---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: hoffman@...
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 20:09:44 -0700
Subject: Re: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

Peter,

 Did I miss the email that included your location?  If so, please repeat.

Thanks,

Fred

On Jul 6, 2007, at 7:50 PM, peter deutsch wrote:

JW:

Child labor laws prohibits Julia from sorting the orders tonight.  But tomorrow is a new day.  Everything should be ready in the afternoon. Just have Malia come over and pick it up, she has our phone number if she wants to call. I'll see you in the morning?

Peter

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: jwill911@sbcglobal.net
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 19:46:18 -0700
Subject: RE: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

Peter,

 

I paid for short sleeve jersey, long sleeve jersey, bibs and vest.  So I guess I’ll be due a refund for the bibs when that all gets worked out.  Let me know when it will be convenient to stop by and pick up my order.

 

Thanks,

jw

 

---

From: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com [mailto:teamalameda@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Peter Deutsch
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 12:00 PM
To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

 

Has everyone that order team kits paid their full amount? If not
please let me know. Thanks

---

Don't get caught with egg on your face.    Play Chicktionary! 

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: jwill911@...
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 19:46:18 -0700
Subject: RE: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

Peter,

 

I paid for short sleeve jersey, long sleeve jersey, bibs and vest.  So I guess I’ll be due a refund for the bibs when that all gets worked out.  Let me know when it will be convenient to stop by and pick up my order.

 

Thanks,

jw

 

---

From: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com [mailto:teamalameda@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Peter Deutsch
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 12:00 PM
To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

 

Has everyone that order team kits paid their full amount? If not
please let me know. Thanks

Did I ever mention that the kits are here and should be ready for
distribution tomorrow afternoon. You can either pick them up or I can
drop them off.  Please let me know what you want to do.

Peter

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: shelmill@...
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 08:58:54 -0700
Subject: RE: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

Peter,

 

I paid in full for bibs, shirt and vest.  Thus I think I have a check coming back for the cost of the bibs --- or a credit on the books for next year’s order which ever is easier.

 

Shel

 

---

From: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com [mailto:teamalameda@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Peter Deutsch
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 12:00 PM
To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

 

Has everyone that order team kits paid their full amount? If not
please let me know. Thanks

---

From: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 14:59:08 +0000
Subject: [teamalameda] Ride Leaders and Routes, 7/7/2007, 8:00 am

Reminder from:		teamalameda Yahoo! Group
Title:		Ride Leaders and Routes
Date:		Saturday July 7, 2007
Time:		8:00 am - 9:00 am
Location:		Kaiser Steps at Central and Park Ave.
Notes:		Long Option: Mark, BART to SF, Alpine Dam route to Mt. Tam Medium: JimG Medium Long: BrianA, add on to Jim's route Short Hilly: Short Flat:
Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

Copyright © 2007  Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Correction to webpage info:
http://www.briansbicycling.com/Route_Sheets.htm
>
> Team Alameda will be leading an Off-Island ride on Sunday, July 22nd.
>  This will be a casual 50 miler on some of the Wine Country's most
> mellow but scenic backroads.  This route is flat and rolling with only
> 1800 feet in altitude gain.  The route sheet can be found at:
> http://www.briansbicycling.com/Route_Sheets.htm  We will start from
> Healdsburg, at 9:30 AM.  Car pools may meet at Peets Alameda at 8 AM,
> let me know if you are planning on attending, so I can help arrange
> car pools.
>
> Thanks, Brian
>

Team Alameda will be leading an Off-Island ride on Sunday, July 22nd.
  This will be a casual 50 miler on some of the Wine Country's most
mellow but scenic backroads.  This route is flat and rolling with only
1800 feet in altitude gain.  The route sheet can be found at:
http://www.briansbicycling.com/Route_Sheets.htm.  We will start from
Healdsburg, at 9:30 AM.  Car pools may meet at Peets Alameda at 8 AM,
let me know if you are planning on attending, so I can help arrange
car pools.

Thanks, Brian

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: anthony.disalvo@...
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 15:34:54 -0400
Subject: RE: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

Paid in full and more, waiting for a refund for shorts and bibs.

 

Thanks,

Anthony A. Di Salvo

Information Services Manager

 

---

From: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com [mailto:teamalameda@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Peter Deutsch
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 12:00 PM
To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [teamalameda] Kit Payment

 

Has everyone that order team kits paid their full amount? If not
please let me know. Thanks

Has everyone that order team kits paid their full amount?  If not
please let me know.  Thanks

Nie Work Bassey!!!!!!!  Way to go!!

