President's Message May 2013
May -
April was a great month.
Many of our members were on the road doing their thing on continued training rides for centuries, double centuries, 508, Triple Crown and the Progressive Series.
The Wine Country Century is the finale ride of the Progressive Series which takes place in the Alexander Valley on Sunday, May 5. The ride will start promptly at 8:15 a.m. from Francis Coppola's winery. This follows much of the same roads as the actual Wine Country Century the day before but with a twist. We start from a winery, go out to Goat Rock at the ocean and end with a celebratory toast and small bites in a grand setting. Everyone is welcome whether you've participated in the Progressive Series or not. This is a FREE event for members and $15 for non-members. If you are interested in joining me for dinner at 5:45 pm at Rustic a restaurant inside Coppola's, contact me by Saturday, May 4 for reservations. A menu can be seen on their website http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/visit/dine/rustic. Everyone will pay for their own meal. Bring cash and small change. A 20% gratuity will be added to the bill.
So what do you do after the Progressive Series?
Well....you ride some more and when you come upon "the hill" hopefully it will be less than OMG! In May, we continue with a maintenance series to keep from slacking off and at the end the month we wind up in Paso Robles on Memorial Day Weekend. Join me for as many days as you would like.
I know...you don't want to deal with the traffic, you don't want to drive that far....really, it's not what you think. It's not that crowded, it's well worth the trip, the dining is good, cycling is great. There are more roads then you have time to ride and more wineries than you have time to taste. There will be route sheets for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Hotel reservations now, is a must. Camping facilities are available if you register with the Great Western Bike Rally. They also sponsor additional cycling activities.
We had a good turn out on the American River Trail Ride in Sacramento. 2 groups starting at different points met in Folsom. New riders to the trail were amazed at how many teams and recreational cyclists there were on the path. There were no stop lights and no calling "car back." The Fat Rabbit was a new find. It was an Old Town Folsom pub serving traditional food with a nice patio to park our bikes and though tempting, we decided beer would not be a good thing. Both ride leaders agreed that all had a great ride and would like to do it again later in the year. Maybe....even figure out how to ride to one end and catch a raft down the river.
Dinner and breakfast on the porch, lighting by Maxwell Parrish (very eclectic...lol) "Priceless." Nature offers unforgettable backdrops as experienced on the Yosemite Weekend Ride. It started with Progressive wk 7. On Saturday morning, a group of us rode over the Altamont to rendezvous with the Yosemite Group in Tracy. The weather and temperature was perfect. There were still patches of green on the hillside. The route was mostly flat on the way out with stretches for pace lining. We flew downhill into Tracy. Timing was perfect as the Yosemite riders rolled into the rest stop. After a nice break and food stop, the Progressive Group made a u-turn to return to the start. I bailed to join the Yosemite Gang into Sonora and was glad that I shared time with the group. That day, the group rode approximately 120 miles to a house in Sonora. After a grand dinner and tales to tell, riders woke Sunday morning to the smell of coffee and breakfast. As I prepared for my journey home (in a car) they headed to Hwy 120 to begin a series of climbs to Yosemite. They landed on the valley floor 85 miles later with dinner waiting and more tales to tell. On Monday some relaxed, hiked and enjoyed the park before returning home. Others planned a ride to Merced to catch a train home. The weekend was well coordinated by Gil & Cheryl Hopkins of CCC and Kevin McTighe from the Veloraptors with plenty of the options and SAG support throughout the weekend. If you ever thought of biking to Yosemite, make it an item for your bucket list next year.
Preparations are under way for our Best of the Bay event held on Saturday, June 15. Thank you to all our volunteers who have indicated their commitment. The funds raised allows us to give back to the community, support our club and give back to our riders. This is the only annual fund-raising event we have and we are looking forward to hosting another great RIDE. Save the date for our volunteer ride which will be held on Saturday, June 1. Ride the entire route or 25 mile sections. Notifications will be e-mailed with details. If you have any questions or would like to be a volunteer, you can call in remotely on Wednesday, May 8 at 7pm for more info. Please contact me for the codes.
Our next "General" Club Meeting is at the Manor Library at 6:30 pm Wednesday, May 8th.
