Sorry Stephane, but I enlarged the picture and it's not you. Maybe an evil twin chimera separated in the womb. We may have to do DNA testing and submit it to WADA.

On a different note, how is Rob doing? I know he went to SoCal for work and eventually opened some type of cycling related business. He was a great club member.

Rob runs Cycling Camp San Diego (CCSD) with his companion Jo, a strong rider (she weighs 116 lbs and did Rapha's cent cols challenge (more important, she bakes incredible English pudding, banana cake, health bars with oats and dates, etc.)
http://www.cyclingcampsandiego.com/

http://centcolschallenge.com/

He does not regret NYC at all but has fond memories of Kissena and of his riding with the club and he mentioned JP, Keith, Eric Ragot, Charlie L.
They are based in San Diego but organizes camps in other places (are going to Belgium soon, later in Italy). Jo was in marketing before, so she has a lot of ideas to develop CCSD, for example organizing the Palomar (free) ride with a SAG (driven by a former pro mechanics who would assist you as if you were a pro), providing food, water, maps, etc.

Good news for those of us who travel with bikes

http://carolinacyclingnews.com/2011/04/13/bikes-get-upgraded-on-frontier-airlines/

Hey all, I'm visiting family in Nebraska this week and it just happened that the "Cornhusker State Games" is going on so I jumped in to a TT yesterday and a RR today.

Turns out cycling here is very, very, hot, windy and humid. 53mi road race on a 6.5 mile circuit today, mostly flat farm roads with one kicker of a hill at about 6-8 percent with 1k to go

Second to last lap two horses motored away after the hill. with 2k to go they still had 16 seconds on our chase group of 6 but no one could work in the heat and the wind. Then my little brother decided to go for broke and took a huge turn on the front and nearly reeled them in so we could swallow them on the hill in the last K. We had a group of 4 with 500 to go. I attacked there which dropped two but one matched me and held my wheel. I was pretty gassed and he got me in the sprint when it flattened out over the top.

Pretty fun to race in my hometown with my bro. The promoter was a former Westwood Velo rider and he was pretty psyched to see a Kissena reg. Here's a sexy photo

That is such a New York City tough guy pose.

Great going.

badass

you are the corncob king!

awesome, dude!

@WilliamDC "King o' the cornholes" that's what they call me round these parts

Nice one, congrats!

Nice work Ryan, congrats! Were you carrying the "lucky" thimble?

I love this pic, congrats! Those upgrade points are starting to add up....keep at it!

Last year I posted these links to see if anyone wanted to do this kind of ride this summer:

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=17913

http://www.hauteroute.org/en


We're now in August 2011, I'm asking the same thing, is anyone interested in a 7 to 10 days of riding in the Alps next year (2012)? I know some of you don't have a lot of vacation, but 7 days is really a minimum, the first day there you're adjusting to the time difference. Different options: we could be based in one or two places and ride from there or go from one place to another. For the logistics, staying in one or two places is easier/cheaper. I am totally flexible, I would like to know if any of you would like to do such a thing. Barcelonnette and St Jean de Maurienne are two places I think are great as bases.

http://www.cycling-challenge.com/barcelonnette-alpine-cycling-paradise/

http://www.saintjeandemaurienne.com/uk/il4-sports,leisure_i16-cycling.aspx

June may be the best month (open roads, few tourists, cheaper hotels/flights).

Sounds awesome.

Now I just have to figure out how to convince my wife's boss that she needs the time and find activities for a four year old and one year old.

There are many climbs I have yet to do. Another year, maybe we can stay in the Pyrenees and do the Circle of Death.

I'd love to go out there and ride. Would there be activities for the WAGS (and kids)? August is the month for me.

Mike

I will be in Europe next summer, but need to take care of Luka

We did a trip with a bunch of friends last year; (Tuscany not the alps) but PLENTY of awesome riding to be had, and lots for the family to do.
Got to say though, one day I MUST ride the Gallibier...

If several riders want to do such a trip with wife/kid(s), it can be done. It would then be much better to stay in the same place (the Maurienne valley for example) and ride from there (We could rent a van one day if we want to do some real special cols that should not be missed but are too far to be reached by bike). We could find in advance activities for kids (this would be a consideration for chosing the town we would stay in, I'm sure Annecy would be good for kids and mothers, great for three or four days of riding but not the best for a whole week), which would free the mothers. Of course, the older the kids the easier it is to find activities. If they are six they can even stay a whole week in a sports camp (tennis, swimming, etc.) such as UCPA - Union des centres de plein air, but most kids would speak French, which could well be a problem.
http://www.ucpa.co.uk/OurSportsActivities/SummerSports/tabid/9827/Default.aspx


There are many options.

