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FROM THE SUMMIT We live in a great area for cycling. We can ride year round. Some of our rides are canceled because of rain, but we still have chances to ride this time of year. If it’s chilly, we can dress for it. In some parts of the country cyclists have put away their bikes for the winter and won’t ride for at least another month. Even though other forms of exercise can help, there is nothing like cycling to get you in cycling shape. It must be hard to get in shape for spring or early summer centuries and multi-day tours if you don’t ride during the winter. Our Progressive and Cinderella Training rides start in January when riders in some areas haven’t touched their bikes in a couple of months. In some parts of the country heat and/or humidity make it uncomfortable to ride during some of the summer months. Even in July and August we can usually ride comfortably here. We enjoy a variety of terrain for riding. If you like riding hills, we have plenty of them to choose from, including ones that are short, long, steep or gradual. If you like flat rides, we have those too. Although we have complaints about some roads in the area, we generally have pretty good roads for riding. If you want a change of scenery, there are a number of great rides that are only a short drive away. If you like mountain biking, you will find a variety of trails in the Bay Area. The Amgen Tour of California passes through part of the Bay Area. This year’s race includes a stage that finishes on Mt. Diablo. Some of us have become disillusioned with professional road racing as a result of the scandals involving performance enhancing drugs. For those of us who still follow the sport, the Amgen Tour of California offers an opportunity to see some of the top racers in action. There may be better areas for cycling. There are worse areas as well. All in all, we live in a great area to enjoy cycling.
Gary |
