DBD4 ride #5: Montebello (8/24/2014)

Date: Sunday, August 24
Meet time: 9:40 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: Stevenson Elementary School, 750 San Pierre Way (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - some steep hills; one long climb
Miles: 58

Description:
After a month of flirting with the coastal mountains (who knew we could be such a tease), today we finally begin our full-throttled assault on our altimeters.

Our quest is the summit of Montebello Road, a climb of 5.2 miles to a top elevation of about 2,560 feet. (That's just about as high as Mount Tamalpais!) But you can think of it as three separate climbs. The first mile averages 9% and is moderately challenging. The middle three miles average only 6% and offer some relief. The final mile averages only 7%, but it has a few very steep (double-digit) pitches on the way to an epic dead end with amazing views of the valley. Your reward for all that climbing? An epic 5.2-mile descent, but watch out for wildlife, oncoming traffic, and debris.

But if Montebello were our only destination of the day, that wouldn't be a very long ride ... and it wouldn't simulate the riding on Day 1 of DBD4, when we have a couple thousand feet of additional climbing after we reach our peak altitude of almost 3,200 feet early in the day. So we've packed today's ride with a few extra bonus (smaller) climbs both before and after Montebello. We've got the backside of Pierce Road from Highway 9 to the Mountain Winery (the easier direction), the backside of Mount Eden (OK, not so easy), and Barley Hill. And we'll also do West Loyola Drive, the same hill that began last week's ride ... but it's at the end of the ride this time, and you might notice some difference in how you feel about it!

Ride With GPS reports about 4,300 feet of climbing for this ride.

Our new location is an easy 1.1-mile ride from the Mountain View Caltrain station; the first southbound train from San Francisco arrives in Mountain View at 9:29 a.m. We've adjusted our meet time so Caltrain riders can make our meet time.

Toilets and water are available nearby at Stevenson Park; Safeway and Jack In The Box are a half-mile away at Shoreline Blvd.

Click here to RSVP now
RSVPs are recommended but not required.

DBD4 ride #4: Woodside plus (8/17/2014)

Date: Sunday, August 17
Meet time: 9:40 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: Stevenson Elementary School, 750 San Pierre Way (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep hills
Miles: 55

Description:
Sure, we're just riding to Woodside and back today, but our route is certainly twisted ... in more ways than one!

We begin with a climb up West Loyola Avenue to Neary Quarry, followed by a few miles of hilly rambling through Los Altos Hills before we get our first rest stop at about mile 17. Next, we'll begin to head toward Woodside, but we'll take a detour along the way and tackle the reverse Westridge Drive (the easier direction, but certainly not "easy"). After descending back to Stanford, then we'll climb Sand Hill Road and (finally) take Mountain Home Road to our second rest stop at Roberts Market in Woodside.

The last leg of our ride has only one climb, but it's a fun one: the back entrance to Cañada College, followed by the blazing descent of Farm Hill Road. After that, it's an easy ride for the last 12 miles through Menlo Park and downtown Palo Alto.

Ride With GPS reports about 3,500 feet of climbing for this ride.

Our new location is an easy 1.1-mile ride from the Mountain View Caltrain station; the first southbound train from San Francisco arrives in Mountain View at 9:29 a.m. We've adjusted our meet time so Caltrain riders can make our meet time.

Toilets and water are available nearby at Stevenson Park; Safeway and Jack In The Box are a half-mile away at Shoreline Blvd.

Click here to RSVP now
RSVPs are recommended but not required.

DBD4 ride #3: Los Gatos

Date: Sunday, August 10
Meet time: 9:40 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: Stevenson Elementary School, 750 San Pierre Way (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep hills
Miles: 51

Description:
Today's ride ramps up the hill-climbing just a bit as we begin to gently nudge our way up against the edge of the coastal mountains that we'll be climbing on the event.

We begin with the traditional and popular route through Stevens Canyon, up and over Mount Eden, and then down Pierce Road (we're not climbing the steep part) into our first rest stop in Saratoga. After that, we'll tackle a couple of new hills around Saratoga before making our way to the scenic and quirky Montalvo Arts Center. (Be sure to check the road signs as we enter.) Then, we'll spend a couple of minutes on the last public brick road in Santa Clara County and travel some of the secluded residential backroads of Monte Sereno and Los Gatos.

Then we've got our two big climbs of the day: Kennedy Road eastbound, followed immediately by Shannon Road westbound. Neither one is particularly long, although each has a short section of moderate steepness. Our reward is the rest stop in Los Gatos that follows immediately thereafter. After that, it's back to Monte Sereno for a new variation on the Laurel/Oak hill, followed by the Saratoga real estate tour on Sobey and Chester roads. Our return through Cupertino and Sunnyvale is gently downhill and, thankfully, has no surprises.

Ride With GPS reports about 3,250 feet of climbing for this ride.

Our new location is an easy 1.1-mile ride from the Mountain View Caltrain station; the first southbound train from San Francisco arrives in Mountain View at 9:29 a.m. We've adjusted our meet time so Caltrain riders can make our meet time.

Toilets and water are available nearby at Stevenson Park; Safeway and Jack In The Box are a half-mile away at Shoreline Blvd.

Click here to RSVP now
RSVPs are recommended but not required.

DBD4 ride #2: Redwood City plus (8/3/2014)

Date: Sunday, August 3
Meet time: 9:40 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting place: Stevenson Elementary School, 750 San Pierre Way (map) NEW LOCATION
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep hills
Miles: 45

Description:
It's just a ride to Redwood City and back! What could be simpler? Well ... that's the "plus."

We will visit a lot of the quiet side streets and backroads between here and there. None of the climbs are especially long -- the longest is only about a mile -- but there are a lot of them, which is a good way to help prepare for DBD. And there are a lot of turns -- which is also a good way to practice your navigational skills for the event. (Remember, the DBD event route is not visibly marked!)

The rewards are plenty on this ride. Even the most well-traveled cyclist likely will go somewhere they've never been. And even the most jaded cyclist likely will find something that makes them go "Oooooh, wow."

Strava reports about 2,750 feet of climbing for this ride.

Our new location is an easy 1.1-mile ride from the Mountain View Caltrain station; the first southbound train from San Francisco arrives in Mountain View at 9:29 a.m. We've adjusted our meet time so Caltrain riders can make our meet time.

Toilets and water are available nearby at Stevenson Park; Safeway and Jack In The Box are a half-mile away at Shoreline Blvd.

Click here to RSVP now
RSVPs are recommended but not required.