Primavera is tomorrow, but we have a conflict. So we decided to do a ride inspired by their route.

We actually have a lot of history with this ride. The first time was rainy, so we went out the day before to but a bunch of rain gear, most of which is still in rotation.  It started us down the path of all-weather biking (or at least for Bay Area weather).  The second time helped form the beginning of our training series for the Oregon tour.  We did the reverse direction last year when Niles Canyon was closed to cars.

Ruth asked if Mommy could pull her trailer first today. So I got Max, and we didn’t end up switching. Somehow we actually got rolling by 9, which was very nice.

It was relatively hot, around 80, and clear. Fortunately, it wasn’t really punishingly hot, and we were able to find shade at stops.

We stopped for lunch at a park in Milpitas, near the start of the big climb for the day. There were two groups setting up for parties. One was obviously better funded, complete with two inflatable play structures and a bunch of canopies. The other was more mundane.  We, of course, were the scrappiest. The kids enjoyed the playground for a bit after eating.

Then on to the main climb up Calaveras.  The first bit was a little steep, and my front derailleur wouldn’t drop into the lowest chainring. It was a struggle, but I made it to where it levels a bit, which took off enough strain to shift properly. After a bit, it got steeper again, but we made it to Ed Levin park for a potty and water refills. While Ruth and I were refilling, Anne reports that a horse (presumably with a rider of some kind) walked down the road, but we missed it.

After the park, the climb continued to The Wall.  The Wall is a short section up to the top which gets as steep as 15%, and doesn’t really get below 12% or so. Anne had decided ahead of time that she would walk it. I’ve successfully biked it, but not with panniers and trailer. I realized it would be foolish (and hard to stop once on the hill), so walked as well. Pushing the bike up the hill was hard enough. We let Ruth walk herself, and she alternated between pushing the trailers, making faces at Max, and just walking up.

We got to the top in about ten minutes and saw the usual cluster of bikers regrouping, and got some nice comments. We regrouped ourselves, and got moving.

Calaveras runs along the backside of the hills, overlooking the undeveloped valley. It’s quite striking. It also rolls up and down, so you’re never really done climbing. Nothing is especially steep or sustained, so it’s not too bad. It’s about 1.5 cars wide, which makes traffic a bit interesting. No real conflicts today, though.

Eventually we descended into Sunol, although there’s a surprisingly long stretch after the descent before you actually get into town. We stopped at the market on the edge of town for a Coke and lime popsicle.

After a quick excursion through the main drag of Sunol, we returned through Niles Canyon. As usual, Niles Canyon is nice, although the inconsistent shoulder combined with steady car traffic keeps it from being a great ride. It helps that it’s slightly downhill westbound. The views are really lovely, with a long bridge over a stream and train tracks.

Finally we took the Alameda Creek Trail back home, and made it back home before the sun began to set.

We saw a bunch of cows, horses, and vultures today. As we approached, a vulture took flight with the rodent it was working on. We weren’t going to take it, anyways.

The ride today was really successful. The climbing went well, and we were able to keep a good tempo. I think the rolling on Calaveras (and to a lesser extent Paseo Padre) is a better proxy for the climbing we’ll see on the coast. Mostly smaller climbs, but repeated throughout the day, instead of one big climb. Both kinds have their own challenges, but we seem to keep a better pace without the sustained climb.