I know the “49-Mile Scenic Drive” was originally created to showcase San Francisco’s attractions by car — but I’ve always wanted to ride the entire route by bike (plus it makes it way easier to navigate the crowds and traffic through the city.) TBO and I found this version online (I believe it was created by the SFBC), so we used it as the basis for our adventure. It deviates a bit from the actual route, so we’d hop on and off at very points to stick with the seagulls. And the original route ends on 280 North, so obviously we skipped that part!
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city + country
The Geysers
So…where to ride on my first “longish” bike ride after the Sunshine 1200k? We got up too late for the Meet Your Maker shindig down in Santa Cruz, so we narrowed it down to two choices: mixed terrain fun near Mt. Vision or one of Santa Rosa Cycling Club’s, “10 Great Rides” — the “Geysers.”
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Santa Rosa Cycling Club’s 2015 Wine Country Century
This was my first time riding the Santa Rosa Cycling Club’s Annual Wine Country Century! There’s a variety of routes to choose from, and Ann, Bonnie, Karen (with special piggy guest, “Pudu’s Progeny”, hitching a ride on her handlebars), Jambi, Pudu and I opted for the 200k. Since Jambi hails from Berlin and rides in the flatlands of northern Germany, the chilly, foggy climbs in the first 50-60 miles or so took its toll on his right knee (which includes Coleman Valley and some bumps between Guerneville and Graton. This section was new to me, so I really enjoyed the change of scenery from the usual roads I pedal on during brevets.)
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2015 L’Eroica California (Day 1)
I was in vintage bicycle heaven at the first annual L’Eroica California this past weekend in Paso Robles. Ever since I first heard of this event several years ago, I’ve been entranced by the romantic notion of paying homage to the past through this cycling celebration. It’s like the Renaissance Faire for bike nerds, with folks smartly dressed in outfits that match their pre-1987, period correct bicycles. Hopefully it’s a preview of what’s to come when I finally make the journey to its original predecessor in Italy!
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2015 L’Eroica California (Day 2)
The inaugural L’Eroica California kicked off this weekend and was an amazing experience. Jason and I chose the medium route (69 miles with over 5300 ft. of climbing), as we have some big randonneuring rides coming up and wanted to save some energy in our legs. Plus my easiest gear on my Pinarello is 42-26, so I was pretty trashed by the end and felt like I had done leg presses all day!
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