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By sherrick, February 21, 2010 12:08 pm

So, on my return home from the Sunol ride, (Saturday, 2/20) I was taking my usual route through Diablo and came across one of the two Contra Costa sheriffs, who are assigned the “Diablo beat.” I’ve been having some discussions with the bus drivers here at school regarding the problems of bikes and cars sharing the narrow, winding stretch of Diablo Road between Athenian and Green Valley, and I was curious to get his opinion, and also to find out who would we talk to if we wanted to get a Bike Route marked through the town of Diablo as an option to the approach to Mt Diablo. He was very nice and we had an enlightening chat.

Here are some interesting tidbits I learned.

The town of Diablo is unincorporated, and is run independently of Danville by the Diablo Homeowners Association. They have their own police force, pay to maintain their own roads, (not the county’s responsibility so it doesn’t come out of your taxes,) and the roads are private roads, which are ostensibly open only to residents and guests of Diablo. Which means bikes aren’t even supposed to be back there anyway, but also means that if you blow through a stop sign, it won’t be a motor vehicle code violation, but merely a “civil” ticket.

The majority of residents of Diablo “hate” cyclists. They don’t want cyclists in their neighborhoods, someone is always trying to block the accesses through the fence along Mt Diablo Scenic, and there’s no way anyone is ever going to get a Bike Route marked through the town.

I asked him why they hate the cyclists, and his response was that bikes are a “pain in the ass,” and that in 2 and ½ years of patrolling that area, only once has he seen a cyclist actually come to a full stop and put a foot down at a stop sign. (That was probably me last month when I came to a screeching stop as I realized he was parked at the corner!)

Well, it seems like there’s a bit of a double standard here when it comes to obeying the letter of the law. Pretty much everyone in a car assumes that they have a 5 – 8 mile per hour buffer OVER the speed LIMIT and they know that they’re not going to get a ticket, and pretty much every cyclist I know assumes that if they slow down, and look in all directions, and there’s no one at an intersection with the right of way, that it’s okay to roll through the stop sign. Plus, how many cars actually come to that FULL stop? Now I’m not talking about someone who is recklessly speeding, or blowing through intersections risking life and limb, but why is it that most people get so incensed by the 26 pound bike rolling through the stop sign when we all wink and look away at people driving their too-large-cars at excessive speeds, eating gas and spewing carbon emissions into the air?

Ah well, preaching to the choir here.

Other interesting info:

The town of Diablo is 3 miles wide, but he puts 100 miles per day on his vehicle while on patrol. And, the town doesn’t put them in small cruisers, but rather large SUV’s. He uses 6 gallons of gas a day, which means he’s getting 16.6 miles per gallon. I would assume that goes for his partner as well.

You know the rutted section of Mt Diablo Scenic leading up to the park? Well, nobody can agree on whose road that is. Danville (Contra Costa County) says it’s not their’s, Diablo doesn’t own it, and it’s not State Park yet, so there is no plan for anyone to maintain it. Now here’s a good one. Apparently when the state was going to redo South Gate road in the park, they offered to take over that stretch of road. But STATE roads need to be a minimum of 22’ wide, and there were sections where the residents would have had to give up 3’ of their easement. Now keep in mind that all of the homes on that stretch are probably at least 50’ off the road anyway, so how much would they have lost if they gave up that 3”? Well, they all said, “No,” so the state went away and we’re all left with that crappy pot-holed road.

Lastly, the officer’s opinion of how things would ever change is that when someone is finally killed or maimed by a motor vehicle while they’re riding a bike on Diablo road without an adequate shoulder, and the surviving family members start to sue everyone they can….

Well, I just hope it’s not one of us, and I hope it’s not an Athenian school bus driver.

Comments (2)

By wingles, February 19, 2010 1:48 pm

3/8/2010 - Voler size samples have been at HF the last two weekends.  They are now on their way back to Voler.   I’ll start taking orders as soon as I:

1. Put together an order form.
2. Check/verify shipping costs.

*******************************************************************************************

We are proceeding with a jersey order.  The Jersey is Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26772741@N04/4383447535/

All communcations related to this should be sent to: DiabloCyclists2006 at hotmail.com.

I reserve the right to change my mind about any of this at any time.

