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FEBRUARY 2013 Ride Calendar
PROGRESSIVE RIDES (PRS & LAP)
The Progressive Ride Series (PRS) continues this month. It is designed to get riders in condition to do a full century. The PRS starts with shorter and flatter rides and gradually builds up to the full century, which is the Worker’s Ride in April and follows the Primavera route. Rainouts will not alter the schedule of the series. The emphasis is on an M pace, which will be offered for each PRS ride. Other paces may or may not be supported, look at each ride description in the calendar for this information.
This year we also have ride leaders leading a series entitled “Less Aggressive Progressive” (LAP). The LAP rides will progress at a slower pace (T-M) to a metric century. The LAP series runs concurrently with the PRS.
FFBC RIDE CLASSIFICATION
Ride leaders are encouraged to maintain their ride paces as outlined at http://www.ffbc.org/html/RideClassification.html.
Maps to the frequently used start locations.
Maps to the start locations may be viewed from the link on the FFBC website.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE FEBRUARY RIDE LEADERS!
1st Week in FEBRUARY
Fri Feb 1 The Friday Bike Club
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 3-4, M-B
Meet at 580 Marketplace East Castro Valley Blvd East of I-580, on the Safeway Supermarket side of the shopping center (Castro Valley). Meet in the northeast corner of the parking lot. Bring $$ for a coffee stop.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Sat Feb 2 Cinderella Training #2
8:00 AM 24-40 miles, 1-3 L-T-M-B
The Fremont Freewheelers Cinderella Training (FFCT) series is a 10 weeks training series for women to prepare them to ride the Valley Spokesmen’s Cinderella ride (or any other metric or full century) in the Spring. This is a paid training series lead by experienced women. For more details on the series and details of today’s ride please visit the FFBC Cinderella Training web page: http://ffbc.org/cinderella/
Sat Feb 2 Calaveras Clockwise
8:30 AM 40 miles, 3, M & B
This is our traditional "1st Saturday of the Month" ride. We will meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd. and ride up Niles Canyon into Sunol then on to Calaveras. Our traditional route brings us out in Milpitas and we return via a route that stays close to the hills. Rain or a serious threat of rain cancels.
B: Tim & Robin O'Hara; tohara2938@aol.com; (510) 418-2669
M: Colin Moy; moyboys@comcast.net ; (510) 690-7749
Sun Feb 3 PRS #3 – 5 Canyons
8:30 AM 45-47 miles, 4, M & B
For a full description of the Progressive Ride Series (PRS), please see top of this calendar. Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd. Bring money for a coffee stop en route. Rain cancels.
M: Colin Moy; moyboys@comcast.net ; (510) 690-7749
B: Tim O'Hara; tohara2938@aol.com; (510) 418-2669
Sun Feb 3 LAP #3 – Windimere & Tassajara
9:00 AM (Less Aggressive Progressive)
34 miles, 3 (1,500’), T-M
Interested in riding a metric century (65 miles)? Join me on this “less aggressive” progressive ride series. The routes will get progressively longer, and hillier so metric centuries will be a lot easier this spring. The rides are open to all club members and guests. A schedule of rides and the route sheets are located in the Files section of the FFBC Yahoo! group.
We’re going out to Livermore again on LAP ride #3. We will start in Sunol and ride up Foothill Rd. then travel northeast through Pleasanton to Livermore. After climbing Windimere the group will head down Doughtery to our coffee break at Denica’s in Dublin. Watch out for those killer cinnamon rolls! Part of our return to the start will be on bike trails (the Alamo & Arroyo Mocho Trails). We will maintain a Touring through Moderate pace (10 to 16 mph), faster riders are welcome to go ahead and do additional climbing if desired. No drops and regroups as needed. Extreme weather may cancel or modify the ride. Any changes will be announced on FFBC Yahoo! group or call/text/email Cindy. The ride starts in Sunol. Find parking on the street and meet at the Sunol Train Station. (Do not park in the train station parking lot).
