Marin Century Ride August 3, 2024
August 12th, 2024
Craig S., BBC President
The last few years, the Marin Century has been a top pick among BBC’s annual “Focus Rides” and it didn’t disappoint. Most members went with the “Compact Classic” at 62 miles and 4500’ of climbing. Participants included Craig, Marvin, Sam, Elle, Scott, Bob, and Brett and Kathy. At registration, we were delighted to have Jeff (Double Century maniac) join us! In addition, Delphine and Tom did the full Century at 100 miles and 7200’ of climbing. Our crew registered and rolled out from Stafford Lake Park at 8:30 am headed toward the coast.
The Marin Century includes the Mount Tam Century which is billed as one of the top 25 bike rides in the WORLD by Outside Magazine. So, it was no wonder that we were in awe rolling through gorgeous Marin scenery from start to finish. A warm day was forecast, so the group set out at a strong pace to beat the heat and soon began passing other riders as we headed northwest toward Valley Ford Road and Bloomfield.
At the top of the first climb, a mishap between Kathy and Sam left Kathy with a broken right shifter and Sam with a cracked right seatstay. Ugh. After studying the damaged shifter, and lacking Duck Tape, the shifter could not be repaired and Kathy elected to limp back to the start. Sam examined the cracked carbon and figured it would hold for the remainder of the ride.
Traffic was light and the group was soon split up into pace lines, regrouping at each of the four well-stocked rest stops which included bacon and banana sandwiches. A cool onshore breeze greeted us as we neared the coast, making for ideal riding conditions despite the warm forecast.
The quaint village of Tomales was the site of our third rest stop and the halfway point where we regrouped and continued south along the Shoreline Highway and were soon racing along Tomales Bay with great views of the bay and Point Reyes. This stretch is marked by fast and challenging rollers and Sam turned it into a hammer-fest as we cruised past the bulk of riders en route to the daunting “Marshall Wall”. In Marshall, we left the Shoreline Highway, taking a hard left onto “The Wall”. This 700’ climb is marked by a series of steep (10%) pitches as it winds toward Petaluma. Once over the top, we headed east, regrouping at the last rest stop at Walker Creek before riding the last 12 miles to the start. Once back, we found a nice table in the shade and enjoyed live music and a lot of food that included BBQ, sides, street tacos, burritos, pizza and ice cream. This ride will definitely be on the BBC “dance card” next year!
Tioga Pass Hwy 120 Yosemite “Bike Only” Day
June 9th, 2024
Brett N., BBC Ride Coordinator
For quite some time we had talked about riding up Tioga Pass on the northwest side of Yosemite Valley the day after they clear the snow from Hwy 120 on what is known as “bike-only” day. For one glorious day, before they open the road to cars and trucks, they allow ONLY bicycles from the Crane Flat entrance to Lee Vining on the east side, 60 miles away.
Every year the “bike only” date is different, so you have to watch the National Park website (nps.gov) daily to see when it will happen. Peggy heard about the exact date of the bike-only day first and published it on TeamSnap Chat. She heard about it on June 7th, and the date of the bike day was on June 9th, less than 48 hours away. This is why we had published a “nuts and bolts” of the Yosemite ride over a year ago on this website. Once it’s announced, it’s too late to start planning from scratch, you have to move quickly.
First we started looking online for a place to stay. The local hotels were all booked. I found an Air BNB in Groveland that was 4 bedrooms and 3 baths that might work, ran it by the people who had expressed interest in going, and then booked it. Who decided to go? John, Peggy, Scott, Marvin and Kathy all stepped forward and took the leap of faith for this adventure.
We headed out on Saturday at noon and arrived in the town of Groveland within 10 minutes of each other! We checked into the rental house and figured out the plans for the next morning. Peggy and Kathy made a tasty veggie marinara pasta dinner with side dishes of beet greens, and lemon broccoli, with olive bread and we hydrated in anticipation of a long ride the next day. Since we had to get through the entrance gate by 5 am, we went to sleep early, woke at 3 am and left for the park around 4:10 am! Ouch.
We carpooled in the dark to the gate in Scott’s truck and John/Peggy’s car, finding parking spots inside the park entrance, about 45 minutes from our rental unit. Scott took a little hike with his headlamp on to find John & Peggy as they had the front wheels to all of our bikes! We eventually started east up Hwy 120 at the break of dawn. There was a lighted sign on the side of the road where it was chained off, that said, “Bikes Only Day.” We were on our way.
The Crane Flat entrance to Yosemite is at about 6100 feet elevation, and we began ascending for the first 5+ miles. The altitude was definitely a factor. There were drifts of snow on the side of the road, and it was chilly. But it was magical to be climbing on this almost-empty road into pine and redwood forests with birds chirping and streams with many small waterfalls babbling along the side of the road. The sun was out and there was a beautiful blue sky.
There were some descents along the way too, and the road was in good condition. Since we took off early, there were few other bicycles on the road initially. There were no cars. No exhaust fumes or close passes by impatient or distracted motorists. We cyclists owned the road. You could smell the forest, and there were wildflowers bursting out beside us. As we rode, I kept thinking to myself that it was such a shame that this ride was only possible on one day a year.
We stopped occasionally to regroup. There were some restrooms along the way but no potable water. We were prepared with plenty of water and climbed on. John got a flat tire on one descent, but it didn’t slow him down, and we were soon back on the road. We reached Olmsted Point @ 8400 feet elevation and looked out over the pristine Yosemite Valley from the north side, seeing Half Dome in profile. There were larger groups of cyclists arriving, mostly young and happy to enjoy the unusual day with us. Peggy chatted with a group of French-speaking cyclists. The only downside was a huge cloud of mosquitos that seemed to appear at the overlook, also happy to greet us. We had to keep moving, as none of us had brought mosquito repellent. We decided to turn around and head back at 30 miles into the ride. For the day, we saw only 3-4 vehicles on the road, mostly National Park Service vehicles, one blue garbage truck, and one guy in a Subaru from Colorado who must have been lost.
We enjoyed a nice descent on the last 7 miles of the ride, arriving back to the Crane Flat Entrance with about 60 miles and 6000 feet of climbing for the day. We were tired but exhilarated after an incredible day.
We loaded up the bikes and headed back to the Groveland Air-BNB. Some had to go home after a quick rest, one stayed over another night and returned on Monday morning.
If you’re interested in this adventure, take a look at the “Nuts and Bolts” writeup on this website and let others know you’re interested. There is some investment in time and effort to do this ride, but it pays off.
“Carpe Ridere,” which in Latin is: “Seize the Ride.”
Jaime Madrigal Memorial Ride
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Jaime was a young 43-year-old BBC member who died April 19, 2019 after a brave fight with metastatic esophageal cancer. He loved to ride with the BBC, and raced with team CBRE, rode in many organized centuries such as Napa, the Sequoia, and the Death Ride. He loved to stop for a nice "sammich" during a ride and was famous for carrying part of it home in his jersey pocket. His father had been an accomplished racing cyclist in Mexico during his youth, so cycling ran in his blood.
It was hard to believe that five years had passed since his death. We decided to have a ride up on the “Sonoma Bumps” to visit his gravesite and honor his memory.
We started at Shenandoah Park in American Canyon, checked our bikes before heading out across Highway 29 into the residential section of American Canyon. The group included Marvin, Kathy, Bob, Scott, Melanie, Cande, Craig, Tall Joe, Elle, Kenny, and Iron Mike. We headed north through the small frontage roads on the wetlands side of American Canyon, passing the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Factory (https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US) and the Napa recycling plant.
After a brief stint on Highway 29, we headed west across Imola over the freeway, into the vineyards of the Carneros district, which is known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, among others. We stopped briefly at the very fancy Stanly Ranch for water and a bathroom break. There was very little traffic, but the roads were rough with a lot of potholes. We continued northwest towards Sonoma and eventually stopped at the Valley Cemetery on MacArthur Street. We discovered that Steve, Sherry and Duane had arrived ahead of us. Marvin gave a brief presentation about Jaime, and we paid our respects at his graveside. His headstone was in good condition and the surrounding grounds were also well-maintained. Afterwards, we headed further into Sonoma to stop at Peet's Coffee near Sonoma Square for refreshments. They have a nice outdoor patio behind the shop and we were all able to sit together and enjoy the food and drinks. After the break, we rode back on the same route. It was a nice ride and a good way to honor the memory of Jaime. Marvin created a video from the days ride and will present it to Jaime's mother who still lives on the west side of Sonoma not far from his cemetery.
Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MqQAN3w8doYbEXeWAMJOM-oIpHbyo9-t/view?pli=1
Ride Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42501783
Ride Stats: 61 Miles, Elevation 1538 feet
Bike Helmets - A Must!
By Craig Snider
I was on my bike, hurtling down Franklin Canyon Road, around 25 miles an hour, enroute to Martinez, when the cyclist ahead of me crashed. I saw his bike fly in the air and I knew I was going down too…felt like slow motion as my mind anticipated what was about to happen. First my knee would scrape the pavement, then hip, arm, shoulder, head. My head slammed hard. Felt like a basketball bouncing off the pavement. But because I was wearing a bike helmet, I was able to hop on my bike (with a scraped knee) and ride to Martinez where I enjoyed coffee with friends.
You don’t need much speed to get injured on a bike. I have friends that have been nearly stopped on their bike when they fell over by mistake. Some have fractured their hip or clavicle, but heads were spared due to helmets. Let’s face it, bicycling can be dangerous. It’s common to see professional cyclists crash in a bike race like the Tour de France. Most bike riders have experienced “road rash” and bruises from falling, but head injuries are rare due to helmets.
