Fall - A time for transition

Well it has definitely cooled down here in the San Francisco Bay area. I have even caught a cold I am doing some very modest mileage. The bike is in good shape so any ride is a happy ride.

Given this I am thinking of transitioning this winter to more skiing than cycling. I intend to get my Volkls out of the closet to do some Alpine skiing this year, at Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows, and Bear Valley. Since I plan to do the Echo Summit to Kirkwood Race and Tour again this year and I hope to do the Great Race which leaves from North Lake Tahoe to Truckee. I think I would like to do some other races. Now believe me what I call a race is just showing up and trying. In fact I am planning to hook up with Team in Training's Nordic Program. It involves a lot of weekend training sessions in Bear Valley and Royal Gorge followed up by the Tour of Anchorage Race which winds around the outskirts of the city.

This would be a great opportunity to try something different so I don’t burn out on cycling while keeping in shape for the winter.

Another Pump Rant

If I didn't have any other pump issues that would be just great with me.

The ride up until that point was great. The weather, although obviously changing to a fall hue, was fantastic. We rode to a park, had a bite to eat, relaxed, and just had a great day. Not more than two miles from the park my tire went flat. I stopped took off the back wheel and went to work on it. However when I went to pump it up and removed the pump the presta valve stem just ripped off. This is the second time this has happed in the last two month. So now I am in the market for a new frame pump. Anyone know of any good frame pumps?

Change in Seasons

Wel,l here in the South San Francisco Bay area the seasonal change is upon us. Winds have been gusty and the cold snap is in the air. Early morning bike rides mean full fingered gloves or just cold digits. Although the evenings will soon get darker I sense that more people are willing or find it more cost effective to commute.

We live in a different world though than when I first started biking. Wannabe commuters are dusting off their pretty Magnas, Schwins, Motives and other big box bikes. Many have taken these bikes out of storage (sometimes tucked away for three or for years) and they are just in horrible shape. These Costco, Wal-Mart bikes were just not meant to be ridden that much. Sometime, I will have to figure out bike economics but $200 is just not going to get you a bike for which you have to rely on to get to work. These big box bikers somehow feel that flats are something that I bike shop should take care of. As the cost of gasoline rises the good news is that more people will ride bikes but the bad news is that many people are ill prepared to buy an appropriate bike and maintain it.

Early Morning Rides This Time of Year are Nice.

I hit the road at about 5:30 this morning with the thermometer reading around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I bit cool and dark, but it was absolutely wonderful. At this time of the morning around here, the heavy duty commuters aren't up yet and you pretty much have the road to yourself. What made the ride great is the moonset on the western hills a good 20 to 30 minutes before sunrise. I was riding east and caught the moonset as it was slowly sinking into the hills. Another reason why I ride.

Cars are Coffins

The more I ride the more I am amazed, amazed I tell you on how bad the car world is out there. I guess I never really notice when driving became something you did defensively and for safety's sake as opposed to just another facet of a multi-tasked world.

Of course the most obvious is the use of cell phones, but also dogs in the lap, and my favorite; reading the morning paper on your way to work. What I fear most is the mommy with a child in the back seat restrained in an infant carrier and mommy in the front in the middle of a phone conversation, while making a left hand turn at a stop sign onto a busy aerterial road. If this isnt endangering mommy, me and the baby, I dont know what is. This is just crazy. Who knows she may even have a hot cup of coffee in here coffee holder. And it seems to just be getting worse.

Instead of motorists driving better or cyclists demanding a European or Canadian Cycling environment with real bike plans and paths cyclists here in the bay area just give up and say it's getting too dangerous out there. They give up and I have to hear hybrid drivers gloat about there new enviro-cuddly Japanese imports. Forgive me but the still take up space on the roads and the parking spaces in town. They still creat sprawl because now I can leave my guilt back in my suburban ranch house get on the freeway and drive to work. The still make me fat because I drive everywhere. And the last I heard the still have the ability to kill cyclists. So you do the math.

