One ride - three firsts

[Deanna]

We had some gorgeous weather up here this Sunday, so my husband and I decided to take tnhe tandem out on our clubs "Double County Double Metric". We pulled it off and managed to accomplish a few firsts:

*My first double metric
*The first double metric on the tandem
*First time I've done over 500 mile a month this early in the season

It was a great ride through Sonoma and Napa counties, though it was pretty flat (less than 3000 feet of climbing), so my butt was very sore afterwards. Towards the end somebody in our group claimed he could no longer feel his butt, all I could think was he was the lucky one. In order to get this many miles around here with so little climbing you have to ride on a few roads with quite a bit of car traffic. The green hills and the wildflowers made up for it though.

[maillotpois]

Excellent, Deanna! What route did you ride? (I ride in Sonoma and Napa a lot - always scouting new routes!)

[Deanna]

I can email you a pdf of the route slip for details, if you'd like it, but in general, from Santa Rosa we went north to Jimtown/Alexander Valley, then south on 128 until we cut over to Silverado Trail just north of St. Helena. We went through some part of Napa I've never been to (Browns Valley area?) then south of 121(this area was the best, Duhig/Ramal Rd--little to no car traffic, vineyards and dairyland), then back over 121 to go through Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood before getting back to Santa Rosa.

[Veronica]

Cool! I was wondering what ride you did this weekend. I wish your journal was available for viewing on BJ.



V.

[maillotpois]

I can email you a pdf of the route slip for details, if you'd like it, but in general, from Santa Rosa we went north to Jimtown/Alexander Valley, then south on 128 until we cut over to Silverado Trail just north of St. Helena. We went through some part of Napa I've never been to (Browns Valley area?) then south of 121(this area was the best, Duhig/Ramal Rd--little to no car traffic, vineyards and dairyland), then back over 121 to go through Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood before getting back to Santa Rosa.

What a great route. I love Alexander Valley, and we're doing a ride from Healdsburg through there and up Pine Flat and the Geysers in a couple of weeks. I'd love a copy of your route sheet - you can send it to sfburke1@comcast.net

Thanks - and congrats again on the "firsts"!

[Deanna]

Cool! I was wondering what ride you did this weekend. I wish your journal was available for viewing on BJ.



V.

I've been going back and forth on making my journal public, so you just helped me make up my mind. My descriptions are rather brief though.

[Deanna]

What a great route. I love Alexander Valley, and we're doing a ride from Healdsburg through there and up Pine Flat and the Geysers in a couple of weeks. I'd love a copy of your route sheet - you can send it to sfburke1@comcast.net

Thanks - and congrats again on the "firsts"!

Pine Flat and Geysers in one ride. OUCH. How far up Pine Flat do you go--all the way to the top or to the guardrail? One word of warning, the Geyserville Bridge is out due to January's storms, so you'll need to do a detour. Not a bad redirect, but all the casino traffic is now taking that route.

[maillotpois]

Pine Flat and Geysers in one ride. OUCH. How far up Pine Flat do you go--all the way to the top or to the guardrail? One word of warning, the Geyserville Bridge is out due to January's storms, so you'll need to do a detour. Not a bad redirect, but all the casino traffic is now taking that route.


I heard about that bridge thing - my husband's TNT ride (we both coach for Team in Training Sonoma/Napa/Marin cycling group) got detoured big time a couple weeks ago. My route won't be affected (I don't think) as we go up Pine Flat (yup - all the way), and then back down and hang a right on Geysers and go all the way up and over the Geysers to - what is that town north of Geyserville where the Geysers Rd. comes out? Anyway then we'll come back down paralell to 101 basically.

Where in Sonoma are you? I live in Mill Valley, actually, but we just ride a lot in Sonoma. A lot of my rides starting from Marin end up in Sonoma, too, if they're long enough! :D

[Veronica]

I've been going back and forth on making my journal public, so you just helped me make up my mind. My descriptions are rather brief though.

Oh excellent! I like looking at the journals of people I know. Kind of like living vicariously through them. :p

V.

[Bike Goddess]

Deanna- Me too! I love reading others' journals and the BJ is a great place to post. Some fun conversations going on in the forum area as well.

[snowtulip]

Great job Deanna! Three firsts is amazing, I need to aim for one!:D

[Deanna]

I heard about that bridge thing - my husband's TNT ride (we both coach for Team in Training Sonoma/Napa/Marin cycling group) got detoured big time a couple weeks ago. My route won't be affected (I don't think) as we go up Pine Flat (yup - all the way), and then back down and hang a right on Geysers and go all the way up and over the Geysers to - what is that town north of Geyserville where the Geysers Rd. comes out? Anyway then we'll come back down paralell to 101 basically.

Where in Sonoma are you? I live in Mill Valley, actually, but we just ride a lot in Sonoma. A lot of my rides starting from Marin end up in Sonoma, too, if they're long enough! :D

If you're going parallel to 101, then your most likely already on the detour. The detour actually cut off about 2 miles of the route I usually go over the bridge on. I'm in NW Santa Rosa -- I like to think of it as the gateway to the best rides in Sonoma County.

I've made my BJ journal public. Maybe my comments will be a little more creative!

Thanks SnowTulip for the congrats! Any ride can have a first in it so I'm sure if you think about it you've already had one!

[maillotpois]

If you're going parallel to 101, then your most likely already on the detour. The detour actually cut off about 2 miles of the route I usually go over the bridge on. I'm in NW Santa Rosa -- I like to think of it as the gateway to the best rides in Sonoma County.


Agreed!!

We ride in the Dry Creek area a lot. I have to ask - have you ridden Skaggs Springs/Stewarts Point Road from Lake Sonoma to the coast?? We are doing it for more of the Death Ride training, and I know it is part of the TT course. I would love to talk to someone who's ridden it as when we drove it, it seems laughably difficult - that wall at the end. I remember reading in one of Felix Wong's ride reports on the TT that he walked it, which was a bit sobering. Well, I don't event hink the back side of Ebbets will be as hard as that so our team will be well trained. Assuming they survive!

[CorsairMac]

Great job Deanna! Three firsts is amazing, I need to aim for one!:D
This from the lady that just got back from MTB'ng in Guatamala (or however you spell that country)??!! LOL

Good job Deanna! So did your face look like this :eek: when you realized you'd ridden 500 miles in a month? It's amazing how fast they rack up neh?

Congrats, congrats, and congrats!