Date: Saturday, September 10
Meet time: 7:30 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:00 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 80
Description:
This is the last in a weekly series of eight training rides from Mountain View to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge.
It's our celebration ride! In the past seven weeks, we've tackled more hills than we ever thought possible, so today we've dialed way back on the climbing as we add our final few miles of distance.
Today's route is a South Bay classic: across the Dumbarton Bridge, up Niles Canyon, and then up the "easier" side of Calaveras Road (our only significant climb of the day), with an easy and flat return through Milpitas, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale. Total climbing on this ride is "only" about 2,600 feet. Remember when that seemed like a lot?
Special bonus! The 40th Annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival is taking place Saturday along Castro Street, just two blocks away from the end of our ride. Enjoy music, art, food, and more until 6 p.m.
Click to RSVP (RSVPs are requested but not required.)
DBD/Seismic Ride 7: Saratoga Gap (9/3/2011)
Date: Saturday, September 3
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - steep hills, long climbs
Miles: 75
Description:
This is the seventh in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Today, we'll head to Saratoga and climb all the way up Highway 9 to Saratoga Gap, a 7.4-mile climb that gains almost 2,100 feet. Of course, we don't stop there. After that, we'll ride along the crests of the Peninsula range along Skyline Blvd. all the way to the junction with Highway 84, where we'll descend back to three-digit elevations. But wait, there's more! Next, we'll ride Cañada Road to the end and climb Bunker Hill one last time. And if that weren't enough, we'll finish by climbing to Woodside and going around the Portola Valley loop and the Arastradero Nature Preserve.
Total climbing on this route is about 5,500 feet. Water sources are limited along Skyline Blvd.; bring plenty of water. We will have a SAG vehicle on the route.
Click to RSVP (RSVPs are requested but not required.)
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - steep hills, long climbs
Miles: 75
Description:
This is the seventh in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Today, we'll head to Saratoga and climb all the way up Highway 9 to Saratoga Gap, a 7.4-mile climb that gains almost 2,100 feet. Of course, we don't stop there. After that, we'll ride along the crests of the Peninsula range along Skyline Blvd. all the way to the junction with Highway 84, where we'll descend back to three-digit elevations. But wait, there's more! Next, we'll ride Cañada Road to the end and climb Bunker Hill one last time. And if that weren't enough, we'll finish by climbing to Woodside and going around the Portola Valley loop and the Arastradero Nature Preserve.
Total climbing on this route is about 5,500 feet. Water sources are limited along Skyline Blvd.; bring plenty of water. We will have a SAG vehicle on the route.
Click to RSVP (RSVPs are requested but not required.)
DBD/Seismic Ride 6: Tunitas Creek (8/27/2011)
Date: Saturday, August 27
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - steep hills, long climbs
Miles: 70
Description:
This is the sixth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Tunitas Creek Road is one of the signature climbs of the Peninsula coastside, climbing about 2,000 feet over 9 miles with the steepest parts in the middle. That's where we're going today. But since we're starting in Mountain View, we first have to get to Tunitas Creek ... and that means climbing over the Peninsula range just to get there. We'll do that by climbing Old La Honda Road, a 3.3-mile climb that gains about 1,300 feet, and then descending Highway 84 to San Gregorio. And if that's not enough climbing, we've got a tiny little surprise waiting for you in the last few miles.
Total climbing for this ride is about 6,000 feet. You will need to pace yourself accordingly to make it through the entire route, but completing this ride will give you a deep sense of accomplishment and build confidence for your upcoming big ride.
Click to RSVP (RSVPs are requested but not required.)
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - steep hills, long climbs
Miles: 70
Description:
This is the sixth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Tunitas Creek Road is one of the signature climbs of the Peninsula coastside, climbing about 2,000 feet over 9 miles with the steepest parts in the middle. That's where we're going today. But since we're starting in Mountain View, we first have to get to Tunitas Creek ... and that means climbing over the Peninsula range just to get there. We'll do that by climbing Old La Honda Road, a 3.3-mile climb that gains about 1,300 feet, and then descending Highway 84 to San Gregorio. And if that's not enough climbing, we've got a tiny little surprise waiting for you in the last few miles.
Total climbing for this ride is about 6,000 feet. You will need to pace yourself accordingly to make it through the entire route, but completing this ride will give you a deep sense of accomplishment and build confidence for your upcoming big ride.
Click to RSVP (RSVPs are requested but not required.)
DBD/Seismic Ride 5: New Almaden (8/20/2011)
Date: Saturday, August 20
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 65
Description:
This is the fifth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Today's route takes us to the historic mining town of New Almaden, like another world that exists in the shadow of modern San Jose. And of course, we'll find plenty of small to medium hills to get us there -- specifically, Mount Eden, Kennedy (in both directions), and Coleman (again, in both directions). But for those who know the area well, don't worry: we will not be doing Hicks Road in either direction. All that climbing adds up to about 3,500 feet total.
RSVPs are requested but not required.
