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By admin, July 31, 2012 9:20 pm

This press release was sent from the Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

Contra Costa County Public Works Department will perform roadwork starting August 6, 2012 through the week of August 20, 2012 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. The Public Works Department maintenance crews will place a chip seal on the roads identified below. A chip seal involves spraying liquid asphalt on the pavement followed by the spreading of a layer of small aggregate (rock) that is embedded into the oil. Based on the current schedule, the following roads will be impacted by this work:

Week off August 6

• Antioch Area – Deer Valley Road
• Blackhawk Area – Blackhawk Road
• Tassajara Area – Collier Canyon Road, Carneal Road, Victorine Road, Manning Road, Marciel Road, and Johnston Road

Week of August 13

• Tassajara Area – Highland Road
• Pleasant Hill Area – Jones Road, Mayhew Way, Las Juntas Way, Del Hombre Lane, Walden Road, Seven Hills Ranch Road, and Cherry Lane
• El Sobrante / Richmond Area – Hillcrest Road, Hilltop Drive

Week off August 20

• El Sobrante / Richmond Area – Valley View Road
• North Richmond Area – Parr Boulevard, Fred Jackson Way, Goodrick Avenue, Pittsburg Avenue, Garden Tract Road, Central Street, Brookside Drive

The scheduled work is subject to change. Electronic message boards will advise motorists of planned work in advance. Motorists can expect delays and should use alternate routes. Schedule updates be posted on the Public Works website at: website www.cccpublicworks.org under the News Flash heading.

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By admin, September 22, 2009 10:30 pm

This blog provides a forum for members to post articles and exchange information. All past articles posted to the Diablo Cyclists Web site will be archived here. Postings will be restricted to DC members only. Please consider contributing content to our new Weblog. To obtain a login, contact the Webmaster.

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By admin, July 8, 2009 8:44 pm

by David DeRose

YET ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF LONG-WINDED AND BAD-SPIRITED RIDE REPORTS, RUINING A PERFECTLY LOVELY DAY ON THE BIKE

I. A LONG AND WHINY PROLOGUE

Friday, June 5^th, around 11AM. I am standing in the Ranger Station at the entrance to Yosemite National Park, staring at a map of California, and trying to get some good news from one of the rangers. I had been on my way to the Eastern Sierra Double and, now, about three and a half hours into the drive, I’ve been told that Tioga Pass is closed due to snow. So is Sonora Pass. I’d checked the weather and road conditions before leaving home, and all roads were open. I’d repeatedly tuned into the “road conditions radio frequency” while driving toward Yosemite, and there was no recorded message of any adverse road issues. But, when I got to the gate at Yosemite, a sign said “Tioga Pass closed due to snow.” So was Sonora. The ranger said Carson was probably open, but I shouldn’t bother if I didn’t have snow tires or chains. “It’s June!!!” I replied. So, I headed back down the mountain into Sonora to grab some lunch, sure that the conditions would change, and that some opportunity to get to the Eastern side of the Sierras would materialize. At the Tourist Information office in Sonora, I asked the counter person to call for updates. No changes. “My choices,” I asked. Drive up to Highway 50 and go through South Lake Tahoe or drive down to Bakersfield and pick-up 395 headed north. 50 was the closer option. “How long will that take from here?” “About 5 hours or so.” By this time, I’ve been in the car for well over 4 hours, and my back was complaining – LOUDLY! I’m not one who accepts defeat gracefully, but I got back in my car and drove home to Walnut Creek. 8 hours on the road, and back where I started.

