Northern California - 4th of July Ride?

Any plans? Any ideas? Maybe we can do a quick loop, climbing Hwy 9, Skyline, 84, and back. Of course, everyone will finish hours ahead of me, but that's ok ...

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Big-Basin-Skyline-Kings-Mtn-Loop

Start: Chain Reaction in Los Altos, corner of Foothill Expy and Homestead
When: July 4, 2007, 8 am
Distance: 55.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 5648 feet


In:
spingineer
BigSean
SV Commuter
jinws
t4mv
LostinSanJose

Maybe:
bigbossman
uspspro

Mine will be in NJ, on the shore, searching for some hills to climb..... (the highest point where we're going is 238 ft. above sea level).

JB

Any plans? Any ideas? Maybe we can do a quick loop, climbing Hwy 9, Skyline, 84, and back. Of course, everyone will finish hours ahead of me, but that's ok ...


Im a maybe.;)

I'm a maybe, too ;)

I'm a maybe, three ;)

I'm interested also, don't know what plans the wife has for me yet... ;)

I'm a maybe, too. Sounds like fun, and being in the East Bay I hardly ever get to ride over in your area.

sooo many maybes.

please update if you are a yes.

Are you planning this ride for Wednesday, July 4th?

That's the plan ... I figure doing a very basic loop starting from Chain Reaction, up Mt. Eden, Pierce, Hwy 9, Skyline, down Kings Mountain Road, Portola Valley back via Foothill Expy. Not sure about the mileage or elevation gain.

That's the plan ... I figure doing a very basic loop starting from Chain Reaction, up Mt. Eden, Pierce, Hwy 9, Skyline, down Kings Mountain Road, Portola Valley back via Foothill Expy. Not sure about the mileage or elevation gain.


Sounds good, I think Im in.

I'm in

First choice 8 am, second choice 9 am ... this is so that those of you who want to spend time with families can be with them if we choose the early time. Otherwise, 9 am.

Too bad I will already be on my way to So-Cal on 4th... Enjoy your ride! (Ride my miles too!) :)

Too bad I will already be on my way to So-Cal on 4th... Enjoy your ride! (Ride my miles too!) :)
Hook up with my buddies in SoCal BF ... fun group.

First choice 8 am, second choice 9 am ... this is so that those of you who want to spend time with families can be with them if we choose the early time. Otherwise, 9 am.



Im sure either time will be fine for me although I slow to get moving in the morning.:o

Plotted the route on bikely ... http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Big-Basin-Skyline-Kings-Mtn-Loop

Distance: 55.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 5648 feet

Who knows how accurate it is.

You guys get 4th of July off? I thought only banks and government take that day off.

Either time is fine by me, as I don't have family to worry about. :)

That mileage is about all I'll feel like doing, too. It's either that or Mt Hamilton. :D

Ok, 8 am it is ... OP updated with details.

Plotted the route on bikely ... http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Big-Basin-Skyline-Kings-Mtn-Loop

Distance: 55.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 5648 feet

Who knows how accurate it is.


Pretty darn accurate, withing a feww hundred feet.

You guys get 4th of July off? I thought only banks and government take that day off.
Au contrare, I thought everyone gets this day off except retail stores, restaurants, and other emergency services. You better believe we get 4th of July off. But right smack in the middle of the week ...

I'll try to join in along Skyline from Hwy 9 to 84. I'd continue to Kings, but I've descended Tunitas once, and that was enough.

You'll be getting to the top of Hwy 9 at around 9? Well, if you get there significantly earlier than that, I wouldn't be able to keep up anyhow. Heck, I'd probably be off the back pretty quickly anyhow, as I'm recovering from a broken leg.

I'll try to join in along Skyline from Hwy 9 to 84. I'd continue to Kings, but I've descended Tunitas once, and that was enough.


OK, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but, I signed up for the descent of Kings Mountain Road off the east side of Skyline, not the west side.... I already did the La Honda-Pescadero-Alpine loop this weekend and I don't really want to do it again so soon. ;)

You should come out anyway, it's the 4th, who's in a hurry? C'mon it'll be fun, Ron probably wanted it to be a no-drop ride anyway. Whaddya say?

Edit: Whoops, I didn't notice you were from SC, which would explain descending Tunitas vs. Kings. Yeah, it would make sense for you to bail @ 84.

Speaking of 84, does anyone know if Alice's is open for the 4th? Is this an all-ride, no eat kinda ride?...

This looks like a nice ride. I don't get to do the South Bay much and would love to join in. But, I gotta take the little guy to the July 4th parade here in Half Moon Bay. It's too much fun for him to miss.

Catch you on the next one.

This looks like a nice ride. I don't get to do the South Bay much and would love to join in. But, I gotta take the little guy to the July 4th parade here in Half Moon Bay. It's too much fun for him to miss.

