I like nick.bonnell's Marin route so much, I'm going to ride the route he recommended in the East Bay tomorrow.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Diablo

According to the BART schedule I can start at the Berkely station at either 7:42 or 9:42. I'm leaning toward the earlier time.

Anyone interested?

I love this place.

That's a great route. You're going to have fun. Wish I could put my life on hold for this, but I have too much to do tomorrow.

I'll be lucky to get my late afternoon flat ride in.

Man - you're going to be going home with some serious legs after you've done riding the bay area. I'm jealous, and I live here! You'll probably accomplish a better set of climbs in a week than I'd get round to in a year :( Work, kids, blah the usual.

Enjoy the bay anyway, hope you can give us a nice trip report when you're done.

I'll be on the mountain tomorrow for a long lunch break - I should hit the south gate right at 12:00. Given the way I climb, it might be 1 before I get to the junction!

JB

edit - PS: I just checked to see what's clean, and it looks like I'll be wearing an orange Peet's coffee jersey tomorrow.

Serenegreen,

I feel like Allain Toussaint (sp?) lyric from I'll Take a Melody - "I'll take a simple C to G and feel brand new about it." Sometimes I forget how lucky we are here and glad for your reminders on what a great biking place the Bay Area is.
Glad you enjoyed the Marin ride. Did you go all the way to Marshall?
With the weather being almost perfect you should have a great time tomorrow. I'd love to join this ride but already made plans for tomorrow and know for a fact I couldn't keep up.
Nick

serenegreen, did you make it up diablo? I was the slower of the 2 cal guys you rode with for ~20 miles. When you split off, I know you had a lot ahead of you. How was that last 200m?

Just a note: I hate you. That's what I'll be thinking while I'm at work and you're not.

Just a note: I hate you. That's what I'll be thinking while I'm at work and you're not.

Curtis, just so you know, Mt. D. was beautiful today! Of course, it took me close to 2 hours to climb the thing, so I had plenty of time to enjoy it.

JB

Curtis, just so you know, Mt. D. was beautiful today! Of course, it took me close to 2 hours to climb the thing, so I had plenty of time to enjoy it.

JB

AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

OK, here's a pic from just under the South Gate Ranger Station - if Ireland had mountains, the view might look something like this (it's amazing how green everything is right now).

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee39/jonathanb715/MtDGreenHills.jpg

Enjoy!

JB

Man, it was such a beautiful day today. I really wish I could have been there, but I wasted the day at work.

OK, here's a pic from just under the South Gate Ranger Station - if Ireland had mountains, the view might look something like this (it's amazing how green everything is right now).

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee39/jonathanb715/MtDGreenHills.jpg

Enjoy!

JB

rub it in, bro
rub it in :D :p

Jessie: I sure did! Incredible. That last pitch was the easiest, mentally, knowing I was one good sprint away from the top.

Between Diablo and Skyway I was just blown away by the scenery. What a Day.

Serenegreen,

Was the Sierras visible today too?

Glad you've enjoyed the routes. That is some serious riding you've done. What is next on your riding agenda?

Nick

That looks sweet. I did salvage a lunchtime ride up San Bruno Mountain - man it was a gorgeous day.

I actually joined Serenegreen for the Berkeley-Diablo loop, but I was really outta shape (I'm a wussy warm weather rider), so he ended up taking off and riding with a couple of Cal guys. I don't know if we actually agreed to separate, but the problem for me was that I didn't have route notes or a map with me. I ended up going in the wrong direction, so eventually I called a friend and asked him to find a route from my current location to Mt. Diablo. I had a pen but no paper, so I ended up writing my notes here:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Mt_Diablo_01_6x4.jpg

It was very easy to refer to my notes! Because I was so outta shape, by the time I got to the bottom of Diablo, my quads were very tired and achy, and the ascent was torturous and slow. Even though the grade was pretty mellow, near the top my quads were begging for mercy. However when I got to the Wall I was determined to finish it off. About half way up my right quad started cramping up real bad, but I was not to be deterred! When I got to the top, I couldn't enjoy it because my quad was in intense pain for about 5 minutes, then it very quickly stopped. Here's my bike at the top:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Mt_Diablo_Trek.jpg

Thanks to Garmin and SportTracks, here's a map showing the convoluted route I took:

Berkeley - Diablo ride (http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Berkeley_Diablo_route.gif)

The map shows I also accidentally turned right on Walnut Blvd instead of Walnut Ave. There was no way I was going to make it back over the hill to Berkeley, so I just took BART back.