In California, any bicyclist under 18 years of age is required by law to wear a helmet when riding. Yet I routinely see kids riding around Benicia without helmets - often with a helmet-less parent! It’s not uncommon to see kids riding with helmets accompanied by a parent without one. These folks are just one mishap away from a concussion or worse. Would you or your kid play tackle football without a helmet? Organized bike rides, including Benicia Bicycle Club rides, require all riders to wear helmets. Bike helmets allow us to enjoy a risky sport with little risk of serious head injury; yet I regularly observe adults riding around town, midst cars, without helmets. My first thought is that they mustn’t have anything to lose. They must not have any friends or loved ones that care about them. How sad. Otherwise, they would surely wear a helmet to protect themselves, and spare their friends and loved ones the heartache and/or financial woes due to a traumatic head injury. Recently, I joined fellow Benicia Bicycle Club members Nancy Lund and Bob Hyde, and Benicia Safe Routes to Schools Coordinator, Suzanne Antone, in distributing and fitting bike helmets to over 60 kids at Benicia High School and Mary Farmer Elementary. The free helmets were funded by the Solano Transportation Authority. We sized the helmets (SM to XL) to each head and made sure chinstraps were adjusted for snug and comfortable fit. Wrong-sized or poorly adjusted helmets don’t protect as well. Wearing a helmet without latching the chinstrap is useless. For tips on adjusting helmets, check out this link:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/8019_fitting-a-helmet.pdf.
AND replace old or cracked helmets!
So, show your kids you love them by assuring they always wear helmets when bicycling (also skateboards and scooters). And protect your family by wearing a helmet yourself.
Primavera Century /Metric Century
Brett Nelson, BBC Ride Coordinator
Many in the BBC become used to our “usual suspect” Tu/Th/Sat rides in the Solano County area. So it’s nice to get out to new territory and experience all that our amazing NorCal offers for variety and fun. Our first organized ride of the year was on April 21st, 2024, the Primavera Century, hosted by the Fremont Freewheelers Cycling Club. There were hundred mile, 85-mile and metric century (100K) route options. Most of us opted to do the metric century, but Eric decided to do the full Imperial century. It had been a very wet winter here in Northern California with many missed rides and canceled special events because of weather so it was nice to finally have a clear day with blue skies! We had done the Primavera Century before but this year they changed the start location and created a new route because of road improvements in Niles Canyon over the past year. Instead of an out and back, L-shaped route, the route had been changed to a rectangular “loop” route. So, it really was a “new” ride.
The BBC group for this ride included Kalani, Marvin, Iron Mike, Tall Joe, Elle, Kathy, Brett, Bob, Julie, and Craig. John and Peggy took off earlier than us to avoid any heat issues. Eric rode in the Imperial (100 Mile) Century so also left earlier than the main group.
We parked and registered at the start, Ohlone College, 3 miles north of the large Tesla factory, without any problems and headed out north on the route at about 8:30 am. After a short period of riding through Fremont, we took a right turn east up Niles Canyon Road (Hwy 84), and headed into the beautiful, shaded canyon with a babbling brook on the right side. There was a persistent significant climb all the way to the top, so we spread out a bit, but regrouped at the summit. With a nice descent through farms and fields, we headed back towards the rest stop in Sunol, which was well staffed with food and beverages. They even had some Gu gels!
The BBC Ladies
Regrouping before the big decent
From the Sunol rest stop, the hundred-mile ride loops up to Livermore and the hills around Altamont Pass, the route Eric chose to do.
The main group of us, however, headed out in a southerly direction, and wound our way through another residential area until we arrived at Calaveras Road, known to be a wonderfully smooth “pavé,” taking us through the Sunol Regional Wilderness area. We were surrounded by scrub oak and laurel trees and some fields of purple lupine flowers and blooming orange California poppies. To our right were rolling hills, to our left, a magnificent view over the Calaveras Reservoir and wilderness. There was almost no traffic, the road was wide, and hills gentle. A lone coyote crossed the road in front of us, but didn’t seem interested.
We stopped to regroup from time to time and kept our peloton together. The ride had three rest stops in total, each having good food and beverages. The volunteers were friendly and helpful. The last stop even had ice cream.
We continued to head south along the reservoir and at the end, enjoyed a 4-mile, 1000-foot descent called the “The Wall” into Milpitas and Fremont, then continued through some gentle rolling residential areas and then onto our finish at Ohlone College.
The organizers had arranged for several food trucks stationed at the finish including Mediterranean, Mexican and Korean options. As a nice surprise, Elle won the grand prize for the Primavera Century with a nice care package. Go Elle! The group agreed this was one of the nicer centuries we've done both in terms of staffing, rest stops, route, traffic, and an upbeat staff.
We should be doing it again next year, so if you are interested sign up for the Primavera Century 2025!
Total mileage for the metric was 61 miles, 4174 feet of climbing.
Elle with her Grand Prize
2024 Primavera Metric Century Route
BBC “Makeup” Spring Moxie, April 6th 2024 Ride Report
Brett Nelson, BBC Ride Coordinator
Pre-ride roll-out Group Picture
The winter of 2023 has been very wet and cold for northern California. Several of our “special” rides have been canceled because of rain. The original BBC Spring Moxie was rained out both on Saturday and Sunday of that weekend. Eric suggested we try to do the Moxie April 6th, 2024 as a “makeup” ride.
It was a cold Saturday morning, so we all met at the Fairfield Grill at 9:15 for a rollout at 9:30, a little bit later than usual.
We had some new people along for the ride including: Tara and Nathan, Tom and Delphine, Cara, along with regulars Bob, Marvin, Kalani, Mike, Craig, Kathy, Sam, Scott, and Eric.
Nathan and Tara
Tom and Delphine
Brett
Kathy
For the Spring Moxie we follow a clockwise route, starting up Suisun Valley with the loop through Gordon Valley. The countryside was beautiful with dark green hills and sunny/blue skies that day. Water was still running in the creek along the road.
Marvin and Bob in front of the spillway
We stopped to regroup at the “T” of Wooden Crossing and Suisun Valley Road, then continued to a rest stop at the little country school before turning right onto Highway 121. The road has some rollers and short steep sections in that section, and we regrouped a few times on the way to the Markley Cove launch ramp on Lake Berryessa, where we got some snacks and drinks at the marina office. They were all out of Hot Pockets though. Back on the bikes, we pedaled up to the overflow spillway drain next to the Monticello Dam, where this year, there was water actually spilling over as the lake was full. The spillway drops 200 feet and there was actually one woman from Davis who died after she swam into it in 1997:
https://sadendings.blog/emily-schwalen/#google_vignette
No one from BBC went swimming to the spillway during our Moxie however. We hopped back on the bikes and had a nice descent below the dam, and rode through the Putah Creek Valley until we reached our lunch stop at Lake Solano Park, just across the creek. The park has bathrooms, some cool water for refilling our bottles, and some nice picnic tables to sit on for a break.
Heading home, we followed Pleasants Valley Road back against a moderate wind, then paralleled highway 80 (also known as “the 80”) back to the start at Fairfield Grill.
All told the ride was about 60 miles and 3200 feet of climbing. Thanks to everyone for the team spirit, camaraderie, and thoughtfulness on the ride!
If this sounds interesting, we’ll be doing the counterclockwise version of this ride in the fall: hence The Fall Moxie!
Tall Joe’s 80th Birthday Ride: Point Richmond to Tiburon: March 28, 2024
Brett Nelson, BBC Ride Coordinator
Our own “Tall Joe” has been a BBC member for years, and practically defines the club. He was our Time Trial Director for years, managing the BBC Time Trials on Lopes Road and Goodyear Road for those in the club who were interesting in this self-testing side of cycling.
Joe has been a steadfast BBC member for years doing the Death Ride, multiple centuries and metric centuries over the years. He will turn 80 this April 2024, and is still riding and swimming at a high level at this time. We wanted to celebrate his 80th birthday with a ride which would be memorable for both him and the BBC. Coincidentally, the Richmond San Rafael Bridge bike path is being closed to bike traffic as of May 2024 after a 4-year pilot period. The bike route will still be open on weekends. So, on March 28th, 2024, we met in Point Richmond on Railroad Avenue for a special Tall Joe 80th Birthday ride over the Richmond Bridge while it was still available to bicycles on weekdays.
Joe grew up in Point Richmond and lived there with his family for about 15 years, and then subsequently did much of his Firefighter Career at a fire-station in Richmond CA. He walked across the Richmond SRF Bridge with his family when he was 12 at the Grand Opening of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, so had a special place in his heart for this route.
17 BBC members started out on the Richmond SRF Bridge in Point Richmond on that Thursday and headed without dread towards San Quentin on a beautiful spring day. Members included: Bob, Craig, Steve, Duane, Alex, Tall Joe, Kathy, Marvin, Elle and Russ, Peggy and John, Mike, Scott, and Sheri. Julie met us later in the ride as she was stopped by an errant freight train.
After arriving in Marin, we headed right on Anderson St which led us onto the bike path that goes through the mysterious cool bike tunnel leading into Larkspur. Our group had 2 flats on the way through this area but were quickly back on the bikes. We headed toward the Tiburon peninsula and stopped at Café Acrí for snacks and coffee. The view there was stunning, of Angel Island, the Racoon Straits, and Golden Gate Bridge. We sang “Happy Birthday” to Tall Joe, and enjoyed the camaraderie of the BBC. Alex sang the Dutch version of Happy Birthday for a full international birthday celebration. “A good time was had by all…”
Back on the bikes, we twisted through the beautiful and aptly named Paradise Road on the way back to Larkspur and the RSF Bridge.
Thanks to everyone for a great turnout for this special once in a lifetime occasion!
The BBC Ride Group (The tall one in the back-center is Joe)
Russ and Joe
Alex and Joe
BBC Christmas Party and Annual General Meeting
by Craig Snider
For the first time since December 2019, the BBC Christmas Party and Annual General Meeting was held indoors in a home! Last year’s meeting was held at the drafty Bruehol Taproom in Benicia. This year 20 members rallied at Craig Snider’s home on December 10th for drinks, a Potluck meal, general membership meeting, and gift exchange. Energy was high as we sipped fine wines and sampled appetizers in the comfort of a warm home instead of the chilly outdoor events of years past. Elle Hands organized the affair which began with a lively cocktail hour followed by a delicious selection of culinary delights and desserts. After dinner, club members retired to the living room for the general membership meeting where board members recapped the year’s activities and discussed future events. The meeting culminated in all current Board members and Directors being re-elected to another 1-year term.