Cindy Maxwell; maxwell.c@sbcglobal.net; (408) 506-6860
Co-leaders: Vicki Robinson & Lori Sommer
2nd Week in FEBRUARY
Mon Feb 4 Monday Morning Recovery Ride
8:30 AM 40 miles, 1-2 (610’), M
Let's meet at the Cabrillo Park Cafe 4673 Thornton Ave, between I-880 and Dusterberry (former location of the Bicycle Garage) at 8:30 for an 8:45 start to an easy-going ride down Paseo Padre to South Grimmer. Then it's a flat ride down past Club Sport to the end of Fremont Blvd. We'll turn around and have a coffee break at a local coffee shop and make our way over to Coyote Hills for a trip back on the trail, ending our ride well before 12:30 (on rare occasions we head directly home after coffee, shortening the ride to about 30 miles and getting back close to 11:30). Elevation gain is 610 feet. Rain or threat of rain cancels. If rain threatens, call me between 7:30 and 8:00 on the day of the ride.
Note: Mike will be caring for a sick family member for some of February so Conni Smith will be leading many of his rides for the month. Conni can be reached at (510) 471-8047 or 4conni.smith@gmail.com
Mike Northrup; mikenorthrup@gmail.com; (510) 796-8832
Tue Feb 5 Tour de Fremont Hills
8:30 AM 29 miles, 3 (~1,900'), M-B
Meet at the Isherwood staging area on Isherwood Way at Paseo Padre Pkwy on the dirt (north) side of Alameda Creek Trail and join us for a few of Fremont's finest hills. We'll warm up on the nice, flat Alameda Creek Trail before our first mini-climb: Stenhammer. Then it's up Mission (with a few detours thrown in) to the next climb: the short but steep Yakima/ Zapotek leg burner. A quick regroup and on to "The Animals" via Stanford. We'll head up Paseo Padre THE WRONG WAY followed by a short but steep kick up Pine and our weekly grind up Sabrecat. Just to make sure that we've managed to elevate our heart rate sufficiently we'll tackle Paseo Padre the wrong way again or for added suffering we’ll climb back over Pine! Then we're ready for a nice downhill coast to Peets for a well-deserved coffee and the end of our ride. Rain cancels the ride. If uncertain of the status of the ride, contact me between 7:15am and 7:45am on my cellphone on the day of the ride.
Vanessa McDonnell; vanessa@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 -H, (510) 517-1466 -C
Tue Feb 5 Show & Go
9:00 AM 20-50 miles, 1-5, L-M-B
Meet at the Bicycle Garage 5006 Mowry Ave at Blacow Rd.
Wed Feb 6 Mid-week Morning Ride
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 2-3, M-B
Meet at Raley’s shopping center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark), for a ride across the Dumbarton Bridge to a destination on the Peninsula. This will be a fun ride en route to a coffee/snack stop, so bring $$.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Thurs Feb 7 Thursday Morning Coffee Ride
9:30 AM Alum Rock with options
32 miles, 3 (~1,000’), M
Sleep in then let's go to Alum Rock Park! Please note the new time change for the month of February.
We meet at REI in Fremont (43962 Fremont Blvd.), our first regroup is at Jose Higuera Park. We ride along rolling foothills, climb into Alum Rock Park, descend into Milpitas and have lunch at Noah's Bagels/Starbucks on North Milpitas Blvd. It is a flat ride back with no regroups. No routes sheets, no one left behind, and there are options (Inspiration Point and Miguelito/Miguelita) for faster riders that like to climb. Bring $ for lunch.
Extreme temperatures or construction may modify the route. Rain cancels, check Yahoo! group, email or call me.
Lori Sommer; lorimsommer@gmail.com; (510) 693-8624 -C
Thurs Feb 7 TNT (Thursday Night Training)
6:15 PM 60-90 minutes, 1, M-B-F
Every Thursday night (52 weeks of the year, rain or shine, daylight or nighttime). Riders of all levels and abilities congregate from about 6:15 PM onwards and we start a structured program at about 7 PM, training for around 60-90 minutes. We always do a combination of skills practice, speed and endurance work.
Meet at Eureka Drive, Newark (from I-880, go west on Stevenson Boulevard. Cross the Boyce road/Cherry Road intersection. Take the first right on to Eureka and then the first driveway on the left.
When dark, lights required. Helmets are mandatory.
