[{"content":" Ride Notes Distance Butterlap Ride with strangers, every Wednesday at 7pm 17 miles, mostly flat Oakland → San Leandro breweries Via a mix of nice off-road paths in MLK Jr Shoreline Park and uglier roads 15 miles, mostly flat Skyline Shepherd Short but hilly and scenic loop (Tunnel → Shepherd Canyon), Oakland 15 miles, 1700\u0026amp;rsquo; Headlands Loop (dirt variant) Marin, with nearby simple gravel/dirt biking 25 miles Black Diamond Mines Park From BART, plus a guided underground mine tour 21 miles Livermore Wine Valley loop Bike from BART to wine tasting; I\u0026amp;rsquo;ve done 5 or 6 variants over the years 25 miles Wildcat + Gravel Oakland → Richmond loop including a nice wide gravel/dirt road (no special bike needed) in Wildcat Canyon Park 24 miles, 2100\u0026amp;rsquo; or shorter SF\u0026amp;rsquo;s Crosstown Trail Sneaky paved and dirt trails diagonally across SF, cutting through parks and up hills to panoramic views. Only a few staircases to carry your bike past. Takes longer than the distance would suggest. 20–30 hilly miles Port Costa Loop (route B) East Bay history, part of it on car-free paved trails 31 miles, or various 50-mile extensions Richmond → San Rafael bridge With a stop for lunch at Sol Food in San Rafael 30ish miles round trip Old Cazadero Road Done as a short local loop from Guerneville, with a few miles of twisty downhill dirt and a stream crossing 26 miles Ride \u0026amp;amp; hike to the Tourist Club A few German culture/food/beer festivals a year, in the woods above Mill Valley 38 miles + hiking Bike + Kayak SF → Larkspur 20 miles one-way Point San Pablo Harbor From Oakland along the Bay Trail to a remote harbor of goats, sculptures, abandoned buildings, and a great lunch 40 miles round trip, mostly flat Old Railroad Grade (dirt) up Mt Tam Sometimes-rough dirt up Mt Tam but never too steep (former railroad route) 40–50 miles round trip from SF, 4000\u0026#39;? Salt flats and Bay levees Bay Trail from Oakland to Fremont, some of it gravel 40 windy miles Morgan Territory Road Gorgeous! Route updated 2022 to add various off-road paths and trails at the beginning 44 miles, 2800\u0026amp;rsquo; Sacramento River Amtrak → Sacramento and ride from there 30–50 miles, flexible out-and-back Paradise Loop Blah blah, everyone knows this one 50 miles Sonoma County Bike Paths via SMART train Multi-use paths through wine/cider/beer regions with a SMART train assist. More of a \u0026amp;ldquo;choose your own adventure\u0026amp;rdquo; template. 30–80 miles, route A, route B Grizzly Peak variant Wildcat, McEwen, Pig Farm, 3 Bears 53 hilly miles Alpine Dam Used to be my go-to scenic but tough road ride from SF 70 miles, 5500\u0026amp;rsquo;? Very hilly Pescadero / Tunitas Creek (variant) Peninsula ride via Caltrain (or add 30 more miles and start in SF); long uphills and twisty descents 63 miles, or 92 from SF SF to Tomales Bay Oysters Who does this? 100-mile round trip Lagunitas Brewing SF ↔ Petaluma 114-mile loop (ouch) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/best/bay-area-day/","summary":"from casual \u0026lt;25 mile loops from various transit stations (Port Costa! Black Diamond Mines! Livermore wine tasting! Riding in Sonoma via SMART train!), to  tougher 50-100 mile days\u0026hellip;","title":"Bay Area Day Rides"},{"content":" Ride Notes Distance Angel Island bike camping Via ferry Just a few miles Kirby Cove bike camping Great beginner camping trip from SF, but hard to get a reservation Just over the Golden Gate Bridge Lake Chabot bike camping Forested, remote-feeling ride from Oakland 28 miles over two days SF to Montara (Old San Pedro road) Lighthouse hostel, via wild Old San Pedro (\u0026amp;ldquo;Planet of the Apes\u0026amp;rdquo; road) 60 miles round trip Palo Alto to Pigeon Point Lighthouse hostel with cliffside hot tub! 74 miles round trip Samuel P Taylor S24O from SF 80ish miles Napa Valley overnight camping Via Vallejo Ferry from SF 90 miles round trip Oakland → Sonoma County Bike Paths 50–70 miles/day up to Santa Rosa, then multi-use paths through wine/cider/beer regions on the way back via SMART train. Can also be a single-day ride with more transit assist. 30–180 miles, route A, route B Sacramento Delta overnight Amtrak → Sacramento and ride back, with a hotel stay in the middle 92 flat miles over 2 days Guerneville → SF bike camping Casual self-supported camping over two nights with plenty of stops 103 miles over three days SF to Point Reyes camping Camping at Sky Camp, and a side trip to Marshall for oysters 130 miles total SF ↔ Russian River Brewing Co With an overnight in a motel 130ish miles round trip SF ↔ Sonoma bike camping 135 miles round trip SF to Alexander Valley camping Russian River / Healdsburg area 88 miles one way ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/best/bay-area-overnight/","summary":"you can bike camp, stay in a lighthouse hostel with a cliffside hot tub, or even a motel\u0026hellip;","title":"Bay Area Overnight Rides"},{"content":"Organized from easier to harder.\nRide Notes Distance Multnomah Falls Portland, OR. Hilly. 40ish miles Denver → Golden 40ish miles on bike paths 40ish miles Around Lake Tahoe Moderately hilly at elevation; snow possible 76 miles Chicago ↔ Wisconsin With a hotel overnight 120 miles Gravel bike touring in Montana Self-supported camping loop from Whitefish, with two days on a section of the GDMBR 4 days, ~30 miles/day Mountain bike camping across Southern Utah Six-day guided and supported trip with a truck carrying water ~220 miles, 20,000\u0026amp;rsquo; BikeMaine (DownEast edition) Supported bike camping tour, a different route every year (my favorite may be the DownEast) ~400 miles over a week Washington DC → Pittsburgh Almost completely off-road on the C\u0026amp;amp;O Canal towpath and GAP rails-to-trails conversion 7 nights self-supported, ~350 miles RAGBRAI Supported bike camping across Iowa with 10,000+ other people ~460 miles Iowa and SW Wisconsin Supported Iowa bike camping, then self-supported from the Mississippi to Madison ~600 miles ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/best/us/","summary":"I\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed bike touring (and more recently, bikepacking/camping on gravel and dirt), in Montana, Utah / Arizona, from DC to Pittsburgh, across Iowa, and more\u0026hellip;","title":"Other US Rides and Tours"},{"content":" Ride Notes Distance Muévete en Bici (Mexico City) Sunday Streets 6–10 miles Copenhagen North Bike paths to an interesting modern art museum ~25 miles Copenhagen Wetlands Kalvebod Fælled; dirt paths, birdwatching ~20 miles Copenhagen In Silence Two hours of riding without speaking ~20 miles Maggia Valley Switzerland, near the Italian border 40 miles Vineyards around Épernay Rural France 40 miles Circuito Chico Bariloche, Argentina 40 miles Tokyo on single-speed cruisers With a friend, led by a stranger we\u0026amp;rsquo;d just met at a conference 40 miles Bavaria Along the Main River to Bamberg 40 miles Munich bike camping Mixed terrain, camping, lunch and brewery stops ~48 miles one-way Bornholm Gravel and pavement on a Baltic Sea island with ~140 miles of bike paths Various 30–50 mile day loops Taiwan\u0026amp;rsquo;s East Coast Taroko Gorge southward on quiet roads; self-guided, semi-supported ~180 miles over 4 days Berlin → Copenhagen Self-supported touring with a friend, hotel stays ~400 miles South Korea Supported tour the length of South Korea (6 riding days). Hilly, agricultural. ~400 miles Slovenia Self-supported pavement and gravel in Eastern Slovenia and Croatia ~300 miles Netherlands \u0026amp;amp; Belgium First long solo self-contained tour; improvised route, camping and hostels 600ish miles over 2+ weeks Vietnam \u0026amp;amp; Cambodia Supported/organized tour over ~a month; 60–100 miles/day ~1200 miles Biking the length of Japan Supported tour, about 4 weeks from Nagasaki to Sapporo ~1300 miles ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/best/international/","summary":"I used to fit a day ride into any trip I made to another country (for vacation or work). More recently, I\u0026rsquo;ve been traveling to go on multi-week bike tours\u0026hellip; solo, with friends, or supported.","title":"International Rides"},{"content":"For many years I’ve been curious to try the transit (train and bus) method of getting to Yosemite Valley, and potentially bring my bike along… and I finally did it:\nRead on for some logistics notes, though exact train and bus timetables and web links change year to year and season to season, so you’ll want to look up schedules yourself…\nA few possible levels of “bike intensity” for this trip:\nYou could take transit without a bike, and just use the free Yosemite shuttles to get around. You could rent a bike there (highly recommended even if you don’t leave the Valley, just to ride on the ~12 miles of paved multi-use trails and between lodging, stores, and hikes) You could bring a bike on transit for more flexibility, but still generally stay within the flat Valley (what I did this time– good, but with a few logistics challenges). You could bring a bike and tackle much more ambitious road rides on highways 120, 140, or 41 (for example to Glacier Point, or Tuolumne Meadows). In my bolder days I might have considered this, but the roads look narrow with minimal shoulders and the traffic (including vans and RVs) can be fast and heavy, so I was not interested. I’ve read that if you want to do this, it’s best to do it very early in the morning on a weekday… Side note: I did find a remote low-traffic dirt road route from Merced to Mariposa that I biked on my way home, swapping in four hours of cycling for an hour on the bus. I made a short YouTube video about the experience, but that’s only tangentially related to the idea of “Yosemite, by transit” so I won’t write more about it here.\nTransit Details:\nTake the Amtrak “Gold Runner” from Oakland to Merced (~3 hours), followed by the YARTS bus #140 from Merced to Yosemite Village (also ~3 hours). You can book this entire trip through Amtrak for convenience (which brands the YARTS 140 as Gold Runner Bus 15A), unless you want a custom connection time.\nSchedules vary by season, but I found it convenient to leave Oakland early in the morning and arrive in Yosemite mid-afternoon. My particular connection gave me an hour layover in Merced which was long enough to go get some lunch– unfortunately there’s no food right around the station, but about 0.6 miles South on 16th St there are a lot of options– I love the El Super Taco truck in a parking lot of food trucks. Having a bike makes this quick lunch jaunt easier.\nThe views out the window of the train (especially between Oakland and Antioch) and bus are potentially worth the trip on their own…\nBikes on Transit:\nThe biggest lesson is there’s no standard system– different trains and buses (even on the same route) have different places you need to stow your bike– get there a little early and ask the conductor/driver of your particular vehicle.\nBringing a bike on the Gold Runner Amtrak was relatively easy and I wouldn’t have any concerns about doing it again– no need to disassemble or box it, you just ask the conductor where to put it. On some schedules, there’s","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/yosemite-valley-by-transit-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor many years I’ve been curious to try the transit (train and bus) method of getting to Yosemite Valley, and potentially bring my bike along… and I finally did it:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/yosemite-valley-by-transit-bike/392390f2ade79a1ab7166adbdb73b93bd5827091_hu_9efd20b29b25ccd0.webp 480w, /post/yosemite-valley-by-transit-bike/392390f2ade79a1ab7166adbdb73b93bd5827091_hu_e7b2b1ecbe41820c.webp 800w, /post/yosemite-valley-by-transit-bike/392390f2ade79a1ab7166adbdb73b93bd5827091_hu_3f57277aaca0787c.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/yosemite-valley-by-transit-bike/392390f2ade79a1ab7166adbdb73b93bd5827091_hu_4a75c9119a9b5772.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead on for some logistics notes, though exact train and bus timetables and web links change year to year and season to season, so you’ll want to look up schedules yourself…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Yosemite Valley by transit \u0026 bike"},{"content":"Another quick vignette video from cycling across Southern India (on a supported tour, with a group of friendly strangers). We’d gradually ascended the Western Ghats mountain range over the previous few days… then descended the other side on a single beautiful, curvy, 20km-long downhill. I recorded the whole descent, but clipped out about 90 seconds that capture the vibe:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-quick-vignette-video-from-cycling-across/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother quick vignette video from cycling across Southern India (on a supported tour, with a group of friendly strangers). We’d gradually ascended the Western Ghats mountain range over the previous few days… then descended the other side on a single beautiful, curvy, 20km-long downhill. I recorded the whole descent, but clipped out about 90 seconds that capture the vibe:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/B_0-XA64ECI?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e","title":"Another quick vignette video from cycling across Southern India (on a supported tour, with a group of friendly strangers). We'd..."},{"content":" Cycling India: Tea Country. After getting back from six weeks of bike touring, I’m trying something new and making a few quick highlight videos with footage I recorded. This is the first one.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cycling-india-tea-country-after-getting-back/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7mE6bbkt950?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCycling India: Tea Country. After getting back from six weeks of bike touring, I’m trying something new and making a few quick highlight videos with footage I recorded. This is the first one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cycling India: Tea Country. After getting back from six weeks of bike touring, I'm trying something new and making a few quick..."},{"content":" I rarely do anything with videos I record, but I’ve done a quick edit of the San Jose -\u0026amp;gt; Santa Cruz ride (details in previous post) into a three minute memory.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/my-first-time-using-capcut-yeah-im-behind-the/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/6KSr_NI8p-s?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI rarely do anything with videos I record, but I’ve done a quick edit of the San Jose -\u0026gt; Santa Cruz ride (details in previous post) into a three minute memory.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I rarely do anything with videos I record, but I've done a quick edit of the San Jose -\u003e Santa Cruz ride (details in previous..."},{"content":"I’ve biked to the Santa Cruz / Capitola / Watsonville coast a handful of times, but this is my new favorite route from San Jose (BART or Caltrain), using the one-lane, often-empty Mountain Charlie Road:\nMost routes I’ve seen start the same:\nTake the Los Gatos Creek Trail from San Jose to Los Gatos (mostly paved, with some mild gravel bits and one very short but steep bit of gravel as you approach Lexington Reservoir) Cycle around the East side of Lexington Reservoir on a beautiful paved and low-traffic Alma Bridge Road Turn onto Old Santa Cruz Highway, a scenic two-lane road under towering redwoods. There’s some traffic on this but it’s generally fairly chill. From here, there are many possible routes. This version involves turning onto Mountain Charlie road for some uphill, and then the payoff– the quiet, narrow, slightly bumpy ride down on it, with occasional open views or clouds of mist depending on the weather.\nI then turned onto Bean Creek Road (also very scenic downhill with light traffic) and Glen Canyon Road (slightly faster/busier downhill but still very reasonable to bike), with just a few blocks of busy Scotts Valley road traffic in between. From there, the route depends on where in Santa Cruz you’re going.\nHere’s the route, about 43 miles and 3000’ of climbing: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54530790\nI also took some video while riding to try to capture the vibe of the route, I’ve quickly edited it together here: ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/san-jose-to-santa-cruz-on-quiet-back-roads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve biked to the Santa Cruz / Capitola / Watsonville coast a handful of times, but this is my new favorite route from San Jose (BART or Caltrain), using the one-lane, often-empty Mountain Charlie Road:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost routes I’ve seen start the same:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake the Los Gatos Creek Trail from San Jose to Los Gatos (mostly paved, with some mild gravel bits and one very short but steep bit of gravel as you approach Lexington Reservoir)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/san-jose-to-santa-cruz-on-quiet-back-roads/fbd9412f8d7b2399a15fb1586116a0fa9da0867b_hu_3746376359d43dfa.webp 480w, /post/san-jose-to-santa-cruz-on-quiet-back-roads/fbd9412f8d7b2399a15fb1586116a0fa9da0867b_hu_7636f5154e4a3a2f.webp 800w, /post/san-jose-to-santa-cruz-on-quiet-back-roads/fbd9412f8d7b2399a15fb1586116a0fa9da0867b_hu_168579ee334aa540.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/san-jose-to-santa-cruz-on-quiet-back-roads/fbd9412f8d7b2399a15fb1586116a0fa9da0867b_hu_fac55883647a1765.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"534\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"San Jose to Santa Cruz on quiet back roads"},{"content":"And… here I am, riding my bike in the heat and humidity of Kerala, India.\nI’ve posted a few updates across fragmented islands of social media like Instagram / Strava, or group texts… but plenty of folks I know don’t use those sites. So I’m looking into posting updates here to link back to (though it’s not quite as easy on my phone while traveling). I’ll at least post a summary here later, after the tour, as usual.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/and-here-i-am-riding-my-bike-in-the-heat-and/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnd… here I am, riding my bike in the heat and humidity of Kerala, India.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_t9461hrQ1T1qzv82b_720.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve posted a few updates across fragmented islands of social media like Instagram / Strava, or group texts… but plenty of folks I know don’t use those sites. So I’m looking into posting updates here to link back to (though it’s not quite as easy on my phone while traveling). I’ll at least post a summary here later, after the tour, as usual.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"And… here I am, riding my bike in the heat and humidity of Kerala, India. I’ve posted a few updates across fragmented islands of..."},{"content":"I highly recommend the Crosstown Trail, a grassroots-developed 17-mile hiking route across San Francisco that strings together existing paths through parks, urban greenways, stairs, and the bits of road needed to connect them.\nThere’s an associated bike route that combines parts of that trail with parallel road routes where it would be impractical to ride (though even this route also includes some carry-your-bike staircases and narrow dirt paths). Just imagine, you can experience all of this within the city limits:\nI rode this route twice this year with friends, details continue below:\nThere’s an overview of the trail as well and maps and cuesheets on the official site, and I especially like these maps of both the hiking and biking versions of the trail (consult the legend to see which is which). In case that link breaks in the future, I’ve cloned a ridewithgps route I found and have started to add markers for food, water, viewpoints to climb, and other stops we found along the way. Even with maps, we had to use our eyes when navigating– some trails and turns are not obviously named, but there are some signs and hints from the contours of the land…\nWe split the riding over two days (months apart) to have plenty of time to sightsee along the way– there are a lot of interesting things to look at if you’re going slow. We also needed time to ride to and from BART, get lunch, and walk our bikes on a few steeper / rougher dirt sections (we were all riding our “everyday” bikes). On narrow trails whenever we encountered people (which we often did midday around Laguna Honda, but much less when we rode it a second time on a Sunday morning) we dismounted to be polite and turned it into a walk in the woods.\nFor our first “tour”, we met at the Ferry Building, took a twisty shoreline-parks route down to Candlestick Point (avoiding 3rd Street completely), and rode the first 2/3 of the trail to Golden Gate Park, then stopped for lunch and detoured to visit Sunset Dunes park. This was our route (currently just a screenshot and not a clickable map, but see the RWGPS link above):\nThis was about 33 miles, and took us most of the day, about 7.5 hours(!) with all our stops and exploration.\nThe second time we toured it we started at Glen Park BART, rode the trail to Lands’ End, then toured Sunset Dunes and rambled back to the Mission, something like this:\nThis was about 22 miles and my phone says we spent 6 hours together (though only 3 hours actually moving) when you add in birdwatching, climbing stairs to scenic viewpoints, and a casual lunch.\nBut enough about the maps, here are some more photos to convey the vibe. Riding from the Embarcadero down to Candlestick Point:\nA new-to-me highlight was the Vistacion Valley Greenway– multiple mid-block paved trails past community gardens and murals:\nMcLaren park views, a few staircases, and one steep bit of hill:\nBetween parks, a bridge over a highway:\nDirt trails near Laguna Honda Hospital:\nSome of the later trails near","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/crosstown-trail-san-francisco/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI highly recommend the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/travel/crosstown-trail-san-francisco.html\"\u003eCrosstown Trail\u003c/a\u003e, a grassroots-developed 17-mile hiking route across San Francisco that strings together existing paths through parks, urban greenways, stairs, and the bits of road needed to connect them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s an associated bike route that combines parts of that trail with parallel road routes where it would be impractical to ride (though even this route also includes some carry-your-bike staircases and narrow dirt paths). Just imagine, you can experience all of this within the city limits:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking the Crosstown Trail, San Francisco"},{"content":"With a bit of a train assist, it’s possible to be casually riding through wine / cider / beer country in central Sonoma County (roughly within the Santa Rosa - Guerneville - Healdsburg triangle), on the Joe Rodota Trail and West County Regional Trail:\nIn my stronger days, I’d biked to Sonoma County all the way from SF or Oakland in a day (~70-100 miles one-way); I wrote up some of these rides as SF -\u0026amp;gt; Russian River Brewing (Santa Rosa), SF-\u0026amp;gt;Petaluma-and-back, SF-\u0026amp;gt;Healdsburg overnight, and so on. But I’m not really interested in (or capable of?) a ride that long these days– 40-50 miles is my current sweet spot for an extended social ride with plenty of stops and exploration.\nMore recently, I’ve taken four trips with a similar blueprint: bike or take transit to the San Rafael Transit Center, take the SMART train to Santa Rosa, and bike 20-40 scenic miles from there, using multi-use paths where possible. I’ll stop in Sebastapol or Forestville for lunch, stop later in Healdsburg or Windsor for a snack or beverage, then get back on the SMART train to head home.\nRather than write up every variant on this in detail (especially since SMART stations and track-adjacent multi-use paths are still changing year-to-year), I’ve put together a sort of choose-your-own-adventure map, merging variants on this trip I’ve done:\nThe above would be ~180 miles of riding, which I’d never do all in one trip. But here are a few interesting subsets of this route.\nDoubly Transit-Assisted: (27-38mi): For the shortest, most transit-assisted Sonoma County trails ride:\nTake GGT bus 580 from El Cerrito del Norte BART (there are similar buses from SF) to the San Rafael Transit Center. Note that this bus runs once/hour and only has room for three bikes on a front rack, so this isn’t really an option for a group. Take the SMART train from San Rafael to Santa Rosa (comfortable, scenic, plenty of room for bikes) Do this pleasant ~27 mile ride (or a ~38mile version if you include Healdsburg), ending at the Windsor or STS SMART stations. There are a lot of good food options in Sebastapol, and wine and beer options in Windsor at the end of the ride Take the SMART train back to San Rafael Take the GGT bus back to El Cerrito del Norte BART I wrote up a recap of doing this with a friend in “SMART-assisted Sonoma Trails”, though note that the Windsor station was not yet open so the last few miles to STS airport station are no longer necessary.\nI’ve only biked this variant once– while there’s novelty in getting to Santa Rosa entirely on transit, to me it’s not quite worth the time and logistics of connecting multiple forms of low-frequency transit in both directions, as this adds time and more need to stick to a specific schedule. Instead, consider:\nThree-Piece Ride (70mi split into 20/30/20): This is probably the most straightforward and group-friendly variant, I’ve done it a few times.\nBike to San Rafael (whether from Oakland/Berkeley on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, or from SF","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sonoma-county-wine-country-from-oakland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWith a bit of a train assist, it’s possible to be casually riding through wine / cider / beer country in central Sonoma County (roughly within the Santa Rosa - Guerneville - Healdsburg triangle), on the Joe Rodota Trail and West County Regional Trail:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sonoma-county-wine-country-from-oakland/ec20e646b827e1e46d65211dcda5f459ee7cbcee_hu_146942dae3370a0a.webp 480w, /post/sonoma-county-wine-country-from-oakland/ec20e646b827e1e46d65211dcda5f459ee7cbcee_hu_46a3fde18a37f974.webp 800w, /post/sonoma-county-wine-country-from-oakland/ec20e646b827e1e46d65211dcda5f459ee7cbcee_hu_1ff756c5b8032875.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sonoma-county-wine-country-from-oakland/ec20e646b827e1e46d65211dcda5f459ee7cbcee_hu_cbddb51a294ebe55.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"776\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn my stronger days, I’d biked to Sonoma County all the way from SF or Oakland in a day (~70-100 miles one-way); I wrote up some of these rides as \u003ca href=\"/post/recap-russian-river-brewery-overnight-ride/\"\u003eSF -\u0026gt; Russian River Brewing\u003c/a\u003e (Santa Rosa), \u003ca href=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/\"\u003eSF-\u0026gt;Petaluma-and-back\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/post/biking-sf-the-russian-river/\"\u003eSF-\u0026gt;Healdsburg overnight\u003c/a\u003e, and so on. But I’m not really interested in (or capable of?) a ride that long these days– 40-50 miles is my current sweet spot for an extended social ride with plenty of stops and exploration.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sonoma County from Oakland, Transit-Assisted"},{"content":"I enjoy mixing some gravel and dirt into my road rides, though I don’t have a specific “mountain” or “gravel” bike– just my all-around bike with 38mm tires.\nA local example I’ve enjoyed several times in the past few years is Wildcat Creek Trail, which takes you from Wildcat Canyon Park in Richmond up to Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills. It’s a good local introduction to gravel roads (and nice and wide compared to a typical multi-use trail, avoiding conflict with walkers and dogs), and I’ve brought along friends on road bikes and they’ve been able to handle it:\nA short loop from Berkeley that bails out when you reach Little Farm in Tilden is something like this, about 16mi and 1100’ of climbing:\nOr, a nice slightly longer loop from Oakland with twice as much climbing (riding uphill to the Tilden Steam Trains, then downhill to the Claremont Hotel and Fournee bakery) is something like this, about 24mi and 2100’ of climbing:\nFor a bit of local history, you can also visit the ruins / former site of the Belgum Sanitarium just off this route…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wildcat-creek-trail-gravel/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI enjoy mixing some gravel and dirt into my road rides, though I don’t have a specific “mountain” or “gravel” bike– just my all-around bike with 38mm tires.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA local example I’ve enjoyed several times in the past few years is Wildcat Creek Trail, which takes you from Wildcat Canyon Park in Richmond up to Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills. It’s a good local introduction to gravel roads (and nice and wide compared to a typical multi-use trail, avoiding conflict with walkers and dogs), and I’ve brought along friends on road bikes and they’ve been able to handle it:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wildcat Creek Trail Gravel"},{"content":"Last weekend I organized a ride up to Point San Pablo, about 40 miles of scenic, mostly-flat* riding, with the majority of it on paved separated bike paths (the Bay Trail, on-street bike paths in Richmond, the Richmond Greenway, and the Ohlone Greenway).\nWe had a good group of seven, some who I’ve been riding with off and on for years and some new folks. And the remarkable exchange between two people of:\n“Do I know you? Your bike looks familiar.” [we’ve all been there…] *“*Wait, did we meet once on the Russian River Brewing Ride?” “We did! Back in… 2012?!” I’ve done some variant on this route several times over the years and always enjoy it– the whole ride from the RSR bridge up to PSP Harbor is always longer and more remote than I expected, it feels liek riding out to a frontier… so I’ve put together a specific route from MacArthur BART and added it to the Best Rides.\nInteractive / downloadable map at https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49406111.\nIt’s a decent ride for people who aren’t used to hills, because the modest hills come about halfway into the ride, and the one absurdly steep hill is so short it’s easy to walk (on this week’s ride, all seven of us ultimately walked it– there’s no shame. I think I’m about 50% on riding to the top over the years).\nThere are all sorts of little sights to discover along the way, from the skate park by Pixar to the new-ish bike/pedestrian bridge over the train tracks in Emeryville, to the Red Baron at the bay trail, to the delightful (limited hours) Open Air Coffee in a Richmond parking lot with giant industrial spools as tables, to the tiny “fairy houses” of Point Richmond. I’ve marked some of these on the map above, but some you just have to keep your eyes open for.\nIt took us about 6.5 hours total (mapping tools would estimate 3.5-4 hours of riding time), as we stopped for lunch and a fair amount of random sightseeing, as well as to help another cyclist who was stopped by the side of the road with a chain wedged into the back of his cassette. It took a while and the ideas of about five different people, but we helped him recover and get back on the road.\nPerhaps the only lowlight was an unusually intense and acrid smell of trash wafting over Cutting Boulevard from Richmond on both ends of the ride.\nIf you want a shorter ride and your main goal is to visit Point San Pablo, you can also start or end at Richmond or El Cerrito Del Norte BART stations, as shown on the map.\nSide note: for people who were on this weekend’s ride, here are links about some of the random topics we discussed or mused about:\nhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/places/winehaven https://www.youtube.com/c/SampsonBoatCo https://www.fws.gov/story/antlers https://www.pointrichmond.com/point-san-pablo-peninsula/history/ ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/goats-art-fried-fish-point-san-pablo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast weekend I organized a ride up to Point San Pablo, about 40 miles of scenic, mostly-flat* riding, with the majority of it on paved separated bike paths (the Bay Trail, on-street bike paths in Richmond, the Richmond Greenway, and the Ohlone Greenway).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe had a good group of seven, some who I’ve been riding with off and on for years and some new folks. And the remarkable exchange between two people of:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Goats, Art, Fried Fish (Point San Pablo)"},{"content":"A few years back I met a friend who lives in Berlin and we spent a week biking to Copenhagen. It turns out we had compatible cycle touring styles, and said “let’s do this again some time… especially if I’m ever somewhere in Europe within a reasonable take-your-bike-on-the-train distance from Germany\u0026amp;quot;. Other vacation plans brought me to Slovenia, so we schemed up a week of self-supported cycling in Slovenia and a bit of Croatia, on a mix of paved and gravel roads.\nSome day I hope to write up the detailed route (I want to clean up our draft map before sharing, based on a lot of changes we made on the fly), and add notes on sights, food, and stays that could be helpful to anyone else traveling here, but for now I’ll share a few photos and an overall summary:\nFor a variety of reasons, we decided to cycle in the much less visited Eastern Slovenia (which doesn’t have the postcard-highlight sites of the Julian Alps or Ljubljana), starting in Maribor, Slovenia’s second-largest city. We’d read about a popular cycling route along the Drava river nearby that we knew we wanted to include.\nI spent more hours than I want to admit digging into regional bike maps, tourist agency recommendations, and other peoples’ individual trip reports (and mail-ordered a few maps from Europe to assist with planning), and eventually stitched together an interesting route where we’d ride out to the Austrian border, down the Mura river to Legrad and its confluence with the Drava river, then back up the Drava into Slovenia to the famous old town of Ptuj, before turning West to a national park, castles, and our third river. This was our planned route, with a few longer-vs-shorter options depending how we felt on a given day and how tough the hils were in practice:\nSome of the sources I found especially useful in this planning, or integrated partial routes from:\n* Mura River route (example writeups: https://visit-prlekija.eu/en/cycling-and-hiking-trails/the-mura-cycling-route and https://www.steiermark.com/de/Steiermark/Aktiv-in-der-Natur/Rad-Bike/Murradweg )\n* Drava / Drau River cycling route: (https://www.drauradweg.com/en/sections/ and https://dravabike.si/en/info/drava-cycling-route )\n* Slovenia “Green Gourmet” route (we used a few days of this route in Eastern Slovenia) (https://www.slovenia-green.si/members/slovenia-green-gourmet-route/)\n* Slovenia “Green Wellness” route (we copied a few stages of it from Maribor, as a very roundabout but more scenic and low-traffic way to get from Maribor to the Mura river) (https://www.slovenia-green.si/members/slovenia-green-wellness-route/)\n* Some Maribor local cycle loops to consider as warmup / shakedown rides the day we arrived (https://www.visitmaribor.si/en/what-to-do/active-holiday/cycling/cycling-routes/)\n* Eurovelo 13: the Iron Curtain Route (https://en.eurovelo.com/ev13)\nOne of my personal goals has been to do more touring on gravel and dirt roads with less traffic, and these parts of Slovenia and Croatia certainly","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cycling-eastern-slovenia-croatia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few years back I met a friend who lives in Berlin and \u003ca href=\"/post/self-supported-berlin-copenhagen/\"\u003ewe spent a week biking to Copenhagen\u003c/a\u003e. It turns out we had compatible cycle touring styles, and said “let’s do this again some time… especially if I’m ever somewhere in Europe within a reasonable take-your-bike-on-the-train distance from Germany\u0026quot;. Other vacation plans brought me to Slovenia, so we schemed up a week of self-supported cycling in Slovenia and a bit of Croatia, on a mix of paved and gravel roads.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cycling Eastern Slovenia \u0026 Croatia, 2024"},{"content":"Test post, to see if I can reshare a writeup I did on Strava to here (to share daily notes+photos with a few friends who don’t use strava or social media, during a week of cycling I’m doing in Slovenia):\n[Edit:] Unfortunately, I can only easily reshare a single summary photo from Strava, but ride notes and additional photos don’t carry over.\nI’ll probably keep using Strava as my place to quickly share a few notes + photos with fellow riders during a tour, but intend to come back here to write up longer recaps on the most interesting rides (see for example the Taiwan writeup below).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/test-post-to-see-if-i-can-reshare-writeups-ive/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTest post, to see if I can reshare a writeup I did on Strava to here (to share daily notes+photos with a few friends who don’t use strava or social media, during a week of cycling I’m doing in Slovenia):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[Edit:]\u003c/strong\u003e Unfortunately, I can only easily reshare a single summary photo from Strava, but ride notes and additional photos don’t carry over.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ll probably keep using Strava as my place to quickly share a few notes + photos with fellow riders during a tour, but intend to come back here to write up longer recaps on the most interesting rides (see for example the Taiwan writeup below).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Test post, to see if I can reshare a writeup I did on Strava to here (to share daily notes+photos with a few friends who don't..."},{"content":"(this is a short recap post with some photos, perhaps some day I’ll come back and write more when I have the space to fully wrap my head around what just happened)\nEver since I first visited Japan, one of my dreams has been to do a long-distance bicycle tour there, with a focus on rural areas (as well as the food, history, craftsmanship, and culture). “Some day, life’s too busy… maybe when I’m 65…”– but after a career change, I made it happen this year. It was one of the most memorable trips of my life.\nI spent five weeks cycling more or less the length of Japan, from Nagasaki to Sapporo (though with shuttle buses to skip riding around two large urban areas surrounding Tokyo and Osaka, as well as to bypass smaller regions such as an unexpected landslide in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Mawar).\nI did this as a continuation of the fully-supported ride across Korea, with ~20 strangers or people I’d met on one previous bike tour (edit: and two years later, we still have an active group chat– that’s some bonding through shared experience / suffering!) A friend from home also joined me for the two-week Nagasaki -\u0026amp;gt; Tokyo half of the ride.\nOur routes were rural, scenic, and also quite hilly, sometimes taking mountain roads that most car traffic has abandoned in favor of newer expressways.\nI’ll add to this later or write a follow-up, there are too many memorable moments, but some of my very favorite riding and landscapes were around the Aso caldera in Kyushu, the whole island of Shikoku (especially the Iya Valley), Oirase Gorge, and near Lake Tazawa.\nI also got up to some off-the-mapped-route adventures that became a bit more adventurous than I’d anticipated…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/riding-the-length-of-japan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(this is a short recap post with some photos, perhaps some day I’ll come back and write more when I have the space to fully wrap my head around what just happened)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver since I first visited Japan, one of my dreams has been to do a long-distance bicycle tour there, with a focus on rural areas (as well as the food, history, craftsmanship, and culture). “Some day, life’s too busy… maybe when I’m 65…”– but after a career change, I made it happen this year. It was one of the most memorable trips of my life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Riding the length of Japan, 2023 (teaser)"},{"content":"(This is a placeholder writeup with a few photos, perhaps I’ll come back some day and flesh it out…)\nI spent a week cycling the length of Korea (~400 miles from Seoul to Busan), as a fully supported** ride with an organized tour group and about 20 strangers (though a few I’d met on a bike tour in Vietnam the previous year). By the end I felt exhilarated, challenged, stimulated, and full of great food.\nKorea’s a sleeper hit when it comes to cycling infrastructure, I’m surprised I hadn’t heard more about it. We rode multiple days on paved fully separated bike paths, starting from the heart of Seoul, with infrastructure like this:\nI don’t think I’ve even seen this in Denmark or The Netherlands: a traffic circle at the intersection of four different paved cycling paths outside Seoul– no cars here!\nClean bathrooms periodically along the bike path (especially on the first two days of riding out of Seoul):\nWe saw so many young Korean cyclists out riding in groups on these paths.\nThe riding was smooth, but the days were challenging: about 55-80 miles/day with 1500’-5800’ in elevation gain (Korea gets quite hilly). More challenging than the raw amount of elevation gain, many of the roads were cut directly up hills at 10-16% grades for significant periods of time, rather than following more gradual contours as I’m used to at home. In all, this route was about 400 miles with 19k ft of elevation gain:\nThe cities we traveled through or stayed overnight in were interesting as well– from hot springs to towns known for their pheasant, crab, or ancient tombs:\nPerhaps some day I’ll find time to write more about the route, the riding, and the cultural experience, but this is a start. After this, I was immediately off to Japan for a longer ride…\nFootnotes: **In this case, “fully supported” included:\nThe tour company had pre-scouted a route in detail (including working with local cycling guides), booked our hotels for each night, and provided us with maps / GPX tracks. Each evening there was a “ride briefing” in the hotel for the next day, highlighting any unusual challenges, difficult sections of navigation, and whether it was generally an easier or harder day. A guide drove a van to the next hotel each morning carrying our bags (one duffel each), so we just needed to ride with whatever we needed for the day. The company even set up a roadside tent ~midway along the route each day with lunch, snacks, and big jugs of water to refill our bottles, because on some of our ride days we didn’t pass through towns with open restaurants at convenient times [in practice, I would have been fine finding my own lunch or packing one, but this was certainly a nice perk and made it easier to ride long days!] The van was also available for emergency shuttling of people– if you have a major bike breakdown you can’t recover from or are having health issues, you can call them. I didn’t use it on this tour, but even knowing it exists as a safety net made it less daunting to tackle a lot","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cycling-south-korea-short-version/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(This is a placeholder writeup with a few photos, perhaps I’ll come back some day and flesh it out…)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI spent a week cycling the length of Korea (~400 miles from Seoul to Busan), as a fully supported** ride with an organized tour group and about 20 strangers (though a few I’d met on a bike tour in Vietnam the previous year). By the end I felt exhilarated, challenged, stimulated, and full of great food.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cycling South Korea, 2023"},{"content":"I’d heard over the years that Taiwan’s East Coast is beautiful and a popular place to cycle, and that you can rent bikes at one Giant store and return them at another, making a one way rental bike tour reasonable.\nI’d never quite found the excuse + motivation to plan a trip there, so had that filed away in the “some day” mental list. Then a few months ago a friend reached out saying he wanted to bike in Taiwan and would I be interested? I said yes, and before I knew it we were riding twisty roads down gorgeous Taroko gorge after gorging on breakfast dumplings…\nThe route we took started partway up the gorge (we got a van ride up with our bikes the previous night, and I’m glad we did– the hills would have been manageable, but there was a lot of traffic including tour buses on narrow windy roads along a cliff, so biking up could have been unpleasant). From there, we went down to the coast, then cut inland on the remote-feeling 193 through the East Rift Valley (very lush, few cars), before climbing up the coastal mountain range on the 30, through a tunnel, and then riding along the coast to Taitung. About 270 km / 180 miles over four days.\nThis is the general route we took, though it’s a messy file, auto-traced from a raw GPS recording, so don’t count on all the cues or details being correct: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42626006\nThe roads were almost universally smooth pavement, generally flat with some rolling hills, sometimes with a wide bike lane / shoulder, and other times sharing mostly-quiet country roads with scooters and cars:\nWe decided to make this a hybrid hike/bike trip to try to really experience this part of Taiwan– most days we’d get up early and do a ~2 hour hike at dawn, then have a leisurely breakfast before riding for about 4-5 hours (6-7 when you include stops for lunch, museums, and beaches), getting to our destination hotel in the late afternoon. Riding only ~40-50 mildly hilly miles each day gave us the flexibility to not worry about beating sunset or having to hurry, though the hottest day still felt fairly challenging by the end.\nIn general the food was excellent, ranging from succulent steamed dumplings with a lot of ginger, to probably the best bao I’ve had in my life, to a range of great greens and vegetables. Even the onigiri at the 7-Elevens were great (my favorite flavor was “chicken rice”):\nThese incredible bao were ~$1 at 纏記舊街東河包子, a roadside restaurant in Donghe. The left one is 酸菜包 (the second bun from the left on their menu), and tasted like it included pork, pickled mustard greens, and ground peanuts. The right one is black sesame.\nThe weather was decent– we did this ride at the beginning of April, which is about the latest in the spring I’d want to do it– it was very humid, and the hottest day was ~85F but felt much hotter in the direct sun. We also had one day where we rode in intermittent rain all day– but once your socks are soaked, they can’t get any wetter…\nThis was also a new style of touring for me– a","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-eastern-taiwan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’d heard over the years that Taiwan’s East Coast is beautiful and a popular place to cycle, and that you can rent bikes at one Giant store and return them at another, making a one way rental bike tour reasonable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’d never quite found the excuse + motivation to plan a trip there, so had that filed away in the “some day” mental list. Then a few months ago a friend reached out saying he wanted to bike in Taiwan and would I be interested? I said yes, and before I knew it we were riding twisty roads down gorgeous Taroko gorge after gorging on breakfast dumplings…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking Eastern Taiwan, 2023"},{"content":"Sewed a custom frame bag in a weekend workshop at Swift Industries up in Seattle. An impractically-small one, for the partial triangle on one of my bikes. Hey, I think it looks nice, and it can hold a pump, snacks, money, keys, and a light jacket…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/custom-frame-bag/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSewed a custom frame bag in a weekend workshop at Swift Industries up in Seattle. An impractically-small one, for the partial triangle on one of my bikes. Hey, I think it looks nice, and it can hold a pump, snacks, money, keys, and a light jacket…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/f721c0bcb79334f0a504aa0541fe463aaf9d70f5_hu_3cd3e640141dbc67.webp 480w, /post/custom-frame-bag/f721c0bcb79334f0a504aa0541fe463aaf9d70f5_hu_952cb4179a664fad.webp 800w, /post/custom-frame-bag/f721c0bcb79334f0a504aa0541fe463aaf9d70f5_hu_d1cbf1215476950f.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/f721c0bcb79334f0a504aa0541fe463aaf9d70f5_hu_19bf40c5ac3a5722.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"693\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/effa56f18f9508780d6757cb1fcaf0c2fce8dc84_hu_c129aa4531e8b1f3.webp 480w, /post/custom-frame-bag/effa56f18f9508780d6757cb1fcaf0c2fce8dc84_hu_ff6881baa1f6cb65.webp 800w, /post/custom-frame-bag/effa56f18f9508780d6757cb1fcaf0c2fce8dc84_hu_3941970b8979d5c3.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/effa56f18f9508780d6757cb1fcaf0c2fce8dc84_hu_50bd40bd42427204.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"512\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/0933c19aca10a84178d7860da5871266c43e35e6_hu_244238db3880b533.webp 480w, /post/custom-frame-bag/0933c19aca10a84178d7860da5871266c43e35e6_hu_bb4d0fc6c3a7e26a.webp 800w, /post/custom-frame-bag/0933c19aca10a84178d7860da5871266c43e35e6_hu_415f418f35f618c0.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/custom-frame-bag/0933c19aca10a84178d7860da5871266c43e35e6_hu_c248b217c162c1c7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"843\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Custom Frame Bag"},{"content":"Last summer (2022) I biked from ~Berlin to Copenhagen with a friend. A week of gorgeous riding on pavement and some dirt, carrying all our gear but staying in hotels to avoid the need for camping equipment, through a mix of rural landscapes, quaint towns, and cities.\nIt started with flying into Berlin, checking my boxed bike and a lightweight duffel bag that just held two panniers of gear. I reassembled the bike in a train station in the city, hooked my panniers onto it, wadded up the duffel bag in the bottom of one of the panniers, and rode away…\nThere’s a recommended scenic bike route from Berlin -\u0026amp;gt; Copenhagen, which partly follows the EuroVelo 7 route, with more useful detail including GPS tracks on the Komoot Berlin-\u0026amp;gt;Copenhagen page (I downloaded those and wrangled them into RideWithGPS on my phone, and onto a dedicated GPS bike computer I was trying out for the first time).\nThere’s also great paper map book we used that highlights the route page by page (it’s in German only, but that doesn’t really matter for a map, and my friend spoke German). It’s available in your typical map stores in Germany but hard to find in the US– I ended up spending the extra money to mail order a copy from Stanfords UK ahead of time. I think it would be reasonable to do the entire ride just with this map book and no GPS, but we liked having both.\nOverall, the paper map and the GPS route both seemed to match reality on the road 95% of the time, though we sometimes took alternate routes where something had changed, or we saw a physical bike route sign by the road that didn’t match our map, or we just saw an interesting dirt path to detour onto.\nThe road surfaces varied. Other than when we had to pass through cities, many of them were a mix of quiet country roads (good pavement, few cars), paved bike paths paralleling main roads (the last rainy image below is a typical two-lane bike path in the countryside of Denmark, as nice as the main road nearby), or gravel roads cutting through forests:\nThere were a handful of sections with more unusual surfaces, from dirt paths to cutting through a port to get to a ferry, all fun in their own ways:\nWe ate a lot of white asparagus, cheese, meats, and bread (many hotels had great good protein-heavy breakfasts, and in a handful of towns we rented an apartment and cooked):\nAnd I’ll say again– it was beautiful. We were never deep in the wilderness, but we passed farm fields, historical castles, the chalk cliffs of Møns Klint, and more. I still think about this a year later.\nFinally, a week and ~500km later, we rolled in to Copenhagen and parted ways (I then traveled on to the island of Bornholm for a more lazy vacation-with-occasional-cycling).\nA few other highlight memories, the experiences you can’t plan but can happen when you explore:\nRain and chilly weather on one grey day– I wanted a break. We were out in a rural area, but I looked on google maps and saw a small cafe symbol in a nearby town. We had to explore a bit to","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/self-supported-berlin-copenhagen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast summer (2022) I biked from ~Berlin to Copenhagen with a friend. A week of gorgeous riding on pavement and some dirt, carrying all our gear but staying in hotels to avoid the need for camping equipment, through a mix of rural landscapes, quaint towns, and cities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt started with flying into Berlin, checking my boxed bike and a lightweight duffel bag that just held two panniers of gear. I reassembled the bike in a train station in the city, hooked my panniers onto it, wadded up the duffel bag in the bottom of one of the panniers, and rode away…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Self-Supported Berlin -\u003e Copenhagen"},{"content":"I’m not as young as I used to be. Stretching before and after a long ride (especially on tours where I’m riding day after day after day) makes an especially big difference now.\nNotes to self: Here’s the ideal set of stretches I’ve settled on, with the (*) ones being the ones I prioritize if I’m feeling tight on time:\nChild’s pose * Cat Cow Down Dog Pec stretch doorway * Eagle Arms Clasp hands behind back Arm circles * Hip flexor (heel held to butt, knee pointing down) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-touring-stretches/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m not as young as I used to be. Stretching before and after a long ride (especially on tours where I’m riding day after day after day) makes an especially big difference now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotes to self: Here’s the ideal set of stretches I’ve settled on, with the (*) ones being the ones I prioritize if I’m feeling tight on time:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChild’s pose\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e* Cat Cow\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDown Dog\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePec stretch doorway\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e* Eagle Arms\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClasp hands behind back\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArm circles\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e* Hip flexor (heel held to butt, knee pointing down)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Bike Touring Stretches"},{"content":"(a brief recap, perhaps to come back to with more detail some day)\nI’ve wanted to push myself farther out of my bike touring comfort zone, in terms of traveling in a culture very different from home, and for long enough and at a slow enough pace that I start to pick up on the rhythms on daily life. I dove in to a four-week tour through Vietnam and Cambodia…\nI have some new schedule flexibility when it comes to (unpaid) vacation, but it was hard to find bike friends with matching schedules, and for somewhere this new to me I didn’t really want to travel solo. So I joined a fully-supported tour (pre-booked hotels along a route, a van carries your bags each day, travel medic and bike mechanic on staff and available in the evenings, but you ride on your own at your own pace).\nThis is the general route we followed over four weeks and about 1200 miles, from Hanoi in the North down the Ho Chi Minh Highway, over Hải Vân Pass (I saw a lot of motorcyclists on this twisty road but no other cyclists…), down the coast through Hue (my favorite city of the trip?) and Hội An, then inland on much more remote mountainous roads (a few days without cell service– one guide had a satphone for emergency backup), across the border to Cambodia, then along riverside roads to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap:\nSome stunning roads and landscapes:\nSome of the other road users (I prefer riding with the chaos of scooter packs to the times we had to share the road with heavy trucks, especially on busy roads in Cambodia):\nSome great food, especially the changing regional specialities we saw as we traveled (mountain goat, very different noodles and broth in the phở, long strings of Kampot peppercorns in Cambodia, etc):\nAnd some more challenging weather and road conditions (a few days I was riding all day in the rain… at least most days it was warm so hypothermia wasn’t really a concern, just comfort…)\nI also saw beauty in the everyday details:\nThis trip had some highs and lows (especially in terms of health and comfort three weeks in)… and I’m so glad I did it. This is the trip that inspired me to do more bike touring.\nI also met a number of strangers who I’m still in touch with to this day, whether that’s meeting on another tour or via the occasional text chat or social media exchange.\nAnother note to future self, here’s how I packed for the trip (details in an old “what I pack for a supported hotel tour” list). Since I got to throw a large duffel on a truck each morning, I packed more spare bicycle parts than I normally would, just in case.\nPerhaps I’ll revisit highlights and lowlights in more detail here, and add notes about top sights / restaurants / etc, some day…\nRecap Update, 2025: Years later, I’m looking back at a journal I kept during the ride to pull out some conclusions. I’m jotting them down here, no matter how earnest / goofy they seem now, since this blog is mostly just notes-to-my-future-self.\nSome highlight memories include, in no particular order:\nRiding by natural","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cycling-vietnam-cambodia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(a brief recap, perhaps to come back to with more detail some day)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve wanted to push myself farther out of my bike touring comfort zone, in terms of traveling in a culture very different from home, and for long enough and at a slow enough pace that I start to pick up on the rhythms on daily life. I dove in to a four-week tour through Vietnam and Cambodia…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cycling Vietnam + Cambodia, 2022 (teaser)"},{"content":"For years I’ve daydreamed about biking from DC to Pittsburgh on mostly car-free dirt trails, on a ~330 mile winding route that combines the C\u0026amp;amp;O Canal Trail (a dirt trail formerly used by mules to pull cargo barges along the C\u0026amp;amp;O canal in the 1800s, a transportation method that eventually lost to the railroad, and was nearly converted to roads before being preserved as a park in the 1970s) and the Great Allegheny Passage (a combination of rail trails integrated and completed in 2013).\nThis was the year I made it happen, joined by several friends and friends-of-friends willing to tackle the challenge of biking and camping on dirt for a week carrying all our own gear.\nI had a great time– biking through lush and sometimes humid greenery, being surrounded by insect- and bird-sound in the evening, rarely seeing a car, being able to ride at a relaxed pace without constantly looking out for crossing traffic, with a feeling (especially during the earlier C\u0026amp;amp;O half of the trip) of being out in the woods.\nI won’t give an overview of the route, as there is already plenty of good information about the trails online, but I’ll write down some details of our particular trip’s logistics, in case it’s useful to anyone else. But first, some photos:\nRoute, Distance, Timing I’ve read of people taking anywhere from 3(!) to 12 days to travel this route. Our group was experienced with 30-50 mile rides, and while some of us had done much longer rides that was years ago… so we decided to set a goal of 7.5 days / 7 nights, or about 45 miles/day. This ride would be partly on dirt and we’d be carrying all our gear so we expected to be slower… but we’d also have all day to do each day’s ride. Even at a casual 10mph you only need to get in 5 hours of active biking time to cover 50 miles… we often spent ~8 hours to cover that distance including various stops.\nWe expected that the C\u0026amp;amp;O canal section would be tougher and slower going due to the rougher trail, especially if it got really muddy due to a rainstorm (Narrator: “it did”), so we decided to start our trip with the C\u0026amp;amp;O canal section, and end with a few faster days on the smoother (and, slightly-downhill) crushed limestone GAP trail– I think this was a good call.\nI had an initial sketch of where we might stay each night based on terrain and major sightseeing, but one of the nice aspects of this route is there are free hiker/biker campsites every 5-10 miles along the C\u0026amp;amp;O canal trail (and towns with potential B\u0026amp;amp;Bs or AirBNBs every 20-30 miles), so it was easy to adapt our schedule on the fly. After a rainy and muddy first night (and some uncertainty about how long the Paw Paw Tunnel detour would take), we decided to push a bit farther than average the first few days, to build up some buffer for the unexpected.\nOur actual ride was something like the below. Note that the distances below are the “on trail” distances– in practice we often ended up biking about 5 more miles if you include detours into","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dc-pittsburgh-on-car-free-trails-cogap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor years I’ve daydreamed about biking from DC to Pittsburgh on mostly car-free dirt trails, on a ~330 mile winding route that combines the \u003ca href=\"https://href.li/?https://www.canaltrust.org/plan\"\u003eC\u0026amp;O Canal Trail\u003c/a\u003e (a dirt trail formerly used by mules to pull cargo barges along the C\u0026amp;O canal in the 1800s, a transportation method that eventually lost to the railroad, and was nearly converted to roads before being preserved as a park in the 1970s) and the \u003ca href=\"https://href.li/?https://gaptrail.org/things-to-do/recommended-trips/ride-of-your-life/\"\u003eGreat Allegheny Passage\u003c/a\u003e (a combination of rail trails integrated and completed in 2013).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"DC -\u003e Pittsburgh on car-free trails, 2022 (C\u0026O/GAP)"},{"content":"Bornholm: a large Danish island in the middle of the Black Sea, reached by ferry from Sweden, Germany, or Poland. It’s relaxing, lush, pastoral… and some might even say a little boring.\nI love it– there are smokehouse for fish (optionally served with an egg yolks), a few cute towns, breweries, ice cream, beaches and forests… and most notably for this blog: ~230km of interconnected cycle trails around and through the island.\nI was here for a brief side trip from Copenhagen** many years ago, and knew I wanted to come back and bike. Eventually I convinced my partner to take a slow vacation where we rented a house and cooked, read, did jigsaw puzzles, hiked… and I fit in three days of cycling.\nIt’s easiest to show the variety of riding conditions with a gallery of images– mostly flat, paved or gravel, often off-road:\nI’d purchased a set of maps (of course) and done some preplanning of potential loops online, but the on-the-ground signage was mostly good (except at some of the entrypoints to trails from the outer loop road) with wayfinding even at the intersection of multiple bike paths in the wooded interior of the island:\nIn my pre-trip planning I’d sketched out this set of loops, which I believe would have traced 95%+ of the official routes on the island:\nIn my 180km of riding here are the routes I actually covered, perhaps 70% of the official routes?\nBeyond just the cycling, it was a peaceful and pleasant place to spend almost a week– large enough to not feel limiting, but small enough that anywhere was accessible.\nI found this an especially relaxing and contemplative cycling vacation– what can I learn from this?\nHaving a single home base rental house for the week and riding different loops from it took a lot of the stress out of distance, timing, planning, and weather (there was never a push to get to the next stop despite adverse conditions). Cycling on nearly-empty or car-free roads made it easier to focus on other observation and introspection. Riding in nature surrounded by birdsong, the leaves rustling on trees, and so on also fed into that. I really enjoy the texture and sound of riding on light gravel. It was nice to be able to merge this with a vacation with my non-cycling partner, by having a house we cooked and spent time in every evening (and alternating between solo bike days and exploration days together) Somewhere I took notes on each of the bike routes and which ones I found more pleasant… but I can’t find them currently. Perhaps some day I’ll add them here:\n(???)\n**I scheduled this mini-vacation for immediately after the Berlin-\u0026amp;gt;Copenhagen ride I was doing with a friend, since I’d already be in the region with my bike.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bornholm-island-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBornholm: a large Danish island in the middle of the Black Sea, reached by ferry from Sweden, Germany, or Poland. It’s relaxing, lush, pastoral… and some might even say a little boring.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI love it– there are smokehouse for fish (optionally served with an egg yolks), a few cute towns, breweries, ice cream, beaches and forests… and most notably for this blog: ~230km of interconnected cycle trails around and through the island.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bornholm: Island Life + Cycling"},{"content":" Water and birdsound, stopped trailside on Bornholm (longer writeup of this island cycling trip coming soon):\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/water-and-birdsound-stopped-trailside-on-bornholm/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_sq22opTWBF1qzv82b_720.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater and birdsound, stopped trailside on Bornholm (longer writeup of this island cycling trip coming soon):\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Water and birdsound, stopped trailside on Bornholm (longer writeup of this island cycling trip coming soon):"},{"content":"Every bike tour is a learning experience, in many ways… and part of that is keeping track of what I packed but didn’t use vs. what I’d wished I’d packed. A few friends have asked for a copy of my packing list, and before a trip I’m always looking for my random notebook of “ideas for next time”, so I’m jotting down a few of my lists here:\nUniversal “On The Bike” List Light Packing List (Self-Supported + Hotels) Moderate Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Hotels) [todo] Moderate Packing List #2 (Self-Supported + Camping) [todo] Heavier Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Camping) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/packing-for-bike-trips/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEvery bike tour is a learning experience, in many ways… and part of that is keeping track of what I packed but didn’t use vs. what I’d wished I’d packed. A few friends have asked for a copy of my packing list, and before a trip I’m always looking for my random notebook of “ideas for next time”, so I’m jotting down a few of my lists here:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/post/packing-universal-on-the-bike-list/\"\u003eUniversal “On The Bike” List\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/post/packing-self-supported-hotel-tour/\"\u003eLight Packing List (Self-Supported + Hotels)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/post/packing-van-supported-hotel-tour/\"\u003eModerate Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Hotels)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e[todo]\u003c/em\u003e Moderate Packing List #2 (Self-Supported + Camping)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003e[todo]\u003c/em\u003e Heavier Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Camping)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Packing for Bike Trips"},{"content":"Morgan Territory Road was one of my favorite Bay Area roads four years ago (see that post for more details), and a few weeks ago a group of us finally made it back.\nThe ascent and descent on windy one-lane roads with minimal traffic were even better than I remembered (riding on a cool day helped):\nThis time, for variety, I charted a new route (44mi, 2800’ climbing) with a more roundabout intro/outro, picking up a range of paved and gravel trails through various parks, to take us off the busy + boring suburban roads. This probably added at least an extra hour (partly due to riding slow on multi-use trails with more pedestrians and dogs) but I felt they were a great addition. A few examples:\nCrossing Lime Ridge Open Space:\nThe scenic California Riding (horses) \u0026amp;amp; Hiking trail (there was one short steep gravel bit we had to walk to get up onto it, but the rest of it was delightful):\nAnd various gravel paths in the flats of Livermore on the way back to BART…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/morgan-territory-take-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMorgan Territory Road was one of my favorite Bay Area roads \u003ca href=\"/post/morgan-territory-scenic-climb-and-descent/\"\u003efour years ago\u003c/a\u003e (see that post for more details), and a few weeks ago a group of us finally made it back.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ascent and descent on windy one-lane roads with minimal traffic were even better than I remembered (riding on a cool day helped):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/morgan-territory-take-2/2a8db44057613e21d00fd150f4cbd70f3d110f3d_hu_2b0c9c64f8a89651.webp 480w, /post/morgan-territory-take-2/2a8db44057613e21d00fd150f4cbd70f3d110f3d_hu_3ff4558144d596f2.webp 800w, /post/morgan-territory-take-2/2a8db44057613e21d00fd150f4cbd70f3d110f3d_hu_be0e85bd8ee546b2.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/morgan-territory-take-2/2a8db44057613e21d00fd150f4cbd70f3d110f3d_hu_cfbab9f7b261cc80.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis time, for variety, I charted a \u003ca href=\"https://href.li/?https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26988728\"\u003enew route (44mi, 2800’ climbing)\u003c/a\u003e with a more roundabout intro/outro, picking up a range of paved and gravel trails through various parks, to take us off the busy + boring suburban roads. This probably added at least an extra hour (partly due to riding slow on multi-use trails with more pedestrians and dogs) but I felt they were a great addition. A few examples:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Morgan Territory, take 2"},{"content":"I’ve done variants on a 30-mile vineyard and trails loop in Livermore a few times over the years. One of those years we biked past Wente and up to the South end of Arroyo Road, and could see gravel trails stretching off along Lake Del Valle– but the gravel was too steep and loose and we turned around.\nI’ve always wanted to go back with some wider tires and see how practical (and fun) it is to ride gravel along Del Valle, connecting Arroyo road to Mines road…\nGoogle Maps thinks you should just go the long way around instead…\nBut last week two of us finally did it (after putting some knobby 26x2.1\u0026amp;quot; tires on the Long Haul Trucker).\nWe mostly rode the wider gravel roads, but took a few sections of singletrack as well (neither of us are experienced mountain bikers). The views were amazing, and the hills were tough for me but mostly manageable– I walked two or three sections. This is the general route (about 37 miles and 2700’ round trip), though a few trails and paths we took are not on google maps / ridewithgps: along an Eastern section of Vineyard Ave there’s a great off-road paved bike path on the North side of the road. And along the lake there are a number of parallel singletrack options to the main road, for the more adventurous.\nSome day I’ll organize an overnight camping trip along this dirt, to camp (and boat? fish?) along the lake…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/del-valle-dirt/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve done variants on a \u003ca href=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/\"\u003e30-mile vineyard and trails loop in Livermore\u003c/a\u003e a few times over the years. One of those years we biked past Wente and up to the South end of Arroyo Road, and could see gravel trails stretching off along Lake Del Valle– but the gravel was too steep and loose and we turned around.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve always wanted to go back with some wider tires and see how practical (and fun) it is to ride gravel along Del Valle, connecting Arroyo road to Mines road…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Del Valle Dirt"},{"content":"This tumblr’s one of the things I gave up on during Covid, but I’ve gone on some interesting new rides in the past year especially so I’m going to upload some maps + photos in the next month or so…\nedit: I’ve now posted recaps of my favorite rides from the past two years, mostly back-dated to the month they happened in, you can scroll back through the blog to see them. A few highlights include:\n* Bike camping in Montana (5 days, guided but self-supported)\n* Casual 3-day Guerneville -\u0026amp;gt; SF bike camping (~40 miles/day)\n* A week of supported mountain bike touring / camping in Southern Utah\n* Sonoma paths / tacos / beer loop, from Oakland via bus + train\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-rides-coming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis tumblr’s one of the things I gave up on during Covid, but I’ve gone on some interesting new rides in the past year especially so I’m going to upload some maps + photos in the next month or so…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eedit:\u003c/strong\u003e I’ve now posted recaps of my favorite rides from the past two years, mostly back-dated to the month they happened in, you can scroll back through the blog to see them. A few highlights include:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"new rides coming..."},{"content":"(retroactively writing up a quick summary, months later…)\nI’ve dreamed about doing some sort of week+ off-road bike tour somewhere in the world. While I enjoy solo DIY exploration and have many great memories of going somewhere and figuring it out on the fly, my gravel touring experience is limited and I’ve never even really been mountain biking (at least, farther than a few miles), so perhaps it would be easier and more fun to join an organized tour…\nI’ve also always loved the Southwest, and Southern Utah / Northern Arizona in particular, so when I read that Lizard Head cycling guides had started a 220-mile mountain bike camping tour across Southern Utah loosely inspired by the Hayduke Trail I decided to jump on it.\nI’ll be honest, I was intimidated by the idea– while I planned to train and start doing some gravel camping, I was also feeling really out of shape after a slugging year+ of Covid working-from-home and felt I’d be way out of my comfort zone. I had some good support from my partner and a few friends to help psych me up for it, and told everyone I knew I was going to do this ride so it would be too embarrassing to back out.\nAnd then, I did it. It was maybe the most challenging physical thing I’ve done– I prepared with a lot of road riding and a 4-day gravel camping trip, but didn’t get out on a mountain bike and wasn’t ready for the physical demands of riding up and down rough roads with some sand and mud every day and climbing 20,000’ over the six days, sometimes under intense sun. I got painfully sore (and managed to stave off disaster one day by doubling up on padded bike shorts and also sitting on my soft jacket… ouch), walked some sections (including walking my bike for an hour+ the last 3 miles uphill at the end of one day when I felt completely drained), and for the first time in a lifetime of riding, hopped on the “SAG wagon” (a support jeep driven by a guide) for several miles. But it was a lesson in asking for help and I was stubborn enough to push through. I realize plenty of riders have done things harder than this, and it’s all relative. But for me, this was pushing what I thought I could do.\nBut enough about me. The scenery, environment, and experience I was able to have off the beaten path was worth it. A few more photos:\nThe “Type 2 Fun” parts included a hot and sunny day where I’d already had 6L of water yet was still thirsty and had to stop and rest in the shade, and crossing a pass in the Henry Mountains at 10,400’ and running into an unexpected snowstorm– hands cramped into frigid claws that could barely worked the brakes inside my waterlogged gloves. There were definitely moments I remember feeling “why am I doing this? I’m not even having fun” – and yet months later I look back on it fondly and dream about doing something similar again. Ah, memory…\nThe general route we took is here, based on looking back at my GPS tracks, but that doesn’t mark the water, food, campgrounds, etc.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/hayduke-option-mtb-touring-in-southern-utah/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(retroactively writing up a quick summary, months later…)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve dreamed about doing some sort of week+ off-road bike tour somewhere in the world. While I enjoy solo DIY exploration and have many great memories of going somewhere and figuring it out on the fly, my gravel touring experience is limited and I’ve never even really been mountain biking (at least, farther than a few miles), so perhaps it would be easier and more fun to join an organized tour…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hayduke Option - MTB Touring in Southern Utah"},{"content":"I never really got into “mountain biking”, because for years I associated it with going fast on rough terrain and dodging obstacles, while I like to ramble and mosey and stop a lot. I also like rides where I can walk out my door (or hop off a train or plane) and get on the bike without having to drive somewhere.\nI realize my impressions were a narrow caricature of what mountain biking can be, though, and I’ve always enjoyed the bits of off-roading that sneak into rides– the last mile of dirt getting to a camp site from the road, strange muddy paths I find myself on when trying to bypass roads, or detours through parks to avoid main roads, and even when “road biking” I generally run 32mm+ tires to give myself more comfort and flexibility for unexpected detours.\nMaybe “gravel biking” and “bikepacking” are the hip new marketing terms for what I want to do more of, and I can do that without seeking out technical singletrack…\nI didn’t know a lot of people locally who were interested in this, and I wanted to get a bit more out into the wilderness than the Bay Area, so I looked around for an organized group and found the Adventure Cycling “Intro to Gravel Touring and Bikepacking” class. It was already full, but I put my name on the waitlist and forgot about it.\nThen, a month before it was supposed to happen, a spot opened up– and I said yes. Five weeks later, I was here, fully-loaded with camping and cooking gear (no support van!), with a dozen friendly strangers on a gravel road in grizzly country, somewhere in Montana along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route:\nThis ride was organized as an introductory 4-day / 3-night loop from Whitefish (plus an extra day at the beginning for a gear shakedown test ride). About two days of that were paved roads, or at least smooth “oiled gravel” roads that felt like riding on pavement, just slower.\nThe two middle days were more rustic surfaces, ranging from the gravel in the first photo, to rough gravel on NF-114 / Trail Creek Road (the photo at the top of this post is one of the milder sections), with regular fist-sized rocks requiring you to ride slower and “pick a line”– as a mountain bike novice I found it took a lot of concentration to be constantly surveying the road for sharp rocks and moving back and forth.\nMy favorite riding was forest road doubletrack, with soft pine needles muting some of the noises and a center strip of grass showing how few motor vehicles had been this way. So peaceful.\nThis ride was more focused on touring on gravel and dirt forest roads, not mountain bike singletrack. The most “bikepacking” of the days was actually our “shakedown” ride on the first day– just a 9-mile loop ending at our hostel (we didn’t camp this first night) to try out different ways of strapping on gear and making sure the bikes held up.\nThis turned into some more rugged riding than intended due to trees downed by a recent storm, but everyone worked together to portage across these sections.\nThis trip had too many","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/montana-gravel-bike-camping-gdmbr-5-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI never really got into “mountain biking”, because for years I associated it with going fast on rough terrain and dodging obstacles, while I like to ramble and mosey and stop a lot. I also like rides where I can walk out my door (or hop off a train or plane) and get on the bike without having to drive somewhere.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI realize my impressions were a narrow caricature of what mountain biking can be, though, and I’ve always enjoyed the bits of off-roading that sneak into rides– the last \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003emile of dirt\u003c/a\u003e getting to a camp site from the road, \u003ca href=\"/post/this-almost-feels-like-a-video-game-bike-through/\"\u003estrange muddy paths\u003c/a\u003e I find myself on when trying to bypass roads, or \u003ca href=\"/\"\u003edetours through parks to avoid main roads\u003c/a\u003e, and even when “road biking” I generally run 32mm+ tires to give myself more comfort and flexibility for unexpected detours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Montana gravel bike camping + GDMBR (5 days)"},{"content":"The Whitefish Trail, part of an 8-mile mostly singletrack route I took between the Whitefish Bike Retreat (excellent camping/hostel basecamp for local gravel and bikepacking exploration) and downtown Whitefish. I’m new to mountain biking and singletrack so I took it slow…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-whitefish-trail-part-of-an-8-mile-mostly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Whitefish Trail, part of \u003ca href=\"https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38659150\"\u003ean 8-mile mostly singletrack route\u003c/a\u003e I took between the Whitefish Bike Retreat (excellent camping/hostel basecamp for local gravel and bikepacking exploration) and downtown Whitefish. I’m new to mountain biking and singletrack so I took it slow…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Whitefish Trail, part of an 8-mile mostly singletrack route I took between the Whitefish Bike Retreat (excellent..."},{"content":"Ten years ago I’d go on a 70 or 80 mile ride to Santa Rosa for a beer at Russian River Brewing… but I’m not feeling anywhere near that strong these days.\nBut I’d been musing for a while about some sort of Russian River area ride on some bike paths I’d wanted to scope out, assisted by the newer Marin/Sonoma SMART train.\nOne transit-heavy way to do this could be to take BART to El Cerrito del Norte, change to Golden Gate Transit bus #40 from that station to the San Rafael Transit Center, and hop on the SMART train there… but there are some timing logistics to make work:\nEventually I decided to just make a day of it, with another friend who had a weekday free. Despite some trepidations, the transit parts all went smoothly (note that the #40 bus only has room for 3 bikes, so this wouldn’t work for a larger group). And the SMART train was a comfortable, spacious, and smooth ride I’d happily take any day…\nOnce up in Santa Rosa, we went for a lovely ride along a range of paved off-road trails and separated bike paths, through Sebastapol Graton, and Forestville:\nWhere paths emerged from the woods and crossed larger roads, the wayfinding was excellent:\nWe stopped for blackberries and to pet a trail cat:\nAnd for some great fish tacos at Handline:\nBefore hopping back on the train, we stopped for a beer on the patio at Russian River Brewing (the newer Windsor location):\nI’d happily ride this 27-mile, relatively flat route again…\nOr maybe a longer 38-mile version that includes a visit to Healdsburg?\nOr do this ride with a larger group, which would involve adding the 12-miles-each-way Richmond BART \u0026amp;lt;–\u0026amp;gt; San Rafael bridge ride to it since Golden Gate Transit can’t handle more bikes?\nOr explore doing this starting from SF instead– for example ferry SF-\u0026amp;gt;Larkspur, bike the short distance to San Rafael, and hop on the SMART to Santa Rosa…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/smart-assisted-sonoma-trails-tacos-beer-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTen years ago I’d go on a \u003ca href=\"/post/recap-russian-river-brewery-overnight-ride/\"\u003e70\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/\"\u003e80 mile\u003c/a\u003e ride to Santa Rosa for a beer at Russian River Brewing… but I’m not feeling anywhere near that strong these days.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I’d been musing for a while about some sort of Russian River area ride on some bike paths I’d wanted to scope out, assisted by the newer \u003ca href=\"https://href.li/?https://www.sonomamarintrain.org/\"\u003eMarin/Sonoma SMART train\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne transit-heavy way to do this could be to take BART to El Cerrito del Norte, change to Golden Gate Transit bus #40 from that station to the San Rafael Transit Center, and hop on the SMART train there… but there are some timing logistics to make work:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SMART-assisted Sonoma trails-tacos-beer ride"},{"content":"A few friends had been interested in doing a multi-night bike camping trip in the Bay Area before one of them moved out of town. I happened to be up in Guerneville for a few days, so we schemed to meet up there with camping gear and ride back to SF (a friend with a van who was heading up North for the weekend dropped them off in Guerneville to meet me).\nThe whole point of this ride was to enjoy time outdoors and off the grid, so we didn’t try to push too hard and rode about 40-45 miles/day loaded with gear. We also plotted a route taking back roads wherever possible (even if hillier or out of the way), and I’d driven up on ‘Bohemian Highway’ through the redwoods and knew I wanted to bike back on it.\nI was feeling out of shape so it wasn’t always easy, but it was an invigorating three days that was good for my spirit.\nWe camped one night at Bodega Dunes, which I’d highly recommend– the campsites were spaced well apart and were just a short hike to the beach.\nOur second night was at Samuel P Taylor– a fine place to camp (some sites are more secluded than others), and I’d forgotten how pleasant it was to be able to ride the Cross Marin Trail rather than Sir Francis Drake.\nA map heavily annotated with food and coffee stops (only some of which we could fit in) is here, about 103 miles and 6500’ of climbing over the three days: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35972064\nFor me, food highlights were Wild Flour Bakery (my go-to in Freestone) and Freestone Artisan Cheese, good fish tacos at Birds Cafe, the Route One Bakery where we had a surprisingly good baguette, and tasting mead at Heidrun Meadery in Point Reyes, lured in by a sandwich board sign on the road.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/3-day-bike-camping-guerneville-sf/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few friends had been interested in doing a multi-night bike camping trip in the Bay Area before one of them moved out of town. I happened to be up in Guerneville for a few days, so we schemed to meet up there with camping gear and ride back to SF (a friend with a van who was heading up North for the weekend dropped them off in Guerneville to meet me).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3-day Bike Camping, Guerneville -\u003e SF"},{"content":"Biking on Old Caz, misc blurry cell phone video: More at /posts/old-cazadero-local/loop\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-on-old-caz/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking on Old Caz, misc blurry cell phone video:\n\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_r7y8n6dfZZ1qzv82b_720.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore at \u003ca href=\"/posts/old-cazadero-local-loop\"\u003e/posts/old-cazadero-local/loop\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking on Old Caz"},{"content":"I think I first heard about ‘Old Caz’ (Old Cazadero Road) when reading a recap of someone’s 300km (yes, 180 mile) randonneur ride that included it. That’s… ambitious.\nI haven’t been biking much due to pandemic sluggishness and malaise, but I was going up to Guerneville for the weekend with friends, so I brought my bike and set out to do a much smaller loop that included the mythical Old Caz. I’ve been gradually biking on more gravel and forest roads (just with my normal bike) and enjoying it…\nI started up a fairly steep dead end road in some pain, ill-prepared on a hot day just riding in jeans and a t-shirt – I almost turned back but someone at a stand set up to support a local race that day gave me energy drinks and snacks. I’m glad I persevered– then it was curving paths down on gravel and dirt through the woods and through a stream– only 10 miles from town but it felt like the wilderness.\nI didn’t really know what I was doing on dirt :), so I took it easy on the downhills (I passed someone who’d crashed during the race and broken a bone– thankfully I read later that they’d healed well), and then had a relaxing flat ride on Austin Creek Rd through the redwoods back to Guerneville.\nThe route (about 25 miles roundtrip from Guerneville). I’d recommend checking it out if you’re in the area (though I’m not going to go out of my way to do it again, we’ll see).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/old-cazadero-local-loop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I first heard about ‘Old Caz’ (Old Cazadero Road) when reading a recap of someone’s \u003ca href=\"https://href.li/?https://ridebike.org/sfr/adventure/old-caz-300/\"\u003e300km (yes, 180 mile) randonneur\u003c/a\u003e ride that included it. That’s… ambitious.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI haven’t been biking much due to pandemic sluggishness and malaise, but I was going up to Guerneville for the weekend with friends, so I brought my bike and set out to do a much smaller loop that included the mythical Old Caz. I’ve been gradually biking on more gravel and forest roads (just with my normal bike) and enjoying it…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Old Cazadero local loop"},{"content":"(part 3 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down all my packing lists down in one place. I’m writing out my packing list for an upcoming trip now so I figured I might as well copy and paste it onto the blog as well…\nIn 2022 I went on a multi-week vehicle-supported stay-in-hotels tour: a ~1200 mile ride through Vietnam and Cambodiawith TdA Global Cycling. Typically for this type of trip there’s a support van that transports one large duffel bag to the next night’s hotel for you, freeing you to just carry daily essentials on the bike.\nThe extra capacity combined with our more remote travel including gravel/dirt roads led me to pack heavier. My packing list for this type, climate, and length of trip (retroactively revised based on what I wished I’d had, or brought but didn’t use):\nClothes:\nIn general, I packed enough clothes to do laundry every six days (this bike tour was organized so we’d ride at most five full days in a row between days off), plus overnight hotel-room-sink laundry for crucial fast-drying items, and wool Ts I can wear multiple days.\nBike clothes:\n(3-4x) padded bike shorts [two pairs is enough if washing in the sink each night, but when it’s raining or there isn’t an easy place to hang it to dry it’s nice to be able to take a day off laundry] (6x) socks (2x) shorts with pockets (“mountain bike style”) to wear over padded shorts, also fine to walk around town in (2x) light merino wool t-shirts to both bike and walk around in (1x) synthetic souvenir jersey from some past trip (conversation starter!) mesh t-shirt to bike in on the hottest days (there isn’t much I find comfortable to bike in on 90-100F sunny + humid days, but the AeroTech Delta Cooling T-shirt was pretty good) lightweight cycle cap bandana (can soak in water to cool down on the hottest days) sun sleeves arm warmers, leg warmers, leg sun shields [never needed, omit in this climate] fingerless gloves [tbd future] full finger waterproof gloves– there was one cold and rainy day at elevation they would have been appreciated general-purpose bike-and-walk shoes backup pair of shoes (in case first get wet and don’t dry by the next day)– this only came up twice after very rainy days, but I was glad to have them. I save an ancient worn-out pair of shoes just for this. flip-flops / crocs [tbd future] hiking shoes with better arch support, or insoles [would be bulky, but on one many-hour hike on a rest day I was wishing I had these] [tbd future] bike helmet brim (e.g. Da Brim) [wished I had more of a helmet visor some days, and this was great on the past Utah MTB dirt tour – on the other hands, it also catches the wind if biking faster] [tbd future] hi-vis biking vest, especially for days with some dark road tunnels Other Clothes:\ngym shorts to change into after ride (2x) long pants (one lpermethrin treated since I was in a malaria zone) (3x) light t-shirts (2x) long sleeve button up shirt (one quick-dry hiking style, one ‘dressy’) bathing suit","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/packing-van-supported-hotel-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(part 3 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down \u003ca href=\"/post/packing-for-bike-trips/\"\u003eall my packing lists\u003c/a\u003e down in one place. I’m writing out my packing list for an upcoming trip now so I figured I might as well copy and paste it onto the blog as well…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2022 I went on a multi-week vehicle-supported stay-in-hotels tour: a \u003ca href=\"/post/cycling-vietnam-cambodia/\"\u003e~1200 mile ride through Vietnam and Cambodia\u003c/a\u003ewith TdA Global Cycling. Typically for this type of trip there’s a support van that transports one large duffel bag to the next night’s hotel for you, freeing you to just carry daily essentials on the bike.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Packing: Van-Supported + Hotel Tour"},{"content":"(part 2 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and random Google Docs and jotting down all my packing lists in one place.\nFor a week-long ride like Berlin-\u0026amp;gt;Copenhagen which is self-contained but involves staying in hotels every night and is not far from civilization, I pack fairly light, since I have to carry everything on the bike and don’t have to carry camping gear or significant food or bike repair tools. This type of trip often involves a few days after the riding in a city, so I want clothing I feel comfortable walking around or going out to a restaurant in.\nA good list for me for what I can fit in two small panniers (in addition to the tools / accessories / etc already on the “always on the bike” list):\nClothes:\n(2x) padded bike shorts, to wash alternate pairs in hotel sink each night (3x is more convenient in case one doesn’t dry in time) (2x) quick-dry boxers (also to wash in sink) (6x) socks (2x) wool t-shirts to bike + walk in (assuming moderate climate) (1x) long shorts (to wear over padded shorts, with pockets) (1x) basic sleeping t-shirt light gym shorts (to change into immediately at end of ride to “let everything breathe”) small pack towel, mostly for impromptu swimming stops (since hotels will have towels) bathing suit (redundant a bit w/ gym shorts) flip flops bike cap rain shell / windbreaker jeans (wore on plane, then packed away and saved to dress more presentably in the evening or on “city days”) one light + fast-drying long-sleeve shirt one warmer button-up shirt (worn onto plane, then does dual duty as warmth or “looking more presentable in restaurant”) I just ride in regular shoes that are good for walking as well Electronics + Paper:\noutlet adapter phone charger + cable bike computer + microUSB cable front and rear lights (also microUSB rechargeable) noise-canceling headphones (a luxury, helps with sleeping on international flight, may skip next time) larger USB battery pack (enough to recharge everything overnight in case of a hotel without enough working outlets for me + travel partner) notebook and two pens (having your own pen is frequently useful at border crossings) kindle or paper book phrasebook passport / ID / vax certificates / etc depending on trip Other:\npanniers (ideally with external pockets or ability to ride open-top to hold bulkier items like bottle of olive oil / wine / beer, loaf of bread, etc) dopp kit several days of my favorite pick-me-up snacks safety pins (quick garment repair + clean out debris in phone port), duct tape, zip ties map masks a few Covid rapid tests earplugs extra ziplock bags two trash bags (for double-bagging possessions in panniers in heavy rain) backup pair of glasses Sometimes I add:\nwaterproof pants and shoe covers (useful in rain, but I also find they get sweaty easily, and in the heaviest rain I find water still finds a way in after a few hours, and they take up a lot of space). A blog reader suggested looking up “Rain Legs” full-finger gloves for cold days","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/packing-self-supported-hotel-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(part 2 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and random Google Docs and jotting down \u003ca href=\"/post/packing-for-bike-trips/\"\u003eall my packing lists\u003c/a\u003e in one place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a week-long ride like \u003ca href=\"/post/self-supported-berlin-copenhagen/\"\u003eBerlin-\u0026gt;Copenhagen\u003c/a\u003e which is self-contained but involves staying in hotels every night and is not far from civilization, I pack fairly light, since I have to carry everything on the bike and don’t have to carry camping gear or significant food or bike repair tools. This type of trip often involves a few days after the riding in a city, so I want clothing I feel comfortable walking around or going out to a restaurant in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Packing: Self-Supported + Hotel Tour"},{"content":"Packing: Universal “On The Bike” List I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down all my packing lists in one place.