Cavedale To Napa Valley

Odessa and I started out today's ride with freshly tuned bikes all ready to conquer the infamous "Level 5" Cavedale/Trinity/Spring Mountain ride. It was a chilly 35 degrees as we departed at sunrise heading up Bennett Valley Road to Sonoma Mountain. The climbing was tough from the very start and got progressively more difficult as we approached Cavedale. Cavedale climbs over 2,000 feet in the first five miles, truly exhausting! The weather remained cold and our only distraction was the myriad of animals along the way (Llamas, deer, horses, cows, goats, and turkeys- oh my). As our efforts turned to Trinity, we began to experience the multiple micro-climates ranging from bright sunny vistas to cold dark forests. We were finally rewarded with a stunning and wild downhill descent into the beautiful Napa Valley. The pristine Napa vineyards sported every fall color imaginable as we cycled into Oakville for a light lunch. We made our way into St. Helena enjoying the beautiful valley along Silverado Trail. We began the journey home climbing (and I mean, climbing) Spring Mountain Road. This whopping non-stop incline back to Sonoma County was ruthless! After four miles of this monster, Odessa's sore knee and head-cold forced her to bow out of the ride (kudos to Andy for the SAG support). After an additional treacherous two mile climb, the rest was downhill through winding St. Helena and Calistoga Roads back into Santa Rosa. Today's ride covered 74.5 miles and 4,600 feet of climbing- our hardest ride yet! Wahoo!

Check out the Cavedale elevation chart (click below)
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/cavedale_rd.HTM

Leslie Returns Climbing

On Saturday, we were honored to have Leslie return to the Peloton after a nine week absence! Like a real trouper, Leslie agreed to cycle Pine Flat Road for her homecoming climb. In the interest of time, we packed up the truck with our bikes and drove to Red Winery Road. It felt strange beginning our ride with a big climb, but we only had a few hours to cycle due to the Calendar Kickoff party setup/rehersal. As we began our freezing ascent, we passed the first beautiful vista and could see the orange sun break through the clouds- it was beautiful (no cars or bicycles on the road). With relative ease we passed the first Pipeline station, the purple fire hydrant, the Mayacamas Mountain Bird Sanctuary, and made it to the flats (which we dubbed "the Enchanted Forest"). It was quiet, sunny, and beautiful. We continued on and Leslie climbed up over 10 miles. Odessa and I struggled to the top, eventually making it to the peak, with a few mandatory rests and a brief quarter mile walk up the toughest 21% grade. Wahoo! We all caught up on the flying descent back down, encountering only two cars as we passed through the multiple climates of this monster hill. On the way home, we passed Levi Leipheimer and Odessa Gunn cycling on their way to ride Pine Flat. At the Calendar Kickoff party that evening, I mentioned to Levi that we had cycled to the top of Pine Flat in 2-1/2 hours; he responded that it took him only 40 minutes! Unbelievable!

We are so happy to have Leslie back and quite impressed that she climbed higher on Pine Flat than any of us on our very first attempt. Way to go, Gregori! Today's ride covered 22.6 miles and 3,150 feet of climbing. Wahoo!

Conquering The Geysers

What an incredible day! Odessa, Marc, and I departed Santa Rosa at sunrise on a mission to conquer the Geysers. We followed the "Vineyard Tour" route including Chalk Hill out to Alexander Valley enjoying the beauty of the fall colored vineyards on Red Winery Road. Before long, we started our ascent up Geysers Road. This 3,500 feet climb is tough from the very start. During the first 4 miles, the incline became progressively worse. We were then treated to a short descent only to face another grueling climb. This time, the grade was well in excess of 10% and we slowly made our way to the apex of this ghastly road. At the top, we admired huge white pillars of geothermal steam coming from the Geysers and soon had to cope with one of the wildest down-hill descents lasting for 12 miles. We passed countless cyclists as we made our way into Cloverdale, stopping for Apple Fritters, Muffins, and more water! We continued towards Healdsburg (climbing steep Dutcher Creek Road) and had lunch at the Oakville Grocery. We kept up a brisk pace as we cycled through Windsor and back to Santa Rosa. We set a new peloton record traveling 87.4 miles and climbing over 4,500 feet.

Check out the Geysers Road Elevation Map (click below)
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/geysers_road.HTM

Congratulations to Odessa and Marc for their endurance and resolve on this tough ride!

West County Climbing To Armstrong Woods

Erin, Odessa, and I met at sunrise (6:42am) for our Saturday jaunt. We cycled out to Piner High School and began by climbing up Trenton-Healdsburg/Eastside/Westside (which helped warm us up from the freezing wind). After a quick rest stop on Wohler Bridge, Erin headed back home to meet some friends in San Francisco. Odessa and I continued our ride with a gruesome climb up Sweetwater Springs Road. This 10.2 mile road is a "level 4" ascent getting progressively difficult (and beautiful) until you reach the top. We were so exhausted, but soon rewarded with several miles of downhill scenic views (and tricky turns). At the bottom, we navigated to Armstrong Woods riding through the majestic redwood forest with trees more than 1,000 years old and towering over 350 feet. We stopped in downtown Guerneville at the popular Coffee Bazaar for Latte's, Pecan Pie, and Almond Croissants. The ride continued and proceeded to taunt us with climb after climb after climb. (Mays Canyon Road, Green Valley Road, Harrison Grade, and Green Hill Road). At one point, I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest; it was just that difficult. As we made our way through Sebastopol, the roads flattened out (finally) and we traveled back home via the Santa Rosa Creek Trail. This was one kick-ass ride and I'm SO PROUD of Odessa for taking on the challenge. Today, we cycled 75 miles and climbed some of Sonoma County's toughest hills! What a day! Leslie, we are EXPECTING that you'll be joining us soon!