Ride to Benicia Vista Lookout

Find some hills in Crockett

Vallejo to San Ramon Metric Century and more

I decided to make a big trip for a Sunday ride.  I have not been out to the inland wast bay in a while.  I juts think its more congested and you have to dodge more cars as compared to riding to Napa or Fairfield. It was the typical route from Vallejo to Martinez through the bridge and onto Shell Ave.  I took the Iron Horse Trail from the north entrance in Concord to the south end of Walnut Creek.  I knew from past rides that the Iron Horse gets congested in the Danville/San Ramon area.  It gets kind of crazy when you have little kids on bikes and other adults that weave through the foot traffic.  So never again will I take the Iron Horse through that segment.  I took Danville Blvd. which was free to cruise at 18-20mph.  There were a lot of cyclists out going the opposite way.  I made it to downtown Danville and cruised the area.  I wasn't really sure when I wanted to stop and turn around.  I made my way to San Ramon and felt it was a good time to head back.  I did not stop anywhere and eat/refuel because I did bring a lot of snacks with me.  I also had a second full bottle and figured I would just stop in Walnut Creek where I am more familiar with local stops.  I headed back up north and really felt the heat.  I made a quick stop in Walnut Creek for water and headed back to Vallejo.  The wind picked up and it cooled down when I got to Martinez.  That felt good on the body.  I finished in Vallejo in the mid afternoon.  This ride felt pretty flat except for the Benicia Bridge and medium sized hills San Ramon.  I would ride this route again just to build my base miles.

Around town with the TCR

Just out for a quick ride on the TCR.  I have not been on this bike in a while.  I feel sorry for neglecting it, but it is surely a fun ride.  The only big difference the TCR compared to my Felt is the gearing.  I really like the compact(50) crankset on the Felt as compared to the standard double(53) on the TCR.  I feel like I am working harder on the TCR but holding a brisk pace.  I just need to ride it more to get used to it.

Let's Ride Group ride to Walnut Creek Performance Bike

I met up with my buddies Laz and David for this ride.  I rode to Benicia and grouped at the east entrance of Benicia State Park.  We then briskly rode to Walnut Creek.  Our mid destination was Performance Bike near downtown Walnut Creek.  It was a good ride which ended late in the afternoon.  We just got back to Benicia before sundown.

Vallejo to Rutherford Metric Century

Time for a big ride on a nice Sunday morning.  I rode solo and headed out to Napa.  I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go.  Whenever I go to Napa, I just wing my rides and decide last minute.  At first, I was just thinking I would ride to Yountville.  I felt good riding through Silverado Trail on the way to Yountville so I extended my route to Rutherford.  I hopped on to HWY 29 going north to Rutherford.  It was my first time riding this route.  The roads were smooth until I got to Rutherford.  I headed north a bit toward St. Helena but couldn't take the harsh roads so I made my way back towards Napa.  I crossed on over to Silverado Trail and went on my usual route back to Napa.  By the time I got to the Napa airport, I felt pretty pooped.  This was my first long ride in a while.  I really need to spend more time in the Napa Valley instead of the East Bay.  The only thing I don't like as much is the flat terrain.  I will soon conquer the hills of Napa!

Out in front of Town Hall

Single speed to the library and farmers market

My girlfriend and I got in a short ride to Vallejo's Farmers Market.  We enjoyed the sun and the views.

@ Hwy 37 Bridge

Our bikes at the Farmers Market

Let's Ride Group ride!

I finally got some of the Let's Ride group members to go out on a hilly 30 mile ride.  There was 5 of us that grouped up at the Starbucks at the base of Rose Dr. in Benicia.  I headed out 30 minutes before the ride because I left out of my house and met the rest of the group there.  We headed on over to Martinez and took the scenic route that looks over the Carquinez Strait.  We all finished just a bit over two hours.  There were a lot of stops to let people catch up.  It was a good ride for those who haven't been on the saddle for a while.