Mar 24 & 25: East Bay "rides du jour..."

[spazzdog]

Post 'em if you gots 'em grrls...

What are the options for the upcoming weekend?

[KnottedYet]

I think Trek will be busy.

[spazzdog]

Hey! I said "rides du jour"...

Don't be flaunting honest to goodness social lives here :D

spazz

[spazzdog]

OK... well, since I'm feeling a little chatty, here are the rides I know about:

Velogirls - the VG's have 3 different rides listed for Saturday (I think one of them is East Bay-ish) and 2 for Sunday. See www.velogirls.com for details.

Oakland Yellow Jackets - This is still "off-season", but they have Saturday "ride and decide" get-togethers. Meet at the Children's Fairyland parking lot on Lake Merritt in Oakland - rollout at 9 am. No-drop, 30-50 miles over varied terrain depending on group preference. Non-members may have to sign a waiver. See www.oaklandyellowjackets.org for ride requirements (safety stuff).

Oh, and the Bay Area Cycling Clinic... see TE thread on this one. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=13924

Any individuals out there have a ride planned?

spazz

[ace]

Hi Spazz,

Btw, I ride with the Yellowjackets during the season, and they're a great and diverse group of people. The season kickoff ride is an April 14 ride around Alameda and a picnic (they have the best potlucks EVER), if you or anyone else wants to partake. You don't have to be a member to ride with the club, but you do have to bring a waiver (which is on their website) to each ride if you're not (maybe not in the off-season).

I don't have a ride yet for the weekend, but I'm still needing to take it easy on my knee. If you or anyone is interested in a flattish 20 miles somewhere in the East Bay this weekend, I'd love some company.

-Amy

[bikerz]

How about Alameda Creek trail tomorrow?

Spazz, I know you did this last weekend - would you want to do it again? I'd like a go at the Nemesis hill.

Amy, I heard you were up for this ride tomorrow.

[ace]

Yes, please, Bikerz! Melissam and I were talking about 10:30 tomorrow, maybe? I might have an issue with the hill, though...I s'pose I can always walk up it.

Let me know where we'll meet- I've never been there.

-A

[spazzdog]

Ace, you can just perch at the bottom while everybody goes up and down... at least that's been the case the couple of times I've been there.


Not sure if I want to go there again... really hate driving to ride. Post your start time though just in case I change my minds.

I may attempt a ride from Oakland to Lafayette... maybe... if I wake up really crazy. Got to figure out a route first.

spazz-o-fruitcake

[snapdragen]

Hmmmm. Where are you guys going to meet?

[bikerz]

Let's meet at the parking lot where we've met in the past
(see this link (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=92657&highlight=alameda+creek+trail#post92657) from last summer's ride)

Does 10:30 work for everyone?

Snap, will you come? I haven't seen you since the famous Ferry Building "bar crawl"!

Amy, you and Spazz live pretty near each other if y'all wanted to carpool...

I'll be riding easy - my back has been bothering me ever since I started carrying my dog up and down the stairs 4 weeks ago (hopefully those days are coming to an end soon :cool: )

[ace]

10:30 works fine for me. My knee is feeling bad tonight, so if I bail out, I'll call you Bikerz so you're not waiting for me. Otherwise, see you then.

[snapdragen]

I'm waffling as usual. I am **clueless* about my new shifters. Maybe I should cruise the neighborhood until I know how to use them...:o

[melissam]

I'm waffling as usual. I am **clueless* about my new shifters. Maybe I should cruise the neighborhood until I know how to use them...:o
Awwww, come on Snap -- join us!

I have a new rear derailleur and cassette, AND I haven't ridden for a good month and a half. I think the Alameda Creek Trail will be perfect for the maiden voyage.

If worse comes to worst, then we can always bail on the ride and have an afternoon of Kamikazes. Or Lemon Drops. ;)

You know you don't want a boring ride around the neighborhood....

See ya tomorrow!

-- Melissa

[roguedog]

hmm.... this sounds intriguing but i promised a co-worker i'd take him out. how hard is this ride and how much climbing .. and is it ok if a guy joins?

[bikerz]

Roguedog,

It'd be great to have you join us! It's a really scenic route and 100% flat, unless you choose to ride Jobob's Nemesis Hill.

And it's fine with us if you bring a guy.

Hope to see you there!

-- Ann

PS: PM me if you want my cell phone #.

[spazzdog]

Anybody know the grade of that puppy?

Jobob??

I'm trying to get some point of reference as I try to interpret the EBBC bike maps... i.e. 4 little arrows mean 9% or more (huff-puff-swear).

I'm soooo not familiar with guestimating route difficulty here.

spazz

[bikerz]

These are Jobob's stats, and she oughtta know!


[ side trip: If anyone would like to do a side trip up my nemesis hill, which is about a half-mile total, with a gradient of 8-12% followed by 3-5% followed by 10-14% followed by 0% and then a final kick of about 8-10%, you're welcome to give it a try but it's competely optional. ]

OK - time to get ready to go!

[spazzdog]

OK... thanks bikerz.

That "splains a lot" to this Lucy. How does one figure out "gradient" (if there's a thread, excuse this drift)?

Y'all have a good ride today.

spazz

[spazzdog]

Am waiting for the gloom to glow and the temps to rise... hopefully by noon. If that happens, I'm off for a ride.

Plan is to ride from my place in Oakland to Lafayette. The route, approx 15.7 miles, ?? feets of climbing:

East (??) on Piedmont to Pleasant Valley.
Right on Pleasant Valley
Left on Moraga Ave
Moraga becomes Mountain BLvd
Left onto Snake (though the map indicates Merced which runs into Snake)
At fork of Snake and Shepherd Canyon, stay straight-ish onto Shepherd
Left onto Skyline
Right onto Pinehurst - twist and turn through that, then
Left onto Canyon Rd
Canyon Rd becomes Moraga Rd
Right onto St. Mary's
Right onto Hope Ln

Call friends in Lafayette to come retreive my body :eek:

I suppose if this works out and I get fitter, this could become an "out and back" for a 30+ mi route.

How crazy is this one girls?

spazz-o-directionally-impaired

[snapdragen]

Sounds good to me. But then I just killed myself doing 5 miles.....:o I am out of shape.

[spazzdog]

How "bad" is Snake? If any of y'all know...

Snap you wanna ride with me? We can be-achh and kvetch the whole way :D

I'm thinking this one will have to wait... I await the warm and sunny weather. I went out to walk the doggie and it's too chilly for me on this side of the hills anyway.

Maybe we can get a group up to ride this the weekend after Cindy??

[bikerz]

How "bad" is Snake? If any of y'all know...

Snap you wanna ride with me? We can be-achh and kvetch the whole way :D

I'm thinking this one will have to wait... I await the warm and sunny weather. I went out to walk the doggie and it's too chilly for me on this side of the hills anyway.

Maybe we can get a group up to ride this the weekend after Cindy??

Snake is hard! (I've only gone down, and it was scary - I can't imagine up...)

I would get up to Skyline via Broadway and Old Tunnel Rd, then it's just a little while on Skyline until you hit Pinehurst.

[spazzdog]

I'll check it out (on the map). Thanks bikerz!