Bi-County, Tri-Bakery, Quad-Challenging Ride

It was a chilly 38 degrees as Debbie, Odessa, and I departed down Guerneville Road for our tri-bakery tour. Even with arm and leg warmers, our group was freezing as we made our way to Sebastopol via Fulton, Hall, and Sanford Roads. The climb up Occidental and Cherry Hill began to warm our peloton. As we descended, we witnessed a group of red beaked buzzards feasting on a dead fawn (poor Bambi). Our route continued back onto Occidental Road for a slow climb until a raging descent dropped us into Occidental and the Union Hotel (Bakery #1). Odessa stopped for coffee but we waited to indulge until our next stop. As the weather began to warm, we flew down Bohemian Highway through Freestone stopping at the Wildflour Bakery (Bakery #2). The three of us split a hot Fougasse (a delicious organic cheese rosemary bread) fresh out of their brick oven. Yummy! After a quick tour of the local herb garden, we continued riding by zooming through the charming town of Valley Ford. The weather heated up and we now shed our winter cycle gear. We arrived at the Marin County border, and began the taunting climb up Middle Road which lasted nearly four miles ending at Dillon Beach. This costal highway led us into the tiny town of Tomales with another rapid descent. The Tomales Bakery (Bakery #3, see photo) was teaming with cyclists from San Francisco, The Marin Cycling Club, and even a lone rider from Seattle. We arrived a bit too late to partake of their famous sticky buns, but indulged in coconut chocolate shortbread and baked nut bars. With our overstuffed bellies, we began the obnoxious climbs up Shoreline Highway, Fallon-Two Rock, and Gericke Roads. The rolling hills of Marin County were beautiful as we passed blooming flower nurseries, diary farms, newborn calves, horses, and charming ranches. We continued climbing up Canfield Road which directed us back towards Sonoma County and into Sebastopol via Pleasant Hill. The hot air continued to take its toll as we cycled downhill on Lynch Road, a bumpy back street, which led to Gravenstein Highway and onto the Joe Redota Trail. We enjoyed a leisurely pace as we gabbed and joked on the flat shady trail ride towards Santa Rosa. It was nice a nice break after a long day of steady climbing. We had a great day cycling 61 miles while visiting three bakeries in two counties. Wahoo!

Cool Climbing and Warm Flat Fun!

The early morning air was freezing as Odessa, Leslie, Len, and I left Santa Rosa via Summerfield, Yulupa, and Bennett Valley Roads. Sporting arm/leg warmers, winter gloves, and weekend-warrior determination, our peloton climbed up Sonoma Mountain until Pressley Road. After a brief second climb, we plunged downhill for about three miles until reaching Petaluma Hill Road. Cows, turkeys, and road-kill flourished throughout. We cycled into downtown Cotati for a pit stop break, refreshments, and casual chitchat. The sun broke through the haze and our group continued on West Sierra, where we eventually removed our sweaty arm/leg warmers. The route took us onto Stony Point and both Leslie and I missed our turn onto Roblar Road. As a consequence, we headed off-route towards Petaluma. The morning sun painted the landscape a golden orange- it was now perfect cycling weather (see photo of Leslie cycling while sporting her new LAF jersey signed by Lance Armstrong and Jake Gyllenhaal). Once we discovered our off-course direction, we headed back towards Santa Rosa via Petaluma Hill Road, reaching cruising speeds of 30 MPH (some of the newly paved roads were level, even, and smooth; ideal for hi-velocity pedaling). Finally, we made our way home navigating behind the Sonoma County Fairgrounds towards downtown. Our early morning ride covered 43 miles and we were home before 11:00am. Wahoo!

