From Salt Lake City, UT
 

Hello everyone -

I was told about Bike Forum by one of the members and joined because this seems like a very interesting place. I have recently restored a well-used 1986 Univega "Grand Tourismo" that I bought new around 1987 with the intention of a long-distance trip. I lived in El Sobrante, CA at the time and ended up not taking the tour, but riding that bike all over Contra Costa County, down the Peninsula, to the Central Valley, and around the San Juan Islands. Most of my trips were over night, or two-five days at the most. I moved to Eastern North Carolina and rode it all over there including the Outer Banks. I have been in Salt Lake for 10 years now, but haven't ridden the bike all that much - just around town and up and down City Creek once in a while.
I love to ride, but have to work too and that cuts into it some. I bought a new road bike - much faster and, somehow, more "fun," but it doesn't have soul the Univega has.
Nice to be here. I look forward to contributing...

Hey Robert, Welcome to Bike Forums!

We have a forum here called Classic and Vintage that you might find fun to visit. There are a couple of members there that are from your old stomping grounds - Co Co County - (that's where I'm from, too!)

Perhaps if you are ever back in this area you should post a thread in the NorCal section. The people there love to form rides when people visit. It would be cool to see your bike.

You say you just got a new road bike? What did you get? Post pics here, we love pics!! :) Oh especially of places you have ridden. That sounds so fun!

Hello Rober, we will definitely want to see photos of the Univega over at C & V :) .

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Hello SBW and EH -

Thanks for the welcome. I will post pix of the old Univega. The more I work on it the more I remember how much riding I did with it and how enjoyable (and healthy...) that was. I am waiting for better weather. We are currently experiencing snow storms or inversions (a polite spin on winter smog) that leave the days dull and with no flattering light. But I will get to it as soon as the light gets better and I am home.

I lived about 6 years in CC County in El Sobrante - between Richmond and Orinda on the San Pablo Dam Road. Most people from CCC have heard of it but, surprisingly, many people in the Bay Area haven't. I really liked it there (nice weather, coyotes and even a panther in the back yard, no street lights, "live and let-live" people). I used to ride out to Briones Reservior, and one of my favorite rides was around the loop to Concord via Castro Ranch Road winding up in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and over the hill the back way to Orinda, then back down SPD to El Sobrante. I lived on Olinda Road, so that would land me practically at my front door. I used to just explore on the bike and rode to Martinez, Antioch, Pittsburg, the Delta, and once out to Stockton and on to College Station on Highway 4 (I'll never do that again - dangerous!).

Another favorite ride was south on SPD, up Wild Cat Canyon Road and through Tilden Park, back down to Berkeley, and north through Kensington, Albany, and around the corner on SPD at San Pablo, and back to El Sobrante. There is ample food, coffee, and places to stop and enjoy on the way. Another favorite ride was through the Rheem Valley to Morage, over the hill to Lafayette, and back north on SPD. I once went up Moraga Way, over the hill to Oakland, down to Fremont and BART back to Orinda. Now, that same ride could be made "all day" by riding to SJ and taking the train to SF and back on BART - or riding as far up as you could and then taking BART from the airport? That wasn't built when I lived there.

At the time (and I think you still can do this) you could take a bike on BART and go riding anywhere in the greater Bay Area. I went to Daly City and rode down the coast to Moss Beach and back; to SF and rode across the GG Bridge to Sausalito and Mill Valley; to Daly City, up to Skyline, and down to La Honda Road. If I had my panniers and gear on that one I would have ridden all the way to La Honda, but I would have had to spend the night.

I really miss living there, CCC is a beautiful place, but I DON'T miss the traffic! Or the cost of living...

Last year I bought a LeMond Sarthe - mainly because it was steel and I got nostalgic when I was looking for a light, fast road bike. Aluminum and alloy bikes just seem "wierd" to me, but probably because I'm kind of an antique myself and only know what I grew up with. Here in Salt Lake there are plenty of opportunities for urban/semi-urban, and outright wilderness (high desert, mountains, salt flats) riding, but there are STEEP LONG hills. The Univega (bless its soul) would just wear me out in a few hours. I like the LeMond very much, and especially that it is steel and "feels" very familiar. It is so well built (for a production bike), tight, very light, and seems to want to "go." What would take the breath out of me on the Univega is just no sweat on the LeMond. It is kind of like going from an old Toyota Landcruiser or a Jeep to a Miata - or something small, light, well-built, and powerful. Actually, I love both bikes. But they are entirely different sensibilities.

