Sonoma: slow (I mean it) easy ride!

[Trek420]

Take a break from shopping and join us (Duck on Wheels and me) for a leisurely ride on the trail to/from downtown Sonoma.

Time and exact meeting location TBA. I've been thinking the General Vallejo home since that's near my Moms. I'll be bringing the freewheel mixte for Duck and my commuter for me. So we plan a ride on the bike trail. Those wanting a more challenging ride can take off or we can plan to meet up afterward?

[Duck on Wheels]

Could we maybe venture a leeetle bit beyond the bike path? Back and forth on a flat bike path would be fun, and the scenery is sweet along there, but once in biking mode I should also do a few hill repeats. Maybe up towards that picnic park up at Buena Vista winery? There's another bit of bike trail up there I think, after a short stretch of narrow road.
Bartholomew Park. Had to google a wine country map for the name.

[Trek420]

sure :D

[Trek420]

Duck is now on her way back to Trondheim. Yesterday we did a short ride into the town of Sonoma, around the square and out to Velas cheese factory. Here's Duck with our bikes putting said Sonoma cheese into the bag.

Luckily for me she forgot to pack it. Norways loss, my gain.

[KnottedYet]

Nice pic!

[Trek420]

With a camera phone no less. :cool: But all the compositional elements are there, Stone building and bear flag for location, flowers and colorful fruit, bikes of course and Duck on Wheels.

She likes the mixte :) when she gets home, caught up and over the jet lag I'm sure she'll post the ride report and bike review.

[Duck on Wheels]

... and orange tree! Don't forget the orange tree!

Ride report: Yes! I like the mixte :D A sweet, smooth, responsive ride. Seat sank a bit as we rode. Next time I hope to be lighter and stronger -- less weight pressing the seat post down, more arm strength tightening the adjustment screws :rolleyes: But aside from that, it was nice feeling that I could actually engage my core and keep my weight off my arms while riding with the seat higher than the handlebars. :) Also a good feel from the pedals, almost like being clipped in :)

We only did the bike path as far as Vella's and back, plus a short detour to the square so I could take some cash out at the ATM. We had fambly to get back to. Also, I wasn't up to trying hills that day. Had lost 4 lbs the past 24 hrs due to stomach troubles :o , so was a bit dehydrated and shaky, though not sick. I think it was just that I'd eaten something very very salty the day before. Still, the bike felt like I mebbe could'a taken it up a hill. Looking forward to trying that next trip. If we get a whole TE ride going next time, how about heading all the way to Glen Ellen for taste testing at Wine Country Chocolates http://www.winecountrychocolates.com/ ? It'd mean a stretch on a country road with no bike path part of the way, but otherwise a nice pretty route, mostly flat. One can also get there on Hway 12, which has a "bike lane" painted in, but I think the traffic there is so much heavier than Arnold Drive that it doesn't feel any safer.

p.s. Not only did I forget the cheese in the fridge when taking off Sunday, but Trek and our mutual Mom forgot it again when Trek took off later that day. So now the mutual Mom has all that cheese in the fridge! Oh well, as the mutual grand-nephew says. Mom will enjoy some of it, mebbe give some away to other friends, and the rest will keep til Trek's next visit. Not til mine, but I can buy more next time.

[Trek420]

Seat sank a bit as we rode. Next time I hope to be lighter and stronger -- less weight pressing the seat post down, more arm strength tightening the adjustment screws :rolleyes:

That's not your weight. With a frame this old I don't have a QR on the seat post. Instead my LBS fashioned a gizmo that tightens with a hex wrench. I was using my Alien to loosen and tighten the bolt which does not have a lot of leverage, long hex thingie, short handle.

I'll ask the shop what to carry with short hex longer handle. Then it will be tighter. Was it Archemedes said "give me a lever long enough and I can move the world"? Or something like that. :rolleyes:

Also since he just replaced the seat post I suspect it's still lightly lubed, it was after the re-build and slipped a little. Then that reduced.

Glad you like the BMX pedals, cool huh? And look surprisingly nice on the classic mixte.

[KnottedYet]

BMX pedals rock!

My Surly has BMX pedals. And based on how much I liked the mixte's mooostache bars, I just got a pair for the Surly...