets Kraftwerk! Audio for the Napa Cherry Pie Criterium Bicycle Race
Queen meets Kraftwerk! Here is some audio I produced for the Eagle Cycling Club to use at the Cherry Pie Criterium bicycle race today. Yes a race in the rain!
It was to thank their sponsors Velo Pizzeria, Clif Family Winery (of Clif Bar fame) and their Velo Vino tasting room, Bicycle Works The Hub Bicycles Napa River Velo The Model Bakery.
The goal was to be kind of casual and not too "announcer guy" sounding.
I had fun doing it.
I hope people liked it!
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Phil Wood #Bicycle Upgrade
Quick turnaround for service and upgrade on my rear hub from Leroy Coleman and San Jose's Phil Wood and Co. I'm now a 5 Pawl guy :)
Stoked to have it done so quick and I love the quality and dependability of my bicycle wheels. Big guys break stuff but not as often when you use their hubs and have wheels built by Koz at Castro Valley Cycles.
now how can I get a CVC shop team on a Charity ride? :)
rollin' rollin' rollin'
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Chabot Mountain Bike Loop With The Dog!
Wow I've got to give it up for my dog.
Today was cold and windy, perfect for a long day on the trails. We hit the Lake Chabot Bike Loop about noon and I thought I'd see how far she wanted to go. From our start to just about 2 miles there is a bench that is a good place to take a break. It is after a long climb, has nice views, and gives me the chance to see how the dog is feeling. Tongue draggin? I'll make it a short day. If she just takes a quick drink of water and recovers quick, hey off we go for a longer loop.
We got there pretty quick, the trails were great, and she looked good after a quick water break, so off we went. We rolled up some smaller climbs and down a few small sections to the paved road at Merciel Road.
We took a longer break there and talked to a few people out for the day. It was an awesome day. If I turned back it would be an up and back 8 mile ride. But if I went down the hill I would be committed to going all the way around the lake. That's just over 11 miles. I've only done that a few times, but my dog has never been that far in one day. It would turn into a 3 hour ride.
The day was beautiful, nice and clear and dry and cold. Perfect for doing a long day. After a 10 minute break I decided to go for it and down the hill we went.
Here's the elevation graph of the ride. The "Let's Go" decision came at the top, as you can see it is a pretty steep drop from the top down to the lake.
That's about a 500 foot drop.
At the lake you run onto lots of people walking round, fishermen, baby strollers, joggers, other dogs. But you gotta have your dog on a leash. Cassie does really well on the leash as I ride along on my bike. We go about 5 to 8 miles per hour and she stays just off to the left rear of the bike.
We got to the Lake Chabot Marina and took another break. She was pretty tired and took to the comfort of the shade under a picnic table. I gave her a few shots of water in her foldable water dish. She was pretty happy to have a few shots of H2O. I watched her breathing to wait for it to come down, then waited some more, then she and I were ready to do the second half.
We had more of fairly flat lake trails to do before a few brutal climbs to get back to the truck. Once again she was on the leash chuggin' right along with me. After the dam at the south west end of the lake I unclipped her leash and the rolling climbs started again. We got to Bass Cove and laid down in the grass. We could have both stayed and taken a nap in the warming sun.
I had a Shot Blok snack and got ready to finish up.
A little more water for both of us and we had about 2 miles of mostly climbing to go. 2 tough miles. We stopped a few times, but mostly kept going. All day the trails were in perfect shape. No dust, no mud. It couldn't have been better.
And we made it. 11+ miles at just under 3 hours. The dog sure is beat, and, well, me too.
Here's the GPS route link @ MotionBased. http://tinyurl.com/march-mtb-dog
Today was cold and windy, perfect for a long day on the trails. We hit the Lake Chabot Bike Loop about noon and I thought I'd see how far she wanted to go. From our start to just about 2 miles there is a bench that is a good place to take a break. It is after a long climb, has nice views, and gives me the chance to see how the dog is feeling. Tongue draggin? I'll make it a short day. If she just takes a quick drink of water and recovers quick, hey off we go for a longer loop.
We got there pretty quick, the trails were great, and she looked good after a quick water break, so off we went. We rolled up some smaller climbs and down a few small sections to the paved road at Merciel Road.
We took a longer break there and talked to a few people out for the day. It was an awesome day. If I turned back it would be an up and back 8 mile ride. But if I went down the hill I would be committed to going all the way around the lake. That's just over 11 miles. I've only done that a few times, but my dog has never been that far in one day. It would turn into a 3 hour ride.
The day was beautiful, nice and clear and dry and cold. Perfect for doing a long day. After a 10 minute break I decided to go for it and down the hill we went.
Here's the elevation graph of the ride. The "Let's Go" decision came at the top, as you can see it is a pretty steep drop from the top down to the lake.