Your leadership team for 2024:
President - Craig Snider
Vice President - Bob Hyde
Secretary - John Ericson
Treasurer - Steve Bahr
Ride Coordinator - Brett Nelson
Community Liaison Director - Nancy Lund
Clothing - Sam Kennedy
Time Trials - vacant
Web Site, Mtn. Bike - Kemal Abuhan
Social - Elle Hands
Following the general meeting and election, we focused on the pile of gifts surrounding the Christmas tree and enjoyed our first gift exchange since 2019. Gift stealing was limited to two steals and a spirited game ensued, punctuated by broad smiles and much laughter. Members are reminded to PAY YOUR DUES for 2024 by clicking the links on the website. Looking forward to another great year of cycling with BBC friends!
New Year’s Day BBC All-Club Ride: 1/1/2024
by Brett Nelson
Tradition has been that the BBC rides around the City of Benicia, going through various neighborhoods where we don’t normally ride to celebrate the New Year, greet fellow citizens on their morning walks, and then have a nice breakfast in town.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41408795
Who was there? Alan Geng, Bob Hyde, Peggy and John Ericson, Nancy Lund, Steve Bahr, Cande Medrano, Joe Pritchard, Scott Overfield. (Craig Snider and Sue Medrano met us at the Benicia Grill later.)
It was cold but not windy. The rain had stopped and the day felt newly washed, a good start for 2024. After discussing the route in general, we headed under the freeway and up Hastings, climbed toward the top of the city. We occasionally regrouped to enable the group to remain mostly together. We rode through Water’s End neighborhood with views over the delta to the Antioch Bridge visible in the distance and then headed down Rose Drive to the Benicia State Park to regroup. We headed back east along K St through the downtown area of Benicia, down into old Benicia by the Arsenal, stopped at the historic Clock Tower briefly, synchronized our Apple Watches , and then headed back toward 5th Street and up toward the 780 freeway. We toured the area below the cemetery and then headed Northeast on a nice descent down 2nd Street toward Benicia Grill for breakfast. We enjoyed a private back meeting room for the meal and talked about the New Year. It was discovered during the discussion that Cande Medrano had ridden more than 13,000 miles in 2023, enough to go to New York City and back twice! It was a good time to chat and a great way to start the new year.
After breakfast, we rode down through the Industrial Park, back along the waterfront under the Benicia Bridge, and into town to finish the day.
Miles: 18 miles + ride home from Benicia Grill, about 23 miles for the day.
San Francisco to Benicia: “A Ferry Ride, 3 Bridges, and a Burrito.”
by Brett Nelson
For those of us living near Benicia in the SF Bay area, the allure has always been there: the thought of a bike ride all the way from San Francisco home to Benicia. We have the unusual benefit of a great ferry route from nearby Vallejo to the San Francisco Ferry Building, just over an hour of smooth sailing. So a plan was hatched, grew, and was born. It just took a few intrepid BBC cyclists to make it real. We would take the ferry into “The City” and ride home, crossing the 3 bridges on the way: Golden Gate Bridge, Richmond San Rafael Bridge, and the Carquinez Bridge.
We met at the Benicia State Park on Saturday morning at 9 am and pedaled over to Vallejo Ferry Building to wait for the 1015 am ferry.
Who was there? Iron Mike Dunn, Andy Miller, Elle Hands, Julie Jennings, Kathy Lau, Marvin Ruiz, Bob Hyde, and Scott Overfield.
The San Francisco Bay Ferry is easy to board using your Clipper card or the Clipper Card app on your smartphone. It’s about 9 dollars for the trip to San Francisco. They have a phone/card scanner on the gangway. There is a good place to stow the bikes at the stern of the boat, where you can hang them securely from a hook.
We had a smooth trip to San Francisco, chatting and enjoying the beautiful day. There weren’t many people on the ferry and we arrived around 11 am, used the SF Ferry Building restrooms, and headed out on
the ride. There was a Farmer’s Market around the ferry building, so it was pretty congested in the area.
The route led us north down the Embarcadero, which is painted bright green now for a bike lane. There was a fair amount of traffic on the Embarcadero, but it felt safe, riding in the bike lane, and we turned left through the city at Fort Point and then traveled along beside the Marina Green and then Crissy Field pedestrian/bike path. It was a busy day with a lot of walkers, joggers, and cyclists on the path along the water. We climbed the hill up to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge and found that on that day, the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge was designated for cyclists only. Some days you have to use the east side of the bridge and both walkers and bicyclists share the bridge which makes for a lot of congestion. Even with the “cyclist-only” west side, there was a lot of bicycle traffic and you had to pay close attention. There were some fast local roadies and also some slow “rented-bicycle” riders. It was a clear day and the views were amazing. We were able to arrive on the north side of the bridge and regroup without incident.
From the north Golden Gate bridge landing in the Marin Headlands, we continued down into Sausalito on the bike path, then on through Corte Madera, and then headed east towards the Larkspur Ferry area. We crossed over St Francis Blvd and descended through the train and bicycle tunnel onto Andersen Drive which dropped us at the base of the San Rafael Richmond Bridge. At the base of the bridge, there was a large bicycle rally to “Save the Bike Lane” on the San Rafael Richmond bridge. As you might expect, there were a lot of bicycles on the Richmond Bridge, but we climbed the gentle rise without any incident. We regrouped at the top of the Richmond Bridge and headed down into Point Richmond.
Because this time of year the days are shorter, we took a very brief stop in the quirky downtown of Point Richmond outside the Maya Taqueria
for carnitas tacos, burritos, or at Raymond’s Pizzeria next door, where they sold delicious pizza by the slice. One of the shops next door had a sign for “Time Travel Consultations.” It was a very short rest stop, essential though, to refuel and rehydrate. We then headed out along the Richmond Parkway bike path. There was no pedestrian or bicycle traffic, so we made good time. We continued along this route until we passed the Richmond Rod and Gun Club, leading to the Point Pinole Park estuary bike path, and then into Pinole itself. Unfortunately, Mike hit a curb on busy San Pablo Road heading into Pinole and crashed. He blew the rear tire of his bike, too. After doing a quick dressing of his wounds, and tire repair, we learned that Russ Hands happened to be passing through Pinole and was able to give him a ride home in the car. Thank you, Russ! Mike was not severely injured, with some shoulder pain and abrasions, and was actually disappointed that he couldn’t finish the ride. But it was good he had the ride home. Heal quickly, Mike!
We were running out of daylight on this fine November day, so we jumped back in the saddle and pedaled out through Pinole along the bayside “Shami Shoreline” bike path (part of the SF Bay Trail) crossed the Carquinez bridge (that’s the third bridge of the day if you’re keeping score at home) and rode back through Vallejo into Benicia. We were home before dark, about 4:30 pm.
It was a great day of riding. We were tired but exhilarated. It felt longer because of all the different transitions the mishap, and the three-bridge crossings.
The total trip distance was about 55 miles with 2000 feet of climbing.
Join us for the next fun adventure of the BBC which can be found on TeamSnap in the Schedule section for members.
Bike the Bridges & Brewfest 2023
Special Olympics fundraiser
by Craig Snider
With 90-degree heat predicted for the afternoon, downtown Benicia was filled with cyclists eager to make an early start on the 14th Annual Bike the Bridges & Brewfest. The October 7th event drew 900 riders and raised over $178,000 for the Special Olympics.
Greg, Chase, and Joy Andrada (Wheels in Motion) were set up at the bottom of First Street and tuned up several bikes while we waited for fellow BBC riders to arrive. At 7:30 our group gathered for a quick photo before departing. BBC riders included Sam Kennedy, Craig Snider, Bob Hyde, Debbie Souza, Dan Mone, Ajit de Silva, Alex Dronkers, Billy Babcock, Jake White, Kalani Keala, Cande Medrano, and Rafa Hernandez-Perez. Some riders rode alone while Kennedy, Snider, Babcock, and Hyde punished each other on the familiar Metric Century route. Segments included the Benicia Bridge, Scenic, Crockett Blvd, Franklin Canyon, Alhambra Valley Road to Pinole, the “Shami Shoreline” and the Lake Herman loop.
It may seem odd to ride familiar BBC routes for a special event, but it was really fun seeing so many other riders enjoying our “backyard” segments. Welcomed were the two rest areas! The first is at Balestrieri Family Farm on Alhambra Valley Road and the second is near the Maritime Academy pool. Chase Andrada was manning the Wheels in Motion mechanic station there.
A feature of Bike the Bridges is the Crockett Boulevard KOM. Riders are timed for the two-mile climb from Crockett to Cummings Skyway. BBC racers included Jake White and Rafa Hernandez-Perez finishing 3rd and 10th of 46 riders in the 40-49 age group. Debbie Souza was 2nd in the 60-69 age group and Ajit De Silva finished 16th out of 46 riders in the 50-59 age group. Also competing was Alex Dronkers who finished 19th of 38 women.
Several club members supported the event by volunteering. Steve Bahr and Dan Mone provided SAG services, driving their cars to rescue several stranded riders. Nancy Lund, Craig Snider, and Bob Hyde supported the bike corral. Club members were spotted enjoying good food, beer, and music at the Brewfest with offerings from a dozen local breweries. We look forward to supporting this fun event again next year!
BBC Fall Moxie Ride: October 14, 2023
by Brett Nelson
The BBC Fall Moxie is an annual “loop” ride exploring the hills and orchards near Vacaville and up to the southern parts of Lake Berryessa. In the fall, the Moxie loop is done in a counterclockwise direction. We all met on Saturday morning near the Rockville Kitchen and Bar in Fairfield at about 8 o’clock. It was cloudy, but not raining.
The group of eleven included (Left to right in the photo): Elle Hands, Scott Overfield, Marvin Ruiz, Craig Snider, Kalani Keala, Dan Mone, Julie Jennings, Alex Dronkers, Joe Pritchard, and Bob Hyde. Kalani and Marvin had started riding from home, meeting us at the café on their bikes. The rest of us had driven and parked at the starting location.