Catch you on the next one.
It's ok ... maybe next time. One of these days, we'll actually get to ride together.

It's ok ... maybe next time. One of these days, we'll actually get to ride together.
I promise!

I'm another, "I think I'm in." I did a relatively flat, 35-mile "recovery ride" on Sunday, out at Uvas, and I'm hurtin' in places I didn't know could hurt...

I'm another, "I think I'm in." I did a relatively flat, 35-mile "recovery ride" on Sunday, out at Uvas, and I'm hurtin' in places I didn't know could hurt...
That's great ... I'm in the same boat. I'll be the slow pokey oats on the ride anyways.

I think I may have the 4th off too. Once I confirm, I'll be in.

I think I may have the 4th off too. Once I confirm, I'll be in.
Great! Maybe I'll actually be able to ride with you for more than 1 mile :p

I'm a maybe!

Only one more day to decide ... start is at 8 am, since the weather dudes and chicks are saying we have a heatwave this week.

Damn 1st caltrain is too late.

Riding out there would turn it into another century ;)

I'm another, "I think I'm in." I did a relatively flat, 35-mile "recovery ride" on Sunday, out at Uvas, and I'm hurtin' in places I didn't know could hurt...


Do you need a ride? I can pick ya up on my way.

Sean

....

Jeremy and I will be there!

Brad has me covered, but thanks for the offer Sean... This ride looks like a doozy, but I guess it's the only way to grow a good pair of legs.


Do you need a ride? I can pick ya up on my way.

Sean

Sorry guys, but I'm definitely "no" :(
catch you on next one.

I'm still having knee issues, so most likely I will be at the back of the pack.

It's supposed to be quite hot tomorrow. I'm not very familiar with the area on the route, are there stores or gas stations to fill up along the way or should I plan on bringing the camelbak?

It's supposed to be quite hot tomorrow. I'm not very familiar with the area on the route, are there stores or gas stations to fill up along the way or should I plan on bringing the camelbak?


I think you could fill up at the firestation if needed. Otherwise it'll be at about the 43 mile point till we get to a store. Should be cool enough going up hwy 9. Then Skyline isnt usually too bad.

Speaking of heatwave, I was just looking at the predictions, on Weather.com and SFgate.com, and the predicted heatwave doesn't seem to be there. They're predicting a high of 84 tomorrow for San Mateo - warm, but nothing like the heat they were talking about yesterday. And looking out my office window, I see the usual South City Summer fog bank.

What happened?

BTW, have fun on the ride. I did 20 miles this morning, and my legs have no snap left after the century on Saturday. I had just about enough to get to Filoli from San Mateo, and then I suffered the whole way home. Tomorrow, I'm just riding to Woodside and back.

SLOWLY!! :D

I have no snap in my legs either ... my average speed coming to work is 15, and usually it's 16.5. We'll see how it is in the morning.

I'll try to be at Hwy 9 and Skyline at 9 tomorrow. I'll be in a blue jersey with a black bike.

I'll try to be at Hwy 9 and Skyline at 9 tomorrow. I'll be in a blue jersey with a black bike.
Cool ... we'll see if our paths meet.

I'll try to be at Hwy 9 and Skyline at 9 tomorrow. I'll be in a blue jersey with a black bike.

Why dontcha warm up a bit and relax by the hot dog dudemobile at the 'Gap? We should look for you in that parking lot.

Got back from the ride today ... it was great. Actually, there were at least 3 groups that I can recall that started from the Chain Reaction parking lot, so it was a very popular starting location.

It's a good thing we started at 8 am, because the sun was definitely out there early, and I could remember telling t4mv "Is it my imagination or is the sun really beating down on us???" ... it was not my imagination. This was on the big climb, up Hwy 9. Cyclists were out in force today, but if you didn't finish your ride before noon, it would really get hot out there.

Most of us that went also did the Giro last weekend, and we were still nursing our wounds from that ride. So all but 1 of us went up Hwy 9, north on Skyline, and instead of going all the way out to Kings Mtn, we hung a right at Page Mill. We didn't need to do any more than that.

Stats:
Length: 37.57 miles
Altitude Gain: 4073 feet
Riding Time: 2:58:28
Total Time: 3:30

Thanks for organizing this ride Ron. Great ride, although my legs were hurting the entire day.:eek: Just what I needed for a 4th of July morning. I most definately did not need another 18 miles.:o It was nice to meet some more BFers as well and ride with some I had met.

Oh pictures ... I didn't take many. I know Brad (SV Commuter) took some. Here are mine:

Start of ride:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/spingineer/4th%20of%20July%20NorCal%20BF/P7030003.jpg

Top of Pierce Road:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/spingineer/4th%20of%20July%20NorCal%20BF/P7030004.jpg

Firestation on Skyline:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/spingineer/4th%20of%20July%20NorCal%20BF/P7030005.jpg