\nFor pretty much any tour, whether supported or self-contained, camping or hotel, there’s a minimum set of gear I carry on the bike. These fit in the combination of an under-seat saddlebag (tools/medical/jacket), and a small top tube or stem bag. A typical example:\nMy standard list:\nBike Tools\nWide tire levers Bike multitool with a chain tool. Often one without a knife if I’m flying somewhere, since I kept forgetting to check tools and losing them to airport security Spare master link for chain Valve core tool (such as the Lezyne “CNC TLR”, a valve core tool that doubles as a valve cap and can just permanently live on one of my wheels) Spare tube Vulcanizing rubber patch kit (I’ve found these last much better than the “sticker” patches) Pump (I usually splurge and carry a mid-size travel pump with fold-out footpeg like shown– fixing a flat on a distant road is annoying enough without struggling with a tiny pump). I currently carry the Road Morph G, but the Mountain Morph would probably be a better fit for the larger tires I’ve drifted toward. Individually-wrapped moist towelettes (Grease Monkey wipes) Two straps– for attaching unplanned roadside finds to the rack in a pinch Medical + Personal\nSunscreen Medkit mostly aimed at minor accidents: bandaids, gauze+tape, alcohol wipes, antibacterial ointment, moleskin, antihistamines, ibuprofen, thin rubber gloves (useful both for medical safety and handling greasy bike parts), a few “dry soap sheets”, tweezers (useful for splinter removal or removing glass from a tire) Bike Clothes that come on and off over the day:\nGloves UV blocking sun sleeves Sunglasses A light breathable reflective layer regardless of the forecast– acts as an extra layer for warmth, visibility if out after dark, and slight rain protection Bandana (many uses, like the towel from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: protect your head from the sun, cover your mouth in a dust or gnat storm, evaporatively cool yourself off by soaking it in water and wearing it under the helmet…) Other:\nHeavy ziploc bag (for phone in case of rain) Mini USB battery pack (just enough to get a partial phone charge) A few snacks Daylight-visible high-intensity rear light (Cygolite Hotshot Pro) Mask + hand sanitizer If traveling internationally: photocopy of passport Map printout if traveling somewhere new (even just to keep folded up in the bag as backup for electronics) Seat cover for bike (to keep it dry in case of rain)– a thick velcro one, or a spare shower cap from the first night’s hotel Basic cable lock (depending on type of trip) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/packing-universal-on-the-bike-list/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"packing-universal-on-the-bike-list\"\u003ePacking: Universal “On The Bike” List\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down \u003ca href=\"/post/packing-for-bike-trips/\"\u003eall my packing lists\u003c/a\u003e in one place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor pretty much any tour, whether supported or self-contained, camping or hotel, there’s a minimum set of gear I carry on the bike. These fit in the combination of an under-seat saddlebag (tools/medical/jacket), and a small top tube or stem bag. A typical example:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy standard list:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBike Tools\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Packing: Universal \"On The Bike\" List"},{"content":"Alas, Cleophus Quealy Brewing has closed, so we can no longer repeat our annual group ride there. But as breweries opened back up for limited social-distanced outdoor dining in mid-2020, I restarted an occasional ride from Oakland through the mosaics and murals of Jingletown…\nAlong MLK Jr Shoreline Park:\nAnd then on some ugly industrial roads to either Drake’s or the 21st Amendment for a beer and lunch:\nAbout 15 miles each way from the MacArthur BART area… usually done one-way with a group, followed by a shorter ride to San Leandro BART for the way back. The road riding isn’t all great (between bits with traffic and a few sketchy left turns), but the MLK Jr Shoreline section is worth it.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAlas, Cleophus Quealy Brewing has closed, so we can no longer repeat our \u003ca href=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/\"\u003eannual group ride there\u003c/a\u003e. But as breweries opened back up for limited social-distanced outdoor dining in mid-2020, I restarted an occasional ride from Oakland through the mosaics and murals of Jingletown…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/1045c2ed26432a3dac9fee7819b20f35e99ed9bd_hu_49c7992b2e2d2bcf.webp 480w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/1045c2ed26432a3dac9fee7819b20f35e99ed9bd_hu_879e69c63f873a02.webp 800w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/1045c2ed26432a3dac9fee7819b20f35e99ed9bd_hu_8983600b2d4d7e90.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/1045c2ed26432a3dac9fee7819b20f35e99ed9bd_hu_adc898bca47e010.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"687\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlong MLK Jr Shoreline Park:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/ccf51776798a12e661b865e2687c59c9fb775b72_hu_59e078ed0a07878e.webp 480w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/ccf51776798a12e661b865e2687c59c9fb775b72_hu_92ca2fc308ae7fad.webp 800w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/ccf51776798a12e661b865e2687c59c9fb775b72_hu_fd421f7935a1a96b.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/ccf51776798a12e661b865e2687c59c9fb775b72_hu_34c9cd05b436c264.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/cb142dd49dcb8cc6e51e224c1deb25b52f40300d_hu_593c6cfab7d3c698.webp 480w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/cb142dd49dcb8cc6e51e224c1deb25b52f40300d_hu_94dda9fdeae990b2.webp 800w, /post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/cb142dd49dcb8cc6e51e224c1deb25b52f40300d_hu_580722e5a60f2e27.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-san-leandro-beer-ride/cb142dd49dcb8cc6e51e224c1deb25b52f40300d_hu_4875e7ced6518dd7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oakland -\u003e San Leandro beer ride"},{"content":"Opening day for the bike path on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge!\nI rode with a few friends… and another maybe 1000 cyclists…\nThe bike paths on the Richmond side were excellent and connected BART to the bridge cleanly (on the Marin side, not so much…)\nAbout 32 miles round trip including lunch at Sol Food (plantains, and more plantains…), a detour to check out a section of Bay Trail dirt I hadn’t been on, and returning via the Richmond Greenway + Ohlone Greenway…\nBay Trail near San Rafael on a foggy morning…\nNo large social bike gathering is complete without a unicyclist (bouncing a basketball while riding? impressive…)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOpening day for the bike path on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI rode with a few friends… and another maybe 1000 cyclists…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/4c12956a04202011cc3bd400b1c5cd0b54932468_hu_fb970bb60858fc81.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/4c12956a04202011cc3bd400b1c5cd0b54932468_hu_ea069805d0caf1d2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"142\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/b414586fc06294049736b6523ba2b7c0fc7921ff_hu_2606c79264a0852f.webp 430w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/b414586fc06294049736b6523ba2b7c0fc7921ff_hu_bf290306c0ff1eb6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"430\" height=\"810\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/48d5182f3348642115fc5faca46dbc33fbc26919_hu_543cd8cb90d2dd50.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/48d5182f3348642115fc5faca46dbc33fbc26919_hu_752faf633e521213.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"720\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bike paths on the Richmond side were excellent and connected BART to the bridge cleanly (on the Marin side, not so much…)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/6de20a0a25b48486e2fab7b967b41a87db99a63f_hu_a5f65a5dfc13b76.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-the-richmond-san-rafael-bridge/6de20a0a25b48486e2fab7b967b41a87db99a63f_hu_2b5aa6fd10893ac8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge"},{"content":"Apparently this old post is Too Hot For Tumblr, with images flagged as adult content by their moderators (or algorithms).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/apparently-this-old-post-is-too-hot-for-tumblr/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApparently this old post is Too Hot For Tumblr, with images flagged as adult content by their moderators (or algorithms).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apparently this old post is Too Hot For Tumblr, with images flagged as adult content by their moderators (or algorithms)."},{"content":"Monday morning just after sunrise, heading straight from overnight camping in Marin to work = magic…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/monday-morning-just-after-sunrise-heading/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMonday morning just after sunrise, heading straight from overnight camping in Marin to work = magic…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Monday morning just after sunrise, heading straight from overnight camping in Marin to work = magic..."},{"content":"After a few years of trying, I finally snagged the coveted Campsite #1 at Kirby Cove, and gathered a group of friends + kids for a Sunday afternoon ride there… the weather was perfect and clear, the company was good, and the vibe was relaxed.\nWe could practically see the campsite from the bridge…\nAnd down we go along the gravel road…\nA one-minute walk from a beach looking up at the bridge:\nDinner was grilled haloumi, hot dogs, and foil-packet vegetables with good olive oil:\nThen whiskey watching the waves crash in at night…\nA few of us broke camp before dawn the next morning, to get to our Monday jobs… I was riding the subversive-feeling weeknight-camping-and-bonfire high all day.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/s24o-bike-camping-kirby-cove/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a few years of trying, I finally snagged the coveted Campsite #1 at Kirby Cove, and gathered a group of friends + kids for a Sunday afternoon ride there… the weather was perfect and clear, the company was good, and the vibe was relaxed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe could practically see the campsite from the bridge…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/s24o-bike-camping-kirby-cove/a3b4992cca1fa6512a9b3baaae2378ab31047c05_hu_7cef56149d91cf8e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/s24o-bike-camping-kirby-cove/a3b4992cca1fa6512a9b3baaae2378ab31047c05_hu_d8415150bdcb8095.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd down we go along the gravel road…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"s24o bike camping @ Kirby Cove"},{"content":"A group of us took our bikes on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor up to Sacramento to drop by NAHBS (the North American Handmade Bicycle Show) and then ride the paved, car-free Jedidiah Smith trail from Sacramento toward Folsom. We had a ringer– a friend who lived in Sacramento and knew all the scenic roads, an amazing market to get a sandwich at to eat by the river (Corti Brothers), and good brewpubs. Thanks Jenn!\n42 beautiful miles (route):\nOn the train, through the current or former farmlands of the Sacramento River Delta.\nBikes on this two-hour train were easy, unlike Amtraks that require you to box your bike…\nMile after mile of smooth riding along the river, like this:\nAnd a quick stop before catching the evening train home…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sacramento-river-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA group of us took our bikes on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor up to Sacramento to drop by NAHBS (the North American Handmade Bicycle Show) and then ride the paved, car-free \u003ca href=\"https://www.traillink.com/trail/american-river-bike-trail-(jedediah-smith-memorial-trail)/\"\u003eJedidiah Smith trail from Sacramento toward Folsom\u003c/a\u003e. We had a ringer– a friend who lived in Sacramento and knew all the scenic roads, an amazing market to get a sandwich at to eat by the river (Corti Brothers), and good brewpubs. Thanks Jenn!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sacramento River Ride"},{"content":"I had to travel to Munich for a few days for work, right before the summer solstice, a weekend when Swift Industries cheers people on to go bike camping anywhere (#swiftcampout).\nSo why not? I packed a single small pannier with only essential camping gear and stuffed it and a bivy sack in my suitcase with my work clothes and laptop.\nWhen the work week wrapped up, I asked the hotel to hold my suitcase for a day, rented a basic city bike with a rack, and set out into the woods…\nWell, it wasn’t quite that impulsive– I’d researched the area around Munich and thought I could make it to Lake Starnburg (formerly known as Lake Würm) to camp for the night. Once I got out of the city I found some chill paved and dirt paths through the woods.\nLike any good ride, I had to stop for refreshments, including the excellent Andechs Monastery Brewery.\nFinally, I reached the lake, found the campground, and set up camp. It turned out Germany was playing in the World Cup that evening, so I got to listen to the game through two tent walls courtesy of someone else at the campground…\nWhile it felt a bit ridiculous to fly with this extra gear and shift from professional-work-mode to scrappy-bike-camper-mode, that’s how I seem to travel…\nI’ve mapped out the route I took here: about 48 miles and 2000’ of climbing. The city bike handled the flat parts well but I really felt it creaking and complaining on the uphills and overall it was a bit sluggish– if I had more time I’d try to borrow or rent a nicer bike, but this was what was easily available at the train station.\nTo catch my flight home the next day I rode about 15 miles to the nearest train station to speed back to Munich. I annotated this crude map on my phone for any friends watching from home…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/s24o-bike-camping-from-munich/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI had to travel to Munich for a few days for work, right before the summer solstice, a weekend when Swift Industries cheers people on to go bike camping anywhere (#swiftcampout).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo why not? I packed a single small pannier with only essential camping gear and stuffed it and a bivy sack in my suitcase with my work clothes and laptop.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the work week wrapped up, I asked the hotel to hold my suitcase for a day, rented a basic city bike with a rack, and set out into the woods…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"s24o bike camping from Munich"},{"content":"Morgan Territory Road definitely makes it into my top tier of best rides in the Bay Area. Miles of paved single-lane road twisting up through a forest and then swooping down through hilly countryside (which is actually green at this time of year!)… all with no cross roads and not much traffic:\nFive of us rode it Sunday via this 42-mile route from Pleasant Hill BART -\u0026amp;gt; Clayton (a town with oddly Old-Western-themed street signs) -\u0026amp;gt; Morgan Territory (quail, red-winged blackbirds, frogs, the trickling of streams, some wildflowers), with a break for lunch and to refill water near the top -\u0026amp;gt; the suburbs of Livermore -\u0026amp;gt; Dublin BART.\nThere continue to be new developments in the Livermore-area mixed-use trails every year, and the ones we checked out were quite nice– a long stretch of off-road paved trail that curves South from W Jack London, followed by the packed-dirty Arroyo Mocho trail. And the Contra Costa Canal Trail East of the Iron Horse trail is also quite nice– the jasmine was blooming.\nSome other sights from along the way:\nIt’s good to be back to more regular bike exploration.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/morgan-territory-scenic-climb-and-descent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMorgan Territory Road definitely makes it into my top tier of \u003ca href=\"/best/\"\u003ebest rides\u003c/a\u003e in the Bay Area. Miles of paved single-lane road twisting up through a forest and then swooping down through hilly countryside (which is actually green at this time of year!)… all with no cross roads and not much traffic:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive of us rode it Sunday via \u003ca href=\"https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26988728\"\u003ethis 42-mile route\u003c/a\u003e from Pleasant Hill BART -\u0026gt; Clayton (a town with oddly Old-Western-themed street signs) -\u0026gt; Morgan Territory (quail, red-winged blackbirds, frogs, the trickling of streams, some wildflowers), with a break for lunch and to refill water near the top -\u0026gt; the suburbs of Livermore -\u0026gt; Dublin BART.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Morgan Territory scenic climb and descent"},{"content":"Through the woods, a 26-mile loop on a perfect, sunny, mid-60s day (scenic Pinehurst Rd in Oakland)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/through-the-woods-a-26-mile-loop-on-a-perfect/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThrough the woods, a 26-mile loop on a perfect, sunny, mid-60s day (scenic Pinehurst Rd in Oakland)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Through the woods, a 26-mile loop on a perfect, sunny, mid-60s day (scenic Pinehurst Rd in Oakland)"},{"content":"40-mile flat ride from Lake Merritt to Fremont, joining about 30 people I didn’t know on the Bike East Bay “Spring Ride Series”. A nice route, especially all the paved car-free paths along various wetlands (with many birds on a misty morning)– and nice for variety to be following without having to plan a route or look at my phone.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e40-mile flat ride from Lake Merritt to Fremont, joining about 30 people I didn’t know on the Bike East Bay “\u003ca href=\"https://bikeeastbay.org/news/2018-spring-ride-series\"\u003eSpring Ride Series\u003c/a\u003e”. A nice route, especially all the paved car-free paths along various wetlands (with many birds on a misty morning)– and nice for variety to be following without having to plan a route or look at my phone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/d56beeece47b78e1a89454ffb25498abe52e66ce_hu_943506cbfb43abc5.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/d56beeece47b78e1a89454ffb25498abe52e66ce_hu_e4a75d9e148dc376.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"488\" height=\"810\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/a21b5331b62ad07483d36f1010b4dd586707421f_hu_417610a1c3838787.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/a21b5331b62ad07483d36f1010b4dd586707421f_hu_c3f1c45b9e78fe2b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"488\" height=\"810\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/daeffb6cf4c0c27be13117d56bf3f4251ac3835f_hu_106f116921175dba.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/daeffb6cf4c0c27be13117d56bf3f4251ac3835f_hu_ab4a246ade93c89e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/c2f55856728b7650796eb6436d1f619798cc2dda_hu_ac3ed197e64655ec.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-fremont-bay-trail/c2f55856728b7650796eb6436d1f619798cc2dda_hu_a150ca6b2deed774.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oakland -\u003e Fremont (Bay Trail+)"},{"content":" Fun 30-mile ride during Beer Week along many off-road paths and canals, MLK Jr Shoreline Park, the mosaic murals of Jingletown, and along the shoreline in Alameda… with a stop at Cleophus Quealy for tacos and good beer.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_7856b9ebc7a5bb11.webp 480w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_da7b5dd68e205c64.webp 800w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_21187c006047ef5c.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_99bc54a1e0837379.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_186502007e95539d.webp 480w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_fe590be542ba41d6.webp 800w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_5c4dafb6790a97d2.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_76cfa634e4c53b4a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"713\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d5b1b22c9f7b3fd0.webp 480w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d32518befe602dd9.webp 800w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_16f9299289d4150f.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_29d9d7fe2d1439ca.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_172ff25009fdfcd4.webp 480w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_696d587d8f96b6f5.webp 800w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_cc605d43f89b0103.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_703fc1c33a8c4cfb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_74702db228180c32.webp 480w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_49c68a491f2b03ea.webp 800w, /post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_50ff7d0a9d664f97.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fun-30-mile-ride-during-beer-week-along-many/tumblr_p589wej9RA1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_b6687a8de82d9738.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFun \u003ca href=\"https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26764082\"\u003e30-mile ride\u003c/a\u003e during Beer Week along many off-road paths and canals, MLK Jr Shoreline Park, the mosaic murals of Jingletown, and along the shoreline in Alameda… with a stop at Cleophus Quealy for tacos and good beer.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fun 30-mile ride during Beer Week along many off-road paths and canals, MLK Jr Shoreline Park, the mosaic murals of Jingletown,..."},{"content":"2017′s plan for “Year of Fire” (more one-night bike camping with bonfires) was a bust– for a variety of work and personal reasons I barely biked other than few-mile errand rides (including some hefty cargo bike trips), but the few fun ride like worknight-bike-camping on Mt Diablo with a friend and a week biking (supported) in Maine reminded me what I was missing. I even failed to organize a 5th annual SF Dumpling Tour or join Supermarket Street Sweep this year.\nSo.\nIn 2018 I’m going to ride more, and organize some group rides again.\nStarting with a 30-mile “East Bay Beer Ride” this Saturday in honor of SFBeerweek and the sadly-dormant (I think) Tour De Biere I joined past years. Maybe starting next year I’ll publicize this ride beyond just people I know…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2018-more-riding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e2017′s plan for “\u003ca href=\"/post/2017-year-of-fire/\"\u003eYear of Fire\u003c/a\u003e” (more one-night bike camping with bonfires) was a bust– for a variety of work and personal reasons I barely biked other than few-mile errand rides (including some hefty cargo bike trips), but the few fun ride like \u003ca href=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/\"\u003eworknight-bike-camping on Mt Diablo with a friend\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/\"\u003ea week biking (supported) in Maine\u003c/a\u003e reminded me what I was missing. I even failed to organize a 5th annual \u003ca href=\"/post/bicycle-dumpling-tour-4th-annual/\"\u003eSF Dumpling Tour\u003c/a\u003e or join Supermarket Street Sweep this year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2018: more riding"},{"content":" Finally posting some photos from BikeMaine, September 2017. Smooth pavement, early-morning mist, just enough hills and distance to work up an appetite, small communities, ad hoc detours and rambling, local food+beer, good people I see once a year. Yes.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_763ad92cc507bb13.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_77dab9c2c70795fc.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_af117b31f1fe7782.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_48c98a3632099031.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"524\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_1f29f5f4bad4f31e.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_2f46ce85274e3d8e.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_a9f9d6b8fc6e3ea0.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_ff483a45d148f19a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"598\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_f43576b4b6f15885.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_4e9d5c49ad06cc23.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_9ca20b953a9d3d42.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_b7b48e164d385f32.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_6da0859abfa47582.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_1872ac0eba097508.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_182620027eab1db6.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_1f55a698ab8e79a2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_64cf6fc275758995.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_b14bc5cd48cf6563.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_bd3193595b8ef7b3.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_2f049c83632b5f07.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_83294ec69ef2924d.webp 480w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_97be0d314124c2f2.webp 800w, /post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_396b53a2b1fcddd4.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/finally-posting-some-photos-from-bikemaine/tumblr_p3udw2V3VP1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_8eaa3390deb28d1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"639\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Finally posting some photos from BikeMaine, September 2017. Smooth pavement, early-morning mist, just enough hills and distance..."},{"content":" Back on the bike (one of the few \u0026amp;gt;20 mile rides this year) on a hot hot day with a 45-mile ride North on the Bay Trail and back roads all the way to Pinole Point. Gorgeous.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_3c4f1aadcce09702.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_7286ff690dd16677.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_15e7d2cba022d04c.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_1dcfc8b1cb590afe.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"524\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_26665d96a28f2b14.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_1e802c4041dab1b0.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_e16eed9a7ef5d44.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_b9347bb97834ca.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1031\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_96fb7227b5d006fe.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_41e96b3855efcd44.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_3334951d13c625a.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_780136059a3df337.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1153\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_fb315962205e48ea.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_84bb279b4f6a2ae4.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_7e0da1232e522172.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_7bbecd787066e1a0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1221\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_10cf8c7e2b033a07.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_c16c11ac6c26db4.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_7fae936bf6511e0a.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_1f24b07052f9e5b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"543\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_b590bd6d28495c6a.webp 480w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_43f2a70a1e0d639d.webp 800w, /post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_cd61132f8884a89.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/back-on-the-bike-one-of-the-few-20-mile-rides/tumblr_ovds5d1LcB1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_25a9426a495ee84c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"710\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Back on the bike (one of the few \u003e20 mile rides this year) on a hot hot day with a 45-mile ride North on the Bay Trail and back..."},{"content":" Weeknight bike camping on Mt Diablo (the lower Live Oak campground) via dirt trails.\nWaking up at 5:30 to make coffee outdoors surrounded by hundreds of chirping birds before heading in to the office (which fortunately has a shower and place to cache essentials the day before) feels like subverting the system.\nYear Of Fire may have mostly been a bust so far (I’ve barely weekend-biked at all the past six months due to other aspects of life), but this was a good reminder of how it should be…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_da37f1f012f727d5.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_adbe7d259d6de9d0.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_8510214756dd07bc.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_2a18face8fecf6e5.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"351\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_c4c0cfbd97da00ee.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_4306bd4cfdee5b21.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_d58259a9296806b.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_6aa407cbe426bf02.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1066\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_5cad4692ceef9b1.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_5f20d5cab6a0b4c2.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_4e4ea224867b30af.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_6d2b0256911bd4ec.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_49ba76b3f62a5088.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_3cffe7e5cffc01b1.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9f9f6cd2c862de8a.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_a4cb032147386de0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1066\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_1ca36b495affb07f.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_4e4129c9f65036a.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d60624f54cc69f67.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d7a7e2587e69792c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1066\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_cd3e8f539db6349.webp 480w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_ae36a9e19bc73d45.webp 800w, /post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_30c9a190e30761aa.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/weeknight-bike-camping-on-mt-diablo-the-lower/tumblr_oti1107I6o1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_8de2e82d30554052.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1066\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weeknight bike camping on Mt Diablo (the lower Live Oak campground) via dirt trails.    Waking up at 5:30 to make coffee..."},{"content":"The biking along Skyline and Shepherd Canyon were more challenging than usual after the storms:\nThis was a smooth bike trail the last time I was here:\nStill great views:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/mud-and-debris/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe biking along Skyline and Shepherd Canyon were more challenging than usual after the storms:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/mud-and-debris/db595c0d217ed73720bccc411f2d78a1b085fe4f_hu_869fbbfa5829a93.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/mud-and-debris/db595c0d217ed73720bccc411f2d78a1b085fe4f_hu_2495ad04fd74c307.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/mud-and-debris/1f7b03978614e1130a99aee84c8f9f51147921d6_hu_2f37d2129ce3e27.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/mud-and-debris/1f7b03978614e1130a99aee84c8f9f51147921d6_hu_ef105ad9ecb3455e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/mud-and-debris/8ac4f0c457a1052c0ceca18ddce57cfd61111808_hu_b193cd6e8030d70c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/mud-and-debris/8ac4f0c457a1052c0ceca18ddce57cfd61111808_hu_9f2b6c6f470c0a56.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"612\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was a smooth bike trail the last time I was here:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/mud-and-debris/afbecaf0cb9fb83d7251021ec109a3b03bbb5850_hu_75d29d04a44b6fad.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/mud-and-debris/afbecaf0cb9fb83d7251021ec109a3b03bbb5850_hu_be04704f1e3383d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"399\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill great views:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/mud-and-debris/7db6637e989a2a2b837cd01bedd783587e07acc5_hu_32012d28edf53202.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/mud-and-debris/7db6637e989a2a2b837cd01bedd783587e07acc5_hu_7506b0476bce9d12.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"283\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mud and Debris"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/9c542270597164b7437b581ead2f93ef65868ee3_hu_f15a2da927a6913c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/9c542270597164b7437b581ead2f93ef65868ee3_hu_a817d01e03632e7a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"677\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/a5b9ff59b03da2d135a841c30ea43028b0786329_hu_ce7e7c6adca0fbb0.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/a5b9ff59b03da2d135a841c30ea43028b0786329_hu_3f9a9065e6de0b3f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/f65bac9689db9e5e7d76586765e0a6f08d208449_hu_52f941b0203249cf.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/f65bac9689db9e5e7d76586765e0a6f08d208449_hu_36587ae26984b935.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/cee8375870f9f319ea8959871c8f29c92ec80cb7_hu_1dfc7c973d7b9de8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/cee8375870f9f319ea8959871c8f29c92ec80cb7_hu_7828ca370f85df30.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"411\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/829432c57a56f110bc6eeca074acef89fde707df_hu_d61cefa9ae22ba7a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/829432c57a56f110bc6eeca074acef89fde707df_hu_fb84daa8c45b94f1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"411\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/16db6d9ed98a148aa80f32e29cfa81c1fd020c16_hu_5a6e75f27f8e7473.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/20-mile-flat-paved-bike-path-ride-pleasant-hill/16db6d9ed98a148aa80f32e29cfa81c1fd020c16_hu_323f25a1e672302a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"20-mile flat, paved bike path ride (Pleasant Hill -\u003e Dublin)"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-to-treasure-island/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/27ec2750952eeeac9edb5a99995e5103da00e49b_hu_765210f744217a55.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/27ec2750952eeeac9edb5a99995e5103da00e49b_hu_fcd5f13ce22d0a90.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"574\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/f0d511a653da5f78c7e34e864009724c6ea1c9ec_hu_5778ecbce100fac9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/f0d511a653da5f78c7e34e864009724c6ea1c9ec_hu_5c7128f1b36f09e0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"369\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/a03559caae28fef1a157c30658638a258a0a0f34_hu_6ab6e57815cc3fc3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/a03559caae28fef1a157c30658638a258a0a0f34_hu_3732da58e8cd887e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"348\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/2c3b8083a8288abd10cbea225557925350f33b39_hu_8f890946cc2f2587.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/2c3b8083a8288abd10cbea225557925350f33b39_hu_92cc4479b84de7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"436\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/5e3d331d9234046d410b99517f8175cf2dfed2b8_hu_e5920bf43cd72f0c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-to-treasure-island/5e3d331d9234046d410b99517f8175cf2dfed2b8_hu_19db45c6bafa7ae9.png\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"507\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking to Treasure Island"},{"content":"For the first time in six years, organizing group rides (or really, riding much at all) fell off my radar most of 2016, between big changes at work and at home.\nBut reminded how much biking keeps me grounded and happy by a week in the saddle in Maine, I’m ready to pick up the torch again.\nSpeaking of the torch… if I declared 2014 ‘Year of Dirt’ as a way to motivate myself to organize a series of rides on casual dirt roads in Livermore, through the fragrant fennel forests of Benicia, and up and around Mt Tam, it seems like 2017 should be a year of Water (rides to lakes, swimming, kayaking), Air (mountain tops? riding for speed would fit the theme but is not my style), or Fire (more bike camping, especially of the brief one-night S24O style like this overnight at Lake Chabot).\nYear of Fire it is.\nLet’s do this, friends:\nSamuel P Taylor Angel Island (barely biking) Lake Chabot Marin Headlands Point Reyes Other East Bay camping expeditions …and farther afield (at its most adventurous, perhaps a self-supported 3-4 day trip somewhere in the Bay Area– Tahoe -\u0026amp;gt; Yosemite, for example?) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2017-year-of-fire/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor the first time in six years, organizing group rides (or really, riding much at all) fell off my radar most of 2016, between big changes at work and at home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut reminded how much biking keeps me grounded and happy by \u003ca href=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/\"\u003ea week in the saddle in Maine\u003c/a\u003e, I’m ready to pick up the torch again.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking of the torch… if I declared 2014 ‘\u003ca href=\"tags/year-of-dirt\"\u003eYear of Dirt\u003c/a\u003e’ as a way to motivate myself to organize a series of rides on \u003ca href=\"/post/4th-annual-livermore-wine-ride/\"\u003ecasual dirt roads in Livermore\u003c/a\u003e, through the \u003ca href=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/\"\u003efragrant fennel forests of Benicia\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"/post/biking-dirt-roads-old-railroad-grade-up-mt-tam/\"\u003eup and around Mt Tam\u003c/a\u003e, it seems like 2017 should be a year of Water (rides to lakes, swimming, kayaking), Air (mountain tops? riding for speed would fit the theme but is not my style), or Fire (more bike camping, especially of the brief one-night S24O style like \u003ca href=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/\"\u003ethis overnight at Lake Chabot\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2017: Year of Fire"},{"content":" I moved to Oakland and bought a cargo bike.\nOakland’s been very walkable and bikeable so far (with a good grocery store, hardware store, coffeehouse, garden center, transit centers, and bike shop all within 10 minute rides).\nWhile I’ve been idly looking at and researching cargo bikes for many years (including admiring the range of designs I’d see in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, or the Supermarket Street Sweep), I could never really justify the expense. Now that I’m living somewhere a bit more spread out than SF (and with, for the first time, a yard and room for gardening and woodworking), and with my motorcycle retired (no registration, insurance, gas the past few years), when I saw an Xtracycle Edgerunner for auction at a fund raiser for a good cause, I made an impulsive decision and rode it home that night.\nSo far I’ve been happy with it– it rides and balances like a normal bike when unloaded, parks easily, and I’ve put it to work lugging home 4-6 bags of groceries or in an extreme test, 200+ lbs of potting soil over a hill (excessive, a bit sketchy, and not recommended– I’ve since added added the “U Tube” horizontal support platforms which should make a more modest version of this easier in the future).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_67796f48fa107f38.webp 480w, /post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_6f4643eefbbba345.webp 800w, /post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_8edb2c40e483bcec.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_f9da7a8e594e52e7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_3a4e54b2e9949cef.webp 480w, /post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_fe822975be852e87.webp 800w, /post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_4316c2a193c719eb.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-moved-to-oakland-and-bought-a-cargo-bike/tumblr_oj4u910jWX1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_df0f0d53fa1b8031.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"679\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI moved to Oakland and bought a cargo bike.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOakland’s been very walkable and bikeable so far (with a good grocery store, hardware store, coffeehouse, garden center, transit centers, and bike shop all within 10 minute rides).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile I’ve been idly looking at and researching cargo bikes for many years (including admiring the range of designs I’d see in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, or the Supermarket Street Sweep), I could never really justify the expense. Now that I’m living somewhere a bit more spread out than SF (and with, for the first time, a yard and room for gardening and woodworking), and with my motorcycle retired (no registration, insurance, gas the past few years), when I saw an Xtracycle Edgerunner for auction at a fund raiser for a good cause, I made an impulsive decision and rode it home that night.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I moved to Oakland and bought a cargo bike. Oakland’s been very walkable and bikeable so far (with a good grocery store,..."},{"content":" Supermarket Street Sweep 2016: racing around the city collecting groceries by bike for the SF Food Bank.\nThis was perhaps the 4th time I’d done it– after collecting 20lbs of groceries in a santa suit in 2010, 100lbs the following year, and 156lbs with two large custom panniers and a backpack in 2013, I took a few years off and made a modest effort this year, picking up 152 lbs with a similar setup. My friend Dave repurposed his baby trailer and lugged in an even larger haul.\nAs always, it was a good day– a bit of exercise, some pathfinding, a good cause, and a change to eyeball the wide range of cargo bikes and trailers other people brought. I’m sure this subconsciously influenced my decision to impulsively bid on a cargo bike at an auction the following week…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo3_1280_hu_7d231c2d5d14f9cf.webp 480w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo3_1280_hu_438d4f3c13da5312.webp 800w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo3_1280_hu_a9684e1bdb5a6696.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo3_1280_hu_b6649d1e4bb7969a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo4_1280_hu_315734c9454ecad5.webp 480w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo4_1280_hu_522b180b2231dcbb.webp 800w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo4_1280_hu_ecfa76a6e134eedb.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo4_1280_hu_3e1c86d85fabd03a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo1_1280_hu_dac125e33ffb140.webp 480w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo1_1280_hu_5303bdde822ca272.webp 800w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo1_1280_hu_dde97d169dd196e5.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo1_1280_hu_df280c409edccd4c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo5_1280_hu_41e992cec82376fe.webp 480w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9a5b9d62a8d3de5e.webp 800w, /post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo5_1280_hu_1008f103a717d75.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2016-racing-around-the/tumblr_oj4uygRwr31qzv82bo5_1280_hu_70436f0bfbed2c77.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep 2016: racing around the city collecting groceries by bike for the SF Food Bank.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was perhaps the 4th time I’d done it– after collecting 20lbs of groceries \u003ca href=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep/\"\u003ein a santa suit in 2010\u003c/a\u003e, 100lbs the following year, and \u003ca href=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-groceries-by-bike/\"\u003e156lbs with two large custom panniers and a backpack in 2013\u003c/a\u003e, I took a few years off and made a modest effort this year, picking up 152 lbs with a similar setup. My friend Dave repurposed his baby trailer and lugged in an even larger haul.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket Street Sweep 2016: racing around the city collecting groceries by bike for the SF Food Bank. This was perhaps the..."},{"content":" In September I biked about 400 miles in Downeast Maine (the “Bold Coast”) as part of the organized Bikemaine tour– here are a few photos.\nSimilar to three years ago, it’s a week of 50-70 mile days of riding, supported (meaning that while you camp each night, the organizers transport your bag to the next town so you don’t have to carry all your gear on the ride– and they arrange for three meals a day (typically at / through a fire station, grange hall, church, or other civic organization), snack and rehydration stations, and mechanic and medical support if needed).\nAnd it was an amazing, inspiring week that reminded me how much the bike (and solo riding somewhere rural) lift me up.\nWhile I was loosely traveling with / meeting up in the evenings with a good group of people I’d either met 3 years ago or met for the first time on the ride this year, I was mostly there on my own, and decided to get up before 6 most mornings to get on the road before the group– I’d often ride for hours on smooth ribbons of pavement through towns that were just waking up, with only the occasional other person in sight, stopping to look at birds, pick roadside blueberries or blackberries, take photos, or poke my head in to a local general store or ice cream parlor before getting back on the road.\nGradually, the faster riders would overtake me through the day, but I’d roll in to the final town early enough to get a waterfront camp site, grab a beer at a local brewery, and still see the sunset.\nI just found a cryptic note (typos and all) I dictated to myself on the phone at a stop at one point “a morning of blissed-out soaring riding on the last day of life in the Country Roads from the mountain now 17 smooth pavement with no traffic”– sounds about right.\nThis was also another chapter in “the kindness of strangers” as it always seems to apply to my trips– from the man who gave us a ride in his wood bus to show us his elaborate treehouse in the woods, to the farmers who gave us fresh sweet peppers to bite in to as a snack, to the other farm that served us one of the best chicken salad sandwiches of my life (their locally-raised free-range chickens), to the fellow rider who picked up a six-pack to welcome a group of us to camp on an especially grueling day…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_599ec4e23c35691.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_3afec51159fef7b4.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_79c43f86da2a1a8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_9e27fc4c9ec3458f.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_acbe65a24958d468.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_1b70a5cb486c23a2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_3e8b36ae788e40b.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_cddb62b6aaa1912a.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_f25031b56fff8107.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_a0fb97d4579c212c.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_7124741ce19ca1d4.webp 800w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9d92750c3bdc8863.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_624e83276a11c337.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"309\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_b6c724a9d164e320.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_18267c8ef363daf5.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_7c069642a27364ee.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_f1e547b164dcd4cd.webp 480w, /post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_c85b50fe91fe1a29.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_aca2db46406b6925.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_660cc8917bc51c7b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/in-september-i-biked-about-400-miles-in-downeast/tumblr_ofw2ucY7Vf1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_704d7ec00fba7c72.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"720\" height=\"960\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In September I biked about 400 miles in Downeast Maine (the “Bold Coast”) as part of the organized Bikemaine tour-- here are a..."},{"content":" Bike camping in Kirby Cove: For years I’d wanted to camp here (and use it as an easy introductory S24O ride for some friends interested in trying out bike camping who didn’t want to ride 40 miles each way to Samuel P Taylor or Point Reyes), but the reservations fill up three months ahead within minutes of being posted online.\nI finally managed to snag a Saturday night slot and mustered a posse. We biked up carrying two boxes of firewood, all our water, and a pile of victuals from the farmers’ market (Jimmy Nardello peppers and peaches for the grill, and onions, potatoes, sausages with fresh herbs and butter to wrap in foil and toss on the coals) for a delicious, satisfying meal.\nIt was a great place to camp– only four sites so relatively private, and just a three-minute walk to a sand beach looking in the Golden Gate. And the ride itself was relatively short (just about 8 miles each way from the SF Ferry Building) and accessible– adventurous friends even brought their baby daughter. Though there’s a hill up from the bridge and then a shouldn’t-have-been-surprising-in-retrospect long dirt hill to get to the camp site, so not a completely easy ride when pulling trailers or fully loaded. I’ll be back.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo4_1280_hu_9b6b08b71910728e.webp 480w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo4_1280_hu_71001a075c5b00d8.webp 800w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo4_1280_hu_cea5cb99492f034.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo4_1280_hu_5c39cee196d67b8d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"663\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo2_1280_hu_362f2a6494b50221.webp 480w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo2_1280_hu_3cdaf7f29d1c134e.webp 800w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo2_1280_hu_6aefae7876e7e46c.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo2_1280_hu_fad4c3c89d6330f7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"521\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo1_1280_hu_4da6f43243ee50fa.webp 480w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo1_1280_hu_ad3069f9588b4834.webp 800w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo1_1280_hu_7d9a46e24475bd67.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo1_1280_hu_b7913c1e0957835c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"558\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d5c56905ba67d489.webp 480w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo6_1280_hu_ecf53f5977acdf65.webp 800w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo6_1280_hu_820be47afd66fa26.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo6_1280_hu_f8010cdf229f5143.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo5_1280_hu_7aa4d2e6226913c5.webp 480w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo5_1280_hu_65f084f8e9dcac40.webp 800w, /post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo5_1280_hu_c2cb71a50c594a90.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-in-kirby-cove-for-years-id-wanted/tumblr_ofvy34TuD41qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9b2f4a7270d55936.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBike camping in Kirby Cove: For years I’d wanted to camp here (and use it as an easy introductory \u003ca href=\"https://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=36\"\u003eS24O\u003c/a\u003e ride for some friends interested in trying out bike camping who didn’t want to ride 40 miles each way to \u003ca href=\"/post/nearby-bike-camping-biketoberfest/\"\u003eSamuel P Taylor\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ePoint Reyes\u003c/a\u003e), but the reservations fill up three months ahead within minutes of being posted online.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike camping in Kirby Cove: For years I’d wanted to camp here (and use it as an easy introductory S24O ride for some friends..."},{"content":" A bit of biking around Bend, OR. The breweries and bike lanes are plentiful, though some are on less pleasant for riding, higher-traffic streets (with somewhat hairy traffic circles West of downtown). The trails (some dirt) along the Deschutes River were nice, though.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-bit-of-biking-around-bend-or-the-breweries-and/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-bit-of-biking-around-bend-or-the-breweries-and/tumblr_ofvwun3DGs1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_7b86fbcf9b47e230.webp 480w, /post/a-bit-of-biking-around-bend-or-the-breweries-and/tumblr_ofvwun3DGs1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_e3dbb6d85aa4cb2c.webp 800w, /post/a-bit-of-biking-around-bend-or-the-breweries-and/tumblr_ofvwun3DGs1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_889a6f71059ae37e.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-bit-of-biking-around-bend-or-the-breweries-and/tumblr_ofvwun3DGs1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_d24f5749b84fa5b4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"999\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bit of biking around Bend, OR. The breweries and bike lanes are plentiful, though some are on less pleasant for riding, higher-traffic streets (with somewhat hairy traffic circles West of downtown). The trails (some dirt) along the Deschutes River were nice, though.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A bit of biking around Bend, OR. The breweries and bike lanes are plentiful, though some are on less pleasant for riding,..."},{"content":" Biketown: city bike share in Portland, OR. Unlike most US cities, you can temporarily lock the bikes around town (not just at a bike return station), and can check them out for more than 30 minutes per ride. Well organized, plentiful stations, though very heavy/clunky bikes even by bike share standards.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_aca2cd440bc507d4.webp 480w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_390ed60675018645.webp 800w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_fc33ed08e78b8973.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_b6c9b6ad8ed16b0b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"643\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_778281b5926bff21.webp 480w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_ebd106a696b13a2d.webp 800w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_3c20c340fd4306d9.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_c9c48189c820366d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_19cc0e0a12459841.webp 480w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_ddc34550a360b142.webp 800w, /post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_1306a5bf24dfe794.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biketown-city-bike-share-in-portland-or-unlike/tumblr_ofvwg5OZEy1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_4c5f33b17d4414d8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiketown: city bike share in Portland, OR. Unlike most US cities, you can temporarily lock the bikes around town (not just at a bike return station), and can check them out for more than 30 minutes per ride. Well organized, plentiful stations, though very heavy/clunky bikes even by bike share standards.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biketown: city bike share in Portland, OR. Unlike most US cities, you can temporarily lock the bikes around town (not just at a..."},{"content":"I haven’t been organizing many long rides this year (though I’ve been going on a number of solo or just-with-a-friend rides), and life changes have me spending less time here or on email– but I’m going to still use this to document some good rides from 2016– and I hope to be back organizing more group rides in a few months.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/back-from-some-time-away/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI haven’t been organizing many long rides this year (though I’ve been going on a number of solo or just-with-a-friend rides), and life changes have me spending less time here or on email– but I’m going to still use this to document some good rides from 2016– and I hope to be back organizing more group rides in a few months.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Back from some time away"},{"content":"Bike counter and pump, Stockholm\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-counter-and-pump-stockholm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike counter and pump, Stockholm\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike counter and pump, Stockholm"},{"content":"48 hours of Stockholm’s Bike Share\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/48-hours-of-stockholms-bike-share/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e48 hours of Stockholm’s Bike Share\u003c/p\u003e","title":"48 hours of Stockholm's Bike Share"},{"content":"Something I’ve always wanted to do– ride from SF up to the Healdsburg / Russian River / wine country area (88.8 miles via the scenic route a friend and I took this weekend).\nLush green hills, a few hours of rain and wet socks (hey, at least it wasn’t 103-108 degrees like a few summers ago), two cheese tastings (Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and Marin French Cheese Company), wildflowers, a stop for a burger and salty snacks at Lagunitas Brewing, coffee and cocoa in Santa Rosa to fight the chill, and then expanding my personal biking map (Santa Rosa having been my previous farthest-North-from-SF ride) and plugging along the final 20-odd miles to a campground in Alexander Valley.\nThe final slight detour to take Chalk Hill Rd instead of parallel the 101 was worth it– miles of riding along vineyards and under hanging Spanish moss on small country roads.\nA satisfying day, especially given I’ve been feeling slower / out of relative biking shape the past 6 months. It took us all day, but we made it.\n* special thanks to the significant others who drove up camping gear, food, and firewood and joined us there.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-sf-the-russian-river/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSomething I’ve always wanted to do– ride from SF up to the Healdsburg / Russian River / wine country area (88.8 miles via \u003ca href=\"https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13611004\"\u003ethe scenic route\u003c/a\u003e a friend and I took this weekend).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLush green hills, a few hours of rain and wet socks (hey, at least it wasn’t 103-108 degrees like \u003ca href=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/\"\u003ea few summers ago\u003c/a\u003e), two cheese tastings (Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and Marin French Cheese Company), wildflowers, a stop for a burger and salty snacks at Lagunitas Brewing, coffee and cocoa in Santa Rosa to fight the chill, and then expanding my personal biking map (Santa Rosa having been \u003ca href=\"/post/recap-russian-river-brewery-overnight-ride/\"\u003emy previous farthest-North-from-SF ride\u003c/a\u003e) and plugging along the final 20-odd miles to a campground in Alexander Valley.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking SF -\u003e the Russian River"},{"content":"seen in New Orleans\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/seen-in-new-orleans/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eseen in New Orleans\u003c/p\u003e","title":"seen in New Orleans"},{"content":"I’ve been riding a variant on this 30-mile loop once or twice a year for 6 or 7 years and it never gets old. From Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek BART along off-road canalside trails, then up the long but not steep uphill of McEwen between rolling hills of flowers and cows, down to the quirky Port Costa for a picnic and drink among pallets, potholes, and old theatre signs outside the Warehouse Cafe, then back along the twist, car-free Carquinez Scenic Drive along Carquinez Strait:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-ride-9/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve been riding a variant on this 30-mile loop once or twice a year for 6 or 7 years and it never gets old. From Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek BART along off-road canalside trails, then up the long but not steep uphill of McEwen between rolling hills of flowers and cows, down to the quirky Port Costa for a picnic and drink among pallets, potholes, and old theatre signs outside the Warehouse Cafe, then back along the twist, car-free Carquinez Scenic Drive along Carquinez Strait:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa ride #9?"},{"content":"Striking out solo on a Sunday to explore trails in the East Bay hills, from Nimitz Way -\u0026amp;gt; Fire Trail #3 -\u0026amp;gt; San Pablo Ridge Trail -\u0026amp;gt; Belgum Trail -\u0026amp;gt; Wildcat Creek Trail:\nA great ride on a gorgeous sunny February day in the Bay Area on a mix of paved paths and reasonably wide and flat fire trails– only a few brief sections of mud or heavily rutted dirt. I could see five of the major Bay Area bridges, from SF to Richmond to Carquinez Strait, and took breaks read a bit, explore the ruins of an old sanitarium, and doze in the shade. A few sections on the San Pablo Ridge Trail turned out to be unbikeably steep (20% rutted dirt grade downhill?) – maybe next time I’ll try dropping down on Nimitz just to the NE of that trail.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStriking out solo on a Sunday to explore trails in the East Bay hills, from Nimitz Way -\u0026gt; Fire Trail #3 -\u0026gt; San Pablo Ridge Trail -\u0026gt; Belgum Trail -\u0026gt; Wildcat Creek Trail:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/904a9715ac7296ff32913e2c2e5aa630ce0cc39d_hu_5cdad09c17e8d936.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/904a9715ac7296ff32913e2c2e5aa630ce0cc39d_hu_12b4de31c8452a37.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/48028434e133393ad36940f8669e7828abf46c07_hu_b0416eed6095d3bc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/48028434e133393ad36940f8669e7828abf46c07_hu_12b1e111429d3e82.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"398\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/ab9f0caeaf411b221638bdd7bfada5ea99539504_hu_a0d95f908f03ce86.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/ab9f0caeaf411b221638bdd7bfada5ea99539504_hu_16fcbff8bcdceae1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/2a3fcda9760f6feda9407137956992479281fd20_hu_195b76b1770e3b22.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/2a3fcda9760f6feda9407137956992479281fd20_hu_cdd7b0ae368e9ef4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/6c954883e07adb382b299d573ef2f77817b3f86e_hu_9124c06b685d1b7b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/6c954883e07adb382b299d573ef2f77817b3f86e_hu_969b03baf27dbf2c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0c136a47cf8b42c3293da91fff2d30d67c0c0382_hu_322d8bcfbb2de34e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0c136a47cf8b42c3293da91fff2d30d67c0c0382_hu_932cd0a3f0fa61a9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/09c41e6735ee5da7689c4308544b5b20fe1a9f4d_hu_f1ac06166942f27d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/09c41e6735ee5da7689c4308544b5b20fe1a9f4d_hu_caed6ebf78be89a4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"248\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/d7a4a01cd1eed149b6af196e31c8fe91ee0bd9e0_hu_dce56ab9d153e46d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/d7a4a01cd1eed149b6af196e31c8fe91ee0bd9e0_hu_dcdebe243055012b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/605211d9356d11635d013b472f2445ac3f7fad83_hu_da9d93c3dddeaadd.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/605211d9356d11635d013b472f2445ac3f7fad83_hu_54d8f86d968f4c3c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/21402cbd2f102085dd7005d3fc7827fc3fdf895d_hu_deb5f412bf4aef6e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/21402cbd2f102085dd7005d3fc7827fc3fdf895d_hu_30a53ae647f97fdd.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/6179d884af770037717ef193d73879f6766303e5_hu_8a8c25f651134601.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/6179d884af770037717ef193d73879f6766303e5_hu_4df058b3b2d67ec3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0994fc1f533ba7a08b9e036911c8ca4413b176ce_hu_8c4d63b6f9a2bc8b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0994fc1f533ba7a08b9e036911c8ca4413b176ce_hu_db1b81ae10704acf.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"720\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0b5f0078b1c7b8b132eb51e1fe0b3ec5a768b34c_hu_ae63935612058f78.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/0b5f0078b1c7b8b132eb51e1fe0b3ec5a768b34c_hu_3cf171a6e5768c30.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/bd0b8a17ffd69c336eb5b813eceb0e1a4ef23940_hu_3926415405b7d595.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/bd0b8a17ffd69c336eb5b813eceb0e1a4ef23940_hu_fa3bfb645da71ad3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"132\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/c8cf40051bfc508cd0fcfdb6cc53760c0f5752bd_hu_b2f73620f78696bd.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-wildcat-tilden-parks-by-bike/c8cf40051bfc508cd0fcfdb6cc53760c0f5752bd_hu_25e5c821c236d6f3.png\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"421\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Exploring Wildcat, Tilden Parks by bike"},{"content":"Roadblock (riding in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park). Reminds me of 5 years ago.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/roadblock-riding-in-wildcat-canyon-regional/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRoadblock (riding in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park). Reminds me of \u003ca href=\"/post/they-dont-want-to-share-the-bike-path-rural/\"\u003e5 years ago\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Roadblock (riding in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park). Reminds me of 5 years ago."},{"content":"On a ride with six friends: low tide, egrets, a large hawk, industrial detours, smooth paved waterfront bike paths, and some excellent beer, bluegrass, and mexican food with fresh-made tortillas.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn a ride with six friends: low tide, egrets, a large hawk, industrial detours, smooth paved waterfront bike paths, and some excellent beer, bluegrass, and mexican food with fresh-made tortillas.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/7744505a721273610718c2958c11fce57829b843_hu_2f407c4ddbc040dc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/7744505a721273610718c2958c11fce57829b843_hu_47435262793a4c9a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/150d0a63afb0f6e38900ef69db29910dd5eb3d69_hu_e85847d47a51f517.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/150d0a63afb0f6e38900ef69db29910dd5eb3d69_hu_d385d04817a71125.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/0128f9f2c7fdd0b26388e4a6014b80faa08aba9d_hu_c8e38c8105b513b8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/0128f9f2c7fdd0b26388e4a6014b80faa08aba9d_hu_5b34cb4fe0f10e41.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/384eea13ccd03b3e7fcd97099e69a91021887197_hu_d79a5701a6d14f3a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/384eea13ccd03b3e7fcd97099e69a91021887197_hu_28740a11ce89e963.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/908242dc725cd136acb85e892a320dd850d92f2e_hu_e67c2324659c262.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/908242dc725cd136acb85e892a320dd850d92f2e_hu_8f6e15ac3db237cb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/9a8cc1b38ef0b13944ac7324cee791f91e208c97_hu_6c126cc098aa55e8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/9a8cc1b38ef0b13944ac7324cee791f91e208c97_hu_53740a85b91e1b2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/e0dba970c5e51cf70dcdb218e83a8b20cbaafd3b_hu_b2be5fd2e8f29081.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/e0dba970c5e51cf70dcdb218e83a8b20cbaafd3b_hu_f77a4588e8ae4b32.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/fef556c06ac222a2281bcd354e6f41d75c562838_hu_5d25031f41269105.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-san-leandro-cleophus-quealy-brewing/fef556c06ac222a2281bcd354e6f41d75c562838_hu_e7cc73931368c378.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking -\u003e San Leandro / Cleophus Quealy Brewing"},{"content":"After a few months mostly off the bike (other than the dumpling tour and a cool grey city ride), getting my legs and finding the joy again riding up San Bruno Mountain in the chilly fog with friends. I’ll start organizing again this spring…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/san-bruno-mountain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a few months mostly off the bike (other than the \u003ca href=\"/post/bicycle-dumpling-tour-4th-annual/\"\u003edumpling tour\u003c/a\u003e and a cool grey city ride), getting my legs and finding the joy again riding up San Bruno Mountain in the chilly fog with friends. I’ll start organizing again this spring…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/san-bruno-mountain/20324cb2e1c89c911d7569f131d55847daf1423e_hu_ea1409729cac83e9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/san-bruno-mountain/20324cb2e1c89c911d7569f131d55847daf1423e_hu_82679df2da01f192.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"390\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/san-bruno-mountain/d44520a950db32cfa66718b78e7fe0303c659cc5_hu_fff02de92f483346.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/san-bruno-mountain/d44520a950db32cfa66718b78e7fe0303c659cc5_hu_cf7e5e48fd0c6360.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"San Bruno Mountain"},{"content":"I’ve been enjoying Cool Gray City of Love and taking notes every time he mentions an interesting vista, path, or historical intersection in SF I haven’t been to.\nSo… it seems worth a periodic ride around the city to check out some of them.\nThis Saturday, a Mission / Glen Park / Sunset route, including:\nSeveral notable staircases (we’ll lock bikes at the bottom and hike up for views), two of the very few remaining old unpaved road segments in SF, Billy Goat Hill, and some of the last remaining evidence of the great sand dunes that once blanketed the Sunset.\nDetails:\n* Meet up 10AM, Mission Pie, grab coffee/pie (roll out 10:15ish?)\n* About 10-15 miles total (with a few serious hills)\n* There may be a few paths that are steep / narrow and we’ll walk bikes / improvise\n* After we see the sights we’ll be in the Sunset and could grab a late lunch somewhere (brunch out by the beach, dumplings, etc\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cool-grey-city-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve been enjoying \u003ca href=\"http://www.powells.com/book/cool-gray-city-of-love-49-views-of-san-francisco-9781608199600\"\u003eCool Gray City of Love\u003c/a\u003e and taking notes every time he mentions an interesting vista, path, or historical intersection in SF I haven’t been to.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo… it seems worth a periodic ride around the city to check out some of them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis Saturday\u003c/strong\u003e, a \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11203060\"\u003eMission / Glen Park / Sunset route\u003c/a\u003e, including:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral notable staircases (we’ll lock bikes at the bottom and hike up for views), two of the very few remaining old unpaved road segments in SF, Billy Goat Hill, and some of the last remaining evidence of the great sand dunes that once blanketed the Sunset.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cool Grey City ride"},{"content":"Three times makes a tradition– after last year, I had to do it again– organize a bicycle tour of my favorite dumpling shops for friends and strangers through the SF Bike Coalition (picking up hundreds of dumplings as takeout to eat in a nearby park).\nI spent the previous weekend scouting, test-riding, and test-eating, and put together a route combining low-key roads, paved off-road paths through Golden Gate Park, and riding along the ocean… with stops for last year’s group favorite (pan fried pork buns and ‘soup dumplings’ from Dumpling Kitchen, eaten in a small park nestled above Stern Grove), the chicken and Chinese spinach dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling (most notable for the intensely pleasurable fiery orange chili sauce) ferried all the way to a strip of trees and benches at Judah and Great Highway, and new-to-the-ride Shanghai Dumpling King for the eponymous dumplings and ‘dessert’ in the form of sweet BBQ pork buns plus a few other sweet dumplings from across the street, eaten in a nearby playground.\nThe weather was excellent (sunny even at the ocean, and without sand kicking up along Great Highway), the group of 35ish riders was friendly and laid-back, a friend riding sweep helped keep us from splitting up, and the logistics went surprisingly smoothly (dropping by dumpling shops the previous weekend had let me put cash down to pre-order, letting us call in the day of the ride to keep them apprised of our progress). And the dumplings. The dumplings! All three places were in fine form, with the sometimes-uneven Shanghai Dumpling King really on top of their game and the always dependable Dumpling Kitchen turning out intact, juicy soup dumplings and savory “pan fried pork buns” (a steamed soup-dumpling-like dumpling… then seared in a pan until the bottom is brown and crispy).\nAs a group we managed to put away over 700 dumplings– a new dumplings-per-person record. I didn’t eat anything else all day…\nA really fine way to spend an afternoon.\nThe route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10865276\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bicycle-dumpling-tour-4th-annual/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree times makes a tradition– after \u003ca href=\"/post/third-annual-sf-bike-dumpling-tour-recap/\"\u003elast year\u003c/a\u003e, I had to do it again– organize a bicycle tour of my favorite dumpling shops for friends and strangers through the SF Bike Coalition (picking up hundreds of dumplings as takeout to eat in a nearby park).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI spent the previous weekend scouting, test-riding, and test-eating, and put together a route combining low-key roads, paved off-road paths through Golden Gate Park, and riding along the ocean… with stops for last year’s group favorite (pan fried pork buns and ‘soup dumplings’ from Dumpling Kitchen, eaten in a small park nestled above Stern Grove), the chicken and Chinese spinach dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling (most notable for the intensely pleasurable fiery orange chili sauce) ferried all the way to a strip of trees and benches at Judah and Great Highway, and new-to-the-ride Shanghai Dumpling King for the eponymous dumplings and ‘dessert’ in the form of sweet BBQ pork buns plus a few other sweet dumplings from across the street, eaten in a nearby playground.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bicycle Dumpling Tour (4th Annual)"},{"content":"Pre-work ride across the bridge and up Hawk Hill.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pre-work-ride-across-the-bridge-and-up-hawk-hill/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePre-work ride across the bridge and up Hawk Hill.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pre-work ride across the bridge and up Hawk Hill."},{"content":"According to a few friends, cycling wasn’t previously a major part of Mexico City culture (not totally surprising in a massive, sprawling, 20M-person metro area with thinner 7300′-elevation air, heavy traffic, a good subway system, and moderate air pollution), but in the past five years it’s started to take off.\nBike infrastructure (including barrier-separated bike lanes) has gone up around the city, and as of 2010 there’s a major city bike share program in place, EcoBici:\nI had a few chances to try it out and was impressed. A fleet of basic three-speed bikes covers the city (444 stations, 6000 bicycles, covering about 22 km^2), with bike stations densely packed every few blocks and a simple, useful app– it was easy to find a bike or bike drop-off spot pretty much anywhere I was in the city:\nSigning up for EcoBici as a visitor takes a bit of work– you need to go to one of their office locations (e.g. Campeche 175 in Roma), put down a deposit, and sign a series of forms stating you have read and understand the Mexican Traffic Code, and successfully take a multiple-choice test on such tough questions as “Is it acceptable to bike through a red light?” and “Why is wearing headphones while biking risky? (a) you might not hear traffic (b) there’s no risk”\nOnce you’ve done that, it’s a flat-fee M$300 (about US$18) for a 1-week membership which, as in most cities with bike share programs, gives you unlimited short (\u0026amp;lt;45 minute) rides as long as you drop the bike at a station at the end of each trip. You’re given an RFID card you can tap at any station to release a bike, and that’s about it.\nI saw quite a few people around the city including residents riding these bikes– the easy locking and ability to take one-way trips on subway or car and complete them with bike is an advantage.\nGiven how much traffic there was, getting around by bike was more reasonable than I expected– some roads (even major expressways) had curblet-separated bike lanes and signals, there were lower-traffic, leafy side streets, and traffic was heavy enough in general that cars weren’t going very fast (especially in and around street markets)…\nBut it was certainly one of the more attention-demanding cities to ride in– a red light would typically be followed by two or three drivers running it, many 4-way intersections were uncontrolled (with cars jockeying as to who would continue through without clear right of way), and drivers packed intersections into gridlock, sometimes escaping by backing the wrong way down one-way streets or swerving out to pass on the right.\nStill, what better way to see a wide range of neighborhoods and eat one’s way across a city in an afternoon?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-mexico-city-and-ecobici-bike-share/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAccording to a few friends, cycling wasn’t previously a major part of Mexico City culture (not totally surprising in a massive, sprawling, 20M-person metro area with thinner 7300′-elevation air, heavy traffic, a good subway system, and moderate air pollution), but in the past five years it’s started to take off.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBike infrastructure (including barrier-separated bike lanes) has gone up around the city, and as of 2010 there’s a major city bike share program in place, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoBici_(Mexico_City)\"\u003eEcoBici\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking Mexico City (and EcoBici bike share)"},{"content":"Muévete en Bici (Sunday Streets, Mexico City– 40ish km of roads closed to cars including the major 8+ lane Paseo de Reforma– and people of all ages and fitnesses out en masse on bikes)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/mu-vete-en-bici-sunday-streets-mexico-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMuévete en Bici (\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Mu%C3%A9vete-En-Bici-100801496692679/\"\u003eSunday Streets, Mexico City\u003c/a\u003e– 40ish km of roads closed to cars including the major 8+ lane Paseo de Reforma– and people of all ages and fitnesses out en masse on bikes)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Muévete en Bici (Sunday Streets, Mexico City-- 40ish km of roads closed to cars including the major 8+ lane Paseo de Reforma--..."},{"content":" Early pre-work ride to the ocean and Andytown\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_7d4d6f0b516dcd6c.webp 480w, /post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_32abef3982d60ede.webp 800w, /post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_e29b3a2c9003ecf5.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_ff427ea2156448fd.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_6e65ed78004c3e97.webp 480w, /post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_22dac9be360acbcf.webp 800w, /post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_fd768392abf5be58.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/early-pre-work-ride-to-the-ocean-and-andytown/tumblr_nuleopjq6E1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_7bba7c6bcf1efbd0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarly pre-work ride to the ocean and Andytown\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Early pre-work ride to the ocean and Andytown"},{"content":"An all-afternoon ride from Fremont BART to the shoreline, under the Dumbarton bridge, then up along the water all the way to San Leandro– riding on levees stretching out into the Bay, past green-tinted salt evaporation ponds, pelicans, egrets, herons, vultures, and a red fox, through landscapes moon-subdued in palette but with occasional brilliant splashes of color, on paved paths and dirt… a great day.\nRiding into the fierce, relentless headwind slowed us down, and the occasional sections of bone-rattling gravel numbed the hands, but we all made it around the levees, on trails where we saw few other humans.\nRoute (40 flat miles ending at the Cleophus Quealy brewery in San Leandro, and a few more miles to BART).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/east-bay-trail-salt-ponds-marsh/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn all-afternoon ride from Fremont BART to the shoreline, under the Dumbarton bridge, then up along the water all the way to San Leandro– riding on levees stretching out into the Bay, past green-tinted salt evaporation ponds, pelicans, egrets, herons, vultures, and a red fox, through landscapes moon-subdued in palette but with occasional brilliant splashes of color, on paved paths and dirt… a great day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRiding into the fierce, relentless headwind slowed us down, and the occasional sections of bone-rattling gravel numbed the hands, but we all made it around the levees, on trails where we saw few other humans.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"East Bay Trail / Salt Ponds / Marsh"},{"content":"An excellent one-night bike camping trip to the Oakland hills, S24O-style.\nKnocking wild plums out of a tree after a long, swooping descent down Pinehurst:\nCamping among the eucalyptus in Anthony Chabot park.\nThe next morning, instead of retracing our steps, taking a chance on a trail marked “hikers and bikes allowed”:\nAfter a short section of steep, rutted, nearly-unrideable downhill dirt, it opened up onto a wide, paved path around the shore of Lake Chabot:\nRoute: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/8870948\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn excellent one-night bike camping trip to the Oakland hills, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=36\"\u003eS24O\u003c/a\u003e-style.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqybyjQBIl1qzufob_540_hu_dfd24a73f739626e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqybyjQBIl1qzufob_540_hu_3cc618acb9b439d5.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnocking wild plums out of a tree after a long, swooping descent down Pinehurst:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc2bAomh1qzufob_540_hu_c8084a2227ca715a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc2bAomh1qzufob_540_hu_9ab1d4f3b8a20b30.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"601\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc2zZ5DQ1qzufob_540_hu_ab0fb7ad9d2f12dd.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc2zZ5DQ1qzufob_540_hu_68f473e96ede80f7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"404\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCamping among the eucalyptus in \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony_chabot\"\u003eAnthony Chabot park\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc3d62yv1qzufob_540_hu_feec1f1561163a74.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc3d62yv1qzufob_540_hu_1d86ae6f52434265.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"692\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqycflrfsC1qzufob_540_hu_e705f5082032aaa.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqycflrfsC1qzufob_540_hu_6d91cef3c7290197.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc47N1yb1qzufob_540_hu_e43375836866af85.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-lake-chabot/tumblr_inline_nqyc47N1yb1qzufob_540_hu_237d9b393de18dd4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"405\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Camping, Lake Chabot"},{"content":"I needed a ride, and hopped the Vallejo ferry without the usual plan. A little phone browsing on the way across turned up some bike paths and sections of The Bay Trail West of Napa that I’d never seen, and it seemed like Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma would be within reach…\nA bit of Bay Trail along a river and a marsh… thick with vocal birds but otherwise deserted, eventually degrading to dirt and then gravel and leading to nowhere (a vista point, and a loop back to the beginning of the trail).\nAfter 10 miles of riding on highway shoulders (the risk of not doing more advance research), Stanly Rd just West of the 29/121 intersection looked like a pleasant detour… and turned out to be even better than I’d expected– one section was an old now abandoned / closed-to-cars road through the woods.\nOn Ramal Rd (another peaceful back road– only two cars in an hour) leaving Napa County.\nI stopped at this metal vineyard shark and a woman in a passing car insisted on taking my photo with it:\nA few hours later, after a long day of sun and riding, taking a break:\nRoute: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/5115359 (taking Golden Gate Transit 101 bus back to SF).\nThe back roads were great, but some sections of 29, 12, and 121 were somewhat hairy and not necessarily something I’d ride again without a good reason… so overall I have mixed feelings about this particular route (especially the tall bridge of the 12/29 over Napa River with high-speed traffic and low railings).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/north-bay-ramble-vallejo-petaluma/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI needed a ride, and hopped the Vallejo ferry without the usual plan. A little phone browsing on the way across turned up some bike paths and sections of \u003ca href=\"http://baytrail.org/baytrailmap.html\"\u003eThe Bay Trail\u003c/a\u003e West of Napa that I’d never seen, and it seemed like Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma would be within reach…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bit of Bay Trail along a river and a marsh… thick with vocal birds but otherwise deserted, eventually degrading to dirt and then gravel and leading to nowhere (a vista point, and a loop back to the beginning of the trail).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"North Bay Ramble (Vallejo -\u003e Petaluma)"},{"content":"A friend organized a ride around Lake Tahoe for a group of 7 adventurous comrades (many of whom hadn’t biked much this year), and it was an excellent weekend.\n76 moderately hilly miles and 4200′ of elevation gain (maxing out at 7000′ where there was snow on the ground). I’d never biked at any significant altitude (maybe a short distance in Glacier Park) and while it wasn’t noticeable on the flats, I was surprised how much I felt it when pushing myself or going uphill– deep breaths feeling like shallow ones. Or maybe I just need to ride more.\nThe road conditions were good (shoulders or even paved bike paths much of the way– the occasional slightly more hairy sharing of a lane with fast traffic or riding along switchback cliffs with no railing, but overall all the drivers were respectful and everyone got along), the weather was brisk (mid-40s) but not too cold, and the views were stunning– cliffs and crags on either side, wide open views of the lake, and tall-pine forests without much undergrowth. I took a few photos along the ride:\nAnd beyond the ride itself– a house high above the lake with a hot tub, beer tasting, and time with friends.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biked-around-lake-tahoe/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA friend organized a ride around Lake Tahoe for a group of 7 adventurous comrades (many of whom hadn’t biked much this year), and it was an excellent weekend.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/4688807\"\u003e76 moderately hilly miles\u003c/a\u003e and 4200′ of elevation gain (maxing out at 7000′ where there was snow on the ground). I’d never biked at any significant altitude (maybe a short distance in Glacier Park) and while it wasn’t noticeable on the flats, I was surprised how much I felt it when pushing myself or going uphill– deep breaths feeling like shallow ones. Or maybe I just need to ride more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biked around Lake Tahoe"},{"content":"76-mile ride in the CA and NV hills around Lake Tahoe\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/76-mile-ride-in-the-ca-and-nv-hills-around-lake/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e76-mile ride in the CA and NV hills around Lake Tahoe\u003c/p\u003e","title":"76-mile ride in the CA and NV hills around Lake Tahoe"},{"content":" Even with just a spare hour and the hotel loaner bike, it’s possible to get up into the hills East of Healdsburg, where a woodpecker’s the noisiest thing around.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktgaUIZ1qzufob_540_hu_b8b62f69cd9f0259.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktgaUIZ1qzufob_540_hu_20428f1249799c03.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"365\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktgjm3y1qzufob_540_hu_382f0c09ea5b4540.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktgjm3y1qzufob_540_hu_4705bf846b2b71f2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktglNAS1qzufob_540_hu_43e70fd64e7ae4c3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/east-and-up-from-healdsburg/tumblr_inline_pljktglNAS1qzufob_540_hu_daa2a495eb3cf298.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"293\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven with just a spare hour and the hotel loaner bike, it’s possible to get up into the hills East of Healdsburg, where a woodpecker’s the noisiest thing around.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"East and Up from Healdsburg"},{"content":" I’ve done this general ride too many times to remember over the years. This was an especially good day of it– lush green hills instead of the usual dead grass, sunny but not too hot, a children’s lemonade stand, a group of friends, a picnic and some British beer at The Warehouse, and my first time riding on Carquinez Scenic Drive since its renovation (though to be honest, I sort of miss its previous painted, crumbling-into-the-bay state and the 50 feet of hillside dirt path you used to need to traverse).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ne2uDh1qzufob_540_hu_de61bed4d8b0e8f1.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ne2uDh1qzufob_540_hu_39b8bfe9fa610cc2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"252\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7newt1e1qzufob_540_hu_dcb2bacb7ed4f028.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7newt1e1qzufob_540_hu_290cf971531a854d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfeRmV1qzufob_540_hu_f889e2e90b38f0ae.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfeRmV1qzufob_540_hu_f959c49beef1e15a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"306\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfn4o91qzufob_540_hu_3d9f988f86dd2638.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfn4o91qzufob_540_hu_efc4104da07e089e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfRQLn1qzufob_540_hu_e3615b9140414142.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7nfRQLn1qzufob_540_hu_4aa27632f2f42237.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"337\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ng8WtM1qzufob_540_hu_f67632c9d6640f27.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ng8WtM1qzufob_540_hu_e4a20335ecb91ff5.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"258\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ngFvTi1qzufob_540_hu_c60d08671049777d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-8ish/tumblr_inline_pfu7ngFvTi1qzufob_540_hu_5364409e030d15ad.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"307\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve done this general ride too many times to remember over the years. This was an especially good day of it– lush green hills instead of the usual dead grass, sunny but not too hot, a children’s lemonade stand, a group of friends, a picnic and some British beer at The Warehouse, and my first time riding on Carquinez Scenic Drive since its renovation (though to be honest, I sort of miss \u003ca href=\"/post/port-costa-picnic-recap/\"\u003eits previous painted, crumbling-into-the-bay state\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"/post/so-many-flowers/\"\u003e50 feet of hillside dirt path\u003c/a\u003e you used to need to traverse).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa Ride #8ish"},{"content":"Well that was a great weekend. Took the train to Menlo Park, and rode with five friends up for miles on twisty, narrow, mostly deserted Old La Honda, down along twisty roads, and stopped for artichoke bread and other lunch in Pescadero.\nThen on down Highway 1 to Pigeon Point Lighthouse, where there’s a hostel you can stay in… and a hot tub on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A whole pod of dolphins swam by, fins arcing, a whale(?) made a big splash, and at night with the lights out, you could see stars, the surf, and the beams of the lighthouse sweeping by every few seconds.\nWe made dinner and breakfast in the hostel– sauteed vegetables and spices, pasta, an ollaliberry pie we’d strapped to a bike rack and devoured forks-in-hand like animals, and eggs and potatoes for breakfast–not bad.\nThe next morning, a leisurely start, an excellent macchiato at Local Corner in Pescadero and some light reading…\nAnd then on for another 36 miles, rolling hills, ranches, and the neverending uphill that is Tunitas Creek.\n74 miles, about 7700’ of climbing, 7 and a half hours rolling (in no hurry), no flats or getting lost, and intense hills, mostly on back twisty roads without many cars (as usual, the map links to the route details):\nFeeling good. Strong. Alive.\nThanks, life, and friends.\nIf 2014 was the Year Of Dirt, maybe this is the Year Of The Sea.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pigeon-point-lighthouse-overnight-dolphins/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWell that was a great weekend. Took the train to Menlo Park, and rode with five friends up for miles on twisty, narrow, mostly deserted Old La Honda, down along twisty roads, and stopped for artichoke bread and other lunch in Pescadero.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen on down Highway 1 to Pigeon Point Lighthouse, where there’s a hostel you can stay in… and a hot tub on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A whole pod of dolphins swam by, fins arcing, a whale(?) made a big splash, and at night with the lights out, you could see stars, the surf, and the beams of the lighthouse sweeping by every few seconds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pigeon Point Lighthouse -- overnight, dolphins, hot tub, hills"},{"content":"While I was visiting Iceland at the end of December, Stefan of Reykjavik Bike Tours kindly fit me in to a tour and I helped out by wearing an orange vest and riding sweep.\nIt was a cold and snowy day, with a lot of black ice on the roads from the past weeks of storms, so it wasn’t the easiest time to spin around the city, but it was still a good overview.\nA few photos from this and the following day walking around (New Year’s Eve in Reykjavik = bonfires and fireworks at a massive scale):\nA good way to wrap up 2014’s theme of travel+riding.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/reykjavik-biking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhile I was visiting Iceland at the end of December, Stefan of \u003ca href=\"http://icelandbike.com/classic_reykjavik.html\"\u003eReykjavik Bike Tours\u003c/a\u003e kindly fit me in to a tour and I helped out by wearing an orange vest and riding sweep.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a cold and snowy day, with a lot of black ice on the roads from the past weeks of storms, so it wasn’t the easiest time to spin around the city, but it was still a good overview.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reykjavik, Biking"},{"content":"In Buenos Aires, rented a bike for the afternoon:\nWhile I didn’t see that many people on bikes around the city, and the driving was… aggressive, I heard from a walking tour guide that there’s been a big upswing in cycling the past few years. And I did see evidence of a city bike share program, and some retrofitted separated bike lanes.\nStreets in a park on the edge of Palermo, traffic-free on Saturday:\nSignage with not only distance, but estimated cycling time– a nice touch:\nObligatory steak: ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-buenos-aires/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn Buenos Aires, rented a bike for the afternoon:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile I didn’t see that many people on bikes around the city, and the driving was… aggressive, I heard from a walking tour guide that there’s been a big upswing in cycling the past few years. And I did see evidence of a city bike share program, and some retrofitted separated bike lanes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-buenos-aires/tumblr_inline_pk61lblkKD1qzufob_540_hu_78eac35e01bcd300.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-buenos-aires/tumblr_inline_pk61lblkKD1qzufob_540_hu_9995f748923c038d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking, Buenos Aires"},{"content":" Biking it near, along, and in the shallow edge of Laguna Garzon.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xkJoaF1qzufob_540_hu_852480e5789429d8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xkJoaF1qzufob_540_hu_f1c902ba34707ca0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xkfDF11qzufob_540_hu_e02f5302b1c51818.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xkfDF11qzufob_540_hu_8478265d452c50fb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"298\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xlW6gL1qzufob_540_hu_980b9660e1f3b992.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-hours-on-a-mountain-bike-in-rural-uruguay/tumblr_inline_pk04xlW6gL1qzufob_540_hu_88473ce20d16b96c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"259\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiking it near, along, and in the shallow edge of Laguna Garzon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A few hours on a mountain bike in rural Uruguay"},{"content":" Visiting Uruguay. Went for a ride along / in a shallow lagoon.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/visiting-uruguay-went-for-a-ride-along-in-a/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_nfj60pdmUh1qzv82b_720.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVisiting Uruguay. Went for a ride along / in a shallow lagoon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Visiting Uruguay. Went for a ride along / in a shallow lagoon."},{"content":"Came out of a restaurant to find my lock badly warped around my bike frame… but not broken. Close call.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/came-out-of-a-restaurant-to-find-my-lock-badly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCame out of a restaurant to find my lock badly warped around my bike frame… but not broken. Close call.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Came out of a restaurant to find my lock badly warped around my bike frame... but not broken. Close call."