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Take a Ride!You have that bicycle, so get out and show it off. You'll enjoy some fresh air and make a few new friends at one of these exciting events!  We have a regular (sometimes irregular) Saturday morning ride (usually 9:00 am) from the shop. Typically, the group is "maturing" persons (male and female) numbering 5 to 10. We ride 20 miles or longer depending on the wishes of the group. It's always out to lunch and back or out and back to lunch. ALWAYS LUNCH!!!!! It's always a casual recreational ride. No one EVER gets left behind. We agree on a number of stops to regroup during the ride. The cycling term is "no drop ride." We have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. For those wishing more challenging rides, join us on one or more of the "event" rides listed below. We ride most of these rides. We'll be pleased to clarify the details. These are demanding rides. For those wishing off-road mountain bike rides, call Danny or Robert Beaman (brothers and skilled staff mountain bike riders) at the shop (925-828-8676) for the next scheduled rides. IN ALL CASES, call if you plan to join us.  RIDE GROUP - THE CHICO WILDFLOWER (Sunday, April 28). Four of us rode this one: (Karla Munkacsy, Elmer Bricca, John Shmmin, and I). We had Saturday night dinner with others at the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Lots of good food and beverages and VERY GOOD laughs.
The weather was perfect, and the venues, as always, beautiful. As usual, there were many choices for routes. All routes return to the west across the valley with the appropriate character building measure of heat and level of wind in your face.
I chose the route that goes east from the Paradise rest stop UP to Sterling City - remote and beautiful. Some of the route goes up a paved trail over an old railroad rightaway - healthily and beautifully treed. I'll do this route again next year.
THE DELTA RIDE (Saturday May 11). Three of us on this one: John Shimmin, Rich Shearer, and I. We got underway close to 6:30 am from Martinez AMTRAK, and out to Antioch pretty quickly. Longtime friend, Ron Lopez, opened his store (Antioch Schwinn City) early to provide a rest stop.
Once over the Antioch Bridge, Rich took us out on the islands for some remote roads with beautiful views into Isleton from the backside. After good food and fluids at the Levee Cafe, we continued north and east to where we left the Levee Road to take some more island back roads including Raceway Road into back side of Walnut Grove where we each enjoyed a large ice-cream. It was beginning to heat up.
By the time we got to Courtland, it was REALLY heating up. On the bench in front of the grocery store, it was shoes off and feet propped up while we enjoyed cold fluids. By the time we got to Freeport, we were HOT - again, bench in the shade and shoes off. We were taking "frittering" to the max.
As we were crossing the Sacramento on the Old Bridge into Old Sacramento, we saw the 5:40 pm train (our objective) pulling out. OH WELL!!!!! Let's hear it for "frittering". We'd done ourselves proud. We headed for Fats City (Old Sacramento) for the air-conditioning and good food and fluids.
We made the 7:10 Capital Corridor AMTRAK for a quiet, restful, and quick ride back to Martinez. Off the train and at our vehicles, we high fived our achievements: 83 and change miles along the river (over the islands) in the heat, and with maximum "frittering". We had done it, and we'll do it again.
This one is enchanting - even in the heat.
THE HAMILTON LOOP (Wednesday, May 15). Seven of us did this one: Karla Munkacsy, Susan Stanton, David Maita, John Shimmin, Robert Beaman, and I. Patrick O'Callahan, due to schedule, parked in Livermore, and met us as we arrived at Junction.
We six did get under way at 6:10 am. What a wonder!!!!!!!!!!!
Our ride out Foothill, Calaveras, and Piedmont to Mc Kee in San Jose went really well. It was a great morning, and we were ahead of schedule.
After fuel at our favorite Bakery/Deli on Toyon, we were back on our bikes for the Hamilton climbs. There are three beautiful and demanding climbs to get to the 4,200 plus foot summit. Now, we're into our "frittering" mode - shoes off, food and fluids, and lounging in the sun (it was cold at the top).
Under way again, it was a brisk descent down the east side and then slow cranking over the three climbs (6 mile mark, 9 mile mark, and 13 mile mark) thru the beautifully remote San Antonio Valley out to Junction. David argues with me that there are more than 3 climbs. David ALWAYS maintains that I can't count climbs - there are ALWAYS more than I say, and that I "short change" him re climbs.
Patrick O. does meet us at Junction. Junction Cafe means "frittering" time food ordering. We've lost our discipline AGAIN!!!!!
There are 30 miles and 3 climbs (my count - not David's) on remote Mines Road back to Livermore. We need to GOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Patrick offers ALL rides from Livermore (he's parked there) back to Dublin. Karla and Susan wisely accept. The four testosterone weenies say "NOOOOO!!! We have lights. We'll enjoy the ride back in the dark!!!!!". YES!!!!! We're not bright.
David took us to Dublin over his own circuitous route (trails, neighborhoods, and city streets) that he claims is shorter - IT ISN'T!!!!! With our lights, a fast ride, and a lot of laughter, we made it back ALL in one piece.
It's 111 plus HARD miles and 8,800 plus feet of climbing. Already, Robert and David want us to plan "The Loop" again. My legs still hurt.
GET TRAINED, and join us. Here are the centuries to which we are committed currently:
Chuck T. For a complete listing of local rides, pick up a Valley Spokesmen newsletter and a Cycle California magazine in our store. Check them out on-line. |
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