I will certainly let folks know if I go back to CCC for a visit that includes bike riding. I want to see what the LeMond feels like on all those old rides. I bet it's fun.

Hope this helps you get to know me a little better. Thanks!

Thanks for that, it's always nice to get to know people a little better!

I know that if you return to CCC that there are a lot of people who would be happy to go on a ride with you, including quite a few C & Vers. Bigbossman and bikingshearer instantly spring to mind, actually.

Just let them know when you're in town!

East Hill

Wow you did the Highway 4 thing??? I was tempted to do it but I dunno..........

El Sobrante is a very beautiful place. Reminds me of the hippy days of living. I was actually looking for a place out there but it's just as expensive as SF.

It seems like you have ridden all over the place, even down to the Peninsula!! I know if you came out here, I would never be able to keep up with you. I have asthma and I take things a little bit slower.

It seems like you have a particular fondness for the Bay Area. It's always nice to come home, ya know. ESPECIALLY if that is where your heart is at.

I've been temped to move upwards towards Oregon. I'll be looking into it seriously within the next couple of years. I've grown up here, and never really left all my life. It would be a huge change for me. But they say people move on only for improvements...

Wow. It really is neat to know how much you've ridden out here. Thanks for sharing!! Hopefully I'll see more of you around here. :)

Yes, riding in Salt Lake right now isn't particularly nice. I've managed to get a few miles in between blizzards lately, but not much. But welcome aboard. And check the regional discussions from time to time. It's pretty dead right now, but we've usually got some local activity going on there.

Hi SBW, CH, and Aloyzius -

I am glad to hear that there is someone else in SLC waiting for the ice to melt. I know cold is no excuse, but those long frozen patches on the roads scare me. I am not nearly as young, strong, or brave as I might have been, so the thought of hitting the pavement in 22 degree weather kind of stops me. I think we are only good for another 6 weeks (or so) of this before it just gets too light and too warm during the day for winter to hold on any longer. At least, that's what my experience has been - and my hope is now.

SBW: I think you would have no problem keeping up with me. My CCC / Bay Area rides were many years ago, and I have "grown," so to speak. Those long Bay Area rides were not entirely strength or speed, more just sticking to it. By the way, the Highway 4 thing was probably the worst ride I ever took. I was young and dumb then, but old enough to know better. I didn't really bother to talk to anyone else who had made the ride, and just got out a map and thought Highway 4 was a pretty direct route through the CCC hills and out into the Valley. By the time I got to Stockton/Manteca I was so shredded and stressed out by being on a two-lane to four-lane gravel-shoulder road, with cars and trucks tearing past at 80 MPH (for hours), that I couldn't think straight. I decided to keep riding, thinking it would be better, and finally give up in College Station. I was actually headed for Angel's Camp or somewhere along Highway 49, intending to spend the night and ride back in the morning. It was much longer, and much hotter/windier/noiser/dangerous than I guessed. I ended up spending the night in some nasty motel around College Station (or somewhere?), got up at 5 the next morning and headed back. I finally had the sense to ask someone and was guided to a short-cut through Pittsburg, Concord, and over Castro Ranch back to El Sobrante. That was one awful ride, all in all. I also appreciate your take on El Sobrante - that was pretty much the way I saw it too.

I do miss the Bay Area. I also was born there, and lived most of my life there until I moved in 1992. I also thought Oregon might be a good place to live, but could never really feel "at home" there. I still visit the Bay Area - and I will bring my bike next time i go. Sometimes I think I would like to go back, but the quality of life in Salt Lake is just so much better. I really like living here too, for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it is much less crowded and there is "wilderness" just 20 minutes from my front door. After 10 years I have finally (I hope) learned to just ignore the annoyances (they are obvious - Utah is world famous for them), and just enjoy living in a beautiful place with generally kind people (when they are not driving :mad:). I try to do my best to be agreeable, no matter what happens, and it has worked out pretty well over time.

Nice to hear from all of you.

Oh - sorry. I just read the sticky. I'll take this up in the Mountains/Plains forum from now on. -RB

Oh no, that was some lovely reminiscing you were doing there, and I enjoyed it.

East Hill

Hey Robert, you may want to consider a pair of (or at least a front) studded tires. They have allowed me to ride straight through the cold and icy Pennsylvania winters and escape the trainer!

