Today’s Flash Ride netted three participants-the usual Conzelman suspects of Erik, Mark H and yours truly. We started in Orinda shortly after 9am, where the skies were clearing to blue with nice mild temps. Perfect riding weather! We followed the route of the Grizzly Peak Century from May. You gotta love routes with painted arrows on the road too-a very good thing for the directionally-challenged such as me! 🙂

Los tres Conzelman hombres took a nice swift tour through Orinda, Rheem Valley, Moraga, and the little hamlet of Canyon before heading up Skyline and Grizzly Peak in thick, dense (but warm) fog – very moorish. After the always fun screaming descent down Wildcat Canyon we went up San Pablo Dam Road and then on roads I’ve never ridden. Gotta love finding new bike territory after all these year too!! We rode through the forgotten towns of Pinole and Hercules and opted for a lunch of Extreme Pizza and Starbucks Coffee instead of the farmer’s market produce in Pinole (no Tour d’Organics this).

Along San Pablo Bay the ride got decidedly industrial…refineries, speeding traffic and tankers on the Carquinez Strait. A quick descent through Crocket and Port Costa and then up a little bitch of a hill called McEwen Road en route to Martinez. By this time the weather was warm but pleasantly so and Mark quickly found his was back to the route (thank allah for those arrows!). And still more new territory through the beautiful Alhambra Valley and then the perennial favorite of the Tres Osos. By this time, at 75 miles and nearly 6,000 feet of climbing, Mark and Erik had enough and departed back at the Orinda BART.

Eager to complete my 9th century of the year and make up for the three that got washed out in the spring, I soldiered on back through Orinda and Moraga. When stopping at the Moraga Safeway, I discovered making a contribution to the people outside the entrance is a great way to have someone watch your bike while you buy water and snacks. I’ve just gotta say it was kinda funny hearing all the Moraga housewive’s excuses for NOT donating to the battered women’s shelter.

Anyway, back to Canyon and then a turn the other way on Pinehurst to the south. Those of you who did David’s May Lafayette/Sunol route will remember this part of the ride. But then instead of a left on Redwood, I made the right and then a left on Skyline for 10 enjoyable elevated miles through swanky parts of Oakland I’d never ridden, including Grass Valley and the Oakland Zoo.

The Grizzly Peak Century is a bit of a misnomer. It is put on in May by the Grizzly Peak Cyclists and consists of the first loop we did (75 miles) plus the second loop I started. Unfortunately, their advertised mileage and elevation were both a little lower than actual. It appears the actual “Grizzly Peak Century” is 115 miles and has 9,200 feet of climbing according to Klimb. By the time I reached San Leandro at mile 99, I faced a fork in the road: Castro Valley BART a mile to the right, or Redwood Road and 15 more miles and 1,200 more feet of climbing back to Orinda (those of you on David’s May ride will no doubt recall Redwood Road). Even the fact that there was a Peet’s Coffee en route couldn’t distract me from the siren call of the BART train.

Thank buddha for BART! Not only a nap on the ride back home to the city, but the option to change plans mid-ride!

If anyone is interested in doing this ride (or at least some substantial part of it) sometime later this season, let me know. I had a blast and could be persuaded to post it again. Who needs an organized ride and active.com for a century, huh?

It’s been a while since we’ve posted a ride report on C-Loop Thursdays, but this mid-week afterwork ride is still going strong thanks to the leadership of Bill Bir and Erik Leung. I joined today for the first time in a while, leaving from home instead of downtown, and met Bill, Erik, and Mark enroute in the headlands. Today was a perfect day for riding. A bit of cooling fog, not much traffic (bike or car), and not too much wind.

I have to admit, I got a bit spooked the last time I led this ride by the winds that were gusting that day on the bridge. The tornado-like swirls in particular around the two towers can be a bit hairy, quite different from the usually calm winds we encounter on the Jersey Ride and other morning bridge crossings. Fortunately, bike traffic is typically light in the afternoon, and there are rarely any tourists on rental bikes.

