Today's safety tip

Even though this is my fourth year in ALC, this is also my first year riding a fully "proper" road bike. As a result, I might make some of the very same silly novice-type mistakes that you do. And I caught a whopper today.

In recent rides, I had noticed that my braking wasn't as strong as it had been. Especially going down hills, I had to really squeeze the brake levers to keep myself at a speed I'm comfortable with. Well ...

Before today's ride, I went to inflate my rear tire and managed to snap off the valve cap, which gave me a flat. I decided to take the opportunity to install a new tire that I'd bought a couple of weeks ago. But when I went to remove the current tire, I noticed that the brake release lever was already in the "release" position! This meant that the rear brake pads were farther from the wheel than they were supposed to be, which of course was responsible for my diminished braking capacity. The top photo shows the release position; the bottom photo shows the correct position for riding.

Another thing to check before a ride. Speaking of that, this is a good time to point out the "ABC-Quick-Check" that you should do before every ride. You can find many versions of it all over the web; here's a version from the University of Louisville:

1. A is for air


• Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire.
• Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure.
• Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged.


2. B is for brakes


• Inspect pads for wear; replace is there is less than ¼" of pad left.
• Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes.
• Check brake level travel; at least 1" between bar and lever when applied.


3. C is for cranks, chain and cassette


• Make sure that your crank bolts are tight; lube the threads only, nothing else.
• Check your chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches.
• If your chain skips on your cassette, you might need a new one or just an adjustment.


4. Quick is for quick releases


• Hubs need to be tight in the frame; your quick release should engage at 90°.
• Your hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it.
• Inspect brake quick releases to insure that they have been re-engaged.


5. Check is for check it over


• Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly.
• Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them.
• Pay extra attention to your bike during the first few miles of the ride.

Ride report: South Bay/Peninsula early-bird ride #3

Go, riders!

If you looked outside this morning and decided to stay home because you thought you'd get wet ... you were wrong. The 10 riders who took the chance and came to Mountain View were rewarded with mostly sunny skies, light winds, and a grand total (by my count, at least) of exactly six droplets of water that fell from the sky at about mile 24 of our 28-mile ride.

We were all very strong riders today, and you're all doing quite well for so early in the season. Our very gentle climbs gave us a chance to slow down a bit, and the very gentle descents were just enough to let many of us build up some decent speed. Longtime riders know this, but it bears repeating: The best thing you can do to conquer ALC is to find a pace at which you can essentially ride "forever," one that you can maintain day after day after day. This may not be the fastest pace you've ever done, but we're fond of saying that ALC is a ride, not a race. There's plenty to see and do between San Francisco and Los Angeles, so there's no point in wearing yourself out so that you can't enjoy any of it. (Conversely, of course, you should also plan to ride fast enough so that you do have enough time left over to stop and do all the diversions you want -- be they giant cinnamon buns, fried artichokes, or some discreet skinny-dipping.)

On a day like today, your bicycle probably accumulated quite a bit of gunk, not just on the frame, but in the other important parts as well: gearing, chain, and cables. If you haven't done so already, take five minutes to give your bike a quick water wipe-down. Your bike will thank you.

Another thing that happens often during training season happened to some of us today: the inevitable encounter with the "club rider." A racer got a little impatient with the speed of our group and whipped unsafely around us, nearly sending one of our riders off the road. As our rides get longer and travel to some of the more popular cycling destinations, such encounters are inevitable, but still thankfully somewhat infrequent. There's not much we can do about them, and there's usually little to be gained by trying to confront them. (Some of you may be more aggressive about this than I am; that's fine, too.) I find that the best way to spread our message of safe cycling is to be the example and let our actions speak loudest. Of course, if another ALCer does this, please call them out on it -- and tell a ride leader if there's not one around at the time. Remember that it only takes one rider in one town to lose one permit for us to ride, and the entire future of the ride could be in jeopardy. Don't let it happen!

What's next: On Sunday, Nov. 16, we'll do the Stanford Loop. This is a moderately hilly route that's extremely popular on weekends, so we'll have plenty of company. In the counterclockwise direction we'll be going, we'll tackle the gradual 3-mile climb up Alpine Road, followed by the glorious downhill into Portola Valley, with a couple of challenging little climbs before the final descent into Menlo Park. It's a nice 29-mile ride with about 1,250 feet of climbing. Details and RSVP are here.

Also be sure to check out the official ALC training ride calendar for a complete list of rides across the Bay Area. As the season goes on, it will be more important for you to ride consecutive days, so that's a good habit to start getting into.

See you in two weeks!

Today's ride is *on*

Good morning! The radar shows the last few showers moving out of the area, so it looks like we're in for a cloudy and cool day of riding, with temperatures in the lower 60s and light to moderate winds. So come join us!

