February in Madison

While we are enjoying riding in our 70degree weather there are some in Wisconsin who "enjoy" their bicycle commute in the snow!!! I often visit the blog of Nina Camic, a law proffesor at the University of Wisconsin, a bicyclist and foodie.........oh yea a writer too........interesting blog.....great photos. I copied the next two photos from her blog http://ninacamic.blogspot.com/

hardcore biking in Madison, Wisconsin 

some never give up the bike 

Great Map from the Bicycle Coalition

Robin and I both have the new Sonoma County bicycling map. It's great. It's allowed us to piece together new rides in areas we're familiar with but weren't sure how to link together. The most fun we're having is checking out posted grade 5%, 7%, 9%. We can decide if we want to take the >>>(9% grade) or >(5%) and it's fun to look back on rides we've done and see on paper our challenge/accomplishments.
I highly reccomend this map. Check out the Sonoma County Bicycling Coalition's website www.bikesonoma.org

Olivet to ChalkHill and back 38miles and no food!

Robin and I have been trying to make our rides start from our homes. That is, I drive to Robin's on Roblar Road or she rides to my house on Olivet Road then we get on our bikes and leave from there. Once we both left from home and met in Sebastopol. It was ok for me but Robin's ride was too much on Hwy 116 or it would have been at least twice as long as my ride if she rode the back roads.....
Last week we rode from my house through Windsor then up Chalkhill Road to the end (hwy 128) then turned around and came back. Beautiful ride; a few hills, some traffic (River Road), and no place to eat!!!! We pulled into the big shopping center off Faught Road in Windsor and found nothing but fast food places........hey, we're use to gourmet cafes in Healdsburg or the exquisite-funky bakery in Tomales or how 'bout the again, funky Willow Wood Market in Graton........I'm on a roll......the Naked Lady in Occidental (no longer there but something else will soon open), Zazzle in Petaluma......you get my point, we enjoy a special treat when we're on the road. Well we ended up at Quizno's with a salad which featured slimy black lettuce.........oh no, that's not a new gourmet "green" it's an old lettuce that's been left in its plastic container too long. The ride was great but we'll have to figure out a way to add a good food stop........maybe go down Pleasant Road into Windsor Town.

peaceful Buda on Chalk Hill Road 

Levi is that YOU?!

There were lots of riders on Chalk Hill Road today....it seems there always are! Many more bicycles than cars........hooray! We passed a group of riders from the Santa Rosa Cycling club who were getting ready to leave from Esposti Park in Windsor. By the time we were just a few miles up Chalk Hill the skinny wheeled riders from SRCC were passing us! It was a big group and we stopped a couple times for water and to catch our breath and I'd say every rider who passed us asked if everything was ok; did we need help? Shortly after we made the turn around at highway 28 (?) and headed back down Chalk Hill a huge group of riders came towards in the opposite direction. They were obviously a "team"; filling the entire oncoming lane. Right behind them was a van which appeared to be driving way too close!!! Of course the van was their support vehicle. As the riders approached Robin and I let out a greeting of "yipeee" or some sort of joyful acknowledgement. These riders answered back with their own cheer! Great fun, great cycling camaraderie. The cycling "team" was wearing turquoise jerseys........oh my gawd it was Levi and his gang!!!!

Exceeding the Posted Speed Limit

On our way back down Chalk Hill Road on our BEAUTIFUL out and back ride from my house to the end of Chalk Hill Road another land speed record was broken!!! There was open road ahead and a nice slope down hill. We let go and coasted FAST!, feeling confident and not too scared. I peeked down at my speedometer a couple times and saw 31--32mph.......weeeee! When we got to the flat Robin checked her much more sophisticated odometer and found that she had clocked a new fast.........35.1 mph........exceeding the posted 35mph!