II. MOPING AND OBSESSING AROUND THE HOUSE

Eastern Sierra was to be the third leg of my recumbent “Triple Crown” of doubles. I’d completed Solvang and Davis, and was looking forward to the scenic Eastern Sierra as a challenging way to finish the triple. For those who DID make it to the start of the ES, it was a harrowing day. (See Jay’s report) Sleet. Hail. Frigid temperatures. Unmarked route changes. After hearing their reports, part of me was glad I had been forced to turn around. But, I still wanted to finish the Triple Crown (I confess to coveting the finishers’ jersey), and within minutes of getting back to Walnut Creek, I was checking the internet for alternative rides that would be “do-able” on the recumbent. Terrible Two? In spite of Brian’s encouragement, just not happening on a bent. Mt. Tam Double? Better, but not until August. Could I hold my condition until August? I guess, if I had to. The most obvious choice was Knoxville, a relatively tough ride compared to something like Solvang, but on roads I know well and like. But, could I wait until the fall to finish? It’s usually a very bad time of year for me, with all the craziness that accompanies classes starting up again in September. The only possible double I could see on the immediate horizon was “The Grand Tour” out of Malibu in SoCal. But, that was a nearly six-hour drive, and my back would again not be very happy at the prospect. Besides, I had never heard of the Grand Tour, didn’t know any of the towns on the route, and was suspicious of anything in any way associated with Los Angeles. (My NoCal prejudice showing.) I did a bit of investigating, and it turns out that the Grand Tour is the oldest double in America, running for 51 years in a row, and people were fairly positive about the organization and support (if not the less-than-inspiring “Lowlands” route). When my wife volunteered to accompany me and share the driving, I decided to quietly register. I didn’t mention it to many of the club members, because I just didn’t know what to expect. I was struggling to hold fitness the last several weeks, had minor injuries to my knee, lower back, and Achilles tendon, and just didn’t have full confidence about a long day on the bike.

As it turns out, compared to my depression after missing Eastern Sierra and my anxiety about getting the triple finished, the ride itself was relatively uneventful.

III. WOULD YOU JUST RIDE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?

I never sleep the night before a big ride, and with a hotel full of college kids roaming the halls until about 2 am, I was up at 4:15, feeling less than chipper. My wife, not wanting to be trapped in the hotel all day, got up with me and drove me to the start (about 30 minutes from our hotel in Agoura Hills) so she could have the car. A chauffeur on a double! I’ve never had it so good!

The ride starts just down the road from Pepperdine University campus overlooking the ocean (those rich, right-wing kids have it made!), and heads up the Pacific Coast Highway for about 25 miles before heading inland. The first 10 or so miles are major shoreline rollers – not nearly as steep, but much, much longer than those above Point Reyes — and I reminded myself that this would also be the LAST 10 miles at the end of the day, and the rollers would look even worse then. What a blast, riding along the PCH in the early morning, pre-dawn, with fog keeping the temperature steady, and the sound of the breakers as you ride. Actually, because the breakers are well below road level on your left, and there are tall, steep cliffs on your right, it seems like the breakers are crashing on your right as the sound bounces off the cliffs. Very cool.

Once the rollers evened out into a relatively flat shoreline run, I started picking off riders pretty quickly. No wind at all at this point in the ride, and I was able to develop a nice, strong tempo. A young guy with aero-bars in Rock Racing kit was the only person to pass me, and I caught his wheel and let him pull me all the way up the coast.

IV. THE GRAND TOUR OF ???

• This ride could be called the “Grand Tour” of a lot of things:
• The Grand Tour of Ventura County
• The Grand Tour of the Pacific Coast Highway (cue America singing “Ventura Highway”)
• The Grand Tour of Southern California Naval Bases (there appears to be a Naval or Air Force base approximately every 10 miles along this route)
• The Grand Tour of towns with unpronounceable names: Port Hueneme? Ojai? (Is that “Yu-mi-ni?” Or “You name” as in “What’s you name, buddy?” And, is it “Wee-jee,” like the board? Or, “O-hey!” as in “Oh. Hey. Sorry I didn’t see you standing there.” Or, “OJ? They named a town after him?”)
• But, my vote has to go for the “Grand Tour of All Possible Bizarre Road Conditions”

(cue The Doors singing the following to the tune of “Strange Days:”)

Strange pave-ment’s found me.

Strange pavement’s tracked me down.

It’s going to destroy

My bike-riding joy

When have you ever been on a ride that included ALL of the following?