But please don’t let the wind stop you from joining DSSF on Thursdays! The ride leaves from the Ferry Building at 6:00 p.m. Meet at the pedestrian island between the Embarcadero, near the crosswalk from Market Street. The ride takes one of a couple routes through the Fisherman’s Wharf area, along Crissy Field, up to and across the bridge, up and down Conzelman, and up McCullough. Bill and Erik usually make a couple more loops. Heck, I’m posting this at 10:15 p.m., and for all I know those guys are still out there looping around!

C-Loop Thursdays continue through the summer and into early fall, as long as the longer daylight provides for enough safe riding time. Remember, the fog can make it somewhat dark pretty quickly up there and on the bridge. So even if it is bright and sunny in SF, it is a good idea to bring a red-blinky light just in case.

Today was the individual time trial. We set out for the Palos Forest Preserve SW of Chicago. It is a 45 minute trip from downtown Chicago. We got driven there in style in a good old-fashioned yellow schoolbus!

The course was a somewhat hilly, 11 mile, banana shaped (or as Jerome said “croissant-shaped”) scenic (not) but challenging ride.

Great days were had by Derek L, Don D and Mike Y. Who appear to be in line for Gold, Gold and Silver medals (respectively). While our times were posted today

Jerome T., Joe L., Lance H. and Dave G. had good days with times of 32:20, 32:54, 32:56 and 33:37 but our age category had some blisteringly fast times less than 30:00 including one less than 27:00!!!

Big Kudos to Roy S. He borrowed his friends car and made the trek out to Palos. He was DSSF’s cheerleader-in-chief and volunteered at the turn-around point. Thanks to you for coming out to support us and the event.

BTW: It was f&*&^%ing hot and humid today.

Tomorrow will be the medal ceremony for the individual time trial and also the road race which should be a lot of fun.

We’ll keep you posted!!

Live in Chicago this is Dave Glidden reporting……

Today we had medals for 3 DSSF members in the criterium!

Gold for Don D. in the 60+ Men’s. All riders 50+ rode together and Don won against all 50+ riders.

Bronze for Joe L’s boyfriend Mark Y. in 50-60 Men’s.

Bronze for Jerome T. 40-44 Men’s.

All riders 40-49 rode (all 35 of them) rode together. Jerome was 4th overall (but 3rd in 40-44). Dave G. and Joe L. were 6th and 7th, respectively!

Jerome’s number was misread and they had him listed as 14th in the final results. After a lot of work, they straightened it out. He got his bronze!!

Congratulations to Jerome, Mark and Don!

The Tom Waddell Award for outstanding Gay Games participation is presented by the Federation of Gay Games every four years to individuals who have demonstrated a history of outstanding service in the arts, athletics or volunteerism.

Derek Liecty was honored at the Opening Ceremonies at Soldier Field in Chicago as the male recipient of the 2006 award. Derek gave a brief acceptance speech in front of tens of thousands of participants and spectators.

Derek has been contributing to the success of the Gay Games since it’s beginning in 1982 in San Francisco and has been involved in the organization of every one since then, as well as competing in most of not all of these. He has been a board member for the Federation of Gay Games for many, many years,
and continues as a lifetime honorary board member. This year, among other contributions, he has been actively involved in the scholarship committee, which has provided assistance to over 100 athletes from around the world who may not otherwise been able to attend, which impacts not only these individuals but their communities back home.

Congratulations, Derek!!

Jerome” s Motion Based info is very cool! I may have to take my cycling technophilia/geekness up a notch and purchase a GPS myself instead of always asking Jerome, Jaime and David what our elevation gain on a ride is. Personally, I am still waiting for a helmet-mounted camera with a shutter control wired into the gear shift though.

For those of you who have never done the death ride, don’t let the fact that a little rain (OK, a whole lot…Bart and I were soaked too when we got back to my car) fell in the last few miles deter you from signing up for the lottery for this AWESOME ride next year! According to Bart, this is the first time in about 10 years that it has rained at all. About 3,000 riders do the Death Ride, with some number just over 1/2 doing all 5 passes.

