Triple Chainring Travel

Saturday, September 26

2009-09-27T23:12:00.013-05:00

The word for today was "climb". After a final breakfast with the Adventure Cycling group in Olema, we headed for San Francisco via Mount Tamalpais, which offers a stunning 180 degree view of the city, bay, AND ocean, assuming that you tackle the climb up the mountain first! Though we agreed that yesterday's impromptu climb over the coastal ridge to Limontaur Beach was steeper and tougher, Mt. Tam, as the locals call it, was plenty challenging. It kept going and going. It was a 4 mile climb to Ridgecrest Road, and then it was another 3 miles of rollers with 3 short steep climbs to the parking lot that was the kick-off point for another 3.5 mile climb to the peak of Mt. Tam. You get the idea. By the time we reached the peak, we had been climbing for 10.5 miles. Mark began to bonk. The heat was becoming oppressive too. After enjoying the views at the top, a coke helped temporarily revive Mark. Unfortunately, on the descent, Jeff had a flat in his rear tire but it was quickly changed. We continued heading down through the beautiful town of Mill Valley, at one point getting totally lost before a local biker led us to the right spot, and we re-joined the bike path that runs south through Sausalito and back over the Golden Gate bridge into San Francisco. We stopped for a quick sandwich in Sausalito which once again revived Mark. It was across from the famous house-boats of Sausalito -- a colorful "neighborhood" of unique houses on the water. We arrived back in San Francisco to the hostel in Fort Mason around 2:30 p.m. We rode on to our hotel and then took a cab back to pick up our luggage since we couldn't ride and shlep our bags all in one trip. Then...we were off the bikes after a week of beautiful riding, great scenery, and a terrific group of fellow Adventure Cyclists.

Friday, September 25

2009-09-27T13:46:00.010-05:00

Today's ride was from Guerneville to Olema, approximately 50.2 miles. We left camp in a fog as we rode 7 miles to the coast and Highway 1. Today's ride was primarily coastal as we headed south through Bodega Bay in Tomales Bay. The rugged coast along Highway 1 is spectacular with magnificent views around each corner. However, Highway 1 has no guard rails so it was a bit scary to ride with a scenic yet precipitous chasm next to the road. So foggy we almost rode by our scheduled rest stop (but not quite). Pine and at time Eucalyptus filled the air making it an aromatic ride too. We headed inland north of Tomales Bay which was unclear at the time, but then we turned west again on Dillon Beach Road and proceeded to ride back to the coast on pretty and mostly hilly road with one tough climb through forest before arriving in the town of Tomales for lunch. Tomales Bay has oysters, seals, and white sharks and is teeming with sea life.

After lunch we rode south along the edge of Tomales Bay to Point Reyes Station, another quaint little town. We stopped at the local organic market and found two t-shirts that we really liked. One says: "cycle, cycle, recycle," the other says: "Keep Life Simple - eat, sleep, bike."

We finished today's ride by 1 p.m. and had already checked into the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge. So on the recommendation of Ian, the Adventure Cycling route marker (his only job on this trip), we biked into Point Reyes National Seashore and road the 9 miles to Limontaur Beach. Of course, a significant range of hills stood between us and the beach. The first few miles to the summit were moderate difficulty and about 5-7 percent grade with a few short, harder spots but as we began the descent on the other side, we saw the warning sign: "17% grade". Yikes! Did we want to bike up this on the way back or did we just want to turn around at the top? We decided to continue and proceeded down to the beach for some spectacular views of the ocean and shoreline of sand and cliffs. On the return, we were dancing on the pedals rocking from side to side up the 17% grade. It was tough but we did it! The 5 mile climb back up was worth it as we got to coast downhill the remaining 4 miles at 35-40 mph. I'm glad we took this extra bit in as the park is definitely worth visiting.

Dinner was BBQ salmon, fresh corn on the cob and chocolate mousse -- very nice once again.

The coastline was a nice change from the wine valleys. Cooler air after several days in the high 90's is a relief.

Thursday, September 24

2009-09-24T22:24:00.014-05:00

Thursday September 24 - Days typically start out cool and foggy making for dramatic views on our rides. Today we left Calistoga and the Napa Valley and headed into the Alexander Valley, a beautiful valley filled with lots of vineyards. Because we were heading closer to the coast the temperature weren't in the 90's during the afternoon. The roads were in good condition and traffic was light, and overall today was a beautiful, picturesque ride on country roads! As the morning went by the wine country gave way to beautiful coastal wooded areas with more climbing and twisting roads. For the wine connoisseurs on the trip this was the last chance to stop for wine tastings along the ride's route.