Always love to hear a Team Alameda podium story. :)

casey


-- In teamalameda@yahoogroups.com, "Bassey" <bassnjenn@...> wrote:
>
> Last Sunday,  I competed in the San Jose Intl. Triathlon.  The
> race was held at Alamden Lake Park in San Jose.  I raced in the
> Clydesdale Division (men over 200lbs) and had hopes of improving on
> my 8th place finish in last years edition.
>
> I got lost enroute to the park inspite or because of my mapquest
> directions (either way it got my HR up).  When I finally got there, I
> set up my transition area got in my wetsuit and warmed up.
>
> The cannon fired and I was off. I thrashed through a mediocre swim in
> the balmy lake water.  After finishing the 1.25k swim I climbed the
> beach and ran/shuffled to my bike.  Then it was off with the wet suit
> and on with helmet, shades and bike shoes.
>
> I was hoping to have a fairly strong bike leg as I had been focusing
> on cycling for the last few months and had a new FSA Carbon compact
> crank from Alameda Bicycle installed.  The 40km bike course for the
> race was flat but fairly windy.  It had one hill about a mile long
> that is similar to eastbound Pinehurst from Redwood in its gradient
> (at mile 15).  I started out smoothly, planning to build my effort as
> I went.  This was a departure from my usual, ride till you blow up in
> the middle of the bike leg approach.  Half way through the bike
> course the wind kicked in. This is where my Ron Cowan Pkwy headwind
> training paid off.  I got low and hammered through it.  Then up and
> over the hill and into the transition area to a 1:08 (21.89mph)PR!
> bike split. WooHoo!
>
> The run leg saw me slogging through the hot dusty 10km run.  During
> this leg, I paid the price (in hamstring cramps) for my enthusiasm on
> the bike.
>
> I held on long enough for the last podium spot (my first) out of a 21
> man field.  For my efforts I took away some olive oil (Lucero was one
> of the race sponsors), a Sports Basement gift card and leg soreness
> that is still with me.
> Thanks for reading. See you out there.
>
> Bassey
>

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: pmdeutsch@...
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 15:39:05 -0700
Subject: RE: [teamalameda] Kit Update

yeah, but the challenge is to find the packages here stateside. grrrrrrrrrrrr
i have no idea how jason found these guys

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: ekkphotography@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 14:55:11 -0700
Subject: Re: [teamalameda] Kit Update

In our network, we must know someone who speaks Italian, no?

Peter Deutsch <pmdeutsch@msn.com> wrote:

The TA Kits are in the country someplace and waiting to clear customs.
Hopefully it will happen today.

---

Play free games, earn tickets, get cool prizes! Join Live Search Club.   Join Live Search Club!

---

To: teamalameda@yahoogroups.com
From: ekkphotography@...
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 14:55:11 -0700
Subject: Re: [teamalameda] Kit Update

In our network, we must know someone who speaks Italian, no?

Peter Deutsch <pmdeutsch@msn.com> wrote:

The TA Kits are in the country someplace and waiting to clear customs.
Hopefully it will happen today.

The TA Kits are in the country someplace and waiting to clear customs.
Hopefully it will happen today.

A Final Epic Before the Epic: June 30, 2007

The Argora Fire started in south Tahoe, by Fallen Leaf Lake, the weekend before Death Ride Dan and I planned to spend a long weekend before the Fourth of July holiday (inconveniently placed smack-dab in the middle of the week) up at north shore, getting some high-altitude rides in, perhaps even driving over and taking in a pass or two of the Death Ride.  Perhaps a little prematurely, we talked over the bad air quality that was reported by some of the folks that I know up here and we bagged the weekend, figuring smoke in the lungs wasn't a good training technique.  Turned out the reaction to the fire was a bit of a knee jerk, as the air was crystal clear by late in the week, and the basin would have provided ideal training ground.

But, cancel the weekend we did, and in its place, we proposed a ride I did with my south bay buddy Craig last year in preparation for the Devil Mountain Double (him) and La Marmotte (him and me): last year, we met in Sunol, rode over Palomares from Niles Canyon Road, then went over the Dublin Grade, then north to Danville and up the South Gate Road route, then avoiding the final 6 to the summit, descended North Gate Road from the ranger station over to Walnut Creek and Clayton, and looped back to Dublin/Pleasanton via Morgan Territory Road.  For this year's route, proposed to the greater Team Alameda electorate, we would BART it to Dublin, then follow the loop (to the summit this time) then loop around back to BART   I found Morgan Territory to be a unique climb in the Bay Area, and since no one I know on Team Alameda had ever done it, I thought I'd get some bites on the proposal.  Well, two to be exact: Death Ride Dan, as always, willing to tackle anything, and John Williams, getting stronger by the ride.

