tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.comments2010-11-04T21:14:42.681-07:00Chris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14752878892062237803noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-71002116214548029412010-11-04T21:14:42.681-07:002010-11-04T21:14:42.681-07:00Indeed, that&#39;s the only way over Highway 92. It&#39;s not that bad -- although there&#39;s no marked bike lane, the shoulder over the bridge isn&#39;t all that narrow. On weekends, traffic usually isn&#39;t bad, and cars (and trucks) are smart enough to get over into the left lane.<br /><br />The only other option is to climb Bunker Hill and cross 280 there, but that&#39;s a nasty, nasty, very steep climb.<br /><br />That&#39;s why this long-term closure on Skyline is such a big issue ... there just aren&#39;t that many through-traffic streets around there, thanks to the terrain.Chris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14752878892062237803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-12950772279260686682010-11-04T21:08:08.916-07:002010-11-04T21:08:08.916-07:00To get to the Ralston bike trail via Polhemus, it looks like you have to cross an overpass over 92. Google earth shows this overpass to have no shoulders, and a semi truck zooming over it. Is this the safest way to get to the Ralston bike trail?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15354410124420309435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-39676130228694710592010-05-30T19:12:49.600-07:002010-05-30T19:12:49.600-07:00Great stats Chris. This helps with what to anticipate during the seven days. I thought the Ride 7 would be close to day 1. Seems like day 1 will be tougher, factoring the wind along the coast in addition to the climbs.<br />- AjitAjithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06733410416581126460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-14887909100352186422010-05-16T15:37:13.272-07:002010-05-16T15:37:13.272-07:00Thanks Chris for organizing these training ride. The amount of time that you devote to create these routes and educate riders on your blogs are very commendable. I personally, for sure, have gotten confidence to ride long distances. Good luck to all of us riding the ALC9!!Ajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06733410416581126460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-19318103528080524262010-04-27T00:06:50.704-07:002010-04-27T00:06:50.704-07:00Thanks Chris for such a lucid comparison and letting us know what to expect. Seems like DOTR certainly was a curtain raiser to this year&#39;s day 1 as well. <br /><br />Well,I am looking forward to Day 1, more so the Gilroy ride this weekend.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Ajit SharmaAjithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06733410416581126460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-13253831235005816162010-04-09T15:39:54.754-07:002010-04-09T15:39:54.754-07:00Yes I suffered a few set backs last year when i was training. I over trained so much my body totally shut down and i kept on getting sick.. If you have done long/hard rides in the past 2-3 weeks, take a week off to give your body some rest. The time off the bike will make you stronger on your next ride.Denizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07676415923718222211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-62195372777061963462010-04-04T18:10:16.636-07:002010-04-04T18:10:16.636-07:00Ajit: You&#39;re welcome!<br /><br />You ask questions that probably have different answers for everybody, so just take these replies as guidelines, and find what works best for you.<br /><br />Cramps: Here is a <a href="http://www.roadbikerider.com/cramps.htm" rel="nofollow">collection of recommendations</a> from people on what works for them. Fortunately, cramps are one of the few things that I generally don&#39;t have to deal with, so I haven&#39;t really thought much about this. On a really hot day last summer, though, I had some serious leg cramps, and I made my way post-haste to the massage therapist at the end of our ride.<br /><br />Food: The key here is to have a balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes, protein, and fat. Everybody&#39;s balance is different, and different people can process different amounts and types of food while cycling. On long training rides, I often have liquid &quot;smoothie&quot;-type drinks, such as Odwalla, coupled with deli-style sandwiches at meal breaks. On ALC itself, I&#39;ve often gone for small packages of salted nuts, mostly because they usually go down well for me and they contain all-important sodium while not being very bulky.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://www.njrando.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&amp;t=52" rel="nofollow">collection</a> of reader comments on long-distance nutrition. These are keyed to one-shot events of 200km or more, but they generally also apply to events such as ALC.<br /><br />I hope this helps, and thank you for riding!Chris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14752878892062237803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-73527935813497512062010-04-04T16:16:36.762-07:002010-04-04T16:16:36.762-07:00Thanks Chris for organizing the ride yesterday. Special Thanks to other volunteers and Taryl!! This was my longest ride to date and did help boost my morale to ride in the June event. From your experience, what advice do you have for some of us who are fairly new to long distance riding on the topics below:<br />a. How do we avoid cramps on long rides?<br /><br />b. There was someone on yesterday&#39;s ride who had cramps on the Skyline climb. In the event a person has cramps, what should one do?<br /><br />c. In terms of food intake, is there any specific types of food that one should consume to sustain these long distance rides?<br /><br />Please advice.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />Ajit SharmaAjithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06733410416581126460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-8119892432024888682010-03-15T09:17:27.232-07:002010-03-15T09:17:27.232-07:00I&#39;m equally disappointed and relieved that I got sidelined for this ride. I really appreciate this post, because though I don&#39;t think of myself as competitive, I often feel like &quot;I&#39;m falling behind&quot;. I really prefer riding along with a few other people, and watching a group pull ahead of me always makes me a little sad. I&#39;m trying hard to temper my desire to keep up with &quot;enjoying the ride&quot;.Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06169867325741889654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-12476383048770856932010-02-21T21:52:22.734-08:002010-02-21T21:52:22.734-08:00Wow, you guys are dedicated! The Orinda ride got cancelled all together, so I went to gym to spin. Can&#39;t say I&#39;m sorry I missed the rain - but the video made me feel like I was there. Thanks, Chris!Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06169867325741889654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-49750654383370333792010-02-16T18:14:35.365-08:002010-02-16T18:14:35.365-08:00I think you did yell that you were going to stop as you had a problem (as best as I could hear from behind you).<br /><br />I did have this happen to me once. As my shoes have velcro, I took my foot out so that I could assess the problem from a better vantage point. At that time, I actually had a screw fall out from my SPD cleat.<br /><br />That lead me to buy a cheap ($40) torque wrench from a national store known for tools, find my shoe specs, and realize that they recommended 6lbs of torque on the cleat screws. 6lbs is a fair amount of torque.<br /><br />The torque wrench also comes in handy for multiple other uses with carbon frames.<br /><br />A socket-based Allen wrench can do the trick. I don&#39;t think the multi-tool Allen wrenches are good for non-road repairs.<br /><br />If I remember, or if I get prodded, I&#39;ll bring my sockets and torque wrench next ride I do.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996662068346670374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-2623697102193748642009-12-12T15:34:14.714-08:002009-12-12T15:34:14.714-08:00Contrats to all who rode - but I do think you&#39;re a little crazy. I opted for back to back spin classes at the gym, and I&#39;m very glad I did. Maybe i&#39;ll see you Sunday.Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06169867325741889654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-50429950760176742552009-11-23T19:46:00.633-08:002009-11-23T19:46:00.633-08:00Anyone from Santa Cruz attending this? My bicycle and I could use a ride if anyone has room. <br />(831) 331 4026<br />robin.leon.davis@gmail.comrobindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04874636988054743171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-87229208406832880792009-09-06T17:34:45.462-07:002009-09-06T17:34:45.462-07:00good demonstration of safety Chris...Glad you&#39;re okayDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07870980423419949271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-2863422044133967212009-08-19T22:46:03.719-07:002009-08-19T22:46:03.719-07:00Yeah, commuting through the Peninsula is a well-intended, but horrifying mess. I tried being creative on my ride home to Santa Clara and then gave up. Central Expressway is nice, wide, and seems sparsely travelled, but by the time I get to it (San Antonio), there&#39;s not much point in deviating away from El Camino Real. Oh well.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06084957332945270303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-10798430525504000722009-05-28T09:13:45.206-07:002009-05-28T09:13:45.206-07:00Perhaps check your caching settings.uakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910001333052088535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-14335983525485839262009-05-07T15:38:00.000-07:002009-05-07T15:38:00.000-07:00Chris,<br />you will be fine. your muscles have memonries. they dont just forget that fast. i thought i just want to share my story about my bike crash about 2 months ago. so my ALC 8 is out. it happened on a bike path on my way back to orinda bart station. it was on 3/8/09. i broke bones C7(my neck)T4 (back) and 8 ribs. it was the worse crash ever. they kept me in the hospital for 4 days. i had to wear my neck brace for 6 weeks. i'm healed now. believe or not, i went on a short ride from sf sport basement to tiburon (30 mile loop) two weeks ago. i ran into alot ALC8 folks who were doing the "day on the ride". i felt fine when i got home. i thought i would die but i didnt. <br />anyway, i missed cat 3 ride this year. i guess i see you next year.<br />khangkhanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515847717875287915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-43157861285404416672009-04-22T19:38:00.000-07:002009-04-22T19:38:00.000-07:00Congratulations ... that's fantastic!Chris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14752878892062237803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-31763970635775853602009-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:002009-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00I just met my $3,000 goal too!!! :)uakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910001333052088535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-2822753908889761872009-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:002009-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00This post could not be more timely. Thanks!uakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910001333052088535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-34475641203119829442009-03-10T02:44:00.000-07:002009-03-10T02:44:00.000-07:00Hi Bro !<BR/><BR/>Gr8 Work !<BR/><BR/>Keep it up and i would also like to showcase your ride on aidssupport.aarogya.com<BR/><BR/>my mail id is anand@aarogya.com<BR/><BR/>do contact me<BR/><BR/>cheers <BR/><BR/>AnandWhoisanandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982683197893804949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-36864772127350213872009-02-28T18:00:00.000-08:002009-02-28T18:00:00.000-08:00Reading your ride reports is like clicking the FedEx package status button. Can't wait to receive my reading! Have a wonderful birthday evening!uakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910001333052088535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-11940540160096815382009-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:002009-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:00Thanks, Chris! The temple was the highlight and I felt like I was on vacation for a few moments. :)uakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910001333052088535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-79434936067971693922008-11-02T14:05:00.000-08:002008-11-02T14:05:00.000-08:00The dates for 2009 are:<BR/>May 31: Santa Cruz<BR/>June 1: King City<BR/>June 2: Paso Robles<BR/>June 3: Santa Maria<BR/>June 4: Lompoc<BR/>June 5: Ventura<BR/>June 6: Los AngelesChris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14752878892062237803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850286457056808908.post-1644340303638321092008-10-28T07:37:00.000-07:002008-10-28T07:37:00.000-07:00thank you for the princess info. So what is the date exactly for that booking? I am going to do the same...but I don't want to mess up on the booking date. thanks, jeanne<BR/>jeannelv@yahoo.comjeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01321747231127304504noreply@blogger.com