Take part in our cycling community, sign up on the web and join the CCC Yahoo Group for the latest info and postings. Membership is not required.
9 pm, every Wednesday night is the deadline for Impromptu Rides to be posted on the web. Send your ride descriptions to Jo Kwasniewski at jo.kwasniewski@gmail.com
Until the next month.... it's never a bad time to ride!
Just Pedalin -
Vicky Ma
CCC President
510 813-6690
Alta Alpina Challenge: Riding the Wild Sierra – June 29, 2013
Alta Alpina Challenge: Riding the Wild Sierra – June 29, 2013
Alta Alpina Cycling Club is proud to host Riding the Wild Sierra. The ride starts at Turtle Rock Park in Markleeville, CA near Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. This ride is just the thing for riders looking for various route options in the beautiful Eastern Sierra.
How long is the ride? Well take your pick. For those looking for some family fun with the kids, there are two family fun ride options of 15 or 20 miles. There is the Wild Sierra metric, a 64 mile ride. For those wanting more, there are three options; Wild Sierra Century, the 5 Pass Challenge and to really get your heart beating, "The World's Toughest Double Century"! You also have the option to "Build Your Own Ride", by picking your own route and choosing which passes you would like to climb.
Alta Alpina offers exceptional support, lunch and post-ride dinner. Weekend packages available at the local lodging establishments. Please see http://altaalpina.org/challenge for details.
The Wildest Ride in the West, Saturday, June 1
Saturday, June 1
The Wildest Ride in the West
Come take on the most exciting and challenging road ride through the California Gold Country. Now in their 10th year, they are gearing up for another great ride through the beautiful Gold Country Foothills.
Choose from one of four cycling courses, ranging from 40 to 140 miles in length. Riding through some of the most scenic foothills in California, riders experience both grueling climbs and thrilling descents.
To register log on to http://www.wildestride.com/wildest-ride-registration.html
Thanks to the Rider Leaders & Co-leaders for April
Eva Fallis, Chris Holyoake,Cheryl Hopkins, Gil Hopkins, Michael Hill, Michael Jay, Yvonne Lopez, Vicky Ma, Eric Reyes and Edgar Romero.
How to buy a bike and How to build your core
- How to Buy a Bike
- Build Your Core and Ride Stronger (Updated12/15/08)
Why Attend the Monthly Meetings?
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Why should I attend?
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To be informed, be heard, get involved, and make a difference.
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When are meetings held?
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2nd Wednesday of the month: 6:00pm – Board Meeting; 7:00 General Meeting, which now ends at 8pm.
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Where are meetings held?
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Meetings are at the San Leandro Manor Library on Manor Blvd.
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(March and April meetings will be held at the Manor Branch).
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Where are meetings held?
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Yes, attend 5 out of the remaining 9 meetings and get 1/2 off your 2011 membership fee.
Our New Fixed Ride Downloadable Route Sheets
- Since we are refining your new fixed routesheets, occasionally
- there may be some errors. Please inform us so we can
- correct these errors.
- Download route sheet 200901V2 (PDF document)
- Download route sheet 200902 rev 2 (PDF document)
- Download route sheet 200903 (PDF document)
- Download route sheet 200904 (PDF document)
- Download route sheet 200905 (PDF document)
- Download route sheet 200906 (PDF document)
Monthly Rides
- Monthly Rides ( Download a PDF document )
- Monthly Rides
- Weekly Rides
- Cull Canyon Show'n'Go (Ends in Oct. Returns next Spring)
- How to lead a ride & ride routes for New Ride Leaders
- Ride Rating System
- Leaderless & Route Sheet Library
Monthly Meeting Minutes
Ride Mileage, Ride Rating System
Impromptu Rides
Announcing the Impromptu Rides
The Problem: Due to busy schedules, many people who would like to lead a ride cannot plan 1 or 2 months in advance in order to get their ride(s) into the newsletter. Nearly everyone enjoys watching their club mileage increase every month, however, you can only attain club mileage on “impromptu” rides, i.e., those that appear in the newsletter.
The Solution:
Announcing the Impromptu Rides. Here is how it works