Sometimes, after a long bike ride, what is the most tiring part of the ride is not the actual ride; the mashing of the pedals but the stress of constant vigilence of watching out for dumb ass drivers.

Great Day - Great Peadals

I recently replaced my Crank Brothers new Quattro road pedals with Look 5.1's. The Quattros were ok but I wanted to give these looks a try. For I while I tried the red cleats which allow for the 3, 6, and 9 degrees of float. I have a pair of Lake shoes. On Wednesday I switched over to the black (fixed) cleats. Wow I love this things. My feet now feel like the are a part of the crankset, the in and out of these cleats are much smoother. Before with a pair of off brand red cleats so much force was needed and then you hear this big snapping sound of the plastic finding its way into the metal pedal.

Well with yesterdays great weather here in the bay area it just felt so good. I did'nt think it could get any better than this.

Quality isn't what it used to be.

As I mentioned something as important and as necessarily basic as a pump seems to me just to be a throwaway item. Most pumps nowadays (floor and frame) are made of plastic. Although plastic is a fantastic synthetic material cheap plastic is cheap plastic. A riding buddy of mine just last week had a floor pump die within 2 years of purchase.

I mentioned that for the last 20 years I have used a Silca floor pump. It is beautiful. The barrel is steel, the hose is high quality and the valve is brass. The rubber inside the brass is high quality rubber, not some cheap shiny crap. You do the math. If this pump was twice as much but lasts 4, 5, or 10 times longer. Which is the better deal. Sorry people, but when you are paying close to $3 per gallon of gas is riding a bike that expensive. I Love my Silca.....

Foxy's Falls Century

I was planning to do the Foxy's Fall Century out of Davis, CA, but I just did not get off my but in time. Oh well, the season is winding down so I better check out some other rides.

Bad Gear - Sour Times

I bought a Topeak frame pump about six months ago. Not pleased at all. I imagine some designers here in the States saying what can we do to design a pump that is the cheapest to manufacture; not a great pump, not a good pump, just a pump that looks good on the sales floor but not worth a damn any other way you look at it.

So I buy the pump and mount it with my water bottle holder. It has two plastic clasps that hold the pump somewhat, and along with two rubber stretchy things these are supposed to secure the pump to the frame. Well the first one was gone in about 3 months, the second in about 5 months. Also the pump has a rubber fitting that keeps dirt out of the valve. Only one problem....IT DOES NOT STAY in the Valve so it is worthless. Also why cant they tell you on the packaging when you buy the pump what you can expect in the way of PSI. I have Vredstein tires that have a max PSI of 175 but I put anywhere from 130 to 150 in them. Guess what I cant get any more than 60 or 65 PSI with out hearing a hissing sound at that point. Just tell me up front so I can compare. Does anyone know of any better frame pumps?

I will tell you all about my wonderful Silca Presta floor pump later. I love this thing. Now that's a pump, made by cyclists for Cyclists.....

Another Tragic Cycling Death

I was stunned to tear the news that South San Francisco Bay Area experienced another traffic death. Michelle Mazzei, a 34 year old school teacher in Menlo Park, Ca. was killed when she was struck by a car on Woodside Rd., near Interstate 280 in Woodside. I could not find anything about a memorial ride.

Nice Day for Riding

What an excellent day to ride today. I started the day riding about 50 miles in this great weather. Met a friend for a late lunch and then got in another ride with some riders that met at Evolution Cycling in Cupertino. It was a pretty good sprint so after about 72 miles today I was a little fried.

I am back in business.

Well I got a new frame and I am back in business. After getting it all put together I took a ride over to the city of Santa Clara. It was a bit windy today however.

Tahoe Sierra Century - 4000 YTD!

Went up with about 5 friends to do the Tahoe Sierra Century which leaves from Squaw Valley. After making it down to Lake Tahoe, the route then proceeds up through Brokway Summit and on into Truckee to the Tahoe Donner Ski Resorts. After a snack stop at Donner Lake the route then proceeds up the Donner Pass Road (which was closed for this event). Up and over the pass (notice Sugar Bowl on your left), you are soon headed down to Cisco Grove for lunch and a turn around.