},{"content":"As requested, GPS track from the recent Livermore / Del Valle adventure ride.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/as-requested-gps-track-from-the-recent-livermore/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs requested, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3654121\"\u003eGPS track\u003c/a\u003e from the recent \u003ca href=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/\"\u003eLivermore / Del Valle adventure ride\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"As requested, GPS track from the recent Livermore / Del Valle adventure ride."},{"content":" Taking a “shortcut” back down on an unlabeled rutted path (4x speed). A bit gnarly, especially on our smooth-tired touring bikes… but no one wiped out.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/taking-a-shortcut-back-down-on-an-unlabeled/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_ndewx01P3t1qzv82b.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking a “shortcut” back down on an unlabeled rutted path (4x speed). A bit gnarly, especially on our smooth-tired touring bikes… but no one wiped out.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Taking a \"shortcut\" back down on an unlabeled rutted path (4x speed). A bit gnarly, especially on our smooth-tired touring..."},{"content":" An adventurous 32-mile almost-exclusively-off-road ride in Livermore, some not-even-on-the-map paths, mostly paved, some dirt, including Del Valle Park (cut down in scope due to insufficient tires for steep loose gravel and underestimating of how gnarly some side trails would be), and a stop for wine tasting.\nBeautiful remote-feeling nature only 10 miles from a BART station.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_9688a3a01b8381d8.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_9a5b1456d379c670.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_f73d89858150eb71.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_832e1f2b5c38b15f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_d9918698194a448b.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_26d24c62e6af3927.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9ca6d2fda6097b04.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_dd5594328acc479a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"573\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_c86faca2c8c6c78f.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_fc41b53bcb71d2aa.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_493f1a79fb2d8953.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_eeea91da8a27ee1b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_643da9ca516b6cb6.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_f90ae9c8013cb87.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_8abb5f166bd8ad05.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_8619091e5401e6b4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"451\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_c92c7d095aa8bbcc.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_1d0998f7996adc16.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_f3604eb722f13510.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_192efb6b7c4f928c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"451\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_a5d476b9163721e5.webp 480w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_d08b9ca5a834eee0.webp 800w, /post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_94f92c6fae5ca1cd.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/an-adventurous-32-mile-almost-exclusively-off-road/tumblr_ndewisEsjV1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_63ac10fc607d600a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"451\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An adventurous 32-mile almost-exclusively-off-road ride in Livermore, some not-even-on-the-map paths, mostly paved, some dirt,..."},{"content":"For a while I’ve wanted to organize a vow-of-silence sunset ride (riding together for a few hours with no talking, no cell phones / cameras / other electronics, on a secret route where you can’t think ahead but just follow, look, and listen).\nAfter a scouting ride last weekend and a lot of dead ends, I had a route planned out criss-crossing the presidio, much of it on back trails, dirt paths, and little roads labeled “not a through street” you’d never have any reason to ride down.\nA few of us did the ride together tonight… and it was beautiful. About half an hour in, riding over loose leaves among ivy-covered trees, with birds twittering and not another human ahead of me, I felt a ripple of almost disconnection from my body and a heightening of my sense of hearing.\nOn another hill twisting among long low greenhouses, we heard a rhythmic low thunk-boing! thunk-boing! and rounded the corner to see two very intent children playing ball– not with each other, but each kicking their own soccer ball against a stone wall to get the rebound, going in and out of sync.\nLater, we stopped at a little-known overlook where a single hidden bird hopped through the bushes feet away and chirped at us, a distant siren wailed, and, as the wind changed, some strains of bluegrass from Hardly Strictly a mile away.\nFifteen minutes later we were riding over wheel-silencing pine needles, dodging massive pine cones, and smelling distant smoke as we rolled down to the Pacific ocean, catching it just before sunset.\nDuring a break on the sand we heard an ice-cream-truck-like melody, exchanged a wordless glance, hustled to the top of the ramp– and indeed, a man in a minivan loosely converted to an ice cream truck was trying to work the sidewalk. A guy in a 90s hi-top fade with unlaced neon green and black Nikes was vocally disappointed that the truck was out of the one thing he wanted.\nAs the sun dipped below the… well, not the horizon, but the above-horizon fog bank, a row of bonfires crackled to sooty life. We remounted and zoomed along the ocean as dusk fell over the choppy waves, and finally ended our vow of silence at The Riptide, where a no-cover country band was playing.\nA very present evening.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/silent-sf-sunset-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor a while I’ve wanted to organize a vow-of-silence sunset ride (riding together for a few hours with no talking, no cell phones / cameras / other electronics, on a secret route where you can’t think ahead but just follow, look, and listen).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a scouting ride last weekend and a lot of dead ends, I had a route planned out criss-crossing the presidio, much of it on back trails, dirt paths, and little roads labeled “not a through street” you’d never have any reason to ride down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Silent SF Sunset Ride"},{"content":"[ wrote this up a few months ago and never posted it ]\nEarlier this summer, in Germany for work, I took a day to rent a bike and go on a roughly 40-mile ride through Bavaria along the Main river.\nIt was brutally hot in the middle of the day (my phone claimed 100), and I read later there was an extreme weather alert warning people not to exert themselves outside… fortunately, relief in the form of ies and aperol spritzes were at hand.\nOne old waterwheel, still running…\nAnd finally, wrapping up the day’s ride with a traditional rauchbier (smoked) in the attractive little town of Bamberg.\nA fine break from work and chance to get some sun…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-bavaria-main-river-bamberg/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ wrote this up a few months ago and never posted it ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarlier this summer, in Germany for work, I took a day to \u003ca href=\"http://www.rent-a-bike-bamberg.de/\"\u003erent a bike\u003c/a\u003e and go on a roughly 40-mile ride through Bavaria along the Main river.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-in-bavaria-main-river-bamberg/tumblr_inline_pk06xgmYdf1qzufob_540_hu_df5f3095258a6d86.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-in-bavaria-main-river-bamberg/tumblr_inline_pk06xgmYdf1qzufob_540_hu_c1edb57dc29aeb4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"285\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-in-bavaria-main-river-bamberg/tumblr_inline_pk06xgR6LB1qzufob_540_hu_8594d6286632c8a1.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-in-bavaria-main-river-bamberg/tumblr_inline_pk06xgR6LB1qzufob_540_hu_9a5c2fad1e1549f2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was brutally hot in the middle of the day (my phone claimed 100), and I read later there was an extreme weather alert warning people not to exert themselves outside… fortunately, relief in the form of ies and aperol spritzes were at hand.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in Bavaria (Main River, Bamberg)"},{"content":"My third or fourth time doing a variant on a 10-15 mile Dogpatch / Bayview shoreline ride, including old industrial buildings, murals, urban goats, the former site of Pound SF, Tire Beach (where some sort of sci-fi-esque photo shoot was going on?), the Heron’s Head park spit out into the Bay, India Basin, Yosemite Slough, a surprise glittering UFO behind a roll-up garage door, and some more and less official dirt paths between all of these. With the excellent All Good Pizza as a post-ride stop.\nI only took a handful of photos:\n[edit: more photos by citymaus are at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dianneyee/sets/72157647325098618/]\nFine weather to ride with a laid-back group of about fifteen people I know from various connections (friends, Boston, bike coalition, local music, camping, bike/transit blogging), including two kids (by which I mean children, not baby goats, though both were involved).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dogpatch-bayview-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy third or fourth time doing a variant on a 10-15 mile \u003ca href=\"/post/dogpatch-bayview-tour-recap/\"\u003eDogpatch / Bayview shoreline ride\u003c/a\u003e, including old industrial buildings, murals, urban goats, the former site of \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/rip-pound-sf/Content?oid=2161401\"\u003ePound SF\u003c/a\u003e, Tire Beach (where some sort of sci-fi-esque photo shoot was going on?), the Heron’s Head park spit out into the Bay, India Basin, Yosemite Slough, a surprise glittering UFO behind a roll-up garage door, and some more and less official dirt paths between all of these. With the excellent All Good Pizza as a post-ride stop.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dogpatch / Bayview ride"},{"content":"Earlier this year, biking around Copenhagen, I took a break at Mikkeller \u0026amp;amp; Friends in Nørrebro. Not content to just sit outside with an excellent spontaneously-fermented beer, I found myself counting bikes as they rode by… which turned into a comparison of bikes and cars, and then an excuse to idly tabulate anything different about the bikes…\nOne lost notebook returned by a bartender in Sweden a few days later (long story), and I had this quasi-scientific summary of 30 minutes of traffic:\nCars: 60\nBikes: 263 (about one every 6 seconds)\nMen cycling: 127, women: 136\nBikes with a front basket: 97\nWearing a shoulder bag: 52\nKid or kid seat: 22\nRiding “fast” (with visible effort): just 19\nHelmet: only 7\nTexting while riding: 3\nPanniers and rack: 2\nCarrying a pizza: 1\none part of a livable city…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/copenhagen-bike-count/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEarlier this year, \u003ca href=\"/tags/copenhagen/\"\u003ebiking around Copenhagen\u003c/a\u003e, I took a break at \u003ca href=\"http://mikkeller.dk/mikkeller-friends/\"\u003eMikkeller \u0026amp; Friends\u003c/a\u003e in Nørrebro. Not content to just sit outside with an excellent spontaneously-fermented beer, I found myself counting bikes as they rode by… which turned into a comparison of bikes and cars, and then an excuse to idly tabulate anything different about the bikes…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne lost notebook returned by a bartender in Sweden a few days later (long story), and I had this quasi-scientific summary of 30 minutes of traffic:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Copenhagen Bike Count"},{"content":"Bike signal, buffered lane, Chicago\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-signal-buffered-lane-chicago/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike signal, buffered lane, Chicago\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike signal, buffered lane, Chicago"},{"content":"Riding, solo, SF -\u0026amp;gt; Fairfax -\u0026amp;gt; Point Reyes -\u0026amp;gt; Tomales Bay -\u0026amp;gt; Sebastapol -\u0026amp;gt; Santa Rosa.\nTomales Bay Oyster Farm:\nHwy 1 North:\nWild Flour Bakery\nKicking back on a friend’s tiki-torch-surrounded hammock outside Sebastapol\nThe next morning, riding to Santa Rosa\nI’d forgotten my lock, but a trustworthy stranger watched my bike while I popped in for a beer:\nAnd, rather than riding another 80 miles back, slipping my bike into the carefully-engineered compartment under a Golden Gate Transit bus…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-sonoma-county/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRiding, solo, SF -\u0026gt; Fairfax -\u0026gt; Point Reyes -\u0026gt; Tomales Bay -\u0026gt; Sebastapol -\u0026gt; Santa Rosa.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTomales Bay Oyster Farm:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v0N2Ku1qzufob_540_hu_1e6921c4264184f6.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v0N2Ku1qzufob_540_hu_a0262d0c5ff4377e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v1tNhD1qzufob_540_hu_510bea92028d02f1.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v1tNhD1qzufob_540_hu_1acc150b060fa4a8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHwy 1 North:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v1zahH1qzufob_540_hu_24b98be224fc90bc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v1zahH1qzufob_540_hu_aeec8e9d784d178e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v2S54W1qzufob_540_hu_9d07d5ae3961ff63.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v2S54W1qzufob_540_hu_b5b660076546adc9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v24wAc1qzufob_540_hu_367eccea9274229f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v24wAc1qzufob_540_hu_a418aca488d771ae.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.wildflourbread.com/\"\u003eWild Flour Bakery\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v2zwAD1qzufob_540_hu_6540394fc7c9279c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-sonoma-county/tumblr_inline_pki9v2zwAD1qzufob_540_hu_d6f7b80f8a3adf59.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking, Sonoma County"},{"content":"I’m back from a euphoria-inducing 8-day, 600-mile bike camping tour across Iowa and Wisconsin.\nThe ride combined RAGBRAI (a 15,000-person group ride across Iowa with pork chops, pie, live music, and beer in tiny towns along the way) and a solo ride across beautiful, rural Southwest Wisconsin.\nThe mix of mostly good weather, wildlife (fireflies, startled rabbits, and red-winged blackbirds), friendly strangers, no email, the ability to improvise and change plans on the spot (the flexibility of carrying a tent…), and plenty of time to ride alone and drift between states of present observation and introspection are why I always come back to bike touring…\nSo while it can’t really convey the feeling, here’s a story-in-photos of the final two days (220 hilly miles, riding from sunrise to sunset):\nThe last day of RAGBRAI was more scenic than usual, with fast twisty downhills and a few uphill slogs (anyone who says Iowa is flat was in for a bit of a shock), and after ceremonially dipping our tires in the Mississippi and stopping for a celebratory ice cream (which would turn out to be important later), I bid my friends farewell as they headed to the airport.\nAnd then there I was, bags strapped to my bike and riding out of Gutenberg, a long uphill slog on a gravel shoulder as team RVs and trucks whizzed by (though one bystander did suddenly rush me… and give me a five-step running push uphill).\nInstead of continuing to Dubuque and a bridge, I cut down a dirt road to the Cassville ferry… and ran into two friendly women stopped in their car as a freight train went by. They offered me a beer and we chatted for a while about how RAGBRAI used to be more rowdy (more nakedness and night riding back in the 90s when they last rode it). I’ve found everyone in Iowa has some story from its past…\nWe’d all just missed the ferry but sat back to wait for the next one, and everyone was excited I’d come so far to ride across their state.\nAmong the people I met and briefly chatted with was Pete, who bike or motorcycle tours 70+ days a year and has a blog.\nI’d vaguely planned to cut this day off at 80 miles and get a motel in Cassville, but the two places in town were sold out. I looked up an RV campground that was just a few miles down the road and had exactly one spot left (and what sounded like a wild, raucous party going on in the background when I called them), but as I was leaving town I ran in to Pete again. He mentioned his map showed an Army Corps of Engineers camp site on a rural side road another 20 miles down the river, and I still had some energy in my legs, so why not?\nAfter two hours of spectacular (if hilly) riding on Country Road O and Rt 133 we passed through Potosi (population 800), which didn’t have a motel or even a general store yet boasted an impressive brewpub and museum. We took a break there for dinner, and the teenage hostess (in braces, friendly and bored by how little there was to do in her town) got excited when she heard we were camping and gave","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-touring-iowa-wisconsin/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m back from a euphoria-inducing 8-day, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3109840\"\u003e600-mile\u003c/a\u003e bike camping tour across Iowa and Wisconsin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3109840\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ride combined RAGBRAI (a 15,000-person group ride across Iowa with pork chops, pie, live music, and beer in tiny towns along the way) and a solo ride across beautiful, rural Southwest Wisconsin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mix of mostly good weather, wildlife (fireflies, startled rabbits, and red-winged blackbirds), friendly strangers, no email, the ability to improvise and change plans on the spot (the flexibility of carrying a tent…), and plenty of time to ride alone and drift between states of present observation and introspection  are why I always come back to bike touring…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike touring Iowa + Wisconsin"},{"content":"Madison was a great city to bike around (at least, in the mild summer weather). I was able to get from somewhere about 10 miles South of the city to my friends’ house across the isthmus (and then later to the airport on my bike) almost exclusively on bike paths (Badger Trail -\u0026amp;gt; SW Commuter Trail -\u0026amp;gt; Capitol City Trail -\u0026amp;gt; Starkweather Creek Path).\nAnd there was good cycling infrastructure (paths, signage, lanes, even bike tools and stands along the trails), a decent city bike rental system, and apparently low bike theft given the number of nice bikes I saw secured with only a thin cable lock around the top tube (one day I even forgot my keys and left my bike unlocked outside all sorts of businesses outside the city… though I don’t recommend that).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-madison/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMadison was a great city to bike around (at least, in the mild summer weather). I was able to get from somewhere about 10 miles South of the city to my friends’ house across the isthmus (and then later to the airport on my bike) almost exclusively on bike paths (Badger Trail -\u0026gt; SW Commuter Trail -\u0026gt; Capitol City Trail -\u0026gt; Starkweather Creek Path).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd there was good cycling infrastructure (paths, signage, lanes, even bike tools and stands along the trails), a decent city bike rental system, and apparently low bike theft given the number of nice bikes I saw secured with only a thin cable lock around the top tube (one day I even forgot my keys and left my bike unlocked outside all sorts of businesses outside the city… though I don’t recommend that).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in Madison"},{"content":"Sunday was a good day:\nHow often do you get to ride all day, along the Bay, and through fragrant fennel fields?\nOr bike on smooth, paved, separated paths across two major bridges (the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and the Carquinez Bridge)?\nAnd with a group of game friends who, when your sketched-out route suddenly changes into dirt trails, forgive you (well, eventually)?\nAnd with, after the grueling 15% grade section of McEwen in mid-90s heat, the reward of miles and miles of swooping gradual downhill and roadside blackberries?\nSunday was a good day.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSunday was a good day:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow often do you get to ride all day, along the Bay, and through fragrant fennel fields?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80u66wy1qzufob_540_hu_e5a53d322dc002f9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80u66wy1qzufob_540_hu_4f4c622d281fa6bb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"455\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr bike on smooth, paved, separated paths across two major bridges (the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and the Carquinez Bridge)?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80uTGJ21qzufob_540_hu_644f2fa360385e20.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80uTGJ21qzufob_540_hu_d8b012a1c76ddec0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80um75B1qzufob_540_hu_be3dd2914cf69dcd.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80um75B1qzufob_540_hu_11a3d5b57ac093d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80vOR141qzufob_540_hu_9dcd1423b9ccfdec.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/benicia-trails-two-bridges-fennel-forests-hot/tumblr_inline_pja80vOR141qzufob_540_hu_92b70d0056c47423.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Benicia Trails, Two Bridges, Fennel Forests, Hot Hot Hot"},{"content":"Bike rack outside a chiropractor’s office.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-rack-outside-a-chiropractors-office/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike rack outside a chiropractor’s office.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike rack outside a chiropractor's office."},{"content":"\nThe BikeMike Copenhagen Evening Zen Tour: “One stop only as we let the passing cityscape and natural environment do the talking. Hard to believe it’s a city bike tour. We bike through rural areas without ever leaving the city of Copenhagen. Come and join this wonderful ride through beautiful mood pictures of Copenhagen when she is stressing down from another busy day and try to do the same yourself. The tour experience embraces the philosophy: “When we bike, the city does all the talking, when we stop, we do the talking”. Treat yourself to the luxury of two hours of total calm. You’ll hear more birds singing than cars racing by… Please understand and respect that no talking at all is accepted during the bike tour. Silence is a big part of the experience.”\nTwo of us met up, Mike introduced himself, then he set off in some direction and I just tried to keep up. No speaking for a few hours, almost no eye contact (occasionally he looked back to make sure I was still there)– just ride and listen and look.\nAfter maybe half an hour in my brain was free-associating from each little thing I focused on, and my perception felt sharpened– I took in moments and scenes in great detail and they stuck with me. We’d ride through the woods surrounded by vocal pre-sunset birds and the white noise of wind ruffling branches… then for 30 seconds ride past a group of raucous youngsters partying along the side of the road or the bellow of a horse in a paddock, which would then quickly fade back away.\nMoments I can still visualize in detailed clarity even a few weeks later:\nA particular older couple on their second-floor balcony eating dinner at sunset with glasses of wine, each reading a magazine A brief locking of eyes and shared smile with a woman with deep-red-dyed hair and an apron taking a solo smoke break by a tiny door in an alley Three intoxicated friends, one carrying a tiny dog, stumbling down steps in front of us and freezing and staring, wide-eyed Deserted parking lots along the water, the thumping beat of music ahead… whipping past a club and about 100 people milling about… and then just like that, back to the ambient city sounds Breaking out of a grove of bushes and onto an open bridge high above train tracks, looking down into the city Turning suddenly from roads onto brick-arched arcades between buildings, up metal ramps, through courtyards, and down and out into the next street over If you’re ever in Copenhagen and are comfortable riding without any control or complaint, I highly recommend it. I’m not going to spoil the route, but here are a handful of blind snapshots I took with a camera in my basket and looked at later.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/evening-zen-tour-copenhagen-two-strangers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://bikecopenhagenwithmike.dk/?page_id=142\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://bikecopenhagenwithmike.dk/?page_id=142\"\u003eBikeMike Copenhagen Evening Zen Tour\u003c/a\u003e: “One stop only as we let the passing cityscape and natural environment do the talking. Hard to believe it’s a city bike tour. We bike through rural areas without ever leaving the city of Copenhagen. Come and join this wonderful ride through beautiful mood pictures of Copenhagen when she is stressing down from another busy day and try to do the same yourself. The tour experience embraces the philosophy: “When we bike, the city does all the talking, when we stop, we do the talking”. Treat yourself to the luxury of two hours of total calm. You’ll hear more birds singing than cars racing by… Please understand and respect that no talking at all is accepted during the bike tour. Silence is a big part of the experience.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Evening Zen Tour, Copenhagen (Two Strangers, Riding in Silence)"},{"content":"Another day in Copenhagen, another itch to point the bike in a direction and explore under the wide-open sky. Apparently I lucked out and this was the first sunny week all year.\nMy phone showed a large green area , labeled “Kalvebod Fælled\u0026amp;quot; criss-crossed with car-free paths (thanks, Google maps bike layer) between the city and the airport. But what is it?\nFrom Wikipedia: ”[Kalvebod Fælled] consists of reclaimed sea bed, with a number of former islets making up small isolated hills; it was dammed and drained during the 1940s to serve as an artillery training range. […] Most of the area, however, lies as lightly maintained parkland featuring a range of nature types, from young forests to tidal marshes […] After years of preparation the area was finally cleared of unexploded munitions and fully opened to the general public on October 15, 2010.“\nThat was enough for me– after half an hour of city riding, navigating parking lots, and a few paved but heavy foot-traffic smaller parks, the undergrowth and sky opened up in front of me:\nPaved paths:\nSome paths were dirt:\nA few impulsive side turns through the woods had me ducking overhanging branches as they whipped by, riding along footpaths or animal trails:\nAt the border between two sections of the park, a cattle grid and a gate counterweighted with a cinder block. There must be livestock beyond.\nA long paved stretch of path curved along the water. The color gradually faded and the wind and light became more harsh and brisk (though still beautiful) as the path gradually curved and exposed more of the ocean:\nI rode for a few miles with a fence on the left and the ocean on the right, only seeing a few other cyclists and hearing the cry of birds. Not a good place to have a breakdown.\nAnd then, rounding another bend, the sunlight returned, the fence disappeared, and I cut back through the park., stopping for a picnic break:\nAnd afterwards, back to Copenhagen:\nAnd an obligatory stop at the original Mikkeller Bar:\nAll of that only 5-10 miles from the city center:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-kalvebod-f-lled-wetlands-south-of/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother day in Copenhagen, another itch to point the bike in a direction and explore under the wide-open sky. Apparently I lucked out and this was the first sunny week all year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy phone showed  a large green area , labeled “Kalvebod Fælled\u0026quot; criss-crossed with car-free paths (thanks, Google maps bike layer) between the city and the airport. But what is it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalvebod_F%C3%A6lled\"\u003eWikipedia\u003c/a\u003e: ”[Kalvebod Fælled] consists of reclaimed sea bed, with a number of former islets making up small isolated hills; it was dammed and drained during the 1940s to serve as an artillery training range. […] Most of the area, however, lies as lightly maintained parkland featuring a range of nature types, from young forests to tidal marshes […] After years of preparation the area was finally cleared of unexploded munitions and fully opened to the general public on October 15, 2010.“\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking Kalvebod Fælled wetlands, South of Copenhagen"},{"content":"Copenhagen’s close to Sweden, and I couldn’t resist the excuse to head over for an evening (to be honest– partly just to be on my bike in yet another country, though the train across the ocean was also an experience).\nIt’s a small, casual city, with old and new architecture, a lot of cobbled streets less pleasant to bike on, and a fair number of wandering tourists. Interesting, but not a must-see, and it felt less lively than Copenhagen.\nBar ends seen in a BikeID:\nPit stop:\nAnd, seen in the blurry distance from the train crossing the 12-km-long Denmark-Sweden bridge, offshore wind turbines:\nYou need to buy your bike its own separate (and cheaper) ticket, like a child…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-malmo-sweden/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCopenhagen’s close to Sweden, and I couldn’t resist the excuse to head over for an evening (to be honest– partly just to be on my bike in yet another country, though the train across the ocean was also an experience).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a small, casual city, with old and new architecture, a lot of cobbled streets less pleasant to bike on, and a fair number of wandering tourists. Interesting, but not a must-see, and it felt less lively than Copenhagen.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in Malmo, Sweden"},{"content":"While in Copenhagen, I took a few rides farther afield. Riding about 25 miles North was a great way to spend an afternoon (and about the comfort limit on my creaky rented city cruiser, in jeans), and the Louisiana was one of the best modern art museums I’ve been to.\nDenmark’s bike infrastructure extends far beyond the major cities– even through the countryside I was almost exclusively riding on separated bike paths.\nSigns every few km pointed you to various bike routes and destinations. This “Bike Route 9” was the one I mostly followed. If I’d gone another 10 miles I would have made it to Helsingor (a.k.a. Hamlet’s castle), but the museum was too interesting to hurry through.\nAt times, the path ran behind people’s houses, at times along roads, at times through wide-open parks with only the occasional horse or cyclist or wild deer.\nFor one stretch, I took Bike Rt 152 which seemed slightly more direct and ran along the ocean… but it was also less pleasant, with headwinds and busy traffic on the adjacent road. It’s a sign of how spoiled I was by Denmark’s cycling infrastructure that I expected I could do better than “a dedicated, physically separated, paved path along a road”:\nThe Lousiana itself was excellent– an interesting set of collections combined with inspiring internal architecture– natural light illuminating much of the work (large windows and a much more open feeling than typical galleries), and a meandering floorplan revealing something new at every turn. A delightful merging of outdoor and indoor spaces.\nA fine museum cafe and outdoor seating, with a sculpture garden on a bluff with panoramic views of the ocean:\nAnd as the evening closed in, I hopped on the train back to Copenhagen.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-to-the-louisiana-modern-art-museum-north/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhile in Copenhagen, I took a few rides farther afield. Riding about 25 miles North was a great way to spend an afternoon (and about the comfort limit on my creaky rented city cruiser, in jeans), and the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Museum_of_Modern_Art\"\u003eLouisiana\u003c/a\u003e was one of the best modern art museums I’ve been to.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDenmark’s bike infrastructure extends far beyond the major cities– even through the countryside I was almost exclusively riding on separated bike paths.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking to the Louisiana Modern Art Museum (North of Copenhagen)"},{"content":"A few photos I snapped while out and about of my favorite bike-friendly infrastructure.\nWide, paved, separated bike paths around the city:\nA road that in many cities would be two car lanes plus some street parking. In Denmark, I’d see roads with one-way car traffic, spacious separated two-bike bike traffic, and a pedestrian sidewalk:\nOut of this busy 4-lane street, two lanes for cars, two lanes dedicated for bikes (the two right lanes shown here are bikes-only– one for cyclists going straight, and one for cyclists turning left), though this was less common than the separated bike lanes between road and sidewalk:\nThis is a fairly small group of “cyclists waiting for a light” in a bike box for Copenhagen. At other times there could be 40-50 cyclists waiting for a light.\nBike paths had plenty of signage at turns and intersections, and the river was lined with bike/walking paths (one of the only places in the city that didn’t have separate cyclist and pedestrian paths– but I saw almost no cyclist/pedestrian contention the entire trip):\nAn example of what I hear is a new piece of infrastructure– a rail for cyclists to rest their right foos on while waiting for longer lights to change, to make it easier to stay on the seat and start up quickly:\nYou could take bikes on many trains (adorably, you bought the bike its own slightly cheaper train ticket, like a child):\nThere’s even a little “seat belt” hook every few seats to hold a bike in place:\nTwo-level retracting bike parking at a train station:\nAnd, enclosed/monitored bike parking at the site of a long-distance train station (not actually Copenhagen– just across the border in Sweden at Malmo):\nThis is just a small sample of the in-city infrastructure… what a great, low-stress city to get around by bike.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/copenhagen-bike-infrastructure/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few photos I snapped while out and about of my favorite bike-friendly infrastructure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWide, paved, separated bike paths around the city:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA road that in many cities would be two car lanes plus some street parking. In Denmark, I’d see roads with one-way car traffic, spacious separated two-bike bike traffic, and a pedestrian sidewalk:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/copenhagen-bike-infrastructure/tumblr_inline_pk1z6igflX1qzufob_540_hu_a0d2e919b8726598.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/copenhagen-bike-infrastructure/tumblr_inline_pk1z6igflX1qzufob_540_hu_5efddc7280859992.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut of this busy 4-lane street, two lanes for cars, two lanes dedicated for bikes (the two right lanes shown here are bikes-only– one for cyclists going straight, and one for cyclists turning left), though this was less common than the separated bike lanes between road and sidewalk:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Copenhagen: Bike Infrastructure"},{"content":"I got to visit Copenhagen for the first time last week. Some photos of infrastructure and rides in the surrounding countryside are coming, but to start– a few photos of bikes and the streets:\nFront-loading cargo bikes were everywhere, whether carrying children, bread, musical instruments, folding tables, mops and buckets, tipsy friends (men or women), or a mix.\nAnd museums and other public buildings were surrounded by seas of bikes:\nAnd, just one example of an intersection of two busy arterial roads in Copenhagen at a light change, during the day on a weekday. Bikes massed in both directions.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI got to visit Copenhagen for the first time last week. Some photos of infrastructure and rides in the surrounding countryside are coming, but to start– a few photos of bikes and the streets:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswjYCuk1qzufob_540_hu_3ac0387645a4ca83.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswjYCuk1qzufob_540_hu_4ddbbf4869cd4f34.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswk8khB1qzufob_540_hu_d449e255fdb1b62f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswk8khB1qzufob_540_hu_9cfb361e9fcac28.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswknJHY1qzufob_540_hu_cbe004c4da57ac5b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikes-in-copenhagen/tumblr_inline_pklswknJHY1qzufob_540_hu_d5bd983634fd089c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFront-loading cargo bikes were everywhere, whether carrying children, bread, musical instruments, folding tables, mops and buckets, tipsy friends (men or women), or a mix.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bikes in Copenhagen"},{"content":"After taking the London city bikes for a spin, I had to give the famous Paris Velib that kicked off the recent worldwide expansion of city bike programs a try.\nI’d heard the terminals only take chip-and-pin credit cards, so I pre-purchased a 1-day Velib membership online (for about $2.50) before my trip. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked– I entered the numbers from that receipt and my PIN into a terminal, and I was able to quickly/easily check out a Velib for 30 minutes from anywhere in the city.\nParis was a mix of rough cobbles, busy traffic, narrow streets… and also impressively good bike infrastructure along certain streets (separated bike paths, bike boxes, and clear markings for how bikes should cut across complex multi-way intersections, often with bike-specific traffic signals that guided bikes across on a green while cars had reds in both directions for a short period of time).\nUnrelated but obligatory photo of a macaron:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/city-biking-paris/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter \u003ca href=\"/post/city-biking-london/\"\u003etaking the London city bikes for a spin\u003c/a\u003e, I had to give the famous Paris \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib'\"\u003eVelib\u003c/a\u003e that kicked off the recent worldwide expansion of city bike programs a try.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/city-biking-paris/tumblr_inline_pkmpm913lZ1qzufob_540_hu_14d95b1f917c8b8d.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/city-biking-paris/tumblr_inline_pkmpm913lZ1qzufob_540_hu_b64711d8140cba47.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’d heard the terminals only take chip-and-pin credit cards, so I pre-purchased a \u003ca href=\"https://aboen-paris.cyclocity.fr/subscribe/details\"\u003e1-day Velib membership online\u003c/a\u003e (for about $2.50) before my trip. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked– I entered the numbers from that receipt and my PIN into a terminal, and I was able to quickly/easily check out a Velib for 30 minutes from anywhere in the city.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"City Biking Paris"},{"content":"B1866, a Brooks showroom recently opened in London:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.b1866.com/\"\u003eB1866\u003c/a\u003e, a Brooks showroom recently opened in London:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofnMAvN1qzufob_540_hu_ef18116b37e78ec3.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofnMAvN1qzufob_540_hu_3cc1b159d4393f74.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofoeiRF1qzufob_540_hu_c3c7473df863e9f0.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofoeiRF1qzufob_540_hu_20707f14c3b3e2f4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofoW5PJ1qzufob_540_hu_8bd7928edfbbc999.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofoW5PJ1qzufob_540_hu_71fbf0d551811846.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofpkGuq1qzufob_540_hu_cdcebd1bc263db8f.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/brooks-leather-showroom-london/tumblr_inline_pk1ofpkGuq1qzufob_540_hu_55063098365fe60a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Brooks Leather Showroom, London"},{"content":"Recently in London, slogging out of the Underground with my backpack after a long flight onto a road busy with construction, I saw someone glide by on a city bike. I had to try it, even if just for the short distance from tube stop to hotel.\nFortunately, the Barclay’s city bike system is very tourist-friendly and doesn’t require preregistration or a chip-and-pin card. A swipe of a credit card, a few dollars, and I rented a bike, rode it the short distance to the hotel, and deposited it at another stand. No problem.\nThough– riding on the left side of the road and having to be aware of large buses passing fast on my right and then taking left turns in front of me took a little mental adjustment, as did riding clockwise around a rotary…\nI didn’t see any bike paths as a more major road (the A10) was the only sensible was from A to B, but I saw many more cyclists than I remember from a decade ago when I was there, including many on city bikes– I’d call it a success (especially compared to San Francisco’s anemic city bike deployment).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/city-biking-london/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRecently in London, slogging out of the Underground with my backpack after a long flight onto a road busy with construction, I saw someone glide by on a city bike. I had to try it, even if just for the short distance from tube stop to hotel.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/barclays-cycle-hire\"\u003eBarclay’s city bike system\u003c/a\u003e is very tourist-friendly and doesn’t require preregistration or a chip-and-pin card. A swipe of a credit card, a few dollars, and I rented a bike, rode it the short distance to the hotel, and deposited it at another stand. No problem.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"City Biking London"},{"content":"Saturday I organized a third “SF Bicycle Dumpling Tour“ (year 1: friends, year 2: public) for about 50 people. Good food, weather, and a casual 15-mile bike ride around the city, with a few hills….\nA few photos I took or people on the ride sent me:\nPork and chive dumplings arriving in the park by bike:\nFor the $10 registration fee (definitely a zero-profit endeavor) you got all the dumplings you could eat, a low-tech copy-and-paste ride booklet (map, directions, trivia, and a dumpling recipe), and some useful tools…\nChowing down. We decimated 100 soup dumplings in under 5 minutes (by far my favorites— I think we should get at least twice as many next year).\nTwo of us even brought our own sauce (mine was tamari, sesame oil, whole chiles, ginger, vinegar, a little cayenne), and a few people brought plates or their own nicer chopsticks:\nTrails in the grass:\nBig spender:\nThe final set of orders we called in. 740 dumplings. 740! Last year we only bought about 500. If the group grows in size next year, maybe we can hit *1,000 dumplings*.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/third-annual-sf-bike-dumpling-tour-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSaturday I organized a third “\u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/may-9-11-bicycles-dumplings-and-more-in-sf-this-weekend/Content?oid=2793565\"\u003eSF Bicycle Dumpling Tour\u003c/a\u003e“ (\u003ca href=\"/post/dumpling-ride-recap/\"\u003eyear 1\u003c/a\u003e: friends, \u003ca href=\"/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/\"\u003eyear 2\u003c/a\u003e: public) for about 50 people. Good food, weather, and a casual 15-mile bike ride around the city, with a few hills….\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few photos I took or people on the ride sent me:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePork and chive dumplings arriving in the park by bike:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the $10 registration fee (definitely a zero-profit endeavor) you got all the dumplings you could eat, a low-tech copy-and-paste ride booklet (map, directions, trivia, and a dumpling recipe), and some useful tools…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Third Annual SF Bike Dumpling Tour: recap"},{"content":"A gorgeous day. Taking a spin on the fat-tired Pugsley along dirt roads and trails in the Marin Headlands (my first time off-road there, remarkably).\nAmazing views, trails mostly in good condition, a few uphill grinds, and one slightly gnarly downhill on Old Springs (at least, for a beginner like me): ruts, loose gravel, a long set of shallow stairs to ride down, and a few narrow sections of trail lined on both sides with glistening poison oak (“please don’t fall now…”)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/mt-biking-the-marin-headlands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA gorgeous day. Taking a spin on the fat-tired Pugsley along dirt roads and trails in the Marin Headlands (my first time off-road there, remarkably).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmazing views, trails mostly in good condition, a few uphill grinds, and one slightly gnarly downhill on Old Springs (at least, for a beginner like me): ruts, loose gravel, a long set of shallow stairs to ride down, and a few narrow sections of trail lined on both sides with glistening poison oak (“please don’t fall now…”)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mt Biking the Marin Headlands"},{"content":"Wooden seats for two\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wooden-seats-for-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWooden seats for two\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wooden seats for two"},{"content":"I was itching to get out of the city and just ride. So a small group of us headed North to Mill Valley, Panoramic, Pan Toll / Mt Tam, Ridgecrest, Bolinas-Fairfax, Alpine Dam, Fairfax… and back home. About 65 miles, very hilly, and took us all day (with the requisite stops for Sol Food limeade, looking at the ocean, burgers, and beer).\nCrystal clear day, panoramic views of San Francisco, the ocean, Bolinas, Mt Tam, wildflowers in bloom, green hills covered in green, gold, and purple. Photos can’t really convey it, but the section of Ridgecrest above Bolinas is especially beautiful right now and one of my favorite few miles of riding: https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=pan+toll+road+and+e+ridgecrest+blvd\u0026amp;amp;daddr=ridgecrest+and+fairfax-bolinas+road\nI never get tired of the fact that I can bike to somewhere this beautiful without driving.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-point-my-wheels-to-the-north/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI was itching to get out of the city and just ride. So a small group of us headed North to Mill Valley, Panoramic, Pan Toll / Mt Tam, Ridgecrest, Bolinas-Fairfax, Alpine Dam, Fairfax… and back home. About 65 miles, very hilly, and took us all day (with the requisite stops for Sol Food limeade, looking at the ocean, burgers, and beer).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-point-my-wheels-to-the-north/tumblr_inline_pl5kiyDyC61qzufob_540_hu_e0ab4c737475323b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-point-my-wheels-to-the-north/tumblr_inline_pl5kiyDyC61qzufob_540_hu_29b8a06c7082d8b5.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I Point My Wheels To The North"},{"content":"Scouting potential locations and routes for the Third Annual Dumpling Bike Tour on May 10th (see last year)… and it was a beautiful, sunny, relaxing day with a few friends.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eScouting potential locations and routes for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sf-bike-month-3rd-annual-bicycle-dumpling-tour-tickets-11064932511?ref=ebtn\"\u003eThird Annual Dumpling Bike Tour\u003c/a\u003e on May 10th (see \u003ca href=\"/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/\"\u003elast year\u003c/a\u003e)… and it was a beautiful, sunny, relaxing day with a few friends.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0pCZmy1qzufob_540_hu_729cf73caecd2aca.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0pCZmy1qzufob_540_hu_c089b5632dab0c5f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0qpZov1qzufob_540_hu_8f371ea782f451c5.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0qpZov1qzufob_540_hu_fae33e1456419ba8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0qhUYQ1qzufob_540_hu_56c234eadbc95121.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0qhUYQ1qzufob_540_hu_32655757df62b762.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0rfu891qzufob_540_hu_98f98123c4a1f7.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0rfu891qzufob_540_hu_b066e7979b2aa548.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0rE1kb1qzufob_540_hu_ad3c5677e4807264.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0rE1kb1qzufob_540_hu_4cfb38e0421700d3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0r1xaZ1qzufob_540_hu_4c6590edb74e6498.webp 422w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/dumpling-scouting-ride/tumblr_inline_plri0r1xaZ1qzufob_540_hu_f2e01ed46cf9e9be.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"422\" height=\"750\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dumpling Scouting Ride..."},{"content":"A while back I heard about the 1st Annual San Diego Bike \u0026amp;amp; Beer (I think via the citymaus tumblr), and just had to plan a trip down from SF for the weekend. And by lucky chance, two friends were already going to be in Southern California that weekend and drove down to join. In pictures:\nThe 29-mile route visited four breweries (Hess, Modern Times, Stone, and Mission), taking a roundabout path to circle the city and include scenic ocean-side riding:\nRiding was a mix of rough roads, parks with spring wildflowers in bloom, and dedicated bike paths:\nMy favorite brewery was Modern Times (great saison and imperial stout, unusual monkey mural made entirely of post-its), though all four were interesting (Stone Liberty Station had great beers as well as a full restaurant):\nThe ride was mostly flat, punctuated by one steep hill. At least the view back from the top was great:\nOverall it was a really great day– everyone I talked to was cheerful, the weather was phenomenal (warm and sunny with a friendly breeze), it was well organized (impressively so for a first year and 600+ riders!), and the breweries along the route were doing half-size pours instead of full beers (probably a wise idea).\nAlas, all good things must come to an end… the next morning found me disassembling my bike and packing it away (13 minutes from bike to nondescript zippered case) before a day of additional beer tasting and a flight back.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/1st-annual-san-diego-bike-beer-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA while back I heard about the \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikesandbeerssd.com/\"\u003e1st Annual San Diego Bike \u0026amp; Beer\u003c/a\u003e (I think via the \u003ca href=\"http://citymaus.tumblr.com/\"\u003ecitymaus\u003c/a\u003e tumblr), and just had to plan a trip down from SF for the weekend. And by lucky chance, two friends were already going to be in Southern California that weekend and drove down to join. In pictures:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 29-mile route visited four breweries (Hess, Modern Times, Stone, and Mission), taking a roundabout path to circle the city and include scenic ocean-side riding:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1st Annual San Diego Bike \u0026 Beer: recap"},{"content":"Packing up my bike for next weekend’s 1st Annual San Diego Bikes \u0026amp;amp; Beer.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/packing-up-my-bike-for-next-weekends-1st-annual/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePacking up my bike for next weekend’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikesandbeerssd.com/event-info--route-map.html\"\u003e1st Annual San Diego Bikes \u0026amp; Beer\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Packing up my bike for next weekend's 1st Annual San Diego Bikes \u0026 Beer."},{"content":"Five of us set off to ride dirt roads up to the top of Mt Tam, along the former route of the ‘Crookest Railroad in the World’.\nStarting with a little dirt warm-up on paths through the Presidio:\nNew off-road dirt shortcut to the bridge, past old concrete batteries (involved some flights of stairs):\nStop at the new Sol Food in Mill Valley (quite possibly my favorite place to eat on a ride) for a plantain-and-hot-sauce-heavy lunch:\nAnd after a scenic ride past Mill Valley and into the dark, shadowy woods, we branched off onto Old Railroad Grade, the remarkably consistent 6% grade dirt path that switchbacks all the way up Mt Tam:\nIt was rough and rocky at points, with attention needed to plan a line and stay alert (especially for the bold among us doing it on narrow-tires road bikes), but rewarding. Stopping earlier to bleed some pressure off our tires helped smooth the ride, and we only had one flat all day.\nA short snack break at the historic West Point Inn:\nAnd after a few more miles, we were at East Peak, with no-picture-can-capture amazing panoramic views of the Bay Area. We could see Benicia and Carquinez Strait, the Bay and the ocean, downtown SF and Sutro tower, the Richmond and Martinez refineries, all the major bridges, and the winding dirt trail we’d taken up the mountain:\nBack down:\nCrossing the golden gate bridge in good light before sunset, tired and happy:\nAnd the GPS recording of the route, switchbacks, steady grade, and all. About 50 miles round trip and 4000’ feet of elevation gain (about 2500’ in that one Mt Tam ascent):\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-dirt-roads-old-railroad-grade-up-mt-tam/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFive of us set off to ride dirt roads up to the top of Mt Tam, along the former route of the ‘\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tamalpais_and_Muir_Woods_Railway\"\u003eCrookest Railroad in the World\u003c/a\u003e’.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarting with a little dirt warm-up on paths through the Presidio:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew off-road dirt shortcut to the bridge, past old concrete batteries (involved some flights of stairs):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-dirt-roads-old-railroad-grade-up-mt-tam/tumblr_inline_pk06duoTph1qzufob_540_hu_c8e6b5ae792ace7a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-dirt-roads-old-railroad-grade-up-mt-tam/tumblr_inline_pk06duoTph1qzufob_540_hu_23cf13aa9920635d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"252\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStop at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=sol+food+mill+valley\"\u003enew Sol Food in Mill Valley\u003c/a\u003e (quite possibly my favorite place to eat on a ride) for a plantain-and-hot-sauce-heavy lunch:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking dirt roads (Old Railroad Grade) up Mt Tam"},{"content":"citymaus:\nA barnacled Motebecane found at low tide in Mission Creek and rebuilt as a fixed gear with the help of the bike mechanics at Pedal Revolution\n—Chris Sollars, 37, artist/professor\nCyclists show off their San Francisco bike style. sfgate, 28.02.14.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/barnaclebike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://citymaus.tumblr.com/post/78408426661/barnaclebike\"\u003ecitymaus\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA barnacled Motebecane\u003c/strong\u003e found at low tide in Mission Creek and rebuilt as a fixed gear with the help of the bike mechanics at Pedal Revolution\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Chris Sollars, 37, artist/professor\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyclists show off their San Francisco bike style. sfgate, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Cyclists-show-off-their-San-Francisco-bike-style-5275536.php#photo-5937859\" title=\"see more\"\u003e28.02.14\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e","title":"A barnacled Motebecane found at low tide in Mission Creek and rebuilt as a fixed gear with the help of the bike mechanics at..."},{"content":"I “collect” very few things, but I’ve been on an idle (wishful) lookout for a Bridgestone XO-1 for years.\nAnd then within the span of a month I found one online, bought it, reassembled it, fixed a few issues, and took it on its first test ride.\nFrom the side-pull brakes and the “Tusk” (cream) color, I’d say this is the original 1991 model (it was made for three years, ‘91-\u0026amp;lsquo;93).\nAlmost all components are original, but I want to figure out good dual-sided pedals and maybe a minimal rack (and may make a concession to a different saddle depending how I like the original 1990s Avocet), and will probably switch in smaller tires so I can fit on fenders, but it rides…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-bike-bridgestone-xo-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI “collect” very few things, but I’ve been on an idle (wishful) lookout for a \u003ca href=\"http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2013/09/bridgestone-x0-1-cult-of-personality.html\"\u003eBridgestone XO-1\u003c/a\u003e for years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then within the span of a month I found one online, bought it, reassembled it, fixed a few issues, and took it on its first test ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/new-bike-bridgestone-xo-1/tumblr_inline_pk02h9nipJ1qzufob_540_hu_9357127eafe818eb.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/new-bike-bridgestone-xo-1/tumblr_inline_pk02h9nipJ1qzufob_540_hu_f5bd9a09e492e2f8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/new-bike-bridgestone-xo-1/tumblr_inline_pk02hawKZE1qzufob_540_hu_c223a6acffdbf0ac.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/new-bike-bridgestone-xo-1/tumblr_inline_pk02hawKZE1qzufob_540_hu_6bdc206eb39dee82.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"347\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the side-pull brakes and the “Tusk” (cream) color, I’d say this is the original 1991 model (it was made for three years, ‘91-\u0026lsquo;93).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Bike: Bridgestone XO-1"},{"content":"Biking Arastradero in light rain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-arastradero-in-light-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking Arastradero in light rain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking Arastradero in light rain"},{"content":"This photo sums up the day:\nSunday was the 4th annual Grand-Cru-organized Tour de Biere, visiting four East Bay breweries over the course of an all-day 29-mile scenic bike ride. Great weather (sunny but not too warm, an epic red-and-pink sunset that photos can’t convey), a friendly group of about 40, four friends along for the ride, and a lot of good beer.\nA collection of photos, in no particular order:\n10AM: Coffee and Beer at Pyramid:\nA wide range of environments to ride in:\nPuppy in pannier, along for the ride:\nSome of the widest-open vistas were at the end of Alameda, as we approached Faction Brewing:\nRoadside cookie stop:\nThe light as we headed into San Leandro:\nAnd at the end of the night, my phone, apparently intoxicated, started turning every photo bright pink:\nQuite a ride…\nWhat a great, full day (followed up by a drink and dinner with friends). My personal favorites on the beer front were at Sierra and Drake’s:\nSierra Ovila Golden Sierra Ovila Golden Barrel-Aged Sierra Ovila Abbey Quad w/ Plums Drake’s Barrel-Aged Drakonic (Imperial Stout) Drake’s Bourbon Barrel Jolly Rodger 2012 (Barleywine) Drake’s Father Maker- blend of Amber with Denogginizer aged in brandy barrels Almanac Farmer’s Reserve #3 (sour Wild Ale aged in wine barrels with strawberries and nectarines)– post-ride treat. ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tour-de-biere-2014-photos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis photo sums up the day:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday was the 4th annual Grand-Cru-organized \u003ca href=\"http://www.thegrandcru.org/\"\u003eTour de Biere\u003c/a\u003e, visiting four East Bay breweries over the course of an all-day 29-mile scenic bike ride. Great weather (sunny but not too warm, an epic red-and-pink sunset that photos can’t convey), a friendly group of about 40, four friends along for the ride, and a lot of good beer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA collection of photos, in no particular order:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tour de Biere 2014 photos"},{"content":"Bike Route Signage, Berkeley\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-route-signage-berkeley/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike Route Signage, Berkeley\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Route Signage, Berkeley"},{"content":"Happy Valentine’s Day from bikeit\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/happy-valentines-day-from-bikeit/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHappy Valentine’s Day from bikeit\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Valentine's Day from bikeit"},{"content":"Fat Tires on the Beach\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fat-tires-on-the-beach/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFat Tires on the Beach\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fat Tires on the Beach"},{"content":"Temperance advocate Frances E. Willard wrote in 1895, “… the bicycle was perhaps our strongest ally in winning young men away from public-houses, because it afforded them a pleasure far more enduring, and an exhilaration as much more delightful as the natural is than the unnatural.”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bicycling-temperance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTemperance advocate Frances E. Willard wrote in 1895, “… the bicycle was perhaps our strongest ally in winning young men away from public-houses, because it afforded them a pleasure far more enduring, and an exhilaration as much more delightful as the natural is than the unnatural.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bicycling, Temperance"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/40-mile-sunrise-ride-to-work/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/40-mile-sunrise-ride-to-work/tumblr_inline_pl7s6c2Cy81qzufob_540_hu_bbc2340933a020be.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/40-mile-sunrise-ride-to-work/tumblr_inline_pl7s6c2Cy81qzufob_540_hu_d897fb42ca6ea554.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"358\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"40-mile sunrise ride to work"},{"content":"I declared (to myself) a 2014 bikeit motto “The Year of Dirt”. Not extreme mountain biking or log-jumping, but riding to the sort of places only accessible by a fire road or dirt trail. For example, a break in a day of wine tasting to explore dirt paths to an abandoned winery being reclaimed by vines…\nThat was just one part of a great day– a casual, scenic ride through Livermore, for the fourth year in a row (a small group of 5 this time, not the rolling party of 31 from last time).\nThis time we explored a number of new or not-on-the-bike-coalition-map (built in the past 5 years) routes, including some 4-6 lane expressways through new subdivisions (but with well-marked bike lanes and bike-triggered traffic lights– miles of riding at a time without a single red light or stop).\nRiding past small airports advertising biplane rides (and with many small planes taking off).\nPaved paths through open brushland and light tree cover:\nThe carefully-maintained bike paths along Tesla Rd (with white and yellow guidelines):\nPicnic lunch and wine tasting break at Concannon (they’re very welcoming of picnickers, with tables and chairs to use even).\nContinuing on, along some of my favorite paved bikes-only paths through fields of vines and the low rolling hills:\nRolling into Sycamore Grove Park, creepy twisted almond tree groves like something out of Oz:\nThe abandoned and collapsing vineyard buildings:\nAnd a ride back to civilization along dirt… with a Great Blue Heron, gophers, massive fearless vultures above a deer corpse, and other wildlife.\nAbout 30 miles round trip from the Dublin BART station, and mostly flat…. (click through below for a map + directions, now that I’ve fixed the link…)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/4th-annual-livermore-wine-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI declared (to myself) a 2014 bikeit motto “The Year of Dirt”. Not extreme mountain biking or log-jumping, but riding to the sort of places only accessible by a fire road or dirt trail. For example, a break in a day of wine tasting to explore dirt paths to an abandoned winery being reclaimed by vines…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/4th-annual-livermore-wine-ride/tumblr_inline_pk0ey3O9Rc1qzufob_540_hu_538d653488a54e6d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/4th-annual-livermore-wine-ride/tumblr_inline_pk0ey3O9Rc1qzufob_540_hu_6d82035bcba96706.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat was just one part of a great day– a casual, scenic ride through Livermore, for the fourth year in a row (a small group of 5 this time, not the \u003ca href=\"/post/livermore-wine-ramble-3-recap/\"\u003erolling party of 31 from last time\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4th Annual* Livermore Wine Ride"},{"content":"Chalk, Golden Gate Park\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/chalk-golden-gate-park/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eChalk, Golden Gate Park\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chalk, Golden Gate Park"},{"content":"Along the lines of the 2012 bikeit recap, some of the most memorable rides from 2013 were:\nOrganizing a dumplings-by-bike tour for friends and strangers that pulled in about 45(!) people and was a great day.\nA Dogpatch/Bayview history ride I posted publicly through the SF Bike Coalition (and met new people on, including one person I’ve continued riding with), along scenic dirt bike paths and past graffiti, goats, and other strange sights:\nA ride up to San Rafael for brunch, made especially enjoyable by sunny weather and wildflowers blooming:\nA long (114 hilly miles, from sunsire past sunset) ride to Lagunitas Brewing and back on a very hot day. A tough day to be riding, some heatstroke, but everyone survived and it was a satisfying accomplishment:\nThe “East Bay Beer Tour” organized by someone else was a great all-day ride (San Leandro -\u0026amp;gt; Alameda -\u0026amp;gt; Oakland), along paths and routes I’d never seen:\nAn all-day 40-mile bike ride through and around Tokyo with a friendly stranger we’d just met the day before and great yakitori was the most unexpected ride and one of the most memorable (scenic in a different way):\nThe ride up to Larkspur to rent kayaks and paddle around before a beer and sunset ferry home was one of the easiest one-day adventures with friends I’ve done in a long time:\nAnd almost as easy, a sub-24-hour-overnight one-night bike camping trip with a few friends up to Samuel P (with convenient festival stop en route):\nAnd on the more adventurous side, the highlight was spending a week riding 400+ miles through gorgeous rural Maine, camping, eating, and meeting a great new group of people:\nHonorable mention to riding Circuito Chico in Argentina– I feel like biking that far from home deserves a mention, and bits of the ride were good, but the traffic and bikes were both heavy and I wouldn’t do it again:\nHere’s to great rides in 2014!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bikeit-2013-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAlong the lines of the \u003ca href=\"/post/2012-biking-recap/\"\u003e2012 bikeit recap\u003c/a\u003e, some of the most memorable rides from 2013 were:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrganizing a \u003ca href=\"/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/\"\u003edumplings-by-bike tour\u003c/a\u003e for friends and strangers that pulled in about 45(!) people and was a great day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003ca href=\"/post/dogpatch-bayview-tour-recap/\"\u003eDogpatch/Bayview history ride\u003c/a\u003e I posted publicly through the SF Bike Coalition (and met new people on, including one person I’ve continued riding with), along scenic dirt bike paths and past graffiti, goats, and other strange sights:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bikeit 2013 recap"},{"content":"She Drank Her Ale At The Bar(!) – NY Times, 1896.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/she-drank-her-ale-at-the-bar-ny-times-1896/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eShe Drank Her Ale At The Bar(!) – NY Times, 1896.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"She Drank Her Ale At The Bar(!) -- NY Times, 1896."},{"content":"Stunt riding with road bikes?!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/stunt-riding-with-road-bikes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://youtu.be/HhabgvIIXik?t=3m4s\"\u003eStunt riding with road bikes?!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stunt riding with road bikes?!"},{"content":"After skipping last year, I rode the Supermarket Street Sweep again, with two friends. This is a fundraiser / food drive for the SF Food Bank, combined with a little light competition to collect the most food or collect it the fastest.\nIt was an amazingly successful year for the food drive– 149 cyclists brought in 10,615 pounds of food, about 2,500 pounds more than the previous record.\nA few photos snapped along the way…\nAn impressing tower of cases of ramen (which almost tipped over):\nOne of the more serious cargo loads:\nParking lot loading:\nAnd,somehow, we made it last last few miles with over 300 lbs of food between us, and no bent wheels or crashes.\nOn a personal note, I also set a record for the most weight I’ve ever carried by bike– after collecting about 20 lbs of food in 2010, and 100 lbs of food in 2011, this year I hauled 156 lbs (of dry beans, peanut butter, orange juice, pasta, and lots of rice), with the two extra-deep panniers, a large backpack, and a rack:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-street-sweep-groceries-by-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter skipping last year, I rode the \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e again, with two friends. This is a fundraiser / food drive for the SF Food Bank, combined with a little light competition to collect the most food or collect it the fastest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was an \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/2013/12/thank-you-all-for-another-great-year.html\"\u003eamazingly successful year\u003c/a\u003e for the food drive– 149 cyclists brought in 10,615 pounds of food, about 2,500 pounds more than the previous record.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few photos snapped along the way…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket Street Sweep (groceries by bike)"},{"content":"Souvenir card templates\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/souvenir-card-templates/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSouvenir card templates\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Souvenir card templates"},{"content":"riders, friends.\nbikeit’s having a holiday party tomorrow (Friday), without bikes. In which we drop by the Post-Car Travel Agency party at Huckleberry Bikes around 7, then walk down to the ArtCrank bicycle-themed poster show with $5 beer, then wander to a nearby bar for a festive drink.\nIf you came on a ride this year, the first drink’s on me.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friday-bikeit-holiday-drinks-postcar-travel/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eriders, friends.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebikeit’s having a holiday party tomorrow (Friday), without bikes. In which we drop by the \u003ca href=\"http://postcartravelagency.tumblr.com/\"\u003ePost-Car Travel Agency\u003c/a\u003e party at Huckleberry Bikes around 7, then walk down to the \u003ca href=\"http://artcrank.com/sanfrancisco\"\u003eArtCrank\u003c/a\u003e bicycle-themed poster show with $5 beer, then wander to a nearby bar for a festive drink.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you came on a ride this year, the first drink’s on me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friday - bikeit holiday drinks - postcar travel - artcrank"},{"content":"Biking in Tokyo can be this:\nAs well as this:\nIn Japan for work, sick and low on sleep, with a day at the end of the trip to sightsee with a friend but no plans and almost no Japanese language skills… we randomly ran into expat Noel of Travels In Japan (and recently a new project, Tokyo Biking Tours) and struck up a conversation.\nHe gave us a few suggestions of places to check out, then mentioned– “I have spare bikes stashed around the city– I could loan two of them to you… or hey, I could even move three to the same location, meet up with you tomorrow morning, and take you on a ride around the city”.\nYes.\nThe next morning, we set off on sturdy, single-speed mamacharis for what ended up being a 12 hour biking and walking tour around all of central Tokyo, somewhere between 35 and 45 miles of riding, with many stops to walk around shrines, historical sites, shopping districts, parks, and places to eat. Photos continue below the map.\nWe cruised past what I believe was a Noh performance, with one performer in a mask, one holding a broom, and sharp, rehearsed body motions:\nSaw rivers and many bridges:\nLunch, for about US$7:\nThe giant water lilies were starting to die (seasonally) in Shinobazu pond in Ueno park:\nBiking on sidewalks is allowed, and in parts of the city was easier than riding in the road, as long as you’re willing to keep a slow appreciating-your-surroundings pace (and isn’t that the point?)\nBike crossing (sidewalk to sidewalk):\nTwo-level bike parking:\nA sudden flat. An attempt to fix it with a spray can of tire-inflating foam. But the hole was too large. We walked it to a nearby bike shop (courtesy google maps), and were on the road again a while later:\nSerendipitously, the bike shop was a few blocks from Kappabashi-dori, a street with many kitchen supply stores including a shop selling the realistic-looking plastic models of food used in the windows of many Japanese restaurants:\nLater, in Asakusa (one of the more scenic sections):\nFollowing our noses to dinner, near Yurakucho Station:\nExcellent yakitori (chicken thigh, leeks, shisito peppers, pig heart) and beer in icy glasses:\nAfter riding back across the city, this time at night, we reached Shibuya and Hachikō and neon:\nA great day, with such a different feeling for how Tokyo connects than just hitting the hot spots by train gave me in the past, and another fine example of the kindness of strangers. Thanks, Noel!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-across-tokyo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking in Tokyo can be this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs well as this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/biking-across-tokyo/ac922dd6cafbdba7335706d3358cb4aa27a2eb3b_hu_38ebb7282e1b29b5.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/biking-across-tokyo/ac922dd6cafbdba7335706d3358cb4aa27a2eb3b_hu_3160e3f8e611f3c6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Japan for work, sick and low on sleep, with a day at the end of the trip to sightsee with a friend but no plans and almost no Japanese language skills… we randomly ran into expat Noel of \u003ca href=\"http://travelsinjapan.com/\"\u003eTravels In Japan\u003c/a\u003e (and recently a new project, \u003ca href=\"http://www.tokyobikingtours.com/\"\u003eTokyo Biking Tours\u003c/a\u003e) and struck up a conversation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking Across Tokyo"},{"content":"Police Bike, Tokyo (cargo box for paperwork and tubes mounted to fork that hold police baton(s)).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/police-bike-tokyo-cargo-box-for-paperwork-and/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePolice Bike, Tokyo (cargo box for paperwork and tubes mounted to fork that hold police baton(s)).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Police Bike, Tokyo (cargo box for paperwork and tubes mounted to fork that hold police baton(s))."},{"content":"Fish-carrying bike, Tsukiji market, Tokyo.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fish-carrying-bike-tsukiji-market-tokyo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFish-carrying bike, Tsukiji market, Tokyo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fish-carrying bike, Tsukiji market, Tokyo."},{"content":"An easy, relaxing local adventure.\nMeet at Velo Rouge in the morning. Bike to Larkspur, partly along dedicated paved bike trails (about 17 miles). Rent kayaks from Outback Adventure ($30 for 2 hours, I called ahead since we were a group). Paddle along Corte Madera Creek and side creeks under Mt Tam (a few hours before low tide so we were paddling against the current on the way in but the ebb was carrying us back out). Head to the Marin County Brewing Company a few blocks away for some food and refreshment. Catch the 4:45pm (sunset) ferry (also right there) back to SF.\nA friendly group of 6, a casual pace, we saw wild turkeys (right in front of the “TURKEY XING” sign, no less), egrets, herons, cormorants, pelicans, sandpipers, ducks, a vulture, and a harbor seal.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-kayak-marin/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn easy, relaxing local adventure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeet at Velo Rouge in the morning. Bike to Larkspur, partly along dedicated paved bike trails (about 17 miles). Rent kayaks from Outback Adventure ($30 for 2 hours, I called ahead since we were a group). Paddle along Corte Madera Creek and side creeks under Mt Tam (a few hours before low tide so we were paddling against the current on the way in but the ebb was carrying us back out). Head to the Marin County Brewing Company a few blocks away for some food and refreshment. Catch the 4:45pm (sunset) ferry (also right there) back to SF.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike \u0026 Kayak Marin"},{"content":"Separated bike lanes, Nagoya (Japan)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/separated-bike-lanes-nagoya-japan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSeparated bike lanes, Nagoya (Japan)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Separated bike lanes, Nagoya (Japan)"},{"content":"Brooks saddlebags, old frame pump\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/brooks-saddlebags-old-frame-pump/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBrooks saddlebags, old frame pump\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Brooks saddlebags, old frame pump"},{"content":"500 photos, maps, ride memories, or plans posted here, since early 2009 when I started organizing 15-mile rides with friends.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/500-bike-posts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e500 photos, maps, ride memories, or plans posted here, since \u003ca href=\"/archives/\"\u003eearly 2009\u003c/a\u003e when I started organizing 15-mile rides with friends.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"500 Bike Posts"},{"content":"I’ve been on long bike tours and three-day-weekend bike camping trips, but I wanted to do something quick involving minimal preparation, in the spirit of the S24O (Sub-24 Hour Overnight):\nFive of us riding through Marin, with luggage ranging from just a seat post rack to panniers to a clip-on cooler to a pull-behind trailer:\nBy lucky coincidence, we had to ride right through Fairfax on the day of Biketoberfest. So we stopped for a few hours for the classic bikes, the beer-dispensing cargo bikes, and the food.\nCross-Marin trail:\nTouring bike, tall trees. Outfitted with insulated coffee thermos, small under-tube stereo, blue cooler pannier, bike mounted bourbon flask.\nOnions + bell peppers + excellent local lamb and pork sausages, in foil, over a fire. Delicious.\nThe view unzipping the bivy the next morning:\nAnd after the ride home, celebrating the 80ish miles and gradual breaking in of a still knee, with ice cream.\nRelaxing and easy– just a few hours of preparation to throw supplies into a bag and plan a route.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/nearby-bike-camping-biketoberfest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve been on \u003ca href=\"/post/three-weeks-of-solo-bike-touring-and-camping/\"\u003elong bike tours\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ethree-day-weekend bike camping trips\u003c/a\u003e, but I wanted to do something quick involving minimal preparation, in the spirit of the S24O (\u003ca href=\"http://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=36\"\u003eSub-24 Hour Overnight\u003c/a\u003e):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive of us riding through Marin, with luggage ranging from just a seat post rack to panniers to a clip-on cooler to a pull-behind trailer:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy lucky coincidence, we had to ride right through Fairfax on the day of Biketoberfest. So we stopped for a few hours for the classic bikes, the beer-dispensing cargo bikes, and the food.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nearby Bike Camping / Biketoberfest"},{"content":"Nice new green-striped bike sharrow-lane, 40th, Oakland\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/nice-new-green-striped-bike-sharrow-lane-40th/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNice new green-striped bike sharrow-lane, 40th, Oakland\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nice new green-striped bike sharrow-lane, 40th, Oakland"},{"content":"A week biking and (mostly) camping in Maine on the first-ever BikeMaine. Good scenery, small towns, and new people (Team Under Average, you know who you are). Some cell phone photos from my stops-a-lot ride:\nColor-coordinated bike and rooster:\nShades of RAGBRAI!\n“For Sale By Owner”:\nSeriously good black bean soup and lunch spread at a church in Blue Hill:\nCollapse:\nLobster dinner for 300 riders under a tent on the ocean:\nWandered back streets near a rest stop just in time to see someone (lower left) driving a boat around in a self-contained motorized sling\nRule #1:\nShort on tent stakes:\nRaining while the sun shines?!\nFinal-day sunset. Fitting:\nGreat week. Some rain, some hilly days (about 420 miles and 22,000’ of elevation gain over the week, including some “unintended detours”), some hijinks, and so many homemade-by-locals desserts at every stop…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA week biking and (mostly) camping in Maine on the first-ever \u003ca href=\"http://ride.bikemaine.org/\"\u003eBikeMaine\u003c/a\u003e. Good scenery, small towns, and new people (Team Under Average, you know who you are). Some cell phone photos from my stops-a-lot ride:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColor-coordinated bike and rooster:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/918eacde8ccea1e7d8d34d06873a4455eed272b0_hu_52a7a85833b4b472.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/918eacde8ccea1e7d8d34d06873a4455eed272b0_hu_4cbac0e5a448552d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/53ac910c376bf5d7262fd98e548688bca6a44f31_hu_e8ee84f5dd31788b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/53ac910c376bf5d7262fd98e548688bca6a44f31_hu_f524bd5018f4311a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShades of \u003ca href=\"/post/ragbrai-condensed/\"\u003eRAGBRAI\u003c/a\u003e!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/4c9848f68f682f15e82486c711309c5373435e00_hu_2a6b5a6c58e77f8f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/4c9848f68f682f15e82486c711309c5373435e00_hu_5041f03639a7e1f6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/22558794d670fa992dec8167ca86808a6a56c0ef_hu_11a8b8fdcacd1dab.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bikemaine-tour-photos/22558794d670fa992dec8167ca86808a6a56c0ef_hu_71b11ed7fff7b594.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"BikeMaine tour photos"},{"content":"Off-road mud adventures with boston bike share…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/off-road-mud-adventures-with-boston-bike-share/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOff-road mud adventures with boston bike share…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Off-road mud adventures with boston bike share..."},{"content":"Hubway: Boston bike share. $6 for a day = great deal.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/hubway-boston-bike-share-6-for-a-day-great/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHubway: Boston bike share. $6 for a day = great deal.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hubway: Boston bike share. $6 for a day = great deal."},{"content":"Warning: post about death.\nWith Amelia Le Moullac’s recent death after being hit by a truck fresh on my mind, it gave me another shudder to bike past the intersection where Diana Sullivan was hit and killed by a truck earlier this year. This ghost bike is locked to a lamp post there.\nThere’s an account of how Diana died here– warning– it is graphic and disturbing.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/warning-post-about-death-with-amelia-le/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWarning: post about death.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Amelia Le Moullac’s recent \u003ca href=\"http://blog.sfgate.com/cwnevius/2013/08/28/sfpd-concludes-truck-driver-at-fault-in-fatal-soma-bike-collision/\"\u003edeath after being hit by a truck\u003c/a\u003e fresh on my mind, it gave me another shudder to bike past the intersection where Diana Sullivan was hit and killed by a truck earlier this year. This ghost bike is locked to a lamp post there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s an account of how Diana died \u003ca href=\"http://sf.streetsblog.org/2013/02/11/diane-sullivan-48-killed-on-bike-by-cement-truck-driver-at-third-and-king/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e– warning– it is graphic and disturbing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Warning: post about death.   With Amelia Le Moullac's recent death after being hit by a truck fresh on my mind, it gave me..."},{"content":"A friend’s Yuba el Mundo cargo bike with electrical assist, set up for carrying a kid and large quantities of groceries/cargo. I hitched a ride home sitting on the back rack and it lugged both of us and our groceries stably. Interesting…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-friends-yuba-el-mundo-cargo-bike-with/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA friend’s \u003ca href=\"http://yubabikes.com/bikes/el-mundo/\"\u003eYuba el Mundo\u003c/a\u003e cargo bike with electrical assist, set up for carrying a kid and large quantities of groceries/cargo. I hitched a ride home sitting on the back rack and it lugged both of us and our groceries stably. Interesting…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A friend's Yuba el Mundo cargo bike with electrical assist, set up for carrying a kid and large quantities of groceries/cargo. I..."},{"content":"I tried out Bay Area Bike Share. Easy, comfortable bikes (they don’t feel as heavy as they are), you use a keyfob to check a bike out and then have 30 minutes to check it back in at a different station. They’re launching timidly, though, with only a few hundred bikes (1/100th the scale of the successful New York program), so I’m concerned they won’t get enough riders and mindshare. We’ll see…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-tried-out-bay-area-bike-share-easy-comfortable/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI tried out \u003ca href=\"http://bayareabikeshare.com/\"\u003eBay Area Bike Share\u003c/a\u003e. Easy, comfortable bikes (they don’t feel as heavy as they are), you use a keyfob to check a bike out and then have 30 minutes to check it back in at a different station. They’re launching timidly, though, with only a few hundred bikes (1/100th the scale of the successful New York program), so I’m concerned they won’t get enough riders and mindshare. We’ll see…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I tried out Bay Area Bike Share. Easy, comfortable bikes (they don't feel as heavy as they are), you use a keyfob to check a..."},{"content":"On the epic Lagunitas Brewing Ride a few weeks ago I noticed huge stands of green blackberries lining one of the Marin bike paths, and vowed to return on a foraging mission.\nSo 11 of us wrapped blackberry picking, an escape from the fog, a picnic by the bay, ice cream, and a casual ride around Marin into a day.\nIn quick cell phone photos:\nSome canalside dirt bike paths near Larkspur:\nAfter the ride, a blackberries-gin-campari cocktail:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/foraging-blackberries-picnic-ice-cream/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the \u003ca href=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/\"\u003eepic Lagunitas Brewing Ride\u003c/a\u003e a few weeks ago I noticed huge stands of green blackberries lining one of the Marin bike paths, and vowed to return on a foraging mission.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo 11 of us wrapped blackberry picking, an escape from the fog, a picnic by the bay, ice cream, and a casual ride around Marin into a day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn quick cell phone photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/foraging-blackberries-picnic-ice-cream/492bd85f4d9ebbbd65e0b919c1a4fc8d67f8b1ca_hu_8f9673d785663753.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/foraging-blackberries-picnic-ice-cream/492bd85f4d9ebbbd65e0b919c1a4fc8d67f8b1ca_hu_95dee922ac1e5526.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"535\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Foraging, Blackberries, Picnic, Ice Cream"},{"content":"Nice Nishiki, Southern Pac\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/nice-nishiki-southern-pac/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNice Nishiki, Southern Pac\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nice Nishiki, Southern Pac"},{"content":"not a good sign…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/not-a-good-sign/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enot a good sign…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"not a good sign..."},{"content":"I’m a long-time fan of Trouble Coffee and the espresso / cinnamon toast / coconut trifecta, so imagine my excitement when she opened a second cafe in Bayview, closer to home.\nIt was only a matter of time until I’d organize a “Double Trouble” ride: a butterlap-style ride along the water, through the Presidio, through eucalyptus groves past the Palace of the Legion of Honor, down along the ocean (on a clear see-for-miles day), and then across the city between both locations. The distance added up for an in-city coffee jaunt– 26 miles– but it was a great social ride with a friendly group and some new folks:\nLittle greenhouse behind General Store, next to the original Trouble:\nAnd, the new Trouble (parklet coming soon, I hear):\nFollowing the ride with some homebrew and a great dinner at Slow Club was a prefect way to round out an outdoor day around the city.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/double-trouble-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m a long-time fan of Trouble Coffee and the espresso / cinnamon toast / coconut trifecta, so imagine my excitement when she opened a second cafe in Bayview, closer to home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was only a matter of time until I’d organize a “Double Trouble” ride: a \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/125565\"\u003ebutterlap\u003c/a\u003e-style ride along the water, through the Presidio, through eucalyptus groves past the Palace of the Legion of Honor, down along the ocean (on a clear see-for-miles day), and then across the city between both locations. The distance added up for an in-city coffee jaunt– 26 miles– but it was a great social ride with a friendly group and some new folks:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Double Trouble recap"},{"content":"baguette pocket\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/baguette-pocket/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebaguette pocket\u003c/p\u003e","title":"baguette pocket"},{"content":"Just for fun.\nUp at 5:30:\nLong early-morning shadows in Sausalito:\nNicasio reservoir:\nCanalside paths behind Petaluma:\nLagunitas Brewing for lunch: taproom, patio, friendly people, space to stash bikes:\nWe started to ride back.\nBut it kept getting hotter. Much hotter. Not-conducive-to-biking hotter:\nWe stopped in patches of shade a few times…\n…and later at the Marin Cheese company for flavored ice and a lot of water.\nFinally, on Lucas Valley, some shade:\nLong evening shadows:\nWe realized in San Rafael that we wouldn’t beat the sunset back, so might as well stop to load up on pork chops and plantains at Sol Food to sustain ourselves:\nAfter a gorgeous sunset over glassy water, we rode in the deepening dark through Larkspur, along the Mill Valley bike path, up the Sausalito hill, past the press-button-to-open anti-suicide gates on the bridge, through some unpleasantly gusting sidewinds, got temporarily lost in the Presidio in a maze of twisty little bike paths, crunched over broken plastic cups and other Pride weekend detritus at Civic Center…\n…and 114 miles and about 5400’ of elevation gain later, were back.\nQuite an adventure and a mighty group.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust for fun.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUp at 5:30:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong early-morning shadows in Sausalito:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/57ba8da0bda8f30e5b912b1d90fcbec6ee6a2f08_hu_73bd9ef6f0168cc8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/57ba8da0bda8f30e5b912b1d90fcbec6ee6a2f08_hu_bae2396e93d231a1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNicasio reservoir:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/d9b77fc9e09861434e299e201397e2173f081766_hu_e74ae75f449e83dc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/d9b77fc9e09861434e299e201397e2173f081766_hu_e93d7e7dd4280990.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanalside paths behind Petaluma:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/669b16bc85f30d2c14a2e9cd43cf9b2b974013b5_hu_d45f2eaef3328125.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/669b16bc85f30d2c14a2e9cd43cf9b2b974013b5_hu_a0ec16a2247a8865.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLagunitas Brewing for lunch: taproom, patio, friendly people, space to stash bikes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/ca2b296497513f961aacd541f424b914f29be2fe_hu_ddfcaeccd4e11f1a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/ca2b296497513f961aacd541f424b914f29be2fe_hu_c0a83c2ad8953cc1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/3b5a0ec6a7ee374f71158b9f33f218648f8b4739_hu_73699744ca378f6e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunrise-to-sunset-lagunitas-brewery-ride/3b5a0ec6a7ee374f71158b9f33f218648f8b4739_hu_53d123ccb677cfa.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started to ride back.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunrise to Sunset: Lagunitas Brewery Ride"},{"content":" Robotic underground bicycle storage, Japan:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/robotic-underground-bicycle-storage-japan/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/pcZSU40RBrg?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRobotic underground bicycle storage, Japan:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Robotic underground bicycle storage, Japan:"},{"content":"Yesterday, bike-based exploration organized by a friend: A ferry ride to Vallejo, an exploration of the fascinating mostly abandoned naval base and nature preserve on Mare Island, a ride through Benicia and across a bridge to Martinez, and then back to BART.\nBriefly, in photos:\nA massive boat-building drydock, abandoned. This photo doesn’t do it justice:\nOld buildings and railroad tracks:\nMany, many buildings had this stencil:\nNormally I tune out the California Prop 65 “this site may contain hazardous chemicals” signs you see at every gas station and commercial warehouse. But this one’s a little different…\nPark of unexplained rockets / missiles:\nFor sale in the visitor center: homemade jam, and ammo boxes.\nLater, crossing into Benicia:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/exploring-mare-island-benicia/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYesterday, bike-based exploration organized by a friend: A ferry ride to Vallejo, an exploration of the fascinating mostly abandoned naval base and nature preserve on Mare Island, a ride through Benicia and across a bridge to Martinez, and then back to BART.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBriefly, in photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1415775\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA massive boat-building drydock, abandoned. This photo doesn’t do it justice:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/exploring-mare-island-benicia/8b8abbd0e2243d5b0e906e96acb9a37a6b7a4e83_hu_d85d3d4dff8c52af.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/exploring-mare-island-benicia/8b8abbd0e2243d5b0e906e96acb9a37a6b7a4e83_hu_2a58b45a451d9293.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld buildings and railroad tracks:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"exploring Mare Island, Benicia"},{"content":"Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Winner of the 2013 100 Miles of Nowhere, Coed Simultaneous Bike and Kayak Relay, Oakland CA Division\nBy my friend Jessica: 100 miles of loops biking / kayaking\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fat-cyclist-blog-archive-winner-of-the-2013/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.fatcyclist.com/2013/06/05/winner-of-the-2013-100-miles-of-nowhere-coed-simultaneous-bike-and-kayak-relay-oakland-ca-division/\"\u003eFat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Winner of the 2013 100 Miles of Nowhere, Coed Simultaneous Bike and Kayak Relay, Oakland CA Division\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy my friend Jessica: 100 miles of loops biking / kayaking\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fat Cyclist  » Blog Archive   » Winner of the 2013 100 Miles of Nowhere, Coed Simultaneous Bike and Kayak Relay, Oakland CA Division"},{"content":"I went on a long, faster-than-usual ride (sustained 20+mph drives on long flat sections) with L and R on a sunny day, including two loops on paved car-free paths in Samuel P Taylor park.\nI’ll try not to think about the last hour, which featured relentless headwinds and bike-skidding crosswinds on the bridge.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/85-mile-marin-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI went on a long, faster-than-usual ride (sustained 20+mph drives on long flat sections) with L and R on a sunny day, including two loops on paved car-free paths in Samuel P Taylor park.