Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by
Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was
represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully
snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom,
hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I
was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the
entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow
ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on
fabulous roads.
Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills,
some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County
spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The
Jack Browns might have even been a better choice.
Overheard:
Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to
look down for a while instead of looking ahead.
Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe.
Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars?
Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them?
Me: No, just moving them up higher.
Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike.
Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa
with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at
the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. ("But
they're so heavy!") In fact, Big Bens would be great.
In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm
tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed
to the common belief that extra clothing, food and equipment weigh
less if you carry them in a backpack or in jammed pockets, than if you
carry them on the bike. Saddlebags and front bags were not much in
evidence.
One day we rode from Calistoga to the Russian River. The optional
route included Sweetwater Springs, one of those roads that is terrific
in almost every possible way: deserted, with oak grasslands, then a
secluded little valley, then a (steep) climb up through redwoods. The
regular route was not too shabby either, but I chose the Sweetwater
option. On the way up I passed a couple of other riders walking. I
understand the appeal of compact doubles if compact doubles give you
low enough gears. And for a lot of people (who are stronger than me or
lighter than me or both) compact doubles do work. But riders who are
walking the steep hills, or riding up them with some knee-destroying
cadence in the 30s or 40s, need lower gears. It's sad to hear, "The
guy in the bike shop told me..." when the guy in the bike shop
obviously told the rider the wrong thing.
I highly recommend Sierra to the Sea. Try it for yourself next year and see!
--
-- Anne Paulson
My hovercraft is full of eels
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