Due to the evelation and the sheer cold this was a tough one. We left Squaw Valley at 7 AM and the temperature was 34 degrees F. It did't really warm up until 11AM and of course I wasn't really prepared for the cold. Beautiful day though...The view from the top of Donner Lake looking east to Donner summit was amazing. All in all this is one of the toughest centuries of the year. But especially since I hadn't been on a bike in a month, due to my frame issues.

Also with this ride I surpassed the 4,000 mile mark this year!!! Yipee!!

Oh No - Not my Bike

Well just after finishing my Ridge to Ridge Ride I just discovered a crack in my frame and I am temporarily sidelined. I think I will take up running. Ouch.

Silicon Valley - Ridge to Ridge

My Goal was to start out in the Silcon Valley ride to the top of the easter slops of the eastside mountain range. From San Jose to Mt. Hamilton to the top is the University of California owned Lick Observator. After reaching the top I then descended back into the valley towards the town of Saratoga up Hiway 9 to the top of the pass at Summit Road and then back down into the Valley.

The ride is about 92 miles and includes around 8,880 feet of total climbing. I left around six in the morning figuring I could make it to the top in under four hours (ok so I'm slow)take about two hours to get back down the hill stop for some lunch and then proceed up highway 9 for the final push.

Using my Garmin Vista GPS the plan was to capture the route and then download it to Google World (formerly Keyhole). I kept having issues with the unit however as it kept shutting down. I have been told that it is just the battery connection comming loose and that if you jam a piece of cardboard or something in the unit it will be fine. Let me tell you it was a bit annoying to have the thing shut down so often.

Up until this time I had down Mt. Hamilton and I had climb hiway 9 through Saratoga many times but I had never done them together in one day. It was a tough ride but given the time it takes I am going to have to save the ride for next year, given the time it takes.

Having a beer in Ganges Harbor, Saltspring Island, BC, Canada. 


After riding down from Lake Cowhichan to the bay we took the BC Ferry across from Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay. A few miles down the road is Bouchart Gardens, althugh we didn't really have enough time to visit. What really amazed me about this part of BC was the extent of the trails throughout the area. We were looking for the Gallaping Goose Trail aptly named for the trail line that used to ply the area.

BC Touring Vancouver Island

Vesuvius Harbor on SaltSpring Island 


After making the ferry across the channel over to Vancover Island we landed in Crofton, a small paper mill company about halfway between Victoria and Nanaimo. Basically our goal was to find the Trans-Canada Hiway South to Maple Bay so that we could catch the road up to Lake Cowichan. Lake Cowichan is the town and the lake whichever way you look at it is the end of the road or just the begining. It is the end of the road if you are heading west becase the lake and the stepp valley sides make it just about impossible to put any time of decent road on through to the Pacific. The begining of the road would be considered at the point we started on the Trans Canada Trail which is a multi use trail that(with great ambition) is planned to span the east to west length of Canada. It is billed as the longest recreation trail in the world. eh.. We left the terminus of the trail at 9AM and soon we were leaving town and followed the

BC- Touring - Ferry to Gulf Islands

The day before was spent riding around Stanley Park which was absolutly gorgeous. You get about a 270 degree waterfront tour of the city and surrounding areas. This park makes the increasingly crowded city a welcome rest. Also before setting out to the gulf islands we had to stop by The Bike Doctor in Vancouver to fix a broken shift lever . I was absoluty amazed. The didn't have the exact shift lever in stock but hey it onlyt took 30 minutes and cost under US$18 for parts and labor. Thanks Bike Doctor.



The ferry ride was breathtaking when you look out and see a channel full of nothing but islands (the largest being Vancouver Island). We took the larger ferry of the BC Ferries that stop at most of the islands. Some of them are quite small with little development. Salt Spring Island is the largest of them with three ferry ports. We docked in Long Harbor a long and narrow inlet near the main village of Ganges. The town itself is a diverse collection of artisians; from stone masons to weavers, sculpters, as well as cheese and bread makers. Most of these artists and their studios are spread throghout the island but it is easy to obtain a map showing, locations, hours open to the public and their specialty.