That's about a 500 foot drop.
At the lake you run onto lots of people walking round, fishermen, baby strollers, joggers, other dogs. But you gotta have your dog on a leash. Cassie does really well on the leash as I ride along on my bike. We go about 5 to 8 miles per hour and she stays just off to the left rear of the bike.
We got to the Lake Chabot Marina and took another break. She was pretty tired and took to the comfort of the shade under a picnic table. I gave her a few shots of water in her foldable water dish. She was pretty happy to have a few shots of H2O. I watched her breathing to wait for it to come down, then waited some more, then she and I were ready to do the second half.
We had more of fairly flat lake trails to do before a few brutal climbs to get back to the truck. Once again she was on the leash chuggin' right along with me. After the dam at the south west end of the lake I unclipped her leash and the rolling climbs started again. We got to Bass Cove and laid down in the grass. We could have both stayed and taken a nap in the warming sun.
I had a Shot Blok snack and got ready to finish up.
A little more water for both of us and we had about 2 miles of mostly climbing to go. 2 tough miles. We stopped a few times, but mostly kept going. All day the trails were in perfect shape. No dust, no mud. It couldn't have been better.
And we made it. 11+ miles at just under 3 hours. The dog sure is beat, and, well, me too.
Here's the GPS route link @ MotionBased. http://tinyurl.com/march-mtb-dog
Chabot Mountain Bike Loop With The Dog!
Wow I've got to give it up for my dog.
Today was cold and windy, perfect for a long day on the trails. We hit the Lake Chabot Bike Loop about noon and I thought I'd see how far she wanted to go. From our start to just about 2 miles there is a bench that is a good place to take a break. It is after a long climb, has nice views, and gives me the chance to see how the dog is feeling. Tongue draggin? I'll make it a short day. If she just takes a quick drink of water and recovers quick, hey off we go for a longer loop.
We got there pretty quick, the trails were great, and she looked good after a quick water break, so off we went. We rolled up some smaller climbs and down a few small sections to the paved road at Merciel Road.
We took a longer break there and talked to a few people out for the day. It was an awesome day. If I turned back it would be an up and back 8 mile ride. But if I went down the hill I would be committed to going all the way around the lake. That's just over 11 miles. I've only done that a few times, but my dog has never been that far in one day. It would turn into a 3 hour ride.
The day was beautiful, nice and clear and dry and cold. Perfect for doing a long day. After a 10 minute break I decided to go for it and down the hill we went.
Here's the elevation graph of the ride. The "Let's Go" decision came at the top, as you can see it is a pretty steep drop from the top down to the lake.
That's about a 500 foot drop.
At the lake you run onto lots of people walking round, fishermen, baby strollers, joggers, other dogs. But you gotta have your dog on a leash. Cassie does really well on the leash as I ride along on my bike. We go about 5 to 8 miles per hour and she stays just off to the left rear of the bike.
We got to the Lake Chabot Marina and took another break. She was pretty tired and took to the comfort of the shade under a picnic table. I gave her a few shots of water in her foldable water dish. She was pretty happy to have a few shots of H2O. I watched her breathing to wait for it to come down, then waited some more, then she and I were ready to do the second half.
We had more of fairly flat lake trails to do before a few brutal climbs to get back to the truck. Once again she was on the leash chuggin' right along with me. After the dam at the south west end of the lake I unclipped her leash and the rolling climbs started again. We got to Bass Cove and laid down in the grass. We could have both stayed and taken a nap in the warming sun.
I had a Shot Blok snack and got ready to finish up.
A little more water for both of us and we had about 2 miles of mostly climbing to go. 2 tough miles. We stopped a few times, but mostly kept going. All day the trails were in perfect shape. No dust, no mud. It couldn't have been better.
And we made it. 11+ miles at just under 3 hours. The dog sure is beat, and, well, me too.
Here's the GPS route link @ MotionBased. http://tinyurl.com/march-mtb-dog
Today was cold and windy, perfect for a long day on the trails. We hit the Lake Chabot Bike Loop about noon and I thought I'd see how far she wanted to go. From our start to just about 2 miles there is a bench that is a good place to take a break. It is after a long climb, has nice views, and gives me the chance to see how the dog is feeling. Tongue draggin? I'll make it a short day. If she just takes a quick drink of water and recovers quick, hey off we go for a longer loop.
We got there pretty quick, the trails were great, and she looked good after a quick water break, so off we went. We rolled up some smaller climbs and down a few small sections to the paved road at Merciel Road.
We took a longer break there and talked to a few people out for the day. It was an awesome day. If I turned back it would be an up and back 8 mile ride. But if I went down the hill I would be committed to going all the way around the lake. That's just over 11 miles. I've only done that a few times, but my dog has never been that far in one day. It would turn into a 3 hour ride.