We stopped in Healdsburg, a nice, affluent small town for some coffee and pastries and conversation with some of our fellow bikers before moving on down the road to Guerneville. Guerneville is an unassuming little town of 1000 in the woods, known as a travel destination because it's on the Russian River. What it really feels like is a holdover from the days of "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out" hippiedom. Apparently a substantial cash crop of a particular agricultural product remains a big part of the local economy today!
What we did discover when we arrived in Guerneville and stopped for yet another coffee and pastry is Armstrong Woods, an old-growth redwood forest approximately 2 miles outside of town. We rode there after our coffee break with Amy, another biker from our group and a grad of Evanston Township High School (1 year apart from Mark)! In fact, her folks still live in Evanston. Small world. The redwood forest is peaceful and beautiful with giant diameter, tall majestic trees.

We stayed at the Highland Dell B&B which is very nice, right on the Russian River, but can't say the Russian River is anything special. It has attracted vacationers for many years for boating and fishing; maybe we're just not seeing its attractions like some locals do. We had a quick bite at "Don's Dogs" across the river from the B&B, where we met Murphy the cafe mascot, and had to compete with her for our lunch and the cook's attention. More than the river, this is the kind of local flavor we like about small towns.

Wednesday, September 23

2009-09-23T23:55:00.004-05:00

Rest is important. Many people on the tour spent this day doing something other than biking. Some decided they needed a respite from 90 degree days and camping and checked into a local hotel/spa. Calistoga is a quaint little town with hot springs and mineral baths, good restaurants and assorted shops along it's main drag, and dozens of wineries surrounding town. Some opted for a short bike ride to local wineries for some wine tasting. Some tried a mud bath -- a favorite local pastime.

Jeff and I stayed at a nice place called Eurospa. We enjoyed a nice, healthy breakfast of granola, yogurt, fruit, and local pastries. Then after a brief rest, we went for a run and checked out the town on foot. Afterward Jeff returned to the hotel to clean up and I was off to the new outdoor community pool to go for a swim -- I loved it. Next we walked to the Calistoga Roastery and had a great cup of coffee and sat with Rich and Cindy from our group, a very nice couple from Sacramento, and had a very nice chat with them.

This afternoon we had a taste for something different so we had Mexican cuisine at Cafe Pacifico -- Jeff had the Carnitas (excellent!) and I had Chile Rellenos Pacifico (very nice variation on a classic). Then we did laundry, an unavoidable part of any bike trip. Jeff went for a massage and I strolled the main street visiting book stores and the local bike shop. Talked to lots of nice people.

Dinner tonight was grilled chicken with mushrooms in a wine white sauce, with cherry tomatoes, caeser salad, and Texas pecan squares. Another great meal!

Tomorrow we move onto Guerneville and the Russian River by riding through the beautiful Alexander Valley.

The 70's

2009-09-23T23:18:00.000-05:00

This tour has the highest average age of any bike tour we've been on. Many folks are well into their 60's, and a few in their 70's. But all love bike touring and are happily climbing the same hills as the rest of the group. Maybe we're onto something...a sport that we will be able to continue for a few more decades.

Don, who is 77, is a happy, content, friendly man who loves to bike but only discovered biking in his late 40s after experiencing chest pains and a not-so-good physical exam. But the rest is history. Now at 77 he does a couple of tours a year, loves riding with his over 70 buddies and the only complaint he has is minor short-term memory loss, but despite that his cognitive skills are excellent.

Al who is 73 lives in San Jose. He is retired but was an engineer for most of his career until he got in touch with the right side of his brain and worked on his soft skills and became a mediator. He performed this role for the state until budget issues in California put an end to it. Now he volunteers his time providing counseling to others on parenting and divorce. He finds it very enriching and a source of great happiness. He is vibrant and healthy.

Norm, 66 years old, did a self-contained solo Transcontinental ride last year from Washington to Maine. A retired administrator, he is enjoying life and has a wonderful "one day at a time" attitude.

Each of these remarkable men gives us lessons in living that are priceless.

