Category Archives: 2013 Tour Prep

2013 Tour Prep, Organized Rides

Primavera 2013 70 km

Day two of the bikestravaganza went well. This was Primavera, an organized ride put on by the local cycling club. Last time we did the ride it was rainy, windy, cold, and kind of miserable. We didn’t have any rain gear, so the day before we wet to REI and went to town. This time it was hot and sunny.

I took the trailer until the first rest stop, halfway up the big climb. I ended up needing to stop once for breath, but managed to make it. Then Anne took Ruth for the second half of the climb, including the short but steep section known as “The Wall”. She ended up walking part of the way, but even so I didn’t beat her to the top by much.

Then we rode along the far side of the hills east of Fremont, overlooking the Calaveras Reservoir and Valley. It’s crazy that this is just a few miles from home.

We had to bribe Ruth with a cookie in order to get her to put the helmet back on after the second rest stop, but she seemed happy in the trailer. I should have had another cookie too, since I started loosing steam in the last couple of miles. At the finish they had lasagna, hot dogs, and ice cream, so I survived.

Animal sightings: cows (way down in the valley), horses, roosters (heard, but not seen), some wild turkeys, a “sleeping” deer, two dogs (at the rest stops), and a motorcycle gang.

Mechanical problems: None!

Most interesting roadside debris: A biker relaxing on an embankment within the first 10 miles of the ride.

2013 Tour Prep

Mt Diablo Loop, with the kid this time

This was the first day of our bikestravaganza weekend — two full sized rides in two days, to start getting used to longer rides for our planned tour in the summer.

This was also Anne’s first real ride with her new Surly Disc Trucker. She picked it up from the shop yesterday. Sounds a more womanly seat is in order, but otherwise she’s happy.

Going up the big hill was tough with the kiddie trailer. Fortunately, just when I thought I was about to die, Anne offer to take it. Haha, sucker. Of course, I finished the climb still thinking I was going to die, just with a lighter load. There was a Team in Training group that passed us on the way up, but at least they were impress at us dragging up the trailer.

The descent was fun, as always. Some blind turns, but not much traffic.

Ruth had fun with water. At some point we let her keep one of our water bottles with her in the trailer. When we next checked on her, she had squeezed the entire bottle out onto her pants and the bottle of the trailer. Anne had the bright idea of using a diaper to soak up the water. Then, at the park at the top of the climb, she thoroughly soaked herself with the doggy faucet. It was a hot day, so we just let it be.

Animal sightings: cows, horses, a chicken, a turkey, a turkey vulture, a red winged black bird, ducks, ponies, and a snake trying to get out of a canal.

Mechanical problems: None!

Most interesting roadside debris: A silk blouse.