WI

 ************************************************************************************

 Some Info:

What will this order include:  Short sleeve items only.  That means short sleeve jerseys, sleeveless jerseys, and wind vests.  All items will be the same design (that means the white jersey described below).  You can choose between a full zipper and a “regular length” zipper.

What will this order NOT include:  No Shorts.  No Long Sleeve items (i.e., No Long Sleeve Jerseys, Jackets, Arm Warmers).  No partidge and no pear tree.

How much will this cost:  Far too much IMO.  Current Voler prices are $79 for short sleeve and sleeveless jerseys, and $75 for wind vests.  That does not include shipping or sales tax.  Since the club has a few $ in the bank and since this order is open to club members only, my plan is to use club $ to cover the shipping and tax (any complaints?).  I plan to price items as follows, with a higher price if you don’t pick up your jersey before a ride (see below, and why do you want a jersey if you’re not coming on club rides?).

Jerseys:  $80 (pre ride pickup)                $90 (shipping Cost to be verified)

Vests:    $75 (pre ride pickup)                   $85 (shipping Cost to be verified)

What’s The Schedule:

Orders - Order forms will need to be completed (forms to be provided later) and full payment (checks) mailed so that they arrive before the end of March 2010 (details TBD).  Orders recieved after that date may not be filled.  I will not accept hand delivery of your order (if you try to give me $ before a ride I will take it and buy everyone their beverage of choice (and a cookie too) at the post ride festivities).

Give me my stuff – If we get our order to Voler by the due date, their shipping schedule is the first week of June 2010.  So, if all goes well, we should have our stuff for the weekend of June 12 & 13.

I will bring stuff to the Saturday/Sunday rides for preride pickup.  That means you come to a ride and get your stuff before the ride.  I usually do not have a car at Heather Farms so I can’t store items for post ride delivery.   Also, my rides tend to get extended and I never know when I will finish.  Steps in this process:

1.  I will post / update here when stuff arrives.

2.  You let me know which ride you will be attending

3.  I bring your stuff to the ride start and you take it before the ride.

4.  If this won’t work for you, add the appropriate $ (TBD) and I will ship your stuff (UPS/USPS?)

Proposed Jersey (compared to the current design)

I’ve attached a markup of the Voler pattern sheet.  I suggest looking at this next to a current jersey to see how it fits together.  The major changes are:

1.    Background changed from blue to white.

2.    Sleeves and side panels changed from yellow to white (I don’t care for how the yellow and white look together).

3.    Collar changed from blue to white.

4.    On the front and back, Main Logos:

a.   the color of the mountain has been changed from black to the blue previously used for the main pieces (and the same shade as the sleeve stripes)

b.   Added a dark outline around the logo(s) and the text.

c.    Contour lines (between peaks) changed from dark blue to white.

5.    I did NOT change the logo on the sleeves.  I thought the dark mountains made more sense with the moon.

FAQ

Q.   What’s this zipper business?
A.   The standard zippers go about ¾ of the way down the jersey.  Some like full zippers for more ventilation on hot days (or so they can put on the jersey without messing up their hair).   Voler says we can mix lengths in our order so you’ll need to decide what you want before placing your order.

Q.   Can I get a long sleeve jersey
A.   No. 

Q.   How do I know what size to get?
A.   In my experience Voler sizing is completely random so it would be a good idea to try one on.  We’ll have some samples, you can ask your friends, or try a local shop.  There is some vague information on the voler website.

Q.   Can I order shorts?
A.   No.  But you might be able to tie a jersey around your waist to preserve any modesty you have left after wearing lycra in public.

Q.   Will this jersey make my a** look fat?
A.   Maybe.  If you notice everyone hiding behind you when it gets windy, that might be a hint.

Q.   Can I get a jersey in the current (blue) style.
A.   If you fit into one of the sizes that I have stashed in my closet, yes.  Otherwise, maybe in a few years.

Q.   Can I pay now?
A.   For a jersey, no.  But checks made payable to Ward’s Di2 fund will be gladly accepted.

Q.   Why are the Republicans saying no to everything?
A.   They are just bummed that they don’t have spiffy new Diablo Cyclists jerseys.

