A-Ride January 14th, 2024: Big Basin
Let's embark on a climbing adventure! One of my all-time favorite rides Big Basin - Our meeting point is Summit Bicycles Palo Alto at 9 am. We'll kick off with a warm-up by cycling to Stevens Creek via Foothill. Upon arrival, we'll tackle the Redwood Gulch climb, making our way to the summit of Congress Spring Road/Skyline. A brief celebration and regrouping session (3-5 minutes) will follow at the top. Afterward, we'll descend into Big Basin, this will be a rolling regrouping at the bottom before continuing through Big Basin and stopping in Boulder Creek for a 5-minute refueling break.
To maintain a cohesive group, let's stick together on flats and descents, regrouping at the top of climbs. Expect cool weather, and given the length of the ride, ensure you have sufficient fuel. We'll have two planned pit stops, one in Boulder Creek and another in Castle Rock, each lasting 5 minutes. Our descent down Page Mill Road will lead us to a brief stop at the intersection of Page Mill Road and Arastradero. Here, we'll decide on the OPTIONAL additional climb of OLH to achieve a total of 10,000 feet of climbing. If you prefer to skip this segment (completely understandable), the ride concludes. For those opting for OLH, we'll head back to Summit after completing it.
Should be an awesome time in the saddle, so if you’ve made a new year’s resolution to join an A-ride (or do more A-rides), head on out!
Fuel: 3-4 Gels, 2 bottles (500ml/ea. - Super Carb Mix), 2 energy bars
(I will generally re-fuel at boulder creek, if needed)
Reminder: The A-ride meets at Summit Bicycles on California Ave in Palo Alto at 9 am Sunday during the winter months
Route: AV-A Ride 1-14-2024 Big Basin 100mi/10,000ft
Summary: 100 miles / 10,000 feet: Summit Bicycles > Foothill > Steven Creek Canyon > Redwood Gulch > Congress Spring Road > Big Basin Way > Boulder Creek > Bear Creek Rd > Skyline > Page Mill > Summit Bicycles (Optional Route to Arastradero > Alpine > Portola > OLH > Sand Hill > Summit)
Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto
Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.
Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules
Ride Leader: Steven Pelas