taxi777

Nice recovery ride today in the East bay's B&B Slowpoke ride. It lived up two it's name and was very "SlowPokie" Thanks for putting this on your guys. I seemed to eat an awful lot of food today? There was a fair bit of climbing which is always good. Carl (knotty) gave me a ride over to Martinez, so it was an easy travel day.
I'm enjoying these rides, they make for a great recovery rides after long Saturday rides and they capture the essence of what being part of bike group really is.
Some Picts:

taxi777

Midland

Thanks to Bikingshearer again(repairs & support) and BBM(waiting for a noobie) it really was a nice day out in the green hills. Enjoyed meeting new people and climbing some hills.

bigbossman 

That there is what you call a stud horse, right there.

spingineer

Thanks for putting this together. Umm ... recovery ride ... yea ... was a bit hillier than I thought for a Slowpoke ride. Was a little more than a recovery for a century the day before. I guess I had to HTFU again today ...

Ride leader taking charge ... take no prisoners!


Off and on the road


BBM always looking for the camera


BBM enjoying the ride


Cresting Pig Farm Hill


1st Regroup


Classy jesture


What are they scheming this time?

BlastRadius

Great pics. It looked downright HOT. Was there BBQ after this ride too?

bigbossman 

Naw - mebbe low 70's and breezy. No BBQ this time. The group got so fractured that we ended up dribbling into the parking lot over a long stretch of time, and people had other things to do.

Mr Vagabond

Thanks for the fun time. Wish I didn't have to bow out only 12 miles in, but my ankle definitely needs a good rest. Hopefully I'll be ready to roll for the next ride.

Kedosto

Thanks to Bikingshearer for putting this one together. It was a great day, great ride, great group. I hope I can make the next one. Thanks guys!

taxi777

dude! that really freaked me out! Glad it wasn't worse. Hope you heal fast

Lanceoldstrong

This was a fun ride, kind of weird though. Somehow it devolved into anarchy and a series of time trials racing from regroup point to regroup point. After each "time trial" us knuckle, dragging, chest beating, testosterone monkeys would wait for the more social paced rider to catch up. Then off we would go roaring off to the next regroup. Weird, fast, intense and very fun.

Thanks Bikingshearer and Bigbossman

p.s. With my pre-ride warm up of 40 miles and my ride home thrown in, I got 80 total miles and 5617 feet of climbing. Of course the best part of the ride was the 30 miles I spent with "the gang"

Red Rider

*wipes tears* Thanks, I needed that.

*ducks and runs for cover*

hs845

Thanks bikingshearer for putting today's ride together.
and thanks to everyone for waiting for me and helping with the tire.
new area for me to ride; the scenery was great (save for the refinery bit).
great to meet everyone.

x136 

You guys were lucky, then, I guess. I was riding by the area on 80 (er, different kind of bike.) and just about got blown into the weeds a few times.

x136 

So did anyone take the McEwen Challenge? Pete, I know the Taxibike wants some McEwen action...?

bigbossman 

Nice day to be out and about.Garmin tells me I spent about as much time sitting around as I did riding - about 2 hours! Anyway - great turnout and loads of fun. A few pics from me:

A nice little toy cruises by in Crockett:


Pete actually helping out:


A horse in Hercules:


Looking over the bars on Alhambra Road:


Going into the wind in Hercules:


Pete being Pete:


Poppies:


Loitering with intent - Jack-in-the-Box, Pinole:


A pretty tree amid lots of poppies:


Two boys chasing one girl:

x136 

Mmm, Dino.

Your red bike would look good mounted on a roof rack on that.

bigbossman 

Don't think that thought didn't cross my mind. A vintage red '72 Dino and a vintage red italian bike. Mmmmmmmmm......

x136 

Pfft, Thule's configurator doesn't have entries for Dino or Ferrari. Lame.

bigbossman 

Then we toss the blonde out and put the bike in the passenger seat.

Norcal02

Looks like a lot of fun. I look forward to the next one, one I might be able to get out to...as long as its not May 3rd! It looks like these "recovery" rides would be perfect for me to get my feet wet with a group. I hope to see ya guys soon.

x136 

I guess, but it'd look so much better mounted up top all proper-like. Didn't your old 911 have a roof-rack?

bigbossman 

Yeah - but no such luck with the new one. Might as well be a Dino, as far as Thule is concerned.

knotty

Thanks a lot for the ride, it was fun and especially nice to finally see the faces and names I've been looking at on BF for a while.

A few Photos.

Pig Farm regroup, Ron showing them how to put on warmers .


Just a few more yards to go.




Pete always photographs good.


I guess this is/was the Pig Farm.

bikingshearer 

Okay, lemme take stock here.

Give tube to total stranger not with our group who had a flat -- check.

Help untangle Midland's chain when it decided to do an imitation of an anaconda choking the life out his BB -- check.

Use my nifty CO2 gizmo that bigbossman gave me to inflate bentpebbles' tire after he had a flat -- check.

Yup, I think that's enough to qualify for my Good Samaritan Cyclist merit badge.

Absolutely gorgeous day out there. The grass was green, the poppies and lupine and mustard were out, and the wind was mostly at our backs, and when it wasn't, we were usually going downhill. It was great seeing some familiar faces and great seeing some new ones. Thanks to all for coming out. You folks make the rides.

I'll try to post some more pics tonight - I even have one of Pete when he is not telling the photographer the he/she is #1.