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| 0/27/2007 |
Here is a set of fotos from our first training ride. It’s amazing, I can link them all right to this page. To see all the pictures, click on the image above. From Lake Merritt to the Richmond Marina on the S.F. Bay Trail with a group of 15 riders. Co-leaders: Valdez Hill, Kat Zumbach and Diana Fong-Wedgwood. Listed as Cat. 1&2, intending to take it easy on this flat route and build up some base miles, as well as accommodate beginners (as usual, no actual Cat. 1 riders showed up!) The route begins on city streets, not too busy on a Saturday morning, but the surface was rough going out 27th Street where it had been scraped for repaving, and the long stretch out Market and Sacramento is pretty unattractive. It gets better as we cross the pedestrian bridge over Highway 80 and, after a rest stop at the produce stand (with porta potty!) at University, we continue along the scenic bike path between the freeway and the Bay. Impressive: in the midst of this high density traffic area we have a regional park, wetland preserve and nature sanctuary and a trail for cyclists and hikers which circles all of San Francisco Bay. Hazy today and not much of a view (you can usually look out to the Golden Gate), but it gradually becomes sunny and warmer as we cruise around the boats in the Richmond Marina. We collect for snacks and fotos and conversation at the end of the path; then Valdez leads a faster group back to the Lake–they are running late for an appointment and according to Valdez crank it up over 20 mph on the return. The rest of us visit Rosie the Riveter (monument to the workers, many of them women and Blacks from the south, who worked in the shipyards here during World War II) and ride back in leisurely fashion. In Emeryville we discover the Bike Boulevard which bypasses busy Shellmound St., then decide to ride east on 40th St., which takes Mary almost home and John and Jowee to MacArthur BART, and then to the Lake. Lunch for a few of us at the new Whole Foods on Harrison. Clock says 28 miles, 8.9 average, which is mighty slow, but I am tired enough. Have some training to do myself to get ready for the Ride.