1. Riding for several miles on the shoulder of a freeway?*
2. Riding through town after town with stop lights every other block?
3. Riding for miles on a freeway frontage road with concrete and dust for scenery and the cars flying by in the opposite direction on the other side of a steel fence?
4. Riding on 6-foot-wide bike paths? You can HEAR the ocean just yards away, but its blocked by a wall of tall bushes. So, you are in a tunnel with bushes on one side, tourists on rented beach cruisers head-on, and a concrete wall separating you from the freeway on the other.
5. Riding the fastest, most technical descent of the day through a suburban country club? Ever yelled “on your left” to a golf cart before?
6. Riding through hot, dusty agricultural areas with acres of tomato plants on your right and acres of lemon trees on your left? Then, acres of cabbage on your left and grape vines on your right? Then, while you are looking at the acres of ripe strawberries… Oh my God! Hit the brakes! … a big agricultural vehicle pulls out onto the road in front of you, kicking up dust and leaving dirt all over the pavement.
7. Riding through road construction zones where they have ground down the road surface (leaving those little ridges for the new pavement to adhere to), but no new pavement yet? This stretch was a real crowd pleaser, and many of us spent our lunch break checking each other’s molars for loose fillings.
8. Riding past dozens of cars parked on the shoulder of the coast road with surfers wrestling their surf board back onto their roofs?

(Speaking of wrestling on the shoulder of the road: #1 thing I LEAST needed to see: 300 lbs sunburned guy wrestling to get out of his wet swimsuit by the side of the road. LUCKILY, followed only about 60 seconds later by the thing I MOST needed to see (to remove image of previous guy from my mind): 120 lbs surfer chick wrestling to get out of her wet suit.)

1. Expan (thunk) sion (thunk) cracks on (thunk) a fast (thunk) down (thunk) hill?
2. And, just when you are fed up with all this, a wonderful, screaming, tail-wind assisted 30 MPH rush down a well-paved, 20 foot wide shoulder on the Pacific Coast Highway with the late afternoon sun shining off the crescent beach of crashing waves on your left? (Which is just the inspiration you need to get yourself up and over that last 10 miles of big rollers.)

* Then, joking aside, I find out about a death on the course today:  http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jun/29/oxnard-driver-arrested-in-cyclists-death/

V. NO WHINING ABOUT SUPPORT. TAKE NOTE, PLANET ULTRA!

OK, the facts:

The course leaves a lot to be desired (with the exception of the first and last stretches along the ocean). Not very scenic. Too many stop lights, too many cars, and too many miles through towns. The above-mentioned weird and constantly changing course conditions. Boring terrain. But, it’s done and:

Weather was perfect. Never got above maybe low 80s, even in the inland areas. Fog on and off along the coast. I was tucked behind a tandem for the longest stretch up-coast into the head wind, so didn’t really feel it, and took full advantage of the tailwind coming home.

Support was excellent. TAKE NOTE PLANET ULTRA! Nice rest stops in parks, community centers, etc. Never a line for the toilets. Plenty of staff at all rest stops. Well-stocked with Hammer products, good variety of foods, and super-helpful people. Good lunch choices Cup-o-noodle soup at mile 140. Home-made soup and home-made cakes and cookies at mile 165. Maybe a few too many sugary sweets. Could have used boiled potatoes, but small complaint.

Organization was incredible. You can tell these people have been doing this for 50 years. Lots of SAG support. Course was well-marked and route sheets were full of helpful details/landmarks. (And, believe me, you needed them. This is a bizarre course.) Computerized check-in at start and finish. And, where else can you register and order a ride jersey a week before the event, and get your jersey at check-in?

By Davis or Solvang standards, this is an “intimate” ride. Only about 150 or so people on my course (there are 5 course options from 125 to 400 miles). Very friendly riders. I saw several of the same people at rest stop after rest stop, and probably took too long at lunch because I was chatting away with folks I had been riding with.

VI. RECUMBENT FRIENDLY AND FAST

Speaking of the riding, this is a FAST double on a recumbent. With the exception of the Rock Racing guy first thing in the morning, I cannot remember being passed by another rider all day except for “Eric,” a guy I’ve met before on a super light, super aero, all-carbon recumbent, who I leap-frogged with all day. He was just too aero for me on the flats (and he likes to run yellows!), but I was stronger on the climbs (thank you, Wednesday evening Diablo rides!), and I finally caught him and passed him for good on the big rollers at the end.  By far, my fastest sustained pace on a double! And, I was eating dinner at the end with the “big dogs” not the middle of the packers. So, without much climbing, the aero qualities of the recumbent must have been a definite advantage over road bikes on the flats and in the winds. [Found out later that I finished with 7^th fastest time out of 165 riders on my course. That’s recumbent-friendly!]