After some chit-chat and the usual BBC group picture, we headed off on the bikes at around 830. Today’s ride was very unusual in that a partial solar eclipse was expected that morning. So, instead of getting lighter as we rode, it got actually darker until 930 a.m. when the partial eclipse was maximal! We stopped to look at the sky, and some riders saw the bright halo around the black center of the solar eclipse, but it was not optimal viewing because of the cloud cover. There is supposed to be another partial eclipse in April 2024, so maybe we can catch that one.
The morning was pleasant with temperatures in the low 60s, cloudy, almost no wind. No rain was expected. This year was also unusual as we did not have a SAG vehicle, so we carried our own snacks for the day. The ride progressed east on the frontage road paralleling Highway 80 staying together as a group mostly but regrouping from time to time. We arrived at our usual rest stop after 25 miles: Lake Solano Park, on the shores of Putah Creek, which has restrooms and potable water. After some light snacks, we started west along Highway 128 heading up toward the Monticello Dam and Lake Berryessa. The concrete-arch dam was constructed in 1953 and is 93 meters high, as long as 8 buses. It is filled from above by Putah Creek which continues below meandering towards the towns of Winters and Davis. Lake Berryessa supplies the water for Benicia, thus an important reservoir for all of us. It looked pretty full this year, as we head into the rainy season. We rested for a few minutes at the top of the dam overlooking the overflow drain, then continued over the top and after a nice descent stopped at Markley Cove Marina to get some drinks and snacks from the marina office. They had sodas, water, some ice cream, and even some frozen Hot PocketsTM in the freezer. We didn’t stay long but began a series of climbs including the notorious Cardiac Hill of 1.5 miles with an average 7.4% grade. Everyone climbed the hills with no issues. Then after a nice descent to Moskowite Corner, the rollers in the foothills were tackled. There were occasional groups of motorcycles touring the highway, but overall, there was very little motorized traffic. At the “T” by Monticello and Hwy 121, we headed left (south) down Wooden Valley Road for an exhilarating smooth descent through the beautiful vineyards of Wooden and Gordon Valley. The hills were now mostly brown after the summer, but it was quiet and pastoral. We had some headwinds in this section, but we worked together to make good time. We continued past a busy Larry’s Produce Stand which was decorated for fall with stacks of large pumpkins and authentic maize-filled baskets, on down Suisun Valley Road and ended the ride where we had started, at Rockville Kitchen parking lot.
Marvin and Kalani continued on their bikes home, making for a long day. Thanks to all who participated in the event. It was a flexible and collaborative group of fine cyclists!
Join us next Spring 2024 for the (clockwise) Spring Moxie to explore the beautiful orchards and foothills of Solano and Napa County going in the opposite direction!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37527367
Total miles for the base ride: 58
Climbing: 3000 feet.
September 2nd, 2023: “Tour de Fuzz” Century/Metric Century
Brett Nelson, Ride Coordinator, BBC
Summer in Northern California has been mild this year but is slowly coming to a close, and cooler weather will soon be on the way. Labor Day Weekend marked this year’s Tour de Fuzz(TDF) benefit ride. TDF entrance fees help support the local law enforcement chaplaincy, a group of 70 volunteer chaplains who assist the Sonoma EMS first responders 24/7 by providing emotional and spiritual support in times of crisis. We’ve done this ride now for several years, usually, the 100 km route, although there is a 100-mile event called the “Commando” ride (clothing is required though) which is also possible.
We had a good turn-out for this year’s event, including Craig Snider, Bob Hyde, Scott Overfield, Tall Joe Pritchard, Kathy Nelson, Elle Hands, Carla Gaines, Candy Medrano, Sam Kennedy, Ron Holloway, Dylan Powell, and Manuel Olague.
We met at the Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center in Windsor at about 7:15 am to check in, an hour's drive by car from Benicia. There was a light misting rain on the way there, and this mist continued. After taking BBC team pictures in front of the blue and white balloon “START” arch, we all pedaled north up the east side of the valley by Chalk Hill through the rolling vineyards. Chalk Hill was named by founder Fred Furth in 1972, a pilot and vintner, who saw the volcanic ash chalky streaked amphitheater valley from the air and thought the area “might be good for growing wine grapes.” He was right.
There wasn’t a lot of automobile traffic, and it was quite pleasant as we warmed up in the cool misty morning air. There are a few hills at the beginning and the group got a little strung out. We would regroup occasionally to keep an eye on everyone. There was a rest stop in Geyserville at the northwest corner of the route, after passing through Jimtown, which was named after a man, you guessed it: “Jim”(Patrick) who established a general store there in 1893 after coming out from Iowa by oxen-yoked wagon with his parents. We passed the Jimtown general store on the ride, now a local historic landmark, just before pulling into Geyserville.
Sam Kennedy appeared at the Geyserville rest stop, having caught up to the group after he started later than us. Dylan Powell had decided to do the 100-mile ride, as he was leaving for a new job in Colorado next week, and wanted to get a full century ride under his belt, so had left earlier.
After the Geyserville rest stop and a brief climb, we headed out along a dog leg to the Lake Sonoma Recreation area and then back to the main route, south down the west side of the valley along West Dry Creek Road. This is a very fast narrow section of the ride with a slight descent and small punchy rollers that allow the group paceline to move along quite efficiently, sporting the snappy yellow kits of BBC. It started to rain harder on this section of the course, though, to where we were actually getting wet, but it was still warm enough that no one seemed to mind. We did get a lot of thin mud on our bikes, faces, and arm warmers. It was better not to ride directly behind the rider in front!
We stayed together, except for Sam and Craig who pressed on ahead as a “breakaway” group, passing a lot of cyclists along the way. Traffic continued to be very light, so we could use most of the road in the curvy descent. At the southwest corner of the route, we crossed over a long green bridge above the Russian River and arrived at the last rest stop. We saw no Russians. We did catch up with Elle Hands just before the rest stop, who was riding as she usually does annually in the TDF with her extended family, sporting their very sharp blue “Cyclopaths” cycling jerseys. After some chatting and refreshments, we headed east across the lower end of the course through the residential and business section of the valley ending up at the Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center again for the after picnic/party. Cheerleaders with pom-poms celebrated our completion as we went beneath the blue and white balloon arch of the FINISH, and a band played. The smell of barbecued food beckoned. Refreshments included micro-brewed beer on draft and local Pinot Noir wine. We sat at a picnic table and enjoyed the company and stories from the day. It was a good day to be alive. One of our members, a retired firefighter who loves the TDF ride, has been battling health problems all this year, but even now in his late 70’s rode fast, strong and proud all day long. You would never know that he had chemo a week ago. You inspire us, Joe.
We heard later that Dylan had been involved in an unfortunate crash on the rain-slicked 100-mile route, breaking his bike’s rear derailer hanger, but only suffered some skin abrasions. Overall, he was okay but was disappointed that he couldn't finish the century ride. We will miss Dylan as he moves to Denver, Colorado this week, where he will get EVEN stronger and faster in the thin mile-high air.
The TDF ride is so popular each year that it’s very typically sold out several months before the event, so if you want to do it next year, make sure to sign up ahead of time. Several of our club members wanted to go but couldn’t get registrations. You can actually go online right now and sign up for next year using your email without any deposit required, guaranteeing your place in 2024. Not much in life is guaranteed. Get some.
TDF Ride Summary: 62 Miles: 2100 feet climbing.
June 2023 BBC Special Ride:
“Tour of the Napa/Sonoma Alps:” Mount Veeder, Trinity, Cavedale, and Dry Creek Road with a rest stop at French café Les Pascals in the town of Glen Ellen, former home of author Jack London.
June 24 th 2023 was designated as a “special” BBC ride, so we used a route that Kenny Leduc had created a while back which winds through the forests and hills of West Napa Valley and Eastern Sonoma Valley. Special rides generally start out of town to explore outlying areas. Here is the route:
We drove to Dry Creek Park in western Napa, just 30 minutes from Benicia, and parked the vehicles to rally at 8 am. We started pretty early because the days are getting a bit warm this summer. BBC members in attendance included: John and Peggy Ericson, Scott Overfield, Rafa Hernandez-Perez, Craig Snider, Julie Jennings, Manuel Olague, Ron Holloway, Bob Hyde, Marvin Ruiz, Kalani Keala, and Kathy Nelson. Marvin and Kalani had ridden to the start from home, to add on some miles for “extra credit.”
We started off as a group pedaling up Mt Veeder Road. The little creek alongside the road still had some water in it which is pretty unusual this time of year. It was very lush and green in the canyon as we rode. The road had been damaged at various points due to the heavy rains this past winter. As the path curved up through the canyon, sometimes the right side of the road pavement was washed out, but we were able to pass through on the left side of the road. The road continued to climb through the cool forest of redwoods and red-barked madrone trees, and near the top at Marker #3600, the road was completely washed out where damaged asphalt had fallen into the creek, which required us to stop. We dismounted and walked through without any problems. A side benefit of the road conditions, though, was that there wasn’t much automobile traffic. We arrived at the top of Mt Veeder, where they used to have a bagpiper play during the Tour of Napa Valley Century several years ago, and had a brief rest. We descended the east side of Mt. Veeder and then began to climb up Trinity Road to the top of the mountain. This became quite steep near the top but remained cool and mostly shaded with a slight breeze. There was some rebuilding and construction going on along the side of the road due to the past years’ fire, evidenced by blacked tree trunks, and whining chainsaws were heard at various points. Arriving at the top of Trinity Road, we took a break at the little
Mayacamas Volunteer Fire Station, where we refilled our water bottles from the tap and discussed the upcoming descent. There were 10-12 other cyclists at the fire station, as it is a common regrouping/rest stop for the area. Trinity Road descent has an average grade of 9% so is quite steep, but the pavement was in good condition. There were a lot of gentle curves and very little automobile traffic, though we caught up to a car in front of us requiring us to take it slower than usual. Arriving at the bottom, we crossed over Hwy 12, and pedaled through a densely forested neighborhood, eventually ending up in the town of Glen Ellen. The author Jack London lived there from 1909 through his death in 1916, and there is a Jack London State Historic Park you can visit up the road, which includes his burned-out hunting lodge called the
Wolf House, hiking trails, as well as his gravesite under a large red boulder from the Wolf House. Jack wrote in 1913:
“Who will reap what I have sown here in this almighty sweet land? You and I will be forgotten. Others will come and go; these, too shall pass, as you and I shall pass, and others take their places, each telling his love, as I tell you, that life is sweet”
Organic, sustainable, and biodynamic-themed Benziger Winery and the Valley of the Moon winery are close by, but we didn’t stop there on this trip.
