jobob

BF East Bay ride, Saturday Feb. 2, 10 am start from Sunol

You're all cordially invited to come out to the East Bay and join me on one of my favorite rides, starting in Sunol and heading over Calaveras Road, then back into Fremont and up to to Mission San Jose for lunch, then up Palomares Rd, into Pleasanton and down Foothill Rd back to Sunol.

Those so inclinced can then join me at Bosco's Bones & Brew in beautiful downtown Sunol for a snack and maybe a nice recovery beverage.

We'll be starting in Sunol at 10 am, at the parking lot of the Sunol Glen School at the corner of Bond & Main Sts.

Then we'll head over Calaveras Road (average grade ~4-5%), down into Milpitas, back into Fremont and up Mission Blvd. to Mission San Jose.

We'll have a lunch break at Mission Coffee on Washington Blvd. which is at about the mile 26 point.

Then we'll have a nice long shallow descent down Mission Blvd (zoom!) and hang a right onto Niles Canyon Rd., then climb up Palomares Road (average grade ~ 6%, a couple of bits ~10-12% but happily they are short). Then a really nice descent down the other side of Palomares (a reasonably smooth, wide road with minimal turns and good sightlines - zoom zoom!), then up Dublin Canyon Rd. to Pleasanton and south on Foothill Rd back into Sunol.

As mapped out here, it'll be roughly 57 miles and around 4000 ft of climbing:
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...Palomares-ride

An option those who would like to make it quicker or easier: Once we reach Niles Canyon Rd. you can continue straight on Niles Canyon to Sunol rather than heading up Palomares. That would be about 37 miles total, and roughly 1700 ft of climbing.

There are many other options for the studly ones : up and back on Welch Creek Road; a loop up Sierra Rd and down Felter to re-join the route; or, at the north end of Palomares, instead of heading east on Dublin Canyon you can head west on Castro Valley Blvd, then north/east on Crow Canyon to Norris Canyon, then south on San Ramon Blvd which becomes Foothill. I can map those out as well.

I created a ride listing on bikejournal here:
SF East Bay ride, Calaveras/Palomares

Hope you can make it !

- Jo.

SesameCrunch

Count me in as highly motivated! I like that route a lot.

Thanks for suggesting it!

taxi777

!!!!COUNT ME IN!!!!!

Pete

jonathanb715

Damn, that's a great route. Unfortunately, I'm starting my training for the Death Ride on the 2nd and will be riding with the team.

For those who want a bit more climbing, but not quite as intense as Welch Creek or Sierra, try Mill Creek (just north of the Mission) or Morrison Canyon (further north on Mission, pretty close to Niles Canyon). Both are single lane roads that really don't go anywhere (much like Welch Creek), don't have much traffic and both have pretty healthy climbs. Mill Creek dead ends at the regional park; Morrison Canyon deadends just past the wire-frame airplane model (radar testing station? yes, it's still there).

JB

spingineer

Damn, I might be in LA that weekend. But if I am in town, I'll be there for it.

msincredible

Put me down as an interested maybe, I might be out of town though.

spingineer

Ok, put me in as a maybe. My plan was originally to drive down to LA for my monthly visit to dad, but I'm going to be down there for the TofC. MErider has her century to Santa Barbara ride the same day. I can't decide ...

jwill911

Put me down for a probable. Team Alameda has a scheduled ride to Palomares the same day. We should be able to make it to Sunol by 10:00. I'm not leading and it depends on who is going, we do a no drop ride. Our usual route is Doolittle - thru San Leandro - up over Fairmont - Lake Chabot Rd. - Castro Valley Blvd - Dublin Grade - Foothill to Sunol then Palomares and reverse the route at Castro Valley Blvd it's about 63 miles, adding Calavares to it would make it a good ride. I might break off from TA and join you all.

I'll pass on Welsh Creek, but if I felt froggy might be coaxed into Sierra.
jw

ROJA

I would like to join, but it will depend on my calendar.

spingineer

Ok, I'm in. Good excuse to stay in town. Now, I just gotta decide if I should ride to the start, or drive there

jobob

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as of Tuesday evening the weather forecast for Saturday calls for a 60% chance of showers.

Considering how unpredictable the weather is around here (case in point, last Saturday ) I'm playing wait & see.

If by Friday the forecast still shows a high chance of rain on Saturday & less so for Sunday, I might reschedule the ride to Sunday.

If this weekend is a washout, we'll do this again some other time.

x136 

Anyone thinking of doing the short route? It's piquing my interest. I think I'm going snowboarding on Sunday, so if I can get both things in on my birthday weekend, it'd be pretty neat.

spingineer

We can always meet and do some posing at a coffee shop ...

PrincessZippy

We've instituted a new rule in our house.

No scratching a ride for weather, until the morning of the ride.

We plan on starting with you guys, but are going to do Welch Creek and Sierra and then back on Calaveras to Sunol. I have 12 weeks until the DMD staff ride. I need to find my climbing legs.

V.

BlastRadius

Birthday weekend huh? I hope the weather clears. We have some celebrating to do!

cccorlew

I'm concerned about the weather. With my luck lately it'll be pouring. There is a conspiracy to keep me off my new ride. If it isn't the weather it's the need for a 5mm spacer that I don't have time to go get...

Today's forecast: 60% chance of rain on Saturday
Still, I'm hoping.

msincredible

Gonna have to miss this one, I'm going to be in Tahoe this weekend.

ROJA

What kind of pace will you be riding on Saturday?

SesameCrunch

Henry: You gonna join us (weather permitting)?

SesameCrunch

Don't get snowed in! Or, on second thought, I hope you do get snowed in with fresh, dry powdery snow!

taxi777

Snowboard or Skiing??
I'm thinking you're a boarder....

msincredible

Probably skiing, I've never boarded before. Although maybe I'll give it a try?

x136 

Whereabouts in the Tahoe area are you headed? I think I'm going to head to Boreal as my falling-down-a-lot destination.

msincredible

It's a small group of us, I think they mentioned either Kirkwood, Homewood, or Alpine.

x136 

Ah, nice. I basically chose Boreal for its closeness and cheapness (this is only my second time, and first time in California). I'll probably check out Kirkwood at some point, since it's not too much further away. You'll have to let me know how it is wherever you end up.

Erm... </threadjack>