As was the case in Davis, I finished very strong, with my best (tail-wind assisted) speeds of the day being the last 30 miles, where I passed easily a dozen riders. The worst part of the day, as was also the case in Davis and Solvang, was definitely miles 80-140. This makes sense, because in all three rides these were the hottest and hilliest stretches.

Stats:
Miles: 203
Overall time: 13:05
Time on bike: 11:10
Average MPH: 18.1

And now I can stop whining and obsessing over the Triple Crown and get back to just having fun on the bike.

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By admin, September 7, 2008 7:03 pm

by Stephen Herrick

Here’s a good one to amaze your friends at rest stops

Kneel down next to your bike on level ground, and hold it upright. Turn the cranks so that the pedal on your side is at the very bottom (6 o’clock) position. Of course, the pedal on the opposite side is at the highest 12 o’clock position. Grab the pedal on your side.

Now you’re going to gently pull straight back on the pedal, (towards the rear of the bike,) but before you do, ask yourself these two questions: Which way will the pedals rotate, and in what direction will the bicycle move?

Of course, pulling back on the pedal at it’s lowest position should rotate the cranks in the normal forward pedaling motion, sending the bike forward, right? Try it, you might be surprised.

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By admin, September 9, 2007 8:41 pm

Don Cartwright, Mike Hrast and Kitty Goursolle have qualified for Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) by each completing the required full Brevet series (200k, 300k, 400k and 600k). If all goes as planned, they will be at the start in Paris on August 20th. For those unfamiliar with PBP, here is an excerpt from the Web site of Randonneurs USA describing this epic cycling event.

First run in 1891, the 1200-kilometer Paris-Brest-Paris, or “PBP” as it is commonly called, is a grueling test of human endurance and cycling ability. Organized every four years by the host Audax Club Parisien, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneurs is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road. Beginning on the southern side of the French capital, it travels west 600 kilometers to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returns along the same route. Today’s randonneur cyclists, while no longer riding the primitive machines used a hundred years ago over dirt roads or cobblestones, still have to face up to rough weather, endless hills, and pedaling around the clock. A 90-hour time limit ensures that only the hardiest randonneurs earn the prestigious PBP finisher’s medal and have their name entered into the event’s “Great Book” along with every other finisher going back to the very first PBP. To become a PBP ancien (or ancienne for the ladies) is to join a very elite group of cyclists who have successfully endured this mighty challenge. No longer a contest for professional racing cyclists (whose entry is now forbidden), PBP evolved into a timed randonnée or brevet for hard-riding amateurs during the middle part of the 20th century. The event is held in August every four years.

Inspired? Well here’s a recap of Don and Mike’s 400k qualifier that might serve as a reality check. Personally, I’m wondering if they might need some support staff at the finish? I’m sure I could find something to do in Paris during the nearly 4 days they’ll be out riding!

by Donald Cartwright

Yes it rained in the North Bay. But the “OH CRAP” moments started Friday night at the motel where Mike & I were staying. Laying out the riding gear for the 400K I found that I forgot to pack my knee warmers. “OH CRAP” #1. That meant not wearing my wool argyles. Not the fashion statement I wanted to make riding with calf covering socks, bare knees & lower thighs, and then shorts.

Up at 4AM and a look at the window found no rain and dry concrete. Maybe the day wouldn’t be so bad after all. On the drive from Vacaville (couldn’t get a room in Davis do to something called Picnic Day, the 63rd annual) to Davis the dry road started to get wetter. The dry start for the ride was out the window (out of the sky ?). “OH CRAP” #2. For the 300K there were about 200 riders. For this wet start it was down to 94 starters. Having ridden up with my Diablo contingent I didn’t have to circle the parking lot.

On the flat run along Putah Creek Rd. and Pleasants Valley Rd. the speed of the pack was 15 to 16 mph with burst up to 19 to 20 mph. On the 300K the speed of the pack was 20 to 21 mph. Oh what fun riding in the rain, and some rider’s rooster tail, can be. After riding through Fairfield it was up through Wooden Valley and up Hwy 121 to Moscowite Corner & Hwy 128. The 2nd Control Point (the 1st is the start), mile 67.3/Kilometer 108.4, is at Capell Valley School. Having pulled away from Mike on the climbs I had an extra 5 to 10 minutes I used to try and get my wet gloves off so I wouldn’t get my Brevet card wet. With a run of 4 hours to this stop we were on pace to wrap the ride up in 18 hours. Mike laughed that off.