We arrived at Les Pascals French café in Glen Ellen and parked our bicycles. Some got sandwiches at a local deli as there was a long queue out the front, while others got French specialties at the café. They offered rich smooth quiches, flakey French pastries, and espresso or drip coffee. We are able to get a table in the back courtyard for everyone to sit in the dappled shade and chat about bikes and life.
After a brief rest and refreshment, we saddled up and headed south from Glen Ellen. We had to stop briefly when Kalani’s electronic rear derailleur suddenly froze and went into “Crash” mode. It would have been difficult or impossible to ascend the next climb without a derailleur, so he stopped to sort it out, but after a quick “How do I get my electronic derailleur out of Crash Mode?” inquiry on the internet he had the little fella clicking along nicely again. We headed south again and made a left onto Cavedale Road. Two years ago, we had done the same climb, and the road had been in bad shape with potholes and washouts. Fairly recently, the entire road has been re-paved all the way to the top! This made it safer but it still wasn’t “easy,” as the road is 5 miles long with about 1925 feet of elevation, an average grade of 7.3 %, and much steeper pitches at times near the top. There were some beautiful views along the way, with modern-style houses perched at the top of the hills with panoramic windows looking out over the Sonoma Valley. We slogged up the climb and made our way back to the Mayacamas Fire station to regroup, rest, refill the water bottles again, and get a snack. Then it was back on the bikes for a delightful descent, this time making a right turn onto Dry Creek Road near the bottom. The pavement was a bit rough, and we had to watch the surface carefully. The descent was otherwise pleasant winding through the shady canyon. The traffic was light, and it was not difficult to keep up a good pace. We arrived at the bottom of Dry Creek Road after passing through the vineyards on the west side of Napa Valley, at Dry Creek Park, stowed our bikes on the vehicles, and headed home. Our overachievers, Marvin and Kalani, continued home on their bikes, getting a lot of extra miles for the day.
Stats: Total mileage for the day was about 44 miles for those that did the core ride, with 5100 feet of climbing.
Brett Nelson
BBC Ride Coordinator
“The only bad ride is one that didn’t happen.” Unknown Author
"Tour de SF Bay, a 3 Bridge Ride”
By Brett Nelson
Riding by the San Francisco Bay on your bicycle has a lot of benefits, including beautiful views and cool breezes. The SF Bay Trail will eventually encircle the entire bay, making for some great rides. Recently, road construction was completed on a bypass route for bicycles from Yerba Buena Island to Treasure Island. There was also a new ferry line established from Treasure Island to the SF Ferry Building. This makes it possible to do a loop of the Bay, crossing 3 bridges on your bicycle in one ride!
On Thursday, May 25, 2023, the BBC decided to test out the new 3-Bridge SF Bay route with a few intrepid riders: Peggy and John Ericson, Dylan Powell, Marvin Ruiz, Scott Overfield, and Kathy Nelson.
We carpooled from Benicia down to the Richmond Ferry terminal, not to take THAT ferry, but for the free/safe parking there, with immediate access to the SF Bay Trail at the water’s edge. After rallying in the parking lot, we headed south out along the Richmond Marina waterfront. We chose to leave at about 8 o’clock as the ferry at Treasure Island left at 845 am, which was about 15 miles away. It seems we were a little optimistic! As the minutes ticked off, we needed to push a little bit and pedaled pretty hard along the Berkeley Shoreline towards Emeryville. There was some fog on the water as we worked together in a pack towards the base of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Passing the water treatment center in Emeryville, we headed west out on Bay Bridge Alexander Zuckermann bicycle pathway (founding chair of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition) uphill, and into the wind. Views of Oakland Shipyard, the south bay, and Yerba Buena Island were amazing on the way up. It wasn’t easy, but we worked together and arrived at the Bay Bridge Vista overlook on Yerba Buena Island after the climb. It was a beautiful sight.
We took the new bike access road down to Treasure Island and arrived at the ferry station on the west side of the island almost exactly at 8:45 AM, when it was scheduled to leave! It was quite a small ferry boat, with a small deck area at the stern to secure the bicycles. It was billed to take 6 bikes, but we got 7 on board without trouble. There were two crewmembers who were very kind and helped us secure the bicycles with bungees for the passage. After sitting down, we realized that we were the only passengers on the ferry. The short ride cost $5 dollars which we could pay using our iPhone Treasure Island Ferry apps. The crossing took about 10 minutes to arrive at the San Francisco Ferry Building.
Here is the Treasure Island Ferry schedule.
https://tisf.com/ferry-service/?bookingTypeId=1105850&propertyID=propsf
We disembarked and used the restrooms at the San Francisco Ferry building, then set off north along the Embarcadero, which has a protected green-paint-marked designated bicycle path along the various Piers, near Cruise ships, toward Fisherman’s Wharf.
After a brief turn onto on the surface streets, we rode along another bike path by Chrissie Field, and Marina Green. We had only very light pedestrian traffic. Riding in the city wasn’t particularly difficult or dangerous, and soon we arrived at the southern base of the Golden Gate Bridge. We headed across the Eastern Span which was open to bikes and pedestrians. Visibility was quite good that day, and there wasn’t a lot of fog to prevent us from having incredible views of the Marin Headlands, Hawk Hill, Alcatraz Island, Angel Island, and Tiburon.
We arrived at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, headed down along the water, and eventually arrived in Sausalito. After a brief restroom break, we continued along the water with views of Belvedere and houseboats on Richardson Bay. We continued along the bike path by the water, then started the climb up Camino Alto in Mill Valley, through the stately redwood groves, then a fast descent into Larkspur for a break at Equator Coffee, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. We had a short rest, with a snack and a delicious cup of coffee with some other Larkspurians. All good things must end, though, and we saddled up for a descent into Larkspur over the new bike bridge and took the bike path through the 1.2-mile-long Cal Park Tunnel (which opened in 2010) to Andersen Drive, to the base of the San Rafael Richmond Bridge by San Quentin prison. We started the gentle climb up the bridge, but one of our cyclists got a flat tire on the way up and so we stopped briefly to repair it. Struggling to remove the through-axle on the wheel, Scott brought out a large Silca Allen Wrench that looked like King Arthur’s Excalibur just pulled from the rock, and the axle yielded to the beautiful wrench.
We had a nice climb up the Richmond San Rafael Bridge which is 5.5 miles long. When the Richmond Bridge opened in 1956, our own Tall Joe Pritchard walked across the bridge as a boy with his family along with a huge crowd of spectators. At that time, it was the second-longest bridge in the world. From the apex of the bridge, we had a fast glorious descent back into Richmond, near the WWII-era Rosie the Riveter Museum, and back to the Richmond ferry parking lot where we had started. Tired but fulfilled, we drove back to Benicia, about 30 minutes away.
Come with us on the next great adventure in our beautiful SF Bay playground!
3-Bridge Tour Journey Stats:
Total Cycling Distance: 50 miles
Elevation: 1990 feet
Average speed 14.4 mph
Grizzly Peak Century Ride Recap– May 7, 2023
by Bob Hyde
The Grizzly Peak Century has been a long-standing ride for the Benicia Bicycle Club. Club participation this year, however, was down from previous years mostly because this organized ride encompasses many of the routes our club normally rides. Nevertheless, several diehard members participated: Scott Overfield, Bob Hyde, Dan Mone, Ron Holloway and Manny Olague. Most of us elected to ride the 72-mile route with 6,100 feet of elevation. This route was modified from previous years due to road damage from the excessive winter rains and the start/end location being moved from Campolindo High School to St. Mary’s College (allowing the ride to now provide beer with the end-of-the ride BBQ).
Grizzly Peak Century 72-Mile Route
We had a chilly start as is typical especially as we rode through the beautiful redwood forest on Canyon Road. However, we quickly warmed up as we climbed the infamous Pinehurst Road and Skyline Blvd to intersect with Grizzly Peak Road (over 1000 feet of climbing at this point). The view from Grizzly Peak Road was breathless with a beautiful panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. In past years, the course would exit Grizzly Peak Road and then traverse through Tilden Park with a nice descent down Wildcat Canyon Rd to San Pablo Dam Road. The Wildcat Canyon descent was closed due to rain damage so the course only dipped into Tilden Park for a rest stop. So, we continued on Wildcat Canyon Rd in the opposite direction through Kensington and then snaked through several neighborhoods until reaching Arlington Blvd and eventually landing on San Pablo Dam Road in San Pablo. Thank goodness we had downloaded the course to our GPS otherwise we surely would have gotten lost.
View of San Francisco from Grizzly Peak Road
Another interesting twist this year was the course included riding the San Francisco Bay Trail through Hercules and Rodeo. Our club rides this trail often and have informally named this the Shami Shoreline trail in honor of Joe Shami a BBC member and Bay Area cycling legend who introduced this route to our club. Lucky for us the day was pleasant and not too hot so the climb up McEwen in Port Costa was a nice challenge but not overwhelming. The ride had several well positioned rest stops that included excellent homemade baked goods. Before finishing, the route climbed over Pig Farm and then on to the Bears so we were more than ready to reach the finish at St Mary’s College to relax, listen to live music, have a nice BBQ dinner and even a couple of beers for those wishing to imbibe.
Primavera Century Recap
by Craig Snider
Bicycle Theft
How many of us have had a bike
stolen? Most of us have a hand up in the air. I've lost several over the years, some at schools even while locked outside. Now most of us have better bikes and would rather not lose them again. We don't generally carry heavy locks on our rides, so what can we do?