For those without kids, you can find "organized" rides that seem good, like this one organized near the Galibier last June/July with Laurent Brochard (used to race for Bouygues-Telecom and before that for the infamous Festina!)
http://www.valloire.net/fr/il4-ete,actualite_i163-semaine-du-velo-dans-la-roue-des-champions-du-tour-de-france.aspx

Here is a webpage showing activities for children in Valloire (near Galibier) during the summer:

http://www.valloire.net/uk/il4-summer,children_p8-children.aspx


If you're interested, drop me a line with all relevant details, so that I know what would be good for you : period (including duration), wife/kid(s) - age of the kid(s), etc.

Sounds totally amazing...but if I'm doing any cycling in Europe next summer, it's a bike tour throught the south of France with my wife with the destination of Sanary-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur, where my family lives.

Also totally awesome, but in a much more leisurely, wine-quaffing, baguette-munching kind of way.

:cool:

Hey all - I'm shuffling off to SFO/Oakland for work next week, and have the weekend free. I've made arrangements for wheels and was wondering if anyone here had any suggestions on some good rides they might have done out there. Mt. Diablo? Marin? Thanks in advance for any good suggestions.....

If you're in Oakland, get to Claremont/Ashby and ride straight up Claremont toward Grizzly Peak. Good climbing, and once you're up there (left at the intersection at the top of Claremont), there is a variety of state and/or regional parks to ride through. I really, REALLY love it because it is so easy to get to from Oakland, has a ton of good climbs, and gives you one of the most beautiful views of the Bay Area (if you go after 10 or 11am when the fog finally clears). A mere 15 minute ride takes you from urban area to mountain-goat-and-wild-turkey-ridden hills. Awesome.

Marin is good too, but depending on where you are, the Grizzly Peak ride may be easiest.

When I was there for a visit a few years ago, I managed to get out over the Golden Gate and ride up Mt. Tam (aka Tamalpais). I'd recommend considering that as well. The Headlands, too, right over the bridge in Marin. Beautiful riding. I can't give you exact routes, but I'm sure between google and advice from local pro bike shops you can figure it out. Also, there will be many cyclists out so if you get lost, it will be easy to ask one of them and find your way.

Here's a a nice little video of a loop with some roads you may be able to incorporate. It shows a little of what climbing TAM is like as well. http://video.cyclingnews.com/2009/my_favourite_rides/video_player.php?id=1

Perlberg, Jeff White and David Stokes can provide great information as well. If they don't respond, email them directly.

This is great - thanks for all the suggestions. I've hiked at Mt. Tam before - really beautiful. That, and Grizzly Peak sound like can't-miss rides. One on either side of the Bay.

I'd also heard about some nice climbing at Mt. Diablo.

The Bay Area is an incredibly rich venue for cycling (why the hell do we live in NYC anyway?). An unqualified request for ride recommendations is a bit like saying: I like literature, can you recommend some books. You need to provide some parameters.

(1) Where are you staying (there is no need to travel anywhere to start a ride. there are great rides from just about any location).
(2) How long do you have for each ride (you can actually have a magnificent 2 hr ride - e.g. Grizzly Peak or the Headlands mentioned above - or an even more magnificent 6 hr ride.
(3) We will have to assume you don't mind climbing, but do you want to engage in maximum climbing (you'll be sorry so I recommend you be moderate as an out-of-townie).

You can also query map-my-ride with a starting location. It might be difficult to weed through all the alternatives, though. You might also search for some regular shop rides. I'm sure there are some on the weekends and they would be a great experience (maybe from Velo Sport in Berkeley and I think there is a bike shop in Sausalito that might have one and I bet there might be one from Palo ALto Bike shop).

But give us some specifics and we can make some specific recommendations.

I would contact this tiny store in Menlo, next to Palo Alto : http://www.redlanterncycles.com/contacts.php

But first, contact a former Kissena member, Robert Panzera at robert@ccsd.com

He lives in San Diego but organizes camps not only in the South but also near Palo Alto/Menlo/Redwood City. He knows all the nice routes over there.

There are some great rides in the east bay, and an option to hit some really great rides and diablo is to take BART back at the end of your ride. You'll get to see tons of stuff.... coming to mind besides grizzley peak are redwood / pinehurst road, happy valley road and the three bears loops, and wildcat canyon road.

When I get to my computer ill post more. I know mostly east bay stuff.

