Bay Area riders - help!

[bikerz]

Trek 420 - thanks for the ideas - I hadn't thought about the bay trail on the west side of the bay - I'll definitely check it out. I'll check the Velogirls site as well (kinda shy still about riding with others...)

About how long are these rides you mentioned (without doubling?)

Yeah - the Emeryville ride is really nice, past dog parks and bird sanctuaries. The evenings are especially nice - great sunsets, and always a decent cross/head/tail wind! I say to myself that if I find it boring, I'm not paying enough attention!

BTW - congrats on competing the ALC4 - I ws glued to Spazz's reports and followed the photos on the site daily - I had friends riding and crewing. Now they're all starting in on me - "Don't you want to do it next year?" I'm not saying anything yet, but I think I'd like to work up to a metric century by the end of the summer or fall , and maybe 100 miles by the new year ? (First time acknowledging these goals - uh oh!)

[aka_kim]

Hi bikerz. It is really difficult to find flat rides in this area, especially if you want a longer ride.

* The Ironhorse Trail which Trek mentioned can probably get you a 40-50 miler; it's not terribly scenic, but it does pass through WC and other areas, so you can easily find spots to stop and/or eat. It also connects to the Contra Costa Canal Trail, which is a little more scenic.

* The Lafayette-Moraga Trail is very pretty, but you'd need to connect it with something in WC, or go out to Canyon, to get more miles.

Check the ride listings for the local clubs too, they might have found some good flat rides. And check with Slinkedog. If we reschedule that Memorial Day ride you'll need to come!

[bikerz]

Hi aka_kim -

Thanks for the tip to check the local bike groups - I know of velogirls and valley spokemen, are there others I should look into?

I have tried the Iron Horse/Canal trail - we started in Moraga, down to Olympic through WC, onto Iron Horse, then Canal to Willow Pass, and back - 38 miles (getting lost is a nice way to add miles!). It was a good long distance, and plenty flat (except for the last 2 miles, which were really hot, uphill, and into the wind - arrgghh!) I think an earlier start on that route, and not from Moraga, would be a good ride for me.

I don't know if I'm ready to ride with you guys! I'd like to get more distance and hills (and less of me!) under my belt first!

- Thanks!

[Veronica]

I don't know if I'm ready to ride with you guys!

What's there to be ready for? I think the best parts of our rides are sitting around eating and talking AFTER the ride. You can do that!

V.

[Trek420]

what Veronica sed

"What's there to be ready for? I think the best parts of our rides are sitting around eating and talking AFTER the ride. You can do that!"

c'mon we're not that intimidating and ask bike goddess, I'm *not* fast. BG is fast! Each night she had the tent set up, the luggage put away and the tent decorated in complimentary colors, showered, ate, solved the problems of the world including Global Warming and the prevelance of reality TV, biked into town and got tent stakes, waxed and polished her bike .... all before i had arrived.

I just get there is all.

Usually at the back of the pack of any ride and always willing to hang back for others. Fact is doing slow rides and working on form is one way I got better this year.

You can train for the AIDS ride with short rides, between the demands on my time of my work, and my dog it's hard to get away to do a lot of long rides. You'll need to do some centuries and metrics for the experience to know both how your body, nuitrition and equipment responds to the demands so that you can make adjustments.

But your day to day training can be short rides even use your commute it just has to be intense on occaision I think; include hills, headwinds.

You can do this! You're off to a great start and I think I can speak for the other BA riders we'd love to be part of that.

also does anyone know how Annerol & amondala did? I ran into amondala, well that is she recognised me as she flew past me on a hill. We stopped and took a picture and I'm sorry I didn't meet up with Annerol (that i know of). Howdja do gals?

[aka_kim]

Ditto Zippy V and Trek -- all our rides are no-drop, and most of us aren't exactly racers. If you can eat, and have a bike, you should join us.

A few more local clubs - Grizzly Peak Cyclists, Oakland Yellowjackets, Diablo Cyclists... they all love to focus on hills, of course, but usually also have longer/flatter rides in their route libraries or schedules.

[bikerz]

Wow - thanks for all the encouragement! I can eat, and I do have a bike, so...

I'll keep my eye peeled for your ride announcements, then, and probably become the "newbie caboose"! Are they usually on this forum?

I'll also check the clubs you mentioned, aka_kim, and see what routes I can find to explore.

I'm planning on doing my 25 mile Emeryville-Richmond ride hopefully Thursday evening, but definitely on Sunday morning (maybe I'll double it - just to get ready!) I feel so inspired, and my bike's getting a tuneup today to stop the chain rubbing, which will be nice! And maybe my new terry shorts will be here by then...