Summer Riding

In mid-May, I took a trip to Paris for a little over a week.  I visited a friend who had taken an apartment there for 6 months to study French.  I missed two weekly Saturday rides and then got sick when I returned, so missed another weekend.  I didn't do any real riding in Paris although they have an excellent short-distance bike rental for people to get from place to place when the bus, metro or walking doesn't suit.  Not many people in Paris own cars.  I thought about using one of these bikes, but in the end, it seemed like navigating would be a challenge since the bikes are meant for locals who know where they are going and not tourists.  I did ride a short amount when I visited Versailles.

Velib rental bikes available throughout Paris.  If you see a seat turned backward, it means there is some kind of mechanical problem.

On the grounds at Versailles.

By late May cyclists were eagerly awaiting the repair of roads that were damaged or destroyed during the winter, but in fact some were just becoming off limits such as the bridge between Moraga and the town of Canyon.  Closed roads included Alhambra Valley, Calaveras, Palomares, Canyon, and Redwood.  For more information about these roads and to get road condition information, the Bike East Bay site is helpful: https://bikeeastbay.org/classic-east-bay-rides-washed-out-winter-rains

 Summer Rides so far:

Training group meeting at Mike's Bikes in Sausalito.

After climbing up through Mill Valley and Panoramic Highway.  We are about to enter Mt. Tam State Park.

View from top of Pan Toll Rd.  Frequently clouds and fog roll in from the beach.

Kim at Alpine Dam.  Just one more climb before arriving in Fairfax.

Road work in process near the top of Pig Farm Hill.  It was open, but traffic was limited to one lane for a short distance.  Temporary signals were controlling the flow of traffic.  This work was to improve sight lines near the top of the hill and reduce collisions, not due to rain.

Picture are Team Also Touch (past and present) and friends.  For many years Dwight and Maria (on the left) have led team Also Touch in honor of their daughter Christiana who died at the age of 10 from complications related to arthritis.  This will be their last year riding for the Arthritis Foundation, but will be involved in other ways to continue to support the cause.  They hosted a ride in early July and then a BBQ following at their house.

Members of the training group plus Dr. Christine, a local rheumatologist and former Olympic cycling champion.  We completed a one-day ride in Marin to support the Arthritis Foundation.  It was a hot day, but much of the route was at or near the coast.  The last 10 miles inland, however, was a doozy.  Good work, Patt, for a successful event.

It is hard to tell, but those are water buffalo behind me.  Their milk is used to make buffalo mozzarella cheese (common in Italy but not so much here).  We had a rest stop at Ramini ranch in Tomales.  Look for their cheese of the same name.

View from our start/end point, Stafford Lake in Novato.  The regional park also has a small pump track with jumps for those who like those kinds of bicycle activities.

Another view at Stafford Lake.

In addition to our training group, I also do rides with the Grizzly Peak cyclists during training season.  I typically go out every Wednesday while I am off duty from work and other weekend rides.

View from a lunch/birthday cake stop on a Wednesday ride in Tiburon.

Also in Tiburon.

Group picture from a recent ride in the Santa Cruz area.  It was a lovely day.  One road that we planned to use was totally out of commission and we had to find a new road to get back on track, which involved some steep climbing followed by a steep descent on a neglected road.

Here is the group doing the longer route taking a break in Corralitos before the long climb up Eureka Valley Rd and Highland Rd.

In support of Bike East Bay (formerly East Bay Bike Coalition) we took a trip to their Pedalfest at Jack London Square in mid-July.  There were lots of interesting bike related booths, demonstrations, performances, and other hard to categorize activities.

Mary trying a cargo bike.

A bike covered in crochet.