I guessed the route would be some 65 – 70 miles, advertised it as so, and on Saturday morning, we were off precisely at 8am, the three of us endeavoring to catch the 8:24 out of Fruitvale.  Right on time, amazingly enough, and BART deposited us in Dublin/Pleasanton about 9am, where Dan spent more than a few minutes waiting with a gaggle of women at the BART bathrooms; silly boy, don't you know people live in there, and now bathroom has ever been utilized as such as long as I know.  So, after giving up on the BART "facilities," we found a strip-mall Subway open and launched our epic formally from there.

The massive build-up in Dublin has begun: there is bad news, and good news, and bad news with that.  All this development in the rollers north of 580 will supposedly put 50,000 new homes in the area in the next few years….BAD.  The strip mall infrastructure is already going up parallel to 580, and as you head out Tassajara Road, you see the blocks of homes/townhomes/apartments being built, the broad boulevards leading east and west off Tassajara into nowhere now, but soon to have the hills covered in homes.  But, the good is, albeit miniscule compared to the `burbs going up all around, Tassajara Road is being widened significantly, with a bike lane going in from what looks like Dublin all the way to Blackhawk.  Minor Good.  But, once all those homes are in, and those wild-eyed burbanites crawl in their SUVs and minivans to go to the strip mall (there is a Peets on Tassajara Road just north of Dublin Road, a minor patch of civilization in a Starbucks world), that road will be so choked with vehicles and street lights, that progress will be slower than today with the narrow shoulder and the occasional rancher pick-um-up truck to dodge.  VERY BAD.  But, enough soapboxing…but, boy howdy, do I love Alameda, so different than the `burbs…

So, to the ride—we drove our little peleton quickly out to Blackhawk, turned right on Blackhawk Road that follows a couple of rollers over to become Diablo Road, where you take a right on Mt. Diablo Scenic Road.  But this comes at the downside of a roller, and Dan and John are off the front, screaming down the roller at 30 mph, where they blow through the stop sign at MDSR (bad form, boys) and continue on down the road.  I figured they'd realize their mistake when they rolled in to Danville, so I made my right turn, gingerly rode over the first badly potholed patch of the road, then started the climb proper to South Gate.  That first patch is so bad, I figure it is the nexus of some sort of dispute between the ultra-rich homeowners (perhaps is a "private" road patch) there, and the city/town of Diablo, the county, and the state, and maybe even the Park Service.  It is downright ridiculously potholed; it caused a double pinch flat the last time I came down it, where I swerved to the left to avoid a bunch of hikers walking 4 abreast at descending speed and got swallowed up by a big one.

So, I survive the stretch, and get in a nice climbing rhythm, and the climb seems easier than usual.  Tapping out a nice cadence, I am climbing with my Trek 5200 MoFo Climbing Bike, but staying in my 34 X 23 or 25, not bailing in to my good gosh granny at 34 X 34 at any point.  I needed that for the top.  So, I get to the Ranger Station in about 45 minutes, and figured I'd stop and wait for the boys.  I had enough drink to summit, and I should have just kept going since I was in a good shape on the climb, and it took me a mile or two to get back that rhythm I found on the bottom half.  Which is probably good advice: Diablo is an 11 mile climb, and if you are feeling good, have enough drink/gels, and are climbing well and with good cadence and good rhythm, you probably shouldn't break your stride by stopping, particularly if it's up and back.  I waited for Dan for about 20 or more minutes, and my legs cooled off, and I struggled to get climbing again.  If you are doing well, just stick with the climb until it is done.

So, Dan eventually shows up, and we give John a call.  He had some flat problems (and Dan rode away from him, more bad form!) and had to "borrow" an inner tube from some passing cyclists, so Dan and I proceeded up to the summit, figuring we'd wait for him at the top.  So, by the time we got going again, I had been stopped for a half hour, and getting my legs back was a challenge.  A couple of miles up, I got it back, and cruised along on the back wheel of a couple of young guys, with DRD about a hundred yards ahead of me, doing that Big Gear Standing Climbing that he has become so famous for.  I nearly caught Dan at the infamous Summit Wall, but a van and a car got between us, so these two cars are going up right behind Dan as he struggled up the 16% grade for the last quarter mile, with me struggling along right behind.  I gained the summit parking lot at 1:26.51, four minutes better than my previous personal record.  Had I continued climbing without stopping at the Ranger Station, I probably could have lopped another minute or two off the climb.  But I felt great, and the climb itself felt easy, certainly easier than any of my other attempts.