BBC members rallied in Fremont on April 23rd for the Primavera Century hosted by the Fremont Freewheelers Cycling Club. Twelve BBC riders braved the cold and misty morning, rolling out at 7:30 am from Mission San Jose High School. Participants included Bob Hyde, Peggy Ericson, John Ericson, Craig Snider, Elle Hands, Joe Pritchard, Alex Dronkers, Ron Holloway, Scott Overfield, Manny Olague, and Julie Jennings (all riding the 100K route), and Brad Andrews riding the full 100-mile route. The cold foggy start had several riders wishing they’d worn warmer clothing (full finger gloves, knee warmers, windbreakers) as we encountered misty/drizzly conditions.
The cold was finally relieved by the first climb which warmed us until we reached the first rest stop where we enjoyed hot coffee and snacks. After the break, we pushed on to Calaveras Road where we climbed a 14% “wall” that had several other riders walking bikes up the steep pitch.
What followed next was a seductive romp paralleling the gorgeous Calaveras Reservoir with breathtaking views of the water and verdant hills. The undulating road was graced with gentle rollers that teased a climb only to top out and urge speed on the descent. A shapely road indeed, graced with perfectly formed curves that aroused the senses with each sweep. If that weren’t enough, the pavement was perfect - silky smooth and blemish-free - cycling at its finest!
Eventually, we reached the end of the reservoir and began our descent toward Sunol. We formed a pace line and headed to town aided by a nice tailwind. A welcome break in Sunol allowed us to fuel up for the return trip as the foggy conditions gave way to blue skies and sunshine.
Being an “out and back” route we had a second go at the enticing Calaveras Road, savoring every smooth and perfectly engineered curve as we sped back toward Fremont. We regrouped at the final rest stop and pressed on to the 62-mile finish where we grabbed lunch from a host of food trucks and relaxed on the lawn listening to live music.
For most of us, this was our first “Century Ride” of the season following Carla Gaines's amazing 100-mile finish of the Cinderella Classic in Livermore on April 15th. We’re looking forward to more centuries when we’ll join friends to explore new routes and scenery in the region. Next up, is the Grizzly Peak Century, Sunday, May 7, in Moraga.
BBC Spring “Moxie” Ride Recap: Saturday, March 25th, 2023
By Brett Nelson
Do you know why we call it a “Moxie” ride? Someone asked me that a week before, and I didn’t know. The dictionary says it means: “confidence and determination.” I asked BBC member and historian, Steve Bahr about the origin of the BBC Moxie name, and he said that a former BBC member, Bob Klosterman, who now lives in Arizona, created the ride name a long time ago. There was at that time a bicycle ride in Davis around the same time of the year, called the “Davis Foxy” and apparently there is a beverage on the East Coast called a Moxie soda. Another BBC historian and member Mike Dunn informed me that the Moxie beverage is orange and tastes terrible! We have 2 Moxies per year, in the spring and the fall. In the spring just like daylight savings time, the ride would do a clockwise expedition around eastern Vacaville past Lake Berryessa. In the fall, just like daylight savings time, the fall Moxie route would be reversed in an anti-clockwise direction. In any event, that’s history. Wasn’t that fascinating?
This year the Spring Moxie this year had two routes. The A route started at the Rockville Kitchen and Bar parking lot in Fairfield. This year, the “A” route group consisted of Marvin Ruiz, Allen Geng, Julie Jennings, David Malloy, Scott Overfield, Peggy and John Ericson, Rafael Hernandez-Perez, Bob Hyde, Kalani Keala, and Craig Snider. We took a photo, then rolled out north into the familiar Gordon Valley, but after coming to the intersection of Wooden Valley Crossing and Suisun Valley Road, we made a right turn and headed up through Wooden Valley. Climbing up through the valley, we were pleasantly surprised by a babbling stream along the road, and water was running from culverts everywhere. It was quite different from the Fall Moxie ride. We occasionally stopped to regroup and ate some snacks at the small school at the top of Wooden Valley. After arriving at the T intersection with Monticello Road, we made a right turn and headed across Highway 121 and eventually Highway 128, towards Lake Berryessa. There was a series of rolling hills and climbs, and the group stretched out a bit requiring some regrouping. We regrouped again near Moskowitz Corner, population 211. No Moskowites were in sight, though, so we pushed on and began the climbing. We rode on, past Markley Cove Resort. The last pitch was a fairly steep steady climb up to Lake Berryessa. We regrouped at the top near the Gloryhole and were pleased to see that the water level had risen to within 8 feet of the overflow due to this season’s heavy rainfall, a marked contrast to the last time we had passed through in the fall, where the water level was more than 40 to 50 feet below the outlet. We chatted with tourists, took some pictures, and then enjoyed a thrilling swooping descent along Putah Creek paralleling the road. At the end of the valley, we took a right turn onto Pleasants Valley Road across Putah Creek and pulled into Lake Solano County Park. The park sits on the creek's edge, with surrounding trees and lush green grassy fields after the winter’s rain. Bob’s wife, Suzanne Hyde was there, kind enough to bring us snacks and drinks in her car, for the critical mid-ride refueling. Thank you, Suzanne!
When we got to Lake Solano County Park, we found the “B” route group already there. The B route group had started in Fairfield at the Highland Corporate Center off of Hilborn. The B route group riders that day consisted of Steve Bahr, Carla Gaines, Manny Olague, Ron Holloway, David White, Ajit DeSilva, and Sherri Bortolazzo. They were already starting to snack when we arrived. We had a good time with the combined group telling various stories about the ride, and enjoying the beautiful crisp weather and clear blue skies after so much winter rain. The “B” group took off in a little bit, as Steve had learned of a place to get coffee along Pleasants Valley Road called Soul Food Farms that they wanted to explore. The “A” group took off slightly later and both groups enjoyed a much-appreciated but quite strong tailwind back through Pleasants Valley Road, then paralleled Highway 80 West and eventually ended back at the Rockville kitchen and bar. Whew. Good riding everyone and hope to see you again at the next organized ride!
Presidents’ Day, February 20th , 2023 BBC Ride Recap:
by Brett Nelson
Presidents Day 2023 photo by “Iron” Mike Dunn
Riding bicycles on a predetermined date in the winter is always a bit of a crap shoot, as the weather can be anything from rain to tumultuous winds, with everything in between. But Monday, February 20th dawned cool but clear and calm. Some of the BBC members rode to the start in Fairfield from home, including Marvin Ruiz, Kenny Leduc, Scott Overfield, and Kalani Keala. The rest of us drove cars to the starting area at Rockville Kitchen for the start at 9 am. Those present included: Sam Kennedy, Alex Dronkers, “Tall” Joe Pritchard, Tom and Melanie Voss, Kathy Nelson, Dan Mone, Cande Medrano, and Bob Hyde. We were surprised and delighted also to have “Iron” Mike Dunn join us, driving SAG in his vehicle for the event. It was such a treat. After a brief orientation to the route and leader/sweeper assignments, we headed up Suisun Valley Road in the cool morning air. It was sunny, with little to no wind, depending on who you asked. The group detoured through the neighborhood on Vista Grande and then headed out Hilborn Road paralleling the 80 highway. Mike Dunn had been tailing us in the SAG, with his hazard lights on to give us some protection, and stopped by the Lyon/Hilborn intersection where some riders peeled off a few layers, as the day was warming up. We pushed off again and headed up Pleasants Valley Road in the sunshine. The surrounding hills and pastures were bright green from all of the recent rain. I could detect a sense of gratefulness among some riders. For Iron Mike, it was the first time he’d been out with the BBC Crew in several months, so even though he wasn’t riding yet, it had to feel good to be out for a day with his “posse.”
photo by “Iron” Mike Dunn
photo by “Iron” Mike Dunn
We took another short break at Putah Creek Road and then headed east, cruising through the walnut, olive, and stone fruit orchards along the creek. Houses and barns were being rebuilt from the tragic Vacaville fire; it was good to see that they hadn’t given up. We arrived in Winters at Steady Eddy’s Café, and ordered coffee and some snacks/sandwiches, sitting in the shade of the popup tent in front of the café. We felt like “we were the lords (and ladies) of all creation.” *
We decided to take a different route home, which Bob agreed to lead from a route stored on his Garmin. We paralleled the 505 highway and zig-zagged through the pastures of Winters and Northern Vacaville, climbed a few hills, and eventually rejoined Pleasant Valley Road home. There were a lot of animals enjoying the day. Hawks in the trees, squirrels on the ground. Lambs, goats, sheep, and cows are everywhere. After a few more regrouping stops, we paralleled Highway 80 west then continued along Mankas Corner and back down Suisun Valley Road to the finish at the Rockville Kitchen and Grill. The ride ended up being about 60 miles, 1900 feet climbing, and most riders averaged between 16-19 mph for the route. It was a great day of riding. There were no flats or mechanical issues all day.
Marvin, Kenny, Scott, and Kalani continued home on their bikes after the post-ride meet-up at the café. Alex put on running shoes to do a post-ride run as part of her triathlon training! We, the sane of sound mind, drove home, satisfied and content at a day well spent in the beautiful northern reaches of Solano County.
If you missed it, join the BBC for the next great ride on our Northern California backroads!
*Shawshank Redemption:
BBC General Membership Meeting Recap
by Craig Snider
Sunday, February 5th, we finally convened our yearly BBC General Membership Meeting at Bruehol Brewery in Benicia. Twenty+ members showed up at the brewery and we were surprised by the many patrons filling the space. Holding the meeting, as planned, appeared challenging given the number of patrons in addition to BBC members. A couple of picnic-sized tables were secured, our pizza arrived, and we shared beers and memories for the first hour. Luck was in our favor when most of the other patrons left, leaving us plenty of space for our meeting.