Aside from Jerome, Anne Hall, and Bart and I all completed this year’s DR. Jerome’s motion-based info gives you a good view of the profile and the map of the route, but it can’t give you an appreciation for how truly beautiful this part of the Sierras is.

Bart and I started riding about 6am and it was already light and warm enough to need nothing other than shorts and a jersey. In honor of the native alpine creatures, I wore my Cal Bears jersey, much to my Stanford friend’s chagrin. DR starts off deceptively enough with a steep descent of about 500 feet until the climb up Monitor Pass begins. Another one of the great things about DR is that Monitor and Ebbet’s Pass are completely closed off to vehicular traffic, so there are only other bikes, the occasional motorcycle sag (it’s quite a trip to see bikers on the back of a motorcycle with their bikes over their shoulders and emergency vehicles (happily we didn’t see many of those this year).

There are something like 16 food and water stops throughout the course and the support is really terrific. This has to be one of the best supported rides out there! Quite a deal for $80. In contrast, those who do the Tour du Organics this year will hopefully get more than a few artisanal peach slices for their $60 registration.

Almost all of the DR route is spectacularly beautiful. My personal favorites are the backside of Monitor Pass with its stunning views of the Carson Valley, and the front and back sides of Ebbets. While the grades through0ut the route are in the 5-7% range, some top out over 10% and there are two hairpin turns on Ebbets that are an impressive 24% (“trucks with trailers NOT advised”!) At times like these, oxygen is really over-rated.

Other highlights are the fun skeleton-themed stickers affixed to each rider’s number upon the completion of each pass, the red vines at the top of Ebbets, and the ride pin and ice cream provided at the top of Carson Pass for those completing all five passes. A well-deserved yum! This year we were fortunate enough actually have some tailwinds push us up Carson Pass heading west. As we started the descent from Carson Pass back to the starting area in Markleeville, ominous clouds were forming and a few bolts of lightning encouraged us to reach toward 50 MPH downhill in an effort to beat the rains. While Bart and I got soaked for the last 6-7 miles, we were lucky to have missed the hailstorm!! Good thing we got such a late start.

Murphy’s Law No. 17: You are certain to get a flat tire the one time you forget your bike pump.

Part of my bike ride to work takes me through Golden Gate Park. The 3 miles through the park are the best part of this urban, asphalt-rich, traffic-dodging commute. I enter near 46th Avenue by a small playground where I exchange “Good mornings” with a group of Asian seniors doing tai-chi. Traffic is usually light, and the air is often cool and misty.

Today, half-way up the bike path on the border of Speedway Meadow, I got a flat. Well, I know flats happen, but I still let out a quick “#$%@” before getting to work. But when I want to lightly inflate the new tube to get it set inside the tire, I let out another “#$%@” when I see only the holder for the frame pump, empty, no pump. The mind starts racing backward. Did it fall off sometime on the ride? Is it lying on the ground? Where the hell is it!

I’m pretty anal retentive about being organized – I was a Boy Scout, after all – so I was suddenly less bummed about the flat and more irritated about my carelessness. Well, somebody has to come along, right? I pass a fair number of bicyclists on my morning commute. Today, of course, they all decided NOT to use the bike path. Today, of course, everyone decided to ride their mountain bikes with Shrader valves. So, it’s back toward 46th Avenue – on SPD-clicking feet – to catch the 18 MUNI bus back home.

But lo, an angel appears in the distance. He or she is clearly on a bike, and looks hunched over as if riding a road bike. “Please-oh-please, have Presta valves!” I pray. The Good Samaritan not only does have a pump, but he offers to pump the tire up for me. Everything is fine, and I’m ready to get back on the road. But then I need to decide: Do I take the chance to ride to work and risk another flat – I’m thinking about all the broken glass I see along Page Street – or ride a few miles back home. Even if my pump is not there, I can grab the Ultraflate I never use. I opt for home.