Climbing, Culture, and Carbohydrates

It was a chilly fall morning as Len and I rode to Analy High School in Sebastopol to begin a ride into Marin County through Occidental, Freestone, Valley Ford, and Bloomfield. We took Occidental Road to Mill Station, where we observed a new and enormous (25 foot) big dog sculpture “protecting” a local vineyard. We cycled past the local cemetery onto Sullivan before beginning our climb up Graton. Len was excited to test his new gear set on this ascent. With hardly any traffic, we steadily made our way up the hill stopping at the Tanuda/Facedini junction. After a cool descent, we arrived in downtown Occidental for a bathroom break and then zoomed down Bohemian Highway at speeds of 40 MPH into Freestone, where we split a monster sticky bun at the Wild Flour Bakery. At least 15 other cyclists (mostly female) rode into the parking lot as Len and I were exploring the backside wild flower gardens (see photo). We continued onto Bodega highway cycling through downtown Valley Ford. Fresh road-kill was everywhere and the scent of skunks permeated the cool air. We crossed the Marin County line admiring the beautiful landscapes, rolling hills, and an abundance of cows, sheep, and their newborn. Len and I proceeded to climb the Franklin School, Whittaker Bluff and Shoreline Highway hills. The sun finally broke through the clouds making the afternoon climate perfect for cycling. We made our way towards Sebastopol on the laborious and non-stop grade of Bloomfield Road ending at Pleasant Hill. Our legs were relieved as we coast down Highway 116 back to the high school. Before departing Sebastopol, we took an ARTrails detour and visited the home of urban folk artists, Patrick Amiot (the guy responsible for the new big dog sculpture seen earlier). It was great chatting with Patrick, who cycles daily with his daughter from Sebastopol to Santa Rosa. Today’s ride was full of climbing, coasting, carbohydrates, and culture covering over 40 miles. Just another day in paradise. Wahoo!

Funky Forestville

Len and I began a late, leisurely Saturday ride at Norcal Bike Shop. Len was having his racing bike converted into a climbing cycle by installing a monster rear gear cassette (see photo) and I was having my rear tire replaced due to friction from a misaligned brake pad. So, after our AM repairs we rode off to Willowside School for a West County jaunt. We took Willowside to Olivet via Piner. It was a cool fall day and you could hear the dry leaves crunch beneath our wheels. We turned at River Road and slowly rode up the steady incline for miles. Len was getting used to his new gear ratios and at one point lost his chain while experimenting with shifting. Traffic was particularly heavy and an enormous motor home nearly wiped us both off the road. So, we were relieved to coast onto Mirabel Road and stop in the shabby town of Forestville. Unlike most of our destinations, Forestville lacks an adequate bakery, so we settled for burnt coffee and stale brownies at a nearby deli/café. After our break, we navigated onto the West County Trail. The wet gravel from the recent rain and muddy dirt made the first trail mile extra challenging. However, once the payment appeared, it was smooth sailing until Graton. The scenery was awesome with the leaves turning red and orange. We exited the path and rode onto Highway 116 until we arrived at Guerneville Road. The long stretch and nagging gradual climb was interrupted as Len frantically started pointing to his helmet and pulled aside. After tearing his helmet off, it became clear that a bee had stung him right in the head. We continued on Guerneville Road as the sun began to shine, warming us as we arrived at Willowside. We rode back to Santa Rosa concluding a concise, yet beautiful fall ride. Another milestone, as my bike’s odometer surpassed 10,000 miles (imagine the fuel savings). Wahoo!

Sunday Vineyard Tour

It was a cool and overcast Sunday afternoon when Jarrad and I decided on an impromptu ride. This was only his fourth big ride and we decided to try a little climbing. The grapes on the Faught Road vineyards were bright blue and ready for harvesting. This was Jarrad’s second time climbing Chalk Hill and he scrambled up the 565 foot hill steadily and without stopping. We then raced through the Alexander Valley carefully navigating our way around Sunday afternoon traffic. We decided to explore Pine Flat and set our goal at the first Recharge Pipeline Station (see photo). The descent was quick and cool. We made our way to Jimtown, stopping at the country store for spiced nuts, water refills, and to repair my flat tire (darn goatheads)! We continued into Healdsburg for a lunch break of focaccia sandwiches, gourmet pizza, and cookies at the Oakville Grocery. We continued our journey back towards Windsor via Healdsburg Avenue and onto Arata, then making the slow climb up Hembree Lane. We finally proceeded home via Old Redwood Highway. It was cool day and we had a blast knocking out 45 miles and climbing nearly 1,200 feet. Great job, Jarrad!

Check out the elevation chart for Chalk Hill Road