mac

Aw crap... I tore my calf muscle on June 4th the day after my Castaic Lake ride. Been hanging out in Foo while recovering. I just started riding some flat, 15-mile out-and-backs per my PT's recommendation. I figure I won't be back in touring shape until 2007. How you doing?

roadfix

Yikes....sorry to hear about your injury. Now that we've got our own little regional forum here there will be frequent rides happening almost weekly. Hope you can join in on one of the milder flatland routes for starters til you're back in shape...

mac

Yeah, I'll look into it. Tell you the truth, though. I got into cycling because it was a solo sport. I'd spend time in the gym and on the football field with my teammates, but cycling would be "my time" away from everyone and everything to clear my head.

LCI_Brian

Hi, I'm Brian, live in Orange, near Jamboree and Santiago Canyon, so have some great road riding outside my front door. I've met a couple of you, although I haven't been on any BF rides yet. Being super busy at work and having a one year old son has cut into my riding time quite a bit, that makes it hard for me to go on club rides or BF rides. So most of my riding has been commuting to my workplace in south OC - that and a longish ride on one weekend day gets me to 100-150 miles a week. Still, I try to get out for a couple organized centuries. I manage to do the Bear every year, as well as one or both of the SLO bike club rides (good excuse to meet a Bay Area cycling friend half way). When I was kidless I used to do a lot of short multi day self-supported tours, culminating in a solo cross country tour in 2001. I've also got a place in the local mountains so I also do some weekend climbing rides outside my front door there. Pictures to follow soon...

LCI_Brian

Hey, caligurl, maybe this should be a sticky thread also?

NuBiker

I'm Emile, I live in Orcutt, North Santa Barbara County. I've been riding for a little bit than a year now. My weekend ride is from my house to Los Olivos and back thru Foxen canyon. Any local riders want to share the ride?

roadfix

I enjoyed that film, 'Sideways'.....shot in your neck of the woods....

NuBiker

yep, many teams train locally, including disco; sometimes you can see them on San Marco's pass.

lsits

I'm Jim. I live and ride in Riverside. Here's a picture of me at work.

Cassave

Hi. I'm Steve. I live in Woodland Hills and have been riding for about 32 years.
I ride mostly in the Santa Monica mountains and points north. I also ride a 20 mile (round trip) commute every day.
I rode the CB last weekend and looked for red stars but didn't see even one??

voltman

You look like caligurl in that picture.

caligurl

lol! good thing i left that pic when i editted my post... or noone would know what you are talking about!

roadfix

I understand completely. Many riders I know prefer to ride solo as well. As a matter of fact, a good portion of my riding is done solo.......but also enjoy group riding at least once a week...

Pico

Nice smock!

caligurl

HEY! where's your write up of who you are and where you ride!? and your pic********************???? i KNOW there are good pics of you and mrs pico... heck... "I" took a really cute one of you two!

blue_nose

Sure…

The route starts along Rancho Penisquitos Canyon, just a smidge north of Mira Mesa in PQ. I ride EAST all the way along Scripps Poway Parkway for almost 10 miles. The road is pretty new and has a dedicated bike lane. This road is quite popular with cyclists because it ends with the famous Poway Grade – that many will be grinding up in the Poway Century in October. The grade is about 2 miles and climbs about 1,000 with a steady 7% grade. Fun climb!

After climbing the grade – turn right on HWY 67 and descend for over 5 miles. Dedicated bike lane again and you can scream down at 40 miles per hour. At the bottom on the decent there is a quarry that you can turn around and then begin clibing back up from where you start the decent from. A monster climb of 1,200’ over five miles. Some pretty steep stretches and my legs start to burn.

Once you finish the climb you go down the Poway Grad the way you came up and have a very fun two mile decent where you get to rest your legs. I ride back to where the ride started and fill up water bottles. I then head out towards the ocean and pass a really cool stretch of rollers around and past the Del Mar Race Track. After this section I end up at the 101 and then take the road south up another great climb of the Torrey Pines. Another 2 mile climb. There are actually two options for this climb. The road is slow and gradual climb, but you can also use the very steep switchbacks inside the park that will bring that burn back in your legs.

After Torrey Pines, I head home with another hill along Sorrento Valley to keep you honest at the 70 mile mark.

The attached map from the Garmin Training center should give you an idea of the route. Not the greatest map, but it should provide orientation.

I try and ride this route about once a month and is a great training for a hilly century. Always willing to ride with others. I start at a park on Calicristobal Road with lots of parking.

blue_nose

Hey David. I'm in San Diego as well and moved from Toronto six years ago. I occasionally ride with the SDBC group on Saturdays as well. I usually am wearing my team Canada Jersey. I am out of town next couple of weeks, but should start riding with the group again in September. Introduce yourself if you happened to see me. Always nice to meet another Canuck down here – especially if they are on BF.

Cheers - Garry

lsits

Technically, it's a "bunny suit". Don't ask me where the name came from.

caligurl

isits is a bunny!

genedoc

Hey, looks familiar. Maybe we should form a bunny suit club.

Isits, what are you doing gowned up at 7:10? Are you in a GMP or BSL-3 facility?

big john

https://www.redbikephoto.com/2006_hea.../image177.html I'm John from the SFV and I've been riding road bikes since 1985. I once did 12000 miles in a year (1990) but now am lucky to get 5000. I ride with the SFVBC and have ridden with about 10 BFers. My group usually has to wait for me as I am old and fat, but they don't seem to mind. Looking forward to riding with more BF members.

big john

Welcome back, Mac! Try one of these BF rides, they are social and great fun.

LA_Rider

Sweet! does it come with a chamois?

lsits

genedoc, I work in a semiconductor fab. (I've been doing it for 24 years) My shift starts at 6:00 AM.

nesdog

Nesdog here....or Sheldon (naw, not THAT Sheldon...sure wish I knew as much as he does though!).

I live in a fantastic riding area, the Conejo Valley! This is the next valley beyond the SF Valley and is the backside of Malibu.

Grew up on the Westside and moved our family here 5 years ago. We are lucky to have it all...the SM Mountains for climbs, lots of good bike lanes in the area, bright blue skies. I have a nice 14 mile ride to work if I want it, with showers and an office to store my bike in. I work as a network manager for a private college prep school.

Favorite ride? Hmm. I really enjoy a run from my house out through Hidden Valley. Lots of ranches and a neat climb out towards Newbury Park. Some of you may remember it from Cruising the Conejo, just past Westlake Village. I make a full loop to Thousand Oaks and knock off about 30 miles by the time I get home. Then again, there is Rock Store 2-1/2 miles of 8% grade. I'm not fast but it's a great thrill to get to the top!

I ride much of the "Cruising" routes. On various Saturdays, I join a group from Agoura Cycles for a 30-40 mile fun ride. I tried riding with Sundance but they are fairly serious and fast!

I'm hoping to get close to 3000 miles this year but figure I'll end up around 2800.

My wife occasionally rides with me. We are shooting for a half metric for her first organized event. Our 11 year old knocked out a 12 mile loop with us in Tahoe this summer. She was jazzed!

That's it....any questions?

Pix: Vicki and I rode from Ventura to Rincon and back. Had our picnic on the bluff where CB RS#1 is.
Pix: Me and the Vick in Mammoth in June.



Sheldon