San Francisco to Point Reyes, January 29, 2005

I started in front of Joseph Strauss at the south end of the Golden Gate
Bridge at about 7:15, just as it was light enough not to need head or
tail lights. The temperature started in the mid-40's F and probably
rose about 15 degrees F through the day. Winds were light, and since a
storm had blown through the day before, the air was fresh and clear.

My route was slightly different from that of the SF Randoneurs brevet
that had left 15 minutes earlier. I took Central through San Anselmo
and Fairfax on the outbound leg, and returned on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
all the way to Bon Air instead of taking the tedious bike route through
central Marin. I also took the bike path through Samuel Taylor State
Park, and I did not ride the out-and-back from Pt. Reyes Station to
Marshall, since I did not feel compelled to complete the 200k of the
official brevet route.

I did manage to snag some bonus miles: about 1/2 mile to the Bear Valley
Visitor Center (intentional), and another mile part way (although
fortunately, not all the way) down the road to Drake's Beach
(unintentional), when I unthinkingly followed signs for the Lighthouse.
Since the road to the Lighthouse was closed to motor vehicles but not to
bicycles, visitors to the Lighthouse were being directed to the parking
area at Drakes Beach to take a shuttle bus to the Lighthouse.

Aside from the spectacular scenery, the ride was mostly uneventful,
punctuated by a few stops along the way to shed or to put on clothing,
to get water or to leave it, or to stop and take pictures at a few
noteworthy locations. I spent some time at the Lighthouse viewing area,
although I didn't walk down the stairs to the actual lighthouse proper.
I also stopped at the Bovine Bakery in Pt. Reyes Station for a longer
stretch break and a mid-day snack when I started getting tired of
choking on bars and sucking down goo.

I saw several other cyclists I knew, all of whom were probably riding
the brevet that day: Zach Kaplan (on his trike), Jim Kern (on his new
Carbent), Tim Woudenberg (on his well-worn Barcroft Dakota), Ken
Holloway, Tom Lawrence, and probably several more who went by too
quickly for more than a wave or a nod of the head, and who in the space
of a few seconds probably recognize me in my bike more quickly than I
them on theirs.

What can't be captured on a compact flash card are the smells that hung
pungently in the air, especially in places where the visual scenery was
otherwise plain, such as the northern section of the Pt. Reyes peninsula
east of Inverness Ridge where, were it not for the smells and the high
density of the low shrubbery, I might have believed I was somewhere in
the high desert of eastern California.

Please see the picture gallery at:

http://tinyurl.com/6vxhv

Ride Stats:

distance: 115.0 miles
climbing: 5820 feet (according to the stingy Avocet 50)
total time: 7:54
riding time: 6:53
average speed: 16.7 mph
maximum speed: 51.4 mph
average HR: 104/106 (overall/while moving)
maximum power: 483 watts
average power: 166 watts
total energy: 4127 kJoules

--
Bill Bushnell
http://www.pobox.com/~bushnell/

Thought about going to SF to ride the brevet. Instead several of us did
the Long Distance Training ride that the ACTC sponsored. We did a 118
miles and traced many parts of the Winter Solstice Double, going out to
Holister and back. It was very windy on the way. Strong headwinds on
Fairview/Shore and Frazier Lake.

I guess winter is over and time to put those miles on. I think this
week is suppose to be over 100 as well.

Bill Bushnell wrote:

I started in front of Joseph Strauss at the south end of the Golden Gate
Bridge at about 7:15, just as it was light enough not to need head or
tail lights. The temperature started in the mid-40's F and probably
rose about 15 degrees F through the day. Winds were light, and since a
storm had blown through the day before, the air was fresh and clear.

My route was slightly different from that of the SF Randoneurs brevet
that had left 15 minutes earlier. I took Central through San Anselmo
and Fairfax on the outbound leg, and returned on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
all the way to Bon Air instead of taking the tedious bike route through
central Marin. I also took the bike path through Samuel Taylor State
Park, and I did not ride the out-and-back from Pt. Reyes Station to
Marshall, since I did not feel compelled to complete the 200k of the
official brevet route.

I did manage to snag some bonus miles: about 1/2 mile to the Bear Valley
Visitor Center (intentional), and another mile part way (although
fortunately, not all the way) down the road to Drake's Beach
(unintentional), when I unthinkingly followed signs for the Lighthouse.
Since the road to the Lighthouse was closed to motor vehicles but not to
bicycles, visitors to the Lighthouse were being directed to the parking
area at Drakes Beach to take a shuttle bus to the Lighthouse.

Aside from the spectacular scenery, the ride was mostly uneventful,
punctuated by a few stops along the way to shed or to put on clothing,
to get water or to leave it, or to stop and take pictures at a few
noteworthy locations. I spent some time at the Lighthouse viewing area,
although I didn't walk down the stairs to the actual lighthouse proper.
I also stopped at the Bovine Bakery in Pt. Reyes Station for a longer
stretch break and a mid-day snack when I started getting tired of
choking on bars and sucking down goo.

I saw several other cyclists I knew, all of whom were probably riding
the brevet that day: Zach Kaplan (on his trike), Jim Kern (on his new
Carbent), Tim Woudenberg (on his well-worn Barcroft Dakota), Ken
Holloway, Tom Lawrence, and probably several more who went by too
quickly for more than a wave or a nod of the head, and who in the space
of a few seconds probably recognize me in my bike more quickly than I
them on theirs.

What can't be captured on a compact flash card are the smells that hung
pungently in the air, especially in places where the visual scenery was
otherwise plain, such as the northern section of the Pt. Reyes peninsula
east of Inverness Ridge where, were it not for the smells and the high
density of the low shrubbery, I might have believed I was somewhere in
the high desert of eastern California.

Please see the picture gallery at:

http://tinyurl.com/6vxhv

Ride Stats:

distance: 115.0 miles
climbing: 5820 feet (according to the stingy Avocet 50)
total time: 7:54
riding time: 6:53
average speed: 16.7 mph
maximum speed: 51.4 mph
average HR: 104/106 (overall/while moving)
maximum power: 483 watts
average power: 166 watts
total energy: 4127 kJoules