And, the Summit Wall didn't seem so bad either, not after Sierra—those of you who have tackled that last little MoFo up Diablo know how hard it is.  So, take that section, roughly a quarter mile, and stretch it out to 3.7 miles!  That's Sierra Road, Milpitas, featured on last week's Best of the Bay.  It was killer!

Dan and I hung out at the summit for about 20 minutes or so, then drifted down to the staircase, contemplating descending and scooping up John on the way, when this guy rides up and says, "you guys looking for John."  Ulp, well yes, we are.  I guess John ID'd us to the guy by our Team Kits, and he informed us that John was resting at the "Devil's Elbow" wherever that was, and he'd be up shortly.  So we got talking to the guy, another Death Rider, and this was his third, and last, summit of the morning.  Some people do odd things to get prepared for epic rides, but three times up Diablo before noon doesn't sound like a lot of fun, but it's probably effective.

I have never seen such clear views from the top of Diablo—there is usually fog, or haze, or both, but today there was only a wisp or two of fog in the bay, and clarity at all points of the compass.  A truly beautiful day—not too hot, not too cold, no wind (yet), just sitting at the top of Diablo, drinking it all in.  John summits, and we let him catch his breath and refuel, then I start one of the best descents of my career.  I dropped my brake levers, and raised my handlebar, so I can get in the drops with my index and middle finger comfortably resting on the levers as I descend on the 5200.  And I tear off the summit, repeating the mantra, "Be One with the Bike," as I swing my thigh back and forth against the top tube in my "Bobby Julich" descending technique, a tip from RoadBikeRider's weekly newsletter.  I came up to this guy who was descending in his aero bars—I don't ever want to see any Team Alameda rider descending, or even riding in a group, in your aero bars.  It is an inherently unstable position, and you should only be time trialing on flats, alone, in the aero position.  I blew by him as quickly as possible, and kept the nice descent going, flowing from corner to corner, feeling safely stable and exhilarated at the same time.  I paused at the Ranger Station to regroup with Dan and John (it's amazing how fast you can descend 6+ miles when it took 45 minutes to climb), then took off at the front again.  I quickly got behind a Nissan Murano SUV, and he pulled over to let me by since I was handling the switchbacks of the North Gate route much faster than he was.

I encountered no other cars on my wonderful descent, but just as I popped out of the switchback section and the road straightened out a snig, first one, then two, then a third rider, all in the same team kit (couldn't tell which team) passed me on the right without a sound.  I yelled at them to call out, please.  It's just common sense and common courtesy: modern helmets have so many vents, that the wind is whistling through creating quite a racket that you don't hear a rider freewheeling behind you.  To let someone know I am coming up behind them, I yell out, "On your left!" to let them know I am coming so they won't swerve out to take the next corner and take me out in the process.  Those three surprised me, and you don't need surprises at 30 – 35 mph.  CALL OUT WHEN PASSING, ALWAYS!  Climbing, descending, on the flats, ALWAYS!

I stopped at the bottom of NorthGate Road, and when we regrouped, John had been summoned back home to go van shopping, so the usual two, DRDan and I, continued along the route while John headed over to Walnut Creek BART.  We popped out to Ygnacio Valley Blvd (not so much a boulevard as it is a freeway) and over to Clayton via the DMD signs on the road (markings on the pavement for the Devil Mountain Double), following Pine Hollow Road rather than continuing further on YVR any further.  We needed water, but found the old downtown Clayton to be sparse, but it's the last water until the summit of Morgan Territory, so we settled for raiding the icebox of a coffee shop for what little water they had.