Garry Birch; garry_b94568@yahoo.com; (925) 556-1564, (925) 819-0247
Fri Feb 8 The Friday Bike Club
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 3-4, M-B
Meet at 580 Marketplace East Castro Valley Blvd East of I-580, on the Safeway Supermarket side of the shopping center (Castro Valley). Meet in the northeast corner of the parking lot. Bring $$ for a coffee stop.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Sat Feb 9 Cinderella Training #3
8:00 AM 26-49 miles, 1-3 L-T-M-B
The Fremont Freewheelers Cinderella Training (FFCT) series is a 10 weeks training series for women to prepare them to ride the Valley Spokesmen’s Cinderella ride (or any other metric or full century) in the Spring. This is a paid training series lead by experienced women. For more details on the series and details of today’s ride please visit the FFBC Cinderella Training web page: http://ffbc.org/cinderella/
Sat Feb 9 Tuesday Hills On Saturday
8:30 AM 30 miles, 3, M
Get all of the Tuesday Tour de Fremont Hills ride fun on the weekend! Meet at the Isherwood staging area on Isherwood Way at Paseo Padre Pkwy on the dirt (north) side of Alameda Creek Trail and join us for a few of Fremont's finest hills. We'll warm up on the nice, flat Alameda Creek Trail before our first mini-climb: Stenhammer. Then it's up Mission (with a few detours thrown in) to the next climb: the short but steep Yakima/ Zapotek leg burner. A quick regroup and on to "The Animals" via Stanford. We'll head up Paseo Padre THE WRONG WAY followed by a short but steep kick up Pine and the grind up Sabrecat. If we haven't managed to elevate our heart rates sufficiently we'll tackle Paseo Padre the wrong way again; otherwise we'll head directly to Peets for a well-deserved coffee and the end of our ride. Rain cancels the ride. If uncertain of the status of the ride, contact me between 7:00am and 7:30am by phone on the day of the ride.
Conni Smith; 4conni.smith@gmail.com ; (510) 471-8047
Sat Feb 9 Show & Go
8:30 AM 20-50 miles, 2-4, B
Meet at the Raley's Shopping Center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark).
Sat Feb 9 Family Ride – Coyote Creek Trail
1:30 PM 6-10 miles, 1, L-T
This is a ride designed for riders with youngsters (on their own bikes, in seats, or in trailers) and casual riders in general. We'll meet at Hellyer County Park in San Jose (985 Hellyer Ave at Hwy 101) and ride along the Coyote Creek trail until we think we've gone far enough, then turn around. No coffee stop, but we'll definitely pause for a while at the playground along the way. The ride should take about 2-3 hours. Rain cancels; call or email if unsure.
Directions: From US-101 take the Hellyer Ave exit, and follow the signs to the county park. Take the first left on Hellyer (there is another park entrance straight ahead, you don't want that one) and turn left again to enter the park. After passing the kiosk at the entrance, go right at the fork in the road and follow it all the way to the parking lot at the end. Entrance fee is $6, but there may be parking on residential streets on the other side of the bridge next to the entrance.
Mark Davis; mark@markandshirley.com; (510) 573-0184 -H, (510) 299-0076 -C
Sun Feb 10 Show & Go
8:30 AM 20-50 miles, 2-4, B
Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd.
Sun Feb 10 PRS #4 – Around The Bay
8:30 AM 56 miles, 2, M
This ride has been around the club in various forms for a long time. It takes us through many communities, and in roughly this order: Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale. Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Stanford Univ., Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and Newark. There are less hills, but more miles than last week. Bring money for a lunch stop. Meet at Mission San Jose park, located about 1⁄4 mile south of Driscoll on Mission Blvd., and just before Mission San Jose HS.
Kevin McDonnell; kevin@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 –H, (510) 364-4435 -C
Sun Feb 10 PRS #4 – Around The Bay
8:30 AM 50? miles, 2 (~500’), B
The Brisk version of the “Around The Bay” ride will start at Raley’s in Newark and then follow the standard route and skip riding through the middle of Fremont.
Tim & Robin O'Hara; tohara2938@aol.com; (510) 418-2669
Sun Feb 10 “Get-To-Know-Us-Ride”
9:00 AM 20-25 miles, 1-2, L-T-M
Please join us on this monthly “Get-To-Know-Us-Ride”. This casual, social ride is always fun and offers everyone the chance to meet other cyclists. Bring your cycling friends along and help us introduce newcomers and guests to the club. Meet at the Raley's Shopping Center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark), for a ride through the Fremont area. Don’t forget $$ for a coffee/snack stop. If you have a club jersey or jacket, this is a great time to wear it.
Gary Smith; GSMITH289@aol.com; (510) 797-7809 –H, (510) 304-0956 –C
Sun Feb 10 LAP #4 – Livermore Etc.
