Distance: 39.2 mi.
Elevation gain: 2,918 ft.
Pace: B (moderate, occasional stops)
Terrain: 3 (moderate hills with some challenges)
Meet up at 8:45 AM for a 9:00 AM ride out
GPS file, map, and cue sheet
here.
Continuing to add elevation to our rides, we'll do this one-way ride from Castro Valley to Milpitas via two of the most beautiful roads in the East Bay: Palomares Road and Calaveras Road. We'll be riding through beautiful countryside almost the entire way until we get down to Milpitas. For this BART to BART ride, be sure to bring your Clipper card, because you'll need to take BART to get back from Milpitas to Castro Valley. Lunch after the ride for anyone who would like to.
The club did this ride for the first time a couple of years ago, and those who joined had a great day.
We'll check the weather in the morning and if there's a 30% chance of rain, will cancel and let those who are registered know. (So please preregister.)
This is the 6th ride in a 2024 winter/spring series to help people gear up for late spring and summer riding, including the Wine Country Century, AIDS/LifeCycle or your first metric or century of the year, or ever! We'll have longer and more difficult rides as the series progresses. We'll ride routes all over the Bay Area. Most routes will be without a whole lot of stop signs and lights. We'll try not to ride in the rain, and there won't be a safety speech.
BART information: if you're coming from the city, take the train that leaves 16th and Mission at 7:54 and arrives at Castro Valley Station at 8:39.
Meals: Be sure to carry a snack for this one. It's 40 miles with a good amount of climbing, and there's only one place to stop for snacks along the way (Sunol Corners Little Market, 11600 Pleasanton Sunol Rd). Group decision on a lunch stop at the end of the ride - a couple of options are
Pho Kim Long (Vietnamese, pho, noodles, rice plates) and
Colosseum New York Pizza, both on Capitol just before Milpitas BART.
Sweeps? No
Is this a "no rider left behind" ride? No, but we will have a few regroups. We will keep an eye out for each other but if you are a new rider please either know the route or bring a map in case you get dropped from the group.
Not a member? Consider joining us for just $20/year. Click
here.