Topping off, we headed out Marsh Creek Road, and over a couple of stiff, long rollers to the base of Morgan Territory.  Morgan Territory is a quirky road, rolling along flat with good pavement for about 3 miles of ranches (there was one mega-mega-mansion going up out there that wasn't there last year, with a garage in the shape of an immense, three story barn and the house looking to be at least 10 – 15K square feet), then the good pavement ends at mile 3.5, then the climb starts.  When stopped to take a "natural break" just before the climb, I saw a family of wild turkeys crossing the road, mom and dad bracketing 4 chicks.  The road tips up, though not at MoFo levels, but the road is so rough and pot-holed that you have to concentrate much harder than a normal 6 – 8% climb, picking your way up the hill, a'la Paris-Roubaix.  There were quite a few steps as well, where the pitch gets steeper, but on the whole the climb isn't brutal, just a sweet challenge that puts you in the finest example of virgin oak grasslands remaining in the Bay Area.  There are some steeper steps towards the top, putting a little hurt in the legs in mile 8 of the climb, and you break out at the top, with a good blast of wind after being so sheltered for the entire climb, at a large staging area at mile 9.3.  My legs were buzzing from the chatty road, and Dan and I stayed together the entire way in case of any mechanicals.  We were passed by only 2 or 3 cars, and passed another rider as we descended from Marsh Creek on to Morgan, but other than that, not another soul.  Cycling nirvana, baby!

The descent off the top is a little challenging—the road bed immediately smoothes out, tempting you to haul ass, but by this late in the afternoon, stiff winds are blowing from the valley up the hill, so you can get tossed around quite easily, and the road is narrow, so when a rancher's pick-um-up truck is coming up, and you are flying down, there is no room for error.  So, we slowly descended, winding down to the valley floor, and directly in to that wind, by the time we hit Manning Road, a short stint on Manning, struggling to get up to 15 mph, followed a longer stint on Highlands Road, with slightly more shelter from the wind, and a little more speed, then back to Tassajara Road, and a one-way construction delay, before rolling back in to Dublin, where we paid back the Subway for our earlier deposit with a bowl of chili for me and a wrap for Dan.

Back to BART along Dublin Road, and boy, did I miss this estimate on the ride!  Last year, neither Craig nor I had a functioning cyclocomputer, so we estimated the Sunol-Palomares-Diablo-Morgan Territory-Sunol loop at 95 miles…must have been more like 110 or 120, because knocking off the Sunol-Palomares-Sunol part this year still gave Dan and me 80 miles.  And adding the Alameda to BART miles, it was a long, EPIC day—I got home after 6pm that night.  My legs really felt it today, but I feel I climbed very well today, and I feel ready for the Death Ride.  Now I wind down to the event, with no more epics planned, but as I write this, I am up at Tahoe (no smoke in the air), acclimatizing and getting some light riding in up Mt. Rose Highway (lake to summit, about 3000 feet with 6 – 10% grades).

Final stats and impressions: perfect day for cycling in the Diablo Valley—not too hot for the Diablo or Morgan climbs, not too cold on the descent from Diablo, the wind wasn't too horrible on the flats back to Dublin (but still plenty nasty after so many miles in the legs), and a simple Subway bread bowl of chili at the end was a delight after bottle after bottle of Perpetuem.  For the last epic day: 84.64 miles, 6,955 feet of climbing, 6:16 of saddle time.  For the last epic week: 180.66 miles, 14,171 feet of climbing, giving me three weeks out of the last four with more than 14,000 feet of climbing.

The TA Kits are in the country someplace and waiting to clear customs.
  Hopefully it will happen today.

In my defense:
After spending 3 days in Southern California and returning home late
Saturday, I thought that it would be nice to take care of spousal
obligations on the home front. But please note that I did go all the
way to the Tunnel Road turn off WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A MOAN OR WHINE.
Maybe I am ready to take to the next level only time will tell. But
yesterday's ride puts me closer to my goal of 3000 miles this year
before the rains start.
--- In teamalameda@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Gordon" <jgordon@...> wrote:
>
> 14 of us started out under gray skies but as predicted the sun quickly
> shone upon us as we made our way to Peet's Claremont.  Once there, we
> joined a scene in front of Peets that looked like part century rest
> stop and part Sunday brunch with riders, bikes  and hungry diners
> jostling for sidewalk real estate.  I tried a new Peets treat called
> the hibiscus cooler- oh man, this is tasty!  Looks like cranberry
> juice but oh so much more sophisticated in taste.  The barista  said
> he just kicked a three year habit of these things.
>
> We then continued on up Ashby to the bottom of Tunnel where our
> recently-upgraded-to-triple-so-no-more-excuses-VP suddenly called out
> "time constraints" and fled to Montclair.  Really.  I want to see a
> note from the wife supporting this claim.
>
> Fairly new Sunday rider Jenny made her first ascent of Tunnel and she
> did it with good form, suffered silently but not obviously, despite
> riding a rather strange-shiftered Schwinn Varsity complete with
> kickstand.  Well Done! I predict great things from her in the next year.
> Also friendly new rider Laura from Oakland joined us and she is a
> seasoned rider so had no problems at our pace and knew the roads.
> Nice to have her along  and she said she had a great time.
>
> And, to my surprise, the Bianchi twins from yesterday's medium ride,
> Eva and Lisa, came back for more!  Just as enthusiastic and energetic
> as yesterday, what a dynamic duo of moms on the lamb.
>
> We took a leisurely break at Sibley then headed south to Butters where
> we came down to the ultimate route home of Park Blvd.
>
> The day was perfect riding weather- sunny but just cool enough-
> gorgeous is not overstating it.  28 miles
>
> This is a vacation week coming up so maybe some morning riding on
> Thurs. or Friday are in order?  Something to think about.
>
> Flash
>

