Not quite newbie, not quite club

[laura*]

I live in Santa Cruz, CA and all the country roads are in the mountains.

I live in those mountains! If I want to ride further than a mile from my house, on safe routes, every direction involves 20% (up) grades - even to get to flat routes along the coast.

Right now at the start of warm season I'm still a bit out of shape. I've been taking the bus to Santa Cruz and riding around randomly in the "flat". In years past, when I was sick of climbing mountains, I'd come into the city and do a coastal ride. I found that riding the coastal bike paths (and a few connecting roads) from Natural Bridges to Capitola and back was as much a workout as climbing the mountain to a viewpoint over Highway 17. I think that's because of all the start and stop, turning, and tourist dodging. (Note, this is on an old rigid frame MTB. You might find tourist dodging on a road bike to be frustrating!)

[featuretile]

Laura,
Sounds like it might be fun to ride with you. How do we exchange contact info on this site? Today, a club member who stayed with me on my last attempted club ride, took me out on a ride. We went from Jade St. Park to Natural Bridges, up to UCSC, and back. It was 26 miles and I am pretty wiped out. That was an 'A' (easy) ride.... I have also been riding around Corralitos.

[laura*]

Laura,
Sounds like it might be fun to ride with you. How do we exchange contact info on this site?

There appears to be a Private Message feature - I'll try sending you a message.

Note though that I've always been a lone rider. I've been spoiled by having no set schedule, no set route, the option to cut short or extend a ride, the option to cancel when the weather isn't cooperative, and so on.

Also, right now my bike's in a state of flux while I fix all the stuff that's worn out. My top gear currently is 32:15 (or 32:13 if I don't mind the bit of cross chaining).

We went from Jade St. Park to Natural Bridges

Did you follow the coastal bike baths (for at least one direction)?

That was an 'A' (easy) ride....

Is that your rating, or the riding club's rating?

I have also been riding around Corralitos.

That's further south than I've ever ventured on a bike.