Tuesday, September 22

2009-09-22T23:18:00.001-05:00

Today we rode from Santa Rosa (in the Sonoma valley) into Calistoga (in the Napa valley) but instead of taking the direct short route over the mountain, we took a longer (70 mile) route with some hills. The first third of the ride was hair-raising as we were on high-traffic roads with little to no shoulder, and also hit a stretch of road construction, reduced to one lane with no shoulder. We needed to stop and wait till we had our chance to go and it was no fun. Once we got off this road, we started going through Napa Valley on our way to Calistoga. These roads are what we've come to appreciate on most tours -- lightly traveled, scenic, secondary roads. Dry Creek Road was the best stretch we've traveled since the tour begin, with beautiful scenery, rolling hills, and little traffic. After lunch, we returned to heavily traveled roads, but with good wide shoulders, and a nice tailwind! This has been a hot week, and by early afternoon it was well into the 90s. The heat actually felt good -- my body felt loose and comfortable on the bike. Support for the ride today was very good with two water stops in addition to lunch which kept us all going. My endurolytes were also a big help. Our dinner tonight was sensational. We had NY strip steak with caprese salad and another lentil with goat cheese salad that was sensational. Dessert was scones with raspberry/blueberry/blackberry sauce and whipped cream. I had a taste for a steak so I (Mark) was delighted with tonight's menu. The group continues to be a joy with lots of good, engaging people.

Monday, September 21

2009-09-21T23:09:00.001-05:00

Today we biked from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, about 32 miles. The first 18 miles was in a fairly heavy fog and quite chilly -- I had a jacket and leg warmers on. But once we reached the Sonoma valley, the fog cleared and warmed up quickly. The ride to Santa Rosa had some nice moments. In Santa Rosa, we stayed at the Flamingo Resort - a 50s era resort (sister to the one in Las Vegas) but renovated for 21st century travelers. We rode to the Charles M. Schultz museum to see the shrine to the Peanuts creator and former resident of Santa Rosa. Actually very interesting. We then visited the Luther Burbank garden -- a noted local horticulturist. Despite being a biking mecca we didn't feel that the Santa Rosa drivers were especially bike-friendly. We had dinner tonight with the rest of the group at Spring Lake Park. The catered dinners have been excellent, with tonight's menu consisting of baked tilapia, rice, carrots, and rum cake. One of the highlights of the trip so far has been the group, a convivial group of mostly older experienced riders. Tomorrow we ride from Sonoma to Napa county and overnight in Calistoga. Approximate mileage: 70 miles. Forecast: 90's and sunny!

Sunday, September 19

2009-09-20T22:25:00.001-05:00

We started this trip off with a wonderful visit with friends Janet and Mas in Oakland, where they prepared a delicious dinner and we regaled each other with stories and laughed all evening. Catching up with great old friends is one the very best ways to spend time. Add to that the fact that Janet is my (Jeff) oldest friend. She remembers the day we met in the sandbox in nursery school! We can usually find something to talk about :)

Unpacking the bikes just after arriving, we discovered the first problem we've ever had using a bike shipping service: some damage to Mark's rear derailleur system, which controls the gear shifting capabilities. Near-Panic mode! But thankfully we found a bike shop only two blocks away that 1) sells Mark's brand, 2) had the right part in stock, and 3) was willing to throw his bike right up on the rack and fix him up. Dodged a bullet...hoping this is good karma for this trip. The weather, for one, is forecast to be perfectly hot and dry for the whole week.

San Francisco is a bike-friendly city; bike lanes in every direction on many of the wide streets. We rode our bikes from downtown up the Embarcadero to Fort Mason to drop them off, then ran 4 miles back to the hotel, up and down and up and down! Whew!!! Those hills are really a challenge for a couple of flatlanders but it was fun both riding and running over them. Now if our legs can transition back to a long ride tomorrow everything will be great.

Sunday morning we rode out of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf hostel with our group of 41 riders plus support staff from Adventure Cycling Association, organizer of a week-long trip through Sonoma County wine country. First leg was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Although the fog was lifting it still felt a little eerie and strangely quiet, even for a Sunday morning. But soon we were riding through Sausalito and beyond, admiring all the quaint towns and thinking about the upcoming Chicago winter and how we will bear it!

A good first day; about 55 miles, some climbing that tested our legs a bit, and tremendous support and a great dinner. A very nice start to a trip we've looked forward to for some time now. Tomorrow on to Santa Rosa.