The day was beautiful, nice and clear and dry and cold. Perfect for doing a long day. After a 10 minute break I decided to go for it and down the hill we went.
Here's the elevation graph of the ride. The "Let's Go" decision came at the top, as you can see it is a pretty steep drop from the top down to the lake.
That's about a 500 foot drop.
At the lake you run onto lots of people walking round, fishermen, baby strollers, joggers, other dogs. But you gotta have your dog on a leash. Cassie does really well on the leash as I ride along on my bike. We go about 5 to 8 miles per hour and she stays just off to the left rear of the bike.
We got to the Lake Chabot Marina and took another break. She was pretty tired and took to the comfort of the shade under a picnic table. I gave her a few shots of water in her foldable water dish. She was pretty happy to have a few shots of H2O. I watched her breathing to wait for it to come down, then waited some more, then she and I were ready to do the second half.
We had more of fairly flat lake trails to do before a few brutal climbs to get back to the truck. Once again she was on the leash chuggin' right along with me. After the dam at the south west end of the lake I unclipped her leash and the rolling climbs started again. We got to Bass Cove and laid down in the grass. We could have both stayed and taken a nap in the warming sun.
I had a Shot Blok snack and got ready to finish up.
A little more water for both of us and we had about 2 miles of mostly climbing to go. 2 tough miles. We stopped a few times, but mostly kept going. All day the trails were in perfect shape. No dust, no mud. It couldn't have been better.
And we made it. 11+ miles at just under 3 hours. The dog sure is beat, and, well, me too.
Here's the GPS route link @ MotionBased. http://tinyurl.com/march-mtb-dog
Saturday, December 6, 2008
New (to me) Zinn 29er Mountain Bike: so far so good
Well after 10 years (almost to the day!) I finally got a new mountain bike. I tried for those 10 years to beat the crap out of my 1998 GT LTS 3000 and other than the usual drivetrain and tires it survived a 300lb + trail rider. It was quite a bike!
I've been looking at lots of bikes in the last year or 2, including a Zinn 29er all mountain Gigabike. Everything priced at about 5K out the door done deal. I could buy for less, but I was looking at overbuilt bikes and components for my size. Being fat sux! (I'm working on it!)
The Zinn bike was a front runner. I liked how solid they seemed, and that they are used to bigger folks riding bikes, and that the frames use the bottom bracket area as the main pivot point, with a grease fitting on the bike to easily keep it all happy "down under."
Zinn is headed by Lennard Zinn. He really did write THE books on both mountain bike and road bike maintenance. He has a tech Q&A column on VeloNews and builds custom bikes for anybody that wants one.
So a few weeks ago they called me and said they were selling off their lightly used always maintained, all mountain Gigabike demo.
It was priced nice, a deal I couldn't refuse.
It doesn't have the latest stuff hanging off the various ends, the SRAM grip shift is a little different, but after about 15 miles of riding I'm pretty used to it. It is kind of nice being able to shift more than 3 gears at once!
The shock is a Manitou SPV 3 way air, the fork is a WB Fluid 29er. I pumped them both up with a fair amount of air to stiffen them up, and man it feels nice.
I spent most of my time on the LTS sitting deep into the shock travel, and I'm fairly sure the old elastomer forks were riding along pretty deep into the stroke too.
It is a tall bike for sure, stepover height is umm... let's say I hope I don't need much at any given time...! and it has 200 Zinn crank arms. Longer cranks are one of his things. So paired up with being a 29er it is pretty different. I can't say too much about it yet, just climbing around Chabot it is fine, but I hope to push it a little more. I thought maybe the 29er would be harder to pedal uphills, but no issues there at all. I think with the longer cranks it is easier, but not sure.
Anyway should you see a big guy on a big bike with a little black low rider dog (1/2 basset 1/2 lab) on the trails feel free to say hi.
Here's photos from Chabot @ Bort Meadow earlier today with crap iPhone camera.
Woot Woot!
PS: those disc brakes are something. I bet one day they really catch on!
:)
I've been looking at lots of bikes in the last year or 2, including a Zinn 29er all mountain Gigabike. Everything priced at about 5K out the door done deal. I could buy for less, but I was looking at overbuilt bikes and components for my size. Being fat sux! (I'm working on it!)
The Zinn bike was a front runner. I liked how solid they seemed, and that they are used to bigger folks riding bikes, and that the frames use the bottom bracket area as the main pivot point, with a grease fitting on the bike to easily keep it all happy "down under."
Zinn is headed by Lennard Zinn. He really did write THE books on both mountain bike and road bike maintenance. He has a tech Q&A column on VeloNews and builds custom bikes for anybody that wants one.
So a few weeks ago they called me and said they were selling off their lightly used always maintained, all mountain Gigabike demo.
It was priced nice, a deal I couldn't refuse.