9:00 AM (Less Aggressive Progressive)
47 miles, 3 (1,500’), T-M
Interested in riding a metric century (65 miles)? Join me on this “less aggressive” progressive ride series. The routes will get progressively longer, and hillier so metric centuries will be a lot easier this spring. The rides are open to all club members and guests. A schedule of rides and the route sheets are located in the Files section of the FFBC Yahoo! group.
This week, our mileage will jump up but the climbing will remain about the same as last week’s ride. We will be in Livermore again too, for the last time in this ride series. Starting in Pleasanton, we will ride up a few short hills in residential areas on our way out to Livermore. We’ll stop at Veterans Park, off Arroyo Rd and, if we are lucky, we will get to see a sleeping barn owl up in a palm tree. Then we will head out to Cross Road for one of the climbs included in the Cinderella Classic route. After coffee/lunch at Noah’s/Starbucks in downtown Livermore, we will have a long straight pedal down Stanley to return to Pleasanton. Ah, but we are not done yet! We will loop around to Foothill Rd and then we’ll head back to our start location via the little rollers of Happy Valley. We will maintain a Touring through Moderate pace (10 to 16 mph) and faster riders are welcome to go ahead and do additional climbing if desired. No drops and regroups as needed. Extreme weather may cancel or modify the ride. Any changes will be announced on FFBC Yahoo! group or call/text/email Cindy. The ride starts in the parking lot by the Crank 2 bike store in Pleasanton (5480 Sunol Boulevard)
Cindy Maxwell; maxwell.c@sbcglobal.net; (408) 506-6860
Co-leaders: Vicki Robinson & Lori Sommer
3rd Week in FEBRUARY
Mon Feb 11 Monday Morning Recovery Ride
8:30 AM 40 miles, 1-2 (610’), M
Let's meet at the Cabrillo Park Cafe 4673 Thornton Ave, between I-880 and Dusterberry (former location of the Bicycle Garage) at 8:30 for an 8:45 start to an easy-going ride down Paseo Padre to South Grimmer. Then it's a flat ride down past Club Sport to the end of Fremont Blvd. We'll turn around and have a coffee break at a local coffee shop and make our way over to Coyote Hills for a trip back on the trail, ending our ride well before 12:30 (on rare occasions we head directly home after coffee, shortening the ride to about 30 miles and getting back close to 11:30). Elevation gain is 610 feet. Rain or threat of rain cancels. If rain threatens, call me between 7:30 and 8:00 on the day of the ride.
Note: Mike will be caring for a sick family member for some of February so Conni Smith will be leading many of his rides for the month. Conni can be reached at (510) 471-8047 or 4conni.smith@gmail.com
Mike Northrup; mikenorthrup@gmail.com; (510) 796-8832
Tue Feb 12 Tour de Fremont Hills
8:30 AM 38 miles, 3 (~2,000’), M-B
Meet at the Isherwood staging area on Isherwood Way at Paseo Padre Pkwy on the north (dirt) side of Alameda Creek Trail. Since I've heard that a change is as good as a rest on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month we’ll do one of my favorite local hills – Palomares. We'll do a clockwise loop going up Palomares and Dublin grade followed by the rollers on Foothill. We’ll return through the canyon with the ride once again finishing at Peet’s for a well-deserved coffee. Rain cancels. If uncertain of the status of the ride, contact me between 7:15am and 7:45am on my cellphone on the day of the ride.
Vanessa McDonnell; vanessa@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 -H, (510) 517-1466 -C
Tue Feb 12 Show & Go
9:00 AM 20-50 miles, 1-5, L-M-B
Meet at the Bicycle Garage 5006 Mowry Ave at Blacow Rd.
Wed Feb 13 Mid-week Morning Ride
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 2-3, M-B
Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd. We will do a loop around Fremont-Newark en route to a coffee/snack stop, so bring $$.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Thurs Feb 14 Thursday Morning Coffee Ride
9:30 AM 25-35 miles, 2-3, M
Sleep in then come ride with a fun group of people on Valentine's Day! Please note the new time change for the month of February. There will be chocolate!
This ride starts at the Don Edward's Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Fremont and we head across the Dumbarton Bridge to various destinations. For a flat ride we head through East Palo Alto and along a few paths to Shoreline Park for lunch. For a ride with climbing we do Woodside Road, Sand Hill/Whisky Hill, Alpine Loop, Arastradero or Edgewood Road. Sometimes the climbing is optional. We always stop for coffee and riders are welcome to head back on their own if they know the way. Usually we ride without route sheets so we regroup as necessary and no one is left behind. Bring $ for lunch.