Day 3 - Wednesday, July 23 - Climb Alpe D'Huez

2008-08-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/MarkandJeffBlog/Day3AlpeDHuez?authkey=T6Sl9d5gsqw

Day 2 - Tuesday, July 22nd - The Climbing Begins! Les Deux Alpes

2008-08-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today's ride had everything the mountains can offer...beautiful views, tough climbs, clean air, narrow roads, steep drop-offs, and tunnels. We climbed Les Deux Alpes, a medium length (only about 6 miles of climbing!) steep road that winds its way up to a small, quaint ski resort town. A wonderful husband and wife team served up a hearty pasta lunch that restored our energy and we headed back across the "balcony road" between Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d'Huez. The French don't fool around with such nonsense as guard rails or wide lanes for passing...you're pretty much relying on good riding sense and gracious drivers to share the road safely. This day was breathtaking, and we returned to Alpe d'Huez as some of the early fans were already painting the road in anticipation of the Tour de France stage on the mountain tomorrow.

The Trip Begins! Monday, July 21st

2008-08-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

We met the rest of the group at 10 a.m. at the Grenoble train station. It's a real mix -- retirees, father & son, small groups of friends. Our bus takes us to Bourg D' Oisans, the gateway to the Alps. There we are fitted to our bikes -- the Trek Madone 5.2, an excellent carbon bike well-suited to climbing mountains. This was the model that Lance rode.

We began our ride that afternoon through a valley to "warm up."

But we also got a taste of climbing in the French Alps and had a great warm-up for the next few days of uphill riding.

We needed some culture

2008-07-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

Next - time for the museums and historical sights! First the Pompidou Centre, home of the French National Museum of Modern Art. The Pompidou was controversial from day 1, due to its extraordinary design that has most normally internal functions of the building on the outside. It's different, as is most modern art to the eye of the beholder. We viewed a huge number of works which cover the entire 20th Century of the art world.

Ste-Chapelle was built in the 13th Century by King Louis IX partly to house his collection of Holy relics, including Jesus' Crown of Thorns. The stained glass is hardly done justice in pictures it is so detailed and colorful. The windows in the church tell the story of the entire Old Testament (if you know how to read them).

Next was the smallest museum of the day, Musee de L'Orangerie, adjacent to Musee du Louvre in the Jardin des Tuileries. This place just reopened a couple of years ago after extensive renovations. It houses a small but important collection of Impressionist Art, most notably two oval galleries which surround the viewer with Monet's Water Lilies like you've never seen. Quite fantastic!

To follow this we went a few blocks down the street and across the Seine to the Musee D'Orsay, which houses perhaps the finest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world. We took a 90 mintue guided tour (in English) and learned a lot more about many of our favorite artists. Another unique house for art, too, the D'Orsay is a former train station that was converted and reopened about 30 years ago.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of these fine arts palaces and wish we had time and energy for the Granddaddy of them, the Louvre, but that is to be for another time.

French Gastronomy and Landmarks

2008-07-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

For dinner we took the recommendation of friends for classic French cuisine at La Fontaine du Mars. Starting out with Foie de Gras (until recently illegal to serve in Chicago), we also sampled delicious dishes of Mullet, a regional fish, and classically prepared Canard (duck). Finishing off the meal (and us in the process) were two very French chocolate delights. Even though the French dine later than we're accustomed to we had time to walk to the Eiffel Tower, adjacent to the Place de la Concorde, which we'll hear more about later in the week. The Eiffel Tower is a beautiful structure which is lit at night with subtle blue floodlamps.

How to recover from jet lag in Paris ...

2008-07-20T16:50:00.000-05:00

We left for Paris four days before the official start of our bike tour, partly to overcome jet lag and do a bit of sight seeing. We arrived in Paris on Thursday morning, July 17th, checked in, and hit the ground running. We left our hotel in St. Germain and walked through the Luxembourg Gardens, a beautifully landscaped oasis in the middle of Paris.

Prelude to the Tour de France

2008-07-20T16:07:00.000-05:00

We're in Paris quite unexpectedly!

A few weeks ago we attended a fundraising event in Evanston featuring Phil Liggett, longtime Tour de France announcer. We look forward to the beginning of the Tour every July and are glued to the TV for three weeks, watching the greatest cycling event in the world. So the chance to see and hear Phil for a small contribution to benefit the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation was too good to pass up. Turin Bicycle hosted a great evening and in the charity auction that followed we were the lucky winners of this dream trip to the Alps, to bike part of the Tour course and watch parts of the Tour itself.

Our biking starts in the French Alps at one of the most famous mountain climbs of the Tour de France, Alpe d'Huez ("Alp Doo-Ezz"). The TDF has held a stage here nearly every year for the last three decades, and Tours have been won and lost on this tough mountain.