Early-Bird Ride #1: Cupertino (11/19/2011)

Date: Saturday, November 19
Meet time: 9:30 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: New location! Parking lot at Villa and Franklin streets, Mountain View (across from the Tied House) (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: No pace; all are welcome
Terrain: 2 - rolling hills
Miles: 21

Description:

Welcome to a set of four early-bird rides in Mountain View to get you ready for the upcoming season. (The "early-bird" refers to the pre-season, not the time of day. We have humane meeting times!)

For this first ride, we'll take a simple route through Sunnyvale into Cupertino, where we'll go around De Anza College before tackling our one hill of the day: the very short (0.1 mile) climb up McClellan Road. After that, we'll take a quick rest stop along Foothill Expressway before heading through Los Altos into Palo Alto. Then it's back down Middlefield Road for our return to downtown Mountain View.

Total climbing on this ride is about 500 feet, according to Strava.

If you're planning to do our Distance Training rides beginning in mid-January, the early-bird rides are perfect for getting you back up to speed and distance. If you're a new ALCer, these rides are a great introduction to the people and ways of AIDS/LifeCycle.

This ride is Caltrain- and VTA-friendly. The first southbound train of the day leaves SF at 8:15 and arrives in Mountain View at 9:29. We're about four blocks from the station. If you're a veteran of the Mountain View rides, note our new meeting location this year! It's just one block away from our old spot.


RSVPs are requested but not required.

ALC11 Distance Training Preview (10/22/2011)

Date: Saturday, October 22
Meet time: 9:45 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: New location! Parking lot at Villa and Franklin streets, Mountain View (across from the Tied House) (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: 3 - moderate-fast pace (12-15 mph)
Terrain: 2 - rolling hills
Miles: 42

Description:

Entering its fifth season in 2012, the AIDS/LifeCycle Distance Training rides have become a Peninsula and South Bay institution. These rides start in January each year and culminate in mid-May with the Altamont Pass Double Metric. Although the rides are designed to train ALC riders, they're open to anyone who seeks the challenge.

Join me this Saturday for a preview of the 2012 rides as we "test-ride" the first route. From our (new!) meeting location in downtown Mountain View, we'll head around the Arastradero Nature Preserve, Portola Valley, Cañada Road, and Edgewood Road with an easy return on Alameda de las Pulgas. No surprise stupid climbs; this is all comparatively tame stuff. About 1,800 feet of climbing total.

We'll follow the usual ALC rules on this ride, but there won't be a sweep rider or a SAG vehicle. This ride is presented through Different Spokes San Francisco, so we will sign the DSSF waiver, not the ALC one.

This ride is Caltrain- and VTA-friendly. The first southbound train of the day leaves SF at 8:15 and arrives in Mountain View at 9:29. We're about a four-block walk from the station.

Meet time is 9:45 a.m., and we ride out at 10 a.m. sharp.


RSVPs are requested but not required.

Mountain View ALC11 early-bird training rides

Here is the tentative schedule for this season's early-bird training rides out of Mountain View.

Saturday, November 19: 22 miles to Cupertino and Los Altos, with nothing worse than the McClellan bump.
Saturday, November 26: No ride; Thanksgiving weekend.
Saturday, December 3: 28 miles, Portola Valley (via Alpine, not Westridge).
Saturday, December 10: 32 miles, Saratoga via Mount Eden (but not Pierce).
Saturday, December 17: 41 miles, flat loop around the South Bay including the Dumbarton Bridge.

The fifth annual Distance Training rides tentatively begin Saturday, January 14.

New meeting location: All rides will meet from the parking lot at the corner of Franklin and Villa streets in downtown Mountain View. This is one block south of our former location. We will still be Caltrain- and VTA-friendly, just one block farther away than before.

Whether you're a veteran ALCer or a first-year participant, I look forward to riding with you as we train for AIDS/LifeCycle 11.

(If you're an ALC ride leader who will be certified by ride day, contact me for the link to sign up.)