On the way, I continue to think what happened to my pump. It suddenly hits me. Once or twice a month, I give my bike a thorough cleaning, removing the bottle cages and everything…including the pump holder. Yep, I forgot to reattach it a couple days ago. Sure enough, the pump is sitting on the work bench next to the container of Wet-Ones, degreaser, brushes, and disposable gloves.

Eventually I got to work, a bit later than usual, and with the resolve to always check to make sure the pump is attached before each and every ride. And to buy some Kevlar tires!

Victor, Kyle, Jaime, and Paul rode up the old railroad grade up Mt Tam to the West Point Inn on Sunday. We left our road bikes at home, and wiped the dust off our mountain bikes for this ride. Actually three of us did. Paul gets the butch boy award for riding up a Mt Tam mountain bike trail on a touring bike with moderately narrow tires! Not only did he do it, but he did it really well! The route is the former Mt Tam Railway that ran up the mountain from the late 1800’s until 1930. The weather was perfect with beautiful blue skies, and warm temperatures. As we climbed we had some breathtaking views of the city and the bay. Finally we reached the top and had a wonderful panckae breakfast at the historic West Point Inn.
Back in the 1800’s if you wanted to go to Stimson Beach you took a fairy from San Francisco to Sausalito. Then you took a railroad from Sausalito to Mill Valley. Then you got on to the Mt Tam railroad. You climbed up Mt Tam on this railway route we rode, and tnen took another line down to near Muir Woods. Then you took a stage coach or hiked the rest of the way to Stimson Beach. It was a full day journey! The West Point Inn was an origonal stop on the railroad. Today, it is still a fully operable Inn that you can only hike or mountain bike into. There is no public road to it, and no electricity. Just gas lamps and gorgeous views of the Bay Ares!
We had a great ride with good food, good views, and good company.

Four Spokers – Jeff P., Raymond P., Rico N., and Patrick H. – rode the Jersey Ride route from McLaren Lodge today. With the great weather, it felt like the first official ride of spring. Even before the ride started, legwarmers and jackets were removed. At the bridge, we met the huge group of people who were marching to draw attention to the conflict in Darfur. Many cyclists on the bridge. We decided to do Conzleman early rather than later to avoid the afternoon car traffic.

On through Sausalito and up and over Camino Alto, then up and over Paradise. Those on the Jersey Ride a couple weeks ago saw the eroded hillside that had reduced Paradise to one lane but was still passable by car. Now, the road is completely closed to car traffic near the slide on either side, permitting cyclists to ride a little more freely without having to share the road with cars.

We stopped for a brief break at the usual corner spot in Tiburon. (Patrick thinks that café has the best pineapple-bran muffins.) Instead of sitting at the tables, we enjoyed the view of the sailboats, the bay, and the SF skyline from the benches. The fence along the water has slats that resemble a bike rack, and Raymond was wondering if the design was intentional, or if it is coincidence that the slats make prefect bike holders. A bumblebee flew into Jeff’s chest and stung Mr. Pekrul on his left pec.

Back through Sausalito and then we exited Alexander at Fort Baker. Patrick prefers this way to get to the bridge. It is maybe a little longer, but there is next to no traffic (especially on the portion under the bridge which is closed to traffic.) If you’re unfamiliar with this route, on the way to Sausalito, from the west-end of the parking lot at the north end of the bridge, you go downhill for a 1/2 mile or so, and you come to Fort Baker and the Discovery Museum. The road connects with Alexander. On the way back to SF, take a right following the sign for Fort Baker. It is a nice alternative and you get an interesting view of the bridge from underneath.

On the way back, the bridge was a bit chaotic with the slower tourists on the rental bikes being leap-frogged by the faster roadies. Rico left us at Cabrillo to go home, and Jeff went home via the road by the tennis courts. Raymond and Patrick continued through the park, then to La Playa and Sloat where they split up to go separate ways to their homes.