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Got up at 5:30 to go on a 42-mile bike ride before work (as posted on all the social media…). Refreshing!

1940s blame-the-cyclist cartoons (sent to me by a few people, thanks)

Quick summary: a gorgeous, sun-and-clear-skies, panoramic-views-of-the-ocean-and-cliffs 50ish-mile Stinson Beach loop with four friends, via Highway 1, and then returning up the side of Mt Tam. I posted a few photos from my phone yesterday. This might replace Paradise Loop in the medium-length-ride rotation for me – it’s about the same distance but more scenic and interesting riding. It is significantly more elevation gain (4500’ or so instead of 1800’), but it didn’t feel as hard as those numbers suggest– most of the hills were long but not ridiculously steep. And it felt much more laid back than the 63-mile, 6000’ Alpine Dam loop. ...

Most numbered and signposted bike routes follow the flatlands. Not the “up Mt Tam” one…

On Rt 1 (panorama shot from cell phone)

Riding along cliffs (by eye, I could see Sutro Tower in SF in the distance)

Here are a few other 1-day or weekend rides I’ve been kicking around, to do this spring or summer… including a few repeats of good rides from last year, since that makes the planning easy. None of them have dates yet, just giving people a heads-up… and if you’re especially interested in certain ones, let me know and it will be more likely to happen… From shortest to longest: A ride to San Bruno Mtn (8 miles each way from the Mission) combined with a few-hour hike and a picnic A casual “Tour De Dumplings” 15-20 mile ride around SF or the east bay, stopping at various dumpling shops, in the spirit of the Fiets & Frites ride (http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/) A casual 25ish-mile afternoon bike ride around some vineyards in Livermore (similar to a ride from last year, but different vineyards: [/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/]) A bike+hike to the Tourist Club in Mill Valley for one of their weekend beer-and-sausage-and-German-music festivals (May or July). Basically a copy of this ride A mysterious, medium-hilly 40-50 mile ride in a remote part of the East Bay that I bet most people have never biked in (even I haven’t). I like the idea of keeping the details secret and just telling people to meet at a certain BART stop at a certain time An overnight bike camping trip to Point Reyes, with oysters (50ish miles each way, similar to what a group of us did last year though at a different camp site for variety), maybe as a three-day weekend Taking Amtrak to Sacramento and doing some riding around the American River Valley

120+ miles, a group of 15 great people, sunny weather, lush farmland and shady redwood forests, a few exciting hills, the kindness of strangers, good beer, and an action-movie just-in-time finish… easily one of my favorites. Read on for a longer than usual writeup in story form, with photos and details… Back in December I’d floated the idea of an overnight ride up to Russian River Brewing Co during the two-weeks-a-year Pliny the Younger release. Interest blossomed, we hashed out logistics, and by the day of the ride we were a group of 15(!): people I’d done long rides with as well as new friends-of-friends, on loaded touring bikes and sporty road bikes, people who’ve ridden centuries and people who’ve rarely biked more than 40 miles… and even someone who hadn’t biked more than 7 or 8 miles in a stretch (I’ll admit, I was a little worried, but he was a natural). ...

Bay Area bike maps– a few-paragraph review. Google Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay Area, but they’re not perfect, and they often don’t show hills or road conditions. They’re also both weak when it comes to off-road bike trails. Here are a few notes on the other bike maps I’ve picked up over the years (starting in the upper left and going clockwise): Bay Trail maps (6-map set, though I’ve read there’s a single-map version now as well). These cover the present and planned multiuse paths that run around the Bay, from SF down the peninsula, up the East Bay, even to Richmond. They’re an interesting set, with trivia on the back, and useful for finding hidden little parks in nooks along the bay… however, they don’t have bike route coverage once you get away from the Bay, and many sections of bay trail aren’t fully connected. So I’ve only used them a few times. ...

Pliny the Younger, after 11 hours of biking + standing-in-line