Put Your Foot Down

Another splendid ACTC ride led by S & P. A full stop in the town of Woodside, as explained by P, our hostess with the mostess, means clipping out and putting your foot down on the road. AC delivered the best line of the day, proclaiming that drivers should be required to open their car door and put their foot down, too.

Nine of us, not all pictured, started the ride at Shoup Park in Los Altos, making our way over to Old La Honda. After climbing it, we descended and climbed back up West Old La Honda and continuing on Skyline to the Skylonda store at Hwy 84. Lots of cyclists and motorcyclists out on this perfect biking weather day. A fellow ACTC rider showed us the water spigot on the porch outside the store. Wonderful to know for wateraholics like me.

We continued on Skyline, I, of course, taking up the rear to King Mtn. and onward to Sand Hill Road, Whiskey Hill, Juniper Serra, Foothill and back to the start. I had Strauss Jr. for the climbs and Billy Idol for the descents. S wants me to get some AC/DC. Hey, as soon as iTunes adds them....

Ewwwe, I think a cyclist, not from our group, came on to me or do I say hit on me as I took a breather at one point in Woodside. Hey, even, I, on occasion, am not in the mood (shocking you say). Though I liked it when the policeman in his patrol car waved back at me and the firemen in their big red truck who smiled .... oh I digress and no doubt, The Boyfriend who was away on a business trip is shaking his head.

Just the Stats:

3 hrs. 56 min.

42 miles

30 mph max

10.7 mph avg.

39 min going up OLH (34 min during 2009 LKHC)

Stop and Sip

So many men. So little time. No, no, no, I meant to say that we are blessed to have so many bike routes to do in the Bay Area. Today, I explored Livermore, meandering through its countryside and its wineries, using a route taken from Ann Marie Brown's Bay Area Biking.




A few years ago, The Boyfriend and I had a pleasant outing visiting Livermore's wineries by car. He's been away on a business trip. If he's lucky, I shall take him on this bike tour.

The route starts at Sycamore Grove Park and I discovered quickly how bike friendly Livermore is -- with its paved trails and bike paths on roads. The roads are clear of glass, not smooth but not full of holes, and traffic is minimal.




On to Wente Vineyards where I once attended a friend's wedding. The area has changed though since then, back in the early 1990s. I encountered plump quail, dead birds, vultures, cows, horses, and goats. What's with the goats in people's front yards?

A lovely relaxing ride, nodding to other cyclists, seeing the countryside, and checking out wineries. Yes, I stopped. No, I did not sip. I'd like to go back and do a longer ride and before the weather becomes too hot to handle.

Just the stats:

19.5 miles
1 hr 30 min.
24.5 mph on descent
12.5 mph avg

Spring into Action

Spring into action quickly became in search of Spring! Flowers blooming everywhere along Calavaras and Sierra Road.




Climbing Calavaras was somewhat of a struggle. The legs were definitely weenie today. Guess who I saw! Lisa from Low Key Hillclimbs soaring down the road.






A goat on someone's front lawn. Cracked me up.











Pretty.








That's obscene. And I liked it.





Look at that flower! The hair needs some pruning, eh.

Just the stats:

16 miles

8.5 mph avg.

34.5 mph on a descent

1 hr 51 min.

Sunday in Sunol

Once in awhile, I let The Boyfriend off the leash and take him for a bike ride. Oh oh, I'm in trouble for sure. Today, we were blessed with better weather than in days past though it was still a bit on the nippy side. We decided to bike from Milpitas into Sunol and onward to Pleasanton and back.

The BF went up Sierra while I meandered down Piedmont to Calaveras where he caught up to me. What a cyclist! As we made our way on the rolling hills of Calaveras, we saw many other cyclists, often in pelaton formation. Pretty darn spectacular.

The ride was from Ray Hosler's Bay Area Bike Rides (3rd edition) that I got from the library. We were wonderfully surprised by the beauty of Palomares, yet another climb. We met up with a Brit with beer. Yes, he was drinking a beer on his break. Don't know how he managed if he was doing our route given the rolling hills and descents.





After climbing into a bit of Dublin and then onto Foothill Blvd (it parallels 680) in Pleasanton, we once again found ourselves in Sunol just as a train was preparing to leave. Damn fine looking cyclist near the tracks. We were both running out of gas at this point. Luckily there was a general store in Sunol. The BF went inside to find me goodies. He scored some brownie points. Meanwhile, as you know, here it comes .... there were these two motorcyclists sitting on the porch.

Motorcyclist 1: Well, aren't you a cutie.
Me: I know.
Motorcyclist 2: You've torn your pants.
Me: No [showing them my exposed thigh and leggings beneath my bike shorts]
Motorcyclist 1: She's wearing thigh highs! My kind of woman.
Motorcyclist 2: No no, they're leggings for cyclists.

These guys were a hoot and impressed with the distance we had gone. When The BF came out of the store, I explained that I was simply being an ambassador promoting cycling! He shook his head.





From 1981-1994, Bosco the dog was Mayor of Sunol. Who knew. Well, I was really running out of steam so the gallant BF met me in his car just before I made it back to Piedmont Avenue in Milpitas. What a man. And what a bike ride we had today.

Just the Stats:

66.67 miles (The studly BF rode 75 miles)
30.5 mph descent
11 mph avg.
6 hrs. 3 min.