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/664f0a83281003a554bfd851471b370c9384a8dc_hu_f41f196c2abf675a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/664f0a83281003a554bfd851471b370c9384a8dc_hu_7676098030b6104.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/23a8d8b38777c1c436768749acd83cb3276649d7_hu_87f0b77edeac13d2.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/23a8d8b38777c1c436768749acd83cb3276649d7_hu_ca462586d2504805.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/cc53c17808aa051eed6d14ae7cbc20d7c1f53955_hu_52397c939184673d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/cc53c17808aa051eed6d14ae7cbc20d7c1f53955_hu_2b7817770664407a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/9f867532a0ce01a83eaae6500f6c48f82739035f_hu_a684800dca9665b0.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/9f867532a0ce01a83eaae6500f6c48f82739035f_hu_592f9a8d80bb64b4.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"502\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1391139\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/9c69850cc9c64b3cd6e0aff84215ab595c169f04_hu_82252ef1f8619631.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/85-mile-marin-ride/9c69850cc9c64b3cd6e0aff84215ab595c169f04_hu_996cb5e4b0e3b407.png\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"352\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"85-mile Marin Ride"},{"content":"I’m newly obsessed with charting a 49-mile “San Francisco Scenic Ride” (inspired by the 49 Mile Scenic Drive). But how to keep nods to the original’s key landmarks, add in undervisited parts of the city and some not-possible-by-car offroad paths, make it an exactly 49-mile loop (constraints channel creativity), yet not get stuck stitching it together with too many traffic-heavy or stop-and-go connecting roads?\nI sketched out six different ideas with feedback from some friends– but bike maps and browsing Google Street View only get you so far, and who wants to be inside on a beautiful day? Yesterday was the first scouting ride:\nAfter starting off with some houseboats, an under-highway basketball court, and riding up Potrero Hill for no reason other than to ride back down the crookedest street in San Francisco, three of us cruised along some dirt paths in Bayview (yet again):\nWinding up and down through McLaren Park (second largest in the city):\nCutting through the Sunnydale housing projects (with the friendliest strangers of the whole trip, chatting with us about bikes and how to best get to Guadalupe Canyon Parkway), we rode to the top of San Bruno Mountain (there’s a paved road all the way up, closed to cars), for 360 degree fog-free views of the city, Bay, Ocean, and Colma:\nDaly City had much less to offer, scenery-wise, but did have this gem J knew about, from the “last notable American duel”:\nAfter Lake Merced and the skeet-shooting range, massive sand drifts that swallowed an entire parking lot on Great Highway, and the ocean, a lunch break at Kingdom of Dumpling (they even brought us out chairs so we could sit outside and watch our bikes!)\nBird’s the word.\nMore scenic lookouts. The view from Twin Peaks:\nAfter a twisty descent into the Haight, the panhandle, an unlabeled music festival in Golden Gate Park, and another bit of Ocean Beach, the ride turned uphill past the Cliff House. It’s much less hairy now with a separated bike lane, instead of being wedged against a cliff by cars around blind turns:\nTwisting up and up on Lincoln, past the Legion of Honor, above Lands End, along a reverse-Butterlap route:\n…and then buckling down to zoom along Chrissie Field (terrible new public art), Fort Mason (band with giant fake afros covering “Thrift Shop”), North Beach, and home.\n49 miles, and quite hilly: about 4000’ of elevation gain. Some of them very scenic. Others good exercise but a slog. Some traffic lights and trucks.\nThis was a fun and very satisfying way to spend a day, but the route has a lot of room for improvement, especially in the first 15-20 miles. To be revised…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/49-mile-scenic-ride-scouting-ride-1/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m newly obsessed with charting a 49-mile “San Francisco Scenic Ride” (inspired by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/A-long-and-winding-road-City-s-49-Mile-Scenic-2561154.php\"\u003e49 Mile Scenic Drive\u003c/a\u003e). But how to keep nods to the original’s key landmarks, add in undervisited parts of the city and some not-possible-by-car offroad paths, make it an exactly 49-mile loop (constraints channel creativity), yet not get stuck stitching it together with too many traffic-heavy or stop-and-go connecting roads?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI sketched out six different ideas with feedback from some friends– but bike maps and browsing Google Street View only get you so far, and who wants to be inside on a beautiful day? Yesterday was the first scouting ride:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"49 Mile Scenic Ride (scouting ride #1)"},{"content":"It was great weather for a casual-pace 50ish mile jaunt to San Rafael and back with friends, along scenic bike paths and the water, with delicious plantain-heavy Puerto Rican food as the prize to keep eyes on. In photos:\nRailroad drawbridge:\nWildflowers along Marin Bike Route 20:\nThe Pacific:\nEnameled cookware, shrimp, garlic plantains, the semi-secret outdoor patio:\nI think I like this route more than Paradise Loop. Heresy, I know.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was great weather for a casual-pace 50ish mile jaunt to San Rafael and back with friends, along scenic bike paths and the water, with delicious \u003ca href=\"http://www.yelp.com/biz/sol-food-puerto-rican-cuisine-san-rafael-2\"\u003eplantain-heavy Puerto Rican food\u003c/a\u003e as the prize to keep eyes on. In photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRailroad drawbridge:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/dcfb86b9b707a5baa0e94ac6e4c3dac329f42395_hu_bb9f60cfec13497d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/dcfb86b9b707a5baa0e94ac6e4c3dac329f42395_hu_a8144ebd0b1ba088.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWildflowers along Marin Bike Route 20:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/07d344b0938218eff610adfceb2b59fa4fd5425b_hu_a8e59260b7f09737.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/07d344b0938218eff610adfceb2b59fa4fd5425b_hu_1831918b63eeba7a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pacific:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/6a99143de404d8e2a12abbca89fa84f9c3019770_hu_51db0dc64d313247.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/plantains-and-wildflowers/6a99143de404d8e2a12abbca89fa84f9c3019770_hu_81bdc0d128eae8ab.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Plantains and Wildflowers"},{"content":"admiring R’s Ritchey Breakaway (bike with frame that splits in two, allowing it to be packed into regulation airline luggage)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/admiring-rs-ritchey-breakaway-bike-with-frame/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eadmiring R’s Ritchey Breakaway (bike with frame that splits in two, allowing it to be packed into regulation airline luggage)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"admiring R's Ritchey Breakaway (bike with frame that splits in two, allowing it to be packed into regulation airline luggage)"},{"content":"Great weather for the first annual Session Beer Festival, and an excuse for a ride with friends from Oakland to San Leandro.\nWhite Elephant building:\nJingletown:\nFree wood (so consistently, it’s labeled in the mosaic):\nLarge tires (foreshadowing…):\nMiles of car-free paved paths along the water:\nStupid fun: riding a bike with 4\u0026amp;quot; wheels:\nAlong-a-canal riding felt like Belgium:\nThe payoff:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGreat weather for the first annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebbc.org/session\"\u003eSession Beer Festival\u003c/a\u003e, and an excuse for a ride with friends from Oakland to San Leandro.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite Elephant building:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJingletown:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/0d49f977cc6c10882d9b275c61efccf74c708771_hu_315bab96d3853b67.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/0d49f977cc6c10882d9b275c61efccf74c708771_hu_eb2b7ffc51224bd6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/db41b78972af307eaf781c4b910f31dcfc885e92_hu_95e9382434a0607e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/db41b78972af307eaf781c4b910f31dcfc885e92_hu_955390e0099c7623.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFree wood (so consistently, it’s labeled in the mosaic):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/9886901288b1214c9e6864a60a1cae83698dc1fa_hu_6dbf216ed8323390.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/9886901288b1214c9e6864a60a1cae83698dc1fa_hu_d7dfd31b7ac252de.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge tires (foreshadowing…):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/f5a7921c461b72ce7f4ca8566478120abd5938dc_hu_b01e4e7411dbc41a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/jingletown-san-leandro-beer-ride/f5a7921c461b72ce7f4ca8566478120abd5938dc_hu_7b90771d0ab32eec.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiles of car-free paved paths along the water:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Jingletown, San Leandro, Beer Ride"},{"content":"salami bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/salami-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003esalami bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"salami bike"},{"content":"brand new, buffered, Oak St bike lane. this used to be parking.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/brand-new-buffered-oak-st-bike-lane-this-used/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebrand new, buffered, Oak St bike lane. this used to be parking.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"brand new, buffered, Oak St bike lane. this used to be parking."},{"content":"wake up. bike a 17-mile loop to get coffee. start the day.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wake-up-bike-a-17-mile-loop-to-get-coffee-start/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewake up. bike a 17-mile loop to get coffee. start the day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"wake up. bike a 17-mile loop to get coffee. start the day."},{"content":"I always want to share the nooks and crannies of Southeast SF with people– and Sunday, 11 friends and strangers (nice to meet you!) converged on my neighborhood for a tour of Dogpatch and Bayview.\nHere’s the route we took (click through for an interactive map with Point Of Interest descriptions):\nStarting off in Dogpatch, some friends \u0026amp;amp; neighbors set up a surprise table of muffins, fruit, and mimosas (thanks!)\nWe then rode past the Potrero Power Plant (finally shut down only a few years ago: I remember when it spewed dark smoke outside my window). Not that long ago it generated a third of San Francisco’s electricity, but we now bring in power from Pittsburgh via a massive underwater cable. The electrical substation in front of the old power plant still audibly hums, though– I’m not sure what it’s doing.\nAfter passing Building REsources (a great yard of used and recycled doors, tubs, lamps, and other building materials), we turned onto the new-in-2012 Cargo Way bike path and followed it down to a yard of feisty, friendly goats-for-rent:\nA sudden 3-minute rainstorm had me reconsidering the day, but it passed and we rode out to the very tip of Heron’s Head Park (old landfill across from what used to be a sugar processing plant), renovated in the past few years into a nice small park with various long-billed birds wading in pools.\nFrom there, we rode the new Bay Trail extension dirt path across the water and along a fence…\n…down to India Basin Shoreline Park.\nThis park has barbecue grills, strange plants, a playground, warm, sunny weather, and great views across the bay– I don’t know why it’s not more of a destination. And if you explore, you may find the large pink anchor in what looks like a miniature helipad:\nA few more twists and turns, a hill through a residential neighborhood, and on a street of nondescript garage doors, a space ship under construction:\nShe said it was designed with help from kids at the local neighborhood house and was heading to Maker Faire and then Burning Man. The planets plasma-cut in thick plates of steel as steps were a nice detail.\nA few blocks later, the gap in the fence at the South end of Griffith I’d stumbled across last weekend was open, letting us ride out onto the dirt at Yosemite Slough.\nThere was new white PVC irrigation pipe laid in the mud everywhere… but it was unclear what for.\nA few more paths, a series of tagged walls, piles of old railroad ties next to vestigal tracks, a razor-wire-topped fence with an open door in it….\nAnd down we went to Candlestick Park and Candlestick Point Recreation Area, the first state park in California in an urban area. We managed to not hit any suicidally-trail-crossing squirrels, cruised out to the windy pier, admired the East Bay… and then headed back by a more inland route.\nA quick Trouble Coffee coffee + toast stop later and out to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for open studios:\nMost of us went our separate ways at that point, but a few of us stopped by the Speakeasy","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dogpatch-bayview-tour-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI always want to share the nooks and crannies of Southeast SF with people– and Sunday, 11 friends and strangers (nice to meet you!) converged on my neighborhood for a \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbike.org/?chain\"\u003etour\u003c/a\u003e of Dogpatch and Bayview.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s the route we took (click through for an interactive map with Point Of Interest descriptions):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2458975\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarting off in Dogpatch, some friends \u0026amp; neighbors set up a surprise table of muffins, fruit, and mimosas (thanks!)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dogpatch / Bayview Tour Recap"},{"content":"[ A rare long-text post, below’s an article that appeared in the British magazine The Spectator in 1896. It’s an interesting slice of history, societal change (and resistance to it in conservative circles), and even then, a concern about the “filter bubble”]\nBICYCLING will, we believe, within a few years produce social effects of some importance.\nThe notion that it is a “mere fashion” or “craze,” like the skating on little wheels which some years ago led to an investment of scores of thousands of pounds in a speculation that proved absolutely futile, is, we are convinced, a pure delusion. The bicycle has greatly added to human power, and will no more be given up by those who have once learned to use it than horse-riding will be given up or travelling by railway. The number of those who cycle increases day by day, as the objections raised by prejudice or custom disappear, none of those who acquire the art show the slightest disposition to give up the practice, and the probability is that in a very short time it will become far more popular than riding or swimming, or even walking for amusement ever has been.\nIt has been discovered that every one who chooses, and who has any kind of vigour remaining, can learn to ride in about a fortnight, the exercise distinctly improves the health of all who use it in moderation, and as soon as an obstacle or two have been surmounted not to cycle will be nearly as unusual as not to walk. The cost of a wheel is at present considerable, but that is a result only of monopolies, and must sooner or later disappear. There is no reason in the world why a thin wheel of steel, every part of which except the tyre can be made by machinery, should cost from £10 to £30, and, as a matter of fact, people who cannot pay those sums already contrive to possess themselves of very serviceable machines.\nPoor students, domestic servants, and artisans may be encountered in the evening in scores on every road out of the great cities, and regular systems of selling bicycles at cheaper rates have been indented with an ingenuity most creditable to everything but the dealers’ moral sense. You may buy certain machines “for export” at little more than half the advertised prices, or you may buy “second-hand” articles, which have perhaps been taken out three times, or you may buy machines “which have been superseded” by some trivial or, if you are tolerably sharp, some imperceptible improvement. The manufacturers are just now making fortunes, but the moment the demand slackens and the markets are a little glutted, competition will bring prices down with a run until they settle at between five and seven pounds, according to perfection of finish. The remaining difficulty, that of the tyre, will disappear when inventors seriously set their minds to it. We shall annoy the holders of shares in pneumatic tyre companies by the remark, but we are entirely unable to believe in the permanence of those costly and aggravating “improvements.” They are much","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-social-effect-of-bicycling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ A rare long-text post, below’s an article that appeared in the British magazine The Spectator in 1896. It’s an interesting slice of history, societal change (and resistance to it in conservative circles), and even then, a concern about the “filter bubble”]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBICYCLING will, we believe, within a few years produce social effects of some importance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe notion that it is a “mere fashion” or “craze,” like the skating on little wheels which some years ago led to an investment of scores of thousands of pounds in a speculation that proved absolutely futile, is, we are convinced, a pure delusion. The bicycle has greatly added to human power, and will no more be given up by those who have once learned to use it than horse-riding will be given up or travelling by railway. The number of those who cycle increases day by day, as the objections raised by prejudice or custom disappear, none of those who acquire the art show the slightest disposition to give up the practice, and the probability is that in a very short time it will become far more popular than riding or swimming, or even walking for amusement ever has been.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"THE SOCIAL EFFECT OF BICYCLING"},{"content":"In preparation for next weekend’s ride: urban goats, murals, unlocked doors in fences, junkyards, dirt paths.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bayview-scouting-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn preparation for \u003ca href=\"/SESF/\"\u003enext weekend’s ride\u003c/a\u003e: urban goats, murals, unlocked doors in fences, junkyards, dirt paths.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/db3d3a31cfe88c6b2343f9e55442776d4952d143_hu_ab422d40ef9cc7d4.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/db3d3a31cfe88c6b2343f9e55442776d4952d143_hu_480182a372f4b744.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/8f0f411219edbdc13678efd9d1c4cf88e59de68e_hu_ec3035e8ac2a7776.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/8f0f411219edbdc13678efd9d1c4cf88e59de68e_hu_d0820cdc37343de3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/ce3ee0504e18b44261e9fc325b42023894992ceb_hu_d7c08eb46dae1f3e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/ce3ee0504e18b44261e9fc325b42023894992ceb_hu_d61b488d930d9e3a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/5435a1ec72f83e9bd2a02c884c6eca955e49bfcb_hu_3010e061cda51f6d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/5435a1ec72f83e9bd2a02c884c6eca955e49bfcb_hu_5e93531ee7c8335.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/c792f402c1df624d11e00cca89db3b88b0d283ee_hu_9816ce9ff2d6fd00.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bayview-scouting-3/c792f402c1df624d11e00cca89db3b88b0d283ee_hu_c730e8d78f8a2760.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bayview Scouting #3"},{"content":"bayview ride scouting\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bayview-ride-scouting/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebayview ride scouting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bayview ride scouting"},{"content":"bike graffiti, Portland\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-graffiti-portland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebike graffiti, Portland\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bike graffiti, Portland"},{"content":"I’m organizing this casual public ride on May 5th.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-tour-of-dogpatch-bayview-parks-graffiti/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m organizing \u003ca href=\"/SESF/\"\u003ethis casual public ride on May 5th\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Tour of Dogpatch, Bayview, Parks, Graffiti, Open Studios:"},{"content":"This was the first public ride I’d organized (through the SF Bike Coalition calendar). When 48 people RSVP’d I got a little concerned about logistics, but it all worked out. Here are photos from a few of us:\nFirst off, this is what 100 hot shumai on a bike rack looks like:\nThe route, with a specific 1 or 2 styles of dumplings planned for each stop:\nRiding: Behind a Bomb Squad truck for a few blocks:\nNew Fell St bike lane with soft-hit posts:\nMeeting up with a group of 40 friends and friendly strangers: Beautiful day:\nOur first dumpling pickup:\nDirt path paralleling 19th St in the Richmond:\nSneaky paved car-free bike path in Golden Gate Park from 20th Ave to the North shore of Spreckles Lake:\nLakeside picnic:\nBy pure luck, we were by the lake on Second Saturdays Model Yacht Club day:\nSerendipitous matching of red, white, blue, yellow:\nThird dumpling pickup stop of four (we’d called ahead, the 150 dumplings were ready within minutes of arrival):\nDevouring them at a park just above Stern Grove a few blocks away: And after a bit of a hill workout on 20th Ave, biking back through the park, past an abandoned pedal-car:\nThat was a great way to spend a few hours. Thanks for coming, everyone-new-I-met, and thanks friends who helped buy dumplings, mark turns, and bring up the rear so we didn’t get separated.\nI think the stars of the dumpling parade were the xiao long bao from Dumpling Kitchen (which survived surprisingly well without bursting for our few-block ride), the pork and chive dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling (especially with their euphoria-stimulating orange chili sauce), and the steamed-and-pan-fried pork buns (chewy, rich almost creamy pork filling) from Dumpling Kitchen.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis was the first public ride I’d organized (through the SF Bike Coalition calendar). When 48 people RSVP’d I got a little concerned about logistics, but it all worked out. Here are photos from a few of us:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off, this is what 100 hot shumai on a bike rack looks like:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe route, with a specific 1 or 2 styles of dumplings planned for each stop:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2328671\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/b3865a8bc36702adce037301e8c4b43fe0b27bd4_hu_b8c6bb4d270d556.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/western-lands-dumpling-tour-recap/b3865a8bc36702adce037301e8c4b43fe0b27bd4_hu_cbdba546dffb0105.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"391\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Western Lands Dumpling Tour: recap"},{"content":"It’s time to bike around the city and eat dumplings, again.\nThis is the first time I’ve organized a publicly-advertised ride (in the SF Bike Coalition Chain of Events), and the RSVP list is up to about 48 so this will be interesting… off we go!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tomorrow-western-lands-dumpling-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s time to \u003ca href=\"/dumplings2013/\"\u003ebike around the city and eat dumplings\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"/post/dumpling-ride-recap/\"\u003eagain\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the first time I’ve organized a publicly-advertised ride (in the SF Bike Coalition Chain of Events), and the RSVP list is up to about 48 so this will be interesting… off we go!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tomorrow: Western Lands Dumpling Tour"},{"content":"I haven’t organized a ride in a while, but I’ve joined friends’ last-minute. Last weekend I followed Greg and company on a brisk-paced 65-mile ride around Paradise Loop and up to Fairfax, with a stop for fish tacos and beer at Iron Springs.\nThe weather was great, the road bike was well tuned, and it slid by like butter:\nPreride at Velo Rouge: Colorful sailboats off Tiburon:\nSecret hill:\nSheldon Brown Has A Posse:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/brisk-paradise-loop-fairfax/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI haven’t organized a ride in a while, but I’ve joined friends’ last-minute. Last weekend I followed Greg and company on a brisk-paced 65-mile ride around Paradise Loop and up to Fairfax, with a stop for fish tacos and beer at Iron Springs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe weather was great, the road bike was well tuned, and it slid by like butter:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1194664\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreride at Velo Rouge:\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/brisk-paradise-loop-fairfax/943dc81e22758906fbcc1a4cd21eefe2588a4f08_hu_18ab98d332d6a4d3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/brisk-paradise-loop-fairfax/943dc81e22758906fbcc1a4cd21eefe2588a4f08_hu_ab764954db00b890.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Brisk Paradise Loop, Fairfax"},{"content":"I’m finally posting a map and photos from a ride organized by Robin a month back– about 50 miles from Walnut Creek BART to Martinez, along Carquinez Scenic drive to Port Costa (a common spring destination, for me), then past refineries out to Pinole Point Park and down to Richmond:\nA fine way to spend the day with a good group, much of it on bike paths, lanes, or closed-to-cars roads (though the final bit entering Richmond after dark was a little hairy on the broken glass and limited-shoulders front).\nA reward:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m finally posting a map and photos from a ride organized by Robin a month back– about 50 miles from Walnut Creek BART to Martinez, along Carquinez Scenic drive to \u003ca href=\"/tags/port-costa/\"\u003ePort Costa\u003c/a\u003e (a common spring destination, for me), then past refineries out to Pinole Point Park and down to Richmond:\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2155716\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/7c666897fa49b7c751cbab64ca72763be162c9ab_hu_4a30c4f5d1383711.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/7c666897fa49b7c751cbab64ca72763be162c9ab_hu_aa07081082fbb916.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/e8a95baef520ac03bb04f0c09dae3de2df61e69c_hu_6e14eb6c2f75b3b5.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/e8a95baef520ac03bb04f0c09dae3de2df61e69c_hu_c2873e08b6d407b8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"281\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/b528e5ac305b5baca0895629db9919ea2b5f3e2a_hu_2f56034f6dedf06c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/martinez-port-costa-refineries-richmond/b528e5ac305b5baca0895629db9919ea2b5f3e2a_hu_1b86ade60275ffbc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"image\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"386\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Martinez, Port Costa, Refineries, Richmond"},{"content":"Port Costa, Oakland Tribune, 1972\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-oakland-tribune-1972/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePort Costa, Oakland Tribune, 1972\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa, Oakland Tribune, 1972"},{"content":"2012 was another great year for biking, with friends, on many new adventures. Looking back, the highlights for me were:\nAn overnight 120-mile ride to Russian River Brewery with a big group, tasting Pliny the Younger, staying in a retro motel, merging a few different social groups, and a dramatic conclusion.\nBringing my bike on a trip to Chicago and taking an overnight trip to Wisconsin with a few friends who live there, on mostly dedicated paved paths, braving flooding and angry birds.\nBiking 100 miles to barbeque oysters outdoors at Tomales Bay.\nOrganizing a tour of San Francisco dumpling shops by bike and eating all afternoon.\nRiding with a group up to great views from San Bruno mountain, and eating wild blackberries along the way.\nBike camping on Angel Island, with a custom bike-mounted cooler full of ice, beer, and korean BBQ (the bike only played a modest role in this trip)\nThe alien landscapes of Alviso Salt Flats\nWith a really fun group and great weather, bike camping up to Point Reyes Sky Camp, for the second year.\nFollowing bike paths in the far East Bay (Pittsburgh/Antioch) to a guided underground tour of Black Diamond coal/sand mines\nBike touring the scenic, sleepy Sacramento Delta, in two days from Sacramento back to BART, eating wild grapes, sitting by the river, seeing birds and dusk, and riding ferries.\nAhh.\nHere’s to bike adventures in 2013.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2012-biking-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e2012 was another great year for biking, with friends, on many new adventures. Looking back, the highlights for me were:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn \u003ca href=\"/post/recap-russian-river-brewery-overnight-ride/\"\u003eovernight 120-mile ride to Russian River Brewery\u003c/a\u003e with a big group, tasting Pliny the Younger, staying in a retro motel, merging a few different social groups, and a dramatic conclusion.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBringing my bike on a trip to Chicago and \u003ca href=\"/post/chicago-wisconsin-ride-recap/\"\u003etaking an overnight trip to Wisconsin\u003c/a\u003e with a few friends who live there, on mostly dedicated paved paths, braving flooding and angry birds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2012 biking recap"},{"content":"Tour de Biere\nA few of us joined an East Bay beer/brewery tour during SF Beer Week…\nUpdate: A writeup and photos on KQED: http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2013/02/17/the-3rd-annual-tour-de-biere-an-east-bay-bicycle-brewery-tour/\nDrake’s and Linden St were especially good brewery visits, and the San Leandro -\u0026amp;gt; West Oakland ride via off-road paved paths, bridges, and Alameda was a lot of fun.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tour-de-biere/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.thegrandcru.org/\"\u003eTour de Biere\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few of us joined an East Bay beer/brewery tour during SF Beer Week…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpdate: A writeup and photos on KQED: \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2013/02/17/the-3rd-annual-tour-de-biere-an-east-bay-bicycle-brewery-tour/\"\u003ehttp://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2013/02/17/the-3rd-annual-tour-de-biere-an-east-bay-bicycle-brewery-tour/\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrake’s and Linden St were especially good brewery visits, and the San Leandro -\u0026gt; West Oakland ride via off-road paved paths, bridges, and Alameda was a lot of fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tour de Biere"},{"content":"In Argentina, we rented bikes from the friendly folks at Cordillera, and went for a casual scenic ride around the Circuito Chico, before branching off onto dusty back dirt roads.\nMost of the route was great, but the last 6 miles into town were unpleasant riding: on the major and only road, plagued with thick, choking auto exhaust, no shoulders, and cars and buses regularly swerving and at times forcing us off the road.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn Argentina, we rented bikes from the friendly folks at \u003ca href=\"http://cordillerabike.com/\"\u003eCordillera\u003c/a\u003e, and went for a casual scenic ride around the Circuito Chico, before branching off onto dusty back dirt roads.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/bfc7e187bd493bcae69c7ff785918722c8267d48_hu_4b22bd080752e95f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/bfc7e187bd493bcae69c7ff785918722c8267d48_hu_10b682f91c878d64.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/c1f22285316c08a692ea153e359ce273e964dc48_hu_7244415d67a5b319.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/c1f22285316c08a692ea153e359ce273e964dc48_hu_185a7bb23e7731d2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/a87d83b3c871292c337bbd08b0a3c32f1d138b70_hu_81230347b842a678.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/a87d83b3c871292c337bbd08b0a3c32f1d138b70_hu_5e72b8c6e3ff105.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/f4d1f30ca0e8b4183345223ce3f726d0bfaaa7a3_hu_3ea518ab40a4b7c3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/circuito-chico-bariloche-region-argentina/f4d1f30ca0e8b4183345223ce3f726d0bfaaa7a3_hu_edee1a54a3884350.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the route was great, but the last 6 miles into town were unpleasant riding: on the major and only road, plagued with thick, choking auto exhaust, no shoulders, and cars and buses regularly swerving and at times forcing us off the road.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Circuito Chico, Bariloche region, Argentina"},{"content":"People seen cycle touring along Route 40 in Patagonia, far from civilization\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/people-seen-cycle-touring-along-route-40-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePeople seen cycle touring along Route 40 in Patagonia, far from civilization\u003c/p\u003e","title":"People seen cycle touring along Route 40 in Patagonia, far from civilization"},{"content":"Seen coming off the luggage conveyer in the Ushuaia airport. A couple picking it up had helmets, panniers, basic street clothes. My heroes.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/seen-coming-off-the-luggage-conveyer-in-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSeen coming off the luggage conveyer in the Ushuaia airport. A couple picking it up had helmets, panniers, basic street clothes. My heroes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seen coming off the luggage conveyer in the Ushuaia airport. A couple picking it up had helmets, panniers, basic street clothes...."},{"content":"Cycle paths, Buenos Aires\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cycle-paths-buenos-aires/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCycle paths, Buenos Aires\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cycle paths, Buenos Aires"},{"content":"wood bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wood-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewood bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"wood bike"},{"content":"Four of us took BART out to the end of the line and then biked to Black Diamond Mines Regional Park in Antioch for a tour of the Hazel-Atlas sand mines (and some history on coal mining in the region).\nIt was a casual 20 mile round trip, mostly on the Delta De Anza paved off-road bike path, though with a bit of busy road riding and then a mile of uphill to get into the park.\nThis was one of the better historical tours I’ve taken, and I highly recommend it– our guide (Philip?) was entertaining, kept a slide show interesting, and we got to walk down into the cool dark mine. Some maps and photos…\nThe view descending back out of the park:\nA railroad to nowhere?\nVisitor center (I want to find one of these mason jars):\nSlideshow:\nTour down into the mine:\nMassive stopes above and below where we walked (low-light cell phone photos can’t do the experience justice, of course):\nSafety first:\nAnother fine afternoon.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/black-diamond-mines-ride-tour-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us took BART out to the end of the line and then biked to \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/parks/black_diamond\"\u003eBlack Diamond Mines Regional Park\u003c/a\u003e in Antioch for a tour of the Hazel-Atlas sand mines (and some history on coal mining in the region).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a casual 20 mile round trip, mostly on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/delta_deanza\"\u003eDelta De Anza paved off-road bike path\u003c/a\u003e, though with a bit of busy road riding and then a mile of uphill to get into the park.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Black Diamond Mines ride \u0026 tour recap"},{"content":"Biking in the nearly-deserted Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (in Antioch).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-the-nearly-deserted-black-diamond-mines/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking in the nearly-deserted Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (in Antioch).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in the nearly-deserted Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (in Antioch)."},{"content":"locked bike in Chicago (this would never fly in SF)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/locked-bike-in-chicago-this-would-never-fly-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003elocked bike in Chicago (this would never fly in SF)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"locked bike in Chicago (this would never fly in SF)"},{"content":"new (fat) bike, mural, 24th st all the way east to the bay\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-fat-bike-mural-24th-st-all-the-way-east-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enew (fat) bike, mural, 24th st all the way east to the bay\u003c/p\u003e","title":"new (fat) bike, mural, 24th st all the way east to the bay"},{"content":"wide tires. really wide. freakbike.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wide-tires-really-wide-freakbike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewide tires. really wide. freakbike.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"wide tires. really wide. freakbike."},{"content":"new overlook, bridge, gorgeous sunny day for a ride\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-overlook-bridge-gorgeous-sunny-day-for-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enew overlook, bridge, gorgeous sunny day for a ride\u003c/p\u003e","title":"new overlook, bridge, gorgeous sunny day for a ride"},{"content":"**Saturday November 3:**A Tale of Two Coffees\nStart with the great coffee at Front cafe in Potrero Hill. The “butterlap”-ish route along the water and around the city to Ocean Beach. Trouble Coffee, toast, and coconuts. 20ish miles, very friendly / casual pace. Sunday November 18: Remote East Bay, Mine Tour, Trails\nBART… to the end of the line (Pittsburgh/Bay Point)! Ride flat paved paths… to scenic Antioch! Tour… an underground former sand mine in Black Diamond Mines Park! Explore… fire roads and dirt paths** above the park! About 20-25 miles. Some optional dirt trail exploration with hills. December 1: Supermarket Street Sweep, again.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/three-upcoming-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**Saturday November 3:**A Tale of Two Coffees\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart with the great coffee at Front cafe in Potrero Hill.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/125565\"\u003e“butterlap”-ish route\u003c/a\u003e along the water and around the city to Ocean Beach.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrouble Coffee, toast, and coconuts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e20ish miles, very friendly / casual pace.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday November 18:\u003c/strong\u003e Remote East Bay, Mine Tour, Trails\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBART… to the end of the line (Pittsburgh/Bay Point)!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRide flat paved paths… to scenic Antioch!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTour… an underground former sand mine in \u003ca href=\"http://www.ebparks.org/parks/black_diamond\"\u003eBlack Diamond Mines Park\u003c/a\u003e!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore… fire roads and dirt paths** above the park!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout 20-25 miles. Some optional dirt trail exploration with hills.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecember 1:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e, again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three Upcoming Rides"},{"content":"[ Finally posting a map and photos from a great group ride organized by K back in October ]: Amtrak to Sacramento with our bikes, then two leisurely days of riding back to BART via the Sacramento river delta.\nWith drawbridges (and an impromptu tour of a control room), birds at night, a quaint old-timey hotel, a ferry, and old-town California.\nThe route (about 95 miles, click through for a detailed map):\nThe crew:\nWild grapes along the path:\nOne of six drawbridges:\nSomehow we got an unofficial tour of the control room (note the broken “Near Leaf is falling into the river” indicator).\nBike ferry.\nGoats.\nBales.\nSunset, near where we stayed in the quaint Ryde Hotel.\nRotating “drawbridge”.\nTomato truck driver.\nRouting:\nThe long Antioch Bridge (Rt 160), one of the few sections of hairy traffic riding.\nOld pipe.\nGreat weather, serendipitous meeting of strangers, and a gorgeous ride!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sacramento-delta-overnight-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ Finally posting a map and photos from a great group ride organized by K back in October ]: Amtrak to Sacramento with our bikes, then two leisurely days of riding back to BART via the Sacramento river delta.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith drawbridges (and an impromptu tour of a control room), birds at night, a quaint old-timey hotel, a ferry, and old-town California.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe route (about 95 miles, click through for a detailed map):\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sacramento Delta Overnight Tour"},{"content":"Solo morning ride over foggy twin peaks to the ocean and Trouble Coffee\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/solo-morning-ride-over-foggy-twin-peaks-to-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSolo morning ride over foggy twin peaks to the ocean and Trouble Coffee\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Solo morning ride over foggy twin peaks to the ocean and Trouble Coffee"},{"content":"Friend’s electric-assist Yuba longtail bike (w/ room for two kid seats). I took it for a few-minute test ride and it was fun.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friends-electric-assist-yuba-longtail-bike-w/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriend’s electric-assist Yuba longtail bike (w/ room for two kid seats). I took it for a few-minute test ride and it was fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friend's electric-assist Yuba longtail bike (w/ room for two kid seats). I took it for a few-minute test ride and it was fun."},{"content":"North Sea Cycle Route: some day\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/north-sea-cycle-route-some-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.northsea-cycle.com/\"\u003eNorth Sea Cycle Route: some day\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"North Sea Cycle Route: some day"},{"content":"My second year bike camping for a three-day weekend in Point Reyes: eight of us rode up lugging camping gear, braving the hilly Four Corners / Panoramic / Highway 1 route, and admiring the views.\n,\nThe blackberries were out in full force. We filled up a whole container for breakfast the next morning:\nOyster break in Olema:\nBike in the wild:\nSky Trail (a 1.3 mile dirt path, mostly packed and easy to ride, but with a bit of mud and some loose gravel on uphills that made it tricky).\nLucking out with a low-fog day and panoramic views of the point and the ocean beyond (hard to see in a small cell phone photo):\nSunset, the fog rolled in to the shore and then stopped:\nNot a bad Monday morning:\nCoffee in Point Reyes Station on the way back:\nThe route. The GPS batteries died for part of it, but it was about 110 miles and 11k feet of climbing, wrapping up at the Larkspur ferry to take it easy and hang out at the Marin Brewing Company.\nThe riding and company were great.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-camping-point-reyes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy second year \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ebike camping for a three-day weekend in Point Reyes\u003c/a\u003e: eight of us rode up lugging camping gear, braving the hilly Four Corners / Panoramic / Highway 1 route, and admiring the views.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-point-reyes/fb3c525fc59033f32a0e451ee3ba6f92a0078df5_hu_2e421683a82329ad.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-point-reyes/fb3c525fc59033f32a0e451ee3ba6f92a0078df5_hu_8b5bbc1ef0366558.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"399\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blackberries were out in full force. We filled up a whole container for breakfast the next morning:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-point-reyes/48843839bcf589f7363df829826980ce69f8fa4f_hu_e2c34f090f5eae05.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-point-reyes/48843839bcf589f7363df829826980ce69f8fa4f_hu_8a3ccd4babd0f328.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOyster break in Olema:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Camping, Point Reyes"},{"content":"Free-standing 2-bike rack for the apartment.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/free-standing-2-bike-rack-for-the-apartment/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://deltacycle.com/Michelangelo-2-Bike-Gravity-Storage-Rack\"\u003eFree-standing 2-bike rack\u003c/a\u003e for the apartment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Free-standing 2-bike rack for the apartment."},{"content":"Take BART -\u0026amp;gt; Fremont.\nBike to Alviso.\nRide for hours on levees, around salt evaporation ponds and in-progress-of-restoration wetlands habitats, past trains and abandoned buildings in an alien landscape. Jackrabbits and egrets galore.\nRide on to Caltrain, completing a full circle of the Bay.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTake BART -\u0026gt; Fremont.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBike to Alviso.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRide for hours on levees, around salt evaporation ponds and in-progress-of-restoration wetlands habitats, past trains and abandoned buildings in an alien landscape. Jackrabbits and egrets galore.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRide on to Caltrain, completing a full circle of the Bay.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/8917cf9ca2a5e3a6c70270307abfdd5c2d323455_hu_17294d84be930a3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/8917cf9ca2a5e3a6c70270307abfdd5c2d323455_hu_5096107a83016c17.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/466e6a4cfae00b9b1c0152d6f107b33a4a9811eb_hu_91cbaa374d2240e1.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/466e6a4cfae00b9b1c0152d6f107b33a4a9811eb_hu_9089f286303819db.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"282\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/e99c184f8904d554ff5effdf6e2a2e3473746c29_hu_d7004cabf82b10ff.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/e99c184f8904d554ff5effdf6e2a2e3473746c29_hu_994591a85a4c970f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/2fe034b8ec1d218d252e223684443d41deca55b2_hu_347bb2b569151567.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/alviso-salt-flats-ride-alien-landscape/2fe034b8ec1d218d252e223684443d41deca55b2_hu_2b961cd9fb0ff1e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alviso Salt Flats ride, alien landscape"},{"content":"bike on the tracks (near Alviso)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-on-the-tracks-near-alviso/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebike on the tracks (near Alviso)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bike on the tracks (near Alviso)"},{"content":"For a break from work on a long day I went on a 30-mile ride along the Bay Trail, across the Dumbarton Bridge (my first time), and up to the top of the hill in a park in Fremont just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor a break from work on a long day I went on a 30-mile ride along the Bay Trail, across the Dumbarton Bridge (my first time), and up to the top of the hill in a park in Fremont just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/70d74b040d5caedf18a14db678c27c142f167a69_hu_76ed8ee636a89178.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/70d74b040d5caedf18a14db678c27c142f167a69_hu_180bf2c504bf451d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/fe01f0175efe131d2ba1d20ca8346f18ba5705d2_hu_35dad6b2f17df3be.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/fe01f0175efe131d2ba1d20ca8346f18ba5705d2_hu_dbb38c98185437da.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/56778d3cfc49a1eadf18514f0cff48ea588dfc55_hu_658a4781516ec8a0.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sunset-dumbarton-bridge-crossing/56778d3cfc49a1eadf18514f0cff48ea588dfc55_hu_4c992c3473841f20.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunset Dumbarton Bridge Crossing"},{"content":"cell phone panorama after a sunset bike ride to Fremont\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cell-phone-panorama-after-a-sunset-bike-ride-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ecell phone panorama after a sunset bike ride to Fremont\u003c/p\u003e","title":"cell phone panorama after a sunset bike ride to Fremont"},{"content":"Currently in the works: a two-night bike camping trip to Sky Camp in Point Reyes National Seashore (I made the reservations six months ago and am finally sorting out the details– I’ve talked to several people and it looks like we’ll have a good posse).\nI’ll probably follow the same general route as this Point Reyes trip from last year, to keep it easy to plan…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-labor-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCurrently in the works: a two-night bike camping trip to Sky Camp in Point Reyes National Seashore (I made the reservations six months ago and am finally sorting out the details– I’ve talked to several people and it looks like we’ll have a good posse).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ll probably follow the same general route as \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ethis Point Reyes trip from last year\u003c/a\u003e, to keep it easy to plan…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point Reyes bike camping: Labor Day"},{"content":"got some more maps:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/got-some-more-maps/","summary":"\u003cp\u003egot some more maps:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"got some more maps:"},{"content":"friends’ nice tandem:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friends-nice-tandem/","summary":"\u003cp\u003efriends’ nice tandem:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"friends' nice tandem:"},{"content":"free bike tune-ups at Outside Lands\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/free-bike-tune-ups-at-outside-lands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003efree bike tune-ups at Outside Lands\u003c/p\u003e","title":"free bike tune-ups at Outside Lands"},{"content":"I had to make the reservation 6 months ago early on a Saturday morning (as the camp sites often fill up within hours of going on sale), but we lucked out on the weather, and seven of us camped on Angel Island (5 by bike).\nThe Long Haul Trucker handled well as usual, even loaded with two unconventional panniers:\nTwo of us missed the first ferry back the next morning and got to take a spin around the island loop road, and at least briefly eye the old buildings, burned trees, and other sights.\nEasy, fun, and less than 24 hours away from home.\nSome notes about the food got posted elsewhere: http://therobotmusteat.com/2012/07/29/korean-bbq-camping/\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-camping-on-angel-island/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI had to make the reservation 6 months ago early on a Saturday morning (as the camp sites often fill up within hours of going on sale), but we lucked out on the weather, and seven of us camped on Angel Island (5 by bike).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Long Haul Trucker handled well as usual, even loaded with two unconventional panniers:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-on-angel-island/d1860aff473acf3f31f118af2735723acaad935e_hu_f1df3e9820c3b519.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-on-angel-island/d1860aff473acf3f31f118af2735723acaad935e_hu_9afcc0d460d25dcc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-camping-on-angel-island/609412b5301119bbab19a223dc13e05da3333948_hu_875d1cc9dd9a24b4.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-camping-on-angel-island/609412b5301119bbab19a223dc13e05da3333948_hu_9abaf57059dc15ab.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Camping on Angel Island"},{"content":"The bike-mounted cooler I made rides again, this time carrying 2 lbs of marinated beef, tubs of pickles, and beer, to a camping trip\u0026amp;hellip;\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-bike-mounted-cooler-i-made-rides-again-this/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/\"\u003ebike-mounted cooler I made\u003c/a\u003e rides again, this time carrying 2 lbs of marinated beef, tubs of pickles, and beer, to a camping trip\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"the bike-mounted cooler I made rides again, this time carrying 2 lbs of marinated beef, tubs of pickles, and beer, to a camping..."},{"content":"Nine of us gathered Sunday to bike hilly back roads (avoiding Mission St, Bayshore Blvd, San Jose Ave, and some other common roads) to and through San Bruno Mountain park, along dirt paths, and up Radio Road to the summit covered with radio towers, with views of Sutro Tower, the Bay Bridge, Colma graveyards, SFO airport runways, and Mt Diablo.\nThis was followed by shedding 1500’ of elevation in minutes on twisty downhills, cutting through industrial corners of Brisbane, biking past the dump, Candlestick Park, and out to Candlestick point itself, before zig-zagging through Bayview to meet up with Sunday Streets.\nIt was an unexpectedly warm, sunny, and fog-free day– not even cold on the mountain top.\nIn photos:\nRadio road goes up and up:\nThese small mountaintop landscape photos just don’t do justice to the amount we could see:\n(the route with directions and a cue sheet, not including our detour down Candlestick Point Rec Area, is at: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1460762)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/san-bruno-mtn-candlestick-bayview-scenic-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNine of us gathered Sunday to bike hilly back roads (avoiding Mission St, Bayshore Blvd, San Jose Ave, and some other common roads) to and through San Bruno Mountain park, along dirt paths, and up Radio Road to the summit covered with radio towers, with views of Sutro Tower, the Bay Bridge, Colma graveyards, SFO airport runways, and Mt Diablo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was followed by shedding 1500’ of elevation in minutes on twisty downhills, cutting through industrial corners of Brisbane, biking past the dump, Candlestick Park, and out to Candlestick point itself, before zig-zagging through Bayview to meet up with \u003ca href=\"http://www.sundaystreetssf.com/\"\u003eSunday Streets\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"San Bruno Mtn + Candlestick + Bayview scenic ride"},{"content":" Saturday a friend organized a ride through Woodside / Old La Honda down to Pescadero (with a stop for the famous artichoke bread and to look at adorable baby llamas), up Highway 1 with great views along the ocean, and then up the always-intense miles of climbing that is Tunitas Creek Road and then down to Alice’s Restaurant.\nA great ride, and my Anchor Steam jersey (I rarely wear logo jerseys) sparked a discussion about Potrero Hill with the owner of Potrero Nuevo Farms (which sponsors The Bike Hut coffee/snack stop). Potrero Hill was formerly named Potrero Nuevo (new pasture), while Bernal Hill was Potrero Viejo (old pasture), two grassy undeveloped hills that grazing animals were rotated through. I didn’t know that.\nAbout 5000’ of elevation over 50 miles, see previous rides on this route (or the “best rides” list) for better maps…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pescadero-loop-tunitas-creek/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/pescadero-loop-tunitas-creek/4db7d85f3cc5f2718cebd0a107b14ada7eee68e3_hu_811024c123c71a31.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/pescadero-loop-tunitas-creek/4db7d85f3cc5f2718cebd0a107b14ada7eee68e3_hu_bd4c165645d4de64.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/pescadero-loop-tunitas-creek/3df8055183b2f6d20bb4ef22b99f36d4bd9db4e8_hu_9415c43978e0ecfe.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/pescadero-loop-tunitas-creek/3df8055183b2f6d20bb4ef22b99f36d4bd9db4e8_hu_896d7dc61ed864d8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaturday a friend organized a ride through Woodside / Old La Honda down to Pescadero (with a stop for the famous artichoke bread and to look at adorable baby llamas), up Highway 1 with great views along the ocean, and then up the always-intense miles of climbing that is Tunitas Creek Road and then down to Alice’s Restaurant.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pescadero Loop, Tunitas Creek"},{"content":"New spoke cards for old rides\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-spoke-cards-for-old-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNew spoke cards for old rides\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New spoke cards for old rides"},{"content":"","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/httpwwwnytimescom20120718worldeuropein-d/","summary":"","title":"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/world/europe/in-denmark-pedaling-to-work-on-a-superhighway.html?src=me\u0026ref=general\u0026pagewanted=all"},{"content":"Two posters ten years apart\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/two-posters-ten-years-apart/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwo posters ten years apart\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two posters ten years apart"},{"content":"I’ve wanted to bike to (and up) San Bruno Mountain on the edge of SF for a while, so here’s a possible casual-pace, 22 mile (but hilly) ride in a few weeks (Sunday July 22nd).\nThe exact details and meet-up times might change so let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll send out a reminder the week before.\nA tentative route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1381448\nMission Pie, San Bruno Mountain Park (via back roads and shared biker/hiker trails), up car-free Radio Road to near the windy, eerie, tower-covered summit. Take a break to eat and walk around. Head back and intercept Sunday Streets Bayview/Dogpatch that will have a chunk of 3rd St shut down to car traffic and may have food carts or other events going on.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/san-bruno-mtn-ride-722/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve wanted to bike to (and up) San Bruno Mountain on the edge of SF for a while, so here’s a possible casual-pace, 22 mile (but hilly) ride in a few weeks (Sunday July 22nd).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exact details and meet-up times might change so let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll send out a reminder the week before.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA tentative route: \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1381448\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/routes/1381448\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMission Pie, San Bruno Mountain Park (via back roads and shared biker/hiker trails), up car-free Radio Road to near the windy, eerie, tower-covered summit. Take a break to eat and walk around. Head back and intercept Sunday Streets Bayview/Dogpatch that will have a chunk of 3rd St shut down to car traffic and may have food carts or other events going on.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"San Bruno Mtn ride 7/22?"},{"content":"This weekend a group of adventurous dumpling-lovers went on a casual 14-mile bike ride around the city (the Richmond, Sunset, West Portal), trying seven kinds of dumplings from three restaurants, on a foggy but surprisingly warm day.\nFor variety from the usual coffeehouse start, we met up at SoW, a pop-up fresh juice bar in the Pause Wine Bar space. The “stonefruit flight” of yellow peach, saturn peach, and santa rosa (tart) plum juices was excellent:\nThen we were off around the city. For some restaurants (Dumpling Kitchen and Kingdom of Dumpling) we picked up dumplings to-go, then converged on a picnic table in a nearby park to eat:\nThe chili wontons from Dumpling Kitchen were pretty good (though their xiao long bao were disappointing compared to Shanghai Dumpling King), and the basic pork and chive(?) dumplings with a thick chewy wrapper from Kingdom of Dumpling were also good. Kingdom of Dumpling’s chili sauce was the easy winner of the day, though.\nSome more biking through the city, past strange ponds and metal-clad houses:\nMy favorite dumpling stop was Shanghai Dumpling King, where we sat down for gyoza and a few batches of xiao long bao and the crab-and-pork equivalent.\nThe soup dumplings there are just amazing– really tender and flavorful pork and spices in a pocket of rich broth.\nOur attempt to visit a fourth dumpling house, Xiao Loong in West Portal, was frustrated when we showed up 20 minutes after they’d closed their lunch service. But by then we’d already consumed perhaps 120 dumplings between 9 people, so this may have been good luck in disguise…\nA ride up and over hilly Portola and down steep steep Clipper and we were back in Noe for a post-ride drink at Valley Tavern. Great day, everyone, and let’s do something similar again some time!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dumpling-ride-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis weekend a group of adventurous dumpling-lovers went on a casual 14-mile bike ride around the city (the Richmond, Sunset, West Portal), trying seven kinds of dumplings from three restaurants, on a foggy but surprisingly warm day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor variety from the usual coffeehouse start, we met up at \u003ca href=\"http://sowsf.com/\"\u003eSoW\u003c/a\u003e, a pop-up fresh juice bar in the Pause Wine Bar space. The “stonefruit flight” of yellow peach, saturn peach, and santa rosa (tart) plum juices was excellent:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dumpling Ride Recap"},{"content":"This is one of the more ridiculous impulsive rides I’ve done.\nI’ve always loved the BBQ-your-own-oysters-fresh-from-a-few-hundred-feet-away at Tomales Bay Oyster Farm, and last year a group of us did a 30-mile day trip from Point Reyes to there.\nBut I’ve wondered– how reasonable would it be to ride up from SF, have a leisurely lunch of BBQ oysters (because what’s the point if you’re in a hurry?), then ride back, all in the same day? It’s about 100-110 miles and a moderate amount of climbing (4000’-8000’, depending on the route). I managed to convince someone to join me, and off we went:\n[edit: I’ve been reminded that early ride highlights included a nearly-empty golden gate bridge, and a lanky deer on Camino Alto, bounding ahead of us along a fence for a few hundred feet until it could cut off the road into the woods.]\nFat Angel in Fairfax has some of my favorite scones (in the interest of keeping a brisk pace, this was the first stop of the day):\nBiking along off-road paths in Samuel P Taylor park (which, surprisingly, I’d never done):\nHighway 1 North of Point Reyes is beautiful riding, with lots of rolling twisty hills that are fun and keep cars and motorcycles from driving too fast:\nTomales Bay:\nLunch!\nAnd then, somehow, we were back in SF.\nIt took from about 7am to 7pm to do the whole ride, with a few-hour lunch break to grill, one serious flat (a potentially ride-ending slice through a tire), and a handful of other stops for food or water.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/100-mile-bbq-oyster-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the more ridiculous impulsive rides I’ve done.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve always loved the BBQ-your-own-oysters-fresh-from-a-few-hundred-feet-away at Tomales Bay Oyster Farm, and last year a group of us did a \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003e30-mile day trip from Point Reyes to there\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I’ve wondered– how reasonable would it be to ride up from SF, have a leisurely lunch of BBQ oysters (because what’s the point if you’re in a hurry?), then ride back, all in the same day? It’s about 100-110 miles and a moderate amount of climbing (4000’-8000’, depending on the route). I managed to convince someone to join me, and off we went:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"100-mile BBQ Oyster Ride"},{"content":"The Big Picture (boston.com) \u0026amp;ndash; Bicycles around the world\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-big-picture-bostoncom-bicycles-around/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/06/pedal_power.html?s_campaign=8315\"\u003eThe Big Picture (boston.com) \u0026ndash; Bicycles around the world\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Big Picture (boston.com) -- Bicycles around the world"},{"content":"Hat tip to Elliot, this sounds interesting: http://www.cyclelicio.us/2012/alviso-salt-pond-bike-tours\nPerhaps in later July, combined with a ride from Fremont or Mt View to Alviso on a segment of Bay Trail.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alviso-salt-pond-bike-tours/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHat tip to Elliot, this sounds interesting: \u003ca href=\"http://www.cyclelicio.us/2012/alviso-salt-pond-bike-tours\"\u003ehttp://www.cyclelicio.us/2012/alviso-salt-pond-bike-tours\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps in later July, combined with a ride from Fremont or Mt View to Alviso on a segment of Bay Trail.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alviso salt pond bike tours"},{"content":"Inspired by the “fiets \u0026amp;amp; frites” ride last summer, I’m thinking of an “SF dumpling tour by bike” (I need a catchy name) on June 9 [edit: Saturday June 30th].\n.\nTentatively: an 11am -\u0026amp;gt; mid-afternoon tour, with perhaps 10 miles of biking at a casual pace and a hill or two– nothing too serious. And 4+ stops at dumpling shops to get takeout and eat by the side of the road or in a nearby park. It will probably focus on the Western neighborhoods (Richmond, Sunset, West Portal, maybe Balboa Park).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/upcoming-dumpling-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eInspired by the “\u003ca href=\"http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\"\u003efiets \u0026amp; frites\u003c/a\u003e” ride last summer, I’m thinking of an “SF dumpling tour by bike” (I need a catchy name) on June 9 \u003cstrong\u003e[edit: Saturday June 30th]\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTentatively: an 11am -\u0026gt; mid-afternoon tour, with perhaps 10 miles of biking at a casual pace and a hill or two– nothing too serious. And 4+ stops at dumpling shops to get takeout and eat by the side of the road or in a nearby park. It will probably focus on the Western neighborhoods (Richmond, Sunset, West Portal, maybe Balboa Park).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Upcoming: Dumpling Tour"},{"content":"Well that was an epic scouting ride (checking out some new parts of the Bay Area for potential group rides). I won’t spoil the surprise yet by posting a map or details, since parts of this will probably work their way into a “mystery group ride” coming in the next few months.\nBut in a few teaser photos:\nOf course, I only noticed this sign after passing through:\nPavement art:\nA first: biking up an on-ramp onto a freeway. Technically legal at this particular entrance (the standard “PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLES PROHIBITED” sign had the “BICYCLISTS” part whited out), but it still felt wrong… and the freeway shoulder riding was a bit sketchy, especially when there was an abandoned couch in the way. Not something I’d make part of a group ride…\nMarked as closed on my paper map, but passable (and avoids a larger detour):\nNot a lie– I heard the bleats and saw a goat:\nA bar with friendly regulars, pool, pinball, and many images of 19th century San Francisco scoundrel (and Brannan St namesake) Sam Brannan:\nNot shown: asking a guard about access to a road beyond a gate, and being told the area was taken over by Homeland Security years ago, and there were “guys running around with guns back there” so we shouldn’t try to sneak in. Okay.\nScore one for “escape the ordinary”.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/epic-mystery-scouting-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWell that was an epic scouting ride (checking out some new parts of the Bay Area for potential group rides). I won’t spoil the surprise yet by posting a map or details, since parts of this will probably work their way into a “mystery group ride” coming in the next few months.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut in a few teaser photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course, I only noticed this sign \u003cem\u003eafter\u003c/em\u003e passing through:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/epic-mystery-scouting-ride/d1d3d39e4761ce20708fce644431a466bcd47daa_hu_b02c4ddfcfb305d7.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/epic-mystery-scouting-ride/d1d3d39e4761ce20708fce644431a466bcd47daa_hu_36e21f9a485e29ee.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"351\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Epic Mystery Scouting Ride"},{"content":"On Sunday I joined someone else’s group ride, SF -\u0026amp;gt; Fairfax (with a stop at the Good Earth Natural Foods for lunch– good sandwich options) -\u0026amp;gt; Nicasio (with a stop at Rancho Nicasio) and then back via the very scenic Lucas Valley Road to San Rafael and Larkspur. A friendly crew and a solid 54-mile ride with a few thousand feet of climbing.\nA few of the cyclocross maniacs led us onto dirt paths, wood chips, and coarse gravel through the Presidio:\nHappy 75th, golden gate bridge:\nCarnival and ferris wheel set up by the Mill Valley bike path– odd:\nA memorable rock on Lucas Valley Rd, near the peak:\nI bailed out and caught the Larkspur ferry since we passed the terminal about 5 minutes before one was going to leave, and I wanted to get back across the city in time for a BBQ.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/nicasio-and-lucas-valley-road-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn Sunday I joined someone else’s group ride, SF -\u0026gt; Fairfax (with a stop at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.goodearthnaturalfoods.net\"\u003eGood Earth Natural Foods\u003c/a\u003e for lunch– good sandwich options) -\u0026gt; Nicasio (with a stop at \u003ca href=\"http://www.ranchonicasio.com/\"\u003eRancho Nicasio\u003c/a\u003e) and then back via the very scenic Lucas Valley Road to San Rafael and Larkspur. A friendly crew and a solid 54-mile ride with a few thousand feet of climbing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few of the cyclocross maniacs led us onto dirt paths, wood chips, and coarse gravel through the Presidio:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nicasio and Lucas Valley Road recap"},{"content":"Lands End\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/lands-end/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLands End\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lands End"},{"content":"Map of the hike from downtown Mill Valley to The Tourist Club. I’ve never found a good one online– the one on the Tourist Club web site isn’t especially clear– so I sketched a quick one onto a photo of a paper map.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/map-of-the-hike-from-downtown-mill-valley-to-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMap of the hike from downtown Mill Valley to The Tourist Club. I’ve never found a good one online– the \u003ca href=\"http://www.touristclubsf.org/?page_id=14\"\u003eone on the Tourist Club web site\u003c/a\u003e isn’t especially clear– so I sketched a quick one onto a photo of a paper map.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Map of the hike from downtown Mill Valley to The Tourist Club. I've never found a good one online-- the one on the Tourist Club..."},{"content":"Thanks to Jason and Erica and Cat, I got to go on an interesting 120-mile bike tour up to Wisconsin and back while I was visiting Chicago, and I didn’t have to do any of the planning.\n(rhetorical question: who rides 120 miles to a Super 8 motel at the edge of a cluster of strip malls, just for fun?)\nI was less interested in any specific destination than I was in checking out a variety of towns, environments, and regional cycling infrastructure (impressive!), and this ride certainly delivered.\nIt started off through lush, damp, marshy woods (this section of bike trail runs along the North branch of the Chicago river, which periodically floods, which I hear is why this land hasn’t been developed).\nRolling past the Japanese Islands at the Chicago Botanic Gardens:\nThere’s some Angry Birds joke to be made here:\nThis section of the trail ran dead-straight for miles, below high-voltage power lines (the utility company right of way presumably protected this narrow strip of land from other types of development):\nOur one unplanned detour, a few hundred feet down a grassy path that looked like it could be a shortcut… but wasn’t:\nLater that day, the trail gave way to gravel or crushed limestone– still hard-packed enough to ride on easily, though a few softer sections would have been tricky on really narrow tires.\nScoffing at path closures:\nAnd by late afternoon, we were at the end of the DPR trail, near the Illinois-Wisconsin border:\nSome slogging along the on-again, off-again shoulders on busy multi-lane streets brought us to strip malls at the edge of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where we ate unhealthy food at a Buffalo Wild Wings surrounded by fifty flat-screen TVs, had some local beer (Spotted Cow from New Glarus), and then watched whatever movie we could find on TV (Rambo) at the Super 8 before passing out.\nThe next morning, up moderately early (I had a flight to catch later that day, so wanted to leave some buffer time), I realized I’d reassembled a broken chain incorrectly the day before and it had been wearing a groove in a tab on my derailleur– the noisy riding on gravel and end-of-day fatigue had me ignoring the warning noises.\n“Milk for America”, with a cow as M:\nAmazingly well-maintained, smooth, asphalt paths in Southern Wisconsin:\nRiding through industrial areas North of Chicago:\nA freeway off-ramp that looks like it’s been blocked off for years, and not a single car in sight.\nAt a gate to another bike path, several bike-themed sculptures:\nA few-block detour to a scenic overlook of Lake Michigan:\nSkokie sculpture park:\nAnd finally back in Chicago (though these sharrows suggesting bikes ride in the sometimes heavily cracked, glass-and-gravel-covered section of pavement right next to the sidewalk were a bit suspect).\nI disassembled and packed the bike into the case (only 16 minutes start-to-finish, down from 30 last time), and back to the airport I went. Success!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/chicago-wisconsin-ride-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThanks to \u003ca href=\"http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1\u0026amp;page_id=260739\u0026amp;v=1t\"\u003eJason\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1\u0026amp;page_id=259779\u0026amp;v=2W\"\u003eErica\u003c/a\u003e and Cat, I got to go on an interesting 120-mile bike tour up to Wisconsin and back while I was visiting Chicago, and I didn’t have to do any of the planning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(rhetorical question: who rides 120 miles to a Super 8 motel at the edge of a cluster of strip malls, just for fun?)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was less interested in any specific destination than I was in checking out a variety of towns, environments, and regional cycling infrastructure (impressive!), and this ride certainly delivered.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chicago \u003c-\u003e Wisconsin ride recap"},{"content":"ice cream stop at mile 100\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ice-cream-stop-at-mile-100/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eice cream stop at mile 100\u003c/p\u003e","title":"ice cream stop at mile 100"},{"content":"good bike infrastructure near chicago\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/good-bike-infrastructure-near-chicago/","summary":"\u003cp\u003egood bike infrastructure near chicago\u003c/p\u003e","title":"good bike infrastructure near chicago"},{"content":"broken chain somewhere in the woods. good thing I had a tool.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/broken-chain-somewhere-in-the-woods-good-thing-i/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebroken chain somewhere in the woods. good thing I had a tool.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"broken chain somewhere in the woods. good thing I had a tool."},{"content":"chicago route signage\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/chicago-route-signage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003echicago route signage\u003c/p\u003e","title":"chicago route signage"},{"content":"Angry Birds near Skokie\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/angry-birds-near-skokie/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAngry Birds near Skokie\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Angry Birds near Skokie"},{"content":"About 30 minutes to pack the first time (including reading instructions), about 20 minutes to unpack and assemble:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-plane-soft-case/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAbout 30 minutes to pack the first time (including reading instructions), about 20 minutes to unpack and assemble:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/2c7c1dd402f55e5fbb30a427ab7d3eb9968d2ffa_hu_c9338fb9719d919d.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/2c7c1dd402f55e5fbb30a427ab7d3eb9968d2ffa_hu_f7bdc59b802da27e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/3b28ba2adef75e034b9eedfbc86cf56c2aaa2d9d_hu_614e62bae30be25a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/3b28ba2adef75e034b9eedfbc86cf56c2aaa2d9d_hu_d494db3a198f42f3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/4af1ccd24bb2b44b10724ccca7ab5642e82ba727_hu_1183030695635bd1.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/4af1ccd24bb2b44b10724ccca7ab5642e82ba727_hu_909b3f92283370d3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/571ca080830504badc8afb1eee4afa75ffc0e920_hu_111178819b27b4f8.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/571ca080830504badc8afb1eee4afa75ffc0e920_hu_823a6fc5029e38c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/c358213d0dbbcf9ea79ce631e9604bc836148955_hu_79303db629ce3046.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/bike-plane-soft-case/c358213d0dbbcf9ea79ce631e9604bc836148955_hu_8603995ad972f48d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike, Plane, Soft Case"},{"content":" Overhauling an old bottom bracket, in photos. Three specialized tools, just to do something no longer needed on modern bikes. Hmm.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_b424f6b831049f2d.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_ce69a0a5697c4411.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_893d783bd709160d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_d05f84821115129c.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_cc7e9daed65d4462.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_1a68d97f2d93a824.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_a90fba7540422df3.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_643d56a264437fdc.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_7a90fe506ceafb2d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo15_r1_1280_hu_cfef6ddcfda6d07b.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo15_r1_1280_hu_274ad530e41b00cf.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo15_r1_1280_hu_8c06af73eff74635.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_5b1f77f02a19e3d4.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_4d1d9c54716b5392.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_fb0ea06cb8ac6703.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo14_r1_1280_hu_4896f7e328f35177.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo14_r1_1280_hu_428ef9dfda9134fe.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo14_r1_1280_hu_383848a86b043baf.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo11_1280_hu_5697053540a52429.webp 480w, /post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo11_1280_hu_684f89e43a1b2e49.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/overhauling-an-old-bottom-bracket-in-photos/tumblr_m3ma2oB0yp1qzv82bo11_1280_hu_4ba5d17d40ef5263.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"513\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Overhauling an old bottom bracket, in photos. Three specialized tools, just to do something no longer needed on modern bikes...."},{"content":"bike, coffee (predictable)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-coffee-predictable/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebike, coffee (predictable)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bike, coffee (predictable)"},{"content":"A casual day of bike riding, picnicking, and wine tasting around the Livermore area. The initial interest in this many-times-rescheduled ride and the good weather made me think 15 people might show up… but it was a group of 31, word of mouth through three degrees of separation. Thanks for being great, everyone.\nRiding a few miles through Sycamore Grove Park– interesting trees on either side, bridges to ride over, and almost no cross-streets or signs of other people:\nScenic (accidental) half-mile detour to the Southern terminus of Arroyo, before it becomes a path to Del Valle or the ruins of an abandoned TB Sanitarium:\nA long leisurely picnic on the grass with good bread, cheese, and bottles of wine, at Wente Vineyards (chosen not so much for their wine, but to have an excuse to ride through Sycamore Park):\nOn the way back we decided to turn the ride into more of a loop than an out-and-back (and I wanted to share the dedicated bike paths at the base of the Southeast hills that we’d stumbled upon last year). They start at Wetmore \u0026amp;amp; Arroyo, and aren’t even shown on my East Bay Bike Coalition map, so they must be fairly new:\nladybug: (not shown: the vulture I saw tugging on the entrails of some other dead animal, about 20’ off the side of the road)\nFenestra, a very friendly cellar and space:\nA good day.\nThe whole ride was about 30 miles (hey, with riding to and from BART and 31 people, that’s probably a thousand person-miles):\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/livermore-wine-ramble-3-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA casual day of bike riding, picnicking, and wine tasting around the Livermore area. The initial interest in this many-times-rescheduled ride and the good weather made me think 15 people might show up… but it was a group of 31, word of mouth through three degrees of separation. Thanks for being great, everyone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRiding a few miles through Sycamore Grove Park– interesting trees on either side, bridges to ride over, and almost no cross-streets or signs of other people:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Livermore Wine Ramble #3: recap"},{"content":"Let’s try this again. Bike tour of a few Livermore vineyards.\nRolling out Sunday at 11:11 from Dublin/Pleasanton BART, about 25 miles round trip. Example from two years ago.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/livermore-wine-ride-sunday-429/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLet’s try this again. Bike tour of a few Livermore vineyards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRolling out Sunday at 11:11 from Dublin/Pleasanton BART, about 25 miles round trip. \u003ca href=\"/post/livermore/\"\u003eExample from two years ago\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Livermore Wine Ride, Sunday 4/29"},{"content":"Bike Music / Food / Event, Sunday\u0026amp;ndash;\u0026amp;gt;\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-music-food-event-sunday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.facebook.com/events/388975697779697/\"\u003eBike Music / Food / Event, Sunday\u0026ndash;\u0026gt;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Music / Food / Event, Sunday--\u003e"},{"content":"Nice morning to bike 40 miles to work:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/nice-morning-to-bike-40-miles-to-work/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNice morning to bike 40 miles to work:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nice morning to bike 40 miles to work:"},{"content":"Evening ride to the Pacific ocean\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/evening-ride-to-the-pacific-ocean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEvening ride to the Pacific ocean\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Evening ride to the Pacific ocean"},{"content":"Another fine ride, with a friendly group of twelve (including several new friends-of-friends), on a sunny, gorgeous, 29-mile route through the Oakland hills.\nWe wrapped it up with a cruise along Lake Merritt and some beer and vegan soul food at Beer Revolution– and then a few of us managed to catch a ferry back across the Bay.\nI also watched half an inning of baseball through the free outfield fence at the park on my way home.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother fine ride, with a friendly group of twelve (including several new friends-of-friends), on a sunny, gorgeous, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1074978\"\u003e29-mile route\u003c/a\u003e through the Oakland hills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/aec3c1744e5ed8564fbb62ef537aaa118264c66a_hu_ddd4bf9d09edca07.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/aec3c1744e5ed8564fbb62ef537aaa118264c66a_hu_d76404eb92acbee.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"328\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/b5b0357c6036565545d284eec073c0484092d7e3_hu_ee109e81af315a92.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/b5b0357c6036565545d284eec073c0484092d7e3_hu_2de0f8585635557.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/6beeaf485a3fd21c37609c8d04dfc581580d20d1_hu_c40413653d1f8402.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/6beeaf485a3fd21c37609c8d04dfc581580d20d1_hu_d0ded9918185dc4a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/db3006cd625ee6d9d2949a78269ef05ee412a6ca_hu_b608c512434193e9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/oakland-skyline-beer-ferry/db3006cd625ee6d9d2949a78269ef05ee412a6ca_hu_c8fd38e4e6e94824.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"415\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe wrapped it up with a cruise along Lake Merritt and some beer and vegan soul food at Beer Revolution– and then a few of us managed to catch a ferry back across the Bay.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oakland: Skyline, Beer, Ferry"},{"content":"I’m back in town, sorry the Livermore wine ride fell through but I’ll try to redo it in a few weeks [if you’re interested, let me know if Sat 4/28 or Sun 4/29 would work…]\nBut, this Saturday, a modest 29-mile ride in Oakland (route courtesy Adam, with some uphills and then ridge riding on nice roads)…ending at Beer Revolution in Jack London Square for food and a drink.\nFriendly pace, no rider left behind, meet at Rockridge BART at 11.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/oakland-ride-beer-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m back in town, sorry the Livermore wine ride fell through but I’ll try to redo it in a few weeks  [if you’re interested, let me know if Sat 4/28 or Sun 4/29 would work…]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut, this Saturday, a modest \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1074978\"\u003e29-mile ride in Oakland\u003c/a\u003e (route courtesy Adam, with some uphills and then ridge riding on nice roads)…ending at Beer Revolution in Jack London Square for food and a drink.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFriendly pace, no rider left behind, meet at Rockridge BART at 11.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oakland ride \u0026 beer, Saturday"},{"content":"\u0026amp;ldquo;some athletes ditch processed foods for the real deal\u0026amp;rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/some-athletes-ditch-processed-foods-for-the-real/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-1102-fitness-food-20111102,0,1946495.story\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;some athletes ditch processed foods for the real deal\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"some athletes ditch processed foods for the real deal\""},{"content":"Cargo bikes with front-basket “kickstands” – in Hong Kong\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cargo-bikes-with-front-basket-kickstands-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCargo bikes with front-basket “kickstands” – in Hong Kong\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cargo bikes with front-basket \"kickstands\" -- in Hong Kong"},{"content":"If you don’t like long text posts, stop reading now.\nThis is a scratchpad for thinking I’ve been doing about travel bikes, S\u0026amp;amp;S couplers, bike cases, and related topics (inspired by a lot of recent travel without a bike), to jot it down somewhere outside of browser bookmarks and chats with friends.\nBringing a bike with you on a trip shouldn’t be as expensive and logistically complicated as it is. I’ve been tempted by S\u0026amp;amp;S couplers or the Ritchey Breakaway, two methods of having a frame that you can break apart and pack down into a box just small enough to check as luggage on an airplane, saving fees.\nRitchey:\nSome case examples include a hardcase, a backpack case, and a slip cover and cardboard box:\nThere are also some contrary opinions such as Piaw (a guy who does a lot of bike touring and whose blog I read) opining coupled bike frames are a waste of money and effort.\nHmm. So really, what kinds of traveling do I do or want to do with my bike? (many types, including just 2-3 day weekend trips in the US). And what do I care about? (Mostly time spent and hassle).\nLong, multi-week bike tours carrying gear(such as the three weeks I spent biking across the Netherlands and Belgium this summer).\nI realized that for this kind of trip, I want my bike (not a rental), but don’t mind dealing with boxing up my existing bike in a cardboard box (remove pedals, handlebars, maybe front wheel) and paying the airline fees– the fees are high but still small compared to the flight and other trip expenses. Plus, on a trip that long I don’t mind discarding the cardboard box when I arrive and then half a day of hassle tracking one down and boxing up the bike before I leave (Amsterdam’s unusual in making this easy by selling bike boxes at the airport, so you can bike the airport and pack it up there).\nAnd I don’t actually expect to do this more than once a year, so a dedicated break-down bike just for this is overkill (and I have to figure out what to do with the case it comes in and so on, especially if I’m flying in to one airport and out of another).\nOne-week tours in the US (RAGBRAI, Bike Oregon, etc)\nWhen I did RAGBRAI, I shipped my bike via High Country Shipping. They provide good insurance and support, and this worked okay for RAGBRAI (and was really the only option, since the start location was far from the airport, via a bus that didn’t have room for bikes). But I don’t want to do this often– I was stuck without my bike for about a week before my trip to be safe on the shipping (though I have other bikes), and even more– because I work far from home, I can’t easily be around to wait for Fedex to pick up a boxed bike – I had to sit around almost an entire Saturday just to make this work logistically.\nAnd RAGBRAI had a shipping tent set up at the end, but if I were on a self-supported tour, finding shipping supplies and FedEx open could be a pain, depending where I was.\nTrain + Bike trips\nI took a trip with bikes on Amtrak (to Portland and then Glacier Park)","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/musings-on-travel-bikes-cases-and-so-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you don’t like long text posts, stop reading now.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a scratchpad for thinking I’ve been doing about travel bikes, S\u0026amp;S couplers, bike cases, and related topics (inspired by a lot of recent travel without a bike), to jot it down somewhere outside of browser bookmarks and chats with friends.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBringing a bike with you on a trip shouldn’t be as expensive and logistically complicated as it is. I’ve been tempted by \u003ca href=\"http://www.sandsmachine.com/\"\u003eS\u0026amp;S couplers\u003c/a\u003e or the Ritchey Breakaway, two methods of having a frame that you can break apart and pack down into a box just small enough to check as luggage on an airplane, saving fees.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Musings on Travel Bikes, Cases, and so on"},{"content":"Interesting bike softcase for flights\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/interesting-bike-softcase-for-flights/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://chasingwheels.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-pika-packworks-eep-travel-case.html\"\u003eInteresting bike softcase for flights\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Interesting bike softcase for flights"},{"content":"Bike rickshaw with lights and thumping stereo system.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-rickshaw-with-lights-and-thumping-stereo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike rickshaw with lights and thumping stereo system.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike rickshaw with lights and thumping stereo system."},{"content":"Out of town. Probably postponed to 4/7.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/livermore-wine-ride-postponed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOut of town. Probably postponed to 4/7.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Livermore wine ride postponed"},{"content":"Yesterday a friend organized a ride from San Mateo to San Gregario (via Kings Mountain road, which I’d never biked), through La Honda (past Alice’s Restaurant), and back up Tunitas Creek (which I’d been on once before). And just for the heck of it, I decided to add on an early morning ride from San Francisco to San Mateo rather than take the Caltrain down.\nThe forecast for 40% chance of afternoon rain fell our way– just 10 minutes of freezing rain and misery on our way into Woodside on Skyline, but otherwise clear, sunny, and cool– great biking weather.\nI rode on steep, twisty, and nearly car-free back roads through overgrown forests, over rolling hills dotted with sheep and cows, above ocean cliffs on Highway 1, around Crystal Springs reservoir, and along the Bay past bird-filled marshes and lagoons. A fine way to spend a Sunday.\nAnd while the numbers are secondary, I’ll let myself feel pretty good about the 92 miles, including two major (5+ mile long, 2000’ elevation) hills.\nA few photos from the day:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/peninsula-hills-woods-farmland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYesterday a friend organized a ride from San Mateo to San Gregario (via Kings Mountain road, which I’d never biked), through La Honda (past Alice’s Restaurant), and back up Tunitas Creek (which I’d been on \u003ca href=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/\"\u003eonce before\u003c/a\u003e). And just for the heck of it, I decided to add on an early morning ride from San Francisco to San Mateo rather than take the Caltrain down.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe forecast for 40% chance of afternoon rain fell our way– just 10 minutes of freezing rain and misery on our way into Woodside on Skyline, but otherwise clear, sunny, and cool– great biking weather.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Peninsula Hills, Woods, Farmland"},{"content":"Kings Mountain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/kings-mountain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eKings Mountain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kings Mountain"},{"content":"Saturday March 31st, I’ll be organizing a bike tour of a few Livermore vineyards. About 25 miles round trip from BART. Example from two years ago.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/livermore-wine-ride-331/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSaturday March 31st, I’ll be organizing a bike tour of a few Livermore vineyards. About 25 miles round trip from BART. \u003ca href=\"/post/livermore/\"\u003eExample from two years ago\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Livermore Wine Ride 3/31"},{"content":"Got up at 5:30 to go on a 42-mile bike ride before work (as posted on all the social media…). Refreshing!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/got-up-at-530-to-go-on-a-42-mile-bike-ride-before/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGot up at 5:30 to go on a 42-mile bike ride before work (as posted on all the social media…). Refreshing!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Got up at 5:30 to go on a 42-mile bike ride before work (as posted on all the social media...). Refreshing!"},{"content":"1940s blame-the-cyclist cartoons (sent to me by a few people, thanks)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/1940s-blame-the-cyclist-cartoons-sent-to-me-by-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.retronaut.co/2012/02/death-caused-by-carelessness-by-the-bicyclist-1940s/\"\u003e1940s blame-the-cyclist cartoons (sent to me by a few people, thanks)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1940s blame-the-cyclist cartoons (sent to me by a few people, thanks)"},{"content":"Quick summary: a gorgeous, sun-and-clear-skies, panoramic-views-of-the-ocean-and-cliffs 50ish-mile Stinson Beach loop with four friends, via Highway 1, and then returning up the side of Mt Tam. I posted a few photos from my phone yesterday.\nThis might replace Paradise Loop in the medium-length-ride rotation for me – it’s about the same distance but more scenic and interesting riding.\nIt is significantly more elevation gain (4500’ or so instead of 1800’), but it didn’t feel as hard as those numbers suggest– most of the hills were long but not ridiculously steep. And it felt much more laid back than the 63-mile, 6000’ Alpine Dam loop.\nPart of that is probably just the length of the day– if you get a casual mid-morning start on the Alpine Dam loop and stop for a while in Fairfax, you have to worry about getting stuck riding home in the dark and cold.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/stinson-beach-loop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eQuick summary: a gorgeous, sun-and-clear-skies, panoramic-views-of-the-ocean-and-cliffs \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/523064\"\u003e50ish-mile Stinson Beach loop\u003c/a\u003e with four friends, via Highway 1, and then returning up the side of Mt Tam. I posted a few photos from my phone yesterday.