It doesn't have the latest stuff hanging off the various ends, the SRAM grip shift is a little different, but after about 15 miles of riding I'm pretty used to it. It is kind of nice being able to shift more than 3 gears at once!
The shock is a Manitou SPV 3 way air, the fork is a WB Fluid 29er. I pumped them both up with a fair amount of air to stiffen them up, and man it feels nice.
I spent most of my time on the LTS sitting deep into the shock travel, and I'm fairly sure the old elastomer forks were riding along pretty deep into the stroke too.
It is a tall bike for sure, stepover height is umm... let's say I hope I don't need much at any given time...! and it has 200 Zinn crank arms. Longer cranks are one of his things. So paired up with being a 29er it is pretty different. I can't say too much about it yet, just climbing around Chabot it is fine, but I hope to push it a little more. I thought maybe the 29er would be harder to pedal uphills, but no issues there at all. I think with the longer cranks it is easier, but not sure.
Anyway should you see a big guy on a big bike with a little black low rider dog (1/2 basset 1/2 lab) on the trails feel free to say hi.
Here's photos from Chabot @ Bort Meadow earlier today with crap iPhone camera.
Woot Woot!
PS: those disc brakes are something. I bet one day they really catch on!
:)
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Best thing about living in East Oakland
Ok so in my zipcode there are the drug dealers, the drive-bys, the carjackings, the restaurant holdups, sketchy and overpriced gas stations, nowhere really good to go eat, and few pizza delivery places.
But.
Just at the top of the hill at the end of Skyline is Chabot park. I love this place. So many beautiful hikes, bike rides, vistas, and places to chill.
Like under a redwood tree in Bort Meadow after a mountain bike ride with my 4 wheel drive buddy.
But.
Just at the top of the hill at the end of Skyline is Chabot park. I love this place. So many beautiful hikes, bike rides, vistas, and places to chill.
Like under a redwood tree in Bort Meadow after a mountain bike ride with my 4 wheel drive buddy.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Mountain bike ride in Biggity O Redwood Loop
total time 2:07
moving time 1:37
distance 9.24
moving speed 5.7 avg 38.3 max (me on Redwood)
elevation gain +1787/-1791
What a great way to spend a morning.
My buddy Pete and I hooked up in Redwood Park in the Oakland Hills. It is the largest 2nd growth Redwood Forest in the world. So someone says. Like Pete and I were saying, dating back to when?
It is like "restoring the wetlands." Back to what date? The 1950's? The 1850's? The 0050's?!
Anyway there are heck-a redwood trees and it is freakin' beautiful.
We hiked up to the East Ridge, rode up to Skyline, and hucked it down the awesome West Ridge. A tough ride up gets a big reward on the long downhill.
I actually too a wrong turn and ended up on the pavement of Redwood road.
"Twas nice.
The gps of the ride is here. (Hey we ain't going for a world record time)
Open the "Player" link on the far right after you click.
Here's a shot of the Chabot Observatory taken at the top of the ride.
moving time 1:37
distance 9.24
moving speed 5.7 avg 38.3 max (me on Redwood)
elevation gain +1787/-1791
What a great way to spend a morning.
My buddy Pete and I hooked up in Redwood Park in the Oakland Hills. It is the largest 2nd growth Redwood Forest in the world. So someone says. Like Pete and I were saying, dating back to when?
It is like "restoring the wetlands." Back to what date? The 1950's? The 1850's? The 0050's?!
Anyway there are heck-a redwood trees and it is freakin' beautiful.
We hiked up to the East Ridge, rode up to Skyline, and hucked it down the awesome West Ridge. A tough ride up gets a big reward on the long downhill.
I actually too a wrong turn and ended up on the pavement of Redwood road.
"Twas nice.
The gps of the ride is here. (Hey we ain't going for a world record time)
Open the "Player" link on the far right after you click.
Here's a shot of the Chabot Observatory taken at the top of the ride.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Fall MTB ride and Fire Control in the Oakland Hills (it's Goats!)
These four legged creatures were doing their thing today on the trails where I do lots of mountain biking. It is at the southern end of Skyline in Chabot park.
That is at the far south end of the Oakland hills, the opposite end of where the big fire was.
They spend a few days there munching away, and leave behind their calling card(s) but really do a good job cutting down on the dry fuel in the hills. Once somebody shot some :( , since they spend the night in the hills they are kind of at risk, but there are people and dogs that watch over them all the time.
Crazy ass Oakland.
But still BIG THANKS to Goats R Us from this Oakland resident!
(yes really Goats R Us, check the link!)
Today the dog and I rode about 5 miles in the hills, the iPod was rockin another pretty weird mix, The Samurai Champloo soundtrack, and "I'm Your Biggest Fan" by Dallas Wayne.
Works for me!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
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