Extreme temperatures or construction may modify the route. Rain cancels, check Yahoo! group, email or call me.
Lori Sommer; lorimsommer@gmail.com; (510) 693-8624 -C
Thurs Feb 14 TNT (Thursday Night Training)
6:15 PM 60-90 minutes, 1, M-B-F
Every Thursday night (52 weeks of the year, rain or shine, daylight or nighttime). Riders of all levels and abilities congregate from about 6:15 PM onwards and we start a structured program at about 7 PM, training for around 60-90 minutes. We always do a combination of skills practice, speed and endurance work.
Meet at Eureka Drive, Newark (from I-880, go west on Stevenson Boulevard. Cross the Boyce road/Cherry Road intersection. Take the first right on to Eureka and then the first driveway on the left.
When dark, lights required. Helmets are mandatory.
Garry Birch; garry_b94568@yahoo.com; (925) 556-1564, (925) 819-0247
Fri Feb 15 The Friday Bike Club
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 3-4, M-B
Meet at 580 Marketplace East Castro Valley Blvd East of I-580, on the Safeway Supermarket side of the shopping center (Castro Valley). Meet in the northeast corner of the parking lot. Bring $$ for a coffee stop.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Sat Feb 16 Cinderella Training #4
8:00 AM 30-48 miles, 1-3 L-T-M-B
The Fremont Freewheelers Cinderella Training (FFCT) series is a 10 weeks training series for women to prepare them to ride the Valley Spokesmen’s Cinderella ride (or any other metric or full century) in the Spring. This is a paid training series lead by experienced women. For more details on the series and details of today’s ride please visit the FFBC Cinderella Training web page: http://ffbc.org/cinderella/
Sat Feb 16 Show & Go
8:30 AM 20-50 miles, 2-4, L-T-M-B
Meet at the Raley's Shopping Center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark).
Sun Feb 17 PRS #5 – Old La Honda
8:30 AM 50 miles, 4, M & B
If you have never ridden Old La Honda road, be prepared for a quiet and scenic climb (about 3.5 mi.) up to Skyline Rd. After that we can have some snacks in Sky Londa before heading back down to Woodside. And then comes the etc. part, another nice little climb for a great view of the bay and a great descent. Meet at Raley’s Shopping center, Newark.
M: Kevin McDonnell; kevin@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 –H, (510) 364-4435 -C
B: Tim O'Hara; tohara2938@aol.com; (510) 418-2669
Sun Feb 17 Dale & Ken’s Excellent Adventure
9:00 AM 45 miles, 5, M
Have you always wanted to tackle Sierra Road but didn't want to have people waiting for you? We will offer you the chance to tame the monster and we'll wait for everyone---no matter how many days it takes us. Come on out and give it a try--it's not as hard as it sounds and there's no law against taking breaks on the hill. And then it's a great 9 mile descent down Felter and Calaveras to coffee at Noah's and a flat route home.
You can see the route at:
http://lasthill.net/Maps/D-KSierraLoop.html
Meet at downtown Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd.
Ken Goldman; ken.goldman@comcast.net; (510)791-1095 -H
Dale Blanchard; dale-B@comcast.net; (510)703-7474 -C
Sun Feb 17 LAP #5 – Portola Valley Loop (and then some)
9:00 AM (Less Aggressive Progressive)
41 miles, 3 (1,950’), T-M
Interested in riding a metric century (65 miles)? Join me on this “less aggressive” progressive ride series. The routes will get progressively longer and hillier so metric centuries will be a lot easier this Spring. The rides are open to all club members and guests. A schedule of rides and the route sheets are located in the Files section of the FFBC Yahoo! group.
This week we will do one of the FFBC Progressive Rides (#2, Portola Valley Loop) with slight variations. We will cross the Dumbarton Bridge to climb Alpine & Portola in Portola Valley. However, don’t stop yet, like we usually do, at Robert’s Market - we’re going to continue on another 3.3 miles and 722 feet up Alpine Rd. Be ready to gear down before we reach the summit. After we get back to Robert’s Market, and have our coffee break, we’ll return to the start via some lovely descents (well, mostly) down Sand Hill Road. We will maintain a Touring through Moderate pace (10 to 16 mph), faster riders are welcome to go ahead and do the Alpine extension more than once. No drops and regroups as needed. Extreme weather may cancel or modify the ride. Any changes will be announced on FFBC Yahoo! group or call/text/email Cindy. The ride starts in the parking lot of visitors’ center at the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont (Marshlands).
