Chain Reaction closes Los Altos store.

On 05/12/2017 10:37 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at 2:36:14 AM UTC-8, wrote:
You're f****** nuts....All these places beat the **** out of Cameron Park.

Jay, you really don't know what you're talking about. As one who has lived in both places, I am here to attest to the fact that cycling in and around the Sierra foothills has Bay Area cycling beat all to hell. It's probably the best cycling area in the entire country. The Bay Area is too freaking crowded.

According to Joerg, riding in the Sierra foothills is a nightmare.

I can't comment on current conditions in SCV, and I haven't lived in the Sierra foothills, but I've ridden there plenty of times coming back from Tahoe and Yosemite and on day rides. I like the Sierra a lot. I've done the Death Ride a few times and many tours. But the run-out through the foothills is not the best part. HWY 49 has some difficult climbs and atmospheric old towns, but it is not like riding to an alpine lake on Ebbetts or any of the scenery in the high Sierra. It isn't like riding on the coast or to the coast -- or even Skyline to the Bay. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...yline_Blvd.jpg

No doubt the Sierra foothills are more rural and less crowded than much of the SCV, and I'm not saying anyone has to move to a city. When I lived in the SCV, my favorite rides were not in the city. They were in the mountains or on the coast. It was "fun" and not miserable as Joerg claims. Plenty of bikes are being sold in the SCV, I'm sure -- not including all the bikes being sold from the Specialized headquarters in Morgan Hill.

As far as the best riding in the country goes, I much prefer riding through varied greenery. http://beautifulhoodriver.com/images...3_11-19-10.jpg I do love the smell of riding through the brown hills in California, but even then, I prefer the set between the valley and coast because there is more bay and eucalyptus -- great smells. Not just oak and grass.

-- Jay Beattie.








Anyone can ride where they want. I don't mind riding in Montreal. I do
that for my commute and don't have many complaints. When I'm not
working, I sometime ride down to the old port if it's a weekday and
there aren't a gazillion bikes on the road there.

But generally on weekends I'm heading west away from the city. It's not
really much about the traffic but I'm about 30km from the Ontario border
and the road quality is a lot better there. Anyway, most weekends I'm
with my club group and it's easier with wider roads and less traffic.

The hills and scenery west of Montreal are nice but I don't mind the
scenery in Old Montreal either.