Wine Country Winter Cycling

Kudos to Leslie Gregori, Susan Noble, Linda Laudari, Peder McOmber, and Paul Stimpson for enduring the cold morning starts and chilly overcast afternoons during our winter riding. Our gang cycled over 600 miles and climbed nearly 50,000 feet during the first three months of winter biking. Wahoo! I’ve highlighted several of our more interesting jaunts along with individual links to each ride’s GPS maps, elevation charts, and ride statistics.

Beginning in mid-October, Paul and I rode a metric century to Calistoga climbing quickly up Ida Clayton to Lake County and back to Santa Rosa. With a cycling time of only four and a half hours, we were stoked to cover so much territory in such short order. It was a warm October day and perfect for Northern California cycling. Check out the GPS ride details. At the end of the month, Paul and I rode 70 miles from Santa Rosa to Cloverdale via Geysers Road. The elevation climb of over 7,000 feet was exacerbated by several Geyser road breaks and tricky descents around Mercuryville. It was a beautiful, albeit overcast, day. Check out the GPS ride details. November was a busy month for cycling. We began the month with Susan, Linda, Leslie, and I venturing to the coast via Occidental (stopping at Freestone’s Wildflower Bakery) and climbing up Coleman Valley Road. We took our time, enjoying the incredible winter scenery while bearing the temperature variations of the multiple microclimates. We made our way home via Bodega and Sebastopol ascending nearly 5,000 feet on this chilly jaunt. Check out the GPS ride details. Later that week, Linda, Leslie, and I cycled a metric century out towards Tomales via Graton. Our crew stayed close together, even through the 4,000+ feet of climbing. As we made our way to Marin County, we observed tons of newborn calves and lambs populating the rural farms. With the temperature reaching 60 degrees, it was a beautiful clear day made even better by the fresh baked fugase in Freestone. Check out the GPS ride details. At the end of November, Leslie, Linda, and I cycled out to Healdsburg for some adventure climbing up Pine Flat. We braved the cold morning fog, made our way up Chalk Hill via Old Redwood Highway and took Alexander Valley Road to Pine Flat. Through the toughest grades we maintained an average 7 mph ascent. After a brief rest at the enchanted forest (and Shaun’s flat tire) we continued until mile 11 before zooming downhill. Before heading home, we made a pit stop at Jimtown for some delectable homemade spiced pecans. Yummy! Check out the GPS ride details. During December, our crew ventured out several times amidst the worsening weather and holiday breaks. Most notable was a post-Christmas West County ride via Sweetwater Springs. Peder, Leslie, and I embarked from Santa Rosa towards Piner High school for our route out to Guerneville. The climb up Sweetwater was dauntingly slow with alternating warm/cold air pockets. We kept adjusting our clothing (removing arm/leg warmers) to accommodate the various climates. Finally, we reached the last nasty climb and descended down to Armstrong Woods. After a brief Focaccia Bread stop at Coffee Bazaar, we headed home via River Road. It was another winter day of climbing 5,000+ feet. Check out the GPS ride details. The January rainy weather made riding less comfortable. However, Paul and I continued with regular wine country and Oakmont trips. All in all, I’m so proud of the whole crew for putting on their warm gear, pumping up their tires, and getting out on the road. It was a wonderful winter sharing hundreds of cycling miles with good friends in the most beautiful place on earth. Life is good.