5d5w #3: Calaveras Way, continued

+1 to this being a great route. Thanks to Murph for leading. I'd happily ride this again, especially when I gain some climbing form (another longer than 200 meters and/or 5% grade is killing me right now).

-brett

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I was disappointed by the traffic on Foothill. Pleasanton has grown
South since I first started riding this/similar routes and there is
more housing along the Northern part of Foothill, and 680 is more
congested. You saw how traffic was backed up at the intersection just
outside Sunol - that is people who have been on 680 who are now going
to take 84 down Niles Canyon to Fremont. Since 680 backs up and the 84
exit off 680 backs up real bad, the Pleasantonians are now using
Foothill as a "back road" to 84. There is a parallel road called
"Pleasanton-Sunol" on the Southern half of Foothill, I've never ridden
it. Rather than testing it out I'll ask around. Of course, last time
there was substantially less traffic - could be that 680 was
particularly screwed up and we got bailout traffic.

Foothill used to really be the bomb - no traffic at all. Of course I
usually rode it at 10 AM on a Saturday, not 7:45 AM on a weekday.

But from the gravel pits to Felter Road I counted 1 car and 2 non-SF2G
cyclists in 10 miles or so. Word.

-murph

5d5w #3: Calaveras Way

New, official thread.

Meet at 24th/Mission BART by ~6:10, to get on the Dublin/Pleasanton
train departing at 6:15. Arrives Dublin at 7:07. Caffeinate/feed
beforehand - no eating/drinking on BART - take a nap or watch the
Sunrise.

Route is BART->(R)Owens->(L)Hopyard->(R)Las Positas->(L)Foothill-
>(L)Kilkare->(L)Main->(L)84-SINGLEFILE->(S)Calaveras->Regroup at top
of 1.5 mile climb->(S)Calaveras->(R)Calaveras at Felter-Fast Descent-
>(R)Evans-becomes Jacklin->(R)Milpitas->(L)Dixon Landing- cross 880-
>(L)Sidewalk of McCarthy=BikePath->(L)Zanker-cross237->(R)Holger-
>(R)First-cross 237->(L)Gold->(R)Bike Path just past Gold Connector-
>(R)Carribean-(R)Levee Trail = Dirt->(L)Bay Trail - whip U-turn after
gate then left on Bay Trail Keep following fire road like trail to
gate then left on Steven's Creek Trail->(R) Crittenden->(L)Shoreline-
>(R)Ampitheatre.

If you want to go but don't like dirt roads, you can take San Tomas
Creek Trail at Gold to Walsh/Kifer/Evelyn to Steven's Creek Trail to
Google.

Last time I had 2:49 elapsed time to Nvidia, Google would be ~3 hours.
We rode a brisk pace but waited for a regroup and then fixed a flat. I
show 1,669 feet of climbing - for comparison Skyline is more like 2800
feet - this is easier than Skyline because there is a lot less rolling
terrain and we actually end up at a lower elevation than we start. The
one climb is 2.8 miles but it's a 3.8% grade - very similar to the
Skyline climb out of the city. So if we have a mixed group then No-
name breakfast will be a stretch, but hey.

The riding is very pleasant. There can be a little traffic on the
North half of Foothill and the 84 section is a bit nervy. The Milpitas
section has a big ass (TM) bike lane and is more mellow than most of
Bayway, except we get to do the 880 overpass which is marked for bikes
but always a bit strange. Other than that, it's either long obscure
roads with no traffic, or bike paths. Give it a shot.

http://app.strava.com/rides/201503

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Stellar ride today, guys!  Perfect (if a bit chilly at the beginning) day for stellar views and a fun descent / fun dirt.

    http://app.strava.com/rides/223112

-- thorpej

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Epic, beautiful, and the kind of climb I almost enjoy -- 3% grade, curvy, great views.  Surprisingly only 45 miles, seemed like 60.

and the dirt trails behind NASA were super cool with perfect hardpack aggregate.

a few pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/scrosby/SF2GCalaverasWay?feat=directlink

nice ride, we'll have to do it again sometime.

-sc

5d5w #2: Grande Baywaye(R) - tues. 11/16 06:25 RRR style II

Alrighty, time for day 2, the legendary, rarely(ever?)-ridden Grande Baywaye®.

Tomorrow's ride is to be led by our own Brett Lider, founder of the Bayway, East Bayway, and Far East Bayway, among others.  

The basic idea is to ride as much bayway as possible, including several parts that make the ride longer for scenery's sake.  Thus the early departure.  Total distance, I would estimate, will be ~55 miles.

I'll let Brett fill in the details, but this will be a fun exploration mission, so try to have clear calendars until at least 10am.  the good news is you can bail at many points if you need to get to a meeting, etc.

oh, and MG, we are not going to do MSB/Radio Rd. for the sake of saving legs for wed/thurs, time considerations, and philosophical reasons.

mmm?

-sc

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That was sweet - perfect day for it too. Who knew plain ol' bayway could be that epic?

-Judd

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yeah that had some really great parts, good times.  the Maxxis Detonators lived up to their names, detonating twice, so they will be retired tonight, thanks for the extra tube Judd.

http://picasaweb.google.com/scrosby/SF2GGrandeBaywayeR?feat=directlink

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I think we rode about 30% of the total number of side trips out along the bay. Maybe one day we can organize a Super Bayway for those :)

-Brett

5d5w III #1: Joe Gross

so that was Joe Gross.  fun in parts, right?  sucky in others, tons of stops/starts/traffic.  the seedy spine of the peninsula, as MG said.  the not-as-glorious Route 66 of the peninsula says I... semi-forgotten, lost in time, left by the wayside by the newfangled 101.

anyone take pictures?  I forgot... or maybe there were no inspiring vistas, other than the somewhat beautiful cemeteries in colma.

my garmin showed a tranquilo average of 16.4, which isn't bad considering the million signals we stopped at.  strava of course differs.

http://app.strava.com/rides/221488

cool, 20% done with 5d5w!

ps - nice recovery by Matt at the Garcia turn -- he clipped a pedal and very nearly sailed into a parked car at high speed, taking me with him. that would have been something.

-sc

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was awesome ride down peeps.  a pretty chill pace with a few pickups, but definitely shy of sprints.  very conversational and fun.  more please!

-steve