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis might replace \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/199858\"\u003eParadise Loop\u003c/a\u003e in the medium-length-ride rotation for me – it’s about the same distance but more scenic and interesting riding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is significantly more elevation gain (4500’ or so instead of 1800’), but it didn’t feel as hard as those numbers suggest– most of the hills were long but not ridiculously steep. And it felt much more laid back than the 63-mile, 6000’ \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/395084\"\u003eAlpine Dam loop\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stinson Beach Loop"},{"content":"Most numbered and signposted bike routes follow the flatlands. Not the “up Mt Tam” one…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/most-numbered-and-signposted-bike-routes-follow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMost numbered and signposted bike routes follow the flatlands. Not the “up Mt Tam” one…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Most numbered and signposted bike routes follow the flatlands. Not the \"up Mt Tam\" one..."},{"content":"On Rt 1 (panorama shot from cell phone)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-rt-1-panorama-shot-from-cell-phone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn Rt 1 (panorama shot from cell phone)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Rt 1 (panorama shot from cell phone)"},{"content":"Riding along cliffs (by eye, I could see Sutro Tower in SF in the distance)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/riding-along-cliffs-by-eye-i-could-see-sutro/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRiding along cliffs (by eye, I could see Sutro Tower in SF in the distance)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Riding along cliffs (by eye, I could see Sutro Tower in SF in the distance)"},{"content":"Here are a few other 1-day or weekend rides I’ve been kicking around, to do this spring or summer… including a few repeats of good rides from last year, since that makes the planning easy.\nNone of them have dates yet, just giving people a heads-up… and if you’re especially interested in certain ones, let me know and it will be more likely to happen…\nFrom shortest to longest:\nA ride to San Bruno Mtn (8 miles each way from the Mission) combined with a few-hour hike and a picnic A casual “Tour De Dumplings” 15-20 mile ride around SF or the east bay, stopping at various dumpling shops, in the spirit of the Fiets \u0026amp;amp; Frites ride (http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/) A casual 25ish-mile afternoon bike ride around some vineyards in Livermore (similar to a ride from last year, but different vineyards: [/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/]) A bike+hike to the Tourist Club in Mill Valley for one of their weekend beer-and-sausage-and-German-music festivals (May or July). Basically a copy of this ride A mysterious, medium-hilly 40-50 mile ride in a remote part of the East Bay that I bet most people have never biked in (even I haven’t). I like the idea of keeping the details secret and just telling people to meet at a certain BART stop at a certain time An overnight bike camping trip to Point Reyes, with oysters (50ish miles each way, similar to what a group of us did last year though at a different camp site for variety), maybe as a three-day weekend Taking Amtrak to Sacramento and doing some riding around the American River Valley ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/adventure-rides-this-spring-summer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere are a few other 1-day or weekend rides I’ve been kicking around, to do this spring or summer… including a few repeats of good rides from last year, since that makes the planning easy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone of them have dates yet, just giving people a heads-up… and if you’re especially interested in certain ones, let me know and it will be more likely to happen…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom shortest to longest:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA ride to San Bruno Mtn (8 miles each way from the Mission) combined with a few-hour hike and a picnic\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA casual “Tour De Dumplings” 15-20 mile ride around SF or the east bay, stopping at various dumpling shops, in the spirit of the Fiets \u0026amp; Frites ride (\u003ca href=\"http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\"\u003ehttp://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA casual 25ish-mile afternoon bike ride around some vineyards in Livermore (similar to a ride from last year, but different vineyards: [/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/])\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA bike+hike to the Tourist Club in Mill Valley for one of their weekend beer-and-sausage-and-German-music festivals (May or July). Basically a copy of \u003ca href=\"/post/biked-hiked-had-a-beer-in-the-woods-tourist-club/\"\u003ethis ride\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA mysterious, medium-hilly 40-50 mile ride in a remote part of the East Bay that I bet most people have never biked in (even I haven’t). I like the idea of keeping the details secret and just telling people to meet at a certain BART stop at a certain time\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn overnight bike camping trip to Point Reyes, with oysters (50ish miles each way, similar to \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ewhat a group of us did last year\u003c/a\u003e though at a different camp site for variety), maybe as a three-day weekend\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTaking Amtrak to Sacramento and doing some riding around the American River Valley\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Adventure Rides this spring / summer"},{"content":"120+ miles, a group of 15 great people, sunny weather, lush farmland and shady redwood forests, a few exciting hills, the kindness of strangers, good beer, and an action-movie just-in-time finish… easily one of my favorites. Read on for a longer than usual writeup in story form, with photos and details…\nBack in December I\u0026amp;rsquo;d floated the idea of an overnight ride up to Russian River Brewing Co during the two-weeks-a-year Pliny the Younger release. Interest blossomed, we hashed out logistics, and by the day of the ride we were a group of 15(!): people I’d done long rides with as well as new friends-of-friends, on loaded touring bikes and sporty road bikes, people who’ve ridden centuries and people who’ve rarely biked more than 40 miles… and even someone who hadn’t biked more than 7 or 8 miles in a stretch (I’ll admit, I was a little worried, but he was a natural).\nHere’s the high-level post-bridge route, based on a scouting ride, a solo Sonoma ride last summer, my favorite paper bike maps, Google Maps, and suggestions from a few other cyclists, valuing “scenic” over “most direct” while trying to keep it below 70 miles each way:\nIf you’re interested in trying this route, I also sketched out more detailed maps with turn-by-turn cuesheets and food and water stops, for both the 70ish-mile route up (SF -\u0026amp;gt; Mill Valley -\u0026amp;gt; Fairfax -\u0026amp;gt; Nicasio -\u0026amp;gt; Petaluma -\u0026amp;gt; Santa Rosa) and the 50ish-mile route back (Santa Rosa -\u0026amp;gt; Petaluma via Stony Pt Rd -\u0026amp;gt; Nicasio -\u0026amp;gt; Lucas Valley Rd -\u0026amp;gt; San Rafael -\u0026amp;gt; Larkspur -\u0026amp;gt; Larkspur ferry), and just to be over-organized, a little trip guide.\nOn to the ride itself…\nWe started at 7:30AM in an empty Four Barrel Coffee:\nAfter collecting our group across the city, we crossed the bridge (no conflict with pedestrians this early!) Unusually, the headlands were fog-free and sunny:\nWe skipped through Sausalito and along the Mill Valley Bike Path (something I’ve done so often it slips by without thinking), then up Camino Alto, cheered at the top by some strangers with a cowbell (probably for cyclists we saw training for ALC). The usual twists and turns (see the cuesheet above, or just follow bike route 15 to Ross and then 20 to Fairfax) brought us to Gestalt Haus in downtown Fairfax.\nAlas, it and Lydia’s across the street were both closed. But while we stood milling about, the owner poked his head out and invited us in, firing up the grill earlier than usual. We took over the entire wall-mounted bike rack:\nSausages (in my case, two) and a warm-up beer (a light, refreshing Kölsch) energized us for the next leg:\nI’ll make an exception to my anti-animated-GIFs stance for this one:\nWe relaxed there for a while, chatting with the friendly owner and listening to music he’d recorded off the sound board at various live rock shows.\nTime to move on. Up we rode on Sir Francis Drake before turning right towards Nicasio. Immediately, the traffic thinned out and we had a series of small hills through the woods:\nPast the","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/recap-russian-river-brewery-overnight-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e120+ miles, a group of 15 great people, sunny weather, lush farmland and shady redwood forests, a few exciting hills, the kindness of strangers, good beer, and an action-movie just-in-time finish… easily one of my \u003ca href=\"/best/\"\u003efavorites\u003c/a\u003e. Read on for a longer than usual writeup in story form, with photos and details…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in December I\u0026rsquo;d \u003ca href=\"/post/bike-to-russian-river-brewing-in-february/\"\u003efloated the idea\u003c/a\u003e of an overnight ride up to Russian River Brewing Co during the two-weeks-a-year Pliny the Younger release. Interest blossomed, we hashed out logistics, and by the day of the ride we were a group of 15(!): people I’d done long rides with as well as new friends-of-friends, on loaded touring bikes and sporty road bikes, people who’ve ridden centuries and people who’ve rarely biked more than 40 miles… and even someone who hadn’t biked more than 7 or 8 miles in a stretch (I’ll admit, I was a little worried, but he was a natural).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recap: Russian River Brewery overnight ride"},{"content":"Bay Area bike maps– a few-paragraph review.\nGoogle Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay Area, but they’re not perfect, and they often don’t show hills or road conditions. They’re also both weak when it comes to off-road bike trails. Here are a few notes on the other bike maps I’ve picked up over the years (starting in the upper left and going clockwise):\nBay Trail maps (6-map set, though I’ve read there’s a single-map version now as well). These cover the present and planned multiuse paths that run around the Bay, from SF down the peninsula, up the East Bay, even to Richmond. They’re an interesting set, with trivia on the back, and useful for finding hidden little parks in nooks along the bay… however, they don’t have bike route coverage once you get away from the Bay, and many sections of bay trail aren’t fully connected. So I’ve only used them a few times.\nEast Bay Bicycle Coalition maps. Between these two maps, they cover a broad area, including the Oakland and Berkeley hills, various Grizzly Peak routes including “Three Bears”, Livermore, Antioch, Concord/Walnut Creek and the Iron Horse Trail, and more. They’re very detailed, and I’ve frequently used them to plan rides or navigate, though the legend takes some getting used to. Highly recommended if you want to ride around the East Bay, especially if you want to get out of city centers.\nMarin Bicycle Coalition Map – another excellent map, with detailed coverage of rides such as Headlands, Paradise Loop, Alpine Dam, Stinson/Muir beaches, and China Camp. It only has big-picture lower-resolution coverage once you get farther North (Point Reyes, Nicasio, Petaluma) – see the Sonoma County map below. I’ve probably used the Marin Bicycle Map more often than any other (and on their web site, they say they’ve sold over 40,000 copies of it over the past decade).\nSonoma County Bicycle Coalition map. This was new to me recently, and is decent if you want to bike around Petaluma, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Napa Valley, or so on. The main map doesn’t have a huge amount of detail, but it’s enough to navigate between cities on a bike and plan a route. It also has more detailed city maps for a few of the major cities.\nPost-Car Adventuring – My other friend Max saw this and mentioned it to me, so I bought it. It covers some farther-out trips (Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe, and so on) accessible by combinations of transit and bike– especially taking advantage of Amtrak and buses– transit support beyond the usual BART or Caltrain. I really like the concept and the writing, though it’s light on the actual map details (it’s more an introductory booklet with ride concepts that you’d then want to get the relevant local maps for). I am especially curious about the Big Sur / Esalen Hot Springs trip they suggest.\nShort Bike Rides around San Francisco– one of the first books I used to plan some of the early 20-40 miles rides (and I used it again recently to help plan the SF -\u0026amp;gt; Montara","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bay-area-bike-maps-a-few-paragraph-review/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBay Area bike maps– a few-paragraph review.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoogle Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay Area, but they’re not perfect, and they often don’t show hills or road conditions. They’re also both weak when it comes to off-road bike trails. Here are a few notes on the other bike maps I’ve picked up over the years (starting in the upper left and going clockwise):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/maps.html\"\u003eBay Trail maps\u003c/a\u003e (6-map set, though I’ve read there’s a single-map version now as well). These cover the present and planned multiuse paths that run around the Bay, from SF down the peninsula, up the East Bay, even to Richmond. They’re an interesting set, with trivia on the back, and useful for finding hidden little parks in nooks along the bay… however, they don’t have bike route coverage once you get away from the Bay, and many sections of bay trail aren’t fully connected. So I’ve only used them a few times.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bay Area bike maps-- a few-paragraph review.   Google Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay..."},{"content":"Pliny the Younger, after 11 hours of biking + standing-in-line\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pliny-the-younger-after-11-hours-of-biking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePliny the Younger, after 11 hours of biking + standing-in-line\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pliny the Younger, after 11 hours of biking + standing-in-line"},{"content":"55 miles in, sunny\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/55-miles-in-sunny/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e55 miles in, sunny\u003c/p\u003e","title":"55 miles in, sunny"},{"content":"Cheese Factory stop\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cheese-factory-stop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCheese Factory stop\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cheese Factory stop"},{"content":"Sunny across the bridge\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunny-across-the-bridge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSunny across the bridge\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunny across the bridge"},{"content":"Starting off, we are 15\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/starting-off-we-are-15/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStarting off, we are 15\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Starting off, we are 15"},{"content":" 1988(?) Japanese commercial for Panasonic bikes.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/1988-japanese-commercial-for-panasonic-bikes/","summary":"\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/qiBc2GHBtGo?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1988(?) Japanese commercial for Panasonic bikes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1988(?) Japanese commercial for Panasonic bikes."},{"content":"For international flights, KLM lets you check a bike for free, mainly useful if you want to bike in The Netherlands.\nHowever, as of a few years ago, most airlines, even domestic ones, charge significant fees to bring a (non-folding) bike as luggage. A few summary web pages I found were a few years out of date, so I did some quick research (I’m idly considering taking my bike to New York in May to ride the Five Borough Bike Tour):\nTypical* domestic fees, each way, as of January 2012:\nSouthwest, JetBlue, Virgin America: $50 Alaska: $75 Airtran: $79 (dropping to $50 in April 2012) United/Continental, Hawaiian: $100 Delta, American: $150 * The fine print: fees sometimes vary based on size and weight– I estimated typical fees assuming the boxed bike weighed less than 50 lbs but was well over 62 dimensional inches (length + width + height: 80-100 dimensional inches is more common for the boxes I’ve seen). Also, some small regional airplanes (sometimes run as codeshares with larger airlines) may not allow bicycles at all. Call to be sure.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/flying-with-a-bike-fees/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor international flights, KLM lets you check a bike for free, mainly useful if you want to \u003ca href=\"/archives/\"\u003ebike in The Netherlands\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, as of a few years ago, most airlines, even domestic ones, charge significant fees to bring a (non-folding) bike as luggage. A few summary web pages I found were a few years out of date, so I did some quick research (I’m idly considering taking my bike to New York in May to ride the \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikenewyork.org/ride/five-boro-bike-tour/\"\u003eFive Borough Bike Tour\u003c/a\u003e):\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flying with a bike: fees"},{"content":"Pickup truck for bike repair\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pickup-truck-for-bike-repair/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePickup truck for bike repair\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pickup truck for bike repair"},{"content":"The SF -\u0026amp;gt; Russian River Brewing Company overnight ride I mentioned is on! I sent email to everyone who told me they were interested with more logistics details that I won’t bore people reading this with. The quick summary:\nFeb 11th -\u0026amp;gt; 12th (rolling out *early* Saturday from Four Barrel) A 65-70 mile route roughly like this (doing a 40+ mile practice ride beforehand if you haven’t been riding in a while is recommended – I might organize one a weekend or two before) Early lunch break along the way (probably in Fairfax) Arriving late afternoon, drinking some Pliny the Younger and other beers, being flexible if we have to wait a long time, getting food… Staying the night at the Flamingo Resort ($99/night via this web site for a room with two doubles, it’s up to you to reserve your own or pair up with someone – it’s fully refundable up until 2 days beforehand) Biking back Sunday It looks like it will be somewhere between 6 and 12 of us, including a few friends or significant others driving up (carpools might be possible) ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/feb-11th-overnight-ride-to-russian-river-brewing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"/post/bike-to-russian-river-brewing-in-february/\"\u003eSF -\u0026gt; Russian River Brewing Company overnight ride\u003c/a\u003e I mentioned is on! I sent email to everyone who told me they were interested with more logistics details that I won’t bore people reading this with. The quick summary:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeb 11th -\u0026gt; 12th (rolling out *early* Saturday from Four Barrel)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 65-70 mile route \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/861354\"\u003eroughly like this\u003c/a\u003e (doing a 40+ mile practice ride beforehand if you haven’t been riding in a while is recommended – I might organize one a weekend or two before)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly lunch break along the way (probably in Fairfax)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArriving late afternoon, drinking some Pliny the Younger and other beers, being flexible if we have to wait a long time, getting food…\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStaying the night at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.flamingoresort.com/\"\u003eFlamingo Resort\u003c/a\u003e ($99/night via \u003ca href=\"https://karyonres.travel/\"\u003ethis web site\u003c/a\u003e for a room with two doubles, it’s up to you to reserve your own or pair up with someone – it’s fully refundable up until 2 days beforehand)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiking back Sunday\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt looks like it will be somewhere between 6 and 12 of us, including a few friends or significant others driving up (carpools might be possible)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Feb 11th: overnight ride to Russian River Brewing"},{"content":"On the ocean beach loop this weekend, I noticed two new cycling improvements: a bike lane on Portola (making the short section from Corbett to Sydney on this route less sketchy), and a full-width curb cut at Stanyan \u0026amp;amp; Page.\nThanks everyone who was involved in making this happen, including the SFBC campaign.\nPhoto below: the new Stanyan @ Page curb cut– you used to have to ride to the right to that narrow opening (not easy, interferes with pedestrians), because going straight dropped you off a tall curb.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-bike-lanes-infrastructure/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the ocean beach loop this weekend, I noticed two new cycling improvements: a \u003ca href=\"http://sf.streetsblog.org/2011/12/06/eyes-on-the-street-portola-drive-bike-lanes-get-striped/\"\u003ebike lane on Portola\u003c/a\u003e (making the short section from Corbett to Sydney on \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/119172\"\u003ethis route\u003c/a\u003e less sketchy), and a full-width curb cut at Stanyan \u0026amp; Page.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks everyone who was involved in making this happen, including \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbike.org/?link\"\u003ethe SFBC campaign\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto below: the new Stanyan @ Page curb cut– you used to have to ride to the right to that narrow opening (not easy, interferes with pedestrians), because going straight dropped you off a tall curb.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Bike Lanes, Infrastructure"},{"content":"Sunny and warm at the ocean\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunny-and-warm-at-the-ocean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSunny and warm at the ocean\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunny and warm at the ocean"},{"content":"Pre-ride reading, coffee\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pre-ride-reading-coffee/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePre-ride reading, coffee\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pre-ride reading, coffee"},{"content":"Last-minute: meeting at Four Barrel at 9 tomorrow, rolling out at 9:15, a casual and short ride to the ocean and Trouble Coffee, then back to the Mission. Just a coffee \u0026amp;amp; toast, see-the-ocean-and-park, and stretch-the-legs ride to start the day.\nDefault route is up and over Corbett Ave and past the fancy houses near St Francis Wood (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/119172), but we could also do the hill-free and slightly shorter ride through Golden Gate Park (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/114957), depending what whoever shows up wants.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunday-am-short-ride-to-the-ocean-and-back/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLast-minute: meeting at Four Barrel at 9 tomorrow, rolling out at 9:15, a casual and short ride to the ocean and Trouble Coffee, then back to the Mission. Just a coffee \u0026amp; toast, see-the-ocean-and-park, and stretch-the-legs ride to start the day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDefault route is up and over Corbett Ave and past the fancy houses near St Francis Wood (\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/119172\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/routes/119172\u003c/a\u003e), but we could also do the hill-free and slightly shorter ride through Golden Gate Park (\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/114957\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/routes/114957\u003c/a\u003e), depending what whoever shows up wants.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunday AM: short ride to the ocean and back"},{"content":"[ ignore this post if you only follow the blog for ride planning and photos– below’s just a rare bit of personal New Year’s self-indulgence ]\nI biked a fair amount a decade ago, fell off the wagon for a few years, then three years ago started organizing rides (on this blog and a separate mailing list): for fun, to catch up with friends and meet new people, to explore more of the greater Bay Area at the more observant pace a bike allows, to get in better shape (I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym), and because I knew scheduling rides with other people would put pressure on me to actually make them happen and get organized on the mapping/planning front.\nAnd you know– I think I’ve accomplished everything I’d hoped for a few years ago– solo overnight rides, social bike camping rides with a group of friends, big week-long events with thousands of strangers, difficult rides I didn’t think I could handle, rides along abandoned closed-off roads and to quirky tucked-away corners of the Bay Area, taking my bike on trains and planes and bike touring in Europe without set plans, and making various bits of my own cycling gear… and above all, getting into the mental and physical zone where biking is the default and natural way to get around.\nLosing 35 lbs (and keeping most of it off) was a nice plus– not that fitness is always tied to weight– but in this case I could tell it was.\nSo I don’t have any particular biking resolutions for the new year. I mainly want “more of 2011” – more short and long rides with friends, more combinations of biking with food and beer, more self-supported camping in northern california, more cycling in other environments.\nCome ride with me in 2012!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/3rd-anniversary-of-bikeit-success/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ ignore this post if you only follow the blog for ride planning and photos– below’s just a rare bit of personal New Year’s self-indulgence ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI biked a fair amount a decade ago, fell off the wagon for a few years, then three years ago started organizing rides (\u003ca href=\"/post/2009-bike-rides/\"\u003eon this blog\u003c/a\u003e and a separate mailing list): for fun, to catch up with friends and meet new people, to explore more of the greater Bay Area at the more observant pace a bike allows, to get in better shape (I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym), and because I knew scheduling rides with other people would put pressure on me to actually make them happen and get organized on the mapping/planning front.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3rd anniversary of \"Bikeit\": success."},{"content":" I biked to Russian River Brewery. Somewhat impulsively, with two stronger-than-me riders (thanks for waiting a few times), and via a scenic but longer and hillier route past Mt Tam and Point Reyes. About 83 miles and 6000’ of elevation gain? Whew.\nThe cold rain and wet roads for the middle few hours weren’t the most thrilling, but overall it was a satisfying ride, and good to push my comfort boundaries. And the 18-beer sampler at Russian River Brewing and a pasta dinner by a friend were great ways to wrap it up.\nPlus, I got to scout the North-of-Petaluma roads and the Santa Rosa bike parking situation for an overnight Russian River Brewing ride I want to organize in February.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_175abf66c4662a72.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_3efacf405cae4b8b.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_1ec4632b006c9edb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_7a52b235d7944277.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_d7d49d02cf01da29.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_6b4ad63c9dfab3d7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_4044df5df160d8cf.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_f214f40369a2e13b.webp 800w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_f394947d2b50d6ab.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_133efba61a068f43.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_d3ee2e6b424d39aa.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_98e0fc60938cbeea.webp 800w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_9dc31d2294efe39d.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo9_1280_hu_41c0a0d1d836d988.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_7a60ea989cd1049f.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_8836a58b27ee1ea1.webp 800w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_ccde16cac5f50210.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_593237d0369ffe9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_152da63c7a8cd046.webp 480w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_239e25f69038b80d.webp 800w, /post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_ff54900aee7026f.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/i-biked-to-russian-river-brewery-somewhat/tumblr_lx2wxeAbMk1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_33cfcc61f4e5c7a7.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI biked to Russian River Brewery. Somewhat impulsively, with two stronger-than-me riders (thanks for waiting a few times), and via a scenic but longer and hillier \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/473682\"\u003eroute past Mt Tam and Point Reyes\u003c/a\u003e. About 83 miles and 6000’ of elevation gain? Whew.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I biked to Russian River Brewery. Somewhat impulsively, with two stronger-than-me riders (thanks for waiting a few times), and..."},{"content":"Bike carrying a pot of hot soup.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-carrying-a-pot-of-hot-soup/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike carrying a pot of hot soup.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike carrying a pot of hot soup."},{"content":"Made laminated spoke cards of three memorable 2011 group rides, just for fun: Montara lighthouse overnight, the Point Reyes camping \u0026amp;amp; oyster trip, and 100 miles of loops around the park.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/made-laminated-spoke-cards-of-three-memorable-2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMade laminated spoke cards of three memorable 2011 group rides, just for fun: \u003ca href=\"/post/overnight-bike-trip-sf-montara/\"\u003eMontara lighthouse overnight\u003c/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003ePoint Reyes camping \u0026amp; oyster trip\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"/post/100-miles-to-nowhere-recap/\"\u003e100 miles of loops\u003c/a\u003e around the park.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Made laminated spoke cards of three memorable 2011 group rides, just for fun: Montara lighthouse overnight, the Point Reyes..."},{"content":"Looking ahead– biking to Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa (about 60-70 miles each way from SF, some hills) is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. And hey– they’re serving Pliny the Younger for 14 days in early February.\nThe plan: ride up either Saturday Feb 4th or 11th [edit: we’re doing it the 11th], early, hang out at the brewery, get a hotel/motel/airbnb for the night, and bike back the next day. With stops for lunch and so on.\nI’m also open to camping, but on a weekend with that much riding and hill-climbing it would be nice to travel light.\nHere’s one rough possible route (about 68 miles and 3000ft of elevation from Potrero Hill, or 59 miles from Golden Gate Bridge), which includes a scenic ride past Nicasio Reservoir and two cheese companies. I rode this way (up until Petaluma) when I biked to Sonoma a few months ago, and it was hilly in spots but mostly a nice bike route I want to share. I don’t know the route beyond Petaluma– suggestions welcome, \u0026amp;amp; I’ll dig into bike maps in the next few weeks.\nOr there are somewhat more direct possibilities via San Rafael/Novato and a stretch of highway 101, but I’m much less interested in that.\nThere are also a few potential bail-out routes to cut the distance shorter on the way back (Golden Gate Transit bus 80 runs roughly hourly (though slowly) from Santa Rosa -\u0026amp;gt; Novato -\u0026amp;gt; San Rafael -\u0026amp;gt; SF (SoMa), and has space for two bikes, and there’s also the Larkspur-SF ferry), but I mainly mention those to try to lure people in– let’s bike the whole way.\n[edit: Within a day of posting this and emailing some folks, I already have seven people who said they might be interested… so this will happen (weather permitting). I’ll send out an update in January.]\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-to-russian-river-brewing-in-february/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLooking ahead– biking to Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa (about 60-70 miles each way from SF, some hills) is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. And hey– they’re serving Pliny the Younger for \u003ca href=\"http://www.russianriverbrewing.com/pages/blog.html\"\u003e14 days in early February\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe plan:\u003c/strong\u003e ride up either Saturday Feb 4th or 11th \u003cem\u003e[edit: we’re doing it the 11th]\u003c/em\u003e, early, hang out at the brewery, get a hotel/motel/airbnb for the night, and bike back the next day. With stops for lunch and so on.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike to Russian River Brewing in February?"},{"content":"I joined the Holiday Lights Ride again– this year it was cool but dry, with a group of over 100 riders on a casual tour of holiday lights in the Pac Heights / Richmond / Seacliff / Inner Sunset neighborhoods.\nA whole group of bikeit regulars and first-timers were there– good to see you Elliot, Becky, Zachary, Dina, Ted, Monique, Dave, Iris, Stephanie, Carrie, \u0026amp;amp; Morgan! And special thanks to Robin, Barbara, Paul, Carla, and Martha.\nRandom trivia: local-adventure discussion topics of the evening included the Elsewhere Philatelic Society, the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt, and Discovery Street Tours. This was also the first time I’d heard The Flobots’ “Handlebars” (playing on a stereo on someone’s rack).\nA few quick from-the-bike photos:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/holiday-lights-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI joined the Holiday Lights Ride \u003ca href=\"/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/\"\u003eagain\u003c/a\u003e– this year it was cool but dry, with a group of over 100 riders on a casual tour of holiday lights in the Pac Heights / Richmond / Seacliff / Inner Sunset neighborhoods.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA whole group of bikeit regulars and first-timers were there– good to see you Elliot, Becky, Zachary, Dina, Ted, Monique, Dave, Iris, Stephanie, Carrie, \u0026amp; Morgan! And special thanks to Robin, Barbara, Paul, Carla, and Martha.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Holiday Lights recap"},{"content":"coffee\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/coffee/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ecoffee\u003c/p\u003e","title":"coffee"},{"content":"Beer Growlers by bike.\nSure, it would be easy to just carry them in panniers or mesh bags… but for the heck of it, I made some minimal webbing-and-elastic structures custom fit to Speakeasy growlers, and which clip to a rack with three-point restraint so they don’t bounce around. Started a few weeks ago, but finally found time to finish (and test!) them.\nPeople at the brewery were amused. And the coffee porter made it to a friend’s party without getting too shaken up.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/beer-growlers-by-bike-sure-it-would-be-easy-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBeer Growlers by bike.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSure, it would be easy to just carry them in panniers or mesh bags… but for the heck of it, I made some minimal webbing-and-elastic structures custom fit to Speakeasy growlers, and which clip to a rack with three-point restraint so they don’t bounce around. \u003ca href=\"/post/just-finished-a-custom-bike-mounted/\"\u003eStarted a few weeks ago\u003c/a\u003e, but finally found time to finish (and test!) them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople at the brewery were amused. And the coffee porter made it to a friend’s party without getting too shaken up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beer Growlers by bike.   Sure, it would be easy to just carry them in panniers or mesh bags... but for the heck of it, I made..."},{"content":"I rode the Supermarket Street Sweep (again) – a fundraiser / race to supermarkets around the city, with about 200 riders who collected a total of 8000 lbs of food for the SF Food Bank. I brought in 108 lbs in my recently-reinforced panniers, which held up well, though the bike was a bit unstable with that much weight. A few photos:\nFixing a flat…\nRiding up eucalyptus-lined hills in the Presidio:\nI don’t know her, but she had an impressive bike \u0026amp;amp; cargo load of potatoes:\nOur team of three, at the Food Bank:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI rode the \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/2011/12/another-fantastic-record-breaking-year.html\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e (\u003ca href=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep/\"\u003eagain\u003c/a\u003e) – a fundraiser / race to supermarkets \u003ca href=\"http://app.strava.com/rides/2559765\"\u003earound the city\u003c/a\u003e, with about 200 riders who collected a total of 8000 lbs of food for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sffoodbank.org/\"\u003eSF Food Bank\u003c/a\u003e. I brought in 108 lbs in my recently-reinforced panniers, which held up well, though the bike was a bit unstable with that much weight. A few photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2011/9d27c2e8cc1945772d5c102e26bb850b8993571a_hu_2b4e554f2088e48.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2011/9d27c2e8cc1945772d5c102e26bb850b8993571a_hu_a7bdd1ab55afb06a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"373\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2011/18b381d09937de1673efc79f447da5ab0a766246_hu_6a36aec3786873ef.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep-2011/18b381d09937de1673efc79f447da5ab0a766246_hu_ecc758f2aad6ae51.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket Street Sweep 2011"},{"content":"Just finished a custom bike-mounted growler-carrying sling.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/just-finished-a-custom-bike-mounted/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust finished a custom bike-mounted growler-carrying sling.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just finished a custom bike-mounted growler-carrying sling."},{"content":"Bike Tunnel! (specifically, the newish Cal Park Hill Tunnel near Larkspur, which I finally checked out last weekend when I was in the area)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-tunnel-specifically-the-newish-cal-park/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike Tunnel! (specifically, the newish \u003ca href=\"http://www.marinbike.org/Campaigns/Infrastructure/CalParkIndex.shtml\"\u003eCal Park Hill Tunnel\u003c/a\u003e near Larkspur, which I finally checked out last weekend when I was in the area)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Tunnel! (specifically, the newish Cal Park Hill Tunnel near Larkspur, which I finally checked out last weekend when I was..."},{"content":"**Saturday:**You should come to the Supermarket Street Sweep, a ride around the city to collect groceries for the SF food bank. It’s nominally an alleycat-style race (a few hundred people show up, they give you a list of grocery stores to visit and things to buy, and you have to figure out a route), but I’m not going to try to “compete” this time– I just want to get some friends together to do it at whatever pace is comfortable.\nI did it last year, and it was a lot of fun– good people, a good cause, an irreverent not-too-serious vibe. Plus, there will be a party afterwards with lots of donated prizes raffled off. Seriously, probably at least half of the people at the party won something last year.\nBring a rack, panniers, bags, etc if you have them (we’ll probably join the “cargo” division rather than the speed division)– let’s see how much weight we can bring back.\nCupid’s Span, Saturday, noon, the biking ends at 4.\nAlso this weekend:\n**Sunday:**The SF Bike Coalition\u0026amp;rsquo;s “Winterfest” party and fundraiser. As usual, I’ll be working one of the beer tents (the first shift, until 8:15). I know it’s not cheap ($35, I believe, or $20 more for unlimited beer, and you need to be an SFBC member), but if you decide to go, drop by and say hi.\nFriday: It’s the monthly SF Bike Party (leisurely-pace evening ride of 200+ people around some part of the city, with stereo systems and stops in parks). I haven’t been in a long time, but will probably skip it because of all the other bike love.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/three-bike-events-this-weekend-food-bank/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**Saturday:**You should come to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e, a ride around the city to collect groceries for the SF food bank. It’s nominally an alleycat-style race (a few hundred people show up, they give you a list of grocery stores to visit and things to buy, and you have to figure out a route), but I’m not going to try to “compete” this time– I just want to get some friends together to do it at whatever pace is comfortable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three bike events this weekend (food bank, winterfest, bike party)"},{"content":"I recently went on a solo ride to San Rafael, and checked out the Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop (and fundraiser for Trips For Kids) while I was there. Quite a place.\nOutside, a classic Schwinn (for sale for $125):\nThe back patio had many more used bikes, in both adult sizes and kids’:\nThere were many other sub-$150 used bikes:\nIndoors:\nUsed cranks, cogs, wheels of many types and sizes:\nClipless pedals, typically $20ish for a basic SPD pedal set:\nThey also had an area with used reflectors, lights, computers, seat bags, and other accessories (I picked up an old water bottle with a design I liked and colors that matched my road bike, for a dollar).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/re-cyclery-bike-thrift-shop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI recently went on a solo ride to San Rafael, and checked out the \u003ca href=\"http://www.tripsforkids.org/marin/recyclery.htm\"\u003eRe-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop\u003c/a\u003e (and fundraiser for Trips For Kids) while I was there. Quite a place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutside, a classic Schwinn (for sale for $125):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe back patio had many more used bikes, in both adult sizes and kids’:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/re-cyclery-bike-thrift-shop/5939667a60c8a3c5eb1bad16c3169e6121a0438f_hu_3f3fe7be47250c0c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/re-cyclery-bike-thrift-shop/5939667a60c8a3c5eb1bad16c3169e6121a0438f_hu_9856ddfc58365ad1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were many other sub-$150 used bikes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/re-cyclery-bike-thrift-shop/8488d36338a17def436213da02fb46ff2204497b_hu_cdbca443e7910522.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/re-cyclery-bike-thrift-shop/8488d36338a17def436213da02fb46ff2204497b_hu_394a79223add53c8.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop"},{"content":"1979 Honolulu bicycle license sticker, seen on an old Schwinn\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/1979-honolulu-bicycle-license-sticker-seen-on-an/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e1979 Honolulu bicycle license sticker, seen on an old Schwinn\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1979 Honolulu bicycle license sticker, seen on an old Schwinn"},{"content":"A ride to the ocean for espresso, toast, and coconut with friends, taking some off-road trails through parks for variety:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA ride to the ocean for espresso, toast, and coconut with friends, taking some off-road trails through parks for variety:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/825115\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/a784fefe3956388590336cd72c0ca9df38d1dfef_hu_8ec4d6708e65010c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/a784fefe3956388590336cd72c0ca9df38d1dfef_hu_5070722c2b488001.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/d9154d08de02e0b670c73447c562cc542de4a11e_hu_ad3f4aec46b7c0cc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/d9154d08de02e0b670c73447c562cc542de4a11e_hu_2c80166fcd4a2ffe.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/3ec30bb6354367403767def6898b8673832de397_hu_b17b2239cbf7015c.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/3ec30bb6354367403767def6898b8673832de397_hu_fda5030a97c43ef3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/ee148ef54b6fcd2785fe1635042cf70dc4433a86_hu_2bb47a9e37bce1d9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/ee148ef54b6fcd2785fe1635042cf70dc4433a86_hu_7743501f97400c29.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/2a16ea944ca83fc1b73bcab94579de842330cb9b_hu_d4e70eda4fef34ee.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/2a16ea944ca83fc1b73bcab94579de842330cb9b_hu_8c94488875aa64d0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/94e1f5b164a8ed182641f172798eee6ca8d706b8_hu_f3e103171149b3dc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/94e1f5b164a8ed182641f172798eee6ca8d706b8_hu_7ca96ad1ce5cd815.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/910c62181974e36ad0a9b4cabe92e4faba911f3c_hu_7aa401d3a3d6b419.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/coffee-jaunt-trail-rides/910c62181974e36ad0a9b4cabe92e4faba911f3c_hu_41ce4015721573e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coffee jaunt, trail rides"},{"content":"Bamboo bike, bamboo\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bamboo-bike-bamboo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBamboo bike, bamboo\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bamboo bike, bamboo"},{"content":"There may be a window without rain, so: a short ride to Trouble Coffee / the ocean and back tomorrow morning? Meet at Four Barrel at 9AM? Perhaps a detour back via Lands End (something like http://ridewithgps.com/trips/201533)?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/trouble-coffee-tomorrow-am/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere may be a window without rain, so: a short ride to Trouble Coffee / the ocean and back tomorrow morning? Meet at Four Barrel at 9AM? Perhaps a detour back via Lands End (something like \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/201533\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/trips/201533\u003c/a\u003e)?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Trouble Coffee tomorrow AM?"},{"content":"A casual-pace, 40ish mile Paradise Loop ride with a friend, on a cool day constantly on the edge of rain:\nCloudy, but fog-free, with the low-contrast lighting that’s good for cell phone photos…\nMarsh along the Mill Valley bike path:\nTiburon bike path:\nA few drops of rain threatened (and we were lazy), so we bailed after about 35 miles and took a ferry back from Sausalito (we caught it with about 15 seconds to spare, and would have missed it if we didn’t both have Clipper cards to let us skip the ticket machines):\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/paradise-loop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA casual-pace, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/439312\"\u003e40ish mile Paradise Loop\u003c/a\u003e ride with a friend, on a cool day constantly on the edge of rain:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/439312\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCloudy, but fog-free, with the low-contrast lighting that’s good for cell phone photos…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/paradise-loop/6a08b535a5ccea068e08f71e229937e06b563ef6_hu_8d95f211f689abe9.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/paradise-loop/6a08b535a5ccea068e08f71e229937e06b563ef6_hu_6bd9af2f2fce4eb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarsh along the Mill Valley bike path:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/paradise-loop/74370a64835f9d083958360cf144ba91c3098a3f_hu_d4a26b1153813270.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/paradise-loop/74370a64835f9d083958360cf144ba91c3098a3f_hu_e9a3bc2d0b1789d2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTiburon bike path:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/paradise-loop/8f885e40758075d9fef211a8dfbc20ac1873d5ae_hu_77e83596845d0c4f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/paradise-loop/8f885e40758075d9fef211a8dfbc20ac1873d5ae_hu_616943e1b334cdd2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"500\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few drops of rain threatened (and we were lazy), so we bailed after about 35 miles and took a ferry back from Sausalito (we caught it with about 15 seconds to spare, and would have missed it if we didn’t both have \u003ca href=\"http://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/goldenGate/\"\u003eClipper cards\u003c/a\u003e to let us skip the ticket machines):\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Paradise Loop"},{"content":"Cargo tricycle (photo from my father, in India)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cargo-tricycle-photo-from-my-father-in-india/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCargo tricycle (photo from my father, in India)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cargo tricycle (photo from my father, in India)"},{"content":"Trouble coffee parklet (a quick morning ride to get coffee)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/trouble-coffee-parklet-a-quick-morning-ride-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTrouble coffee parklet (a quick morning ride to get coffee)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Trouble coffee parklet (a quick morning ride to get coffee)"},{"content":"Supermarket Street Sweep poster… who wants to join me this year?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-street-sweep-poster-who-wants-to-join/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep poster… who wants to join me this year?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket Street Sweep poster... who wants to join me this year?"},{"content":"The (first annual?) Fiets \u0026amp;amp; Frites, a casual bike ride and tour of french fries around San Francisco:\nStarting out at Frjtz:\nThree orders of fries (too many!), curry ketchup, wasabi mayo:\nBike rack as condiment tray…\nRide maps:\nAt Absinthe (a favorite), shoestring fries and a chipotle ketchup:\nUp a hill to Tony’s Cable Car Restaurant. Tony was happy to see us (FD is a regular):\nCurly fries and crinkle-cut french fries:\nAfter a ride along leafy Clay and Lake streets, a detour to Mountain Lake:\nBill’s Place, for milkshakes to balance out the salt…\nAnd chili cheese fries. A guy walking by saw us eating by our bikes and on the sidewalk and mumbled “Occupy Bill’s Place?”\nRiding the dirt trails by Park Presidio Drive:\nCar-free Golden Gate Park:\nJay’s Cheesesteak:\nGarlic fries from Jay’s and sweet potato 3D crinkle fries from Acme Burgerhaus:\nAnd wrapping it up at the Super Duper (tied for my favorite fries with Absinthe):\nThanks for coming out, everyone!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fiets-frites-2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe (first annual?) \u003ca href=\"http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\"\u003eFiets \u0026amp; Frites\u003c/a\u003e, a casual bike ride and tour of french fries around San Francisco:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarting out at Frjtz:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/570ba5c787d795fbf3bc48eb2193ab51a11cffe7_hu_f1198c0247bcf092.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/570ba5c787d795fbf3bc48eb2193ab51a11cffe7_hu_c2d5efce9b94e698.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree orders of fries (too many!), curry ketchup, wasabi mayo:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/3e6741c17bc0644c669ac4424609c7049eac2047_hu_33798d5f684d5552.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/3e6741c17bc0644c669ac4424609c7049eac2047_hu_dbabe4a2364050cb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBike rack as condiment tray…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/e0edad4a13465f94ec1953022a200b0773fe7e49_hu_b8bae7e7b429520e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/e0edad4a13465f94ec1953022a200b0773fe7e49_hu_a007fd50562571bc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRide maps:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/8863b70f56ecfe16911b9b7ae5bef9f2fe431749_hu_cddcbfce19d5bf82.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/fiets-frites-2011/8863b70f56ecfe16911b9b7ae5bef9f2fe431749_hu_9a11f63ed28ee52.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fiets \u0026 Frites 2011"},{"content":"A friend (and occasional bikeit rider) built herself a custom bamboo-and-carbon-fiber bike. Awesome.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-friend-and-occasional-bikeit-rider-built/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA friend (and occasional bikeit rider) built herself a custom bamboo-and-carbon-fiber bike. Awesome.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A friend (and occasional bikeit rider) built herself a custom bamboo-and-carbon-fiber bike. Awesome."},{"content":"Another article from 1970: “A sport the whole family can enjoy together. A way to get into condition and fight pollution. It’s the bicycle. […] For the serious cyclist the bike itself is only the beginning. There are special shoes and socks […] and special seamless pants […] But the family bicycler takes things much less seriously. An old pair of jeans, tennis shoes and a sweatshirt do just fine”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-article-from-1970-a-sport-the-whole/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother article from 1970: “A sport the whole family can enjoy together. A way to get into condition and fight pollution. It’s the bicycle. […] For the serious cyclist the bike itself is only the beginning. There are special shoes and socks […] and special seamless pants […] But the family bicycler takes things much less seriously. An old pair of jeans, tennis shoes and a sweatshirt do just fine”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another article from 1970: \"A sport the whole family can enjoy together. A way to get into condition and fight pollution. It's..."},{"content":"Another 1970s article from the library: a group (43 amateur riders, men and women, ages 15 to 53) biking 800 miles and over all 8 major passes through the Sierra Nevada, in 8 days.\nPresumably on steel bikes with all-1970s component technology, without spandex shorts, and so on – another good reminder that the engine matters more than the chassis…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-1970s-article-from-the-library-a-group/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother 1970s article from the library: a group (43 amateur riders, men and women, ages 15 to 53) biking 800 miles and over all 8 major passes through the Sierra Nevada, in 8 days.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresumably on steel bikes with all-1970s component technology, without spandex shorts, and so on – another good reminder that the engine matters more than the chassis…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another 1970s article from the library: a group (43 amateur riders, men and women, ages 15 to 53) biking 800 miles and over all..."},{"content":"More history: in 1971 there was a “Pedal Hoppers” bike bus (24 bikes + 24 passengers) between the East Bay and SF (as usual, clicking on the image should enlarge it). This is especially relevant when you realize the BART Transbay Tube didn’t open until 1973 (per BART history).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/more-history-in-1971-there-was-a-pedal-hoppers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMore history: in 1971 there was a “Pedal Hoppers” bike bus (24 bikes + 24 passengers) between the East Bay and SF (as usual, clicking on the image should enlarge it). This is especially relevant when you realize the BART Transbay Tube didn’t open until 1973 (per \u003ca href=\"http://www.bart.gov/docs/BARThistory.pdf\"\u003eBART history\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More history: in 1971 there was a \"Pedal Hoppers\" bike bus (24 bikes + 24 passengers) between the East Bay and SF (as usual,..."},{"content":"Another from-a-visit-to-the-Oakland-library biking photo and article from 1976 (click through for a detailed view). Note: 200-300 SFBC members then vs. 12,000 now…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-from-a-visit-to-the-oakland-library-biking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother from-a-visit-to-the-Oakland-library biking photo and article from 1976 (click through for a detailed view). Note: 200-300 SFBC members then vs. 12,000 now…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another from-a-visit-to-the-Oakland-library biking photo and article from 1976 (click through for a detailed view). Note:..."},{"content":"The full article that went with the 1971 DiFi pennyfarthing photo. I have more early-1970s Bay Area cycling articles I’ll post this week.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-full-article-that-went-with-the-1971-difi/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe full article that went with the \u003ca href=\"/post/1971-photo-of-mayoralty-candidate-dianne/\"\u003e1971 DiFi pennyfarthing photo\u003c/a\u003e. I have more early-1970s Bay Area cycling articles I’ll post this week.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The full article that went with the 1971 DiFi pennyfarthing photo. I have more early-1970s Bay Area cycling articles I'll post..."},{"content":"1971 photo of “Mayoralty candidate Dianne Feinstein” on a pennyfarthing (found on a recent library visit).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/1971-photo-of-mayoralty-candidate-dianne/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e1971 photo of “Mayoralty candidate Dianne Feinstein” on a pennyfarthing (found on a recent library visit).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"1971 photo of \"Mayoralty candidate Dianne Feinstein\" on a pennyfarthing (found on a recent library visit)."},{"content":"The first annual Fiets \u0026amp;amp; Frites (tour of SF french fries by bicycle) is planned for Sunday, October 23rd. http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-first-annual-fiets-frites-tour-of-sf-french/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first annual \u003cem\u003eFiets \u0026amp; Frites\u003c/em\u003e (tour of SF french fries by bicycle) is planned for Sunday, October 23rd. \u003ca href=\"http://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\"\u003ehttp://fietsandfrites.wordpress.com/\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The first annual Fiets \u0026 Frites (tour of SF french fries by bicycle) is planned for Sunday, October 23rd...."},{"content":"Save the date: Supermarket Street Sweep Dec 3rd (recap from last year when I did it by myself, but it would be fun to do with friends).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/save-the-date-supermarket-street-sweep-dec-3rd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSave the date: \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e Dec 3rd (\u003ca href=\"/post/supermarket-street-sweep/\"\u003erecap from last year\u003c/a\u003e when I did it by myself, but it would be fun to do with friends).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Save the date: Supermarket Street Sweep Dec 3rd (recap from last year when I did it by myself, but it would be fun to do with..."},{"content":"A rare “gear” post: A few people have asked me about my handlebar bag. It’s the Rivendell Brand V Boxy BarBag.\nUnlike most decent-size front bags, it doesn’t require a rack for support, which is nice, it’s easy to access while riding, and fast to detach and bring indoors at a stop. I keep my valuables, camera, small jacket, snacks, maps, and so on in it.\nOn the other hand, it’s not actually waterproof. And the support straps are made of a thin fabric that slips through the clasps easily, under even a little weight, and can even work themselves out of the clasps (the doubled-over fabric at the end still isn’t thick enough).\nOnce I replaced them with some thicker, higher-friction ½\u0026amp;quot; webbing, that seemed to solve the problem:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/front-handlebar-bag-no-rack/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA rare “gear” post: A few people have asked me about my handlebar bag. It’s the Rivendell \u003ca href=\"http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/bavbb.htm\"\u003eBrand V Boxy BarBag\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/front-handlebar-bag-no-rack/091988b59a273d5dc9285e05ddf40b8884f8c61c_hu_796972690bbad5b2.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/front-handlebar-bag-no-rack/091988b59a273d5dc9285e05ddf40b8884f8c61c_hu_4ac7fd9775e590d3.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"293\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/front-handlebar-bag-no-rack/47a8abdff041c3cd7c250b2d226f42d849499cda_hu_60c1b6d9e2c76c82.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/front-handlebar-bag-no-rack/47a8abdff041c3cd7c250b2d226f42d849499cda_hu_a8929eed276f3a2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike most decent-size front bags, it doesn’t require a rack for support, which is nice, it’s easy to access while riding, and fast to detach and bring indoors at a stop. I keep my valuables, camera, small jacket, snacks, maps, and so on in it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Front handlebar bag (no rack)"},{"content":" Tour De Cupcake. Biking, cupcake checkpoints, plus extra points for (1) riding down and up the steepest part of 17th St carrying 20lbs of sugar, and (2) eating a whole jar (2000 calories) of terrible frosting (ugh– why, why?). Didn’t win, but had a good time and saw lots of friends around the city.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_b5b4651f96475f77.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_591ae995a3d3336a.webp 800w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_2077e2a25a1e3819.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_9e3b78e327e1a5fc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"406\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_22b57150d5f69465.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_ee273c9f53cc7c1a.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_812200062e62740c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1084\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_bec5158db6f78fa6.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_e894c0e6978f874c.webp 800w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_10d191aaec1f0038.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_58f7982dafba8557.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"515\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo10_1280_hu_759d7d46a0637eb4.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo10_1280_hu_c2ac1684a5ba3b64.webp 800w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo10_1280_hu_e48a6f9a6e99718b.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo10_1280_hu_4534169543f46c9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"610\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo13_r1_1280_hu_c2d44c1c100154.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo13_r1_1280_hu_b354be561e95e039.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"765\" height=\"1280\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_3ea09165efe30635.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_6b17962af6354fb.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_585889ca46c3666a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1015\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_11de4e3d15118499.webp 480w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_d027e54ec2dcc150.webp 800w, /post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_bacab1a9fda8984e.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/tour-de-cupcake-biking-cupcake-checkpoints-plus/tumblr_lsu3l6k6PJ1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_8506b0db80c217ff.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tour De Cupcake. Biking, cupcake checkpoints, plus extra points for (1) riding down and up the steepest part of 17th St carrying..."},{"content":"Bike Kitchen takes donations, but doesn’t want your burning man bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-kitchen-takes-donations-but-doesnt-want/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike Kitchen takes donations, but doesn’t want your burning man bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike Kitchen takes donations, but doesn't want your burning man bike"},{"content":" Winter is coming… time to put various accessories back on the bike.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo2_400_hu_4d0340cc37173ace.webp 384w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo2_400_hu_25ed98a1b10f04cb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"384\" height=\"512\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo7_400_hu_f3e77f7e34b8ec7a.webp 271w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo7_400_hu_2d6cd8035833c885.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"271\" height=\"256\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo6_r1_400_hu_e48ab5b5f57fd29b.webp 384w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo6_r1_400_hu_38ebfce9eab9e360.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"384\" height=\"512\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo5_400_hu_3ed60c03c1cc35f5.webp 384w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo5_400_hu_fb62c07f84263b9b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"384\" height=\"512\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo3_640_hu_bab96fcc5867d008.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo3_640_hu_ba56c78ddaf5a50a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"640\" height=\"480\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_1a233b55a12c6ec4.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/winter-is-coming-time-to-put-various-accessories/tumblr_lsmoo8Q2pR1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_95de604e67981db9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"720\" height=\"540\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinter is coming… time to put various accessories back on the bike.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winter is coming... time to put various accessories back on the bike."},{"content":" The self-serve / honor system Bike Hut on Tunitas Creek Rd just off Highway 1– I love that a place like this can exist.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_d18ae43d508860be.webp 480w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_caa1766b2075be8a.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_ad1e134c6677d3dc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_89a6b733f23277c9.webp 480w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_aeb0b3a4fa8fc381.webp 800w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_31664b6a21888443.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_e0a9c78be3f877f2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_5456a2d61813ec5e.webp 480w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_551174da1e4ccf14.webp 800w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_8cbe614d5dcaae3a.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_b93b15fb737c0287.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_f976923923e798df.webp 480w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_254ced06dc4b844d.webp 800w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_7cec6562d1ad1eb2.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_6ebce243ffd1a313.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_128d2650dba369.webp 480w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_91ef9e1acb2a4b08.webp 800w, /post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_7c4b9eb78bd80e32.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/the-self-serve-honor-system-bike-hut-on-tunitas/tumblr_lshzoauZpp1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_b7094954d3fbab0c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe self-serve / honor system Bike Hut on Tunitas Creek Rd just off Highway 1– I love that a place like this can exist.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The self-serve / honor system Bike Hut on Tunitas Creek Rd just off Highway 1-- I love that a place like this can exist."},{"content":"Four of us biked a loop from Menlo Park to Pescadero, mostly on low-traffic back roads, through redwood and eucalyptus groves. The 63 miles and 7000’ of elevation gain (most of it in two major hills) made it a bit of a challenge as well.\nQuick route reminder stapled around the handlebars:\nRolling hills, fields, solar-powered houses:\nTaking a break in Pescadero to eat lunch outside, including excellent artichoke bread from Arcangeli Grocery:\nHighway 1 (which has good shoulders in this section):\nSome riding highlights included Old La Honda (3 miles of uphill at a remarkably consistent grade, making it easy to keep a pace), the Tunitas Creek climb (about 9 miles of uphill, 6 of them with a significant grade, through dark, nearly car-free redwood forests thick with ferns), and the rolling hills and downhills of Pescadero Creek Road (my new favorite set of rolling hills in the Bay Area– a burst of energy through them let me mainly stay in my top gear and keep a 20-25mph pace for 10 miles).\nWe saw startled deer, horses, classic cars, the ocean, and remarkably little fog.\nThis ride’s made it onto the “favorite routes list”.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pescadero-ride-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us biked a loop from Menlo Park to Pescadero, mostly on low-traffic back roads, through redwood and eucalyptus groves. The 63 miles and 7000’ of elevation gain (most of it in two major hills) made it a bit of a challenge as well.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/409986\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/3cbee19d8e265073a85a9806cb4eb74833565407_hu_c60fde2e5f6f1c76.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/3cbee19d8e265073a85a9806cb4eb74833565407_hu_2b8af8bcd4729644.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/66b090f6d19daeb70db970facc01b9cc291700b2_hu_543852168b3823fb.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/66b090f6d19daeb70db970facc01b9cc291700b2_hu_c6ae2a997609450a.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"425\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/3d9c9960beb2cce876e7451f94e34e7cc4c0dc56_hu_f7befaf46347a051.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/pescadero-ride-recap/3d9c9960beb2cce876e7451f94e34e7cc4c0dc56_hu_8fd0f94a20d958dc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"624\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pescadero ride recap"},{"content":"As planned, the ride from Menlo Park to the ocean (Pescadero) and back is on, this Sunday.\nThe route is 62 miles with long hills (for example, Old La Honda is about 3 miles of 6-7% grade)– consider it “very challenging” compared to our usual rides, and plan on taking the whole day. Bring water, snacks, spare tube/patch kit, layers (it can get cold), and lights (just in case we’re out late).\nMeet up at 9:14 at the Menlo Park Caltrain (the train leaves SF at 8:15 and 22nd St at 8:20).\nPossible lunch stops in Pescadero include Duarte’s and a stop to taste cheese and see goats at Harley Farms.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-sunday-menlo-park-to-the-ocean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs planned, the ride from Menlo Park to the ocean (Pescadero) and back is on, this Sunday.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/omeLXp\"\u003eThe route\u003c/a\u003e is 62 miles with long hills (for example, Old La Honda is about 3 miles of 6-7% grade)– consider it “very challenging” compared to our usual rides, and plan on taking the whole day. Bring water, snacks, spare tube/patch kit, layers (it can get cold), and lights (just in case we’re out late).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This Sunday: Menlo Park to the Ocean"},{"content":"Any interest in a bike tour of a wide variety of french fry styles in San Francisco?\nWe can’t hit everywhere, but here’s a tentative route, with 13 miles of biking and 9 kinds of fried potato.\nProbably starting at 11am or noon some weekend in late October, either Saturday the 22nd or Sunday the 23rd (which would transition nicely into Sunday Streets in the Mission).\nLet me know if you’re interested and I’ll have a motivation to make it happen. To whet your appetite, the moment in Holland that inspired this:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fiets-and-frites/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAny interest in a bike tour of a wide variety of french fry styles in San Francisco?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe can’t hit everywhere, but \u003ca href=\"http://goo.gl/Tv0ku\"\u003ehere’s a tentative route\u003c/a\u003e, with 13 miles of biking and 9 kinds of fried potato.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProbably starting at 11am or noon some weekend in late October, either Saturday the 22nd or Sunday the 23rd (which would transition nicely into \u003ca href=\"http://www.sundaystreetssf.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/May8_Mission_v2.png\"\u003eSunday Streets in the Mission\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet me know if you’re interested and I’ll have a motivation to make it happen. To whet your appetite, the moment in Holland that inspired this:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fiets and Frites?"},{"content":"Another SF bike-related event this weekend, which a friend and regular bikeit rider is helping organize:\nhttp://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=20\u0026amp;amp;recordid=152\n“Join us for a spin through the City’s streets exploring the wonderful world of wastewater. We’ll visit San Francisco’s award-winning treatment plant, pump stations, and storm drains, learning from the experts about the fascinating infrastructure beneath the city’s streets. Fun for the sewer, cycling and city enthusiast! Pick one segment or join us for all three. No rider left behind.”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wastewater-whirl-a-san-francisco-sewer-cycle-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother SF bike-related event this weekend, which a friend and regular bikeit rider is helping organize:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=20\u0026amp;recordid=152\"\u003ehttp://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=20\u0026amp;recordid=152\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Join us for a spin through the City’s streets exploring the wonderful world of wastewater. We’ll visit San Francisco’s award-winning treatment plant, pump stations, and storm drains, learning from the experts about the fascinating infrastructure beneath the city’s streets. Fun for the sewer, cycling and city enthusiast! Pick one segment or join us for all three. No rider left behind.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wastewater Whirl: A San Francisco Sewer Cycle Tour"},{"content":"You can follow Erica \u0026amp;amp; The Doty’s bike adventures in Iceland– my favorite post so far is this one.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friends-bike-touring-in-iceland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYou can follow \u003ca href=\"http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1r4vFZo\u0026amp;doc_id=9526\u0026amp;v=2P\"\u003eErica \u0026amp; The Doty’s bike adventures in Iceland\u003c/a\u003e– my favorite post so far is \u003ca href=\"http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo\u0026amp;page_id=261558\u0026amp;v=V\"\u003ethis one\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friends bike touring in Iceland"},{"content":"I can’t make it to either of these, but in case you’re interested:\nSaturday: Tour De Fat Sunday: Biketoberfest Marin ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-beer-festivals-this-weekend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI can’t make it to either of these, but in case you’re interested:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaturday: \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbike.org/?fat\"\u003eTour De Fat\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunday: \u003ca href=\"http://www.biketoberfestmarin.com/\"\u003eBiketoberfest Marin\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Bike \u0026 beer festivals this weekend"},{"content":" Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_8e7552d8eb173905.webp 480w, /post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_82c4feb98ac19c61.webp 800w, /post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_d0499b432135437.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_e99bfae29b506d6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_80bd5e678fff7fbd.webp 480w, /post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_7ef1fe9937648202.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_6c78498a2f024037.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_fe75c7f916a66358.webp 480w, /post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_c57601f6c5cac8da.webp 800w, /post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_a4d2f4fba09ccf95.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/quick-lunch-bbq-in-a-park-with-a-friend-by-bike/tumblr_lrqr5kWnNg1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_b4f34e0f4499af01.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"371\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike."},{"content":"For anyone who reads this through an RSS reader or so on and wouldn’t have noticed this– a few months ago I added a static “Favorite Rides” page.\nPeople occasionally ask me where I like to ride, so I figured I’d keep a quick list, with links to maps and photos. Carry on.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/best-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who reads this through an RSS reader or so on and wouldn’t have noticed this– a few months ago I added a static “\u003ca href=\"/best/\"\u003eFavorite Rides\u003c/a\u003e” page.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople occasionally ask me where I like to ride, so I figured I’d keep a quick list, with links to maps and photos. Carry on.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"Best rides\""},{"content":"Six of us rode the Alpine Dam loop today (starting from various locations– my day was about 67 miles and 6 hours riding time).\nIt’s still one of my favorite non-overnight Bay Area rides – the stretch along Panoramic Highway and the following “seven sisters in reverse” on Ridgecrest are scenic and exhilarating. I only took a few photos:\nIron Springs brewery in Fairfax. The enchiladas were fine, but most importantly, they were calories. The dark rye beer was interesting.\nAnd yes, more roadside blackberries.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alpine-dam-again/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSix of us rode the \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/395084\"\u003eAlpine Dam loop\u003c/a\u003e today (starting from various locations– my day was about 67 miles and 6 hours riding time).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s still one of my \u003ca href=\"/best/bay-area-day/\"\u003efavorite\u003c/a\u003e non-overnight Bay Area rides – the stretch along Panoramic Highway and the following “seven sisters in reverse” on Ridgecrest are scenic and exhilarating. I only took a few photos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIron Springs brewery in Fairfax. The enchiladas were fine, but most importantly, they were calories. The dark rye beer was interesting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alpine Dam, again"},{"content":"Golden Gate Bridge bike rack\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/golden-gate-bridge-bike-rack/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGolden Gate Bridge bike rack\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Golden Gate Bridge bike rack"},{"content":" Photos from our recent 7-person Livermore wine country ride (in somewhat-brutal 95-degree heat), over a 30-mile route.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo12_r1_1280_hu_7c489979d6c87d8.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo12_r1_1280_hu_6df86950ef492ebe.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo12_r1_1280_hu_bf2f6cc15c87ed.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"792\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_1fd5a04679f7245b.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_4b2149923a435a90.webp 800w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_909c23fd6ec091ba.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_b635dfc810a0f647.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_ce8019b01cdb31a8.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_56034ba468033a9.webp 800w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_d310820025fb2dd0.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo8_1280_hu_32733bd8d03833d6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"577\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_731dec43efd79cc0.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_115c2466ffe99d92.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_29cd210a7c8156fb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo11_r1_1280_hu_57c9e1fe16b99a9d.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo11_r1_1280_hu_9ddebf85d22befb7.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo11_r1_1280_hu_90de4283b2a9fd6b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"458\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_c0f4433237add1bd.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_5dcca83396e2319e.webp 800w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_d61275a55642d023.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_44f196f6375d9bdb.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"603\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_175860e5925f9b62.webp 480w, /post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_83cc2d80eb109269.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/photos-from-our-recent-7-person-livermore-wine/tumblr_lr8tyoiq4f1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_10bcaca9448ac3c0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"1067\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Photos from our recent 7-person Livermore wine country ride (in somewhat-brutal 95-degree heat), over a 30-mile route."},{"content":"A quick heads-up to gauge interest…\nA few of us (6 maybes so far) are talking about doing a ride from Menlo Park to the ocean and back, and have penciled in Sunday October 2nd. I’ve never ridden there, but a few other people have and say it’s very scenic, hilly, full of redwoods, and fairly challenging (60-70 miles, with plenty of long hills).\nWe’d want to get an early start to avoid riding back in the dark (and even then– bring lights just in case)– probably starting with the 8:15 Caltrain from SF to Menlo Park. Here’s one possible rough route, to give you a general feeling for where we’d be: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/704590\nMore details to come…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tentative-102-ride-menlo-park-pescadero/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA quick heads-up to gauge interest…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few of us (6 maybes so far) are talking about doing a ride from Menlo Park to the ocean and back, and have penciled in Sunday October 2nd. I’ve never ridden there, but a few other people have and say it’s very scenic, hilly, full of redwoods, and fairly challenging (60-70 miles, with plenty of long hills).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’d want to get an early start to avoid riding back in the dark (and even then– bring lights just in case)– probably starting with the 8:15 Caltrain from SF to Menlo Park. Here’s one possible rough route, to give you a general feeling for where we’d be: \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/704590\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/routes/704590\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tentative 10/2 ride: Menlo Park \u003c-\u003e Pescadero"},{"content":" Made a very simple bike-mounted cooler. Arkel pannier hooks plus two bolts, fender washers to spread the force, rubber washers to help seal the holes drilled through the side, and some webbing at the bottom of the cooler to help a hook hold the bottom of the cooler against the rack (not shown).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_c72db164c20cadcc.webp 480w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_dc02f3d66d2a0f75.webp 800w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_757e8f507cf2ab88.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_1d1436b134ecaa72.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_854b4cdc0c290c6f.webp 480w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_589c63cc56ffbd60.webp 800w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_c7f56f0f6e05d33a.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_c4debf51a0c032dc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_e9eb50a86cc33cdd.webp 480w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_cc26ac23fb9d0885.webp 800w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_54d80f184a7ac3e.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_7f1e50b217e91535.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"688\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo7_r1_1280_hu_fe75c7f916a66358.webp 480w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo7_r1_1280_hu_c57601f6c5cac8da.webp 800w, /post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo7_r1_1280_hu_a4d2f4fba09ccf95.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/made-a-very-simple-bike-mounted-cooler-arkel/tumblr_lre3coSbUj1qzv82bo7_r1_1280_hu_b4f34e0f4499af01.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"371\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade a very simple bike-mounted cooler. \u003ca href=\"http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/bicycle-accessories/cam-lock-hook-kit-1.html\"\u003eArkel pannier hooks\u003c/a\u003e plus two bolts, fender washers to spread the force, rubber washers to help seal the holes drilled through the side, and some webbing at the bottom of the cooler to help a hook hold the bottom of the cooler against the rack (not shown).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Made a very simple bike-mounted cooler. Arkel pannier hooks plus two bolts, fender washers to spread the force, rubber washers..."},{"content":"new bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enew bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"new bike"},{"content":"The West sidewalk of the golden gate bridge is reopening to bikes, at last!\nIn celebration (and to celebrate a new bike I hope to have by then), it’s time for a decent-length Marin ride: not this Saturday, but next Saturday, the 17th.\nThe plan: a clockwise Alpine Dam loop, 65ish miles depending where in SF you start, quite hilly in some sections. Friendly pace, regroups at the tops of major hills, and an obligatory stop on the way back in Fairfax at Iron Springs Brewpub or Gestalt.\nAnd probably starting at the SF Ferry Building farmers’ market for some Primavera chilaquiles, then riding around the edge of the city rather than the route linked above.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alpine-dam-on-saturday-917/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe West sidewalk of the golden gate bridge is reopening to bikes, at last!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn celebration (and to celebrate a new bike I hope to have by then), it’s time for a decent-length Marin ride: not this Saturday, but next Saturday, the 17th.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plan: a clockwise \u003ca href=\"/post/instead-of-tv-60-hilly-miles/\"\u003eAlpine Dam\u003c/a\u003e loop, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/279526\"\u003e65ish miles\u003c/a\u003e depending where in SF you start, quite hilly in some sections. Friendly pace, regroups at the tops of major hills, and an obligatory stop on the way back in Fairfax at Iron Springs Brewpub or Gestalt.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alpine Dam on Saturday 9/17"},{"content":"GGB west sidewalk reopening to bikes early (Sep 10)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ggb-west-sidewalk-reopening-to-bikes-early-sep/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/08/golden-gate-bridges-western-sidewalk-to-reopen-ahead-of-schedule.php\"\u003eGGB west sidewalk reopening to bikes early (Sep 10)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"GGB west sidewalk reopening to bikes early (Sep 10)"},{"content":"Bad news: On a casual ride home on smooth pavement, I felt the rear wheel (on my old french road bike) skitter like I’d run over something. I stopped and saw the frame had suddenly cracked through. I walked it home.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bad-news-on-a-casual-ride-home-on-smooth/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBad news: On a casual ride home on smooth pavement, I felt the rear wheel (on my \u003ca href=\"/post/good-news-just-put-a-new-leather-seat-and-small/\"\u003eold french road bike\u003c/a\u003e) skitter like I’d run over something. I stopped and saw the frame had suddenly cracked through. I walked it home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bad news: On a casual ride home on smooth pavement, I felt the rear wheel (on my old french road bike) skitter like I'd run over..."},{"content":"Good news: just put a new leather seat and small seat bag on my 1960s french road bike (a.k.a. “the little bull”), and rewrapped the handlebars.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/good-news-just-put-a-new-leather-seat-and-small/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGood news: just put a new leather seat and small seat bag on my 1960s french road bike (a.k.a. “the little bull”), and rewrapped the handlebars.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Good news: just put a new leather seat and small seat bag on my 1960s french road bike (a.k.a. \"the little bull\"), and rewrapped..."},{"content":"Work evening: cutting soles out of special sneakers for recessed pedal clips, installing new leather saddle and Pitlock security skewers, re-taping handlebars. Dangit, sheared a bolt by over-tightening.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/work-evening-cutting-soles-out-of-special/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWork evening: cutting soles out of special sneakers for recessed pedal clips, installing new leather saddle and Pitlock security skewers, re-taping handlebars. Dangit, sheared a bolt by over-tightening.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Work evening: cutting soles out of special sneakers for recessed pedal clips, installing new leather saddle and Pitlock security..."},{"content":"Backup Dog Lock\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/backup-dog-lock/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBackup Dog Lock\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Backup Dog Lock"},{"content":"Tour de Cupcake in October (I plan to be there)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/tour-de-cupcake-in-october-i-plan-to-be-there/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ilsgoldbarg.com/tdcabout.html\"\u003eTour de Cupcake in October (I plan to be there)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tour de Cupcake in October (I plan to be there)"},{"content":"18 Reasons threw a Full Moon Barn Dance party at Circle JR Ranch in Sonoma recently. Eating, drinking (Linden St beer and Sodacraft soda), horseshoes, tours of a Bi-Rite garden, lasso lessons, dancing… I could have driven up with a friend, but I figured– why not bike?\nThe most direct route would have been through San Rafael and up on the 37 to the 121, but after looking at the excellent Marin Country Bike Coalition map’s warnings of missing shoulders and reading a few online posts about those road segments, I decided I was willing to add 9 extra miles and some hills to ride via Fairfax / Nicasio / Petaluma:\nIt was about 135 miles round trip, and going up took about 7 hours including several stops for food (5 hours of riding time).\nThe standard treat-myself Saturday pre-ride breakfast– Primavera at the Ferry Building farmers’ market.\nBridge shrouded in fog.\nStopped at the new Nicasio Valley Cheese Company (they kindly refilled my water) and tasted some cheese. Wait a minute*–*** that decorative little ceramic pitcher labeled “Valle Maggia” looks familiar (scroll down a few photos). Well, that’s surreal (explanation: the owners of this creamery are from that region).\nMany roads had wide, smooth shoulders.\nA few didn’t (the uphill sections from Nicasio to Petaluma were especially suspect, as was the 2-mile section of 121 I had to ride to get to the ranch).\nWild blackberries? I’ll stop for that.\n15 classic cars passed in a row.\nThe outskirts of Petaluma, USA is not where I expected to see a bike-priority signal.\nPacking light (but still a tent and all the necessary camping gear).\nTrying to learn how to lasso a calf (with models). Not very successful.\nLive music, barn dancing, good food (hamburgers made from a cow raised about 50’ from where I was sitting), hay bales, garden tour (including eating a mole pepper straight off the plant), and quite a full moon. I didn’t take many photos.\nThe pond by the Marin French Cheese company, between Petaluma and Point Reyes Station.\nOn the way up, I met Frank here: he was waiting with his car to support a group of cyclists on a long day ride. We chatted about Long Haul Truckers, and Amsterdam (based on my panniers), and he refilled my water and offered me a snack. On the way back, I met a group of women on a Nicasio\u0026amp;lt;-\u0026amp;gt;Petaluma ride and chatted about RAGBRAI and biking across Ohio (less flat than Iowa).\nI made it back in about 5 hours of moderately brisk riding in excellent weather. Whew.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sf-sonoma-bike-camping-barn-dance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://18reasons.org/\"\u003e18 Reasons\u003c/a\u003e threw a \u003ca href=\"http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/183623\"\u003eFull Moon Barn Dance\u003c/a\u003e party at Circle JR Ranch in Sonoma recently. Eating, drinking (\u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;cd=1\u0026amp;ved=0CB4QFjAA\u0026amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lindenbeer.com%2F\u0026amp;ei=26NRTsq1FpDZiAL-qZVw\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNE1FtpDHQhql3a6hO_9e40lhSfZkw\u0026amp;sig2=U979NwwQp4yzcqFo8CQmgA\"\u003eLinden St\u003c/a\u003e beer and \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;cd=1\u0026amp;sqi=2\u0026amp;ved=0CB8QFjAA\u0026amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sodacraftsf.com%2F\u0026amp;ei=zaNRTsXZM-bWiAL5j_WZAQ\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNG_MDT9Sb7ryi28ANJ8XhsCrOhdzQ\u0026amp;sig2=rB_WXV1cEk2VNJIpa-KqPQ\"\u003eSodacraft\u003c/a\u003e soda), horseshoes, tours of \u003ca href=\"http://biritemarket.com/who-we-are/bi-rite-farms/\"\u003ea Bi-Rite garden\u003c/a\u003e, lasso lessons, dancing… I could have driven up with a friend, but I figured– why not bike?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most direct route would have been through San Rafael and up on the 37 to the 121, but after looking at the excellent \u003ca href=\"http://www.marinbike.org/Map/Index.shtml\"\u003eMarin Country Bike Coalition map\u003c/a\u003e’s warnings of missing shoulders and reading a \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-223857.html\"\u003efew\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-49331.html\"\u003eonline\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-521035.html\"\u003eposts\u003c/a\u003e about those road segments, I decided I was willing to add 9 extra miles and some hills to ride via Fairfax / Nicasio / Petaluma:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SF -\u003e Sonoma bike camping \u0026 barn dance"},{"content":"Circle JR Ranch, Sonoma\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/circle-jr-ranch-sonoma/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCircle JR Ranch, Sonoma\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Circle JR Ranch, Sonoma"},{"content":"Just a heads up– I’m thinking of doing another Livermore vineyard ride on Sunday Aug 28th.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sun-aug-28-livermore-vineyards/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust a heads up– I’m thinking of doing another \u003ca href=\"/post/livermore/\"\u003eLivermore vineyard ride\u003c/a\u003e on Sunday Aug 28th.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sun Aug 28: Livermore vineyards?"},{"content":"A few weeks ago I rode the “Seven Hells [Hills] of San Francisco” (typically 25-30% grade, some steep enough to have steps cut into the sidewalks).\nIt was harder than I expected, and I almost gave up at Russian Hill, on Jones between Filbert and Green – I was in my lowest gear, could barely turn the pedals, had to lean forward to keep my bike from tipping backwards (the front wheel came off the ground at one point), and my heart was pounding against my ribcage. But in the end I managed to make it up every hill without walking, standing up, or needing to ride a gradual side-to-side “switchback” pattern. Whew!\nA map and some photos from various people are below:\n[source: Ken E. ]\nPeople racing up Leavenworth just North of Broadway. This didn’t even count as one of the seven hells because it’s not long enough.\nClimbing Dalewood near Twin Peaks [ source: Frank Chan ]\nAnother hill [ source: Frank Chan ]\n“Fleeing Alcatraz”, about to climb another steep hill [ source: Frank Chan ]\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/7-hells-of-sf-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago I rode the “\u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bicycle/detail?entry_id=91771\"\u003eSeven Hells [Hills] of San Francisco\u003c/a\u003e” (typically 25-30% grade, some steep enough to have steps cut into the sidewalks).