Funny I'm heading out to SF 1st week of Nov and my buddy gave me this yesterday. He called it the butter route.



675 Dolores St San Francisco, CA 94110
1. Head north on Dolores St toward Cumberland St 0.2 mi
2. Turn right onto 18th St 0.7 mi
3. Turn left onto Harrison St 0.1 mi
4. Turn right onto 17th St 0.8 mi
5. Turn left onto Arkansas St 472 ft
6. Turn right onto 16th St 0.4 mi
7. Turn left onto 4th St 0.5 mi
8. Turn right onto Channel St 0.1 mi
9. Turn left onto 3rd St 0.3 mi
10. Turn right onto King St Walk your bicycle 0.2 mi
11. Turn right at 2nd St 85 ft
12. Turn left onto King St 0.1 mi
13. Turn right 49 ft
14. Turn left 2.2 mi
15. Slight right toward Jefferson St 0.5 mi
16. Turn right onto Jefferson St 0.6 mi
17. Turn right onto Van Ness Ave 486 ft
18. Turn left toward Marina Blvd 0.3 mi
19. Turn right toward Marina Blvd 233 ft
20. Turn left toward Marina Blvd 0.1 mi
21. Turn right toward Marina Blvd 13 ft
22. Turn left toward Marina Blvd 141 ft
23. Turn right onto Marina Blvd 404 ft
24. Slight right to stay on Marina Blvd 0.4 mi
25. Continue onto Unknown road 0.6 mi
26. Continue straight onto Bay Trail 0.9 mi
27. Turn right 456 ft
28. Turn left at Golden Gate Promenade 0.5 mi
29. Sharp left onto Long Ave 0.3 mi
30. Sharp right onto Lincoln Blvd 1.6 mi
31. Continue onto El Camino Del Mar 0.2 mi
32. Turn left onto 25th Ave 0.1 mi
33. Turn right onto Lake St 0.2 mi
34. Turn left onto 28th Ave 164 ft
35. Turn right onto Lake St 0.1 mi
36. Slight right to stay on Lake St 0.1 mi
37. Turn left onto El Camino Del Mar 0.1 mi
38. Turn right toward El Camino Del Mar 0.2 mi
39. Sharp right onto El Camino Del Mar 0.2 mi
40. Turn left onto 34th Ave 0.4 mi
41. Turn right onto Clement St 0.6 mi
42. Continue onto Seal Rock Dr 0.2 mi
43. Turn left onto El Camino Del Mar 223 ft
44. Turn right onto Point Lobos Ave 0.4 mi
45. Slight right onto Great Hwy 0.3 mi
46. Turn left 154 ft
47. Sharp right at Cabrillo St 0.5 mi
48. Turn right onto Chain of Lakes Dr W 92 ft
49. Turn right toward S Fork Dr 82 ft
50. Turn left onto S Fork Dr 0.1 mi
51. Sharp right onto Martin Luther King Jr Dr 66 ft
52. Turn right 79 ft
53. Slight right toward Middle Dr W 0.3 mi
54. Slight left onto Middle Dr W 0.3 mi
55. Turn right toward Martin Luther King Jr Dr 0.7 mi
56. Turn right toward Martin Luther King Jr Dr 43 ft
57. Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Dr 1.0 mi
58. Turn left to stay on Martin Luther King Jr Dr 0.4 mi
59. Turn right 102 ft
60. Turn left toward Kezar Dr 0.5 mi
61. Slight right onto Kezar Dr 0.1 mi
62. Turn left 276 ft
63. Turn right toward Oak St 0.6 mi
64. Turn right toward Oak St 230 ft
65. Turn left onto Oak St 0.4 mi
66. Turn right onto Scott St 0.1 mi
67. Turn left onto Haight St 482 ft
68. Turn right onto Pierce St 344 ft
69. Turn left onto Waller St 479 ft
70. Turn right onto Steiner St 0.1 mi
71. Turn left onto Duboce Ave 62 ft
72. Turn right onto Sanchez St 0.2 mi
73. Slight right to stay on Sanchez St 0.3 mi
74. Turn left onto 17th St 0.1 mi
75. Turn right onto Church St 0.1 mi
76. Turn left onto 18th St 0.1 mi
77. Turn right 0.2 mi
78. Turn left Destination will be on the right 30 ft
640 dolores st san francisco

@ Joe: I hope you have a long top tube to write it on!

@Joe: If you are in the city, go over the GG Bridge, across the headlands and out to Rodeo Beach (back through the tunnel towards Fort Baker. That is much nicer than riding around on the city streets with stop lights every 100m.