From there it was North along Hwy 128 past Lake Hennessey (the location of the 1st or 2nd stop on the Tour of the Napa Valley) and a right turn onto the Silverado Trail to Calistoga and “OH CRAP” #3. In Calistoga there was supposed to be a right turn on Washington St. and into Control #3. However I swear that Washington St, didn’t have a street sign. On our 2nd ride through town Mike found Washington and we rolled into the Control at mile 96.3/Kilometer 155. With it being still cold and damp I had a hot cup of noodle and chocolate chip cookies. Mike had a sandwich and some cocoa. Nothing like good eats for Lunch.

Next stop, Geyserville, Control Point #4, and the turn around point. Leaving Calistoga the weather started to clear and out came the sun. And the wind. After 20 miles of sun and blow drying by the wind it was time to take off the reflective vest and rain coat. At the Control Point we both put on dry socks to keep our feet happy. On the way back the head wind turned into a welcomed tail wind. Rolling into Calistoga we could see that the clouds had returned. One of the sag drivers, Lee Mitchel, let us know that it was raining hard on Cardiac.

Leaving Calistoga we hooked up with a Steve Berry Special, a tandem. We rolled down the Silverado Trail at 25 mph until we hit a roller or little hill and the tandem’s speed would drop very quickly. When the tandem got a flat we found out why. Holding the back end of the tandem you could feel that they must have 40 pounds in the bag they had on their rack. Turning off of the Trail and heading back up Hwy 128 to the Control Point at the Lake Berryessa Dam I decided to leave the tandem and climb on my own. About 7 miles up the road the rain returned so it was a quick stop to put on the rain coat. Another 10 miles down the road it was another quick stop to put on the reflective vest and turn on my lights

Hitting the backside of the Cardiac climb there were several areas where the rain had caused lots of rock slides onto the road. On one I passed a Highway Patrol Officer kicking the bigger rocks off the road. I thanked him on my way by and he said “Your welcome”. He must have thought what the hell are cyclists doing out here. Rolling down the front side of Cardiac I hit rock pretty hard, “OH CRAP” #4, and had to pull to the side of the road to check the tire for any cuts. The rim had a good dent but the tire was still good. Slower speed down hill was the practice from that point on.

Rolling into the Control Point at the dam a lady came out of the dark and asked me if I had lost a water bottle. I thought she was talking about the cut down bottle I use to carry clothing in. Looking down I noticed that she was right. Must have been that damn rock. She quickly got me an Arrowhead water bottle with a sports top that I could use for the rest of the ride. That Davis Club is great on support. I parked the bike and waited for Mike to roll in. The rain was coming to a stop as I waited under the tent. They were offering those large black garbage bags to wear to keep the rain off. I grab one and stuck it under my damp thermal vest to keep the cold off my chest . Next was another cup of noodles and peanut butter sandwiches. I wasn’t getting colder but I wasn’t getting warmer either. When Mike rolled in I thought I might as well put on my dry arm warmers. That helped warm me up.

With Mike ready to roll it was on to Vacaville and our Receipt Control Point at a 7-11. Having studied the map they gave us along with the written directions I knew the 7-11 was on the left side of the street. Or so I thought. After riding 3/4 of the way across Vacaville Mike finally spotted a 7-11 on the left. I let him go inside while I watched the bikes. The location just didn’t feel right so I read the directions, “OH CRAP” #5. I went in and told Mike but he was already in line with his hot chocolate & banana. Mike came out and tossed the hot chocolate and it was back the way we came to get to the correct 7-11. Rolling out of the correct 7-11 we were feeling confident as we would be returning on roads we had done on the earlier Brevets.

As we rolled along Allendale Rd. we came to a T intersection with Meridian Rd. Mike calls out with authority “Right Turn” and on down Meridian we went, and on and on. It was “OH CRAP” #6 when we came to the Freeway (almost back to Vacaville). Reviewing the directions under a street light we found it should have been a LEFT turn, thanks Mike.

From there it was a pretty normal ride back to the finish. That is if you consider finishing at 1:30 in the morning normal. 19.5 hours for 263 miles (should have been 250). Then it was a nice snack of chocolate chip cookie smeared with peanut butter. Oh what we won’t do for Paris.