Populaire, Afterwords.

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Posted 29 Jul 2010 — by Andy
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

There is a particular joy that I think only bike mechanics get in skipping weekend work to go for a long ride. Too often we are chained to the bench – also a joy — and have to ride sidecar to everyone else’s weekend riding routines.  So it was with relish that I skipped work two Saturdays ago to join the San Francisco Randonneurs Populaire ride.

The SF Randonneurs club is a somewhat intimidating group.  These are riders who ride super endurance rides; rides up to 1,200 km that can last days and sleepless nights on end.  Before this ride the longest I had ridden this year was probably out to Fairfax and back, just over 70 km.  The Populaire is free and open to the general public.  It’s 115 km; nothing to shake a stick at, but by no means a super endurance ride.  For me, doable, but tough.

We left from the foot of Golden Gate Bridge and followed the standard route through Sausalito, then took Camino Alto through Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Ross and straight into Fairfax.  We made quick work of downtown Fairfax and climbed the Sir Francis Drake Road hill into Woodacre.  Sir Francis Drake snakes through Samuel P. Taylor State Park and ends at HWY-1 at Olema.  A short jog up the hwy landed us at the Bovine Bakery in Pt. Reyes.

The Bakery in Pt. Reyes Station marked the halfway point for the ride and we took the opportunity to get off our bikes and socialize with some other SF riders.  Morning buns, coffee and a shaded park served as a nice place to rest, chat about the ride and watch the other riders go by.  The sheer number of road riders out enjoying the sun was shocking.  At least 100 people hanging out, talking bikes, enjoying the weekend.  At one point I saw a pace car leading a pack of 30+ riders, full tilt.  I had not ever seen anything like that.

We took the road out of Pt. Reyes Station, looped around Nicasio Reservoir, climbed over the Nicasio Valley Rd. hill and hopped back on Sir Francis Drake to head back to the city.  The Randonnuers club set up a picnic back in Chrissy Field, and after the ride we enjoyed some sodas and sandwiches and shot the breeze with other riders.  The route map can be found here.

I really enjoyed this ride.  It was without a doubt the most fun I’ve had on my bike all year. I’m anxious to get back on the road to see more sites and ride again with all the people I met on this ride.  Before I started this ride I was intimidated by the group and by the length of the ride.  I realize that for some people 115km is an everyday spin, but it far exceeded anything I had done in the last few years.  But in riding the ride I found that the length is indeed doable, even for someone who is not in peak condition.  Further, the group of riders were all very encouraging, very supportive and didn’t expect me to ride at breakneck pace.  I came away with a confidence in my ability that I previously didn’t have, and a new reason to push my riding, the Winter 200K.

August is on the way. Learn to fix your bike Today!

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Posted 27 Jul 2010 — by Dan
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

Hello Folks, This is another announcement for future basic bike maintenance classes. Box Dog Bikes has provided instruction on basic repair for almost three years now.

This August sign up for a round of classes. 1, 2, or take all 3. They are stand alone so you don’t need to sign up for all of them, just the ones you think would be most helpful for you.

August 5th; Know your bike: Learn all of the names of the parts of the bike, a little bit about their lore and history. We also go through how to fix a flat and easy ways to keep your chain lubed and your brakes clean.

August 12th; Brakes and Gears: This night, we learn about how your brakes works and how your shifting moves. We’ll go through the connecting parts, and do a bit of adjusting as necessary on the bike you bring in.

August 19th; The bike wheel: Adjusting hubs and truing rims. This class is straight forward, but not necessarily beginner stuff. Learn about what makes your wheels round and square.

Call the shop to sign up: 415-431-9627. All of the classes are Thursdays 7:30-9:30pm. Classes individually cost $35 or $90 for all three. Sign up today, as class size is limited to maintain a low teacher student ratio. All classes are hands on, so bring your bike and be ready to get a bit greasey.

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USFWC Fundraiser @ El Rio Thursday 6:30-9:30pm

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Posted 20 Jul 2010 — by Dan
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

That’s right.  Come have a happy hour this Thursday to benefit the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives.  This Thursday, July 22nd 6:30-9:30pm you’ll find me at El Rio (3158 Mission St. SF)  This event is raising money for folks to attend the upcoming national conference in the bay area.  The goal of the conference is to educate folks, like the worker owners here at Box Dog Bikes, in skills for running worker cooperatives.

The conference is taking place in early August.  If you are interested in attending part of the conference you should check out this link to their website.  There will be all kinds of exciting events for the public as well.  Such as a movie night, local coop tours and a talk with Jim Hightower, a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author.  Stay tuned for more announcements coming soon…..

Up and Over

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Posted 19 Jul 2010 — by Andy
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

Sometimes the hardest thing to do with a day is get out of the house and go for a ride.  I managed to unplug myself from the internet for a brief spin up our most beloved hill, twin peaks.  Always worth it.

Up and Up

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Posted 13 Jul 2010 — by Jack
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

On my day off, I headed south on the coast in search of some mixed-terrain riding. I knew of some fire roads between Pacifica and Montara, so I decided to start there.  The trail head was in the parking lot at Grey Whale Cove, where some single track traversed the coastline south before meeting up with the North Peak Access Road, leading all the way to the top.

The beginning of the fire road was broken pavement. Trees lined the road making the climb shaded and pleasant.

As I began to break above the tree line, I looked over my right shoulder and caught a nice view of the coast. To the right is Montara Beach, and in the distance to the left is Half Moon Bay.

As the once-paved fire road gave way to dirt, the grade of the ascent increased dramatically. This climb was at the limit of my ability. Although the road was hard pack, climbing out of the saddle was not an option because my rear wheel would lose traction, so I stayed seated and tried to make my pedal strokes as smooth as possible.

As I increased in altitude, I approached the cloud ceiling. In the distance, the summit is completely socked-in with fog.

Finally, the road leveled-out, and the summit came into view…barely.

There was no view from the summit, only 30mph winds and thick fog. I put on a coat, my gloves and helmet, and prepared for the descent.

On the last pitch of the descent, I overlooked a set of ruts in the road. At about 30-35 MPH, my front tire took a serious side load and the bead separated from the sidewall. It did not explode immediately, so I avoided a crash.

Overall, this was a fun ride. The treacherously steep climb was eased by the breath-taking views, and the anticipation of a long and fast descent.

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Lance who?

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Posted 05 Jul 2010 — by Jackie
Category San-Francisco-Bicycle

Forget about stage races. Forget about doping scandals, time trials, corporate sponsors, podiums, and yellow jerseys. Forget about Cancellara, Cavendish, and especially old what’s-his-name. THIS is cycling. Throwing on a ratty old pair of flip flops, strapping your surfboard to the back of your 80s Huffy Sea Trails and taking a leisurely pedal to the beach. Classic.

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