Cindy Maxwell; maxwell.c@sbcglobal.net; (408) 506-6860
Co-leaders: Vicki Robinson & Lori Sommer
4th Week in FEBRUARY
Mon Feb 18 Monday Morning Recovery Ride
8:30 AM 40 miles, 1-2 (610’), M
Let's meet at the Cabrillo Park Cafe 4673 Thornton Ave, between I-880 and Dusterberry (former location of the Bicycle Garage) at 8:30 for an 8:45 start to an easy-going ride down Paseo Padre to South Grimmer. Then it's a flat ride down past Club Sport to the end of Fremont Blvd. We'll turn around and have a coffee break at a local coffee shop and make our way over to Coyote Hills for a trip back on the trail, ending our ride well before 12:30 (on rare occasions we head directly home after coffee, shortening the ride to about 30 miles and getting back close to 11:30). Elevation gain is 610 feet. Rain or threat of rain cancels. If rain threatens, call me between 7:30 and 8:00 on the day of the ride.
Note: Mike will be caring for a sick family member for some of February so Conni Smith will be leading many of his rides for the month. Conni can be reached at (510) 471-8047 or 4conni.smith@gmail.com
Mike Northrup; mikenorthrup@gmail.com; (510) 796-8832
Tue Feb 19 Tour de Fremont Hills
8:30 AM 29 miles, 3 (~1,900'), M-B
Meet at the Isherwood staging area on Isherwood Way at Paseo Padre Pkwy on the dirt (north) side of Alameda Creek Trail and join us for a few of Fremont's finest hills. We'll warm up on the nice, flat Alameda Creek Trail before our first mini-climb: Stenhammer. Then it's up Mission (with a few detours thrown in) to the next climb: the short but steep Yakima/ Zapotek leg burner. A quick regroup and on to "The Animals" via Stanford. We'll head up Paseo Padre THE WRONG WAY followed by a short but steep kick up Pine and our weekly grind up Sabrecat. Just to make sure that we've managed to elevate our heart rate sufficiently we'll tackle Paseo Padre the wrong way again or for added suffering we’ll climb back over Pine! Then we're ready for a nice downhill coast to Peets for a well-deserved coffee and the end of our ride. Rain cancels the ride. If uncertain of the status of the ride, contact me between 7:15am and 7:45am on my cellphone on the day of the ride.
Vanessa McDonnell; vanessa@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 -H, (510) 517-1466 –C
Tue Feb 19 Show & Go
9:00 AM 20-50 miles, 1-5, L-M-B
Meet at the Bicycle Garage 5006 Mowry Ave at Blacow Rd.
Wed Feb 20 Mid-week Morning Ride
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 2-3, M-B
Meet at Raley’s shopping center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark), for a ride across the Dumbarton Bridge to a destination on the Peninsula. This will be a fun ride en route to a coffee/snack stop, so bring $$.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Thurs Feb 21 Thursday Morning Coffee Ride
9:30 AM Norris & Bollinger Canyon
27 miles, 3 (2,300’), T-M
Wake up late and let's do some climbing in the hills of Castro Valley. Please note the new time change for the month of February.
This ride starts at Endless Cycles (3300 E. Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, near Center Street, please park in the small side-parking lot. Jeff will open the shop early so we can use the restroom. We will head directly up Crow Canyon and climb Norris from the south side. We will do an out and back on Bollinger Canyon (go as far as you like or head directly to lunch). After our stop we will climb the south side of Norris and return via Crow Canyon. Climb at your own pace. If you’re a fast climber, when you reach the top, you can come back down for the last rider (usually me). Bring $ for lunch.
Extreme temperatures or construction may modify the route. Rain cancels, check yahoo group, email or call me.
Lori Sommer; lorimsommer@gmail.com; (510) 693-8624 -C
Thurs Feb 21 TNT (Thursday Night Training)
6:15 PM 60-90 minutes, 1, M-B-F
Every Thursday night (52 weeks of the year, rain or shine, daylight or nighttime). Riders of all levels and abilities congregate from about 6:15 PM onwards and we start a structured program at about 7 PM, training for around 60-90 minutes. We always do a combination of skills practice, speed and endurance work.