With a quorum secured, we began the session with a treasurer’s report by Steve Barr, followed by Bob Hyde leading a discussion about our weekly ride schedule. A question was raised about whether to include a Sunday “recovery ride” geared for both A and B groups. Basically, it’s a counter-clockwise “bridge to bridge” loop starting from Benicia State Park with a coffee stop in Martinez. Members were polled on whether to add the Sunday ride to the weekly schedule and nearly every hand was raised. Check the ride schedule for more details and the start time (currently Sunday at 9:45 am). Next, Ride Coordinator, Brett Nelson was away, so Craig Snider recapped upcoming unique rides and “targeted” Century rides for 2023. The President’s Day ride is set for Feb. 20 and the Spring Moxie will be held on 3/18 @ 8:30 am, starting from Rockville (check the ride calendar for any updates).
The club has targeted one Century Ride per month through October. Members are encouraged to register early to get the best rate and secure a spot. These rides are listed (along with other details and links) at the bottom of the BBC “Ride Calendar” page on the website. We will be holding our two social events again this year including the BBQ Ride and Potluck sometime in July and (hopefully) the Christmas Party next December.
Next, Community Liaison Director, Nancy Lund, discussed details of a “Bike Safety Workshop” to be held during Bike Month (May). A committee of club members is developing a curriculum that includes safe riding skills, tire changing, bike maintenance, etc. Nancy and Dave White secured a location at the Clean Harbor parking lot on Industrial Way. We will also support the Bridge to Bridge Century ride which benefits the Special Olympics on October 7. Please consider volunteering to support this local event.
The competition for Worst Crash Award included Craig Snider (Pedestrian Collision on Bridge), Kemal Abuhan (tangle with manzanita), Marvin Ruiz (loose gravel fall w/hip fracture), and Joe Pritchard (tangle with car and hip fracture). Members were asked to clap/voice their choice for each rider, with Joe Pritchard easily winning a coveted BBC water bottle!
Lastly, we had a call for nominations with two new positions to fill (Social Director and Mountain Bike Coordinator). All current BBC Board members agreed to serve another 1-year term. Elle Hands was elected as Social Director and will be coordinating the BBQ ride and the Christmas party. Kemal Abuhan will be the Mountain Bike Coordinator. The Time Trial Director remains unfilled. It seems interested in Time Trials has diminished since the Pandemic. In the future, if enough club members want to resume it, we can. The meeting was adjourned and many members stayed to socialize and enjoy the local beer. Thanks to all who spent a fun and lively afternoon at Bruehol Brewery!
Annual BBC New Year’s Day Ride 2023
by Brett Nelson
A whale came right out of the river during the rainy days
Looks like a nice turnout. Brett and Gang staging for the ride.
Despite a long period recently of rain and cold weather, New Year’s Day dawned clear with gorgeous blue skies and promised to be a good day on the bikes. It would be a great way to start the new year. We met at the Benicia State Park at 830 to start. Who was there? Dan Mone, David Molloy, Bob Hyde, Cande Medrano, Nancy Lund, Steve Bahr, Joe Pritchard, and a new couple on a tandem bike, Troy and Maria Monges were there. We designated Steve Bahr as ride leader; I’d sweep. Dave White walked by and wished us New Year’s greetings to us with his dog in tow. After reviewing the route, we headed off on the ride. We headed under the freeway up Hastings on the east side of town to begin climbing. We had a few stops on the way up to regroup, shed coats, call out Happy New Year salutations to dog walkers, and ended up stopping at Mike Dunn’s house. Mike came to the door, waved, and greeted the group with best wishes for a better 2023. It was good to see him standing and ambulatory, smiling and talking after a rough 2022. After a bit more riding, we stopped to greet Craig and Lee Snider at their house. Craig entertained the neighborhood, pounding on a bongo drum in the front yard in the early morning to celebrate the New Year. After a brief stop, we toured the Waters End neighborhood and then made a fast descent on Rose Drive to K Street and towards the Benicia old downtown. A slight detour down 1st Street brought us to a regrouping stop at the spit and a view of the waters of the Carquinez straits on a lovely winter day. We then proceeded east through town up to the historic Clocktower in the Arsenal where various stories were recounted, including one about Ulysses S. Grant who passed through Benicia briefly in 1852. You can read about it here if you’re interested:
https://beniciaheraldonline.com/u-s-grant-jailed-in-benicia-a-myth-that-needs-debunking/
After the “hearsay” or “history” session, Steve Bahr led us down to Rancho Benicia to show Troy and Maria his mom’s vacant mobile home which is now for sale. Cande experimented with the hydraulic wheelchair lift outside the front door. NOTE: This was the first recorded time that a mobile-home showing had occurred during a BBC ride!
https://www.trulia.com/p/ca/benicia/300-e-h-st-10-benicia-ca-94510--2174372381
After the realty tour, we pedaled up through the tunnel underneath the 780 freeway just east of the McDonalds, left on Hillcrest, then right on 2nd street, a long descent down the hill and a few of us, Cande, Tall Joe, Nancy and I ended up at the Benicia Grill. John and Peggy Ericson arrived by car to celebrate New Year’s Day breakfast with us, just back from vacation. Coffee, pancakes (some call them flapjacks) scrambled eggs, cheesecake, and chicken salad were sampled. Cande shared with us that he had ridden over 13,000 miles this past year!
After breakfast, Cande and I rode back via the Bayshore highway under the Benicia Bridge to finish a fun morning of cycling. About 20 miles all told.
Happy New Year to all BBC members with many joyous miles of riding to come! Here’s to a better and healthier year in 2023 for all our members, less COVID, more recovery from illnesses, more fun rides, and exploration of our beautiful Northern California backroads.
Gordon Valley w/the Club - Nov. 26 2022
Video by Kalani
Benicia Bicycle Club, Annual Fall “Moxie,”
November 12, 2022
Brett Nelson
The day broke crisp and clear in the high 40s as we drove out to Fairfield’s Valley Café to start this year‘s Fall Moxie. We met in the cold parking lot and exchanged stories, talking about our week and the adventures of our various BBC members. We talked of Iron Mike Dunn, who was currently hospitalized at John Muir Hospital. We would miss him on the ride. He loved these long rides with the club, too. It was time to leave behind the thoughts and worries, and ride. After reviewing the course we set off north on Suisun Valley Road. The BBC crew today included Bob Hyde, Dan Mone, Alan Geng, Joe Pritchard, Cande Medrano, Julie Jennings, Ron Holloway, Manny Olague, Steve Bahr, Carla Gaines, Enis Muftic, Kathy Nelson, and Brett Nelson. The B crew had left the Cafe a little early so we’d all reach the Park at essentially the same time.
We headed up Suisun Valley Road together, then across Mankas Corner, Lyon Road, Hilborn Rd, and then finally Pleasants Valley Road. It remained sunny and crisp, passing through the Vacaville almond, walnut, and olive orchards. It was quiet, peaceful, and beautiful with the brilliant yellow and red leaves of late fall. The burnt tree trunks on the side of the road reminded us of the fires that came through this area about a year ago, and we were grateful that this year had been much better. Suddenly, we heard racing engines and were overtaken by a large group of sports car enthusiasts moving at high speed. Porsches, Audis, Mercedes, Jaguars, Maseratis, BMWs, Lamborghinis, even an old Dodge dart and vintage Dodge Polara Station wagon, some Japanese sports cars, and one solitary electric vehicle. Blue smoke hung on the tarmac. There were at least 100 of these vehicles in the rally. Most of them gave us plenty of room, so we continued onward. Indefatigable, we continued to ride and eventually after about 22 miles arrived at Lake Solano Park, a picnic area on the edge of Putah Creek. There we helped unload many tasty snacks, fruit, and coffee purchased by Steve Bahr and brought by Scott Overfield. Scott is recovering from shoulder surgery but was gracious enough to bring us snacks for our mid-ride break. It was a fun social time to share stories and enjoy the day. After a brief break, we headed off for the rest of the ride. Some headed back to the start due to previous obligations to family or work.
The rest of us, grateful to be free for the day, headed across Putah Creek and then north, up Highway 128 via Cardiac Hill, and eventually arrived at Lake Berryessa. We found the Gloryhole, which usually drains the lake, now projecting 20+ feet above the lake level! It was a surprise to see it so high, due to the drought. After a brief stop there we continued on up the climb to the summit. There we regrouped and then headed off in one peloton along the swooping rollers of highway 128. Arriving at the “T” of Wooden Valley Road and Hwy 128, we headed left and down into the canyon, swooping through the descent all the way down to the finish along Suisun Valley Road to Valley Café. It was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. After a brief chat in the parking lot, and goodbyes, we drove home. All told, the ride was about 58 miles with 2680 feet of climbing total. Join us next year for the Annual Fall Moxie as it’s an unforgettable and beautiful ride unmatched in this area!
Bike the Bridges & Brewfest, October 1, 2022
by Craig Snider
Elle Hands and I were bicycle marshals at the gnarly intersection at the Magazine Street 7-11 when we spotted a slow-moving rider climbing the Magazine Street overpass. Soon he came into view - a young man with Down syndrome pedaling a full-sized tricycle. It was a tender moment that reminded us of why we were there.
This was the first year that Bike the Bridges (Special Olympics fundraiser) was held in Benicia, with BBC supplying 14 volunteers for rest stops, ride marshals, bike mechanics, and the Crocket Boulevard KOM time trial. The team effort paid off as the event raised $152,000 (exceeding the goal of $110K) for the Special Olympics.
Afterward, volunteers were treated to a free BBQ lunch and “all the beer you can drink “ from 14 local breweries. We met up with club members who rode the course and enjoyed the festivities, including a live band and dancing on the First Street Green.
Hats off to BBC Community Liaison Director, Nancy Lund, for coordinating with event organizers and finding jobs for BBC volunteers Ginger Edwards, Kemal Abuhan, Joe Pritchard, Bill Dewolf, Mike Dunn, Craig Snider, Elle Hands, Peggy Ericson, Aldy Antonio, Bob Hyde, Suzanne Hyde, Masood Vydyarakat, Greg Andrada and Chase Andrada.
In all, 676 riders registered for the event including BBC riders Dave White, Steve Bahr, David Molloy, Andy Miller, Ajit de Silva, Candy Medrano, and Bob Hyde (Bob rode the course AND ride marshaled!). Also completing the 50k route was my new son-in-law, Kevin Ardon. This was Kevin’s first organized ride and first ride with clipless pedals. I am hoping to see him on our regular club rides soon!