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was harder than I expected, and I almost gave up at Russian Hill, on Jones between Filbert and Green – I was in my lowest gear, could barely turn the pedals, had to lean forward to keep my bike from tipping backwards (the front wheel came off the ground at one point), and my heart was pounding against my ribcage. But in the end I managed to make it up every hill without walking, standing up, or needing to ride a gradual side-to-side “switchback” pattern. Whew!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"7 Hells of SF recap"},{"content":"Bike rack torn out of sidewalk (hope no one lost their bike)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-rack-torn-out-of-sidewalk-hope-no-one-lost/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike rack torn out of sidewalk (hope no one lost their bike)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike rack torn out of sidewalk (hope no one lost their bike)"},{"content":"Biked 40+ miles to work this morning, with a group of about 50 people (going to various different companies along the peninsula). For fun, I brought a stereo along (most popular track: Hot Chip’s “Over and Over”)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biked-40-miles-to-work-this-morning-with-a-group/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiked 40+ miles to work this morning, with a group of about 50 people (going to various different companies along the peninsula). For fun, I brought a stereo along (most popular track: Hot Chip’s “Over and Over”)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biked 40+ miles to work this morning, with a group of about 50 people (going to various different companies along the..."},{"content":"Bar bike (PDX)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bar-bike-pdx/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBar bike (PDX)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bar bike (PDX)"},{"content":"Same friend I biked with last weekend, different city (PDX)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/same-friend-i-biked-with-last-weekend-different/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSame friend I biked with last weekend, different city (PDX)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Same friend I biked with last weekend, different city (PDX)"},{"content":"Detailed signage for car/bike lane crossovers (in PDX)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/detailed-signage-for-carbike-lane-crossovers-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDetailed signage for car/bike lane crossovers (in PDX)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Detailed signage for car/bike lane crossovers (in PDX)"},{"content":"Three kinds of urban bike planning in one photo (PDX)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/three-kinds-of-urban-bike-planning-in-one-photo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree kinds of urban bike planning in one photo (PDX)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three kinds of urban bike planning in one photo (PDX)"},{"content":"Bike-mounted growler carrier (the need for straps is inelegant) (PDX)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-mounted-growler-carrier-the-need-for-straps/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike-mounted growler carrier (the need for straps is inelegant) (PDX)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike-mounted growler carrier (the need for straps is inelegant) (PDX)"},{"content":"Today was my 4th or 5th Port Costa / Carquinez Scenic Drive ride over the past four years and it was a good one (and with no flats or infected bee stings). Seven of us met up at Pleasant Hill BART and headed out for a late afternoon casual-pace 29-mile ride and picnic.\nFor variety, we took what looked like a side path along Alhambra– but it rapidly rose above the road and turned into a rough dirt path.\nWe forged ahead for another 12 miles of riding, past cows and brown (“golden”) dry grass up the curvy hills of McEwen and down into Port Costa. It’s a town that’s hard to describe if you haven’t been there– in some ways it feels like a frontier town from 100 years ago, but with motorcycles. But hey, the NYtimes did a brief piece on it recently, with this bit of history:\n“Port Costa was founded in 1879 as a landing for the steam-powered ferries that took trains from Benicia across the one-mile-wide Carquinez Strait. […] In its heyday, Port Costa was one of the biggest grain ports on the West Coast, with around 3,000 residents. Population plummeted in 1930 when the Martinez railroad bridge opened, replacing the ferry crossing. Today, Port Costa has fewer than 250 inhabitants.”\nOutside the one bar and restaurant we saw a man with a falcon on his shoulder, a man with strong opinions about bike components who scoffed at us for never having biked to Yosemite, and a man in a leather jacket carrying a whip and a huge sheathed knife, among other characters.\nWe sat on a railroad cart with what turned out to be a ridiculous picnic spread: pasta salad, potato salad (with mustard, dill, and olive oil), olives, pita + hummus + meat + cheese, avocados, cherries and chocolate, cookies, some sort of cheese pastry, and delicious peach + candied ginger mini-pies (made from peaches picked yesterday).\nWe also had to sample some of the 200+ beers available at The Warehouse Cafe (there might be more beers available than people in the town):\nAfter that orgy of eating, we headed back, via the old and closed-to-cars Carquinez Scenic Drive. The evening light was great, with orange tints from the descending sun and long shadows, though those don’t really come through in these sweaty-cell-phone-while-biking photos.\nFrom one history site: “Carquinez Scenic Drive used to be a well-travelled throroughfare from Martinez to Crockett. Then sometime during the 1980’s part of the road fell down the cliff, and was never repaired.” There were several sections like this, just above cliffs. Not somewhere you’d want to bike at night.\nAnd after another 10 miles we were back on BART, just as it started to get dark. Great ride, everyone!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-picnic-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday was my 4th or 5th Port Costa / Carquinez Scenic Drive ride over the past four years and it was a good one (and with no \u003ca href=\"/post/port-costa-3-debrief/\"\u003eflats or infected bee stings\u003c/a\u003e). Seven of us met up at Pleasant Hill BART and headed out for a late afternoon casual-pace \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/199829\"\u003e29-mile ride\u003c/a\u003e and picnic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor variety, we took what looked like a side path along Alhambra– but it rapidly rose above the road and turned into a rough dirt path.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa + Picnic recap"},{"content":"Riding back from Port Costa.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/riding-back-from-port-costa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRiding back from Port Costa.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Riding back from Port Costa."},{"content":"View from Twin Peaks\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/view-from-twin-peaks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eView from Twin Peaks\u003c/p\u003e","title":"View from Twin Peaks"},{"content":"Here’s the plan.\n**Saturday:**Eric reminded me it’s the SFBC ride “7 Hells of San Francisco” (crazy steep hills), and I’m going to join them. 10am meetup at the Panhandle statue (Baker \u0026amp;amp; Fell), should end at 2pm.\n**Sunday:**I’ve had three people say they’re in already, so it’s on: the 29-mile Port Costa loop from Pleasant Hill. A nice route I’ve done a few times, with one segment on a now-closed-to-cars road along the bay. For variety, let’s do this as a late afternoon ride + picnic, to avoid the midday heat, have an extra reason to stop for a beer at The Warehouse in Port Costa, and get to bike back along the water in the nice evening light. Casual pace, no rider left behind as usual, but some moderate hills.\nBring your bike lights just in case we’re still riding at dusk. And bring food– we can sit in Port Costa and have a picnic, since their BBQ might be shut down by the time we get there or their kitchen might have been commandeered by a biker gang.\nMeet at 3:17PM at the Pleasant Hill BART (that means catching the 2:30PM Pittsburg/Baypoint BART from 16th and Mission, for example).\nSome photos from past Port Costa rides (set 1, 2, 3, 4).\nQuestions? Want to join? You should have my contact info.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/two-rides-this-weekend-7-hells-of-sf-port-costa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere’s the plan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**Saturday:**Eric reminded me it’s the SFBC ride “\u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bicycle/detail?entry_id=91771\"\u003e7 Hells of San Francisco\u003c/a\u003e” (crazy steep hills), and I’m going to join them. 10am meetup at the Panhandle statue (Baker \u0026amp; Fell), should end at 2pm.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**Sunday:**I’ve had three people say they’re in already, so it’s on: the \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/199829\"\u003e29-mile Port Costa loop\u003c/a\u003e from Pleasant Hill. A nice route I’ve done a few times, with one segment on a now-closed-to-cars road along the bay. For variety, let’s do this as a late afternoon ride + picnic, to avoid the midday heat, have an extra reason to stop for a beer at The Warehouse in Port Costa, and get to bike back along the water in the nice evening light. Casual pace, no rider left behind as usual, but some moderate hills.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two rides this weekend (7 Hells of SF, Port Costa picnic)"},{"content":"7 Hells (hills) of San Francisco, a week from Saturday. I may do this with a friend.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/7-hells-hills-of-san-francisco-a-week-from/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e7 Hells (hills) of San Francisco, a week from Saturday. I may do this with a friend.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"7 Hells (hills) of San Francisco, a week from Saturday. I may do this with a friend."},{"content":"The ride 7/10 was laid-back and short.\nNo interest in the Tourist Club ride 7/17, so it’s cancelled.\nPort Costa loop: Sunday 7/24 afternoon / early evening, perhaps meeting 2 or 3pm at Walnut Creek.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/quick-july-ride-updates/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe ride 7/10 was laid-back and short.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo interest in the Tourist Club ride 7/17, so it’s cancelled.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/tags/port-costa/\"\u003ePort Costa loop\u003c/a\u003e: Sunday 7/24 afternoon / early evening, perhaps meeting 2 or 3pm at Walnut Creek.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quick July ride updates"},{"content":"Seen outside Trouble Coffee on Sunday’s ride.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/seen-outside-trouble-coffee-on-sundays-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSeen outside Trouble Coffee on Sunday’s ride.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seen outside Trouble Coffee on Sunday's ride."},{"content":"After a month off, it’s time for some weekend rides. I’m going to start with shorter rides I’ve done before, to try to rope in some friends I haven’t been riding with much. Here’s a rough plan (all subject to change, so let me know if you’re interested):\nTonight (Wednesday), another Butterlap (17-mile evening ride around the city). I’m not 100% sure I’m going, depending on work timing.\nThis Sunday 7/10, a short morning ride to the ocean and back (just 12 miles round trip) via golden gate park, with a stop at Trouble Coffee for toast and one of my favorite espressos in the city. Probably starting from the Mission around 9am, and back before noon.\nPerhaps on Sunday 7/17, a repeat of the “bike to Mill Valley, hike the Dipsea \u0026amp;amp; Sun trails to the Tourist Club for a German beer festival” thing I did for my birthday, for their Summerfest.\nLater in July, a 20-30 mile East Bay ride, either a tour of Livermore wine country (accessible by biking from Dublin BART), or another visit to Martinez \u0026amp;amp; Port Costa via Carquinez Scenic Drive.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/july-ride-plans/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a month off, it’s time for some weekend rides. I’m going to start with shorter rides I’ve done before, to try to rope in some friends I haven’t been riding with much. Here’s a rough plan (all subject to change, so let me know if you’re interested):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTonight (Wednesday), another Butterlap (\u003ca href=\"http://sf2g.com/butterlap.html\"\u003e17-mile evening ride around the city\u003c/a\u003e). I’m not 100% sure I’m going, depending on work timing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Sunday 7/10, a short morning ride to the ocean and back (just \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/114957\"\u003e12 miles round trip\u003c/a\u003e) via golden gate park, with a stop at Trouble Coffee for toast and one of my favorite espressos in the city. Probably starting from the Mission around 9am, and back before noon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July ride plans"},{"content":"I looked up the amusing “glad rooster” and “wild rooster” warning signs I’d seen on the trip, and Google Translate says they mean “smooth grid” and “cattle grid”.\nAha! That seems believable, I think I generally saw them near cattle grids, those open-bar grates that cows won’t cross but humans can (as well as bikes, if they’re careful to stay perpendicular to the slots– the slots are certainly wide enough to eat a wheel).\nExample image from a web search:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/glad-rooster-and-wild-rooster-translated/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI looked up the amusing “glad rooster” and “wild rooster” warning signs I’d \u003ca href=\"/post/favorite-warning-sign-of-the-trip-im-sure-it-has/\"\u003eseen on the trip\u003c/a\u003e, and Google Translate says they mean “smooth grid” and “cattle grid”.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAha! That seems believable, I think I generally saw them near cattle grids, those open-bar grates that cows won’t cross but humans can (as well as bikes, if they’re careful to stay perpendicular to the slots– the slots are certainly wide enough to eat a wheel).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Glad Rooster and Wild Rooster, translated"},{"content":"And I’m back in San Francisco, with my bike and belongings intact. Thanks everyone who sent me email or comments.\nSome time in the next few weeks I’ll write up some notes about the trip (cycling highlights, what I packed and used and would do differently on the bike camping front, navigation, a summary album of the best photos, and so on), but otherwise this blog will probably go back to its organizing-periodic-bay-area-bike-rides purpose.\nIf you want to skim all the photos I posted during the trip, you can also check out the tumblr Archive page, which shows a slow-loading but convenient grid of thumbnails.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/back-home-blog-frequency-decreasing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnd I’m back in San Francisco, with my bike and belongings intact. Thanks everyone who sent me email or comments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome time in the next few weeks I’ll write up some notes about the trip (cycling highlights, what I packed and used and would do differently on the bike camping front, navigation, a summary album of the best photos, and so on), but otherwise this blog will probably go back to its organizing-periodic-bay-area-bike-rides purpose.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Back home, blog frequency decreasing."},{"content":"In a plane above San Francisco, almost home\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-a-plane-above-san-francisco-almost-home/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn a plane above San Francisco, almost home\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In a plane above San Francisco, almost home"},{"content":"Three weeks of solo bike touring and camping, across 600+ miles of The Netherlands and Belgium. Riding over massive man-made dikes, on paved bike paths cutting through dark forests and rural farm fields (where I might not see another person for hours), to Trappist breweries and old towns, along canals, on muddy back roads and unsigned border crossings, and to a bonfire with a band playing under a rusted crane.\nWith the kindness of strangers setting me up with coffee, beer, or directions along the way, and meeting up with friends from around the world in the middle.\nOne of the best vacations / trips.\nA very approximate map, just based on what towns I remember seeing. Or about 70 single-photo posts I uploaded on slow campground/hostel wifi along the way (in an era before it was easy to create albums\u0026amp;hellip;)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/three-weeks-of-solo-bike-touring-and-camping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree weeks of solo bike touring and camping, across 600+ miles of The Netherlands and Belgium. Riding over massive man-made dikes, on paved bike paths cutting through dark forests and rural farm fields (where I might not see another person for hours), to Trappist breweries and old towns, along canals, on muddy back roads and unsigned border crossings, and to a bonfire with a band playing under a rusted crane.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three weeks of solo bike touring and camping, across 600+ miles of The Netherlands and Belgium. Riding over massive man-made..."},{"content":"Favorite warning sign of the trip (I’m sure it has a translation, but I like to think it’s warning of a giant, overly-amorous rooster roaming the countryside)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/favorite-warning-sign-of-the-trip-im-sure-it-has/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFavorite warning sign of the trip (I’m sure it has a translation, but I like to think it’s warning of a giant, overly-amorous rooster roaming the countryside)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Favorite warning sign of the trip (I'm sure it has a translation, but I like to think it's warning of a giant, overly-amorous..."},{"content":"Directional signs to the airport along bike paths through the woods…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/directional-signs-to-the-airport-along-bike-paths/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDirectional signs to the airport along bike paths through the woods…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Directional signs to the airport along bike paths through the woods..."},{"content":"KLM bike box is huge: only handlebar and pedal removal needed!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/klm-bike-box-is-huge-only-handlebar-and-pedal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eKLM bike box is huge: only handlebar and pedal removal needed!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"KLM bike box is huge: only handlebar and pedal removal needed!"},{"content":"Clever tabbed no-tape-required bike box design (and have I mentioned you can check a bike on KLM for free?)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/clever-tabbed-no-tape-required-bike-box-design/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eClever tabbed no-tape-required bike box design (and have I mentioned you can check a bike on KLM for free?)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Clever tabbed no-tape-required bike box design (and have I mentioned you can check a bike on KLM for free?)"},{"content":"Biking through former industrial yards (now shipping container artists’ studios, I think?) across the water from central Amsterdam\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-through-former-industrial-yards-now/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking through former industrial yards (now shipping container artists’ studios, I think?) across the water from central Amsterdam\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking through former industrial yards (now shipping container artists' studios, I think?) across the water from central..."},{"content":"Potentially serious pannier issue two weeks ago, early in the trip. I moved support hooks and added a reinforcing strap… and the pannier survived. Whew. But I’ll make design changes in the next version– I knew I was doing some non-standard things.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/potentially-serious-pannier-issue-two-weeks-ago/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePotentially serious pannier issue two weeks ago, early in the trip. I moved support hooks and added a reinforcing strap… and the pannier survived. Whew. But I’ll make design changes in the next version– I knew I was doing some non-standard things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Potentially serious pannier issue two weeks ago, early in the trip. I moved support hooks and added a reinforcing strap… and the..."},{"content":"Some animal nibbled at my panniers overnight (earlier in the trip)! After that, I moved all snacks to a suspended-above-ground bag and didn’t have further problems.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/some-animal-nibbled-at-my-panniers-overnight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome animal nibbled at my panniers overnight (earlier in the trip)! After that, I moved all snacks to a suspended-above-ground bag and didn’t have further problems.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Some animal nibbled at my panniers overnight (earlier in the trip)! After that, I moved all snacks to a suspended-above-ground..."},{"content":"Reading material, of course (thanks, parents)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/reading-material-of-course-thanks-parents/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eReading material, of course (thanks, parents)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reading material, of course (thanks, parents)"},{"content":"Dutch-style, smaller panniers for my bike as a souvenir\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dutch-style-smaller-panniers-for-my-bike-as-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDutch-style, smaller panniers for my bike as a souvenir\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dutch-style, smaller panniers for my bike as a souvenir"},{"content":"Guy biking with daughter in bakfiets, each holding a cone of frites.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/guy-biking-with-daughter-in-bakfiets-each-holding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGuy biking with daughter in bakfiets, each holding a cone of frites.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guy biking with daughter in bakfiets, each holding a cone of frites."},{"content":"Dual cargo bikes (bakfiets style)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dual-cargo-bikes-bakfiets-style/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDual cargo bikes (bakfiets style)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dual cargo bikes (bakfiets style)"},{"content":"Clever two-level bike rack: handles and rollers let you slide an individual 2nd-level “bike slot” out and down for easy loading and unloading\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/clever-two-level-bike-rack-handles-and-rollers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eClever two-level bike rack: handles and rollers let you slide an individual 2nd-level “bike slot” out and down for easy loading and unloading\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Clever two-level bike rack: handles and rollers let you slide an individual 2nd-level \"bike slot\" out and down for easy loading..."},{"content":"DNA Spray?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dna-spray/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDNA Spray?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"DNA Spray?"},{"content":"Assortment of bike bells: my favorite is the woodpecker.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/assortment-of-bike-bells-my-favorite-is-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAssortment of bike bells: my favorite is the woodpecker.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Assortment of bike bells: my favorite is the woodpecker."},{"content":"In ANWB ‘directional mushrooms’ I Trust. And, acres of greenhouses.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-anwb-directional-mushrooms-i-trust-and/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn ANWB ‘directional mushrooms’ I Trust. And, acres of greenhouses.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In ANWB 'directional mushrooms' I Trust. And, acres of greenhouses."},{"content":"More industry\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/more-industry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMore industry\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More industry"},{"content":"To my surprise, deep in the industrial port, came across an info center (with coffee and pastries!) for Maasvlatke 2, a project to build a new port here by creating new land from dredged sand.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/to-my-surprise-deep-in-the-industrial-port-came/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo my surprise, deep in the industrial port, came across an info center (with coffee and pastries!) for Maasvlatke 2, a project to build a new port here by creating new land from dredged sand.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"To my surprise, deep in the industrial port, came across an info center (with coffee and pastries!) for Maasvlatke 2, a project..."},{"content":"Even more wind turbines, though bike path’s blocked\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/even-more-wind-turbines-though-bike-paths/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEven more wind turbines, though bike path’s blocked\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Even more wind turbines, though bike path's blocked"},{"content":"Detoured to an industrial peninsula on the map (still has bike paths, so should be allowed)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/detoured-to-an-industrial-peninsula-on-the-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDetoured to an industrial peninsula on the map (still has bike paths, so should be allowed)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Detoured to an industrial peninsula on the map (still has bike paths, so should be allowed)"},{"content":"Biked across one of the civil engineering wonders of the 20th century, the Delta Project (many kilometers of barriers that can be moved up and down to allow normal tides or block rising ocean levels from flooding the countryside)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biked-across-one-of-the-civil-engineering-wonders/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiked across one of the civil engineering wonders of the 20th century, the Delta Project (many kilometers of barriers that can be moved up and down to allow normal tides or block rising ocean levels from flooding the countryside)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biked across one of the civil engineering wonders of the 20th century, the Delta Project (many kilometers of barriers that can..."},{"content":"Yesterday I biked for about 13 hours (with breaks), maybe 200km (120 miles), twice as far as I’d planned. The weather was perfect, I had a tailwind, navigating was easy, and I was in a euphoric cycling state of mind. So when I reached my planned campground around 4, I kept going… and only when it started to get dark after 10 (solstice, moderately high latitude) did I think about stopping. I even found myself idly thinking about biking all night because I was in such a good mood– but fortunately common sense took over before I did something that crazy (I was out of food and water, only had a small light, canal ferries wouldn’t have been running). It’s a sickness, I tell you!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-may-be-becoming-addicted-to-cycling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYesterday I biked for about 13 hours (with breaks), maybe 200km (120 miles), twice as far as I’d planned. The weather was perfect, I had a tailwind, navigating was easy, and I was in a euphoric cycling state of mind. So when I reached my planned campground around 4, I kept going… and only when it started to get dark after 10 (solstice, moderately high latitude) did I think about stopping. I even found myself idly thinking about biking all night because I was in such a good mood– but fortunately common sense took over before I did something that crazy (I was out of food and water, only had a small light, canal ferries wouldn’t have been running). It’s a sickness, I tell you!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I may be becoming addicted to cycling"},{"content":"View from an observation tower by the side of a path.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/view-from-an-observation-tower-by-the-side-of-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eView from an observation tower by the side of a path.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"View from an observation tower by the side of a path."},{"content":"Through drifting sand (varied terrain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/through-drifting-sand-varied-terrain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThrough drifting sand (varied terrain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Through drifting sand (varied terrain"},{"content":"Towards wind turbines (varied terrain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/towards-wind-turbines-varied-terrain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTowards wind turbines (varied terrain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Towards wind turbines (varied terrain"},{"content":"Through twisted woods (varied terrain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/through-twisted-woods-varied-terrain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThrough twisted woods (varied terrain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Through twisted woods (varied terrain"},{"content":"Along the North Sea (varied terrain\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/along-the-north-sea-varied-terrain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAlong the North Sea (varied terrain\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Along the North Sea (varied terrain"},{"content":"Miniature pony obstacle course on the bike path\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/miniature-pony-obstacle-course-on-the-bike-path/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMiniature pony obstacle course on the bike path\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Miniature pony obstacle course on the bike path"},{"content":"Bikepath cafe by the ocean serving local mussels (I’d been postponing eating lunch for hours, hoping to find a place like this)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bikepath-cafe-by-the-ocean-serving-local-mussels/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBikepath cafe by the ocean serving local mussels (I’d been postponing eating lunch for hours, hoping to find a place like this)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bikepath cafe by the ocean serving local mussels (I'd been postponing eating lunch for hours, hoping to find a place like this)"},{"content":"Bike path between two canals (near Sluis), very pleasant.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-path-between-two-canals-near-sluis-very/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike path between two canals (near Sluis), very pleasant.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike path between two canals (near Sluis), very pleasant."},{"content":"Biking along the North Sea in sunny, warm weather (also: I think that’s the ferry I’ll need to take across the mouth of a bay)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-along-the-north-sea-in-sunny-warm-weather/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking along the North Sea in sunny, warm weather (also: I think that’s the ferry I’ll need to take across the mouth of a bay)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking along the North Sea in sunny, warm weather (also: I think that's the ferry I'll need to take across the mouth of a bay)"},{"content":"Ferry ticket vending machine (pedestrians, bikes, and motorcycles only)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ferry-ticket-vending-machine-pedestrians-bikes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFerry ticket vending machine (pedestrians, bikes, and motorcycles only)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ferry ticket vending machine (pedestrians, bikes, and motorcycles only)"},{"content":"Old bakery delivery bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/old-bakery-delivery-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOld bakery delivery bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Old bakery delivery bike"},{"content":"Planning out the next few days of biking (after a week mostly off the bike, hanging out with friends). Gold = past destinations, copper = planned route.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/planning-out-the-next-few-days-of-biking-after-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePlanning out the next few days of biking (after a week mostly off the bike, hanging out with friends). Gold = past destinations, copper = planned route.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Planning out the next few days of biking (after a week mostly off the bike, hanging out with friends). Gold = past destinations,..."},{"content":"Waiting for a train, circle tangent to line (Brussels)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/waiting-for-a-train-circle-tangent-to-line/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWaiting for a train, circle tangent to line (Brussels)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting for a train, circle tangent to line (Brussels)"},{"content":"Biking to De Haan on the North Sea, with FD\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-to-de-haan-on-the-north-sea-with-fd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking to De Haan on the North Sea, with FD\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking to De Haan on the North Sea, with FD"},{"content":"cyclist sculptures\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cyclist-sculptures/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ecyclist sculptures\u003c/p\u003e","title":"cyclist sculptures"},{"content":"Postal delivery bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/postal-delivery-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePostal delivery bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Postal delivery bike"},{"content":"View from the tower in Damme. Then biked back to Brugge, and done.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/view-from-the-tower-in-damme-then-biked-back-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eView from the tower in Damme. Then biked back to Brugge, and done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"View from the tower in Damme. Then biked back to Brugge, and done."},{"content":"In Damme: climbing a few hundred tightly spiralling stone steps up a tower (in clicking, slick bike shoes– fun…)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-damme-climbing-a-few-hundred-tightly/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn Damme: climbing a few hundred tightly spiralling stone steps up a tower (in clicking, slick bike shoes– fun…)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Damme: climbing a few hundred tightly spiralling stone steps up a tower (in clicking, slick bike shoes-- fun...)"},{"content":"Friend convinced me to add one final 10km loop to Damme to go inside an old windmill\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friend-convinced-me-to-add-one-final-10km-loop-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriend convinced me to add one final 10km loop to Damme to go inside an old windmill\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friend convinced me to add one final 10km loop to Damme to go inside an old windmill"},{"content":"And I’m done. Netherlands and Belgium crossed by bike. Now meeting three friends I’ve known for 14 years, in Brugge. Bike adventures may resume next weekend.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/and-im-done-netherlands-and-belgium-crossed-by/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnd I’m done. Netherlands and Belgium crossed by bike. Now meeting three friends I’ve known for 14 years, in Brugge. Bike adventures may resume next weekend.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"And I'm done. Netherlands and Belgium crossed by bike. Now meeting three friends I've known for 14 years, in Brugge. Bike..."},{"content":"50km left to Brugge, straight shot along a canal in beautiful weather. Let’s do it.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/50km-left-to-brugge-straight-shot-along-a-canal/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e50km left to Brugge, straight shot along a canal in beautiful weather. Let’s do it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"50km left to Brugge, straight shot along a canal in beautiful weather. Let's do it."},{"content":"Just a quick on-the-bike-path bakery stop…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/just-a-quick-on-the-bike-path-bakery-stop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust a quick on-the-bike-path bakery stop…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just a quick on-the-bike-path bakery stop..."},{"content":"Fiery orange-red poppies\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fiery-orange-red-poppies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFiery orange-red poppies\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fiery orange-red poppies"},{"content":"Pennyfarthing bicycle locked outside a strange tiny-garage-crammed-with-old-bikes bar in Gent yesterday.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/pennyfarthing-bicycle-locked-outside-a-strange/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePennyfarthing bicycle locked outside a strange tiny-garage-crammed-with-old-bikes bar in Gent yesterday.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pennyfarthing bicycle locked outside a strange tiny-garage-crammed-with-old-bikes bar in Gent yesterday."},{"content":"Look at relative space used for bike vs. car parking (and this is just an arbitrary residential street outside the city center, in Gent)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/look-at-relative-space-used-for-bike-vs-car/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLook at relative space used for bike vs. car parking (and this is just an arbitrary residential street outside the city center, in Gent)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Look at relative space used for bike vs. car parking (and this is just an arbitrary residential street outside the city center,..."},{"content":"I was going to roll through Gent but it drew me in.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-was-going-to-roll-through-gent-but-it-drew-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI was going to roll through Gent but it drew me in.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I was going to roll through Gent but it drew me in."},{"content":"This almost feels like a video game: bike through the mud directly under a large metal tank marked “flammable” suspended by an unmanned crane.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-almost-feels-like-a-video-game-bike-through/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis almost feels like a video game: bike through the mud directly under a large metal tank marked “flammable” suspended by an unmanned crane.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This almost feels like a video game: bike through the mud directly under a large metal tank marked \"flammable\" suspended by an..."},{"content":"First waffle in Belgium (this is shaping up to be one of those stop-in-every-small-town-for-a-snack days, a la RAGBRAI)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/first-waffle-in-belgium-this-is-shaping-up-to-be/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFirst waffle in Belgium (this is shaping up to be one of those stop-in-every-small-town-for-a-snack days, a la RAGBRAI)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"First waffle in Belgium (this is shaping up to be one of those stop-in-every-small-town-for-a-snack days, a la RAGBRAI)"},{"content":"a little mud\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-little-mud/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ea little mud\u003c/p\u003e","title":"a little mud"},{"content":"My every-6-months Coke. And of course bars that have special glassware for every beer on the menu also have a special glass for this.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/my-every-6-months-coke-and-of-course-bars-that/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy every-6-months Coke. And of course bars that have special glassware for every beer on the menu also have a special glass for this.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My every-6-months Coke. And of course bars that have special glassware for every beer on the menu also have a special glass for..."},{"content":"Met and rode for a while with a friendly group of 10 folks from Limburg (in their 50s/60s, taking a 3-day ride and staying at hostels)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/met-and-rode-for-a-while-with-a-friendly-group-of/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMet and rode for a while with a friendly group of 10 folks from Limburg (in their 50s/60s, taking a 3-day ride and staying at hostels)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Met and rode for a while with a friendly group of 10 folks from Limburg (in their 50s/60s, taking a 3-day ride and staying at..."},{"content":"Cutting through the countryside between Brussels and Antwerp yesterday (I decided a few days into the trip after Delft that I wasn’t as in the mood for museums and cities), I arrived in Bornem (in heavy rain) and found a hotel. The manager saw me arrive by bike and was very supportive– he let me stow my bike in a shed, didn’t make me sign in (“just pay tomorrow when you leave”) and said “a cyclist? I’ll give you the front room.” I wasn’t sure why the front room was special until an hour later, when they blocked off the main road it overlooked and a several hour long Derny Criterium started. (See attempt to post a cell phone video of it in the previous post– not sure if that went through). Basically, it’s a race between pairs of competitors, one on a Derny moped and one on a bike– the cyclists draft their motorized partner for more speed, around and around on a course. With the cobblestones, the rain, and the very close follow distances, it was pretty exciting, even if I had no idea what the announcer was saying.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/derny-crit/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCutting through the countryside between Brussels and Antwerp yesterday (I decided a few days into the trip after Delft that I wasn’t as in the mood for museums and cities), I arrived in Bornem (in heavy rain) and found a hotel. The manager saw me arrive by bike and was very supportive– he let me stow my bike in a shed, didn’t make me sign in (“just pay tomorrow when you leave”) and said “a cyclist? I’ll give you the front room.” I wasn’t sure why the front room was special until an hour later, when they blocked off the main road it overlooked and a several hour long Derny Criterium started. (See attempt to post a cell phone video of it in the previous post– not sure if that went through). Basically, it’s a race between pairs of competitors, one on a Derny moped and one on a bike– the cyclists draft their motorized partner for more speed, around and around on a course. With the cobblestones, the rain, and the very close follow distances, it was pretty exciting, even if I had no idea what the announcer was saying.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Derny Crit"},{"content":" ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/untitled/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_lml7t7lrfM1qzv82b_r1.mov\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e","title":"Post 6390785990"},{"content":"Biking all day = no guilt about eating pork topped with speck in butter sauce (not shown: potato croquettes)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-all-day-no-guilt-about-eating-pork-topped/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking all day = no guilt about eating pork topped with speck in butter sauce (not shown: potato croquettes)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking all day = no guilt about eating pork topped with speck in butter sauce (not shown: potato croquettes)"},{"content":"A few hours of cold wind and driving rain = calling it a day at the next town with a hotel. Ferry operator (my 6th! ahoy!) drew me a map.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-few-hours-of-cold-wind-and-driving-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few hours of cold wind and driving rain = calling it a day at the next town with a hotel. Ferry operator (my 6th! ahoy!) drew me a map.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A few hours of cold wind and driving rain = calling it a day at the next town with a hotel. Ferry operator (my 6th! ahoy!) drew..."},{"content":"Strange bike path through industrial yard– sort of looks like that sky-claw is waiting to pick me up.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/strange-bike-path-through-industrial-yard-sort-of/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eStrange bike path through industrial yard– sort of looks like that sky-claw is waiting to pick me up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Strange bike path through industrial yard-- sort of looks like that sky-claw is waiting to pick me up."},{"content":"Crossing canals by biking across a set of locks (I’ve never seen locks in action before). This board shows which locks are lowered and crossable\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/crossing-canals-by-biking-across-a-set-of-locks/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCrossing canals by biking across a set of locks (I’ve never seen locks in action before). This board shows which locks are lowered and crossable\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Crossing canals by biking across a set of locks (I've never seen locks in action before). This board shows which locks are..."},{"content":"Cafe right on the LF5 bike route, near Lier\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cafe-right-on-the-lf5-bike-route-near-lier/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCafe right on the LF5 bike route, near Lier\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cafe right on the LF5 bike route, near Lier"},{"content":"Beware of Frog?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/beware-of-frog/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBeware of Frog?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Beware of Frog?"},{"content":"Friday: New country = new map (the 50,000:1 Vlaanderen Fietsroute, light on detail so mostly useful for navigating by pattern, e.g. “I should hit an angled T intersection and cross a canal in about 8km”)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friday-new-country-new-map-the-500001/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriday: New country = new map (the 50,000:1 Vlaanderen Fietsroute, light on detail so mostly useful for navigating by pattern, e.g. “I should hit an angled T intersection and cross a canal in about 8km”)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friday: New country = new map (the 50,000:1 Vlaanderen Fietsroute, light on detail so mostly useful for navigating by pattern,..."},{"content":"Laying on my back somewhere in The Netherlands, surrounded by vocal evening birds. Not a bad end to a Thursday.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/laying-on-my-back-somewhere-in-the-netherlands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLaying on my back \u003ca href=\"/archives/\"\u003esomewhere in The Netherlands\u003c/a\u003e, surrounded by vocal evening birds. Not a bad end to a Thursday.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Laying on my back somewhere in The Netherlands, surrounded by vocal evening birds. Not a bad end to a Thursday."},{"content":"Roadside hot sandwich vending machine\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/roadside-hot-sandwich-vending-machine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRoadside hot sandwich vending machine\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Roadside hot sandwich vending machine"},{"content":"Dirt bike path beats no bike path (just west of Turnhout, on the Flanders Cycle Route LF5)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dirt-bike-path-beats-no-bike-path-just-west-of/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDirt bike path beats no bike path (just west of Turnhout, on the Flanders Cycle Route LF5)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dirt bike path beats no bike path (just west of Turnhout, on the Flanders Cycle Route LF5)"},{"content":"Minor traction challenges on a “shortcut” through a farm. Also, I think this is the Netherlands-Belgium border. I’ll have to check the photo geotag when I’m home.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/minor-traction-challenges-on-a-shortcut-through/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMinor traction challenges on a “shortcut” through a farm. Also, I think this is the Netherlands-Belgium border. I’ll have to check the photo geotag when I’m home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Minor traction challenges on a \"shortcut\" through a farm. Also, I think this is the Netherlands-Belgium border. I'll have to..."},{"content":"Bike path along the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal. Riders in full spandex kits zoom by. Definitely in Flanders now.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-path-along-the-antwerp-turnhout-canal-riders/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike path along the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal. Riders in full spandex kits zoom by. Definitely in Flanders now.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike path along the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal. Riders in full spandex kits zoom by. Definitely in Flanders now."},{"content":"In the woods, surrounded by chirping birds, I heard a strange noise and came across this: a guy laying bricks, with the tink-tink-tink sound of a metal tool on brick in sync with techno playing from a portable stereo.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-the-woods-surrounded-by-chirping-birds-i/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn the woods, surrounded by chirping birds, I heard a strange noise and came across this: a guy laying bricks, with the tink-tink-tink sound of a metal tool on brick in sync with techno playing from a portable stereo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In the woods, surrounded by chirping birds, I heard a strange noise and came across this: a guy laying bricks, with the..."},{"content":"Realized yesterday I was only 40 miles from Bierbrouwerij Koningshoeven (the only Trappist beer brewing abbey not in Belgium, a.k.a. “La Trappe”)– sounded worth a route change.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/realized-yesterday-i-was-only-40-miles-from/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRealized yesterday I was only 40 miles from Bierbrouwerij Koningshoeven (the only Trappist beer brewing abbey not in Belgium, a.k.a. “La Trappe”)– sounded worth a route change.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Realized yesterday I was only 40 miles from Bierbrouwerij Koningshoeven (the only Trappist beer brewing abbey not in Belgium,..."},{"content":"Biking past modern wind turbines\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-past-modern-wind-turbines/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking past modern wind turbines\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking past modern wind turbines"},{"content":"Bike traffic signals at most intersections\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-traffic-signals-at-most-intersections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBike traffic signals at most intersections\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike traffic signals at most intersections"},{"content":"dutch bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dutch-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003edutch bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"dutch bike"},{"content":"If I hadn’t taken out-of-the-way roads, I never would have seen this prop (in memory of a set of crashed Brit/Canadian Halifax pilots, it appears)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/if-i-hadnt-taken-out-of-the-way-roads-i-never/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf I hadn’t taken out-of-the-way roads, I never would have seen this prop (in memory of a set of crashed Brit/Canadian Halifax pilots, it appears)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"If I hadn't taken out-of-the-way roads, I never would have seen this prop (in memory of a set of crashed Brit/Canadian Halifax..."},{"content":"Minor challenge: gust of wind blew my map away (really!). Time to transcribe and depend on local info-board maps until I make it to the area covered by my next paper map.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/minor-challenge-gust-of-wind-blew-my-map-away/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMinor challenge: gust of wind blew my map away (really!). Time to transcribe and depend on local info-board maps until I make it to the area covered by my next paper map.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Minor challenge: gust of wind blew my map away (really!). Time to transcribe and depend on local info-board maps until I make it..."},{"content":"Supermarket cheese area (mostly Gouda, of course)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-cheese-area-mostly-gouda-of-course/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSupermarket cheese area (mostly Gouda, of course)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket cheese area (mostly Gouda, of course)"},{"content":"This where-am-I-going? path through the woods led to a €10 hostel (Stayokay Dordrecht) w/ showers, wifi, bar with 7 interesting dutch beers.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-where-am-i-going-path-through-the-woods-led/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis where-am-I-going? path through the woods led to a €10 hostel (Stayokay Dordrecht) w/ showers, wifi, bar with 7 interesting dutch beers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This where-am-I-going? path through the woods led to a €10 hostel (Stayokay Dordrecht) w/ showers, wifi, bar with 7 interesting..."},{"content":"I think I need to go left here. Good thing I have wide tires.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-think-i-need-to-go-left-here-good-thing-i-have/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI think I need to go left here. Good thing I have wide tires.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I think I need to go left here. Good thing I have wide tires."},{"content":"Waiting for yet another ferry, amusing warning sign (no idea if this already posted)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/waiting-for-yet-another-ferry-amusing-warning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWaiting for yet another ferry, amusing warning sign (no idea if this already posted)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Waiting for yet another ferry, amusing warning sign (no idea if this already posted)"},{"content":"Cluster of windmill icons on the map? I should go there!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/cluster-of-windmill-icons-on-the-map-i-should-go/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCluster of windmill icons on the map? I should go there!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cluster of windmill icons on the map? I should go there!"},{"content":"Free indoor (guarded) bike parking at train stations:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/free-indoor-guarded-bike-parking-at-train/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFree indoor (guarded) bike parking at train stations:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Free indoor (guarded) bike parking at train stations:"},{"content":"Ring bell for tiny €0.75 ferry boat. Cute! (somewhere in Brabant)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ring-bell-for-tiny-075-ferry-boat-cute/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRing bell for tiny €0.75 ferry boat. Cute! (somewhere in Brabant)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ring bell for tiny €0.75 ferry boat. Cute! (somewhere in Brabant)"},{"content":"friet \u0026amp;amp; fiet\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/friet-fiet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003efriet \u0026amp; fiet\u003c/p\u003e","title":"friet \u0026 fiet"},{"content":"In this national park, bikes get a paved path, cars are blocked or have to drive in mud (De Loonse en Drunense Duinen)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-this-national-park-bikes-get-a-paved-path/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn this national park, bikes get a paved path, cars are blocked or have to drive in mud (De Loonse en Drunense Duinen)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In this national park, bikes get a paved path, cars are blocked or have to drive in mud (De Loonse en Drunense Duinen)"},{"content":"That’s a lot of bikes (in Tilburg)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/thats-a-lot-of-bikes-in-tilburg/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThat’s a lot of bikes (in Tilburg)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"That's a lot of bikes (in Tilburg)"},{"content":"They don’t want to share the bike path (rural Brabant)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/they-dont-want-to-share-the-bike-path-rural/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThey don’t want to share the bike path (rural Brabant)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"They don't want to share the bike path (rural Brabant)"},{"content":"Wildflowers along a bike path (I haven’t seen anyone in an hour or two)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wildflowers-along-a-bike-path-i-havent-seen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWildflowers along a bike path (I haven’t seen anyone in an hour or two)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wildflowers along a bike path (I haven't seen anyone in an hour or two)"},{"content":"Colorful panniers (and bicycle-detecting loop for traffic signals)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/colorful-panniers-and-bicycle-detecting-loop-for/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eColorful panniers (and bicycle-detecting loop for traffic signals)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Colorful panniers (and bicycle-detecting loop for traffic signals)"},{"content":"Oddly, motorcycles can usually share the bike paths (this sign is an exception)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/oddly-motorcycles-can-usually-share-the-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOddly, motorcycles can usually share the bike paths (this sign is an exception)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oddly, motorcycles can usually share the bike paths (this sign is an exception)"},{"content":"Old mills at Kinderdijk (I went inside one)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/old-mills-at-kinderdijk-i-went-inside-one/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOld mills at Kinderdijk (I went inside one)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Old mills at Kinderdijk (I went inside one)"},{"content":"I thought this line on my map was a bridge. Close enough.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-thought-this-line-on-my-map-was-a-bridge-close/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI thought this line on my map was a bridge. Close enough.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I thought this line on my map was a bridge. Close enough."},{"content":"Not everything is scenic in the traditional sense (industrial park outside Dordrecht at night)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/not-everything-is-scenic-in-the-traditional-sense/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNot everything is scenic in the traditional sense (industrial park outside Dordrecht at night)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not everything is scenic in the traditional sense (industrial park outside Dordrecht at night)"},{"content":"Another scenic rural cycle path\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-scenic-rural-cycle-path/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother scenic rural cycle path\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another scenic rural cycle path"},{"content":"Well, this route won’t work. At least it’s only 7pm…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/well-this-route-wont-work-at-least-its-only/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWell, this route won’t work. At least it’s only 7pm…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Well, this route won't work. At least it's only 7pm..."},{"content":"Some guy on a bike\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/some-guy-on-a-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome guy on a bike\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Some guy on a bike"},{"content":"minimal drawbridge. not totally sure where I am.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/minimal-drawbridge-not-totally-sure-where-i-am/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eminimal drawbridge. not totally sure where I am.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"minimal drawbridge. not totally sure where I am."},{"content":"bleating baby goats, near Oude Leede\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bleating-baby-goats-near-oude-leede/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebleating baby goats, near Oude Leede\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bleating baby goats, near Oude Leede"},{"content":"Coffee and Vermeer break in Delft\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/coffee-and-vermeer-break-in-delft/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCoffee and Vermeer break in Delft\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coffee and Vermeer break in Delft"},{"content":"This morning I spent an amazing few hours riding along rural bike paths, past canals, huge greenhouses filled with flowers, and small farms (a few sheep in a backyard here, a handful of llamas, chickens, or toy ponies there). I’m really happy right now. In Netherlands cycle route terms, I especially liked the segments joining knooppunten (numbered junctions where different bike paths intersect) 03, 20, 02, 07, 13, 59, 48.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/rural-canals-huge-greenhouses-sheep/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis morning I spent an amazing few hours riding along rural bike paths, past canals, huge greenhouses filled with flowers, and small farms (a few sheep in a backyard here, a handful of llamas, chickens, or toy ponies there). I’m really happy right now. In Netherlands cycle route terms, I especially liked the segments joining knooppunten (numbered junctions where different bike paths intersect) 03, 20, 02, 07, 13, 59, 48.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rural canals, huge greenhouses, sheep."},{"content":"In case you didn’t guess from the past few posts, I’m off on a biking adventure in The Netherlands and Belgium, something I’ve always wanted to do. Fair warning– there may be a lot of (quick) posts here in the next few weeks– I’m sending photos to this blog by email from my phone (kept charged by a bike-mounted solar panel). Or at least sending some when taking a coffee break somewhere with free wifi.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-benelux/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn case you didn’t guess from the past few posts, I’m off on a biking adventure in The Netherlands and Belgium, something I’ve always wanted to do. Fair warning– there may be a lot of (quick) posts here in the next few weeks– I’m sending photos to this blog by email from my phone (kept charged by a bike-mounted solar panel). Or at least sending some when taking a coffee break somewhere with free wifi.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in Benelux"},{"content":"Bivy tent camping near Kijkduin by the ocean\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bivy-tent-camping-near-kijkduin-by-the-ocean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBivy tent camping near Kijkduin by the ocean\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bivy tent camping near Kijkduin by the ocean"},{"content":"waffle break after 5 hours of cycling\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/waffle-break-after-5-hours-of-cycling/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ewaffle break after 5 hours of cycling\u003c/p\u003e","title":"waffle break after 5 hours of cycling"},{"content":"riding in holland right now! long-distance bike path LF1, dunes, a few hundred feet from the North Sea\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/riding-in-holland-right-now-long-distance-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eriding in holland right now! long-distance bike path LF1, dunes, a few hundred feet from the North Sea\u003c/p\u003e","title":"riding in holland right now! long-distance bike path LF1, dunes, a few hundred feet from the North Sea"},{"content":"Semimonthly casual ride from Bryant St sports basement (just noticed this poster– I’m not going in June but maybe July)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/semimonthly-casual-ride-from-bryant-st-sports/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSemimonthly casual ride from Bryant St sports basement (just noticed this poster– I’m not going in June but maybe July)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Semimonthly casual ride from Bryant St sports basement (just noticed this poster-- I'm not going in June but maybe July)"},{"content":"(San Francisco rides are on hiatus for June, but here are photos and a map from a ride from two years ago, which I’d never got around to writing up)\nAfter a week in France for work (lucky me, I know), I impulsively bought some detailed road/topo maps at the Espace IGN in Paris, a map-lover’s dream. Then I took a train to Épernay (a famous champagne town and region) and rented a bike for €15/day at the Bulleo swimming pool / sports center at the edge of town (map), which had strict rules about appropriate swimwear:\nI’d intended to do 2-3 days of riding stopping off in different towns, but it was pouring rain most of the week, so I just did one day of riding– a roughly 35-mile circuit along back roads:\nRental bikes are the same everywhere– heavy and upright:\nPaved roads wound through unfenced vineyards, with rarely a car in sight:\nEvery few miles I’d pass through a small town.\nSome had a single bakery or bar for refueling:\nA huge Champagne bottle along the side of the road:\nNonplussed cow (video):\nChampagne cellars were dark and gloomy:\nThere was no real sprawl– towns ended abruptly and returned to fields for a few miles before the next town:\nAnd at the end of the ride, a stop at a chocolate manufacturing plant in an industrial park (video):\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/vineyard-ride-france-from-a-few-years-ago/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(San Francisco rides are on hiatus for June, but here are photos and a map from a ride from two years ago, which I’d never got around to writing up)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a week in France for work (lucky me, I know), I impulsively bought some detailed \u003ca href=\"http://www.stanfords.co.uk/stock/epernay-101484/\"\u003eroad/topo maps\u003c/a\u003e at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.longwalking.com/french-trail-maps-the-ign/\"\u003eEspace IGN in Paris\u003c/a\u003e, a map-lover’s dream. Then I took a train to Épernay (a famous champagne town and region) and rented a bike for €15/day at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ccepc.fr/ccepc.asp?IdPage=5402\"\u003eBulleo swimming pool / sports center\u003c/a\u003e at the edge of town (\u003ca href=\"http://goo.gl/maps/WFg3\"\u003emap\u003c/a\u003e), which had strict rules about appropriate swimwear:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vineyard Ride (France) from a few years ago"},{"content":"It started over a drink with JF, who mentioned The Fat Cyclist’s “100 Miles to Nowhere” (which in 2008 was a crazy decision to ride 100 miles on rollers indoors with snacks and TV, and is now a distributed challenge/excuse to ride 100 miles on a short loop course near your house and also raise some money for Livestrong). We decided to do it.\nWhy?\nWell, why not?\nThis is exactly the kind of arbitrary structure and Just-Because event I like, and I’m less interested in heavily-organized bike events or races (RAGBRAI excepted). And since I’d be out of town on the official date, we did it last Saturday, joined by KE.\nWe considered loops around the Port of Oakland (what could be more Nowhere than where there’s no There there?) but decided to ride this slightly-under-7-mile loop in Golden Gate Park over and over (plus some miles to and from the park). It’s a scenic, partly car-free route on weekends, we’d get to see the ocean 14 times, and we’d get to watch the evolution of park BBQs over the course of the day. Some photos follow:\nLicense plate, with the Team Fatty clydesdale logo. The tear-off paper strips on the bike top tube are my low-tech odometer / lap counter, since I don’t have a bike computer or GPS:\nHalfway through each lap, at the ocean, I took a quick photo. The day can really be summed up by this one collage (hi-res version):\nStarting near the Conservatory of Flowers:\nAt the ocean (the sign cropped out in the upper right says Tsunami Evacuation Route).\nBiking along mostly car-free back roads through the park:\nOne group of picknickers we passed had a bouncy castle and some human-size “hamster balls”:\nSedate bison:\nSomething nice about riding in circles is there’s no rigid lunch time– when we got hungry, we took a detour to Velo Rouge Cafe for food.\nAbout half done, plus a comical set of bike accessories:\nMini * 3:\nTwelve loops in we were talking about how comfortable the weather had been. You know what’s nice about biking in San Francisco? It’s not too hot, not too cold, and between April and October it basically never rains.\nThen during loop 13 it started pouring. Hard. Driving sheets of rain, drenching shirts, shoes, and socks, overflowing and masking potholes (ow, my wrists), and making other groups pack up their BBQs, jump in their cars, and dash out of the park.\nWe looked at each other and decided to keep going– once we’d come this far, we were going to finish 14 laps.\nThe caption for this photo is “riding on rollers in front of a TV with a bowl of snacks [see the t-shirt logo] sounds pretty good right now”.\nAnd then, somehow, we were done. It took us all day (roughly 9 to 6:30), but we made it, with no major problems except for KE being T-boned by an errant skateboarder. And we did notice something new about the park almost every time around (“did you see that interesting pine tree?” “where?” “back there– I’ll point it out to you in half an hour when we pass it again”).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/100-miles-to-nowhere-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt started over a drink with JF, who mentioned The Fat Cyclist’s “100 Miles to Nowhere” (which in 2008 was a crazy \u003ca href=\"http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/01/12/pay-up-suckas-report-on-fattys-100-miles-of-going-nowhere-epic/\"\u003edecision to ride 100 miles on rollers indoors with snacks and TV\u003c/a\u003e, and is now a distributed challenge/excuse to \u003ca href=\"http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/03/24/start-planning-for-the-100-miles-of-nowhere/\"\u003eride 100 miles on a short loop course near your house\u003c/a\u003e and also raise some money for Livestrong). We decided to do it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, why not?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is exactly the kind of arbitrary structure and Just-Because event I like, and I’m less interested in heavily-organized bike events or races (\u003ca href=\"/post/ragbrai-condensed/\"\u003eRAGBRAI\u003c/a\u003e excepted). And since I’d be out of town on the official date, we did it last Saturday, joined by KE.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"100 miles to nowhere: recap"},{"content":"“100 Miles To Nowhere”: 14-lap photo collage\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/100-miles-to-nowhere-14-lap-photo-collage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“100 Miles To Nowhere”: 14-lap photo collage\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"100 Miles To Nowhere\": 14-lap photo collage"},{"content":"Rarely-in-stock Acorn Bags will have some bags on sale tomorrow morning\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/rarely-in-stock-acorn-bags-will-have-some-bags-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://acornbags.com/\"\u003eRarely-in-stock Acorn Bags will have some bags on sale tomorrow morning\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rarely-in-stock Acorn Bags will have some bags on sale tomorrow morning"},{"content":"A few weeks ago, I did something I’ve wanted to do for years– a bike camping trip to Point Reyes, self-supported (carrying everything, no car support).\nI wanted to camp in Point Reyes National Seashore itself rather than nearby in Samuel P Taylor, to be somewhere more remote that wasn’t drive-in. I picked Sky Camp (based partly on this SFgate article), managed to get two nights reserved, and we ended up with a hardy group of 11 (friends, friends of friends, riders from last year’s SF RAGBRAI contingent).\nAfter looking at maps, blogs, books, and talking to people who’ve biked to Point Reyes before, we decided to take a particular scenic loop route rather than just the flattest, straightest inland route via Fairfax. And I’m glad we did. The map image below links to a more detailed map, and I also wrote out a turn by turn cue sheet that I’ll post some day, or just ask me if you want a copy. It was about 130 miles of riding (and maybe 10,000 feet of elevation?!) over the 3 days, including our side trip to Tomales Bay.\nThe ride up was great– from the hilly pain of Mill Valley -\u0026amp;gt; Four Corners, to the swooping long descent to Stinson Beach (breakfast burrito and bloody mary stop at The Sand Dollar), to the twisty, view-filled, less-hilly-than-expected stretch of Route 1 from there along the Bolinas Lagoon and up to Olema (oyster and beer stop – the BBQ oysters w/ chipotle at the Olema Farm House are recommended), the weather cooperated the entire time.\nAfter stopping in Point Reyes to load up on food and charcoal (note to self: next time get two bags of charcoal), we slogged the painful 4 miles and 1000’ uphill to the Sky Trail trailhead, and then another mile in on a dirt path to Sky Camp.\nWe didn’t let the fog, cold, and light rain stop us (especially talented grillmaster and aluminum foil sculptor DY), and huddled in a covered glen (camp site #12 – unusually spacious and highly recommended) to cook, eat, and relax. Some people even produced beer they’d secretly lugged up all those hills.\nThe next morning, after brunch in Point Reyes, some people who didn’t have Monday off headed home, while the rest of us took a short (30 miles round trip) jaunt up to Marshall and Tomales Bay for BBQ-your-own-oysters.\nThat evening, back at the camp site, we were rewarded with a fog-free evening, a glowing sunset and view of the Farallones (from camp site #11 – smaller than #12 but overlooking the ocean), and only a little rain at night.\nThe next morning, after a few scones for energy (shout-out to KG for bringing extra panniers loaded with all sorts of homemade goodies!), we packed up, zoomed downhill between fields of flowers and through the mud, and headed East along Nicasio Reservoir – another remarkable stretch of road I’d never been on:\n(the photo above is probably my most memorable moment of the trip)\nThen through Fairfax (lunch and ice cream stop), along are-we-there-yet hills in Corte Madera, down the Mill Valley bike path, and home, to sleep well.\nThanks","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago, I did something I’ve wanted to do for years– a bike camping trip to Point Reyes, self-supported (carrying everything, no car support).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wanted to camp in \u003ca href=\"http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm\"\u003ePoint Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a\u003e itself rather than nearby in Samuel P Taylor, to be somewhere more remote that wasn’t drive-in. I picked Sky Camp (based partly on \u003ca href=\"http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-03-18/sports/18836617_1_campsites-coast-trail-nights\"\u003ethis SFgate article\u003c/a\u003e), managed to get two nights reserved, and we ended up with a hardy group of 11 (friends, friends of friends, riders from \u003ca href=\"/post/ragbrai-condensed/\"\u003elast year’s SF RAGBRAI contingent\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point Reyes Bike Camping recap"},{"content":"As planned (and despite the Severe Weather Warning and 70% chance of thunderstorms), four of us gathered Sunday morning to get a coffee at Farley’s and bike the flat 19 miles from Potrero Hill to the bottom of the Dipsea Steps in Mill Valley:\nLeaving bikes there, we met a larger group of friends who’d driven up, and hiked up the Dipsea Steps and along the beautiful exposed ridges of the Sun Trail:\nThis brought us to Maifest at the Tourist Club nestled in the woods (“In 1912, a group of German Nature Friends living in the San Francisco Bay area decided to buy land overlooking what is now Muir Woods. Their first American clubhouse was built in 1914. Members did all the work, pulling materials and supplies up the hillside by mule and manual labor.”), where we enjoyed some sausages, German beer, music, and dancing.\nAt one point the sky turned dark and ominous, and people edged indoors as a squall seemed imminent… but the rain never quite materialized, and the return hike and bike were smooth sailing as well (the Golden Gate Bridge was even unusually calm, wind-free, and empty of other cyclists– probably due to both the predicted rain and the distraction of Bay to Breakers).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biked-hiked-had-a-beer-in-the-woods-tourist/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs planned (and despite the Severe Weather Warning and 70% chance of thunderstorms), four of us gathered Sunday morning to get a coffee at Farley’s and bike \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/250423\"\u003ethe flat 19 miles\u003c/a\u003e from Potrero Hill to the bottom of the Dipsea Steps in Mill Valley:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeaving bikes there, we met a larger group of friends who’d driven up, and hiked up the Dipsea Steps and along the beautiful exposed ridges of the Sun Trail:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biked, hiked, had a beer in the woods (Tourist Club)"},{"content":"Joining others for a 65-mile hilly Alpine Dam(n) ride.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/joining-others-for-a-65-mile-hilly-alpine-damn/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJoining others for a 65-mile hilly Alpine Dam(n) ride.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Joining others for a 65-mile hilly Alpine Dam(n) ride."},{"content":"Next Sunday, a more-than-just-biking trip: a bike ride from Farley’s coffeehouse in Potrero Hill to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley (17 miles, mostly flat: rough map), lock bikes there and hike 45 scenic (and uphill) minutes through the woods on the Dipsea and Sun trails to the Tourist Club, and enjoy their Maifest for a few hours (German cultural celebration: beer, sausages, polka dancing).\nRolling out from Farley’s at 9am.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/may-15-plan-bike-hike-beer-sausages/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNext Sunday, a more-than-just-biking trip: a bike ride from Farley’s coffeehouse in Potrero Hill to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley (17 miles, mostly flat: \u003ca href=\"http://goo.gl/maps/2mld\"\u003erough map\u003c/a\u003e), lock bikes there and hike 45 scenic (and uphill) minutes through the woods on the Dipsea and Sun trails to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;cd=1\u0026amp;ved=0CCIQFjAA\u0026amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.touristclubsf.org%2F\u0026amp;ei=6hXETcilF4u-sAPxppCcAQ\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNHEya3eHsg-66cNcaTPhm8pl2QMgw\u0026amp;sig2=eSdrmYzRLUb32lhFlmJ_kQ\"\u003eTourist Club\u003c/a\u003e, and enjoy their Maifest for a few hours (German cultural celebration: beer, sausages, polka dancing).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRolling out from Farley’s at 9am.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 15 plan: bike, hike, beer \u0026 sausages"},{"content":"Wind Harp (south SF, impromptu 17-mile ride with friend)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wind-harp-south-sf-impromptu-17-mile-ride-with/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWind Harp (south SF, impromptu 17-mile ride with friend)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wind Harp (south SF, impromptu 17-mile ride with friend)"},{"content":"an evening degreasing, lubricating, and replacing brakes and bearings. while listening to This American Life podcasts.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/an-evening-degreasing-lubricating-and-replacing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ean evening degreasing, lubricating, and replacing brakes and bearings. while listening to This American Life podcasts.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"an evening degreasing, lubricating, and replacing brakes and bearings. while listening to This American Life podcasts."},{"content":"Big Adventure planning.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/big-adventure-planning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBig Adventure planning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Big Adventure planning."},{"content":"Point Reyes bike camping: empty roads\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-empty-roads/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePoint Reyes bike camping: empty roads\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point Reyes bike camping: empty roads"},{"content":"Point Reyes bike camping: view from Sky Camp (a rare fog-free evening)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-view-from-sky-camp-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePoint Reyes bike camping: view from Sky Camp (a rare fog-free evening)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point Reyes bike camping: view from Sky Camp (a rare fog-free evening)"},{"content":"Point Reyes bike camping: through the woods\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-through-the-woods/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePoint Reyes bike camping: through the woods\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Point Reyes bike camping: through the woods"},{"content":"Call me crazy– want to ride 8, 16, 24, 32, … or 100 miles on Saturday May 28th, in 6-8 mile loops?\nI had The Fat Cyclist’s “100 Miles To Nowhere” mentioned to me recently. His idea is: chip in $80 towards Livestrong, and ride your own century indoors, or on some short course. Just because.\nThat lines up with my interest in riding a century at some point but my general ambivalence towards Organized Rides or anything that smacks of racing. For a while, I’ve thought it would be interesting to ride loop after loop around Golden Gate Park, with friends and strangers joining for as many loops as they want.\nSo, on May 28th, I’m seriously thinking about riding one of these routes over and over:\nhttp://ridewithgps.com/routes/350970 http://ridewithgps.com/routes/350972 If you’re interested in joining for a loop or two, a metric century (100km), or a full century, let me know and I’ll keep you posted on details. I’ll arrange for some sort of prizes/souvenirs for everyone, whether a spoke card or bike swag or something.\n[ You’re free to register for the Fat Cyclist century or not– the $80 goes to a good cause and you get a t-shirt, but you certainly don’t have to register or pay anything– you can just ride for yourself. His Livestrong registration closes this weekend. ]\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-many-loops-around-the-park-528/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCall me crazy– want to ride 8, 16, 24, 32, … or 100 miles on Saturday May 28th, in 6-8 mile loops?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had The Fat Cyclist’s “\u003ca href=\"http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/04/10/register-now-for-the-4th-annual-100-miles-of-nowhere/\"\u003e100 Miles To Nowhere\u003c/a\u003e” mentioned to me recently. His idea is: chip in $80 towards Livestrong, and ride your own century indoors, or on some short course. Just because.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat lines up with my interest in riding a century at some point but my general ambivalence towards Organized Rides or anything that smacks of racing. For a while, I’ve thought it would be interesting to ride loop after loop around Golden Gate Park, with friends and strangers joining for as many loops as they want.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bike many loops around the park 5/28?"},{"content":"fearless turkey\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fearless-turkey/","summary":"\u003cp\u003efearless turkey\u003c/p\u003e","title":"fearless turkey"},{"content":"on the road with our luggage, on a beautiful day\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-the-road-with-our-luggage-on-a-beautiful-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eon the road with our luggage, on a beautiful day\u003c/p\u003e","title":"on the road with our luggage, on a beautiful day"},{"content":"Bikes with bags, pre-ride…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bikes-with-bags-pre-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBikes with bags, pre-ride…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bikes with bags, pre-ride…"},{"content":"RE: \u0026amp;lt;/post/two-rides-this-weekend/\u0026amp;gt;\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunday-ride-cancelled-saturday-still-on/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRE: \u0026lt;/post/two-rides-this-weekend/\u0026gt;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunday ride cancelled, Saturday still on"},{"content":"Two “probably” rides (as usual, let me know if you’re interested, in case details change, or check the blog the night before).\nSaturday: fun headlands loop / luggage test ride\nA roughly 22-mile scenic Headlands ride (see photos from a past ride). For variety, let’s meet at Mojo Bicycle Cafe at 10AM.\nCasual, friendly pace, and also intended to be a “luggage test ride” – anyone who’s been interested in bike camping (or is coming camping in Point Reyes in a few weeks): this is your excuse to put on a rack, pump up your tires, strap on your bags and camping gear, and get comfortable with how your bike handles on some flat roads, a steep uphill, and a steep downhill, without worrying about pace or being too far from the city. And to stretch your biking legs after the rain if you haven’t already.\nAnyone else is welcome to join just for fun and the ride, though. Perhaps we’ll take a little detour to Rodeo beach while we’re out there.\nSunday: East Bay hills CANCELLED FOR NOW – minimal interest and I need a day off to work on some other things.\nThe other 53-mile half of the Grizzly Peak Century route (perhaps modified to end in Oakland at Beer Revolution instead of Berkeley?). Some of us did the other half last weekend and it was great (noisy red-winged blackbirds! llamas! miniature horses fighting! massive oil refinery near Pinole!) though certainly not easy.\nThis will be fairly hilly and challenging by my standards, and I’m also aiming to keep a moderately brisk pace, with a quick stop in Castro Valley or San Leandro for a sandwich. Meeting at “9:05AM” at Orinda BART (when the 8:33 16th \u0026amp;amp; Mission BART arrives), finishing mid- or late-afternoon. RSVP because I doubt I’ll motivate myself to cross the bay without company.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/two-rides-this-weekend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwo “probably” rides (as usual, let me know if you’re interested, in case details change, or check the blog the night before).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaturday: fun headlands loop / luggage test ride\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA roughly \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/344800\"\u003e22-mile scenic Headlands ride\u003c/a\u003e (see photos from a \u003ca href=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/\"\u003epast ride\u003c/a\u003e). For variety, let’s meet at \u003ca href=\"http://www.mojobicyclecafe.com/\"\u003eMojo Bicycle Cafe\u003c/a\u003e at 10AM.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCasual, friendly pace, and also intended to be a “luggage test ride” – anyone who’s been interested in bike camping (or is coming camping in Point Reyes in a few weeks): this is your excuse to put on a rack, pump up your tires, strap on your bags and camping gear, and get comfortable with how your bike handles on some flat roads, a steep uphill, and a steep downhill, without worrying about pace or being too far from the city. And to stretch your biking legs after the rain if you haven’t already.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two rides this weekend"},{"content":"Biking by scenic oil refineries in Rodeo.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-by-scenic-oil-refineries-in-rodeo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBiking by scenic oil refineries in Rodeo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking by scenic oil refineries in Rodeo."},{"content":"Taking a break after a very steep hill.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/taking-a-break-after-a-very-steep-hill/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTaking a break after a very steep hill.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Taking a break after a very steep hill."},{"content":"The rain has fled. Time for the twice-postponed hilly 53-mile East Bay ride this Saturday. Tentative plan is to meet outside the Berkeley BART at 9AM.\nI’m a little sluggish due to less recent riding, and it’s no-rider-left-behind enjoy-the-scenery as always, but I’d also like to do it without too many stops (maybe Port Costa, maybe not), to see how feasible it is to do in a half-day (in preparation for a potential Grizzly Peak Century in May). Bring some food, a spare tube, etc– it’s unclear how “civilized” the route will be.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-saturday-53-mile-east-bay-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe rain has fled. Time for the twice-postponed \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/251174\"\u003ehilly 53-mile East Bay ride\u003c/a\u003e this Saturday. Tentative plan is to meet outside the Berkeley BART at 9AM.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m a little sluggish due to less recent riding, and it’s no-rider-left-behind enjoy-the-scenery as always, but I’d also like to do it without too many stops (maybe Port Costa, maybe not), to see how feasible it is to do in a half-day (in preparation for a potential Grizzly Peak Century in May). Bring some food, a spare tube, etc– it’s unclear how “civilized” the route will be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This Saturday: 53-mile East Bay ride"},{"content":"We took a casual clockwise route from beach to beach, and along a dirt path past Lands End.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/we-took-a-casual-clockwise-route-from-beach-to/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe took a casual clockwise route from beach to beach, and along a dirt path past Lands End.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"We took a casual clockwise route from beach to beach, and along a dirt path past Lands End."},{"content":"Dave called this style of architecture “Deluxe Shire”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dave-called-this-style-of-architecture-deluxe/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDave called this style of architecture “Deluxe Shire”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dave called this style of architecture “Deluxe Shire”"},{"content":"at China Beach (for the first time in 5 years?)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/at-china-beach-for-the-first-time-in-5-years/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eat China Beach (for the first time in 5 years?)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"at China Beach (for the first time in 5 years?)"},{"content":"Departing 930AM, Tartine\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/impromptu-city-ride-this-morning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDeparting 930AM, Tartine\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Impromptu city ride this morning"},{"content":"Thunderstorms? (ride canceled)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/thunderstorms-ride-canceled/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThunderstorms? (ride canceled)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thunderstorms? (ride canceled)"},{"content":"No scheduled ride this weekend, but next Saturday 3/19 a few of us plan to ride this 53-mile Grizzly Peak / Pinole / Port Costa Loop (rain cancelled the last attempt), probably meeting at the Downtown Berkeley BART at 9AM (time could change depending on responses).\nThere probably won’t be a free motorcycle gang spaghetti dinner in Port Costa this early in the season, so bring a sandwich or some other food and we’ll stop halfway in for a break.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/319-plan-53-mile-east-bay-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNo scheduled ride this weekend, but next Saturday 3/19 a few of us plan to ride this 53-mile \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/251174\"\u003eGrizzly Peak / Pinole / Port Costa Loop\u003c/a\u003e (rain cancelled the last attempt), probably meeting at the Downtown Berkeley BART at 9AM (time could change depending on responses).\u003cbr\u003e\nThere probably won’t be a \u003ca href=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/\"\u003efree motorcycle gang spaghetti dinner\u003c/a\u003e in Port Costa this early in the season, so bring a sandwich or some other food and we’ll stop halfway in for a break.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3/19 plan: 53-mile east bay ride"},{"content":"Butter Lapis Lazuli\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/butter-lapis-lazuli/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eButter Lapis Lazuli\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Butter Lapis Lazuli"},{"content":"Two social rides organized by others this week:\nWednesday: Butterlap (7pm at the Ferry Building, a friendly 17 miles around the city with a few dozen people, mostly flat but two notable hills, Bender’s afterwards for a bit). [edit: was raining at 6pm, didn’t go] Friday: SF Bike Party (12-mile ultra-casual bike party with music, a few stops, and 400+ cyclists). This month, in Potrero/Dogpatch/Bayshore. And this weekend, something more ambitious I’ve talked to a few of you about:\nSunday: A 53-mile, quite hilly BART-to-BART East Bay ride (Berkeley, part of “Three Bears” loop, reservoirs, Port Costa, etc – several roads I’ve never biked on). Maybe a 9am start at the Berkeley BART, though I could be convinced to start later. [edit: looked like rain, postponed to next Sunday] ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/rides-this-week/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwo social rides organized by others this week:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWednesday:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://sf2g.com/butterlap.html\"\u003eButterlap\u003c/a\u003e (7pm at the Ferry Building, a friendly 17 miles around the city with a few dozen people, mostly flat but two notable hills, Bender’s afterwards for a bit). [edit: was raining at 6pm, didn’t go]\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriday:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/\"\u003eSF Bike Party\u003c/a\u003e (12-mile ultra-casual bike party with music, a few stops, and 400+ cyclists). This month, in Potrero/Dogpatch/Bayshore.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd this weekend, something more ambitious I’ve talked to a few of you about:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rides this week"},{"content":"Doing recon for a bike scavenger hunt \u0026amp;amp; picnic some coming weekend. Details TBA…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/doing-recon-for-a-bike-scavenger-hunt-picnic/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDoing recon for a bike scavenger hunt \u0026amp; picnic some coming weekend. Details TBA…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Doing recon for a bike scavenger hunt \u0026 picnic some coming weekend. Details TBA..."},{"content":"I heard about Soil Saloon a while back – a renegade cyclocross race (held at a different secret location each time– this one involved 6 laps around a 1-2 mile “course” of narrow off-road dirt trails, with roots and rocks to dodge and mud and puddles to splash through … oh, and a local beer to drink after each lap). Some people have photos on flickr.\nA few of us dropped by at the end of a morning city ride to watch it– and then impulsively decided to join, even with our non-ideal bikes (I at least had my heavy touring bike, unlike my friends who had narrow-tire road bikes).\nThey yell “go!”, and everyone races off into the woods, following chalk markings on the ground that direct you on a twisty adventure (after the first lap it gets easier to go fast, because you know what’s coming around the next corner). I had one minor crash (fishtailing on a muddy turn), and by the 5th lap I was exhausted and grinning like an idiot.\nIt was a great time– thanks everyone. And hey, I ran into some fellow butterlappers as well. There’s also an older article in thebolditalic about it.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/soil-saloon-cyclocross/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI heard about \u003ca href=\"http://soilsaloon.com/\"\u003eSoil Saloon\u003c/a\u003e a while back – a renegade cyclocross race (held at a different secret location each time– this one involved 6 laps around a 1-2 mile “course” of narrow off-road dirt trails, with roots and rocks to dodge and mud and puddles to splash through … oh, and a local beer to drink after each lap). Some people have \u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/search/?ss=1\u0026amp;w=all\u0026amp;q=soil+saloon\u0026amp;m=text\"\u003ephotos on flickr\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few of us dropped by at the end of a morning city ride to watch it– and then impulsively decided to join, even with our non-ideal bikes (I at least had my heavy touring bike, unlike my friends who had narrow-tire road bikes).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Soil Saloon cyclocross"},{"content":"old french bikes (photo)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/old-french-bikes-photo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eold french bikes (photo)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"old french bikes (photo)"},{"content":"Impromptu ride to Tiburon (Paradise Loop) organized by a friend.