Distance Berkeley to top of Diablo: 51 miles.
Total distance: 67 miles.
Total climbing: 7100 feet.
Avg. speed: very very slow.
Butt: sore.
Knees: feel great!


Kevin, did you ride back to Berkeley?

^ congrats! That's quite a ride you ended up with.

I actually joined Serenegreen for the Berkeley-Diablo loop, but I was really outta shape (I'm a wussy warm weather rider), so he ended up taking off and riding with a couple of Cal guys. I don't know if we actually agreed to separate, but the problem for me was that I didn't have route notes or a map with me. I ended up going in the wrong direction, so eventually I called a friend and asked him to find a route from my current location to Mt. Diablo. I had a pen but no paper, so I ended up writing my notes here:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Mt_Diablo_01_6x4.jpg

It was very easy to refer to my notes! Because I was so outta shape, by the time I got to the bottom of Diablo, my quads were very tired and achy, and the ascent was torturous and slow. Even though the grade was pretty mellow, near the top my quads were begging for mercy. However when I got to the Wall I was determined to finish it off. About half way up my right quad started cramping up real bad, but I was not to be deterred! When I got to the top, I couldn't enjoy it because my quad was in intense pain for about 5 minutes, then it very quickly stopped. Here's my bike at the top:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Mt_Diablo_Trek.jpg

Thanks to Garmin and SportTracks, here's a map showing the convoluted route I took:

Berkeley - Diablo ride (http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f155/tacksharp/Miscellaneous/Berkeley_Diablo_route.gif)

The map shows I also accidentally turned right on Walnut Blvd instead of Walnut Ave. There was no way I was going to make it back over the hill to Berkeley, so I just took BART back.

Distance Berkeley to top of Diablo: 51 miles.
Total distance: 67 miles.
Total climbing: 7100 feet.
Avg. speed: very very slow.
Butt: sore.
Knees: feel great!


Kevin, did you ride back to Berkeley?

LOL - I saw you at the junction - I was with a couple of friends who rode up from North Gate (I went up from South Gate). I had on an orange Peet's Coffee jersey. We left together from the junction to head up. I thought the route notes on your leg was pretty clever.

JB

LOL - I saw you at the junction - I was with a couple of friends who rode up from North Gate (I went up from South Gate). I had on an orange Peet's Coffee jersey. We left together from the junction to head up. I thought the route notes on your leg was pretty clever.

JB

Hold it, you're the guy I was talking to with the two gals? Funny! You saw how slow I was going and how tortured I looked. You're probably surprised I actually made it up the Wall! :D

Hold it, you're the guy I was talking to with the two gals? Funny! You saw how slow I was going and how tortured I looked. You're probably surprised I actually made it up the Wall! :D

Yeah, that was me. Those girls both have 5 pass death ride jerseys - I know it's a good day when I can just keep up with them. Considering how much you had already done, I thought you were doing pretty good! The wall is painful no matter how you feel when you hit it - although to do it with cramping legs must have really taken some intestinal fortitude.

JB

I don't think I could see the Sierra yesterday, it was a little hazy for that.

Dave, I waited up for about 20 minutes on Reliez Valley rd before I turned onto Withers to Pleasant Hill, but it looks like you weren't on that road. Yup, completed the loop to Berkeley! I was hurting on that last climb up Skyline, but it was worth it.

I'm planning to ride the Sequoia Century either tomorrow or Saturday. They were calling for some rough weather Saturday but it looks to have cleared up. My friends want to do a wine country tour with me though, so I may have to pre-pone the ride to tomorrow.

Dave, I waited up for about 20 minutes on Reliez Valley rd before I turned onto Withers to Pleasant Hill, but it looks like you weren't on that road. Yup, completed the loop to Berkeley! I was hurting on that last climb up Skyline, but it was worth it.

Damn, my mistake! I saw a sign for a "detour" so I turned left, even though it looked fine to go straight. That's why I never showed up. Then I wasted a lot of time going south and calling a friend for directions, then I stopped at a Subway for lunch, so you were up and then down Southgate road before I ever got to the junction. Funny how I ended up meeting with jonathanb715, although I didn't know it at the time.

I'm planning to ride the Sequoia Century either tomorrow or Saturday. They were calling for some rough weather Saturday but it looks to have cleared up. My friends want to do a wine country tour with me though, so I may have to pre-pone the ride to tomorrow.

I've never heard of a "pre-poned" event, but it makes sense.