Q.   How do you say Voler?
A.   I think Voler says Vol-lay.

Q.   All other questions?
A.   No.

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By sherrick, February 15, 2010 9:39 pm

Well, we were off and riding again, and since the weather cooperated, we had a wonderful 3-day weekend of riding, relaxing, eating, and strolling on the beach.

We rented a small cottage for two nights in Anchor Bay, just north of Gualala, right on the coast. The plan was to drive part way up on Saturday and stop along the way for a short ride, then do a local ride on Sunday, and stop again on our way home on Monday for a third ride.

Our drive took us up Highway 1, right through Valley Ford, so that was our first stop. We parked and cycled out east, climbed up Jonive Rd to Occidental, and then over Coleman Valley Road and dropped down to the coast in Bodega Bay. We had gotten a late start, so that was all we had time for on Saturday. 40 miles, 3,000’ of climbing.

Sunday, we got up and waited for the fog to lift enough to see the wheel in front of you, and tried a new road up and over the ridge just east of Gualala. After dropping down to the coast again, we headed north to explore the lighthouse at Point Arena. Very cool place, great docents, and you get to climb to the top of the tower and get an incredible 360-degree view of the surrounding ocean and green hills. 45 miles, 3,000’ of climbing.

Monday was the Queen stage, so our plan was to ride King Ridge Road, (irony intended.) We checked out of our cottage and drove south to Duncan’s Mills, near the mouth of the Russian River. When we got out of our van, the fog was thick and it was cold, but the weatherman had promised warm weather, so off we went climbing up to Cazadero. As soon as we got away from the river, the sky cleared and it started to warm up. Since neither of us had ever ridden King’s Ridge from west to east, we decided to climb over Fort Ross Road first. I think it’s just as tough a climb as King’s Ridge, and the weather kept getting hotter. Then, north on Sea View, drop like a stone down Hauser Bridge Road, and then a climb back up that rivals pretty much anything in our area. The good news is that by the time you get to King’s Ridge, you’ve done almost all of your climbing, so heading back was gentle and a completely different experience from climbing up from Cazadero. The hills were lush and green, hardly any wind, and we even got to play “dodge-cows” that were grazing all along the side of the road. 60 miles, 5,500’ of climbing.

Wouldn’t you know, when we got back to the Russian River, the fog was still there, and we were happy to grab a hot chocolate/mocha espresso from the local bakery and head home.

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By tradtke, November 30, 2009 9:06 pm

Well, the leaves have tourned, and the clock has fallen back. What now?
Set up the trainer and ride in the rec-room? Spinning to nowhere.
Pack up the bike and start packing on the pounds? Mmm Pie!
Or, tough it out and ride through the Winter… Mmm, mmm two pieces of pie!

I started bike commuting before the turn of the century, 1998.
Back then I was a fair weather cyclist and only rode from April to October.
Over the years I have accumulated more and more gear and have extended
my riding season to the point where I now ride year round.

What I have found is that weather is not as big an issue as I thought it would be.
Dealing with the cold and wet is fairly easily done with layers of clothing
that every cyclist already has. Fenders will keep your bike pretty clean.
What really brings a halt to riding is Darkness.
Lights have come a long way. There are now plenty of fairly cheap
1 watt led systems available. I have a box in my garage with a pretty strange
assortment of creatures; Cat Eyes, Knog Frogs, MiNewts.
However, to really punch a hole in the dark takes something like a 3w light.
The new led lights have high output, and your battery will last a long time.
To learn more than you ever wanted to know about lights, visit the
CandlePowerForums.

Lights are only part of the solution. You also need to Be Seen.
I never really felt comfortable riding in the dark until I went retro.
Retro-reflective that is. I found that 3M makes some retro-reflective
tapes in many different colors, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Gold, Green,
White, and Black (yes black reflectors). In sizes from 1/10th to 3 inch widths
on a 37 foot roll. I have so much of this stuff all over my bike and helmet,
that I now feel more visible in the dark than during the day.
I got my pinstripe tapes from these folks, StreetGlo. However, I think you can
find it many places on line with a Google search on “retro reflective tape”.

Below are some photos of my pinstripe projects in both light and dark.

By Day…

>

… and by Night.

So, go out and ride. Stay warm and be seen.