SacLeisureRider

Got a bike this weekend, and just rode about the neighborhood... Maybe 3 miles... But it tells me alot. I need to get my sorry butt back in shape. What is the best way to build endurance, as I'm hoping that I can get enough of my endurance back to ride Tahoe at the end of September.

Bostic

What is the grade for Pierce? That hill doesn't seem all that steep looking at it yet my body tells me something different at the top of it.

BigSean

Im not really sure, but I know its steep although not very long. yeah it hurts a bit. Im gonna say around 15%.

Gee3

Didn't ride this weekend but I did walk 18 holes of golf at the Metro in Oakland, where they have very wide bike paths around that area. I also had a softball game 2.5 hours after. So I still got a good leg workout that day! although I thought it was going to be overcast and cool so I had long pants on and my neck and arms are a bit toasty!

jobob

FWIW, the Stanford Cycling page has brief descriptions of lots of route and climbs in the bay area, esp the peninsula. This is what they have to say about Pierce:

I can't vouch for its accuracy though ...

silentben

On Saturday I just went for a quick spin through a couple of the nicer neighborhoods near where I live to look at the huge mansions and nice cars. Then on Sunday I went unicycling wih my brother up in Pacifica. We hit some trails along the coast and covered about 11.5 miles. Average speed: 6mph.

spingineer

I don't know ... Pierce seemed steeper ... I would have guessed at least 12%, but I could be wrong. If that's need steep enough, you can try Saratoga Heights, off of Pierce. That'll take you to the heavens!

jobob

Unicycling ! Wow, you're coordinated !

AzureDrpTp

I did Bike for Breath with a bunch of friends on Saturday. Charity was worth while, but the route included too many busy streets and stop signs for our liking.

spingineer

I was wondering what that ride was ... we were going northbound on Portola Valley, and saw a bunch of riders coming in the opposite direction. Then, I think the Spectrum ride flew past me ... either that or Steve's Alto Velo B Ride.

BigSean

It is steeper. Everything on the Stanford site is light on the %'s for some reason. My guess is they are averages.

platypus

Pierce is 10% for bits pretty easily, but it doesn't hold a candle to going back north on Mt. Eden. My computer registered a max of 14% on that. Ouch!

SteveE

Must've been Spectrum: a.) There's a lot of difference between the B-ride pace and Spectrum. Spectrum flies past us. b.) We went up Moody and Page Mill on our way to San Gregorio, Stage, and Tunitas. We did come across the WW ride on 84 heading into San Gregorio.

spingineer

Aha ... I was one of those on WW that you flew by.

SteveE

Wait! You earlier wrote "over to Pescadero then to San Gregorio via Stage Rd.". Our group took West Alpine to Pescadero Rd to 84 to San Gregorio. I don't see how we could've passed you. I do recall passing Jeff S. on 84 and seeing Steve & Cheryl P. at the S.G. store.

genejockey 

Since you're talking about San Gregorio, is there any alternative to 84 that avoids the long, boring slog to the coast, after the fun, fast, no-brakes-descending part? I'd like to ride to the coast and take Tunitas back, but the flat, headwindy part of 84 just makes it seem unpleasant.

SteveE

The only other way (without adding tons of extra miles) is from 84, left on Pescadero after La Honda, right on Stage in Pescadero, north to San Gregorio.

spingineer

Oh, then it probably wasn't you. I was on the same ride the Steve & Cheryl were on, but I arrived at the store much later. I always get San Gregorio and Pescadero mixed up. We went west on 84, then left on Stage ... don't mind me ... I'm directionally challenged.

SteveE

Au contraire! It probably WAS you. 84 takes you to San Gregorio. Taking a left on Stage, over the two "bumps", and you're into Pescadero. A left on Pescadero Rd takes you back over Haskins Hill to West Alpine.

- SteveE

DavisClydesdale

Carson pass is not friendly to clydes on the way up, but it is awesome for clydes on the way down! Rode from Kirkwood to Squaw Valley.

BigSean

Did a club training ride today in Los Altos Woodside area.

Dchiefransom

Went over the Dumbarton Bridge from Newark, round-a-bout to Alameda De Las Pulgas, then up Alpine to Arastadero, round-a-bout back to Palo Alto to The Prolific Oven, then back down University and across the Dumbarton to Newark. My longest ride on my 'bent, almost 52 miles.

ConstantRider

Over the bridge and through the Headlands, up Deer Park Trail to Pantoll Rd. and then Rock Springs Trail, down to Lake Lagunitas and the town of Fairfax, back up Railroad Grade to the top of Mt. Tam, then back through the Headlands again to the bridge. 80 miles, probably around 10,000 feet of climbing, 10.5 hours. Moving average -- about 7.6 MPH! Luckily, the scenery was nice -- at that speed, I had plenty of time for sight-seeing.

No one on the bridge yet at 7 AM...



About to go a little faster than 7.6 MPH for the drop down to Muir Beach.



Even on a (relatively) clear day, a $20 digital camera can only see so far. The tiny clump of pixels in the distance is the San Francisco skyline. If you do the Mt. Tam century ride, you will see views similar to this.

BlastRadius

Wow, nice day in Marin. We're you on a mountain bike or cyclocross bike?

ConstantRider

Mountain bike, hard-tail with an 80 MM fork and 1.7" knobbies.

Yesterday, I rode solo, but I've been doing these "mixed terrain" rides with some others who ride with the San Francisco Randonneurs group, and a wide range of bikes have been used. There have been fully rigid mountain bikes, cross bikes, and a couple of Rivendells -- a fixed/single-speed Quickbeam and a Ramboullet with 28c slicks.

The ultimate goal, spearheaded by a rider named Carlos, is to create a route for a 200KM mixed terrain brevet that could be done on any bike with appropriate gearing and, say, 700 x 30 tires. (There were a few stretches where the Rivendells ran out of gears -- 40x16 and 39x25 are not enough for the steepest (but usually pretty short) stretches, even for the strongest riders. Me, I make liberal use of my 22x34. And I like the suspension fork as well, although I think when I get a little more experience off-road I may switch to a rigid fork.

If anyone's interested, here is a link to Carlos' page about the rides, including cue sheets for some of the routes. I'm not sure when the next one will happen, but when they do, we usually meet at the Strauss statue at Golden Gate Bridge and leave at 8AM. All are welcome; I'll post the next time one is scheduled...