hypersnazz

The one that starts at Foothill and Page Mill...I've never done it, was thinking about going along next Friday. How's the vibe? Anyone here ride it regularly?

SteveE

Haven't ridden it recently (like over a year). The best days to give it a try would be the easy days - Monday and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually the hardest. Wednesdays the route goes up OLH and back down 84. Not as crazy as the Spectrum ride (not as many riders).

'nother

SteveE, how do the "easy" days compare to the A/V "B" ride (generally speaking)? Just curious. I felt like I could keep up okay with you guys without losing my breakfast that one time I went, so if I can translate from one to the other . . .

SteveE

I would say definitely a higher all-around tempo than the B-ride on the Mondays & Fridays. I haven't ridden it enough on those days to really give a definitive answer. I thought the Tuesday and Thursday rides were hard. I got dropped the first few times. It's a pretty fast group.

hypersnazz

Tuesdays and Thursdays are out for me anyway, might as well check it out next Friday. Is it huge? Small? Are the people cool? Jerks? Squirrely? I've been told some of the A/V riders can be pretty sketchball. I caught up with one of their rides (dunno if it was A or B or what but they were pushing pretty consistently in the mid to high 20s) and it seemed smooth and consistent, but there was nothing really resembling organization or cooperation, just guys moving up on both sides and through the middle totally at random while others moved back in the same fashion.

hypersnazz

Also, anyone wanna join so I can pretend like I know someone there? Go have a beer or something afterward?

SteveE

If it was on a Saturday, it was the B-ride. If Sunday, the A-ride. The B-ride is just a group ride; it's not like it's a race or anything. In fact, that's our new mantra - "The B-Ride is not a race!" It's pretty hard to get 50 riders of varying ability to meld into a cohesive unit. Trust me!

'nother

Hmm. I'm thinking about it . . . but, not this coming Monday or Friday, as I'll be out of town. Maybe the following week (24th or 28th). If you're in Santa Clara I could hook up with you and ride up there. How close are you to Homestead & Foothill?

SteveE

Most of the folks on the Noon ride are either racers or ex-racers, so good group riding skills are are must. I'm sure there are some"jerks" and squirrelly riders. You'll have to keep your eyes open and try not to do anything stupid.

I'd go, except I've got a job now. I was in the ranks of the unemployed when I used to occasionally do the ride during the summer of 2004.

hypersnazz

Re: Alta Velo - The ride I caught up with was on a Friday, I'm dead positive of this. I *can* go out on Saturdays but I prefer Fridays just 'cause traffic is lighter, so I'll usually use Saturday as a rest day.

Re: my location - I'm up in the way northeast corner of Santa Clara, near Great America and Mission College, but getting out to Homestead and Foothill is totally doable.

Re: group riding - I don't have a lot of experience riding in groups, so I ride pretty conservative, stay consistent, keep my eyes open and try to keep my front wheel behind the rear wheel of whoever I'm following (and out of it, obviously). Any other specific tips or your own pet peeves I should avoid?

SteveE

hypersnazz -

It wasn't an "official" Alto Velo club ride then, just a group of AV'ers that got together for a ride.

Pet peeves: Riders who don't hold their line and who come up on my right when I'm near the edge of the pavement without announcing their presence. And, of course, riders who cause crashes.