14 of us started out under gray skies but as predicted the sun quickly
shone upon us as we made our way to Peet's Claremont.  Once there, we
joined a scene in front of Peets that looked like part century rest
stop and part Sunday brunch with riders, bikes  and hungry diners
jostling for sidewalk real estate.  I tried a new Peets treat called
the hibiscus cooler- oh man, this is tasty!  Looks like cranberry
juice but oh so much more sophisticated in taste.  The barista  said
he just kicked a three year habit of these things.

We then continued on up Ashby to the bottom of Tunnel where our
recently-upgraded-to-triple-so-no-more-excuses-VP suddenly called out
"time constraints" and fled to Montclair.  Really.  I want to see a
note from the wife supporting this claim.

Fairly new Sunday rider Jenny made her first ascent of Tunnel and she
did it with good form, suffered silently but not obviously, despite
riding a rather strange-shiftered Schwinn Varsity complete with
kickstand.  Well Done! I predict great things from her in the next year.
Also friendly new rider Laura from Oakland joined us and she is a
seasoned rider so had no problems at our pace and knew the roads.
Nice to have her along  and she said she had a great time.

And, to my surprise, the Bianchi twins from yesterday's medium ride,
Eva and Lisa, came back for more!  Just as enthusiastic and energetic
as yesterday, what a dynamic duo of moms on the lamb.

We took a leisurely break at Sibley then headed south to Butters where
we came down to the ultimate route home of Park Blvd.

The day was perfect riding weather- sunny but just cool enough-
gorgeous is not overstating it.  28 miles

This is a vacation week coming up so maybe some morning riding on
Thurs. or Friday are in order?  Something to think about.

Flash

I have associated my online journal with TA's.  Does anyone know how
to transfer over 1400+ miles to the team stats?

Thanks

A group of us decided to take advantage of the beautiful riding
weather and craved out a long ride...no prose just the facts...jack

Split from the main group at Redwood and Skyline.. down redwood to
Pinehurst into Moraga down Moraga Rd. to San Pablo Damn
Road..decision pt. up Wild Cat and home ...or... 3 bears.  What the
heck, did 3 bears then up Wild Cat then worked our way back home.

The team:  Jeff(UC Berk), Phillip (new to Team Alameda), Greg (soon
to do Death Ride) and Mike (ex board member)...gotta have some claim
to fame

stats:
total distance: 62.04
total ascent: 5232
avg. speed: 13.7
max speed: 41.11
total time: 4:31:11

thanks guys, great ride..until next Saturday

don't forget Mon & Wed rides. meet at Kaiser steps at 5pm, leave at
5:05pm, 2 hr. ride.  Not riding at 5pm Wed. July 4th..

Mike Romo

Feel the fireworks in your legs and come join me for a ride to Sierra
Road this Wednesday.  Leaving Kaiser at 8 AM, going down flat,
returning hilly.  Route sheet can be found at:
http://www.briansbicycling.com/Route_Sheets.htm

Brian

I was riding slowly on Santa Clara approaching Park St and noticed
this leisure rider ahead of me waiting for the light.  She had her
helmet on, lights on her bike for night riding, and she was making
this curious axe chopping motion with her left hand, chopping the air
in a straight ahead direction.  I observed the car on the other side
of the intersection had its left signal on and it dawned on me that
she was talking to that driver, letting him know she was going
straight through on Santa Clara.  So the light greened, we went
through, but got stopped again by the light at Oak where she started
chopping the air again.

Something flashed in my head, so on a whim I said, "hey... hello...
nice use of the hand signals...by the way, do you know Casey Wilson by
any chance?"
She said, beaming,  "Yes, I took her class!"  I replied that I had
too, and I could tell she had, and rode off.  She must have been the
Teacher's pet.  Well  done Casey!