What happens when rain is likely

The latest forecast has increased the chance of rain to 70% at ride-out time in Mountain View. But do not lose hope. I've seen far too many times where the weather has turned out downright clear and sunny despite a forecast of near-certain rain.

That said, here's generally how things work on a likely-rain ride morning:

-- About two hours before meeting time, I start checking the radar to see what's approaching. If a total washout is near-certain (i.e., the radar is an explosion of color), I may decide to cancel the ride then. Either way, I will post an update to this blog. If you have access to the net in the morning, please check first before calling me, because I'm probably busy getting ready for the ride myself!

-- If a ride is still possible, I continue to check the radar, especially over our entire ride route, since we usually travel across more than one of the Bay Area's many microclimates. As meeting time nears, I may still decide to cancel the ride. If so, I'll always post a notice to this blog.

-- Even if a ride is cancelled, I will always show up at the meeting point at the designated time. And I might not make the decision on whether to cancel until after I have arrived at the meeting point, depending on what the weather is doing.

-- If a ride is cancelled, some riders may choose to individually ride the designated route. These rides are strictly unofficial and are not sanctioned or controlled by ALC. You can use our route sheets, but you're probably on your own.

I know it's disappointing to travel to a meeting location only to have a ride cancelled. But safety is always our first priority, and especially this early in the season, it's best to err on the side of caution. There will be another day to ride.

Princesses: Never too early to book those rooms

Last year, I waited too long (until November) to book my two nights of motels along the route. The result was that I didn't get the motel I wanted in Paso Robles -- and I ended up in, shall we say, a less-than-satisfying lodging experience.

So today, I made my reservations for Paso Robles and Ventura. The good news is that rooms are still available at the Best Western in Paso Robles, the closest motel to the campground. In Ventura, I stayed at the Motel 6, a few minutes away from camp, and the experience was, well, Motel 6-ish, but by Day 6, Motel 6 seems like a palace of earthly delights.

Remember, of course, that ALC could possibly change camp locations (or even camp cities) for this year. But now that we're as big as we are, such major changes seem increasingly unlikely.

For first-time riders, the Princess Plan refers to spending one or more nights in motels along the route, instead of in our glorious campgrounds. There is a very unofficial website that tells more and gives detailed info for each 2008 host city.

South Bay/Peninsula early-bird ride #6: Mountain View to Newark (12/7/2008)

Map for this ride

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Meet time: 9:30 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 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: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - medium pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 1 - mostly flat
Miles: 35

Description:
This week, we take a break from the hills and head for the Dumbarton Bridge. Depending on the weather, the ride through the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge can be scenic and pleasant ... or windy and cold. We won't know until the morning of the ride! We'll take a rest stop in Newark before turning around and retracing our route back through Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Total climbing on this ride is only about 610 feet, and a lot of that is on the bridge.

Riders from all over Northern California are invited! Southbound Caltrain from San Francisco arrives at 9:14 a.m.

Route sheet for this ride is here.

Be sure to check the Training section of the ALC website for information on how to prepare for a training ride and what you must and should bring.

Leaders:
Chris Thomas
Dan England
Susan Fish
Zack Kreiter
Maggie Vande Voorde

RSVPs are requested but not required.

South Bay/Peninsula early-bird ride #5: Mountain View to Saratoga, the not-so-gentle way (11/30/2008)

Map for this ride

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Meet time: 9:30 a.m.
Ride-out time: 10:00 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: Rain cancels
Category: 2 - medium pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 2 - rolling hills
Miles: 33

Description:
We did the gentle route to Saratoga a few weeks ago, so today it's time to take a somewhat less-gentle (but much more scenic) route. We'll take Foothill Expressway through Cupertino and into Stevens Canyon, where we'll do our big hill of the day, the 0.7-mile climb up the legendary Mount Eden. (It's OK to take a break partway up, or even to walk part of the way.) After enjoying about 3 miles of descents, we'll take our first rest stop, and then we'll climb again, but this time much more gradually as we head up Quito Road toward Highway 9. After taking a second rest stop (what a deal!), it's almost entirely downhill or flat the rest of the way back to Mountain View. Total climbing on this ride is about 1,630 feet.

Riders from all over Northern California are invited! Southbound Caltrain from San Francisco arrives at 9:14 a.m.

Route sheet for this ride is here.

Be sure to check the Training section of the ALC website for information on how to prepare for a training ride and what you must and should bring.

Leaders:
Chris Thomas
Dan England
Lynn McComas
Rich Prendes
Maggie Vande Voorde
TJ Zmucki

RSVPs are requested but not required.