|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
With warm weather finally here, it’s time to get off that stationary bike at the health club, dust off that bike and head out.
There are tons of local road rides organized by area bike shops, but for those who want something different, there are a number of events that offer something for all ages and skill levels.
Barbara McKay and Melanie Harbert own Livermore wine and cycle tours, which run Saturdays and Sundays from mid May through mid November. These are short tours, averaging about six miles, according to McKay.
“We design our tours based around safety and ease of the ride,” she said. “If we have any uphills we try to do those at the beginning of the ride. We have people of all fitness levels that come out during the ride.”
The tours include a ride through Livermore wineries, visits to two wineries and a wine tasting a lunch for $85 per person. A premium package includes a tasting of state-grown olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a dessert and port pairing, which runs $150 per person. If you don’t have a bike, you can get a Trek bicycle and helmet delivered for an extra $30.
Groups are small. McKay said she tries to keep them to about 16 people or so, and if there are more than 20, an extra guide is added, and a support vehicle follows the entire ride.
The bonus here is that the wineries know and love the McKay and Harbert and the riders get to taste the reserves and meet the owners.
Wine drinking and biking may sound a bit dangerous, but McKay said she’s never had any problems.
“I’ve done this 60 times and I taste along with my customers,” she said. “You’re tasting wine, not drinking it. Once you have a few sips of wine and get on your bike, it dissipates fairly quickly.”
She added that if she or Harbert thought a rider had had too much, they’d put the rider in the support vehicle for the remainder of the trip.
For more serious riders, there are large local events that bring together hundreds of riders, with major rides in April and October. The advantage to these rides is that you can find a group of riders about the same ability level and ride with them, or push yourself by riding with those just a bit faster.
The Mount Diablo Challenge takes place in October and is a relatively short ride with a big climb. The event starts Athenian School in Danville and runs just over 11 miles, climbing more than 3,000 feet to the summit of Mount Diablo. About 1,000 riders compete and prizes are awarded for several categories in a ceremony at the summit with food and beverages for some carb reloading. Proceeds go to Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation efforts. This year will add a women-only competition.
Register before September 13 and the fee is $60; it jumps to $75 on September 14. The registration fee includes a t-shirt, water bottle, sponsor SWAG bag, mechanical support for riders with problems during the ride and the meal.
Later in October is the Cruella Cycling challenge, which offers century (100-mile) and metric century (100 kilometers or 62 miles). As the name implies, this is a wicked course, with hill climbs totaling 8,500 for the century riders and 4,000 for the metric century riders. For the totally committed, the ultimate challenge is to tackle the Double Junction, a second trip up to the Junction of Mt. Diablo. Century riders who conquer the Double Junction earn a commemorative medal made from recycled bike parts. The ride is October 22 and registration starts June 1, although the fees haven’t been released.
April brings two well-known events to the area: the Diablo Century and the Cinderella Classic.
The Diablo Century brings about 750 riders and like the Cruella Challenge, offers century and metric century rides, although the Diablo Century also has a 25-mile route for recreational riders. Both events offer rest stops with food along the way.
The Cinderella Classic is a women-only ride that’s 65 miles, just a bit longer than a metric century. There’s also a Cinderella Challenge, a full century ride. The classic starts at the Alameda County Fairgrounds and roll through town, then on to Livermore, then north, along the base of Mount Diablo to Danville, where it turns south and winds back to the fairgrounds. The challenge is for experienced riders only: it includes an additional 23 miles and nearly 2,000 feet in additional climbing, up Patterson Pass, with a six-mile descent into the valley and a return through the Altamont Pass, Carroll, North Flynn and the great descent of South Flynn, rejoining the Classic route ten miles before the lunch. A portion of the proceeds from each go to support women’s organizations.
Even if you haven’t had your bike out yet, there’s still time to log 1,000 miles before the end of summer and get in shape for the two major fall events. Call your local bike shop to find out about weekly rides, but you can start small, with with Bike to Work Day on May 12, which promotes both cycling and reducing your carbon footprint.
Bike to Work events take place throughout the month of May and include a Team Bike Challenge and Bike Commuter of the Year Awards. Employers are urged to encourage bike riding, especially since physically active employees are more alert, healthier and more productive.
Read this story in Views magazine, available for free on April 25.
Read this story in Views magazine, available for free on April 25.
Read this story in Views magazine, available for free on April 25.