The Wisteria Guesthouse is a short walk into the convienent town of Ganges. The treehouse cafe right near the docks is a pleasant place to have lunch and in the evenings they have live music outside. It makes for a real nice evening.

After spending a couple of nights on the island is was time to move on...on to Vancouver island by way of the ferry out of Vesuvius a small port of the west side of the island.

British Columbia - Touring 7/5 - 7-6

The next several days were spent exploring Vancouver by bike. Vancouver can be both overwhelmingly exciting and frustrating in the same day. Many parts of it are tremendously accomodating to bicycles and pedestrians and other parts are just down right dangerous. Some parts of the city are laid out wonderfully for non-motorized vehicles and then some parts are just scary.

Sad to say but in trying to put together a fairly inexpensive vacation we opted for a place to staty somewhat near Chinatown. Woooa...nothing but opiate based addicts who's minds have been fried to the point of no return. I mean within 10 minutes of checking in and looking out the window to the street below I spotted my first hooker/john introduction, all two stories below me.

Gulfspring Island 

Some great points to see by bike were the ride out to UBC after visiting Granville Island. Granville Island has a great but somewhat touristy farmer's market similar to Pikes' market in Seattle. As I later found out the bike trail out to UBC is just the standard Canadian urban bike trail system something that should be and could be copied here in the states. After the somewhat damp ride that morning I stopped by the Vancouver Main Library.

British Columbia - Touring 7/3-7/4

Basically this was a light touring trip on my road bike. I outfitted my bike with a rear rack and panniers and about 15 pounds of gear and set out for British Columbian hostels and inns with a school friend; Dave. After flying to Seattle and spending a night with a friend in the area we boarded an Amtrak train the next day. July 4th. Its not bad actually. You catch the train at the Amtrak station in downtown Seattle near the ballpark and football field. For $29 plus $5 for the bike its a great way to go directly to Vancouver. You dont have to deal with customs until you get to the Vancouver train station.

You just sit back and enjoy the ride...that is .....until we hit a car trying to cut across the train gaurd postings. It was erie....one minite you are cruising along on the outskirts of Vancouver and the next thing you see a car split in two rolling end over end at 20 miles an hour emiting a white steam/smoke. We were delayed about an hour ....but fortunatly I hear the driver survived.

After arriving at the main Vancouver Train Station we got up on our bikes and made it to our lodging in no time at all.

Mt. Hamilton - 2nd Attempt 1st Success

Today I road from the (Silicon Valley Floor) to the top of Mt. Hamilton. All told it was a 60 mile ride with about 6,000 feet of climbing. I met a group of friends who drove their bikes to the base of the mountain and then we all started the climb together. It was a bit more challenging this time because it goes from a relativly easy climb to a steeper climb during the last three miles and of course the road gets narrower the higher up you go. It was the last one up but still I made it in one piece.

Wine Country Century

This ride starts at the Luther Burbank Center in the city of Santa Rosa, 60 miles north of San Franciso. The ride is sponsored by the Santa Rosa Cycling Club. There are the standard family rides, metric centuy and the century ride. The ride meanders through some beautiful countryside; a fantastic mix of farmlands and vinyards, forests and riverside views.

I would have to say the food (for being billed as a non-gourmet ride) is probably the best that I have had this year. I mean you have the standard orange slices, bananas, whole wheat fig newtons and cookies, but the broiled dilled potatoes were great and the choice of sandwhiches for lunch were definately worth the stop.

One downer though...was the condition of the roads in the area. I know it is very rural in some areas and the heavy agricultural machinery might have an effect on it but wow...I did not expect the jarring that I got along the way. Only two really hilly portions of the ride however, one being the well known Chalk Hill, about five miles from the end of the ride.