Anywho, many welcome to BikeForums, Robert!

... Brad

Howdy, neighbor.

I still have yet to be brave enough to do Hiway 4. I'm not sure if you know this but they had widened it quite a bit since you have gone. It is more than double the width it was before, due to development in the Oakley/Brentwood area. The project went to Railroad Ave, where it bottlenecks back down to two lanes.

Where in the Bay Area did you grow up? I'm a native here. But am looking forward to venturing North in a couple of years.

Liar. :D

Brian: Hi! ...almost over the back fence, internet-wise. Glad to be in the neighborhood!

SBW: I grew up in Marin (Belvedere) and moved to San Jose for college and grad school (and lived all over down there). Then to SF for about 10 years and El Sobrante for 6 - closer to 7 by the time i moved east. I find it sadly comic/ironic that Gary Fisher names his bikes after places in Marin I used to hang out, smoke, and drink during high school. But those places have become exotic and "fancy" to some, I think. I moved to SLC about 11 years ago. I kind of "married into the place," so to speak. At first I couldn't stand it (socio-politico-cultural shock), but in a few years I grew to love it here and I don't want to leave. I also thought about Oregon, but never really felt at home there.

There have been so many changes in the Bay Area that I almost don't recognize the place. From your description, I would try Highway 4 again, but (being older and wiser) I think if I wanted to go to the Gold Country/Sierra Foothills, I would take BART to Dublin or Pittsburg and start from there. I have learned to check out the thin black lines on the map before resorting to the thicker red ones!

They widened it for a reason. MORE CARS!!

I grew up in SF and moved to San Jose for a few years. Over by the flea market. Do you remember that?

Yep, Marin is the richie rich place. Even the bums there are rich. I remember going to the 7-11 there and in front of me was this drunk homeless looking guy trying to buy cheap booze. He didn't have enough money in his pocket for it. I was getting impatient as he searched his pockets, looked on the floor, and then he finally turned and asked ME for money!

I told him NO WAY! If this was for food yes, but booze, no way!

So he sat on the floor, lifted his pant leg, unhooked his fake leg, and pulled out a wad of money from there. In it was a hundred dollar bill that he raised up so the cashier can reach it. :lol:

That was really really funny. My face was like this: :eek:

That's the thing. When I grew up there it wasn't all a richy-rich place. It was just a place. Tiburon was a rail yard with a bunch of crumby houses on the hill and 12 bars. Belevedere was just getting fancy (in other's eyes), but nothing like it is today. Ross and Kentfield were the fancy places. I moved before Marin really took off. When I moved to San Jose (to go to school - SJSU), I thought it was awful at first. Then I got to really like it (humm... seems to be a pattern). I was really into biking then, had an old Raleigh Record, then a Nishiki (big upgrade for me), and rode mainly between SJ and Los Gatos, Saratoga (where I lived for a few years), Monte Sereno, and once to Morgan Hill and to Hollister and The Pinnacles. I never did Mt. Hamilton Road (that was the Everest of the time). BTW, did the clerk take the bill? That is both funny and creepy. Maybe it was his "emergency money" and that was an emergency. Poor guy.

:roflmao:

I remember the flea market in San Jose :D . Only went there a couple of times though.

East Hill

I do too. It was interesting, but I think it was also the region's fence. Some of the car stereos still had the wires hanging off the back... and there were lots of suspicious tools. But it was fun, as I remember. It was in a huge field somewhere - maybe off Trimble Road? Its been a while.

The flea market is off of Berryessa Road.

The last time I went though I felt funny, sort of like I was an outsider. It's really changed.

Heck, I felt funny when I went through there, and that was over 25 years ago! I do think it's a flea market for fences, though. I imagine that there are quite a few legitimate vendors, but--buyer beware!

East Hill

25 years ago was about when I was there too. That's right - Berryessa Road. Now I remember. That must be one of the longest-running fleas in the country. I seem to remember Mexican food as one of the attractions. The Marin City one was good too, but it was torn down for a strip mall and condos.

Heh. It sure was nice going down memory lane with the two of you....:D

Willkommen! We'll need to get out and ride when the weather gets a bit better. Brian's got a new fancy, schmancy cross bike he wants to test out anyway. :)

We really need to round up all the Utah members one of these days. If not for a ride, at least a warm drink.