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/impromptu-ride-to-tiburon-paradise-loop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImpromptu ride to Tiburon (Paradise Loop) organized by a friend.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Impromptu ride to Tiburon (Paradise Loop) organized by a friend."},{"content":"6 of us biked to the beach and Trouble Coffee, as planned weeks ago. The weather cooperated!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/6-of-us-biked-to-the-beach-and-trouble-coffee-as/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e6 of us biked to the beach and \u003ca href=\"http://troublecoffee.com/\"\u003eTrouble Coffee\u003c/a\u003e, as planned weeks ago. The weather cooperated!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"6 of us biked to the beach and Trouble Coffee, as planned weeks ago. The weather cooperated!"},{"content":" Us cruising along the panhandle (cell phone video, unfortunately rotated)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/us-cruising-along-the-panhandle-cell-phone-video/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_lgxyp4nSz01qzv82b_r1.mov\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUs cruising along the panhandle (cell phone video, unfortunately rotated)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Us cruising along the panhandle (cell phone video, unfortunately rotated)"},{"content":"May 1st is the Grizzly Peak Century. Here’s my map of the 109-mile route (drawn quickly based on their map, may not be 100% turn-for-turn correct). I’m thinking about doing it.\nFor now, here are two 53-mile BART-to-BART rides I’ve sketched out that together cover most of the route (North ride, South ride). I plan to ride them some time in the next month and a half (as practice, and because they look like interesting rides– I’m not a biking-as-outdoor-spinning-just-for-the-sake-of-exercise guy)– anyone else interested?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/grizzly-peak-century-practice-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMay 1st is the \u003ca href=\"http://www.grizzlypeakcyclists.org/century/\"\u003eGrizzly Peak Century\u003c/a\u003e. Here’s my \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/251165\"\u003emap of the 109-mile route\u003c/a\u003e (drawn quickly based on their map, may not be 100% turn-for-turn correct). I’m thinking about doing it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor now, here are two 53-mile BART-to-BART rides I’ve sketched out that together cover most of the route (\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/251174\"\u003eNorth ride\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/251177\"\u003eSouth ride\u003c/a\u003e). I plan to ride them some time in the next month and a half (as practice, and because they look like interesting rides– I’m not a biking-as-outdoor-spinning-just-for-the-sake-of-exercise guy)– anyone else interested?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Grizzly Peak century? practice rides?"},{"content":"sad bike in chicago snow\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sad-bike-in-chicago-snow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003esad bike in chicago snow\u003c/p\u003e","title":"sad bike in chicago snow"},{"content":" I saw this 4-minute film “Heels on Wheels” at the bicycle film festival a few months ago, and just heard from Anna Bisgaard-Nøhr that it’s online.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-saw-this-4-minute-film-heels-on-wheels-at-the/","summary":"\u003cdiv\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003ciframe\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/19742850?dnt=0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" allow=\"fullscreen\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI saw this 4-minute film “\u003ca href=\"http://vimeo.com/19742850\"\u003eHeels on Wheels\u003c/a\u003e” at the \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;cd=1\u0026amp;ved=0CBkQFjAA\u0026amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bicyclefilmfestival.com%2F\u0026amp;ei=DvpXTeepDISclgeJ09zCBw\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNHb_xTtuwTlBM1OWIh2TlUskZ6Klg\u0026amp;sig2=5xq5jYN1I5FzD9bpEL1xiQ\"\u003ebicycle film festival\u003c/a\u003e a few months ago, and just heard from \u003ca href=\"http://annabisgaard.blogspot.com/\"\u003eAnna Bisgaard-Nøhr\u003c/a\u003e that it’s online.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I saw this 4-minute film \"Heels on Wheels\" at the bicycle film festival a few months ago, and just heard from Anna..."},{"content":"Four of us rode the 60ish mile Alpine Dam Loop on Sunday at a somewhat leisurely pace. It’s still my favorite Bay Area ride – some long, merciless uphills combined with incredible views in every direction. And it gets easier every time (funny how that works).\nA mid-morning start at Velo Rouge:\nThere were almost no pedestrians or cyclists on the Golden Gate Bridge (Superbowl Sunday effect?)\nStrange sign… sounds like a good place to hide out in case of zombie invasion.\nThe weather was perfect (t-shirt weather in February? Almost no-shirt weather, even). This photo doesn’t do it justice– clear, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and Farallon Islands. I stood here for a good 10 minutes.\nRolling hills and light traffic once we left the main roads.\nAlpine Dam / reservoir.\nA beer and sausage (mediocre– the burrito from next door looked better) at the Gestalt in Fairfax at the end of the really hilly section, before biking back through Corte Madera and Mill Valley.\nThe sun started to go down and it started to get cold so we hopped on the ferry at Sausalito to cut the last 6-7 miles off– I’m not ashamed.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/instead-of-tv-60-hilly-miles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us rode the \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/279526\"\u003e60ish mile Alpine Dam Loop\u003c/a\u003e on Sunday at a somewhat leisurely pace. It’s still my favorite Bay Area ride – some long, merciless uphills combined with incredible views in every direction. And it gets easier every time (funny how that works).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mid-morning start at Velo Rouge:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were almost no pedestrians or cyclists on the Golden Gate Bridge (Superbowl Sunday effect?)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/instead-of-tv-60-hilly-miles/ac72d503db42029f41437572e080aaa2e590a9a0_hu_49e7226647bf221e.webp 467w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/instead-of-tv-60-hilly-miles/ac72d503db42029f41437572e080aaa2e590a9a0_hu_bc56384ce0bedd68.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"467\" height=\"700\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Instead of TV: 60 hilly miles"},{"content":"Friday was the second SF Bike Party – an evening of biking with 500+ people, a stop in Dolores Park for some live music (Odd Owl), a Michael Jackson (and other music) dance party courtesy of Trikeasaurus in Garfield Square Park, and running into a lot of people I knew.\nI got home from work about an hour before the ride was supposed to start, and wanted to quickly throw something together related to the “Love Your Bike” theme.\nThe supplies I pulled together:\nI’d actually never used EL wire– I thought wire nuts or conductive copper tape might make a good enough electrical connection for a few hours, but they pulled apart too easily. So I fired up an old lighter-fluid-powered soldering iron. Wrinkle #2: I couldn’t find any solder. In a fit of desperation I reheated an old circuit board I had laying around and scavenged some solder from it. To my surprise, that actually worked.\nThe EL wire lights up! 15 minutes left until I need to leave.\nI bent two coat hangers together to hold a shape, wrapped the EL wire around it, and secured it to my bike rack with cable ties. Success!\nHere’s the bike later that night, in Dolores Park (the heart actually blinks on and off, though you can’t tell from a photo).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/glowing-heart-for-sfbikeparty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriday was the second \u003ca href=\"http://sfbikeparty.org\"\u003eSF Bike Party\u003c/a\u003e – an evening of biking with 500+ people, a stop in Dolores Park for some live music (\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/Odd-Owl/111475262199606\"\u003eOdd Owl\u003c/a\u003e), a Michael Jackson (and other music) dance party courtesy of \u003ca href=\"http://www.deeptrouble.com/2008/03/18/trikeattacks/\"\u003eTrikeasaurus\u003c/a\u003e in \u003ca href=\"http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=13272108482285735747\u0026amp;gl=us\"\u003eGarfield Square Park\u003c/a\u003e, and running into a lot of people I knew.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI got home from work about an hour before the ride was supposed to start, and wanted to quickly throw something together related to the “Love Your Bike” theme.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Glowing heart for SFbikeparty"},{"content":"Bender’s bike pile, after a clear-skies butterlap. New names to remember: margo, alex, reese(?), adam, ian.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/benders-bike-pile-after-a-clear-skies-butterlap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBender’s bike pile, after a clear-skies butterlap. New names to remember: margo, alex, reese(?), adam, ian.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bender's bike pile, after a clear-skies butterlap. New names to remember: margo, alex, reese(?), adam, ian."},{"content":"night repairs on butterlap\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/night-repairs-on-butterlap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enight repairs on butterlap\u003c/p\u003e","title":"night repairs on butterlap"},{"content":"If it’s not rainy:\nFriday 2/4: joining the SF Bike Party, a slow-rolling evening with hundreds of cyclists and several big bike-mounted stereos (photos of the last one). Just 9 miles. 7:30pm meetup at Civic Center.\nSunday 2/6: Alpine Dam. A beautiful and hilly 50-60 mile ride, meeting 9:30AM at Velo Rouge Cafe. No rider left behind, probably a stop in Fairfax for some food afterwards, no commitment to making it back in time to watch That Sporting Event (hey, at least the roads should be empty…).\ntwo weeks off. then:\nSunday 2/20 [date change!]: By request, a shorter ride – shake off those bikeless winter months or years: Meeting in the Mission some time in the morning (9ish?), biking to the ocean \u0026amp;amp; Trouble Coffee and back, about 14 miles round trip. Possible addition: brunch at Outerlands.\np.s. Coming in late February or March: two 50ish-mile East Bay rides, trying subsets of the Grizzly Peak Century route (Three Bears, etc).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/three-upcoming-february-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf it’s not rainy:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriday 2/4:\u003c/strong\u003e joining the \u003ca href=\"http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/\"\u003eSF Bike Party\u003c/a\u003e, a slow-rolling evening with hundreds of cyclists and several big bike-mounted stereos (\u003ca href=\"/post/sf-bike-party-recap/\"\u003ephotos of the last one\u003c/a\u003e). Just 9 miles. 7:30pm meetup at Civic Center.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday 2/6:\u003c/strong\u003e Alpine Dam. A beautiful and hilly \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/268903\"\u003e50-60 mile ride\u003c/a\u003e, meeting 9:30AM at \u003ca href=\"http://www.velorougecafe.com/\"\u003eVelo Rouge Cafe\u003c/a\u003e. No rider left behind, probably a stop in Fairfax for some food afterwards, no commitment to making it back in time to watch That Sporting Event (hey, at least the roads should be empty…).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Three upcoming February rides"},{"content":"Sent to me by many friends: Bikes of San Francisco (high res), also available as a poster\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sent-to-me-by-many-friends-bikes-of-san/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSent to me by many friends: Bikes of San Francisco (\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/agirlnamedtor/5112789301/sizes/o/in/photostream/\"\u003ehigh res\u003c/a\u003e), also \u003ca href=\"http://torweeks.bigcartel.com/product/bikes-of-san-francisco\"\u003eavailable as a poster\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sent to me by many friends: Bikes of San Francisco (high res), also available as a poster"},{"content":"RAGBRAI 2011 route announced. Not sure if I’ll go this year, but it’s a great time.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ragbrai-2011-route-announced-not-sure-if-ill-go/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRAGBRAI 2011 route announced. Not sure if I’ll go this year, but it’s \u003ca href=\"/post/ragbrai-condensed/\"\u003ea great time\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"RAGBRAI 2011 route announced. Not sure if I'll go this year, but it's a great time."},{"content":"For variety, on Saturday I joined some people I know who were going on one of the AIDS LifeCycle training rides in the South Bay– a 46-mile loop, taking us from Mountain View (near the Caltrain station) through Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and some towns I’d never heard of (Monte Sereno).\nIt was a good workout and way to spend a chunk of the day, with one significant hill and a lot of fairly straight rolling-hill sections where you could get momentum going (while nominally a 10-12mph pace, the pack I was riding with made some solid 20-25mph pulls on the long flat stretches and the road flew by). However, the scenery was nothing special– lots of suburbs, strip malls, cars, and Starbucks. Given that and how slow Caltrain is, I’ll probably stick with mostly SF/Marin/East Bay rides in the future, or try some of the more woodsy (and hilly) peninsula rides.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-in-saratoga-los-gatos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor variety, on Saturday I joined some people I know who were going on \u003ca href=\"http://www.ridewithchris.org/2011/01/distance-training-2-los-gatos-1292011.html\"\u003eone of the AIDS LifeCycle training rides\u003c/a\u003e in the South Bay– a 46-mile loop, taking us from Mountain View (near the Caltrain station) through Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and some towns I’d never heard of (Monte Sereno).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/274249\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a good workout and way to spend a chunk of the day, with one significant hill and a lot of fairly straight rolling-hill sections where you could get momentum going (while nominally a 10-12mph pace, the pack I was riding with made some solid 20-25mph pulls on the long flat stretches and the road flew by). However, the scenery was nothing special– lots of suburbs, strip malls, cars, and Starbucks. Given that and how slow Caltrain is, I’ll probably stick with mostly SF/Marin/East Bay rides in the future, or try some of the more woodsy (and hilly) peninsula rides.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking in Saratoga \u0026 Los Gatos"},{"content":"It all started when I wanted to replace the completely functional plastic-coated downtube shift levers on my old french road bike:\nWith some slick-looking shifters a friend gave me:\nShould be easy, right? Just cut the existing cables, replace the levers and string a new set of shift cables… wrong.\nThe old shifters and threaded bosses on the frame were an unusual, non-standard thread, M5x1.0mm, which as far as I can tell mainly existed on 1970s French bicycles and is no longer made. The standard metric screws near that size are M5x0.8mm or M5x0.5mm (the same diameter, 5mm, but a different thread pitch). I knew from Sheldon Brown and previous work on the bike that old French bikes are “special” and, for example, one of the bottom bracket cups is threaded in the opposite direction from pretty much every other bike ever made. But I didn’t think this applied to even small-size, standard-looking screws.\nDo I dig up old screws on ebay? Custom-machine a screw? Braze or clamp on new threaded bosses? Or maybe… convert the old threads to the new standard thread using spiral threaded inserts (e.g. Helicoils)?\nStep 1: drill out the old M5x1.0m threads with a 13/64\u0026amp;quot; bit.\nStep 1.5: Decide I need to own a bench vice.\nStep 2: tap new oversize threads for a helicoil (using the specialty tap provided with a set of heliocoils– not a common thread size). It’s tough steel– plenty of tapping fluid is essential, as is backing out the tap a fraction of a turn every half rotation or so.\nStep 3: Using the helicoil insertion tool (line up the ridge on the end of the insertion tool with the “tang” (metal crossbar) in the heliocoil), insert the heliocoil:\nBody of the insertion tool shown lifted, but you’d normally have it pressed down against the surface of the part below. Insert the helicoil so it’s slightly below the surface of the part, then unthread the insertion tool.\nYou can see the new helicoil threads in the hole if you look carefully, providing a new, strong, M5x0.8mm female thread:\nStep 4 (not shown): Use a hammer to tap a small rod in the new threaded hole, to break off the tang on the helicoil (it should be scored for easy breaking). This prevents the tang from interfering with a long screw.\nStep 5: The first moment of truth… and the shift lever attaches perfectly to the new threaded boss on the band. Success!\nThe band only had a threaded boss for one of the shifters– the other boss is brazed to the bike frame. Repeat the process, avoiding drilling into the bike frame itself…\nFinally– threading the cables ($2 each from Sports Basement – the heads didn’t quite fit and I had another trip to the hardware store to get a file to file them down slightly) through the shifters, frame bosses, and sheaths, and connecting them to the parts that need to move:\nAfter all of that work… the shifters fit perfectly, and the shifting action is smooth and buttery. Success!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/replacing-shift-levers-on-a-40-year-old-french/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt all started when I wanted to replace the completely functional plastic-coated downtube shift levers on my old french road bike:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith some slick-looking shifters a friend gave me:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/replacing-shift-levers-on-a-40-year-old-french/1a296f6030daa6d3e7e9b0dc7138fec50eb27bd6_hu_d8534dd764f1cb5f.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/replacing-shift-levers-on-a-40-year-old-french/1a296f6030daa6d3e7e9b0dc7138fec50eb27bd6_hu_efc77c971e913361.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"394\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShould be easy, right? Just cut the existing cables, replace the levers and string a new set of shift cables… wrong.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe old shifters and threaded bosses on the frame were an unusual, non-standard thread, M5x1.0mm, which as far as I can tell mainly existed on 1970s French bicycles and is no longer made. The standard metric screws near that size are M5x0.8mm or M5x0.5mm (the same diameter, 5mm, but a different thread pitch). I knew from Sheldon Brown and previous work on the bike that \u003ca href=\"http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html\"\u003eold French bikes are “special”\u003c/a\u003e and, for example, one of the bottom bracket cups is threaded in the opposite direction from pretty much every other bike ever made. But I didn’t think this applied to even small-size, standard-looking screws.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Replacing shift levers on a 40-year-old french road bike"},{"content":"New handlebar tape for the old french road bike (and new shifters, but that’s a longer story)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-handlebar-tape-for-the-old-french-road-bike/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNew handlebar tape for the old french road bike (and new shifters, but that’s a longer story)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New handlebar tape for the old french road bike (and new shifters, but that's a longer story)"},{"content":"[ edit: cancelled due to early-morning rain, though it ended up clearing up– oh well ]\nTentative plan: an Alpine Dam loop ride next Sunday (1/30), about 50 miles round trip from the Golden Gate Bridge (map), with some substantial but satisfying hills.\nStopping in Fairfax at Gestalt Haus (run by the people behind the original SF Gestalt Haus before it changed ownership?) for some sausages \u0026amp;amp; beer before heading home.\nDeparture time TBD in the morning (early? mid-?) and a no-rider-left-behind pace as usual, though I definitely want to get back in the afternoon, before it starts to get dark and cold on the bridge.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alpine-dam-and-sausages-beer-next-sunday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ \u003cstrong\u003eedit:\u003c/strong\u003e cancelled due to early-morning rain, though it ended up clearing up– oh well ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTentative plan: an \u003ca href=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/\"\u003eAlpine Dam\u003c/a\u003e loop ride next Sunday (1/30), about 50 miles round trip from the Golden Gate Bridge (\u003ca href=\"http://goo.gl/maps/VuZs\"\u003emap\u003c/a\u003e), with some substantial but satisfying hills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStopping in Fairfax at \u003ca href=\"http://www.gestalthausfairfax.com/\"\u003eGestalt Haus\u003c/a\u003e (run by the people behind the original SF Gestalt Haus before it changed ownership?) for some sausages \u0026amp; beer before heading home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeparture time TBD in the morning (early? mid-?) and a no-rider-left-behind pace as usual, though I definitely want to get back in the afternoon, before it starts to get dark and cold on the bridge.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alpine Dam and Sausages \u0026 Beer next Sunday?"},{"content":"Well, that was a great weekend.\nA group of 10 of us biked from SF to Montara (on the coast, between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles), stayed overnight in the Montara Lighthouse Hostel ($28/night, includes linens, fully booked most Saturday nights months ahead of time but the web site availability is often incorrect– you can call them directly to make reservations, and should if you’re going with a group), and biked back the next day.\nThis was no ordinary shortest-distance-optimized route– from a collection of paper and online maps, especially the Montara route in San Francisco Short Bike Rides, and discussion with some friendly internet strangers who’d done rides in this area, I pieced together a route that involved almost zero riding on Highway 1 and took scenic coastal or ridge paths whenever possible (and included Old San Pedro Road a.k.a. “Planet of the Apes road”, which I’d read about but never been on).\nWe lucked out unbelievably on the weather– we’d had to make hostel reservations the month before, and I expected a foggy and possibly rainy weekend. But the sun was out and it was short sleeves or even shirtless weather for most of the ride, as we cruised by businesses with names such as “Fog City ____” in the bright, warm sun.\nThe Northern segment of the route involved the typical Wiggle to golden gate park, and a ride on the bike paths along ocean beach and Lake Merced, followed by a few miles on Skyline Blvd (moderate traffic, but plenty of space to ride on the shoulder):\nAs soon as we could (after Fort Funston), we jogged over one block to the parallel hilly but low-traffic Skyline Drive:\nOnce in Pacifica (where we stopped to check out the pier and get some bagels and buffalo burgers), we rode along a packed-dirty Levee that ran around Sharp Golf Course:\nThen we had a short bit of riding along Highway 1, but in one of the easy sections where there’s a separated path/sidewalk bikes can take (unlike the sheer cliffs and minimal shoulders around Devil’s Slide, which we avoided):\nWe quickly left Highway 1 and the sights and sounds of traffic behind to take a dedicated (and fairly new-looking, mostly deserted, and peaceful) bike path through a park, from Reina Del Mar to San Marlo:\nWe crossed Highway 1 at Rockaway Beach, climbed a short but quite steep hill on Fassler, overlooking Sea Bowl and the Highway 1 tunnel construction, and jogged over to Higgins and the beginning of Old San Pedro Road.\nThis road used to be Highway 1, 100 years ago, but is now broken down, overgrown, and closed to cars, though open to road and mountain bikes. The pavement/dirt/mud is rough in places, but it’s still very ridable on a range of bikes. I posted a whole set of photos of riding on Old San Pedro yesterday.\nAfter climbing over the mountain, and a short slightly harrowing final mile on Highway 1, we arrived at the hostel (and lighthouse, and beach), took in the views, and watched the sun gradually set over the ocean.\nA jaunt down to the Half Moon","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/overnight-bike-trip-sf-montara/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWell, that was a great weekend.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA group of 10 of us biked from SF to Montara (on the coast, between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles), stayed overnight in the \u003ca href=\"http://www.norcalhostels.org/montara/\"\u003eMontara Lighthouse Hostel\u003c/a\u003e ($28/night, includes linens, fully booked most Saturday nights months ahead of time but the web site availability is often incorrect– you can call them directly to make reservations, and should if you’re going with a group), and biked back the next day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Overnight bike trip: SF -\u003e Montara"},{"content":"10 of us rode from San Francisco to Montara this weekend, stayed the night in the Montara Lighthouse youth hostel, then rode back. I’ll post a full map and photos later (edit: Ok, the SF-\u0026amp;gt;Montara ride has been posted) – to start, I’m just posting photos of Old San Pedro Mountain Road, our detour inland from Highway 1.\nFrom Short Bike Rides San Francisco (where I read about this route) “San Pedro Mountain Road is the old alignment of Highway 1 before Devil’s Slide was built.” It’s now closed to cars and overgrown, a mix of pavement, broken pavement, dirt, and light mud (still doable without a mountain bike, though). Some people in the biking community call it “Planet of the Apes Road”– not that it’s *that* decrepit, but once you know it used to be a road for cars, you can imagine you’ve come across a collapsed civilization.\nA description of its former life as a road for cars (100 years ago), from the Half Moon Bay Memories web site: \u0026amp;ldquo;Numerous accidents occurred on this dangerous road and some of the wrecked cars can still be found in ravines below the route. “Even with a thoroughly reliable driver and trustworthy car,” Motoring magazine warned in 1913, “Pedro Mountain Road is in such poor condition that anyone going this way is simply inviting disaster.”\u0026amp;rdquo;\nDespite the rough pavement and occasional sinkholes, it was an excellent ride– we passed through three or four different microclimates and had sweeping views of hills and the ocean (often with no civilization in sight except for high-voltage power lines marching across the hills). It’s not too hard a ride if you take it slow– everyone in our group (ranging from suspension mountain bikes to road bikes with 23mm tires) made it, without flats and with only a little walking in the rough sections.\nWe saw a few other cyclists, many of them hardcore mountain bikers in full helmets exploring the rougher side trails, which I heard are full of jumps, banked turns, water, heavy mud, and other excitement (below is a photo from Dave, who accidentally(?) ended up on one of those trails on the way back, and passed some huge mountain bike ramps and jumps).\nThe map:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/old-san-pedro-mountain-road/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e10 of us rode from San Francisco to Montara this weekend, stayed the night in the Montara Lighthouse youth hostel, then rode back. I’ll post a full map and photos later (edit: Ok, the \u003ca href=\"/post/overnight-bike-trip-sf-montara/\"\u003eSF-\u0026gt;Montara ride\u003c/a\u003e has been posted) – to start, I’m just posting photos of Old San Pedro Mountain Road, our detour inland from Highway 1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http://books.google.com/books?id=5DzsecggkvAC\u0026amp;lpg=PA93\u0026amp;dq=san%20francisco%20short%20bike%20rides%20planet%20of%20the%20apes\u0026amp;pg=PP1#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003eShort Bike Rides San Francisco\u003c/a\u003e (where I read about this route) “San Pedro Mountain Road is the old alignment of Highway 1 before Devil’s Slide was built.” It’s now closed to cars and overgrown, a mix of pavement, broken pavement, dirt, and light mud (still doable without a mountain bike, though). Some people in the biking community call it “Planet of the Apes Road”– not that it’s *that* decrepit, but once you know it used to be a road for cars, you can imagine you’ve come across a collapsed civilization.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Old San Pedro Mountain Road"},{"content":"Lighthouse, california bear, 10 bikes, at the end of a day of riding.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/lighthouse-california-bear-10-bikes-at-the-end/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLighthouse, california bear, 10 bikes, at the end of a day of riding.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lighthouse, california bear, 10 bikes,  at the end of a day of riding."},{"content":"On our way\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-our-way/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn our way\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On our way"},{"content":"Preride coffee at four barrel.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/preride-coffee-at-four-barrel/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePreride coffee at four barrel.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Preride coffee at four barrel."},{"content":"SF Weekly social media roundup of sfbikeparty\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sf-weekly-social-media-roundup-of-sfbikeparty/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/01/san_francycle_sf_bike_party.php\"\u003eSF Weekly social media roundup of sfbikeparty\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SF Weekly social media roundup of sfbikeparty"},{"content":"on Butterlap last night, nice and easy, golden gate bridge in the background.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-butterlap-last-night-nice-and-easy-golden/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eon \u003ca href=\"/tags/butterlap/\"\u003eButterlap\u003c/a\u003e last night, nice and easy, golden gate bridge in the background.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"on Butterlap last night, nice and easy, golden gate bridge in the background."},{"content":"Pattern and details to be posted at some point, but this evening I finally finished making the pair of panniers I’d been working on on and off the past few months. Time for the next project.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/custom-panniers-done/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePattern and details to be posted at some point, but this evening I finally finished making the pair of panniers I’d been working on on and off the past few months. Time for the next project.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/custom-panniers-done/75b38c7bc793ebd10be7a8405875960e272f6a23_hu_c29d14fd1a18ec1e.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/custom-panniers-done/75b38c7bc793ebd10be7a8405875960e272f6a23_hu_96ad9e1eeccbb247.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Custom panniers: done"},{"content":"Friday was the first SF Bike Party. A group of I’d guess 400 cyclists met up and rode a preset route around the city, bikes covered in lights and a few big stereo systems in tow. The group left the ballpark around 8:30pm, stopping to play music and dance at a beach past Fisherman’s Wharf, at Alta Plaza park (with a jungle gym and great views of the city), outside the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and finally, after midnight, in the plaza outside City Hall.\n(source: David Nichols’s flickr, used with permission)\n(source: ibid)\n(source: my lame cell phone camera)\nThanks organizers and everyone on a fun, respectful ride– like Critical Mass without the unfortunately sometimes-present subset of aggro antagonism. As far as I could see people were having fun, stopping at red lights, and leaving space for cars to pass, about 95% of the time. I saw pedestrians cheer from windows and high-five cyclists from sidewalks, families smile and wave from passing cars, and only saw one unhappy cyclist/pedestrian interaction the whole night.\nI also heard secondhand of cops rolling down their car window to say “thanks for stopping at lights” to cyclists, and the security guards outside the De Young museum looked unfazed by the sudden crowd of celebrants in their front yard.\nThere are more photos in the group flickr pool.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sf-bike-party-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFriday was the first SF Bike Party. A group of I’d guess 400 cyclists met up and rode \u003ca href=\"http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;msa=0\u0026amp;msid=209709283626440160210.000498551b071f67730fe\u0026amp;ll=37.78028,-122.428207\u0026amp;spn=0.037175,0.062313\u0026amp;z=14\"\u003ea preset route around the city\u003c/a\u003e, bikes covered in lights and a few big stereo systems in tow. The group left the ballpark around 8:30pm, stopping to play music and dance at a beach past Fisherman’s Wharf, at Alta Plaza park (with a jungle gym and great views of the city), outside the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and finally, after midnight, in the plaza outside City Hall.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SF Bike Party recap"},{"content":"Hundreds of bikes\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/hundreds-of-bikes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHundreds of bikes\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hundreds of bikes"},{"content":"SF Bike Party: 1st ride is tonight, 7:30pm\n“We start at Giants Stadium, ride 12 miles visiting beautiful sites throughout the city. It is a leisurely pace and we’ll stop 3 times to socialize and party. We end at at the Civic Center Bart so people can easily get home.”\nAlso: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sfbikeparty/\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sf-bike-party-1st-ride-is-tonight-730pm/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/\"\u003eSF Bike Party: 1st ride is tonight, 7:30pm\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We start at Giants Stadium, ride 12 miles visiting beautiful sites throughout the city.  It is a leisurely pace and we’ll stop 3 times to socialize and party.  We end at at the Civic Center Bart so people can easily get home.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso: \u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/groups/sfbikeparty/\"\u003ehttp://www.flickr.com/groups/sfbikeparty/\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SF Bike Party: 1st ride is tonight, 7:30pm"},{"content":"It’s a cold and rainy Christmas evening and I’m full of a British-style roast-and-potatoes dinner, so I’m digging through photos of good past bike trips [I’ll post this some time in January when I get around to it].\nHere’s a ride from mid-2009 (back when the idea of a 40-mile bike ride with hills was daunting): along the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls during a visit to Oregon. Portland is of course a city conducive to cycling in many ways (with detailed city bike maps and many places to rent bikes– I’ve rented from both Waterfront and Kerr).\nThe morning started with a jaunt through leafy SE Portland:\nThe City Of Roses:\nBreakfast at The Waffle Window\nIn particular, the bacon/brie/basil waffle– remarkable!\nCoffee:\nAnd then it was time to start the ride by taking the MAX to Gresham, on the edge of Portland. Another option would have been to start biking in downtown Portland, perhaps by taking the Springwater Corridor (map 1, PDF map 2)\nI talked to some interesting people on the train near Gresham, including a young couple with a small kid in a stroller. The guy had fresh scabs all over his arms– “pavement kisses”, as he called them, from a fight. His girlfriend started telling a story about being on the train when the cops boarded, and watching another passenger try to hide a bag of white powder… err… “internally”. They warned me about one neighborhood we were passing through, saying “don’t bike there– they’ll even jack you for a Huffy”.\nBut back on topic– I got off in Gresham and off I rode, on this roughly 40-mile there-and-back route:\nHalfway along the route, I stopped at Vista House / Crown Point, with a panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge and Washington State across it. These pictures don’t do it justice.\nThen down a twisting set of roads to the Historic Columbia River Highway. It was fairly low on traffic because there’s a more direct highway route to the falls.\nThere are 3 or 4 waterfalls along this route, but Multnomah Falls was the tallest (and most packed with visitors):\nAfter a long tiring climb back up to Crown Point, I headed back to Portland for indian food (Hoda) and wine (kindly provided by the friend of a friend I was staying with, who had a basement full of cases).\n. All in all, a great day, and a ride I would recommend, though the hybrid rental bike I was on was a bit small and uncomfortable (Waterfront also rents road bikes, but when I showed up they told me I should have called ahead and would have to wait a while if I wanted one). Jeans weren’t the ideal biking-in-the-sun attire, either, to make another excuse.\nIf I’m there again some day with two days to spare, I have my eye on biking farther along the Gorge, with an overnight in Hood River or The Dalles before heading back (somewhere between 40-80 miles each way depending on the details). Some reading turned up a range of web sites and maps of potential trip legs (#1, #2, #3, #4).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2009-ride-portland-multnomah-falls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s a cold and rainy Christmas evening and I’m full of a British-style roast-and-potatoes dinner, so I’m digging through photos of good past bike trips [I’ll post this some time in January when I get around to it].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s a ride from mid-2009 (back when the idea of a 40-mile bike ride with hills was daunting): along the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls during a visit to Oregon. Portland is of course a city conducive to cycling in many ways (with detailed \u003ca href=\"http://www.gettingaroundportland.org/transportation/index.cfm?c=39402\"\u003ecity bike maps\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?a=71974\u0026amp;c=34812\"\u003emany places to rent bikes\u003c/a\u003e– I’ve rented from both \u003ca href=\"http://www.waterfrontbikes.com/\"\u003eWaterfront\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.kerrbikes.org/\"\u003eKerr\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2009 Ride: Portland / Multnomah Falls"},{"content":"I’m planning a ride to Montara (near Half Moon Bay), leaving Saturday morning 1/15, staying overnight in the Montara Lighthouse(!) Hostel, and coming back Sunday morning.\nAbout 25 miles each way, some hills and deserted/derelict highways (see below), and about $30/person for the hostel. If you’re interested in joining, let me know ASAP– I got tentative confirmation of some space at the hostel but need to call back in the next few days to confirm and put down a deposit. [edit: whoa, 10 people interested so far!] [edit edit: up to 12-14]\nSome other notes about the ride:\n* The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is only about 3 miles past Montara. That might have to happen (food, beer, Jimmy Buffet tribute band).\n* I’d like to take Old San Pedro Mountain Road, aka “Planet of the Apes” road and related dirt paths / fire trails for part of the ride– this gets us off traffic-heavy Highway 1 (and in particular, lets us avoid biking around Devil’s Slide), and sounds like a desolate (in an interesting way), decrepit old road that used to be a highway decades ago but is now closed to cars.\nIt’s in rough shape in places, a mix of pavement, broken pavement, and dirt, but I’ve heard from people who’ve done it on road bikes (you may just need to walk a few sections). Since we’re only going 25 miles we have plenty of time to take it easy, or backtrack in the worst case if there’s a mudslide or pack of mountain lions or spacemen or something. Be flexible. Have fun.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/overnight-ride-to-montara-115-stay-in/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m planning a ride to Montara (near Half Moon Bay), leaving Saturday morning 1/15, staying overnight in the Montara Lighthouse(!) Hostel, and coming back Sunday morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 25 miles each way, some hills and deserted/derelict highways (see below), and about $30/person for the hostel. If you’re interested in joining, let me know ASAP– I got tentative confirmation of some space at the hostel but need to call back in the next few days to confirm and put down a deposit. [edit: whoa, 10 people interested so far!] [edit edit: up to 12-14]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Overnight ride to Montara 1/15 (\u0026 stay in lighthouse hostel)"},{"content":"The rainy season has some time for rides, and some time for dreaming about rides to do next summer. Here are nine ideas for Big Rides (I’ll try to actually do 3 or 4 of them):\nJanuary: Overnight bike trip down the coast to Montara via Old San Pedro (“Planet of the Apes”) road. [edit: did it, a great weekend]\nApril: Bike to Point Reyes during wildflower season for a three-day weekend. Carry gear and camp overnight, have a day to bike/hike and enjoy Point Reyes, then bike back. About 43 miles each way. [ edit: did it, awesome ]\nMay 1st:Grizzly Peak Century. Fairly hilly and challenging. I’m thinking of doing it. Here’s a NY Times article from 2008 about it. Some of us have covered significant sections of the route in past BikeIt rides Port Costa and Three Bears + Moraga. [ edit: after doing half of it as training in April, I realized I had no particular desire to do it and probably wouldn’t enjoy the last 30 miles ]\n**Late July:**RAGBRAI, the week-long 10,000-person bike ride across Iowa. I had such a good time in 2010 that I’m thinking about doing it again some year [ edit: not this year, but some time in the next two years, for sure ]. 450 miles total, 50-80 miles per day, mostly flat, more about endurance than speed. And not a race– days of riding filled with stops for pork chops and ice cream, and evenings of merriment, meeting interesting people, spaghetti dinners, and beer. Registration will sell out, probably some time in the spring.\nSummer: Some bike adventure somewhere else in the world, probably by myself. We’ll see.\nFall: Bike camping trip in New England? (TBD, EB was talking about organizing something)\nFall: Waves to Wine, a 170ish-mile, two-day bike ride from the Bay Area coast up to wine country that several friends have done.\nOctober: Foxy’s Fall Century starting in Davis, with both 100 km and 100 mile options (see the overview map). I’ve heard great things about this century being both enjoyable and a good “first century”. Still challenging, of course, but much less hilly than the Grizzly Peak Century.\nSome day: A bike tour in the Southwest. The NYTimes article on biking in Monument Valley in Arizona was quite compelling.\n[ image source: Christopher Solomon, NY Times article linked above ]\nSome day: I want to go back to Spain. I like biking. Perhaps a week+ bike tour across the country some year? I’ve been reading about cycling the Camino De Santiago. So far, this is all talk.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/big-rides-in-2011/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe rainy season has some time for rides, and some time for dreaming about rides to do next summer. Here are nine ideas for Big Rides (I’ll try to actually do 3 or 4 of them):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJanuary:\u003c/strong\u003e Overnight bike trip down the coast to Montara via Old San Pedro (“Planet of the Apes”) road. [edit: \u003ca href=\"/post/overnight-bike-trip-sf-montara/\"\u003edid it\u003c/a\u003e, a great weekend]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApril:\u003c/strong\u003e Bike to Point Reyes during wildflower season for a three-day weekend. Carry gear and camp overnight, have a day to bike/hike and enjoy Point Reyes, then bike back. About 43 miles each way. [ edit: \u003ca href=\"/post/point-reyes-bike-camping-recap/\"\u003edid it\u003c/a\u003e, awesome ]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Big Rides in 2011?"},{"content":"Four of us (RR, CC, D, MD) rode a Marin Headlands loop this slightly chilly but sunny and clear (an easy view of the Farralones) day. About 26 miles round trip from East SF, at a casual pace.\nApproaching the bridge via Embarcadero / Marina:\nClimbing Conzelman:\nA clear day, quite a view:\nSome of us:\nSome of us are in the Witness Protection Program:\nHeading down a twisty 18% grade along ocean cliffs, sometimes with no idea what would be around the next corner. At least it was a one-way road, with a railing:\nWe parked our bikes and walked down some paths to Point Bonita, though a tunnel through the final cliff (to the lighthouse) was locked.\nRode by the PUBLIC bike warehouse / shipping center by chance as they had the door open for a customer to pick up an order, poked my head in. Basic city bikes, but some with 8-speed internal hub gearing!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/headlands-loop-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us (RR, CC, D, MD) rode a Marin Headlands loop this slightly chilly but sunny and clear (an easy view of the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Islands\"\u003eFarralones\u003c/a\u003e) day. About 26 miles round trip from East SF, at a casual pace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/249867\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproaching the bridge via Embarcadero / Marina:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/61154a9bc7ecdbbc5f84146415de4beeeb7e5aa8_hu_53438e5a39099f5a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/61154a9bc7ecdbbc5f84146415de4beeeb7e5aa8_hu_6f3dab9670c338ce.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClimbing Conzelman:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/0ba503c47883a5c16d34722cf9b6d339c217209c_hu_79ce41bd61be4af1.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/0ba503c47883a5c16d34722cf9b6d339c217209c_hu_f40e1ea3db61a868.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA clear day, quite a view:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/0fd11e1a12015d4db63a949eab385b251a69aca3_hu_1bd38243cd7351ec.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/headlands-loop-recap/0fd11e1a12015d4db63a949eab385b251a69aca3_hu_401813eb78e97222.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Headlands Loop Recap"},{"content":"Looking East from Point Bonita\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/looking-east-from-point-bonita/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLooking East from Point Bonita\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Looking East from Point Bonita"},{"content":"Marin Headlands\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/marin-headlands/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMarin Headlands\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marin Headlands"},{"content":"I’m working today but have tomorrow off, and it looks like it might be clear, sunny, and chilly.\nSo, I’m planning on a morning* ride up to the Marin Headlands loop (20-30 miles round trip depending where you start). And perhaps extending that a bit by taking an initial detour through golden gate park to Trouble Coffee for pre-ride coffee \u0026amp;amp; toast, and then cutting through the Presidio.\n*people’s definitions of “morning” bike rides vary by about 3 hours, so it depends who’s coming– if you’re interested let me know and I’ll send out final meet-up details later.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/headlands-loop-tomorrow-morning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m working today but have tomorrow off, and it looks like it might be clear, sunny, and chilly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, I’m planning on a morning* ride up to the \u003ca href=\"/post/headlands-ride/\"\u003eMarin Headlands loop\u003c/a\u003e (20-30 miles round trip depending where you start). And perhaps extending that a bit by taking an initial detour through golden gate park to Trouble Coffee for pre-ride coffee \u0026amp; toast, and then cutting through the Presidio.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*people’s definitions of “morning” bike rides vary by about 3 hours, so it depends who’s coming– if you’re interested let me know and I’ll send out final meet-up details later.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Headlands Loop Tomorrow Morning"},{"content":"On Sunday I went on the Holiday Lights Ride. A quick map (which, as usual, clicks through to a detailed route), followed by some blurry night cell phone photos…\nAbout 40 people gathered on the panhandle. I’d somehow missed the note about festooning my bike with Christmas or other LED lights.\nOur first few stops, after some hill climbing:\nLooking at more lights as the rain, thunder and lightning started.\nThis clock was counting down the seconds until Christmas. While huge amounts of rain beat down on us.\nCity hall was decked out: [cheating, a photo of it from a later non-raining day]\nFinally, the rain stopped! Muted lights, but a reward for climbing the hill to Alamo Square.\nAn amazingly bright set of lights. You can’t see in this blurry low-res photo, but there’s also a Betty Boop in the window.\nInflatable sculptures (apparently year-round at this inner Sunset location)\nAfter the rather soggy ride winnowed us down to about a dozen hardy cyclists, we went to the Secret Party Location™ hosted by friendly people we didn’t know, with outdoor heat lamps, mulled wine, cider, hot cocoa, and various other snacks contributed by the riders.\nA tip of the hat to Robin, Nancy, Barbara, Jeanie, Scott, Ti(?), Kara(?), and others who I met.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn Sunday I went on the \u003ca href=\"http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-12-16/entertainment/25193938_1_night-rides-bike-san-francisco-bicycle-coalition\"\u003eHoliday Lights Ride\u003c/a\u003e. A quick map (which, as usual, clicks through to a detailed route), followed by some blurry night cell phone photos…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/245654%20%20\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 40 people gathered on the panhandle. I’d somehow missed the note about festooning my bike with Christmas or other LED lights.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/3c3109f95778b82665901622af65557460452373_hu_718f3a4e073b19e4.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/3c3109f95778b82665901622af65557460452373_hu_9bae9101a060eef0.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur first few stops, after some hill climbing:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/6ef44ee474e0ea737a9c10e31fce49cae40aea4e_hu_86113f85e68b4a05.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/sfbc-holiday-lights-ride/6ef44ee474e0ea737a9c10e31fce49cae40aea4e_hu_4e850e57604ec010.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"392\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SFBC Holiday Lights Ride"},{"content":"night ride about to start\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/night-ride-about-to-start/","summary":"\u003cp\u003enight ride about to start\u003c/p\u003e","title":"night ride about to start"},{"content":"Fabricated: New \u0026amp;amp; improved custom pannier made from marine upholstery, with compression straps, spring-loaded rack hooks, simple removable-for-security external pockets for wallet/keys/cell phone, and reinforced with webbing in key areas.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/fabricated-new-improved-custom-pannier-made/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFabricated: New \u0026amp; improved custom pannier made from marine upholstery, with compression straps, spring-loaded rack hooks, simple removable-for-security external pockets for wallet/keys/cell phone, and reinforced with webbing in key areas.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fabricated: New \u0026 improved custom pannier made from marine upholstery, with compression straps, spring-loaded rack hooks, simple..."},{"content":"Another fine Butterlap (Butter Lap?). Cold, clear, crisp, like butter on the tongue. Eric and rif joined for the first time, and I took the rack-mounted bike stereo on its first extended ride and managed not to crash while changing music.\nIt takes me a few rides to remember names, but I chatted with Greg, Matt, and Meli for a while: bikes! supermarket street sweep! the mills and general bay area experimental music scene! I also just realized that Meli is the force behind the Bikes And The City blog.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/butter-lap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother fine \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/128897\" title=\"butter lap\"\u003eButterlap\u003c/a\u003e (Butter Lap?). Cold, clear, crisp, like butter on the tongue. Eric and rif joined for the first time, and I took the rack-mounted bike stereo on its first extended ride and managed not to crash while changing music.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt takes me a few rides to remember names, but I chatted with Greg, Matt, and Meli for a while: bikes! supermarket street sweep! the mills and general bay area experimental music scene! I also just realized that Meli is the force behind the \u003ca href=\"http://bikesandthecity.blogspot.com/\"\u003eBikes And The City\u003c/a\u003e blog.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Butter Lap"},{"content":"Another fine Butter Lap\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-fine-butter-lap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother fine Butter Lap\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another fine Butter Lap"},{"content":"Took a risk, transported a case of wine with the custom pannier and backpack pannier.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/took-a-risk-transported-a-case-of-wine-with-the/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTook a risk, transported a case of wine with the custom pannier and backpack pannier.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Took a risk, transported a case of wine with the custom pannier and backpack pannier."},{"content":"New bike tunnel underground in Marin\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/new-bike-tunnel-underground-in-marin/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/08/DDF71GL328.DTL\u0026amp;feed=rss.entertainment\"\u003eNew bike tunnel underground in Marin\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New bike tunnel underground in Marin"},{"content":"(assuming it’s not raining):\nWednesday 12/15: Butterlap with a group of 20-40 friendly strangers. I may bring the bike stereo.\nSunday 12/19: SFBC-organized evening ride around San Francisco to tour the elaborate Christmas light displays. See http://www.sfbike.org/?chain and scroll down.\nRoads are slick these days– ride safe.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/two-planned-shorter-evening-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(assuming it’s not raining):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWednesday 12/15: \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/72836\"\u003eButterlap\u003c/a\u003e with a group of 20-40 friendly strangers. I may bring the bike stereo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday 12/19: SFBC-organized evening ride around San Francisco to tour the elaborate Christmas light displays. See \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbike.org/?chain\"\u003ehttp://www.sfbike.org/?chain\u003c/a\u003e and scroll down.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoads are slick these days– ride safe.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two planned (shorter, evening) rides"},{"content":"Today I did the Supermarket Street Sweep, a combination bike race with prizes (in the general Alleycat style) and mission to collect food for the SF Food Bank. 170 cyclists participated and collected about 7000 lbs of food. [you can skip past this text to the map and photos, if you want]\nHere’s how the race aspect works (I’d never done one before):\nA group of cyclists gather without knowing the route, and then a manifest sheet is handed out with a list of supermarkets around the city you have to visit and things you have to purchase for the food bank at each one (you have to bring back receipts as proof). The first stop was prescribed (in Daly City, the farthest-out location), but after that you were free to visit the supermarkets in any order and by any route, making the race a combination of raw speed and navigation (well, and teamwork if you have a team, allowing some members to run in at each stop and shop, while others hydrate, watch bikes, plan the route for the next leg, and so on).\nThis race had a few categories, with people competing on the basis of speed (over a longer route) or “cargo” (the most pounds of food collected, over a shorter route). I entered the speed division, not because I’m fast or had any chance of winning, but because I thought it would be a more interesting route.\nOh, and just to be ridiculous, I decided to do the race in a felt santa suit. Small children yelled “Santa!”, parents looked at me suspiciously, and cashiers smirked. I came in close to last, but finished the full route before the SF Food Bank closed, won a raffle prize at the after-party (as “Late Santa”, since I hadn’t put my name on my manifest), and overall had a great day. I also exercised my simple backpack-to-pannier retrofit and it held up well.\nHere’s the navigation challenge: If you were given this list of supermarkets to visit (starting on the Embarcadero, and ending in Dogpatch, and with a requirement to visit the Daly City location first), and had to make a snap decision on what order and what routes to take, what would you do?\nBased on a mix of the SF Bike Coalition map (which color-codes streets by how steep they are) and the “Google Maps Bike Directions” on my phone (thanks, E!), I decided on an approximate route, and here’s what I ended up doing:\nThere were places I took wrong turns, and my pace was not that fast, but I think the general route was pretty good. I think the Outer Mission -\u0026amp;gt; Outer Richmond route I took was faster (though steeper) than just heading out to the ocean and going up Great Highway. And I followed a maze of non-road paths in the Presidio in a way that probably saved some distance.\nOkay, here are some photos:\nThe crowd, getting ready:\nA two-level bike with stereo system, bike-powered generator, lights, and retractable “parking wheels”, which I assume was built by Fossil Fool.\n“If you try to steal my bike I’ll kick your face in”:\nRan over a patch of glass early on, decided to stop and dig glass shards out of the tire","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/supermarket-street-sweep/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday I did the \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e, a combination bike race with prizes (in the general \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleycat_races\"\u003eAlleycat\u003c/a\u003e style) and mission to collect food for the SF Food Bank. 170 cyclists participated and collected about 7000 lbs of food. [you can skip past this text to the map and photos, if you want]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s how the race aspect works (I’d never done one before):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA group of cyclists gather without knowing the route, and then a manifest sheet is handed out with a list of supermarkets around the city you have to visit and things you have to purchase for the food bank at each one (you have to bring back receipts as proof). The first stop was prescribed (in Daly City, the farthest-out location), but after that you were free to visit the supermarkets in any order and by any route, making the race a combination of raw speed and navigation (well, and teamwork if you have a team, allowing some members to run in at each stop and shop, while others hydrate, watch bikes, plan the route for the next leg, and so on).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Supermarket Street Sweep"},{"content":"I’ve talked to three people in the past few months who were gripped by this NYtimes article about cycling in the Utah / Arizona area.\n[2025 edit:] This stayed in the back of my mind, and 10 years later I finally made time to bike this area, with the guide company from this article I remembered… though on a challenging jeep trails significantly off-road route, The Hayduke Option\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biking-the-southwest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve talked to three people in the past few months who were gripped by \u003ca href=\"http://nyti.ms/c3tzGJ\"\u003ethis NYtimes article\u003c/a\u003e about cycling in the Utah / Arizona area.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[2025 edit:] This stayed in the back of my mind, and 10 years later I finally made time to bike this area, with the guide company from this article I remembered… though on a \u003ca href=\"/post/hayduke-option-mtb-touring-in-southern-utah/\"\u003echallenging jeep trails significantly off-road route, The Hayduke Option\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biking the Southwest"},{"content":"I plan to do the Supermarket Street Sweep, Saturday at noon. A race around town to pick up a collection of food (to be donated to the SF Food Bank). You get the checklist of stores to visit and things to buy at each one when the race starts, so you have to decide right then what set of routes to take to optimize your path…\nThe SF Bike Coalition throws a party (beer, auctions, DIY activities, raffle, food, art) every year. Winterfest is this Sunday evening. You can get in free if you volunteer– I’ll be pouring beer in one of the tents.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-race-for-food-banks-sfbc-winterfest/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI plan to do the \u003ca href=\"http://supermarketstreetsweep.blogspot.com/\"\u003eSupermarket Street Sweep\u003c/a\u003e, Saturday at noon. A race around town to pick up a collection of food (to be donated to the SF Food Bank). You get the checklist of stores to visit and things to buy at each one when the race starts, so you have to decide right then what set of routes to take to optimize your path…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe SF Bike Coalition throws a party (beer, auctions, DIY activities, raffle, food, art) every year. \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfbike.org/winterfest\"\u003eWinterfest\u003c/a\u003e is this Sunday evening. You can get in free if you volunteer– I’ll be pouring beer in one of the tents.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"bike race for food banks, SFBC winterfest"},{"content":"Hey, I already have a waterproof roll-top backpack– why not use it as a pannier?\nMandrel/anvil and heavy-duty spur grommets (with teeth).\nGrommets added to the bag, rack hooks bolted to them with locknuts. I could redo this later to have the grommets set in a separate piece of sturdy webbing, which is then sewed to the bag to distribute the force.\nAnd loaded with groceries:\n(the straps are folded under the bottom of the bag and held in place with velcro, to keep them from getting sucked into the wheel)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/backpack-as-pannier/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHey, I already have a waterproof roll-top backpack– why not use it as a pannier?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMandrel/anvil and heavy-duty spur grommets (with teeth).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrommets added to the bag, rack hooks bolted to them with locknuts. I could redo this later to have the grommets set in a separate piece of sturdy webbing, which is then sewed to the bag to distribute the force.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/backpack-as-pannier/b9c0f705b0a4027598905cbad8331082d2dbb851_hu_2831d26bd055e879.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/backpack-as-pannier/b9c0f705b0a4027598905cbad8331082d2dbb851_hu_41f862a3a67b0759.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"326\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Backpack as Pannier"},{"content":"Impromptu Marin Headlands ride this morning by myself (I didn’t email the list because it was last-minute, and I expected it to be a slog through the rain that no one would be interested in, but the weather ignored the forecast and cleared up).\nPhotos:\nPark rangers were handing out free fruit, snack bars, and patch kits to celebrate the reopening of the road:\nQuite a view:\nCurious bird is curious:\nSome day I’ll crash while taking this kind of photo:\nOld WWII batteries, to protect us from sea-based invasion:\nThat free patch kit came in handy:\nBack in SF:\nRoute:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/headlands-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eImpromptu Marin Headlands ride this morning by myself (I didn’t email the list because it was last-minute, and I expected it to be a slog through the rain that no one would be interested in, but the weather ignored the forecast and cleared up).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhotos:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePark rangers were handing out free fruit, snack bars, and patch kits to celebrate the reopening of the road:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/headlands-ride/c3201b1892172a72394cc57fdcb8351de58ebf71_hu_718302d4a5e440fc.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/headlands-ride/c3201b1892172a72394cc57fdcb8351de58ebf71_hu_4e104e78ac108069.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Headlands Ride"},{"content":" A stereo on the bike rack– why not?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-stereo-on-the-bike-rack-why-not/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_lbugujETbp1qzv82b.mp4\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA stereo on the bike rack– why not?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A stereo on the bike rack-- why not?"},{"content":"Dragon boats practicing on Lake Merced (on a surprisingly clear and warm day).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/dragon-boats-practicing-on-lake-merced-on-a/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDragon boats practicing on Lake Merced (on a surprisingly clear and warm day).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dragon boats practicing on Lake Merced (on a surprisingly clear and warm day)."},{"content":"Giants tag along the ocean.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/giants-tag-along-the-ocean/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGiants tag along the ocean.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Giants tag along the ocean."},{"content":"A rare non-rainy weekend: time for a ride. Saturday, an early (8am-ish) ride from the Mission to Trouble Coffee by the beach and back. I expect no one may join me.\nSunday: Someone else is agitating for a Headlands ride since it’s recently reopened to bikes. Meeting perhaps 11AM-ish, location TBD, call/email if you want details.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/rides-this-weekend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA rare non-rainy weekend: time for a ride. Saturday, an early (8am-ish) ride from the Mission to Trouble Coffee by the beach and back. I expect no one may join me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday: Someone else is agitating for a Headlands ride since it’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.projectheadlands.gov/closuresanddelaysbikes.htm\"\u003erecently reopened to bikes\u003c/a\u003e. Meeting perhaps 11AM-ish, location TBD, call/email if you want details.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rides this weekend"},{"content":"Halfway from SF to Mt View, stopping for water as the sun rises. (from last week)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/halfway-from-sf-to-mt-view-stopping-for-water-as/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHalfway from SF to Mt View, stopping for water as the sun rises. (from last week)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Halfway from SF to Mt View, stopping for water as the sun rises. (from last week)"},{"content":"Custom bike panniers in progress. Prototype 1 is lumpy, but it’s a start.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/custom-bike-panniers-in-progress-prototype-1-is/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCustom bike panniers in progress. Prototype 1 is lumpy, but it’s a start.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Custom bike panniers in progress. Prototype 1 is lumpy, but it's a start."},{"content":"[ It’s all about getting on the bike and riding: I’ll try to keep this blog 90% about the rides, but there will be an occasional side notes about gear or bike-related projects and events. ]\nIt’s the rainy season in San Francisco, though there’s also something fun about riding in cooler weather. Here are a few tips:\nAfter the first few storms of the season, the road is especially slick, as oil floats to the surface– be careful. And metal in the road (manhole covers, grates) and some kinds of paint can be even more slippery. Grooves and patterns in your tires don’t really improve grip. But wider tires and/or lower tire pressure give you more contact area with the road, which should improve traction– try dropping your pressure 10-20 psi. Tap your brakes periodically while riding, to make sure they’re still working, to get a feeling how your bike’s behaving, and to clear some water from the rim. For weatherproof gear, a poncho plus safety pins work in a pinch, and a $15 fender or rack will keep your tire from throwing a “rooster tail” of dirty water up your back.\nOr you can spend real money on waterproof clothing. If you don’t enjoy doing product research or shopping around, and just want a recommendation of something to buy, here’s one way to spend \u0026amp;lt;$200 at Sports Basement and be in good shape (not including a hood– I tend to assume my hair will get wet):\nCastelli Goccia Rain Jacket ($82) Castelli Pioggia Due Pants ($66) Sugoi Resistor Bootie ($42) Ride safely!\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/winter-biking-tips-and-clothing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[ It’s all about getting on the bike and riding: I’ll try to keep this blog 90% about the rides, but there will be an occasional side notes about gear or bike-related projects and events. ]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the rainy season in San Francisco, though there’s also something fun about riding in cooler weather. Here are a few tips:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter the first few storms of the season, the road is especially slick, as oil floats to the surface– be careful. And metal in the road (manhole covers, grates) and some kinds of paint can be even more slippery.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrooves and patterns in your tires don’t really improve grip. But wider tires and/or lower tire pressure give you more  contact area with the road, which should improve traction– try dropping your pressure 10-20 psi.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTap your brakes periodically while riding, to make sure they’re still working, to get a feeling how your bike’s behaving, and to clear some water from the rim.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor weatherproof gear, a poncho plus safety pins work in a pinch, and a $15 fender or rack will keep your tire from throwing a “rooster tail” of dirty water up your back.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winter Biking: Tips and Clothing"},{"content":"Sometimes I dislike Gear with a capital G. Bicycling may be second only to photography in the obsession with buying Gear and Accessories and Upgrades for every niche application, and talking about how much you spent on them.\nWe don’t need all these specialized accessories. In case you can’t tell, I’m in the crotchety “don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” camp. Hell, the Tour De France was won 50 years ago by someone riding a 50-years-ago-technology bike and wearing 50-years-ago-technology clothing, and he was still a far better cyclist than I’ll ever be.\nThat being said… shiny new things are fun, and I certainly buy things as well… I’m just railing against the attitude that had a friend say “I want to get more into biking, but I have to save up $2000 first to buy a road bike and clothing”.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/whats-wrong-with-gear/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes I dislike Gear with a capital G. Bicycling may be second only to photography in the obsession with buying Gear and Accessories and Upgrades for every niche application, and talking about how much you spent on them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe don’t need all these specialized accessories. In case you can’t tell, I’m in the crotchety “don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” camp. Hell, the Tour De France was won 50 years ago by someone riding a 50-years-ago-technology bike and wearing 50-years-ago-technology clothing, and he was still a far better cyclist than I’ll ever be.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What's wrong with Gear"},{"content":"rain…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/no-ride-today/","summary":"\u003cp\u003erain…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"No ride today"},{"content":"This Sunday: a casual late-morning ride, 20-25 miles, leaving from Four Barrel (Valencia/15th) at 10:30am*\nTo the ocean via Corbett, around Lake Merced, to Trouble Coffee for one of the best espressos in the city and/or inch-thick cinnamon toast, and maybe a drink at Zeitgeist afterwards. Here’s a similar ride we did a few months ago: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117820\n* weather permitting– there’s always a chance of a delay or change– you can text me day-of to check in or let me know you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted.\np.s. No bike camping in Point Reyes this weekend, as you probably guessed. I got a few “maybes” from people but no firm commitments, and am also feeling too busy/distracted myself. But possibly the weekend of November 6th or 13th.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-sunday-casual-city-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis Sunday: a casual late-morning ride, 20-25 miles, leaving from Four Barrel (Valencia/15th) at 10:30am*\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo the ocean via Corbett, around Lake Merced, to Trouble Coffee for one of the best espressos in the city and/or inch-thick cinnamon toast, and maybe a drink at Zeitgeist afterwards. Here’s a similar ride we did a few months ago: \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117820\"\u003ehttp://ridewithgps.com/trips/117820\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e* weather permitting– there’s always a chance of a delay or change– you can text me day-of to check in or let me know you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This Sunday: casual city ride"},{"content":"Four of us cruised up to Sausalito and Tiburon via the Camino Alto hill and Paradise Drive before taking the ferry back. About 35 miles of riding, here’s a quick map:\n(a special shout-out to f for doing this as his first ride since the Foster City Flats ride a year ago).\nPre-ride savory pastries at Tartine:\nBiking along the panhandle:\nMill valley bike path:\nEgret?\nAlong Paradise Drive:\nEntering Tiburon:\nThe Blue Angels buzzed the ferry as we rode back from Tiburon:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/paradise-loop-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us cruised up to Sausalito and Tiburon via the Camino Alto hill and Paradise Drive before taking the ferry back. About 35 miles of riding, here’s a \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117585\"\u003equick map\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117585\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(a special shout-out to f for doing this as his first ride since the \u003ca href=\"/post/bay-trail-foster-city-trip-report-map/\"\u003eFoster City Flats\u003c/a\u003e ride a year ago).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePre-ride savory pastries at Tartine:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/paradise-loop-recap/2b93a7429a853a8041e07cf423f7e12f33d94053_hu_a97484b5421d261.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/paradise-loop-recap/2b93a7429a853a8041e07cf423f7e12f33d94053_hu_85395c0ec45dd8de.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiking along the panhandle:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/paradise-loop-recap/34291b4da34ea992719ddf429e0cb14872873b42_hu_ef66d63e875e9c60.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/paradise-loop-recap/34291b4da34ea992719ddf429e0cb14872873b42_hu_999cc331574d3500.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"356\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Paradise Loop recap"},{"content":"I tried commuting from SF to Mountain View by bike a month ago– it’s doable, and actually quite beautiful (morning fog, birds, marshy swamps along the bay) but involves getting up early (a 3 hour ride at a casual pace = leave home around 6AM).\nHere’s a GPS track of most of the route:\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/commuting-sf-mountain-view/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI tried commuting from SF to Mountain View by bike a month ago– it’s doable, and actually quite beautiful (morning fog, birds, marshy swamps along the bay) but involves getting up early (a 3 hour ride at a casual pace = leave home around 6AM).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s a \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117631\"\u003eGPS track of most of the route\u003c/a\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117631\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Commuting SF -\u003e Mountain View"},{"content":"Meeting 10:30am at the planter by the golden gate bridge gift shop (I’ll be hitting up the ferry bldg farmers market earlier for some Primavera \u0026amp;amp; Blue Bottle), then doing [this 40ish-mile\nloop through Sausalito and Tiburon](\u0026amp;lt;http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-francisco/551127079691337454).\nRelaxed pace– there will be some people on the ride who haven’t been on a bike in a year, and the scenery is worth appreciating.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ride-this-saturday-paradise-loop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMeeting 10:30am at the planter by the golden gate bridge gift shop (I’ll be hitting up the ferry bldg farmers market earlier for some Primavera \u0026amp; Blue Bottle), then doing [this 40ish-mile\u003cbr\u003e\nloop through Sausalito and Tiburon](\u0026lt;http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-francisco/551127079691337454).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelaxed pace– there will be some people on the ride who haven’t been on a bike in a year, and the scenery is worth appreciating.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ride This Saturday: Paradise Loop"},{"content":"*July 2022 Note: This post is from 2010. I took another camping trip up here recently with some folks with a slightly different route for the American Canyon-\u0026amp;gt;Napa part of the ride (less time on the main roads: there are some new bike paths since 2010, and we found some unconventional shortcuts). Possible new route based on that ride is here, but use your own judgment: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52755794.\nAs a rare long post: Bike camping in Napa Valley was a great weekend– it felt like a vacation even though it was only two days long. The debrief:\nWe grabbed some food at the Ferry Building Farmers Market, and barely caught the 10AM high-speed Baylink ferry to Vallejo. It was a nice, scenic ride past islands and sea lions and oil refineries. From there, we headed North to Napa Valley. The first 10 miles or so were not the most pleasant riding– the sprawl of Vallejo, then riding along state highway 121 with cars zooming by at high speed (though we had a wide, flat, shoulder to ride on the whole way), and finally riding through the surprisingly ugly auto-dealership-filled fringes of Napa.\nAfter a stop to fix the first (and only) flat of the trip, we dropped by a bike shop to make sure tires were up to pressure. There was some sort of street festival going on in Napa that involved a lot of bad art and crafts for sale. We stopped by the Oxbow Public Market (a collection of shops), ate a slab of pancetta at Fatted Calf, and then finally entered Napa Valley itself. The riding became much more scenic as we cruised along Silverado (which had a consistent bike lane or shoulder), and vineyard signs started popping up every few hundred yards. We stopped at Van Der Heyden based on the recommendation of bicycling strangers I’d met at Sports Basement, and it was very entertaining– a group of people crowded into a small shed, tasting good wine and hearing the Dutch owner tell tall tales.\nWe also stopped at another, where the woman who gave us wine turned out to be a cyclist and discussed other lesser-known rides in the area. Afterwards, we walked around looking for the grape-stomping tub and sneaking a few grapes off the vines to taste.\nThe weather was perfectly warm and sunny and the miles kept flying by. Before we knew it, it was quarter of 5 and all the other vineyards were closing – whoops.\nWe considered stopping at a market to get some food to eat at the camp site, but decided it would be more fun to go out for dinner, so we made our way to Bothe-Napa and set up the tent while it was still light.\nThen another 5 miles past the end of the valley to the small town of Calistoga, and a leisurely, very un-camping-like dinner.\nThe ride from Calistoga back to the camp site in the new-moon darkness (except for our bike lights) could have been a little hairy, but no one crashed. And the set of stars \u0026amp;amp; fully-visible milky way this far away from light pollution was amazing.\nThe next day, we helped push-start an ancient VW bus, then biked down highway 29","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/napa-valley-bike-camping-summary/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e*\u003cstrong\u003eJuly 2022 Note:\u003c/strong\u003e This post is from 2010. I took another camping trip up here recently with some folks with a slightly different route for the American Canyon-\u0026gt;Napa part of the ride (less time on the main roads: there are some new bike paths since 2010, and we found some unconventional shortcuts). Possible new route based on that ride is here, but use your own judgment: \u003ca href=\"https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52755794\"\u003ehttps://ridewithgps.com/routes/52755794\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a rare long post: Bike camping in Napa Valley was a great weekend– it felt like a vacation even though it was only two days long. The debrief:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Napa Valley Bike Camping Summary"},{"content":" 3-second video: halfway through a very dark and foggy September butterlap with about 50 people.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/3-second-video-halfway-through-a-very-dark-and/","summary":"\u003cvideo src=\"tumblr_l9jlrtazzR1qzv82b_r1.mov\" controls style=\"max-width: 100%;\"\u003e\u003c/video\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e3-second video: halfway through a very dark and foggy September \u003ca href=\"http://www.sf2g.com/butterlap.html\"\u003ebutterlap\u003c/a\u003e with about 50 people.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3-second video: halfway through a very dark and foggy September butterlap with about 50 people."},{"content":"In Bothe-Napa, after a day of riding and some wine tasting\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/in-bothe-napa-after-a-day-of-riding-and-some-wine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn Bothe-Napa, after a day of riding and some wine tasting\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Bothe-Napa, after a day of riding and some wine tasting"},{"content":"Three planned rides:\n9/11 Napa valley bike camping Sunday 9/19: Biking to the Nature Friends / Tourist Club Oktoberfest in Muir Woods. Leaving SF around 10, heading there for a few hours, back in the city by 4. Saturday 10/23: Biking to Point Reyes / Samuel P Taylor park from SF (30-50 miles), camping overnight, biking back. I’ve done no non-bay-trail peninsula riding– some day I want to (Pescadero? Montara? Stanford-\u0026amp;gt;the ocean and back?)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/upcoming-rides-bike-camping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree planned rides:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9/11 Napa valley bike camping\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunday 9/19: Biking to the Nature Friends / Tourist Club Oktoberfest in Muir Woods. Leaving SF around 10, heading there for a few hours, back in the city by 4.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaturday 10/23: Biking to Point Reyes / Samuel P Taylor park from SF (30-50 miles), camping overnight, biking back.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve done no non-bay-trail peninsula riding– some day I want to  (Pescadero? Montara? Stanford-\u0026gt;the ocean and back?)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Upcoming rides \u0026 bike camping"},{"content":"I’m planning on going self-supported bike camping for the first time the weekend of 9/11. I’ve had about 5 people say they might be interested, so probably at least a few of us will end up doing it.\nThe rough plan is to take the ferry from SF to Vallejo Saturday morning, go on a 40ish mile ride through Napa Valley (Napa / Yountville / St Helena / Calistoga) at a steady but non-racing, no-one-left-behind pace (we’ll be carrying all our gear), stop periodically for wine tasting, and then camp in Bothe-Napa State Park.\nSunday morning we could head straight back, or go hiking around the park, do more wine tasting, and/or go swimming.\nHere’s a high-level route from google maps, just as an overview (I have an actual Napa Valley bike map I’ll look at in more detail).\nMore details to come, though probably not here– contact me directly if you’re interested and haven’t already told me.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-camping-weekend-of-911/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m planning on going self-supported bike camping for the first time the weekend of 9/11. I’ve had about 5 people say they might be interested, so probably at least a few of us will end up doing it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rough plan is to take the ferry from SF to Vallejo Saturday morning, go on a 40ish mile ride through Napa Valley (Napa / Yountville / St Helena / Calistoga) at a steady but non-racing, no-one-left-behind pace (we’ll be carrying all our gear), stop periodically for wine tasting, and then camp in \u003ca href=\"http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=477\"\u003eBothe-Napa State Park\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike camping weekend of 9/11"},{"content":"Portland: a city that gets stacks of these signs printed up. biketoberfest luckytimingme\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/portland-a-city-that-gets-stacks-of-these-signs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePortland: a city that gets stacks of these signs printed up. biketoberfest luckytimingme\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Portland: a city that gets stacks of these signs printed up. biketoberfest luckytimingme"},{"content":"I almost never post links, but: more about google bike maps\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/i-almost-never-post-links-but-more-about-google/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/08/big-thank-you-to-our-growing-community.html\"\u003eI almost never post links, but: more about google bike maps\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"I almost never post links, but: more about google bike maps"},{"content":"I put together a last-minute city ride Saturday afternoon following the Butter Lap route (about 20 miles, through parks and along the ocean).\nUnfortunately, I had bike issues (two flats and a damaged tire– all due to the edge of my brake pad rubbing against my tire and finally wearing through the side wall) which delayed us an hour and led to the group splitting up. It was also cold and foggy all day, which made the beach less exciting. A few of us finished the loop and then headed to Speakeasy Brewery for their 13th Anniversary party.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/recent-ride-city-lap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI put together a last-minute city ride Saturday afternoon following the \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/72836\"\u003eButter Lap route\u003c/a\u003e (about 20 miles, through parks and along the ocean).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, I had bike issues (two flats and a damaged tire– all due to the edge of my brake pad rubbing against my tire and finally wearing through the side wall) which delayed us an hour and led to the group splitting up. It was also cold and foggy all day, which made the beach less exciting. A few of us finished the loop and then headed to Speakeasy Brewery for their 13th Anniversary party.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recent ride: City Lap"},{"content":"…with a few dozen people heading to various companies around the peninsula, following this route: http://sf2g.com/bayway.html\nGetting up and active before 6 was painful, but the ride was very nice– misty fog, small animals, marshes, and the bay. Light traffic for most of the way.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/biked-to-work-today-about-44-miles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e…with a few dozen people heading to various companies around the peninsula, following this route: \u003ca href=\"http://sf2g.com/bayway.html\"\u003ehttp://sf2g.com/bayway.html\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGetting up and active before 6 was painful, but the ride was very nice– misty fog, small animals, marshes, and the bay. Light traffic for most of the way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biked to work today (about 44 miles)"},{"content":"I spent a week biking and camping across Iowa with 10,000+ strangers. It was one of the better vacations I’ve taken. Here’s a map of the route, about 450 miles (50-80 miles/day, only one day with serious hills).\nI emailed some updates and photos to this blog from my cell phone while I was on the ride– I’m combining all those updates into this post (link below).\nSaturday:\nStarting off the trip with a near-disaster: the airline (Fronteir/Midwest) lost my bag (tent, clothes, cycling gear, everything except my bike itself). The bag wasn’t even in their system– they had no idea where it was. Then an agent in Milwaukee called me because he’d found my bag and it had my number on it. He didn’t know I was in Omaha. They said they could get it to be a few days later– not useful since I was about to get on a bike the next morning. They said there were no flights left today to send it on. Then I asked someone else and he found a flight to put it on. 4 hours later, it showed up at the airport!\nTent camp, Sioux City, RAGBRAI Day 0. Later this evening I ate a “taco in a bag” (a.k.a. walking taco), drank a Bud, and watched Smashmouth play that song everyone knows.\nSunday:\nDay 1: starting off\nYou’ve got to be kidding– it’s before 9AM, with 60 miles to ride\nCorn and bikes\nThe SF2corn boom box trailer (a.k.a. “Mr Boomy”), providing tunes\nMonday:\nDay 1 was 72 miles, rolling hills, good food, sweating in the sun, a swim in Storm Lake. Phone’s mostly dead so may not update much more. Today: 80 miles to ride (but very flat).\nFirst pie of the trip: strawberry-rhubarb\nPork chops grilled over corn cobs\nMore bikes and corn, and clouds!\nHappy to have (more) pie.\nTuesday:\nPie and corn in Britt, Iowa\nCorn partly gave way to soybeans, and then there were wind turbines. Yesterday was a long 80 miles but I rode fast. Today’s only 60 and I’ve stopped 4 times and consumed pancakes, sausage, three lemonades, a pork chop (no sauce: straight meat), a slice of pie, an ear of delicious corn, and half a beer (dark homebrew), all by noon. Now listening to some country and bluegrass bands in a small-town park, waiting out the midday heat and humidity before I move on. This is a great vacation.\nLaying on my back, beat.\nWednesday:\nBreakfast burrito with meat and eggs, worth the wait\nMore corn, and wind turbines\nSilos and ride comrades\nGuess what? More corn.\nThursday:\nFilling water bottles from a pipe-with-holes, Clarksville.\nHaving people cheer, wave, and say welcome! when you roll into a town is fun. Having a line of schoolkids at the side of the road try to high-five you as you ride by borders on the ridiculous.\nHello, hay turkey:\nFriday:\nPasta/pesto/salmon hits the spot after 3 hours of biking through the rain:\nOnly a few hours ago I was biking through driving rain, thunder, and lightning, and now:\nOne of the cops directing traffic had a stereo on the roof of his car, cranking out tunes:\nSaturday:\nIt gets a little silly the last day. 400 miles down, 50ish to go (some Lady Gaga being","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ragbrai-condensed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI spent a week biking and camping across Iowa with 10,000+ strangers. It was one of the better vacations I’ve taken. Here’s a \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/89347\"\u003emap of the route\u003c/a\u003e, about 450 miles (50-80 miles/day, only one day with serious hills).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI emailed some updates and photos to this blog from my cell phone while I was on the ride– I’m combining all those updates into this post (link below).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaturday:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarting off the trip with a near-disaster: the airline (Fronteir/Midwest) lost my bag (tent, clothes, cycling gear, everything except my bike itself). The bag wasn’t even in their system– they had no idea where it was. Then an agent in Milwaukee called me because he’d found my bag and it had my number on it. He didn’t know I was in Omaha. They said they could get it to be a few days later– not useful since I was about to get on a bike the next morning. They said there were no flights left today to send it on. Then I asked someone else and he found a flight to put it on. 4 hours later, it showed up at the airport!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"RAGBRAI, condensed"},{"content":"My 2nd butter lap. Cary joined for her first butter lap (and first bike ride in a while). Friendly unhurried group, as usual– everyone waited at the top of any major hill, even when someone had a flat tire and needed a while to change it.\nIt got a little chilly and dark at the end, but I still made it to Bender’s for a fish taco and IPA-in-a-can.\nPhotographic evidence below. Fun trivia: if you click through the map to the GPS trace and zoom in on the Palace of the Legion of Honor, you can see the GPS tracks from when I was biking around the fountain in circles to try to keep warm while waiting for someone.\nAlso, the map below links to a more detailed route with a list of the typical “regroup points”, if you want to try to join partway through.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/butter-lap-it-hap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy 2nd butter lap. Cary joined for her first butter lap (and first bike ride in a while). Friendly unhurried group, as usual– everyone waited at the top of any major hill, even when someone had a flat tire and needed a while to change it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt got a little chilly and dark at the end, but I still made it to Bender’s for a fish taco and IPA-in-a-can.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhotographic evidence below. Fun trivia: if you click through the map to the GPS trace and zoom in on the Palace of the Legion of Honor, you can see the GPS tracks from when I was biking around the fountain in circles to try to keep warm while waiting for someone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Butter Lap: it Hap"},{"content":"All are welcome.\nMy last pre-Iowa ride.\nedit: Route summary and a few other notes about the butterlap: http://www.sf2g.com/butterlap.html (edit #2 10+ years later: updated site at https://butterlap.bike/)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/butter-lap-this-wednesday-7pm-ferry-building/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAll are welcome.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy last pre-Iowa ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eedit:\u003c/strong\u003e Route summary and a few other notes about the butterlap: \u003ca href=\"http://www.sf2g.com/butterlap.html\"\u003ehttp://www.sf2g.com/butterlap.html\u003c/a\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eedit #2 10+ years later\u003c/strong\u003e: updated site at \u003ca href=\"https://butterlap.bike/\"\u003ehttps://butterlap.bike/\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Butter lap, this Wednesday, 7pm, ferry building"},{"content":"Riding through the redwoods (there’s a school ahead??)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/riding-through-the-redwoods-theres-a-school/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRiding through the redwoods (there’s a school ahead??)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Riding through the redwoods (there’s a school ahead??)"},{"content":"Reservoir, seen from the second bear.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/reservoir-seen-from-the-second-bear/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eReservoir, seen from the second bear.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reservoir, seen from the second bear."},{"content":"The morning fog in Tilden that burned off.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/the-morning-fog-in-tilden-that-burned-off/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe morning fog in Tilden that burned off.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The morning fog in Tilden that burned off."},{"content":"I didn’t organize a ride this week, but went with Adam \u0026amp;amp; Becca on a roughly 50-mile ride combining Berkeley-\u0026amp;gt;Orinda (via Tilden Park / Inspiration Point / Wildcat), the “Three Bears” loop (a.k.a. San Pablo Dam loop, but nicknamed after the three moderate hills in a row), a ride through Moraga (less scenic), and then a switchback-filled climb among redwoods and fast descent on Pinehurst. GPS map of the route.\nIt was a good day, at a modest pace (5+ hours, 4 hours actually in motion). Fauna sightings included wild turkeys (including a fluffy little baby turkey), sheep, deer, many trailers of horses, and roadkill.