Meet at Eureka Drive, Newark (from I-880, go west on Stevenson Boulevard. Cross the Boyce road/Cherry Road intersection. Take the first right on to Eureka and then the first driveway on the left.
When dark, lights required. Helmets are mandatory.
Garry Birch; garry_b94568@yahoo.com; (925) 556-1564, (925) 819-0247
Fri Feb 22 The Friday Bike Club
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 3-4, M-B
Meet at 580 Marketplace East Castro Valley Blvd East of I-580, on the Safeway Supermarket side of the shopping center (Castro Valley). Meet in the northeast corner of the parking lot. Bring $$ for a coffee stop.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Sat Feb 23 Cinderella Training #5
8:00 AM 36-50 miles, 1-3 L-T-M-B
The Fremont Freewheelers Cinderella Training (FFCT) series is a 10 weeks training series for women to prepare them to ride the Valley Spokesmen’s Cinderella ride (or any other metric or full century) in the Spring. This is a paid training series lead by experienced women. For more details on the series and details of today’s ride please visit the FFBC Cinderella Training web page: http://ffbc.org/cinderella/
Sat Feb 23 Show & Go
8:30 AM 20-50 miles, 2-4, B
Meet at the Raley's Shopping Center parking lot east side, close to Tutti Frutti, Jarvis Ave & Newark Blvd (Newark).
Sat Feb 23 Portola/Alpine
9:00AM 30-35 miles, 4, M
We will cross the bay and take a somewhat different approach to a counterclockwise Portola/Alpine loop. We will regroup a few times to make sure nobody gets left behind. Bring $ for a refreshment stop at Roberts Market in Portola Valley. Rain cancels. Meet at Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Fremont.
Gary Smith; GSMITH289@aol.com; (510) 797-7809 -H (510) 304-0956 -C
Sun Feb 24 Show & Go
8:30 AM 20-50 miles, 2-4, B
Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd.
Sun Feb 24 PRS #6 – Del Valle
8:30 AM 61 miles, 3, M & T
There is only one major hill on this ride, only problem is that we have to do it twice. Enjoy the Livermore valley as we make our way to Mines Rd. and our destination of Lake Del Valle. Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd. Rain cancels.
M: Kevin McDonnell; kevin@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 –H, (510) 364-4435 -C
T: TBD (route sheets from ridecoordinator@ffbc.org)
Sun Feb 24 Tour de Dumbarton Bridge (CW)
8:45 AM 50-60 miles, 2, T
Bike through 9 cities! We see Alviso and the western cities before climbing the Dumbarton Bridge. We'll stop at 15 miles at the Chinese Bakery in Mountain View, then buy lunch in Menlo Park at about 25 miles. There is a snack break at Don Edwards, so bring food. Each rider is expected to maintain 11-13 mph pace on the level for the entire ride. The slowest rider sets the pace for the group. START: In the Mall parking lot across from the Great Mall VTA LIGHT RAIL/BUS Station, Great Mall Parkway & McCandless Drive/Great Mall Dr., Milpitas under the "Bump" sign.
Jon Graff; jon.graff@yahoo.com; (408) 262-9577
Sun Feb 24 LAP #6 – Mt. Pleasant & San Felipe
9:00 AM (Less Aggressive Progressive)
43 miles, 3 (2,100’), T-M
Interested in riding a metric century (65 miles)? Join me on this “less aggressive” progressive ride series. The routes will get progressively longer, and hillier so metric centuries will be a lot easier this Spring. The rides are open to all club members and guests. A schedule of rides and the route sheets are located in the Files section of the FFBC Yahoo! group. We will maintain a Touring through Moderate pace (10 to 16 mph), faster riders are welcome to go ahead and do additional climbing if desired.