Mt. Hamilton - 1st Attempt

Today with a friend from work we attempted to climb Mt. Hamilton, located on the East side of San Jose. On top of the mountain the University of California maintans several telescopes. Leaving from the San Jose Country Club at the base of the mountian it is about a 20 mile climb up to 4600 feet. We left around 3:00 but just couldn't get high enough before the sun set so we turned around about three quarters of the way up.

Oh well maybe next time.

Terra Bella Century

Terra Bella
Saturday, April 9, 2005
Well after many years of inactivity on the a bike, I thought that the Terra Bella ride would be a good place in which to start. Since it draws a big crowd it is definity one of the more social rides for those living in the bay area. The only problem is that I wimped out due to the unseasonably cold temperatures on the day of the ride. So at the last moment I decided to ride the metric century instead. This would also spare me from having to do Metcalf road so early in the season.

Last summer I purchased my first road bike in quite some time. You basic aluminum frame with Shimano 105 components. Since I had gained some weight over the years I wasn't really excited about doing some of the steeper hills. Basically I was just looking forward to the big foodfest at the end of the ride. Well with only sixty some miles I finished the ride in record time....now I am ready to try some other more challenging rides this year....Bring it on.

The course has become a little bit more hectic that in the past. With the increased development in Gilroy and the large amount of riders somethimes it gets to be a bit much trying to make you way through the growing neighborhoods in the area. I am also aware that the entry fee goes towards things like snacks, lunch, drinks, and bathrooms I find the rural scenary slowing disappearing and being replaced by ugly gated developments that suck up huge amounts of water and do nothing for the surrounding community. Maybe a rant topic for another post.

More Book Inspired Motivation

Another book I found motivating this time of year is (hear me out now) Chris Carmichael's book 'The Ultimate Ride'. It is basically both a training guidebook and a platform to promote his Carmichael Training System program and DVD's/Tapes, along with his Power Bar tie in.

I did find the book useful however. It bascically follows a lot of the program that Edmund Burke covered in his books. It help me better utilize a Heart Rate Monitor, help to regulate energy output along with caloric input. It sounds stupid but just his lecture on rest is something that is overlooked but I found very helpful nonetheless.

The emphasis on carbohydrate and protein is also discussed along with when you should increase amounts of each. In the book he also talks about setting short term and long term goals as well as visionary type goals. It has forced me to be more deatailed in my training and record each training session. We will see how it goes.

Early Season Inspiration

Well January wasn't much of a kickoff of the season. It has been wet in the Bay Area and it is just to congested and crazy sometimes to any serious riding. I only did 5 rides for a total of 140 miles during the whole month. Not very encouraging. During the month though I read Mike Magnuson's book Heft on Wheels. Mike is a graduate English professor out of Carbondale Illinois who started at over 260 pounds with a need for beer, nicotine, and greasy food. He describes in the book how he sought to better his middle age health through cycling. At the end of the book he is down to a svelt 165 pounds. The hook to pick up the book at the store was his front cover picture showing him at over 250 pounds on his bike completely naked....and on the back cover he is in his team uniform standing while climbing up a hill at a very skinny 165. I though it was a good read and very motivating. Just what I need this time of year.

The Start of a New Cycling Season

Well this is the year I plan to get back on the bike and do more than just ride to the coffee shop. Last summer I started riding again but nothing really serious. Trying to get my legs back....Trying to develop a group of friends that I can count on to ride. As a teenager growing up in San Diego I used to ride up the coast and even did a weekend trip to LA and back. I remember actually riding to the LA Olympics to see the Road Race. What a rush, being with 300,000 people lining the road corse (it was free) to see American Alexi Grewal beat out Canadas Steve Bauer. I do remember partying with some French folks. After that expericence I got so into cycling but at that time there wasn't any formal rides or clubs so it was mostly a lonley sport in those days....remember this was pre Lance.

I did enter a few events South of the border...It seems that there wasn't any rides in southern California. I went on a couple of Rosarito to Ensenada and I also went on a Tecate to Ensenada ride which I believe has since been cancelled. I also remember going on a couple of rides on the outskirts of Tijuana one up to Rodriquez resevior above the city.