Time for another TdMIL(ish)
 

What is TdMIL, you might ask? Tour de Mother In Law started about 10 years ago when my MIL announced she was overstaying her visit for the Christmas holiday. My wife saw the train wreck approaching, and gave me a get out of jail free card. She gets to spend more 1:1 time with her mom, I get to go on a bike trip. Trust me, I come out ahead on this. Now that said MIL lives in North Carolina, with no direct flights, I can't pull that off anymore. But February doesn't have much going on, the Atelier isn't too busy, so...

The recividists
My usual TdMIL partner in crime, @Boltbreaker (Andy) proposed this trip a few months ago. Taking clues from the US Military, my Zero bike is pre-positioned in the People's Republic of Berkeley, home of several members of this esteemed forum. One of them, @davester participated in the last TdMIL, which involved a long, steep, and very wet climb up to his buddy Thor's off-grid domicile. Others have been forewarned.

The route
After nearly a decade of mid-winter NorCal tours, Andy and I find it difficult to come up with a route that is mostly new, so we went to the way back machine and picked some "best of" routes to re-ride. We'll start Monday, Feb 24th at the Ashby BART station.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...efe15144f9.png
The route, the digits
https://ridewithgps.com/collections/3346395

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all best for a wonderous viaggio! :thumb:

find "ridewithgps" link to be generating an "unavailable or disapbled" messagio

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Good on you. See you at a similar venue in April!

Very nice, enjoy! If you gentlemen don't mind a tagalong at a tour like this in the region I'd love to attend sometime with enough advance warning (I'm far from retirement, as you know)! I wasn't too far away before but now that map literally feels like it's depicting my back yard.

-Gregory

Hmm, works for me. I used the fairly new "Collections" feature to group 5 rides together. I tried logging out and the link, still works. Anyone else having this issue?

Hey, why do you think I publicize these? Would love to have you along on one or more of these daily rides.

Contact me off forum for details.

Somebody's gotta do QC on the route.

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grazie mille don gugieissimo. :thumb:

tried again just now and got same message...must be a browser compatibility issue...;)


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Tackle those climbs so that we don't have to!

Looks like a good time! Only recommendation I'd make would be to take San Pablo Dam rd instead of coming directly through the East bay for a prettier view. And then taking Orinda BART to Rockridge BART.

Depending on tire size you can even hop onto Old San Pablo Dam rd for some gravel!

What, and miss out on the Dantean ride through the oil refineries?

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d6ac9301ba.jpg

Second go-around I'm planning on driving the BAT, wouldn't want you to miss out on all the fun.

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...and all of those delicate aromas...the rival of costly french perfumes....

...just the therapeutic ticket for cyclists with pulmonary issues...


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I have very little riding wisdom to offer but I would strongly suggest fueling up on day 1 with a slice at Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach. Left on Broadway, right on Columbus, right on Green. I am not vegetarian but the pesto veggie is my favorite. Chase it with a pint of Red Hook ISB. Right on Columbus to get back on route. You’re welcome.

The refinery's 'unerworld' theme was in great form last year when it one of the stacks was permanently burning for a month or two. Like a charming old lighthouse to guide me home on my commute.

I'll see if I can say hi on Tuesday afternoon in Santa Rosa.

Make sure your brakes are okay for the descent coming down Calistoga Road, and you've got a very healthy climb up out of Saint Helena. You might want to consider taking the Napa Valley bike trail up to the town of Calistoga, continuing NW on 128, then coming south on Chalk Hill Road, Faught Road, Mark West, Riebli, and Wallace to come into Santa Rosa. When exiting Santa Rosa, I'd suggest taking the Santa Rosa Creek Trail to its end to connect to your route. If you've thought of both of those and decided against them, my apologies.

Cheers!

Too early, it'll be around 9am when we get off BART at Embarcadero. We'll probably just stop at the 2am Club for a beer and a bump. It'll help dull the pain for the climbing up to Pantoll.

@Boltbreaker's lived in the Bay Are his entire life, and has some cousins that started Fogbelt Brewing in Santa Rosa. He's in charge of the route to get us there.

That will be a fantastic ride. I grew up in Sebastopol, and my mother lives in Bodega Bay. Roadhouse Coffee in Bodega Bay is great, and I HIGHLY recommend a stop at the Casino in Bodega if you can work it in, amazing food and wine, and a 96-year-old proprietress who is the unofficial mayor of the area.

It’s ever too early for a slice of Golden Boy Pesto Veggie! There’s also the Buena Vista Cafe at the foot of Hyde St, home of the original Irish Coffee, although admittedly a little touristy.

Anyone who's toured with gugie knows all too well about the aromas that accompany such rides.

Wednesday afternoon, join us at Fogbelt Brewing just north of College. Good food, good beer, comfortable outdoor seating.

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...serviced the espresso machine there about forty-five year back, it was an Aurora model B25 two-group lever machine manufactured about 1979...

,,,never got paid..

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Oh, you'll still get the joy that is the refineries - Piff's suggestion comes after that. But going along San Pablo Road does cut off a bunch of urban/suburban riding. San Pablo Dam Road is pretty trafficky, but it has good shoulders and is reasonably scenic. If you want to hop on BART at Orinda, that's easy-peasy. Or - hear me out - you could turn onto Wildcat Canyon Road for a nice two mile climb on a road almost completely closed to cars. A big chunk of the road slipped out a couple winters ago and still hasn't been fixed. Ignore the barricades (every cyclist around here does) and head on up. The slip out is maybe a quarter mile up and there is one bike-width's worth of pavement for maybe 30 yards - very much like Stage Road on Day One of Tourica 2023. Resident's cars are still allowed on the top half, but really the biggest hazard is clueless hikers and what is now the areas widest MUP, and since you'll be going uphill they aren't a nig deal.

I disagree: the climb up Oakville Grade is decidedly unhealthy. It is the hardest mile I have ever gone up. The route profile does not do it justice. The reward is a fun run down Dry Creek Road, but you will have earned it. And then some

After 5 days of riding, we might just cross the Carquinez Bridge, ride to the Martinez BART station and get off at Ashby BART. @Boltbreaker lives just a block from Alta Bates.

Now where the heck did I put my Clipper card...probably the same place I stored my LIRR bike pass during the move...

Yeah, that mile will murder us! Thankfully, we both have a "two foot" gear as backup for the steepest bits, and as you say, the reward will be the gentle descent down Dry Creek. As well, we'll be enjoying ginormous smash burgers as Squeeze Inn after showering and recuperating.