Starting from Cardoza Park in Milpitas, we’ll ride south into San Jose to Mt. Pleasant Road. After enjoying the climb, we’ll head towards San Felipe Road for our second, and final effort. On the way to San Felipe, we’ll gawk at the impressive Sikh Gurdwara and enjoy a short sweet descent down Yerba Buena Rd. After reaching the summit of San Felipe, we’ll roll back down for coffee/lunch at La Boulangerie in San Jose’s Evergreen district. Our return route will be on rollers at the base of the east San Jose foothills. No drops and regroups as needed. Extreme weather may cancel or modify the ride. Any changes will be announced on FFBC Yahoo! Group or call/text/email Cindy. The ride starts in the west parking lot of Cardoza Park in Milpitas. Directions to Cardoza Park: I-680 south. East on Jacklin Rd. in Milpitas. South on N. Park Victoria Dr. and then east on Kennedy Dr. Parking lot on the right. http://goo.gl/maps/Q8Kq
Cindy Maxwell; maxwell.c@sbcglobal.net; (408) 506-6860
Co-leaders: Vicki Robinson & Lori Sommer
5th Week in FEBRUARY
Mon Feb 25 Monday Morning Recovery Ride
8:30 AM 40 miles, 1-2 (610’), M
Let's meet at the Cabrillo Park Cafe 4673 Thornton Ave, between I-880 and Dusterberry (former location of the Bicycle Garage) at 8:30 for an 8:45 start to an easy-going ride down Paseo Padre to South Grimmer. Then it's a flat ride down past Club Sport to the end of Fremont Blvd. We'll turn around and have a coffee break at a local coffee shop and make our way over to Coyote Hills for a trip back on the trail, ending our ride well before 12:30 (on rare occasions we head directly home after coffee, shortening the ride to about 30 miles and getting back close to 11:30). Elevation gain is 610 feet. Rain or threat of rain cancels. If rain threatens, call me between 7:30 and 8:00 on the day of the ride.
Note: Mike will be caring for a sick family member for some of February so Conni Smith will be leading many of his rides for the month. Conni can be reached at (510) 471-8047 or 4conni.smith@gmail.com
Mike Northrup; mikenorthrup@gmail.com; (510) 796-8832
Tue Feb 26 Tour de Fremont Hills
8:30 AM 38 miles, 3 (~2,000’), M-B
Meet at the Isherwood staging area on Isherwood Way at Paseo Padre Pkwy on the north (dirt) side of Alameda Creek Trail. Since I've heard that a change is as good as a rest on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month we’ll do one of my favorite local hills – Palomares. We'll do a clockwise loop going up Palomares and Dublin grade followed by the rollers on Foothill. We’ll return through the canyon with the ride once again finishing at Peet’s for a well-deserved coffee. Rain cancels. If uncertain of the status of the ride, contact me between 7:15am and 7:45am on my cellphone on the day of the ride.
Vanessa McDonnell; vanessa@mcnmc.com; (510) 441-7607 -H, (510) 517-1466 -C
Tue Feb 26 Show & Go
9:00 AM 20-50 miles, 1-5, L-M-B
Meet at the Bicycle Garage 5006 Mowry Ave at Blacow Rd.
Wed Feb 27 Mid-week Morning Ride
8:30 AM 35-45 miles, 2-3, M-B
Meet at DOWNTOWN Niles parking lot across from H St on Niles Blvd. We will do a loop around Fremont-Newark en route to a coffee/snack stop, so bring $$.
Al Quintana; alanq44@hotmail.com (510) 760-9245
Thurs Feb 28 Thursday Morning Coffee Ride
9:30 AM Tully’s via Kilkare, Happy Valley & Bernal Bump
27 miles, 3 (1,600’), T-M
Once again you can sleep in and still ride!
We will meet in the gravel parking lot across from the Sunol Train Station and ride up Kilkare. Then we will head up Foothill to ride Happy Valley and continue up the Bernal Bump. There are some options if you want to skip some climbing and meet us at Tully's coffee in Pleasanton. No one left behind. Bring $. There is also a yummy burrito store next door.
Extreme temperatures or construction may modify the route. Rain cancels, check Yahoo! group, email or call me.
Lori Sommer; lorimsommer@gmail.com; (510) 693-8624 -C
Thurs Feb 28 TNT (Thursday Night Training)
6:15 PM 60-90 minutes, 1, M-B-F
Every Thursday night (52 weeks of the year, rain or shine, daylight or nighttime). Riders of all levels and abilities congregate from about 6:15 PM onwards and we start a structured program at about 7 PM, training for around 60-90 minutes. We always do a combination of skills practice, speed and endurance work.
Meet at Eureka Drive, Newark (from I-880, go west on Stevenson Boulevard. Cross the Boyce road/Cherry Road intersection. Take the first right on to Eureka and then the first driveway on the left.
When dark, lights required. Helmets are mandatory.
Garry Birch; garry_b94568@yahoo.com; (925) 556-1564, (925) 819-0247
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