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 65
Description:
This is the fifth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Today's route takes us to the historic mining town of New Almaden, like another world that exists in the shadow of modern San Jose. And of course, we'll find plenty of small to medium hills to get us there -- specifically, Mount Eden, Kennedy (in both directions), and Coleman (again, in both directions). But for those who know the area well, don't worry: we will not be doing Hicks Road in either direction. All that climbing adds up to about 3,500 feet total.
RSVPs are requested but not required.
DBD/Seismic Ride 4: Crystal Springs (8/13/2011)
Date: Saturday, August 13
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 60
Description:
This is the fourth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Although this ride doesn't venture much beyond the Peninsula foothills, we'll visit them over and over and over again in a day with lots of small but significant climbs. In order of appearance, we'll go up West Loyola Drive and Taaffe in Los Altos Hills, Bunker Hill, Polhemus, and Highland/Jefferson, plus all the smaller climbs between those points. This is an ideal route to help you get ready for similar climbs in both DBD and Seismic. The good news is that the last 15 miles are mostly downhill and flat.
Total climbing is about 3,600 feet. Be sure to bring plenty of water and electrolyte replacement, especially if it's hot. The route has many turns, sometimes in short succession, so it's essential that you have a map holder or binder clips so you can safely refer to your route sheet while riding.
RSVPs are requested but not required.
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills with some steep climbs
Miles: 60
Description:
This is the fourth in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Although this ride doesn't venture much beyond the Peninsula foothills, we'll visit them over and over and over again in a day with lots of small but significant climbs. In order of appearance, we'll go up West Loyola Drive and Taaffe in Los Altos Hills, Bunker Hill, Polhemus, and Highland/Jefferson, plus all the smaller climbs between those points. This is an ideal route to help you get ready for similar climbs in both DBD and Seismic. The good news is that the last 15 miles are mostly downhill and flat.
Total climbing is about 3,600 feet. Be sure to bring plenty of water and electrolyte replacement, especially if it's hot. The route has many turns, sometimes in short succession, so it's essential that you have a map holder or binder clips so you can safely refer to your route sheet while riding.
RSVPs are requested but not required.
How much climbing is that?
So, you say you climbed 6,500 feet today? What does that mean? The sad answer is that, depending on what tools you're using to calculate elevation gain, it could mean just about anything. The major ride-mapping programs report vastly different climbing numbers for the very same route, as recorded in a GPX file for a 50-mile ride that I did today.
When someone says a ride has a certain amount of climbing, it's important to know what they're using to measure it, so you can make an informed comparison. I've used Bikely for the past several years because, despite all of its faults, it produced elevation data that appeared to be very close to reality. Nowadays, however, I'm trying to use Strava when possible (but I'm still too cheap to pay for its premium service).
- Raw GPX file: The file collected by my Strava Android app recorded 4,026 feet of climbing. This is already understood to be an unreliable number because the phone is not always a trustworthy source of accurate elevation.
- Strava: 2,868 feet, using the USGS topographic database.
- Map My Ride: 1,955 feet, computed from the GPX file.
- Map My Ride: 1,969 feet, drawing the route myself in the program.
- Ride with GPS: 5,275 feet. Its elevation profile is much more jagged, suggesting that the total is so much higher because no smoothing is done on the curves.
- Bikely: Could not import the GPX file. However, Bikely is down so much these days that it's really not worth using anymore. (Update: I was finally able to draw, but not save, the route in Bikely, and I got 2,579 feet.)
When someone says a ride has a certain amount of climbing, it's important to know what they're using to measure it, so you can make an informed comparison. I've used Bikely for the past several years because, despite all of its faults, it produced elevation data that appeared to be very close to reality. Nowadays, however, I'm trying to use Strava when possible (but I'm still too cheap to pay for its premium service).
DBD/Seismic Ride 3: Kings Mountain (8/6/2011)
Date: Saturday, August 6
Meet time: 8:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Three blocks west of the Mountain View Caltrain and VTA station, in the overflow parking lot at the corner of Evelyn Avenue and Franklin Street. (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Heavy rain cancels
Category: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 4 - long hills; steep climbs
Miles: 54
Description:
This is the third in a weekly series of eight training rides to help you get ready for the Double Bay Double and/or Seismic Challenge. These rides will gradually increase to about 80 miles and will take place every Saturday from downtown Mountain View.
Kings Mountain is one of the signature climbs of the Peninsula, topping out at an elevation of 2,421 feet. (That's just a little bit less than Mt. Tam!) It's a long but mostly consistent climb of about 7%, so it's not stupidly steep. But you definitely need to pace yourself to have enough energy to make it to the top with grace and aplomb. After reaching the summit, we'll head back into Woodside on the Highway 84 descent, and then we'll travel up Cañada Road so we can descend Edgewood as well. After all that climbing, we'll do an easy return to Mountain View on Alameda de las Pulgas and Foothill Expwy.
Total climbing is about 3,200 feet. Be sure to bring plenty of water and electrolyte replacement, especially if it's hot.
RSVPs are requested but not required.
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