Cyclocross - You CX guys are nuts

Super tired so I'll be brief:

-Recently got into Cycling for commuting, bought a Hybrid
-Saw some CX footage, thought it looks to fun not too try, bought a Jake
-Never rode drop bars, so put on road tires and tried to figure them out (still working on that) and rode as much as I could, now I never use the granny gear on the hybrid, and I live on a good windy hill.
-Race next week down the street, so I threw on the knobbies and hit an trail with a buddy that Ive done before on a MTB
-Going good, drop bars are interesting in dirt, I had to wait for my friend after almost every hill climb
-Then came the Big downhills. No Suspension + Weak Brakes = arm pump + loss of control + chain jumping off
-Bigger downhill = Looking for a nice bush to crash into before I jump off cliff at turn. Ate it good.
-Walked the rest of way down, then the trail got smoother and rolling....amazing on the cx bike, plus the looks of people as they stare at the drops as I pass by (going the other way, I'm not fast) was priceless.

Now I got tons of left side rash and iffy on hiting the MX track tomorrow, but the smile on my face is huge and makes it all worth it. Ordering new bars so I'll be ready to race next week. I dunno how you guys do it, but now I know why. :D

Anybody know of any good trails for a cx bike around sf bay?

There are trails EVERYWHERE. Try Stevens Canyon.

There's a super trails that starts at Gazos Creek State Park and climbs up to Big Basin. Make a day of it. Start at the bottom, climb to the top and take the left fork to Big Basin. Have lunch at the little place there then ride back to the car.

Wilder Ranch near Santa Cruz is great. Watch the horses though.

Also there's the Olema Ridge trail. Park at the top of the rise on Sir Francis Drake Blvd just about a mile or so from Olema in the EARLY morning. Ride down to Olema and then take Highway 1 down to Fairfax Bolinas Rd. Ride up to the top of the climb (pretty long climb) and then you'll see the trail marked off to the left. Ride this trail all the way back to Olema.

Another one is hard to describe. You park in Tilden Park above Berkeley. You take the roads back over the hill and down into Berkeley where you take the bicycle trails that are on the BART right-of-way all the way to Richmond and turn up (I seem to recall) McBryde Ave which connects to Alvarado Park which butts up to Wildcat Canyon. There's two trails in Wildcat - the high road which leads to Inspiration Point in Tilden and the low road which leads to the lower parking lot in Tilden. Both are great rides on a CX bike.

There are a lot more as well but that' s a good smattering from around the bay.

I LOVE the looks of folks when I jam by them on the drops in the single tracks and ruts...priceless

Thanks on the nuts part!!!

Cross is so much fun. Cant wait for the racing to begin. Only a couple more weeks.

I LOVE the looks of folks when I jam by them on the drops in the single tracks and ruts...priceless

Passed a novice rider on a Trek Fuel the other day. He knew I was behind him for a couple of hundred yards before there was a wide but rocky spot in the trail. Although I wasn't in my drops, just being on a Soma Double Cross complete with a rear rack, trunk bag, and 35c tires on touring rims was enough. I wouldn't have gotten a bigger jaw drop if I had been riding a unicycle.

It was sooooooo satisfying. :D