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/threebearsplus/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI didn’t organize a ride this week, but went with Adam \u0026amp; Becca on a roughly 50-mile ride combining Berkeley-\u0026gt;Orinda (via Tilden Park / Inspiration Point / Wildcat), the “Three Bears” loop (a.k.a. San Pablo Dam loop, but nicknamed after the three moderate hills in a row), a ride through Moraga (less scenic), and then a switchback-filled climb among redwoods and fast descent on Pinehurst. \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/68395\"\u003eGPS map of the route\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a good day, at a modest pace (5+ hours, 4 hours actually in motion). Fauna sightings included wild turkeys (including a fluffy little baby turkey), sheep, deer, many trailers of horses, and roadkill.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Map/recap: \"Three Bears Plus\""},{"content":"This map is nothing special: I just took out the GPS (running in a higher-resolution mode than the previous maps) on a quick crosstown break for coffee and exercise, to record “the wiggle” and one way of getting from the Mission to the beach and back.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/map-ocean-beach-back/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis map is nothing special: I just took out the GPS (running in a higher-resolution mode than the previous maps) on a quick crosstown break for coffee and exercise, to record “the wiggle” and one way of getting from the Mission to the beach and back.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/66818\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Map: Ocean Beach \u0026 Back"},{"content":"Rode Alpine Dam again today on the new bike, leaving the house at 6:40AM (ouch…).\nHere’s a quick overview image of the route (you can also check out the GPS track I recorded, though it’s approximate). The ride was about 70 miles and 4500’ elevation gain, and I wrapped it up with a visit to La Taqueria (3 tacos con aguacate) and Humphry Slocombe (peanut butter curry ice cream).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alpinedam2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRode \u003ca href=\"/post/alpine-dam-recap/\"\u003eAlpine Dam\u003c/a\u003e again today on the new bike, leaving the house at 6:40AM (ouch…).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s a quick overview image of the route (you can also check out \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/64679\"\u003ethe GPS track I recorded\u003c/a\u003e, though it’s approximate). The ride was about 70 miles and 4500’ elevation gain, and I wrapped it up with a visit to La Taqueria (3 tacos con aguacate) and Humphry Slocombe (peanut butter curry ice cream).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/64679\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alpine Dam, take 2"},{"content":"I rode Butter Lap on Wednesday w/ Margo (most of the way)– it was fun. There were probably 20-30 people on the ride, almost all strangers.\nPeople meet at 7pm at the Ferry Building every Wednesday and ride a set route, ending in the Mission for a beer (usually at Bender’s). This has been going on every week for many years– I’m not sure if there’s even an organizer/owner any more.\n[edit: see also the more recent Butterlap debrief for a better map than I’d had here]\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/butterlap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI rode Butter Lap on Wednesday w/ Margo (most of the way)– it was fun. There were probably 20-30 people on the ride, almost all strangers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople meet at 7pm at the Ferry Building every Wednesday and ride a set route, ending in the Mission for a beer (usually at Bender’s). This has been going on every week for many years– I’m not sure if there’s even an organizer/owner any more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Butter Lap Map"},{"content":"My new bike, plus accessories.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/lht/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy new bike, plus accessories.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My new bike, plus accessories."},{"content":"This is a nice evening ride/workout: we left Sports Basement around 5:20, and probably got back to it around 8(?), while it was still light out. And the climb and descent on Camino Alto were good. Here’s the rough map (38 miles RT from Potrero, or about 25 RT from Sports Basement).\nIt was ridiculously windy, though– side-gusts nearly skidding my bike on the bridge and a painful headwind while coming back up the post-Sausalito hill (*shakes fist at sky*).\nSide note: One of these days, I’m going to try to put all the bike maps on bikely, mapmyride, ridewithgps (which I just heard about recently), or so on, to make it easier to browse through them. I’d love to have some setup where you can see all the rides overlaid on one big map and then drill down to the one you’re interested in.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/summary-of-monday-evening-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is a nice evening ride/workout: we left Sports Basement around 5:20, and probably got back to it around 8(?), while it was still light out. And the climb and descent on Camino Alto were good. \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117810\"\u003eHere’s the rough map\u003c/a\u003e (38 miles RT from Potrero, or about 25 RT from Sports Basement).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was ridiculously windy, though– side-gusts nearly skidding my bike on the bridge and a painful headwind while coming back up the post-Sausalito hill (*shakes fist at sky*).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summary of Monday evening ride"},{"content":"Riding in the evenings while the weather / light / job situation permit:\nLeaving work a little early Monday (today) to meet up at 5pm at the Presidio Sports Basement with a few people for a jaunt into Marin. Butter Lap on Wednesday (7pm at the Ferry Building, low-key loop around the city and then a beer, see more notes in previous posts). A few of us biked Paradise Loop yesterday afternoon, and it was a great day for it– sunny, warm, and fairly low-traffic so we could just zoom. We took the ferry back from Tiburon (and were considering stopping at Angel Island for a bike around it before catching the next ferry home, but that didn’t work out– next time?).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/weekday-evening-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRiding in the evenings while the weather / light / job situation permit:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeaving work a little early Monday (today) to meet up at 5pm at the Presidio Sports Basement with a few people for a jaunt into Marin.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButter Lap on Wednesday (7pm at the Ferry Building, low-key loop around the city and then a beer, see more notes in previous posts).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few of us biked \u003ca href=\"/post/paradise-loop-ride-map/\"\u003eParadise Loop\u003c/a\u003e yesterday afternoon, and it was a great day for it– sunny, warm, and fairly low-traffic so we could just zoom. We took the ferry back from Tiburon (and were considering stopping at Angel Island for a bike around it before catching the next ferry home, but that didn’t work out– next time?).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Weekday evening rides"},{"content":" A few photos from the ride to China Camp.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_4e7f06c19bd7d334.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_e41180fc90417853.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_76a05fc16016bfb0.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_a6df009995737277.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo4_r1_1280_hu_c28b8cb378054aff.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo4_r1_1280_hu_300af833bd0de7ef.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo4_r1_1280_hu_b3b5f19cebe3442e.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo4_r1_1280_hu_851a2cdc6cdf9527.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo5_r1_1280_hu_384de83aae0f95be.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo5_r1_1280_hu_c132160cbbda671b.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo5_r1_1280_hu_1dab040adb116b32.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo5_r1_1280_hu_e00e340ec26be825.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_5fdbc739e2745654.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_8dea409a45ef1b7c.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_770e4584831b774c.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_3b4641278ae85a55.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_6d7bb4fbeacbeba3.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_2d8a8bc59a36f185.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_767db4cbc9f31e5f.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo7_1280_hu_d1f9322573bb336d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo9_r1_1280_hu_4bf1c7758273d0d1.webp 480w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo9_r1_1280_hu_8c470add5b5e2650.webp 800w, /post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo9_r1_1280_hu_f65ecc28dcad7642.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/a-few-photos-from-the-ride-to-china-camp/tumblr_l4ck7rH6or1qzv82bo9_r1_1280_hu_b5efaa11a4474058.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A few photos from the ride to China Camp."},{"content":"It was a generally good day, and a fairly long one (I racked up 67 miles, though it was much less hilly than the Alpine Dam loop). Three of us went on the ride, which was a mix of the usual nice Presidio / Golden Gate / Sausalito ride, a lot of boring suburban and busy-streets riding up by Larkspur / San Rafael, and several few-mile sections of good views in China Camp, and on Irwin and Corte Madera (taking the less direct, more hilly, back streets route on the way back was worth it). Fun, but I didn’t like it as much as some other rides I’ve done.\nHere an approximate map (not including a little getting lost in the Presidio on the way back). I’ll post some photos later.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/china-camp-ride-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was a generally good day, and a fairly long one (I racked up 67 miles, though it was much less hilly than the Alpine Dam loop). Three of us went on the ride, which was a mix of the usual nice Presidio / Golden Gate / Sausalito ride, a lot of boring suburban and busy-streets riding up by Larkspur / San Rafael, and several few-mile sections of good views in China Camp, and on Irwin and Corte Madera (taking the less direct, more hilly, back streets route on the way back was worth it). Fun, but I didn’t like it as much as some other rides I’ve done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"China Camp ride map"},{"content":"I just recently heard about “Butter Lap”, a laid-back 17-mile ride every Wednesday evening, ending with a beer at Bender’s, Zeitgeist, or so on. I have other plans this Wednesday, but I plan to check it out in the next few weeks. It sounds like it kicks off from the Ferry Building at 7pm.\nMap: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san+francisco/836271138504\nBike blog mentioning it: http://bikesandthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/butter-june-it.html\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/wednesdays-butter-lap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI just recently heard about “Butter Lap”, a laid-back 17-mile ride every Wednesday evening, ending with a beer at Bender’s, Zeitgeist, or so on. I have other plans this Wednesday, but I plan to check it out in the next few weeks. It sounds like it kicks off from the Ferry Building at 7pm.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMap: \u003ca href=\"http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san+francisco/836271138504\"\u003ehttp://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san+francisco/836271138504\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBike blog mentioning it: \u003ca href=\"http://bikesandthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/butter-june-it.html\"\u003ehttp://bikesandthecity.blogspot.com/2009/06/butter-june-it.html\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wednesdays: Butter Lap"},{"content":"After a few weekends out of town, I’m back to biking.\nThis Sunday: the China Camp State Park loop in Marin (the road-bikeable route, not the many mountain bike routes). A little under 50 miles round trip from the Presidio Sports Basement. Details TBD (I have some maps to dig up– I’ve never done this route), but here are a few bikely maps for a high-level overview:\nhttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sports-Basement-to-China-Camp http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-loop47402 http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sausalito-China-Camp-Loop http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop62624 http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop30911 Optional extended 61-mile version including Paradise Loop:\nhttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Paradise But not this crazy 105-mile ride: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/SF-Invernes-China-Camp-SF\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/this-sunday-china-camp/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a few weekends out of town, I’m back to biking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Sunday: the China Camp State Park loop in Marin (the road-bikeable route, not the many mountain bike routes). A little under 50 miles round trip from the Presidio Sports Basement. Details TBD (I have some maps to dig up– I’ve never done this route), but here are a few bikely maps for a high-level overview:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sports-Basement-to-China-Camp\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sports-Basement-to-China-Camp\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-loop47402\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-loop47402\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sausalito-China-Camp-Loop\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sausalito-China-Camp-Loop\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop62624\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop62624\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop30911\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/China-Camp-Loop30911\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOptional extended 61-mile version including Paradise Loop:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"This Sunday: China Camp"},{"content":"Four of us went on a roughly 25-30 mile ride (depending where you started). Here’s an approximate map. It was a neat route I’d never taken from the Mission to Ocean Beach via Corbett (a low-traffic, modest-slope street between Market and 17th) and Taraval.\nWe stopped at Trouble Coffee for the requisite excellent espresso (elbow grease blend) and cinnamon toast, then headed south to take a loop around Lake Merced (dragon boat racers were practicing in the fog), and returned via golden gate park and Page, with a stop for a bloody mary and a few beers at Zeitgeist. Another good day.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/city-ramble-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us went on a roughly 25-30 mile ride (depending where you started). \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/trips/117820\"\u003eHere’s an approximate map\u003c/a\u003e. It was a neat route I’d never taken from the Mission to Ocean Beach via Corbett (a low-traffic, modest-slope street between Market and 17th) and Taraval.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe stopped at Trouble Coffee for the requisite excellent espresso (elbow grease blend) and cinnamon toast, then headed south to take a loop around Lake Merced (dragon boat racers were practicing in the fog), and returned via golden gate park and Page, with a stop for a bloody mary and a few beers at Zeitgeist. Another good day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"City Ramble Recap"},{"content":"Post-ride, surprisingly-empty Zeitgeist (not shown: during-ride, surprisingly-packed Trouble Coffee)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/post-ride-surprisingly-empty-zeitgeist-not/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePost-ride, surprisingly-empty Zeitgeist (not shown: during-ride, surprisingly-packed Trouble Coffee)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Post-ride, surprisingly-empty Zeitgeist (not shown: during-ride, surprisingly-packed Trouble Coffee)"},{"content":"Great Highway was closed to cars in places.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/great-highway-was-closed-to-cars-in-places/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGreat Highway was closed to cars in places.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Great Highway was closed to cars in places."},{"content":"Giant Tire\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/giant-tire/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eGiant Tire\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Giant Tire"},{"content":"The Alpine Dam Loop last weekend is my favorite ride in California to date– I highly recommend it. It was scenic enough to make me swear out loud in amazement on several occasions (a crystal clear day with views of SF and the Farallones didn’t hurt).\nIt was also a moderately challenging 65 miles door to door, with a fair amount of climbing (about 4500’ ascent total) and fast twisty downhills. Here’s a route map based on CC’s GPS track.\nThe six of us stopped for some beer and food at the Iron Springs Brewpub in Fairfax to cap it off (and then rode 20 mostly-flat miles back to SF, though the hill between Sausalito and the Golden Gate Bridge is never fun to do at the end of a long ride).\nI’ll probably do this again later in the summer.\nThe 20-ish mile loop from bay to breakers the next day was a little more tiring than usual. But Trouble Coffee continues to have some of the best espresso I’ve had in SF.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/alpine-dam-recap/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Alpine Dam Loop last weekend is my favorite ride in California to date– I highly recommend it. It was scenic enough to make me swear out loud in amazement on several occasions (a crystal clear day with views of SF and the Farallones didn’t hurt).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was also a moderately challenging 65 miles door to door, with a fair amount of climbing (about 4500’ ascent total) and fast twisty downhills. \u003ca href=\"http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d\u0026amp;source=s_d\u0026amp;saddr=ferry+building\u0026amp;daddr=Bridgeway+to:Miller+Ave+to:Miller+Ave+to:Montford+Ave+to:Janes+St+to:Sequoia+Valley+Rd+to:Ridgecrest+Blvd+to:iron+springs+brewery+fairfax+CA+to:Shady+Ln+to:Magnolia+Ave+to:37.929914,-122.535195+to:Bridgeway+to:ferry+building\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;geocode=Fdi2QAIdmGy0-CE2YhTLJYThyA%3BFYjaQQId2r6y-A%3BFcg4QgIdFk2y-A%3BFb1EQgIdyTyy-A%3BFTxDQgId_jiy-A%3BFdxIQgId-iOy-A%3BFQhUQgIda-mx-A%3BFdCqQgId27Ow-A%3BFbCeQwIdH4Sx-CFKDJxpSszNdil7B-24_5aFgDEDPWzDwIGTFw%3BFYpPQwIdj9-x-A%3BFT4KQwIdKRCy-A%3B%3BFS7AQQIdbtey-A%3BFdi2QAIdmGy0-CE2YhTLJYThyA\u0026amp;mra=dpe\u0026amp;mrcr=1\u0026amp;mrsp=11\u0026amp;sz=15\u0026amp;via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12\u0026amp;dirflg=b\u0026amp;sll=37.935059,-122.53468\u0026amp;sspn=0.027078,0.055747\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;ll=37.892466,-122.528801\u0026amp;spn=0.216751,0.445976\u0026amp;t=p\u0026amp;z=12\u0026amp;lci=bike\"\u003eHere’s a route map\u003c/a\u003e based on CC’s GPS track.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alpine Dam Recap"},{"content":" Some blurry cell phone photos from the excellent Alpine Dam ride. More here from JG: http://mediaingredient.com/?attachment_id=481 . We spent all day riding, about 65 miles and 4500’ of elevation gain total, beautiful views, and a break for food and beer at Iron Springs Brewpub in Fairfax.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_831a636e23bc4f44.webp 480w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_3cf4b0591557658.webp 800w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_33c0fed09d882ac3.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_312b9520a336bba1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_bb67db08d5221581.webp 480w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_5c90452eac01970c.webp 800w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_bb2346e9bab07606.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_f54831631a63bf65.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_6052ce55ff035223.webp 480w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_4648dea092b5f29e.webp 800w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_405696c3e417f74f.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_a951025f7b16a795.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_b32e8ea2f068a0bd.webp 480w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_2b7296510a80d488.webp 800w, /post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_5099ebd9a5ac9399.webp 1200w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/some-blurry-cell-phone-photos-from-the-excellent/tumblr_l3egknYQjG1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_bcefccb875d4796c.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome blurry cell phone photos from the excellent Alpine Dam ride. More here from JG: \u003ca href=\"http://mediaingredient.com/?attachment_id=481\"\u003ehttp://mediaingredient.com/?attachment_id=481\u003c/a\u003e . We spent all day riding, about 65 miles and 4500’ of elevation gain total, beautiful views, and a break for food and beer at Iron Springs Brewpub in Fairfax.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Some blurry cell phone photos from the excellent Alpine Dam ride. More here from..."},{"content":"The loop is 31 miles, and the total ride starting and ending at the SF Ferry Building is about 60 miles. Approximate route (I’ve since been told that one of the roads Google shows is not actually passable). Beyond just the length, I hear it’s moderately challenging – I may have no idea what I’m in for. Of all things, a Yelp review about it.\nSome people like to start early, some like to start late, so to compromise: meet at 10AM at the Ferry Building (or get there at 9:30 to eat some pastries / chilaquiles / etc at the farmers market with me).\nLet’s do the loop clockwise so we can get the hardest/longest riding done first and then stop in Fairfax at the Iron Springs Brewpub: http://ironspringspub.com/\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/saturday-longer-ride-alpine-dam/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Alpine-Dam-Damn-Loop\"\u003eloop\u003c/a\u003e is 31 miles, and the total ride starting and ending at the SF Ferry Building is about 60 miles. \u003ca href=\"http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d\u0026amp;source=s_d\u0026amp;saddr=1+Ferry+building,+San+Francisco,+CA+94111+(S.F.+Ferry+Building)\u0026amp;daddr=Ridgecrest+Blvd+to:fairfax+to:1+Ferry+building,+San+Francisco,+CA+94111+(S.F.+Ferry+Building)\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;geocode=FVO4QAIdDHK0-CFNo4cAl2YcmQ%3BFWDOQgIdapKw-A%3BFUmjQwIdO3Gx-CmB-AdYV5aFgDFQFIJKhL7gMw%3B\u0026amp;mra=ls\u0026amp;via=1\u0026amp;dirflg=b\u0026amp;sll=37.936075,-122.534637\u0026amp;sspn=0.22664,0.349846\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;ll=37.892466,-122.517815\u0026amp;spn=0.226775,0.349846\u0026amp;z=12\u0026amp;lci=bike\"\u003eApproximate route\u003c/a\u003e (I’ve since been told that one of the roads Google shows is not actually passable). Beyond just the length, I hear it’s moderately challenging – I may have no idea what I’m in for. Of all things, \u003ca href=\"http://www.yelp.com/biz/alpine-dam-bike-ride-fairfax\"\u003ea Yelp review about it\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome people like to start early, some like to start late, so to compromise: meet at 10AM at the Ferry Building (or get there at 9:30 to eat some pastries / chilaquiles / etc at the farmers market with me).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Saturday longer ride: Alpine Dam"},{"content":"This weekend Saturday: long ride, details TBD.\nThis weekend Sunday: 15ish-mile casual-pace ride, Ferry building -\u0026amp;gt; Ocean Beach and back, with the requisite Trouble Coffee stop for caffeine / cinnamon toast / coconuts. Meet in front of the main center entrance of the Ferry building, 10AM.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sunday-10am-ferry-building-15-mile-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis weekend Saturday: long ride, details TBD.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis weekend Sunday: 15ish-mile casual-pace ride, Ferry building -\u0026gt; Ocean Beach and back, with the requisite Trouble Coffee stop for caffeine / cinnamon toast / coconuts. Meet in front of the main center entrance of the Ferry building, 10AM.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunday, 10AM, Ferry Building, 15-mile ride"},{"content":" Port Costa Ride: photos\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-ride-photos/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo3_640_hu_77e8e5b67cd3081a.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo3_640_hu_a875273711234512.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"600\" height=\"800\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo4_1280_hu_d40d668f997806d1.webp 480w, /post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo4_1280_hu_859175cd6917bd2d.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo4_1280_hu_92bf1bc3998fef2f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo5_540_hu_4b964fd56b78f8e0.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo5_540_hu_7fe77fe435d45d8e.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"540\" height=\"720\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo6_1280_hu_df2c9cbb40833759.webp 480w, /post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo6_1280_hu_322d4d924b9b548c.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo6_1280_hu_585eae1ce6b3d053.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo7_1280_hu_c06327655ef2b5b1.webp 480w, /post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo7_1280_hu_a2e6f5424a20cf38.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo7_1280_hu_c489359f6ac470e6.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo8_1280_hu_b4b535e13465e851.webp 480w, /post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo8_1280_hu_f4f40b5a1eb4b620.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo8_1280_hu_2e536202ace4123b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"589\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo10_r1_1280_hu_21a5eb7d313ad513.webp 480w, /post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo10_r1_1280_hu_712d6bfbd65522ee.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/port-costa-ride-photos/tumblr_l2wr61Jd301qzv82bo10_r1_1280_hu_4d5b1c180295c5c2.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"437\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePort Costa Ride: photos\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa Ride: photos"},{"content":"The ride today was both a great success and a collection of minor disasters.\nOn the up side:\nEight people, including a few people who hadn’t been riding in a while. A casual-pace 29-mile ride, with successful climbs of many winding hills and a few thousand feet of elevation gain. People got tired of me saying “I think this is the last hill.” Port Costa was not at all sleepy– there were 100-200 motorcyclists (of the Harley / leather / chaps persuasion), a live band, and more loud-exhaust bikes rolling in every few minutes. It was a scene. We’d heard “the motorcyclists are taking over the Warehouse kitchen for the day” and it felt like a private party, so we weren’t sure we’d be able to get food… but they encouraged us to help ourselves to the spaghetti, salad, and bread, for free! A few interesting (and also large, and strong) beers. All in all, about everything I wanted out of the post-birthday ride, thanks everyone. On the down side, members of the group experienced:\nFive flats of some sort, on two bikes – one bike ended up disabled. A painful allergic(?) reaction leading to swollen eyes and the need to get rescued half way through the ride (hope you’re okay!) Completely unrelated to that, a bee sting that puffed up a bit (edit: and the next day resulted in a visit to the ER and an IV drip). Three vulture-like birds circling above us while stopped at one point (no joke). Photos to come…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-3-debrief/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe ride today was both a great success and a collection of minor disasters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the up side:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEight people, including a few people who hadn’t been riding in a while.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA casual-pace \u003ca href=\"http://ridewithgps.com/routes/199829\"\u003e29-mile ride\u003c/a\u003e, with successful climbs of many winding hills and a few thousand feet of elevation gain. People got tired of me saying “I think this is the last hill.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Costa was not at all sleepy– there were 100-200 motorcyclists (of the Harley / leather / chaps persuasion), a live band, and more loud-exhaust bikes rolling in every few minutes. It was a scene.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe’d heard “the motorcyclists are taking over the Warehouse kitchen for the day” and it felt like a private party, so we weren’t sure we’d be able to get food… but they encouraged us to help ourselves to the spaghetti, salad, and bread, for free!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA few interesting (and also large, and strong) beers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll in all, about everything I wanted out of the post-birthday ride, thanks everyone.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the down side, members of the group experienced:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa #3 debrief"},{"content":"Here’s an approximate google map of the past weekend’s Paradise Loop ride. The details of crossing the 101 after leaving Tiburon aren’t quite right– we biked down a feeder road and then over a pedestrian/bike highway overpass that’s not on the map, to avoid Tiburon Blvd.\nMy bike computer says it was 54 miles of riding, and it was quite a day– about a dozen of us did the full ride and kept a decent pace, and there was live music, food, drink, and shopping afterwards at Sports Basement.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/paradise-loop-ride-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere’s an \u003ca href=\"http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d\u0026amp;source=s_d\u0026amp;saddr=1315+18th+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA+94107+(Farleys)\u0026amp;daddr=610+old+mason+street,+San+Francisco+(Sport+Basement)+to:Sausalito,+CA+to:Miller+Ave+to:Camino+Alto+to:Corte+Madera+Ave+to:Paradise+Dr+to:Paradise+Dr+to:tiburon,+CA+to:Tiburon+Blvd+to:610+old+mason+street,+San+Francisco+(Sport+Basement)+to:1315+18th+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA+94107+(Farleys)\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;geocode=Few1QAIdo2K0-CGRyZmsR88MdSlJqq8ryn-PgDGCP2EBnZsNng%3BFYrTQAIds2uz-CGA2dJTWdg-WSkh9fMe2oaFgDF_7IxP-InKCw%3BFRavQQId_QWz-Cl1JskxU4SFgDHuUY-CbaoDuQ%3BFTosQgIdgmSy-A%3BFVxkQgIdMGGy-A%3BFV6bQgIdZVey-A%3BFdWaQgId9bSy-A%3BFfgyQgIdjm-z-A%3BFYLnQQIdwXWz-CkTViVgmoSFgDHLGuavbdaTTw%3BFQNAQgIdz-2y-A%3BFYrTQAIds2uz-CGA2dJTWdg-WSkh9fMe2oaFgDF_7IxP-InKCw%3B\u0026amp;mra=ls\u0026amp;via=3,4,5,6,7,9\u0026amp;dirflg=b\u0026amp;sll=37.896006,-122.512107\u0026amp;sspn=0.013766,0.021865\u0026amp;ie=UTF8\u0026amp;ll=37.847748,-122.484856\u0026amp;spn=0.220406,0.349846\u0026amp;z=12\u0026amp;lci=bik\"\u003eapproximate google map\u003c/a\u003e of the past weekend’s Paradise Loop ride. The details of crossing the 101 after leaving Tiburon aren’t quite right– we biked down a feeder road and then over a pedestrian/bike highway overpass that’s not on the map, to avoid Tiburon Blvd.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy bike computer says it was 54 miles of riding, and it was quite a day– about a dozen of us did the full ride and kept a decent pace, and there was live music, food, drink, and shopping afterwards at Sports Basement.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Paradise Loop Ride Map"},{"content":"On Paradise Drive (from my phone, while riding– some day I’m going to drop it).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-paradise-drive-from-my-phone-while-riding/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn Paradise Drive (from my phone, while riding– some day I’m going to drop it).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Paradise Drive (from my phone, while riding-- some day I'm going to drop it)."},{"content":"Leaving the Presidio Sports Basement at 10:30AM sharp. Five people I know and many I don’t are going.\nhttp://climatecyclebayarearide.eventbrite.com/\np.s. If I’m fired up about more biking/exercise/outdoor time after Saturday, on Sunday I might bike to the “Tourist Club” (private Bavarian-style lodge near Mill Valley, three public beer fests a year). It’s about 40 miles round trip. Though I might decide to just take it easy Sunday, or work.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/reminder-paradise-loop-tomorrow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLeaving the Presidio Sports Basement at 10:30AM sharp. Five people I know and many I don’t are going.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://climatecyclebayarearide.eventbrite.com/\"\u003ehttp://climatecyclebayarearide.eventbrite.com/\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ep.s. If I’m fired up about more biking/exercise/outdoor time after Saturday, on Sunday I might bike to the “\u003ca href=\"http://www.touristclubsf.org/\"\u003eTourist Club\u003c/a\u003e” (private Bavarian-style lodge near Mill Valley, three public beer fests a year). It’s about 40 miles round trip. Though I might decide to just take it easy Sunday, or work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reminder: Paradise Loop tomorrow"},{"content":"All right, I and friends have several rides planned:\nSunday 5/9: I may be going on a 30ish-mile ride with James, not sure where. If that doesn’t materialize, I’ll probably do the 15-mile ride from the Ferry Building to Ocean Beach and back, even if it’s just me. I don’t plan to send out email about this since I’ll decide at the last minute, so if you get up Sunday in the mood for a ride, just call me. (edit: Cancelled due to rain).\nThursday 5/13: Bike to Work Day. Now that I’m self-employed, I’m not sure what that means, so I was planning to find the friend with the longest biking commute and tag along with them. Is anyone I know from Google considering the crazy SF-\u0026amp;gt;Google commute that morning? (edit: Just did a short ride to see a freelancing client in San Francisco).\nSaturday 5/15: Jenn told me about the “Climate Cycle” ride around paradise loop (SF-\u0026amp;gt;Marin-\u0026amp;gt;Tiburon-\u0026amp;gt;Sausalito, etc, about 40 miles from the Presidio). Free though you can also donate to a good cause. And there’s an afterparty at Sports Basement with a 10% discount \u0026amp;amp; 10% donated to Climate Cycle. I plan on doing this. (edit: Did it, about 55 miles, it was great, see write-up.)\nSunday 5/16: I was going to organize a ride, but it’s Bay To Breakers, and also Oktoberfest-in-May at some chalet hidden in Muir Woods. So I’ll probably do one of those instead. (edit: Unfortunately, worked instead of riding.)\n**Saturday 5/22:**Last year I biked from SF to San Mateo for Maker Faire with a group of over 100 other bicyclists. It was fun. I even biked back by myself to be crazy about it, barely beating the sunset. I’m not sure I’ll go to Maker Faire this year, but if I do, I’ll join this ride from Dolores Park at 8:30AM(?). (edit: Unfortunately, didn’t do it.)\nSunday 5/23: To celebrate my birthday, I’m reprising the Martinez / Port Costa loop (see this tag for previous photos/maps: \u0026amp;lt;/tags/port-costa/\u0026amp;gt;). About 30 miles, one brutal hill, amazingly scenic, and BBQ in Port Costa (possibly surrounded by bikers, horse riders, and classic car enthusiasts). (edit: Great ride, see write-up)\nSaturday 5/29 or Monday 5/31 (Memorial Day): I’m up for a long ride. 50-100 miles. Or maybe my first overnight bike camping trip? (edit: Great Alpine Dam ride, 65 miles with lots of hills, plus a 20-mile shorter ride)\nJune: I’m going to New England for the first 2+ weeks of June.\nJuly: I’ve told a few people I’m going to do RAGBRAI (week-long bike ride across Iowa), and a friend may join me for two days of it. Though I really need to start planning more for it. (edit: I’m going to do it. Working on logistics now.)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/upcoming-may-bike-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAll right, I and friends have several rides planned:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday 5/9:\u003c/strong\u003e I may be going on a 30ish-mile ride with James, not sure where. If that doesn’t materialize, I’ll probably do the 15-mile ride from the Ferry Building to Ocean Beach and back, even if it’s just me. I don’t plan to send out email about this since I’ll decide at the last minute, so if you get up Sunday in the mood for a ride, just call me. \u003cem\u003e(edit: Cancelled due to rain).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Upcoming May bike rides"},{"content":"(continuing my expansion of this site from not only documenting group rides, but also interesting or long rides I take):\nHere’s a route I took today between San Francisco and the Westborough/Skyline part of San Bruno: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3691599\nThe 2 miles of uphill on Westborough Blvd was brutal and took me a while, but going back down was fun.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-route-from-sf-to-san-bruno/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(continuing my expansion of this site from not only documenting group rides, but also interesting or long rides I take):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s a route I took today between San Francisco and the Westborough/Skyline part of San Bruno: \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3691599\"\u003ehttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3691599\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2 miles of uphill on Westborough Blvd was brutal and took me a while, but going back down was fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike route from SF to San Bruno"},{"content":"This weekend and next weekend ended up full of events but I’m itching for some more rides, so soon.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/more-rides-soon/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis weekend and next weekend ended up full of events but I’m itching for some more rides, so soon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More rides soon"},{"content":"A departure from the usual Bay Area group rides post: I recently rented a bike near Locarno (Switzerland) and biked into Valle Maggia (Maggia Valley). It was a beautiful, gradually-uphill ride, with some riding on traffic-heavy streets, but mostly on bike paths or back roads.\nThen I headed up a side valley and hit an unexpected series of switchbacks (the tourist map just showed a straight line), bringing me up another 1000’ of elevation or so in a short distance (map). I almost turned back because I didn’t know how far up it would keep going, but I made it to the top of at least the first set of switchbacks, and an interesting small town (Linescio) of deserted-looking stone buildings. Some photos:\nRiding on a separate path above the main road.\nFortunately, I didn’t need to bike through the car tunnel.\nEntertaining warning sign (about possible sudden release of water from a dam for a hydropower station, I assume).\nStopping for lunch (salad, meatballs, and house wine served in a curious pottery pitcher).\nI assume this sign means “no entry except for bicycles”.\nSwitchbacks.\nLinescio, no people in sight.\nA side path into the woods that ultimately dead-ended.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bike-ride-in-switzerland/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA departure from the usual Bay Area group rides post: I recently rented a bike near Locarno (Switzerland) and biked into Valle Maggia (Maggia Valley). It was a beautiful, gradually-uphill ride, with some riding on traffic-heavy streets, but mostly on bike paths or back roads.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen I headed up a side valley and hit an unexpected series of switchbacks (the tourist map just showed a straight line), bringing me up another 1000’ of elevation or so in a short distance (\u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3645604\"\u003emap\u003c/a\u003e). I almost turned back because I didn’t know how far up it would keep going, but I made it to the top of at least the first set of switchbacks, and an interesting small town (Linescio) of deserted-looking stone buildings. Some photos:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bike ride in Switzerland"},{"content":" Photos from the east bay vineyard ride. The weather was pretty much perfect, and we saw jackrabbits, a wild turkey, other strange birds, and several groups of spandex-clad bicyclists.\nWe had a lunch of bread, meat, and cheeses, tasted about 25 wines (at Ruby Hill, Fenestra, and Thomas Coyne), bought some (thanks to the Xtracycle cargo bike), and ended with dinner at a mediocre restaurant with indoor Bocce courts.\nMy bike computer claims 25 miles total (with a brisk 16mph pace from BART to the first vineyard, and then a much more casual pace as the day went on and the sun and wine took their toll). Now I’m sleepy.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/livermore/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_c8db14b9bdd99dfb.webp 480w, /post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_97ad78de8ce54f09.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo3_1280_hu_3d8ad649cfec3459.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_abc834c51736d712.webp 480w, /post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_df12a910a16f8e2d.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_8720970092d6f88f.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_86a197c52327f168.webp 480w, /post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_98c7f10c1cac2829.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo5_1280_hu_9ab710efd97d689b.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"666\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_cb59d2c26d6f8d36.webp 480w, /post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_ab14b5c91c5eb300.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo6_1280_hu_be081c3c657b2283.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"593\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_6097c204a5c16e59.webp 480w, /post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_1e69296e467c7591.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/livermore/tumblr_l00w2bcdpg1qzv82bo4_1280_hu_7192e6d4b82b4e30.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhotos from the east bay vineyard ride. The weather was pretty much perfect, and we saw jackrabbits, a wild turkey, other strange birds, and several groups of spandex-clad bicyclists.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Photos from the east bay vineyard ride. The weather was pretty much perfect, and we saw jackrabbits, a wild turkey, other..."},{"content":"Meet at 11AM at Dublin/Pleasanton BART (a ways out there: about a 50-minute BART ride from 16th \u0026amp;amp; Mission, for example).\nHitting up Ruby Hill Winery in Livermore first for a picnic (they sell bread and cheese) and tasting, about an 8 mile ride: http://www.rubyhillwinery.net/tastingroom.html\nNext stops TBD.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/328-vineyard-ride-plan/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMeet at 11AM at Dublin/Pleasanton BART (a ways out there: about a 50-minute BART ride from 16th \u0026amp; Mission, for example).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHitting up Ruby Hill Winery in Livermore first for a picnic (they sell bread and cheese) and tasting, about an 8 mile ride: \u003ca href=\"http://www.rubyhillwinery.net/tastingroom.html\"\u003ehttp://www.rubyhillwinery.net/tastingroom.html\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNext stops TBD.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"3/28 Vineyard Ride Plan"},{"content":" Four more photos from last weekend’s ride, courtesy DR (and I’m trying out the new Tumblr slideshow feature)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_94acfa38d503f3.webp 480w, /post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_fa4e03874f125bcb.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo1_1280_hu_49d96cd2d18bc93d.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_7fe7f31616d5c02f.webp 480w, /post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_594310472b935d02.webp 800w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo2_1280_hu_c004d86511aba559.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"800\" height=\"600\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo3_500_hu_3c4f3fa900b8742.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/post/four-more-photos-from-last-weekends-ride/tumblr_kz1l84qzrE1qzv82bo3_500_hu_f6e48c9a00510536.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"480\" height=\"640\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour more photos from last weekend’s ride, courtesy DR (and I’m trying out the new Tumblr slideshow feature)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Four more photos from last weekend's ride, courtesy DR (and I'm trying out the new Tumblr slideshow feature)"},{"content":"Two plans for upcoming rides (if there’s good weather). Both are of the somewhat leisurely exploration-with-stops, 15-20 mile type.\nSunday 3/14: A detailed exploration of the Presidio by bike. Starting at the Ferry Building, biking along the water to say hello to the Golden Gate bridge, and then exploring a network of twisty roads, lookout points, old buildings, hills, and Yoda statues in the Presidio.\nSunday 3/21 or 3/28: Wine tasting and picnic by bike in the Livermore area (continuing my “where can you bike to from a far-out BART station?” theme). Starting from Dublin/Pleasanton BART, about a 9-mile ride to where the vineyards start (see photo above), then hopping from vineyard to vineyard. Stopping at one of them for a picnic of bread, cheese, and cured meats. The exact route is TBD. Be aware that while the ride is fairly flat, part of it is on somewhat busy streets without bike lanes– traffic wasn’t bad when I explored part of this area on a weekday, but I don’t know if it will be less or more busy on weekends.\nWine tastings are normally $5 at each vineyard. Another option would be to go onBarrel Tasting weekend (3/21), which costs $25 and covers a number of vineyards. On the down side, vineyards and roads will probably be more crowded, and you need to buy the ticket ahead of time, so if it rains it will not be fun… so I’m leaning towards 3/28. But if you’re interested, let me know.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/two-plans-for-upcoming-rides-if-theres-good/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwo plans for upcoming rides (if there’s good weather). Both are of the somewhat leisurely exploration-with-stops, 15-20 mile type.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday 3/14: A detailed exploration of the Presidio by bike. Starting at the Ferry Building, biking along the water to say hello to the Golden Gate bridge, and then exploring a network of twisty roads, lookout points, old buildings, hills, and Yoda statues in the Presidio.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday 3/21 or 3/28: Wine tasting and picnic by bike in the Livermore area (continuing my “where can you bike to from a far-out BART station?” theme). Starting from Dublin/Pleasanton BART, about a 9-mile ride to where the vineyards start (see photo above), then hopping from vineyard to vineyard. Stopping at one of them for a picnic of bread, cheese, and cured meats. The exact route is TBD. Be aware that while the ride is fairly flat, part of it is on somewhat busy streets without bike lanes– traffic wasn’t bad when I explored part of this area on a weekday, but I don’t know if it will be less or more busy on weekends.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two plans for upcoming rides (if there's good weather). Both are of the somewhat leisurely exploration-with-stops, 15-20 mile..."},{"content":"Flowers along McEwen Rd\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/flowers-along-mcewen-rd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFlowers along McEwen Rd\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flowers along McEwen Rd"},{"content":"On the ride\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-the-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the ride\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the ride"},{"content":"Four of us met up for this ride. 29.2 miles, 2:45 active riding time, about 4:30 total including a break for lunch and a beer in Port Costa, a stop to photograph miniature horses(!), and so on. Lots of scenic, rolling hills, and not much traffic.\nApproximate route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2924086\nI’ll post a few photos shortly.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour of us met up for this ride. 29.2 miles, 2:45 active riding time, about 4:30 total including a break for lunch and a beer in Port Costa, a stop to photograph miniature horses(!), and so on. Lots of scenic, rolling hills, and not much traffic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproximate route: \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2924086\"\u003ehttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2924086\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ll post a few photos shortly.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa Ride"},{"content":"Just published today, how convenient:\nhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/24/NSA51C37BO.DTL\u0026amp;amp;type=printable\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sfgate-article-on-bike-camping/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust published today, how convenient:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/24/NSA51C37BO.DTL\u0026amp;type=printable\"\u003ehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/24/NSA51C37BO.DTL\u0026amp;type=printable\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SFgate article on bike camping"},{"content":"I’ve been on some individual rides with people (including a few 20-mile SF circuits involving Trouble Coffee), but it’s been a while since I’ve been on a group ride.\nBut… weather permitting, Port Costa/Martinez loop in the east bay again a week from Saturday (that is, on 3/6).\nI’m open to votes on whether to do it the “standard” direction (several miles of long gradual uphill and then a steep shorter decent on a 17% grade on McEwen), or the opposite, the direction we accidentally did it last time (sorry, helen and matt!).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2010-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve been on some individual rides with people (including a few 20-mile SF circuits involving Trouble Coffee), but it’s been a while since I’ve been on a group ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut… weather permitting, Port Costa/Martinez loop in the east bay again a week from Saturday (that is, on 3/6).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m open to votes on whether to do it the “standard” direction (several miles of long gradual uphill and then a steep shorter decent on a 17% grade on McEwen), or the opposite, the direction we accidentally did it last time (sorry, helen and matt!).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2010 rides"},{"content":"It’s been a while— how about an SF ride?\nMeet outside the SW corner of the Ferry Bldg, 10:30AM Saturday. (or get there earlier and eat delicious Primavera breakfast chilaquiles/tostadas with me).\nRoute idea: Embarcadero up and around to Presidio, along ridges w/ views there, down into the park, to the ocean, trouble coffee, back over Portola to the Mission. Probably 20-25 miles. Option for a loop around lake Merced.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/sf-ride-this-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s been a while— how about an SF ride?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeet outside the SW corner of the Ferry Bldg, 10:30AM Saturday. (or get there earlier and eat delicious Primavera breakfast chilaquiles/tostadas with me).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoute idea: Embarcadero up and around to Presidio, along ridges w/ views there, down into the park, to the ocean, trouble coffee, back over Portola to the Mission. Probably 20-25 miles. Option for a loop around lake Merced.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"SF ride this Saturday"},{"content":"Six of us met up at Millbrae and biked South along the Bay Trail, through the Coyote Point recreation area (where we were tempted by the smell of barbeque), past San Mateo, and around Foster City, cutting back inland to Belmont, for lunch at Cafe Mossant, and then back via caltrain. I didn’t take any photos, but if anyone did I’ll post them. I tried out GPS track recording on my phone, you should see an embedded map below: A few stats from the cycle computer:17 miles, average speed 10mph, 100 minutes of cycling time. No organized rides for the next month or so, next ride mid-August.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/bay-trail-foster-city-trip-report-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSix of us met up at Millbrae and biked South along the Bay Trail, through the Coyote Point recreation area (where we were tempted by the smell of barbeque), past San Mateo, and around Foster City, cutting back inland to Belmont, for lunch at Cafe Mossant, and then back via caltrain. I didn’t take any photos, but if anyone did I’ll post them. I tried out GPS track recording on my phone, you should see an embedded map below: A few stats from the cycle computer:17 miles, average speed 10mph, 100 minutes of cycling time. No organized rides for the next month or so, next ride mid-August.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bay trail foster city: trip report \u0026 map"},{"content":"Details to follow.\nThis will be a more mosey-along ride than usual, a great starter ride. A few people have already said they’re coming on this as their first ride.\nIt will be fun– minimal traffic, very flat, and a relaxed pace (much of it is on a paved path separate from the street, shared with the occasional jogger), though still a respectable distance (maybe 15 miles depending where we finish).\nThe ride is starting at the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station and heading south along the Bay, marshes, Foster City canals, and so on.\nI’m thinking tentatively: meet at Millbrae at 11AM and head south, and maybe get a late lunch in Belmont and catch the caltrain back North from there.\nAnd if anyone wants to do a longer-distance ride that day, let me know– I’m considering riding from San Francisco to Millbrae beforehand instead of taking BART.\nThis may be the only ride I organize in July or early August, though, because I’ll be out of town for a few weeks).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/laid-back-bay-trail-ride-sunday-712/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDetails to follow.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis will be a more mosey-along ride than usual, a great starter ride. A few people have already said they’re coming on this as their first ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt will be fun– minimal traffic, very flat, and a relaxed pace (much of it is on a paved path separate from the street, shared with the occasional jogger), though still a respectable distance (maybe 15 miles depending where we finish).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Laid back Bay Trail ride, Sunday 7/12"},{"content":"benicia bridge\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/benicia-bridge/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ebenicia bridge\u003c/p\u003e","title":"benicia bridge"},{"content":"rolling hills\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/rolling-hills/","summary":"\u003cp\u003erolling hills\u003c/p\u003e","title":"rolling hills"},{"content":"so many flowers\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/so-many-flowers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eso many flowers\u003c/p\u003e","title":"so many flowers"},{"content":"graveyard\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/graveyard/","summary":"\u003cp\u003egraveyard\u003c/p\u003e","title":"graveyard"},{"content":" video: biking through a tunnel\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/video-biking-through-a-tunnel/","summary":"\u003cdiv\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003ciframe\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/5262771?dnt=0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" allow=\"fullscreen\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003evideo: biking through a tunnel\u003c/p\u003e","title":"video: biking through a tunnel"},{"content":"Three of us met up on Saturday for a nice East Bay ride, from Pleasant Hill to Martinez and Port Costa, in a loop. We did a hybrid of a ride in the SF Short Bike Rides book (in particular, warm-up riding on the Iron Horse and Contra Costa Canal trails – paved, off-road meandering along a canal for miles, flat with mild rises and dips), and a loop recommended by Max C. This is more or less the route we took: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2937679 . My cycle odometer says it was about 34 miles total– there was a lot of small-scale twisting and turning that doesn’t show up on that map (it was about 19.5 miles out, and 14.5 miles back). The ride along Carquinez Scenic Drive was fantastic, up through an old graveyard, and then along a twisty cracked/filled/painted pavement road closed to cars with great views of the Carquinez Strait and the Benicia Bridge. We saw turkeys, deer, huge butterflies, and wildflowers. Port Costa was a tiny little town, with some friendly dogs outside Sparky’s, a new motorcycle shop under construction, blackberries just ripening along the train tracks, and The Warehouse – a huge bar with hundreds of beers, a gigantic stuffed polar bear, and really mediocre sandwiches and shrimp cocktails (they do weekend BBQ, but only on Sundays, we found out). Then coming back, we climbed McEwen (a painfully steep mile and a half, see the elevation at Mile 18 on the map above– I’ve since learned that most people do the loop in the opposite direction), but were then able to coast and ride along a gradual, curving downhill for about 6 miles. That was perhaps my favorite part of the ride. Smooth pavement, gradually winding turns, riding between rolling hills covered brown (I mean, “gold”) grass, warm sun with a slightly cool breeze, and almost zero traffic. I’ll put up another few photos after this.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-debrief/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThree of us met up on Saturday for a nice East Bay ride, from Pleasant Hill to Martinez and Port Costa, in a loop. We did a hybrid of a ride in the SF Short Bike Rides book (in particular, warm-up riding on the Iron Horse and Contra Costa Canal trails – paved, off-road meandering along a canal for miles, flat with mild rises and dips), and a loop recommended by Max C. This is more or less the route we took: \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2937679\"\u003ehttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2937679\u003c/a\u003e . My cycle odometer says it was about 34 miles total– there was a lot of small-scale twisting and turning that doesn’t show up on that map (it was about 19.5 miles out, and 14.5 miles back). The ride along Carquinez Scenic Drive was fantastic, up through an old graveyard, and then along a twisty cracked/filled/painted pavement road closed to cars with great views of the Carquinez Strait and the Benicia Bridge. We saw turkeys, deer, huge butterflies, and wildflowers. Port Costa was a tiny little town, with some friendly dogs outside Sparky’s, a new motorcycle shop under construction, blackberries just ripening along the train tracks, and The Warehouse – a huge bar with hundreds of beers, a gigantic stuffed polar bear, and really mediocre sandwiches and shrimp cocktails (they do weekend BBQ, but only on Sundays, we found out). Then coming back, we climbed McEwen (a painfully steep mile and a half, see the elevation at Mile 18 on the map above– I’ve since learned that most people do the loop in the opposite direction), but were then able to coast and ride along a gradual, curving downhill for about 6 miles. That was perhaps my favorite part of the ride. Smooth pavement, gradually winding turns, riding between rolling hills covered brown (I mean, “gold”) grass, warm sun with a slightly cool breeze, and almost zero traffic. I’ll put up another few photos after this.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa debrief"},{"content":"Passed the ghost bike for mark pendleton :(\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/passed-the-ghost-bike-for-mark-pendleton/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePassed the ghost bike for mark pendleton :(\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Passed the ghost bike for mark pendleton :("},{"content":"On the way to Port Costa\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-the-way-to-port-costa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the way to Port Costa\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the way to Port Costa"},{"content":"Okay, after several failed attempts to organize this ride, let’s give it a try: This Saturday, 10:30, Walnut Creek BART. About a 35-mile round trip, moderate hills, taking us to Martinez, Port Costa, and maybe the John Muir house. Some notes from Short Bike Rides San Francisco: “This mellow, mosey-along kind of ride offers highly scenic views of Mt. Diablo and the Easy Bay Hills as well as of the Carquinez Straits and the tiny and ancient hamlet of Port Costa. I don’t know which is the bigger treat: riding the eroded and unrepaired Carquinez Scenic Road, which is closed to cars, or shooting the bull with the locals at the Warehouse, an immense, historic bar [side note: has 200+ beers, and might have a BBQ running] in Port Costa right out of a country-music video. Then, of course, there’s the John Muir House to be visited, charming downtown Martinez to peruse, and the uncrowded multiuse paths of Contra Costa Country to check out.” And a few other excerpts: “You’ll find yourself climbing through a beautiful and very Spanish-looking old graveyard”, “postcard views of Carquinez Straits […] Forty percent of the land area of California drains its runoff water through these straits.”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-this-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOkay, after several failed attempts to organize this ride, let’s give it a try: This Saturday, 10:30, Walnut Creek BART. About a 35-mile round trip, moderate hills, taking us to Martinez, Port Costa, and maybe the John Muir house. Some notes from Short Bike Rides San Francisco: “This mellow, mosey-along kind of ride offers highly scenic views of Mt. Diablo and the Easy Bay Hills as well as of the Carquinez Straits and the tiny and ancient hamlet of Port Costa. I don’t know which is the bigger treat: riding the eroded and unrepaired Carquinez Scenic Road, which is closed to cars, or shooting the bull with the locals at the Warehouse, an immense, historic bar [side note: has 200+ beers, and might have a BBQ running] in Port Costa right out of a country-music video. Then, of course, there’s the John Muir House to be visited, charming downtown Martinez to peruse, and the uncrowded multiuse paths of Contra Costa Country to check out.” And a few other excerpts: “You’ll find yourself climbing through a beautiful and very Spanish-looking old graveyard”, “postcard views of Carquinez Straits […] Forty percent of the land area of California drains its runoff water through these straits.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa this Saturday?"},{"content":"A few people from our usual group joined a group of maybe 150 bicyclists at Dolores Park at 8:30AM on a gray and misty morning (the people in the Dolores Park Cafe were confused by the crush of business). It was amusing to see another bicyclist heading to the park through the deserted streets of the mission and think “I bet I know where he’s going”. The group headed out around 9:30 (some with stereo systems, musical instruments, and other bulky objects), and took a route from Bayshore -\u0026amp;gt; Tunnel -\u0026amp;gt; Sierra Point -\u0026amp;gt; McDonnell -\u0026amp;gt; the Bay Trail south of the airport -\u0026amp;gt; 3rd Ave in San Mateo. We didn’t ride on the Bay Trail itself for much of the ride– we took the slightly more direct (and wider, easier to bike on with a crowd) surface streets. The ride was at a slow pace, with a few bikes with stereos, and some periodic waiting to regroup, and we reached Maker Faire a little before noon. After Maker Faire, around 6:45, I was feeling my oats and decided to bike back on my own, trying to beat the setting sun. I took the more scenic bay trail routes much of the way, with a few accidental detours. Here’s a rough map of the overall ride. My recently-purchased bike computer says I rode 53 miles total, including getting to the park in the morning.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ride-debrief-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few people from our usual group joined a group of maybe 150 bicyclists at Dolores Park at 8:30AM on a gray and misty morning (the people in the Dolores Park Cafe were confused by the crush of business). It was amusing to see another bicyclist heading to the park through the deserted streets of the mission and think “I bet I know where he’s going”. The group headed out around 9:30 (some with stereo systems, musical instruments, and other bulky objects), and took a route from Bayshore -\u0026gt; Tunnel -\u0026gt; Sierra Point -\u0026gt; McDonnell -\u0026gt; the Bay Trail south of the airport -\u0026gt; 3rd Ave in San Mateo. We didn’t ride on the Bay Trail itself for much of the ride– we took the slightly more direct (and wider, easier to bike on with a crowd) surface streets. The ride was at a slow pace, with a few bikes with stereos, and some periodic waiting to regroup, and we reached Maker Faire a little before noon. After Maker Faire, around 6:45, I was feeling my oats and decided to bike back on my own, trying to beat the setting sun. I took the more scenic bay trail routes much of the way, with a few accidental detours. Here’s a \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/SF-to-San-Mateo-Fairgrounds-mainly-via-Bay-Trail-round-trip\"\u003erough map\u003c/a\u003e of the overall ride. My recently-purchased bike computer says I rode 53 miles total, including getting to the park in the morning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ride debrief, map"},{"content":"Heading South on Tunnel Ave\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/heading-south-on-tunnel-ave/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHeading South on Tunnel Ave\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Heading South on Tunnel Ave"},{"content":"About 150 bikers at 9am on a Saturday.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/about-150-bikers-at-9am-on-a-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAbout 150 bikers at 9am on a Saturday.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About 150 bikers at 9am on a Saturday."},{"content":"I’m planning on joining someone else’s organized ride this Saturday, in case you’re interested – the Rock The Bike group biking to Maker Faire. http://www.rockthebike.com/node/10277 from the web page: “the ride is about 19 miles over mostly flat terrain, and we will take a leisurely pace, cruising with great music on our party bikes.” Plus, there’s valet bike parking and you get into Maker Faire at a discount. To get back without doing that length of ride again, the Hillsdale Caltrain station is just a few miles away. If you’re interested, let me know (I’ll mass-RSVP to the organizers), and meet at Dolores Park at 8:30AM.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ride-this-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m planning on joining someone else’s organized ride this Saturday, in case you’re interested – the Rock The Bike group biking to Maker Faire. \u003ca href=\"http://www.rockthebike.com/node/10277\"\u003ehttp://www.rockthebike.com/node/10277\u003c/a\u003e from the web page: “the ride is about 19 miles over mostly flat terrain, and we will take a leisurely pace, cruising with great music on our party bikes.” Plus, there’s valet bike parking and you get into Maker Faire at a discount. To get back without doing that length of ride again, the Hillsdale Caltrain station is just a few miles away. If you’re interested, let me know (I’ll mass-RSVP to the organizers), and meet at Dolores Park at 8:30AM.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"ride this saturday"},{"content":"I’m not sure if I’ll organize a ride in the next two weeks, but I’m seriously thinking about doing this in three weeks: http://rockthebike.com/node/10277 (biking to the Maker Faire in San Mateo, about 19 miles / two leisurely hours from Dolores Park, with the Rock The Bike crew) Other upcoming ride ideas: * Port Costa Loop (see failed attempts below) * BART/Caltrain to Millbrae, then South on the Bay Trail for 15-30 miles, to Belmont / Redwood City / etc. Ultra-flat, mostly car-free paved paths, fresh marshy smells. * Iron Horse trails in the East Bay (also mostly car-free) * Bike camping in Marin * China Camp loops, from the Larkspur Ferry * “Planet of the Apes” / Lake Merced -\u0026amp;gt; Montara Lighthouse, overnight\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/next-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m not sure if I’ll organize a ride in the next two weeks, but I’m seriously thinking about doing this in three weeks: \u003ca href=\"http://rockthebike.com/node/10277\"\u003ehttp://rockthebike.com/node/10277\u003c/a\u003e (biking to the Maker Faire in San Mateo, about 19 miles / two leisurely hours from Dolores Park, with the Rock The Bike crew) Other upcoming ride ideas: * Port Costa Loop (see failed attempts below) * BART/Caltrain to Millbrae, then South on the Bay Trail for 15-30 miles, to Belmont / Redwood City / etc. Ultra-flat, mostly car-free paved paths, fresh marshy smells. * Iron Horse trails in the East Bay (also mostly car-free) * Bike camping in Marin * China Camp loops, from the Larkspur Ferry * “Planet of the Apes” / Lake Merced -\u0026gt; Montara Lighthouse, overnight\u003c/p\u003e","title":"next rides"},{"content":"Four people came out today, two for the first part of the ride (from the ballpark South, through empty industrial back streets of Bayshore, then along the bay around Candlestick Park, and back to SF). Two of us continued South along Tunnel Ave and along the Brisbane Lagoon on Sierra Point Pkwy (a road that always feels like it’s about to force you onto the 101), along the Bay Trail, through the airport, and then back via the BART from Millbrae. See some photos below. Wildflowers were blooming along the path, and the sun was shining, though there was an intense headwind along much of the bay. Here\u0026amp;rsquo;s a rough map, 20-25ish miles total depending on starting and ending points (I’m not sure I correctly traced all the Bay Trail, much of which was on paths).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/a-nice-day-for-a-ride/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFour people came out today, two for the first part of the ride (from the ballpark South, through empty industrial back streets of Bayshore, then along the bay around Candlestick Park, and back to SF). Two of us continued South along Tunnel Ave and along the Brisbane Lagoon on Sierra Point Pkwy (a road that always feels like it’s about to force you onto the 101), along the Bay Trail, through the airport, and then back via the BART from Millbrae. See some photos below. Wildflowers were blooming along the path, and the sun was shining, though there was an intense headwind along much of the bay. Here\u0026rsquo;s a \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2809787\"\u003erough map\u003c/a\u003e, 20-25ish miles total depending on starting and ending points (I’m not sure I correctly traced all the Bay Trail, much of which was on paths).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"a nice day for a ride"},{"content":"Less scenic: McDonnell through the airport (there may be a better way)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/less-scenic-mcdonnell-through-the-airport-there/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLess scenic: McDonnell through the airport (there may be a better way)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Less scenic: McDonnell through the airport (there may be a better way)"},{"content":"Approaching the airport\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/approaching-the-airport/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApproaching the airport\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Approaching the airport"},{"content":"On the Bay Trail\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/on-the-bay-trail/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn the Bay Trail\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On the Bay Trail"},{"content":"Part 1: Sunday Streets (http://sundaystreetssf.com/?page_id=470) route from the ballpark at 4th and King (meet there at 10:30am) down to the Bayview Opera House. Part 2: A ride as far south as we can along the Bay Trail (a separate bike path or lane some places, but also riding on the street many places). Maybe to the airport or farther to Foster City/Belmont (once we pass the airport it’s an amazing section of swampy marshes and mostly paved, car-free riding). I’m thinking an abridged version of this general route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Francisco-to-Sunnyvale\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/ride-this-sunday-2-part-1-easy-1-long/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePart 1: Sunday Streets (\u003ca href=\"http://sundaystreetssf.com/?page_id=470\"\u003ehttp://sundaystreetssf.com/?page_id=470\u003c/a\u003e) route from the ballpark at 4th and King (meet there at 10:30am) down to the Bayview Opera House. Part 2: A ride as far south as we can along the Bay Trail (a separate bike path or lane some places, but also riding on the street many places). Maybe to the airport or farther to Foster City/Belmont (once we pass the airport it’s an amazing section of swampy marshes and mostly paved, car-free riding). I’m thinking an abridged version of this general route: \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Francisco-to-Sunnyvale\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/San-Francisco-to-Sunnyvale\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"ride this sunday: 2-part (1 easy, 1 long)"},{"content":"And another\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/and-another/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnd another\u003c/p\u003e","title":"And another"},{"content":"Another pic from Saturday.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/another-pic-from-saturday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother pic from Saturday.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another pic from Saturday."},{"content":"Five of us rode up into the Oakland hills this morning, up a long though not too steep climb, past eucalyptus, along a ridge with great views, and then back down a swooping, turning descent. Good pavement quality, generally low traffic, perfect weather. Then lunch on the back patio at Lynn \u0026amp;amp; Lu’s Cafe near Lake Merritt. About 20 miles overall. Next ride tentatively in three weeks: Sunday 5/10, perhaps starting with the car-free Sunday Streets route for that day, and then continuing South along the bay?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/five-of-us-rode-up-into-the-oakland-hills-this/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFive of us rode up into the Oakland hills this morning, up a long though not too steep climb, past eucalyptus, along a ridge with great views, and then back down a swooping, turning descent. Good pavement quality, generally low traffic, perfect weather. Then lunch on the back patio at Lynn \u0026amp; Lu’s Cafe near Lake Merritt. \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/278009\"\u003eAbout 20 miles overall\u003c/a\u003e. Next ride tentatively in three weeks: Sunday 5/10, perhaps starting with the car-free \u003ca href=\"http://sundaystreetssf.com/?cat=3\"\u003eSunday Streets\u003c/a\u003e route for that day, and then continuing South along the bay?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Five of us rode up into the Oakland hills this morning, up a long though not too steep climb, past eucalyptus, along a ridge..."},{"content":"This Saturday: an east bay ride conceived by Colleen. Meet at Rockridge BART at 10:30 (and let me know if you’re coming). It will be a scenic ride with some hills, up to Skyline, maybe ending with lunch in Chinatown or around Grand/Lake. Possible route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/278009 p.s. Port Costa didn’t happen last weekend due to Easter and other events, but some weekend…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/east-bay-ride-sat-418/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis Saturday: an east bay ride conceived by Colleen. Meet at Rockridge BART at 10:30 (and let me know if you’re coming). It will be a scenic ride with some hills, up to Skyline, maybe ending with lunch in Chinatown or around Grand/Lake. Possible route: \u003ca href=\"http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/278009\"\u003ehttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/278009\u003c/a\u003e p.s. Port Costa didn’t happen last weekend due to Easter and other events, but some weekend…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"East Bay Ride Sat 4/18"},{"content":"It was just two of us on the ride yesterday, we ended up taking approximately this route (about 24 miles including Great Highway, a loop around Lake Merced, a stop at Trouble Coffee, and heading back along Sloat/Monterey):\nhttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704757\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/lake-merced-ride-map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was just two of us on the ride yesterday, we ended up taking approximately this route (about 24 miles including Great Highway, a loop around Lake Merced, a stop at Trouble Coffee, and heading back along Sloat/Monterey):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704757\"\u003ehttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704757\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lake Merced ride map"},{"content":"Some quick notes before I run out the door: Well, the rain seems to be in retreat. I’ll be out of town for the next week and a half, returning 4/4, but when I get back, I’m thinking: A shorter warm-up ride Sunday 4/5, likely: 10:30 AM @ 16th \u0026amp;amp; Mission, bike to Ocean Beach again (via Trouble Coffee w/ their cinnamon toast). TBD. A longer East Bay ride on Sunday 4/12 – maybe Walnut Creek-\u0026amp;gt;Martinez/Porta Costa if people are up for it, or something else on the Iron Horse trains from Walnut Creek. Generally involving meeting around 10:30 or 11 at one of the East Bay BART stops, details TBD. Also, several people have expressed interest in some day doing the Planet Of The Apes / Montara lighthouse ride (Pacifica area, fairly long/steep? likely involving staying overnight in a hostel down there, biking back the next day). I’m thinking in July some time…\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/upcoming-45-and-412-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome quick notes before I run out the door: Well, the rain seems to be in retreat. I’ll be out of town for the next week and a half, returning 4/4, but when I get back, I’m thinking: A shorter warm-up ride Sunday 4/5, likely: 10:30 AM @ 16th \u0026amp; Mission, bike to Ocean Beach again (via Trouble Coffee w/ their cinnamon toast). TBD. A longer East Bay ride on Sunday 4/12 – maybe Walnut Creek-\u0026gt;Martinez/Porta Costa if people are up for it, or something else on the Iron Horse trains from Walnut Creek. Generally involving meeting around 10:30 or 11 at one of the East Bay BART stops, details TBD. Also, several people have expressed interest in some day doing the Planet Of The Apes / Montara lighthouse ride (Pacifica area, fairly long/steep? likely involving staying overnight in a hostel down there, biking back the next day). I’m thinking in July some time…\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Upcoming 4/5 and 4/12 rides"},{"content":"Port Costa ride cancelled due to rain.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-ride-cancelled-due-to-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePort Costa ride cancelled due to rain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa ride cancelled due to rain."},{"content":"Port Costa bike ride planned for Sunday 3/1, details to come.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/port-costa-bike-ride-planned-for-sunday-31/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePort Costa bike ride planned for Sunday 3/1, details to come.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Port Costa bike ride planned for Sunday 3/1, details to come."},{"content":"[edit: cancelled due to rain, but to happen some time this spring]\nThis Sunday, 10:30, Pleasent Hill BART. About a 35-mile round trip, moderate hills, to Martinez, Port Costa, and maybe the John Muir house. Postponed to another week if weather is bad– check in with me . Some notes from Short Bike Rides San Francisco: “This mellow, mosey-along kind of ride offers highly scenic views of Mt. Diablo and the Easy Bay Hills as well as of the Carquinez Straits and the tiny and ancient hamlet of Port Costa. I don’t know which is the bigger treat: riding the eroded and unrepaired Carquinez Scenic Road, which is closed to cars, or shooting the bull with the locals at the Warehouse, an immense, historic bar [side note: has 200+ beers] in Port Costa right out of a country-music video. Then, of course, there’s the John Muir House to be visited, charming downtown Martinez to peruse, and the uncrowded multiuse paths of Contra Costa Country to check out.” And a few other excerpts: “You’ll find yourself climbing through a beautiful and very Spanish-looking old graveyard”, “postcard views of Carquinez Straits […] Forty percent of the land area of California drains its runoff water through these straits.”\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/next-ride-port-costa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[edit: cancelled due to rain, but to happen some time this spring]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Sunday, 10:30, Pleasent Hill BART. About a 35-mile round trip, moderate hills, to Martinez, Port Costa, and maybe the John Muir house. Postponed to another week if weather is bad– check in with me . Some notes from Short Bike Rides San Francisco: “This mellow, mosey-along kind of ride offers highly scenic views of Mt. Diablo and the Easy Bay Hills as well as of the Carquinez Straits and the tiny and ancient hamlet of Port Costa. I don’t know which is the bigger treat: riding the eroded and unrepaired Carquinez Scenic Road, which is closed to cars, or shooting the bull with the locals at the Warehouse, an immense, historic bar [side note: has 200+ beers] in Port Costa right out of a country-music video. Then, of course, there’s the John Muir House to be visited, charming downtown Martinez to peruse, and the uncrowded multiuse paths of Contra Costa Country to check out.” And a few other excerpts: “You’ll find yourself climbing through a beautiful and very Spanish-looking old graveyard”, “postcard views of Carquinez Straits […] Forty percent of the land area of California drains its runoff water through these straits.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Next Ride: Port Costa"},{"content":"(near the beach, good espresso and nearly-inch-thick toast slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, courtesy of Trouble Coffee)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/near-the-beach-good-espresso-and/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(near the beach, good espresso and nearly-inch-thick toast slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, courtesy of Trouble Coffee)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"(near the beach, good espresso and nearly-inch-thick toast slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, courtesy of Trouble Coffee)"},{"content":"It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About 15-20 miles round trip depending where people started and ended, see a sample route\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/it-was-a-nice-8-person-ride-today-to-ocean-beach/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About 15-20 miles round trip depending where people started and ended, see a \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2531813\"\u003esample route\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy.  About..."},{"content":"Everything is weather-dependent, but I’m up for trying to do this about twice a month. My tentative plans for upcoming rides:\nThis Sunday, Feb 1: the classic ride to golden gate park and ocean beach, via the wiggle. Lunch on the beach. With a stop at Trouble Coffee?\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/upcoming-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEverything is weather-dependent, but I’m up for trying to do this about twice a month. My tentative plans for upcoming rides:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Sunday, Feb 1: the classic ride to golden gate park and ocean beach, via the wiggle. Lunch on the beach. With a stop at Trouble Coffee?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Upcoming Rides"},{"content":"Here’s an approximate map of yesterday’s ride (including my route back), suggesting the total ride was probably 25-30 miles depending where you started and ended. I think we left the Ferry Building at 11 and got back to SF around 4, with lunch and some walking around in Sausalito in the middle. That was fun! Maybe next time we can plan out a post-ride place to grab some foor/beer ahead of time.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/map-sf-sausalito-sf/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere’s an \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2500029\"\u003eapproximate map\u003c/a\u003e of yesterday’s ride (including my route back), suggesting the total ride was probably 25-30 miles depending where you started and ended. I think we left the Ferry Building at 11 and got back to SF around 4, with lunch and some walking around in Sausalito in the middle. That was fun! Maybe next time we can plan out a post-ride place to grab some foor/beer ahead of time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Map: SF -\u003e Sausalito -\u003e SF"},{"content":"Seven of us on the ride today, here’s a photo from a stop in Sausalito.\nOverall ride about 20-25 miles, depending on route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704771\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/seven-of-us-on-the-ride-today-heres-a-photo-from/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSeven of us on the ride today, here’s a photo from a stop in Sausalito.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall ride about 20-25 miles, depending on route: \u003ca href=\"http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704771\"\u003ehttp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2704771\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seven of us on the ride today, here's a photo from a stop in Sausalito.   Overall ride about 20-25 miles, depending on route:..."},{"content":"I’m going to organize some periodic (1-2 a month) bike rides with friends in the Bay Area for fun. Some will be very low-traffic and flat, some will be more challenging. Possible rides include:\nSections of the Iron Horse trails in the East Bay (BART-accessible): off-road, paved, smooth, railroad-to-bike/jogging-trail conversions, flexible distance (pick a direction on the trails, bike, turn around whenever). A good set of starter rides. Sections of the Bay Trail– I haven’t done much here, but you can bike from Millbrae (BART/Caltrain) for miles and miles South right along the bay, mainly on a dedicated paved path. Maybe the first ride is Millbrae-\u0026amp;gt;Foster City-\u0026amp;gt;Belmont with a picnic stop. The classic bicycling to Ocean Beach via Golden Gate Park, “the wiggle” through the Haight, and so on. Maybe with a stop at Trouble Coffee in the outer sunset for cinnamon toast \u0026amp;amp; coconut, or the Riptide for a beer, depending on the time of day. Biking to Golden Gate Park via the wiggle, but then back via Portola / Twin Peaks Biking all around the Presidio. Biking along the Embarcadero, across the golden gate bridge, to Sausalito (or maybe Tiburon), and back either by bike or on the ferry Other more ambitious rides and suggestions by people: (periodically edited as I get more suggestions)\nWalnut Creek -\u0026amp;gt; Port Costa (about a 35-40 mile loop? More info to be posted here.) Biking down along the coast / Highway 1 to the Montara lighthouse, staying in a hostel there. Biking around in the port of Oakland some weekend when it is deserted Inland rides on the peninsula Planet of the Apes Road, down near Pacifica/Montara? Other sections of the Bay Trail (I bought all 6 Bay Trail maps) Biking to Marin county, camping for a night, biking back. ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/post/2009-bike-rides/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m going to organize some periodic (1-2 a month) bike rides with friends in the Bay Area for fun. Some will be very low-traffic and flat, some will be more challenging. Possible rides include:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSections of the Iron Horse trails in the East Bay (BART-accessible): off-road, paved, smooth, railroad-to-bike/jogging-trail conversions, flexible distance (pick a direction on the trails, bike, turn around whenever). A good set of starter rides.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSections of the Bay Trail– I haven’t done much here, but you can bike from Millbrae (BART/Caltrain) for miles and miles South right along the bay, mainly on a dedicated paved path. Maybe the first ride is Millbrae-\u0026gt;Foster City-\u0026gt;Belmont with a picnic stop.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe classic bicycling to Ocean Beach via Golden Gate Park, “the wiggle” through the Haight, and so on. Maybe with a stop at Trouble Coffee in the outer sunset for cinnamon toast \u0026amp; coconut, or the Riptide for a beer, depending on the time of day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiking to Golden Gate Park via the wiggle, but then back via Portola / Twin Peaks\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiking all around the Presidio.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiking along the Embarcadero, across the golden gate bridge, to Sausalito (or maybe Tiburon), and back either by bike or on the ferry\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther more ambitious rides and suggestions by people: (periodically edited as I get more suggestions)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"2009 Bike Rides"},{"content":"Velodromedary celebrates \u0026amp;ldquo;slow adventures by bike.\u0026amp;rdquo;\nHey, I’m Max, just a guy in the SF Bay Area who likes to explore and enjoy the outdoors by bike… and who rustles up groups of friends and friends-of-friends for occasional rides, usually in the 30-70 mile range with food involved (here are some of my favorite routes over the years).\nI’m all about the casual sightseeing-detours-and-chatting pace– even on a long uphill, I always stop for blackberries:\nThis blog was most active ~2009-2018, then life and social media evolved and a lot of my immediate post-ride maps+photo sharing moved elsewhere (strava, instagram, texts).\nI still occasionally organize group rides, but only post here after an especially interesting new route or a longer-distance tour. I keep the site online as a way to remember and share past routes, and from time to time I even hear from random strangers that they’ve found it useful… feel free to get in touch at max.bikeit (at gmail dot com)…\n2026 edit: I just moved this site off of Tumblr where it\u0026amp;rsquo;s been since 2009 (as bikeit.tumblr.com), but which was getting slower and more annoying to update, to a static site built with Hugo. I expect some links and images broke during the translation, but I\u0026amp;rsquo;m fixing them as I notice them\u0026amp;hellip; such is the life of online content (many of the blog\u0026amp;rsquo;s external links from 15 years ago have already broken, I wish I\u0026amp;rsquo;d saved screenshots or archives of some of them).\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVelodromedary\u003c/strong\u003e celebrates \u0026ldquo;slow adventures by bike.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHey, I’m Max, just a guy in the SF Bay Area who likes to explore and enjoy the outdoors by bike… and who rustles up groups of friends and friends-of-friends for occasional rides, usually in the 30-70 mile range with food involved (\u003ca href=\"../best/\"\u003ehere are some of my favorite routes\u003c/a\u003e over the years).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m all about the casual sightseeing-detours-and-chatting pace– even on a long uphill, I always stop for blackberries:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About"},{"content":"Rides I\u0026amp;rsquo;ve Organized SF \u0026amp;lsquo;Fiets \u0026amp;amp; Frites\u0026amp;rsquo; Ride — Dutch-themed bike ride with fries (and toppings). Plan · Recap\nSF Dumpling Rides (annual series)\nRide #1: inaugural dumpling-focused ride Ride #2: 48 participants, ~500 dumplings Ride #3: ~50 participants, 740 dumplings Ride #4: ~35 participants, 700 dumplings Other rides I\u0026amp;rsquo;ve put together:\nVow-of-Silence Sunset Ride Bike-and-Kayak combo ride (Marin) 100 Miles To Nowhere Dogpatch/Bayview History Ride (plan, recap) \u0026amp;ldquo;Double Trouble\u0026amp;rdquo; tour \u0026amp;ldquo;Cool Grey City of Love\u0026amp;rdquo; ride Livermore Vineyard Tour (#1, #3, #4, #4.5) Recurring Rides I\u0026amp;rsquo;ve Joined Tour de Cupcake Holiday Lights Ride East Bay Tour de Biere 2014 Supermarket Street Sweep (recaps: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016) 7 Hells of SF East Bay Bike \u0026amp;amp; Music Soil Saloon Butterlap San Francisco Bike Party East Bay Bike Party SF Scavenger Hunt Game East Bay Coffee Ride On the Radar Tunnel Breakfast Club East Bay Evening Ride (Thursdays) Coffee Outside friday ride CRAP Ride Oakland Art Ride The Bay Ride ","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/best/events/","summary":"I\u0026rsquo;ve organized dumpling tours, history rides, and more (and joined ones organized by others).","title":"Local Event / Themed Rides"},{"content":"Want to bike and eat dumplings, all afternoon?\nSaturday, April 13th, come join a friendly ride through some of San Francisco’s Western neighborhoods (Richmond, Sunset, West Portal), with stops at various dumpling shops along the way to get takeout to eat in nearby parks.\nRSVP here by April 10th, and I’ll email out details a few days before the ride (if a huge number of people people sign up I may have to limit it to the first 30-40 so we don’t over-tax San Francisco’s dumpling production capabilities).\nBring $10 to pool for the dumpling-buying fund so that some people can ride ahead and buy them at each stop rather than each placing our own orders.\nRiders of all backgrounds and families welcome– it will be about 15 miles, with one notable hill, at a casual pace with plenty of stops.\nWe’ll meet up at 10:30AM, at a location to be announced–\nCheers!\n(Oh, hi, I’m Max, just a guy who enjoys organizing rides, and an SF Bike Coalition member since 2008. I put together a dumpling tour with friends last year that went well, so wanted to try posting to the SFBC Chain Of Events and see if there’s broader interest…)\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/dumplings2013/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWant to bike and eat dumplings, all afternoon?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/dumplings2013/tumblr_inline_mi5cm7uIER1qzufob_hu_2d6d9b36ff8f8d17.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/dumplings2013/tumblr_inline_mi5cm7uIER1qzufob_hu_91468c7cb0cd4009.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaturday, April 13th, come join a friendly ride through some of San Francisco’s Western neighborhoods (Richmond, Sunset, West Portal), with stops at various dumpling shops along the way to get takeout to eat in nearby parks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5801282793?ref=ebtn\"\u003eRSVP here\u003c/a\u003e by April 10th, and I’ll email out details a few days before the ride (if a huge number of people people sign up I may have to limit it to the first 30-40 so we don’t over-tax San Francisco’s dumpling production capabilities).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"San Francisco Bicycle Dumpling Tour 2013"},{"content":"Sunday, May 5th, 2013: Want to tour the Southeast corner of San Francisco (Dogpatch, Bayview) by bike?\nWe’ll see old buildings, murals, urban goats, waterfront parks, and a few off-road paths, on a casual-pace, roughly 10-15 mile ride.\nWe’ll finish the ride at that weekend\u0026amp;rsquo;s Hunters Point Open Studios on the old naval base, where there will be food, music, and art (and bike racks). I’ll have mini-maps to show the easy route from there back to Dogpatch if you want to leave earlier.\nMeet-up time is 10AM in Espirit park at Minnesota St and 20th St (if you want to get coffee nearby beforehand, three options are Front, Farley’s, and Piccino).\nRSVP here: free, but I suggest a $10 donation to the SF Bike Coalition if you’re not a member.\nAnd hi, I’m Max, just a guy who lives in this part of the city and enjoys organizing group rides for friends. For a change, I thought I’d try organizing something more public and post it to the SF Bike Coalition Chain Of Events and see if there’s broader interest.\n","permalink":"https://velodromedary.com/sesf/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday, May 5th, 2013:\u003c/strong\u003e Want to tour the Southeast corner of San Francisco (Dogpatch, Bayview) by bike?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’ll see old buildings, murals, urban goats, waterfront parks, and a few off-road paths, on a casual-pace, roughly 10-15 mile ride.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mlwdg7CygF1qzufob_hu_a37b49542603a15b.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mlwdg7CygF1qzufob_hu_a423d78bf94f71e9.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"375\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mly2kpO9pN1qzufob_hu_c65c0477bd97efbe.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mly2kpO9pN1qzufob_hu_946d7ab898912cdc.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource type=\"image/webp\"\n            srcset=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mly2lwVoR31qzufob_hu_a04b2e66642f03b3.webp 480w\"\n            sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, (max-width: 1000px) 800px, 1200px\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"/sesf/tumblr_inline_mly2lwVoR31qzufob_hu_5ea3cff6575086c1.jpg\"\n         alt=\"\"\n         width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\n         loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’ll finish the ride at that weekend\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.shipyardartists.com/openstudio/openstudio.html\" title=\"http://www.shipyardartists.com/openstudio/openstudio.html\"\u003eHunters Point Open Studios\u003c/a\u003e on the old naval base, where there will be food, music, and art (and bike racks). I’ll have mini-maps to show the easy route from there back to Dogpatch if you want to leave earlier.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Southeast SF Tour and Open Studios"}]