March 17 - Mines Road

[Veronica]

This is an annual ride for my local club to celebrate the former club president's birthday. It's a good time to challenge yourself. There will be lots of people out riding this rather remote out and back route.

It's a beautiful ride and a nice time of year to be out there. It's about 60 miles out and back. The initial climb is a bit steep, but then the route climbs fairly gently for about 20 miles.

With the time change, you could have time to continue on to the summit of Hamilton. This would make it about 95 miles and is also an out and back ride. The climb up the back side of Hamilton is substantially steeper than the San Jose side.

Meeting time is 8:45 in front of the library in Livermore.

V.

[maillotpois]

Maybe.

It's a "free" weekend in that we don't have a death ride training that day. But it's also PP's birthday weekend, and I expect since we don't have a team ride that day we'll be doing her party that day.

I'll try to make it work, though. It would be fun.

[Veronica]

Oh goody! That's why I put it out there so early.

V.

[maillotpois]

I wonder if I could set up a Friday night party/sleepover and then cut out early in the morning and let the GP fix them all breakfast...

[jobob]

Sounds good. Plus we know where there's pizza.

[Veronica]

Looks like it will be a warm day.

Will it be one bob or two on the ride?

V.

[maillotpois]

Well, I wish I could come but I definitely cannot. Much to do. Pray that I survive the sleepover with 7 10 - 11 year old girls. More on point, pray that they survive.

[jobob]

Aack. I forgot all about this. We were planning on going up Diablo tomorrow. I've been really wanting to go up Diablo. I'm sorry !

[Veronica]

What time are you guys going to do Diablo? We're trying to get back into two rides every weekend. Starting with Mines Rd., made that look kind of unlikely.

V.

[jobob]

10 am from Arbolado.

Would you like to do a ride on Sunday?

[Veronica]

I'll have to check with Thom about Sunday. I emailed him about Diablo tomorrow instead of Mines Rd. He liked the idea.

What do you have in mind for Sunday?

V.

[Veronica]

So we will see you at 10 at Arbolado tomorrow.

V.

[jobob]

Excellent !!!

For Sunday I was thinking some loop involving Niles Canyon, Palomares, Redwood Road, Pinehill, Canyon, Moraga Rd., Mt. Diablo Rd. thru Lafeyette, S Main in Walnut Creek, Dannville Blvd and Hartz into Danville, San Ramon Valley, San Ramon Rd., Foothill into Sunol, then, if the mood strikes, over Calaveras and via Mission Blvd back into Fremont (basically, the way back home we took on our ride up the backside of Sierra), or, if the mood doesn't strike, then the direct route from Sunol to Fremont via Niles Canyon. (This is basically the route I did last Saturday but cut short in Dublin. )

It would be about 90-ish miles without Calaveras, with about 3500 ft of climbing, and with Calaveras it would be about 125 miles with about 5000 feet. This is all off the top of my head but I can double check later.

This loop passes near lots of BART stations, and I don't need to start from Fremont.

[Veronica]

Probably too much for Thom. But I'll run it by him. Nothing like diving right back in right?

V.

[Veronica]

What time on Sunday? The Coach says I need to do a long ride before next weekend. I don't know what he's worried about. I mean I did 120 in December.

He says he'll do SAG for us on Sunday.

V.