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.