It was a joy to have a “Century Ride” based in Benicia. With our two bridges, we’ve long enjoyed our challenging and scenic routes. What fun to share our town and surroundings with the broader bike community, giving back to the cycling community, and supporting a worthy cause in the process. Kudos to BBC! Looking forward to next year’s event!
American River Bike Trail Ride from Old Sacramento to Folsom, Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
by Brett Nelson
“Tall,” or “Almighty” Joe Pritchard created a fun ride concept for us last week, exploring the American River Bicycle Trail. Sacramento can be sizzling hot in the summertime, but now at the beginning of autumn, the weather is perfect for a ride along the river stretching 30 miles from Old Sacramento to Lake Folsom. This paved trail is highly rated for bicycling as it was primarily designed as a bicycle trail, with joggers and walkers encouraged to use the dirt trail along the side of the paved trail. It has very few required stops, no stop lights, frequent restrooms and water fountains, and no real car exposure all day long. It is mostly flat, total of 1600 feet of climbing roundtrip. Tall Joe had discovered a good rest stop in Folsom, so we were all set.
We met at the Martinez Amtrak Station Tuesday morning to catch the 8:13am Capital Corridor train to Sacramento. We had a nice sized group, including Joe Pritchard, Alex Dronkers, Bob Hyde, Mike Dunn, Dylan Powell, Peggy and John Ericson, Kathy and Brett Nelson, Elle Hands and later, Scott Overfield joined. Some of us rode over from Benicia on our bikes, some drove. Most of us bought tickets for the train trip ahead of time on smartphones, but the MTZ station was open that morning if we needed to get a ticket last minute. There is a baggage car with hooks on the wall so we could hang our bikes by the front wheel for the trip to Sacramento. We sat upstairs for the ride, and Scott boarded the train at the platform by One Lake Vacaville. The trip takes about an hour, smooth and pleasant and there is a café car if you want coffee or a snack on the way. You get to see the marshlands of Solano County from a different vantage point than the highway, clicking past the duck hunting clubs, junkyards, and bespoke houses.
We disembarked from the train with our bicycles in Sacramento’s Old Town and after leaving the station, very quickly ended up pedaling on the American River Trail heading east. The trail was having some maintenance work done on it at various sections so there were a few detours, but overall, the path was in good shape. There was some puddling of water on the trail as it had rained the night before, but it was not difficult to avoid. We stopped a few times for water and restroom breaks, which are all along the trail. We passed by the Nimbus Fish Hatchery by the salmon fish ladders, and crossed the river to the north side for the last section, arriving in the city of Folsom at “Reset Café by Day” to get a lunch and coffee. There was plenty of outdoor seating and the sandwiches/salads, pastries and coffee were good.
After the break, we headed back west along the south bank of the river. One thing we noticed is that you really have to pay attention on the trail, to avoid other bikes and occasional strollers, and to navigate on the twists and turns. It is not just a straight trail, and staying focused like that takes concentration. The trail winds through thick groves of trees, much of it shaded, and we saw rabbits, squirrels, hawks, and even a small group of deer on the side of the American river, which was always babbling along on one side or another of the trail. We stayed together and yelled out warning for hazards.
About 15 miles back along the trail we came upon a young college-aged guy, new to cycling, walking his road bicycle, with a flat tire, all out of tubes. As a community service we helped him change his tire. He’d never seen a CO2 inflator used before and it was instructional for him as he learned about loosening the bead of the tire and moving the edges to the center of the rim
to remove and replace it without much effort. We saved him about 10 miles of walking back to Sacramento so it was a good effort for him!
We arrived back to Old Town Sacramento near the station in time for an ice cream or lemonade at the shops. Then we boarded the train again, and had a pleasant ride home, tired but content. “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!” (1) We disembarked in Martinez; Scott exited from the train in Vacaville. The last trek home on our bikes over the Benicia bridge from Martinez ended our day, pretty tiring for most of us. We’ll probably do another similar trip in the Spring when the weather is nice. Join us next time for a great adventure!
*From speech by King Henry V, St. Crispin’s Day before the Battle of Agincourt, William Shakespeare
Tour de Fuzz 2022
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
by Brett Nelson
Our September organized ride was the “Tour de Fuzz”, starting at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. The ride is also a fundraiser for the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy services in Sonoma County, a good cause that has been very busy with the recent wildfires, mental health emergencies and suicides, and COVID 19 deaths in the community, supporting law enforcement, firefighters, and community members.
We had started early at 8 am due to a local heat advisory, but finished before the temperature really became an issue. BBC members included: Sam Kennedy, Scott Overfield, Elle, and Russ Hands and extended family, Alan Lemone, Carla Gaines, Craig Snider, David Malloy, Kathy Nelson, Joe Pritchard, Mike Dunn, Peggy, and John Ericson, Manny Olague, Ron Holloway, and
Brett Nelson. We broke up into a few different groups but worked together within the groups as a small peloton. One member had a few mechanical issues and a dropped/tangled chain, but we were able to get back on the road after a brief “struggle against the machine.” It was good to be out as a club enjoying a weekend ride, and other non-BBC riders would often tag onto our pace line I heard one comment later, “it was fun to ride as the caboose on the big yellow BBC train!”
We chose to do the 100-kilometer ride this year, and it was a very pleasant tour of the area, long enough, but not too long due to the heat. The ride started off heading north alongside the southeastern side of the Windsor valley, through rolling vineyards in the cool morning air. The road was in good condition overall and was not heavily trafficked. After reaching the north end
of the valley, we had a nice rest stop in the hamlet of Geyserville. A nice selection of foods and drinks were prepared for us, and the rest stop personnel were all very pleasant. After the rest stop, there was a short 3-mile spur out to the Northwest, and then a rolling section down the west side of the valley on West Dry Creek Road. This part was exhilarating with short kicker rises and brief downhills like a fast ride on a rollercoaster, as we hummed and churned through Healdsburg. The traffic was light, and the scenery was spectacular all around us, from towering cool shady redwood forests, rolling vineyards full of ripe grapes (some being harvested that day), to the cool Russian River which we later crossed. Near the south end of the valley, we rode by the 1500-acre MacMurray ranch, where Fred MacMurray from the old TV program “My Three Sons” once lived, now owned by his family. It remained cool in the shade of the large redwood groves in this region. The last rest stop appeared just before crossing the Russian River. There were some nice treats, including olive oil-coated baby potatoes and PBJ sandwiches, and many types of beverages available for us as the temperature started to rise. The rest stop was held in the clearing of a shady redwood grove. Back on the bikes, the last section had us back on rural residential and then briefly on business streets as we closed on the final stretch heading southeast, to the balloon arched finish line and after party. The after-ride BBQ was fun, with pulled pork, chicken, icy cold India Pale Ale on tap, and the sides to go with it. We gathered as a group of BBC riders at a picnic table and traded stories and adventures. This is the second straight year doing the Tour de Fuzz. Join us next year!
Tour de Bay
August 16th, 2022
by Brett Nelson
The San Francisco Bay Area has so many different places to ride that it’s often difficult to choose. One universal thing about the area, though, is the bay. We love to ride by the Bay! Given the combination of bridges and ferries, some entertaining routes can be done. This ride used a little of each. BBC riders that day included Dylan Powell, Scott Overfield, Steve Bahr, Sherri Bortolazzo, Peggy Ericson, Kathy Nelson, Bob Hyde, Alan Geng, Mike Dunn, and Brett Nelson. (Alan actually rode to the ferry terminal from Vallejo and back, for a longer ride, such is youth!)
We started by driving down to the Richmond Ferry Terminal. This ferry has only been open since January 2019, currently functioning on a trial basis until reevaluation of its popularity in the next year. There is free parking at the ferry terminal, something almost unheard of in the Bay Area. We boarded the morning ferry and found to our pleasant surprise that there were many bike racks on the back of the ferry, probably holding at least 40 bikes securely during the voyage. We spent 35 minutes on the trip over to San Francisco Ferry building, and it cost around $6.50, getting a significant discount by using the Clipper Card on our smartphones. We disembarked the ferry at the San Francisco Ferry Building, and began riding north along the Embarcadero. There is a designated bike lane along the Embarcadero, protecting us from street traffic. After a short detour along another road, we ended up paralleling Chrissy Field on another bicycle and pedestrian path. We had a few short climbs to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, which is only open for bikes on the eastern span at that time of day. We were surprised again that the pedestrian traffic on the Golden Gate bridge was very light, recognizing that it was a midweek trip. We stopped along the way from time to time to take pictures at vista points, on the bridge, and on the summit after the GG bridge above Sausalito. After taking pictures, we headed down through Sausalito for a bathroom break at the public restrooms there. We continued on along the shore, and entered Tiburon and the beautiful Paradise Road around the perimeter, which truly was heavenly. Entering Larkspur over the newly completed bike bridge, we stopped at the famous Johnny Doughnuts for a coffee and snack break. After a brief break, we continued on using the Cal Park Hill bike and train tunnel that avoids San Quentin prison. A quick right on Erickson and we began the trip over the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, a long steady climb but with a cool breeze to make it pretty pleasant. Arriving back in Point Richmond, it was a short ride through the city streets back to the ferry terminal in Richmond. We used one ferry, 2 bridges plus a bike bridge to complete this circuit, and stayed along the water the whole day, avoiding the oppressive heat of that particular day. We have plans for another loop, perhaps using the Oakland Ferry or Treasure Island ferry, which would involve 3 bridges. Stay tuned!
Ride of Silence May 18, 2022
By Brett Nelson
We had a good turnout of over 80 people for the Contra Costa County "Ride of Silence" in Lafayette/Walnut Creek on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. The bike ride started in the parking lot of Acalanes High School at 7 pm and wound its way for 8 miles around Walnut Creek and Lafayette with a motorcycle police escort, after a short introductory program.
There were cyclists from Mt Diablo Cycling, Wheels in Motion, Benicia Bicycle Club, family and friends, and many others who just wanted to honor the slain cyclists: continue next page