Chilly Enchanted Forest Ride

Odessa and I left at sunrise (7:35am) on Saturday. We decided to practice climbing, so we headed out to Pine Flat Road. We both smoked up Chalk Hill and can't believe this was once considered a challenge. Our brisk pace up and warm clothing (yes, even I wore Underarmour and full-fingered biking gloves) helped us get to our destination in no time. The climb up Pine Flat was beautiful today. As we ascended, we broke through multiple layers of low clouds and the views were spectacular. We took a short break at the "Pine Flat Forest" plateau enjoying the quiet isolation and the sounds of nature. After hitting the 10 mile marker, we headed back down for a freezing descent and rode to the Jimtown Store. We enjoyed homestyle sandwiches, latte's, cookies and the company of other cyclists "refueling". Our alternate route home included the "rougher and tougher" side of Chalk Hill, which really kicks butt after 10 miles of Pine Flat. In any case, we made it home with total ride climbing distance of 3,012 feet. We're expecting Leslie to join us again very soon!

Cheri Goes Flat

Early this morning, Odessa, Cheri Shoults, and I started out with a big breakfast at Hanks Creekside. We stuffed ourselves with omelettes, pancakes, and coffee. It was a chilly morning and we departed enthusiastically for our hill climbing adventure. The three of us smoked up Chalk Hill together as if it were a mere inconvenience. In order to keep warm, we maintained a brisk pace until we hit the base of Red Winery Road. We stopped for water and a "hit" of Gu before beginning our climb up Pine Flat Road. The sun began to shine as we steadily ascended, the view getting more beautiful with every mile. After we hit the six mile marker, the grade increased (along with our breathing) and we continued until a plateau of burnt out forests. The sounds of nature, incredible weather, and level road make this section of Pine Flat seem like paradise. How deceptive; the next few miles were the most grueling and after hitting the ten mile marker, we decided to head back and save our energy for the rest of our Vineyard Tour ride. The descent was awesome and we headed towards the Jimtown Store, where we chatted with other cyclists (even a couple riding Tandem from Calistoga). We kept a steady 20 mph pace as we made our way into Healdsburg for Foccaci sandwiches and cookies- YUM! On our way back home, Cheri got 2 flat tires (with her mountain biking background, changing a tire was no problem; what a stud). Even though it was a tough ride, we all felt good (thanks to the non-stop eating). Today we climbed over 3,000 feet and cycled 66.1 miles. Way to go, kids!

Welcome to the Peloton, Cheri.

Seven Is Almost Enough

Winter is definitely at our footsteps! This morning seven of us ventured out at 6:30am in the dark, right after a rainy night for a Chalk Hill climb/Wine Country tour. The uncomfortable conditions (wet roads with little visibility) made the initial part of this ride a challenge. After our first few minutes, Marie hit a pothole in the dark, slipped and fell (she's OK, but decided to bow out of this ride). Once the sun began to appear, things got progressively better. We rode up Chalk Hill (this was Debbie & Rich's first time- wahoo!) and proceeded to Alexander Valley Road and all met up at the Jimtown Store (Rich and Marc were smokin' fast). The wet roads continued to shoot water up our jersey's back making this a damp outing. We even noticed a snake on the road, trying to get away from the waterlogged earth. Our Peloton kept a brisk pace and took relief as we made our way into Healdsburg. Naturally, we stopped for warm lattes and over-sized cookies at the Oakville Grocery- YUM! We proceeded to Windsor and made our way back in town via Old Redwood Highway racking up nearly 50 miles (Half Century) before 10:30am. Great work, gang!

A Tale Of Two Rides

This morning Marc and I took off from San Miguel School (Faught Road) on an adventure to climb up Franz Valley Road. After a scary trip navigating Mark West Springs Road, with very narrow lanes, we arrived at Franz Valley Road. The challenging part of the climb came quickly, within the first two miles (http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/franz_valley_rd.HTM). We were huffin' and puffin', but before long started a speedy descent (see elevation map). As Marc was smoking downhill, he took a little spill around a curve, but quickly got up and brushed himself off. Weather conditions were perfect and we were able to maintain a nice pace, until we hit Chalk Hill Road for another climb and then proceeded back home. We then met up with the spin girls doing a photo shoot at the Pacific Market (it was nice seeing Leslie out & about without her arm sling). After that, we hijacked Marie for a mini-ride up Hidden Valley Road. She had no problem climbing up the hill, and got off her bike only once to walk (OK, Marie that was your last time walking downhill).

The second ride consisted of our mini-peloton group (Odessa, Erin, Marc & Shaun) and took us to Spring Lake. We went on to do the "Lawndale Loop" with beautiful weather, nice climbs, and a scenic downhill on Schultz Road. As we came to the conclusion of our ride on Pythian Road, Erin made us do spinning exercises (10 seconds full speed, 20 seconds rest) all the way back to Annadel. We zoomed home via Montgomery Drive and arrived at Pearsons for some awesome Focaccia sandwiches- yummy! 68.5 miles.

GuBoy Smokes Erin

Today I had the privilege of cycling with Erin. We departed directly from Montecito Heights after her 8:30 spinning class (she was substituting for Marie). We did the "Vineyard Area Tour" via Airport/Faught Roads and proceeded up Chalk Hill (this time Erin did not smoke me). The weather was cold and the headwinds were brisk. As we approached Alexander Valley Road, we encountered tumbleweeds blowing across the road. We were chilly, but not for long. Even though Erin was on her Tri-Bike, she agreed to climb the first five miles of Pine Flat Road (a 1,400 feet climb). After an hour navigating the climb, we finally warmed up and hit the five mile marker. On the steep and beautiful descent, we encountered a big Elk crossing the road. We then cycled to downtown Healdsburg for over-sized cookies and a warm Latte'. We had a blast covering 55 miles and 2,000 feet of climbs.

Pine Flat Elevation Chart
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/pine_flat_rd.HTM

Pine Flat Summit

This morning Marc Truslow and I took off on a mission to conquer Pine Flat Road. This "level 5" climb ascends 3,150 feet and covers 12 miles (see link below). On our last attempt, Odessa, Peder, and I made it up 5 miles before the road got the best of us. Today would be different. http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/pine_flat_rd.HTM

After riding from Santa Rosa, Marc and I zoomed up Chalk Hill Road to Alexander Valley Road and then on to Pine Flat. The scenery was beautiful, the weather was cool, and there was practically no traffic. The first 10 miles were tough, but manageable. After all that climbing Marc and I were DYING! Unfortunately, we had to stop and take a 10 minute rest (we were light headed, our hearts were pumping like crazy, and we were running low on water and Gu). With only 1.5 miles left and strong determination, we slowly climbed to the top. I've attached a picture of Marc at the very top. After a few "high fives" at the top, we raced down 12 miles for a well-deserved break. Finally, we cycled to Healdsburg and the Oakville Grocery for enormous cookies (another well-deserved treat)! We took Old Redwood Highway home making a total ride of 69 miles and 4,000 feet total climbs.

We missed our companions Odesssa and Leslie today. We could have used a bit of the "Estrogen Influence". In the meantime, we hope they are both recovering well.