ANynody want to play hooky this week?

[bikerz]

Hey - It looks like it might actually be sunny until Friday!

Any of you Bay Area TE-ers have enough flexibility to play hooky one day this week for an easy-ish, flat-ish ride? Or at least knock off work early for an afternoon ride?

I'm thinking 20-30 miles or so (not too killer since my poor seat needs to toughen up again - I am so woefully out of shape!)

Jobob - your description of the Alameda Creek trail sounded great - I haven't ridden that for a while - I remember liking the tail wind coming back from the Bay!

CindySue - I know you're going to suggest the Thursday MtD ride, but I'm trying to be a little realistic about my capabilities! :o

[winddance]

I may be able to sneak out a bit early. What day were you thinking? I'll have to get thinking about my excuse. ;)

[bikerz]

Well, I am pretty flexible usually (unless a client starts to make trouble! The curse/blessing of the self-employed!)

I was thinking maybe Wednesday or Thursday - at this point either one is fine - I was hoping for East Bay - does that work for you? I am super slow on hills, so if we did a hilly ride, we probably wouldn't be riding together much!:o I'm not so fast on flats either, but I can usually maintain an OK pace. But as I said, I've hardly ridden in the last 2 months. But I really want/need to get out and ride!

[winddance]

I'll have to check my calendar at work today, but off the top of my head Thursday would probably work better. I'll post again tonight about that.

I am not in any shape for hills right now. It's very sad, but I'm really, really wanting to get out and ride while it's nice. So yes, something flat would work very well. :) I haven't ridden very much in the past two months, either. You might be dropping me!

I live in the east bay, so that would work very well! Have car/bart pass, will travel.

[bikerz]

Let's use Thursday as a working date then... keep me posted,
-Ann

[slinkedog]

I would really love to come along, but can't go that far. Have fun!

[cindysue]

no ride for me this week: thesis, thesis, thesis, work, work, work, school, school, school,

oh and can't make the diablo ride either: network, network, network................

all I can think of is June, June, June........

you get the picture :p


HAVE FUN - the weather is great!

[Trek420]

slink, I think the gals could agree on a shorter ride and then do an add on?

[slinkedog]

Oh, I should have been more clear. I can't go all the way to the East Bay for a ride. I'll have to get someone to watch the kids and that would likely turn into an all-day thing.

[bikerz]

Cindy - just 2 more months!!!

Slinke - sorry you can't join us - why not just tow all those kids behind you in a big ole trailer? it would be a good workout, right! :p I guess you and I have to commute from Oakland and San Jose (respectively) all the way to Monterey in order to ride together!

Trek - can you ditch the phone co for an afternoon? (with all those mergers and acquisitions, seems to me they might not notice you weren't there...)

[winddance]

Thursday afternoon it is. The earliest I can sneak away puts me back in the east bay around 2:30, so it's more a mid-afternoon ride. We should still have plenty of daylight!

Anyone else?

[bikerz]

Hey that's great! Let's firm up plans tomorrow! Any thoughts on where you'd like to ride, and what distance?

(come on - who else can we entice out???)

[snapdragen]

Hey that's great! Let's firm up plans tomorrow! Any thoughts on where you'd like to ride, and what distance?

(come on - who else can we entice out???)

I wish! I've got no one to back me up at work right now - hooky doesn't go over too well. Maybe next time.:)

[winddance]

I need an "I'm out of shape and this is the first time it's been sunny for more than 5 minutes in over two months plus I'm a pansy and hate riding in the rain" inaugural ride.

Do you have a favorite place you'd like to ride? I'm still newish to the area, so I'm not too familiar with the different, flatter options. I was thinking 20-30 miles also. Alameda didn't sound bad...

[bikerz]

I need an "I'm out of shape and this is the first time it's been sunny for more than 5 minutes in over two months plus I'm a pansy and hate riding in the rain" inaugural ride.

Ha! That's pretty much how I'd describe the kind of ride I can handle right now!

I'm a big fan of the Bay Trail from Emeryville to Richmond and back - by adding a loop down to the Berkeley Marina, and also heading out to the end of Point Emery, you can make it about 25 miles,and it has the attraction of being essentially flat, and absolutely beautiful (if you look at the bay, not the freeway!), and pretty much along the water all the way.

If that sounds OK to you, I'll post directions tomorrow (or PM you if you and I are the only ones up for this little adventure!)

Should we plan on meeting at 3 or 3:30 and heading out? Does that give you enough time?

I am so looking foward to riding in the sunlight!

[winddance]

Ooh, that sounds perfect! Yes, please go ahead and PM me directions as well as maybe some contact info to make sure we can find one another.

I think 3:30 would be best, just to make sure I don't hurry and do something like forget to put air in my tires.

[bikerz]

Ok - let's meet at 3:30 at the last parking lot on the left on Powell St out at the end of Point Emery - the best way to find it is to put this address into Google maps:

3499 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608

I've PM-ed you my contact info. I really looking forward to riding!

Anyone else???

782

[aka_kim]

Anyone else???Oh, you're killing me. I'll be a few short blocks away, nose to the grindstone, but I'll be thinking of the fun you're having round about 3:30. Maybe next time!

[bikerz]

Oh Kim - you're so responsible! Are you sure you can't just head out for a (ahem) "meeting" and then finish up later? We could talk business as we ride...

[aka_kim]

Nah, I'm not a responsible person, it's just constant crisis mode around here lately.

Have fun! It's nice and sunny out, if a little breezy.

[slinkedog]

Well, I did get out for a short ride today. Only 16 miles, but I went hard pretty much the whole way. It was so beautiful out!! :) Have fun at 3:30!

[bikerz]

OK - I'm off -

Breezy = headwinds = more exercise, right?

[slinkedog]

So, how was your ride?

[bikerz]

What a fun ride!!! My computer showed 26.5 miles (I'm not going to mention my average speed!)

(Unfortuantely I didn't check the google directions myself before passing the link along to Lisa, so she had saw a little more of the Emeryville backroads than she wanted to on her way to the meeting spot! And while I was waiting for her I remembered what it was I forgot to bring - her cell phone number! But she made it!)

Lisa (Winddance) is a great riding buddy - we had a good time yakking (when we could hear each other over the wind - it was a *little* breezy in Emeryville, but very pleasant and calm in Richmond). And she has a beeee-u-tiful Orbea!

Man- that wind on the last stretch out to Point Emery was strong - at one point I was struggling to stay above 8 mph, and my heart rate was at 175! (and I was cursing a blue streak making my "nasty headwind" face)

But as always - that ride totally blows the cobwebs out - the views of the bay were gorgeous and I feel a million times better, physically and mentally.

WindDance - thanks so much for riding with me - lets do it again! Or... Old Tunnel Road! :eek: :D

[winddance]

My computer showed 27.3 miles. I think it gave me extra credit on that last stretch, where I think I was between 7 and 9 mph the entire time. That wind? Whew. I think my knee warmers kept my legs from falling off. :eek:

The views were incredible. I definitely needed that. What a great way to celebrate the return of decent weather.

Ann (bikerz), thanks once again for waiting patiently while I took 45 minutes to drive what should've been about 3-4 miles. I was all, "How hard can this be?" so I didn't bring a map or anything. Not that the map would've been accurate. At least I know how to get there now! :D

I really had a great time. Let's definitely do this again! Even...Old Tunnel Road.

[bikerz]

Even...Old Tunnel Road.

You heard it here first, folks!

(Oh - I guess I have to ride Old Tunnel Road too! first time this year :eek: )

[winddance]

I should've added an "eventually" :p