[East Bay] Sunday A-ride 10/18 - Berkeley Hills

This Sunday, we will head to the Berkeley Hills via Redwood Road. We’ll do one loop of the Berkeley Hills Road Race route and then continue up Grizzly Peak Blvd. We’ll aim to maintain a good pace (~3 W/kg). You’re always welcome to push hard on the climbs — we’ll regroup at the top.

You can take BART: it’s about a 10-minute ride from the Castro Valley BART Station to the start. We’ll also pass the Orinda BART Station around 10 a.m., so you can join us there (at Camino Pablo Street).

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3399651446337075422

Summary: 82 miles / 7,400 feet

Start: Castro Valley Community Park

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Vasyl Stokolosa

[GRAVEL] Saturday A Ride 10/17 - LKHC El Sereno

Hello team, after being traumatized at Lost and Found four months ago, I think I’m ready to give gravel another shot. And with this Butano-sized bonanza of absolute bullshittery, I’ll be sure to inflict enough trauma upon myself (and perhaps you too) again to become gravel averse for another four months afterwards!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3545904981321735276 - 68mi / 9,600ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Richard Red

10/10/26 Saturday A Ride - Big Basin

Hi all,

Seems like there was a big group who rode LKHC Lobitos Friday and will be riding it Sunday, so we will be doing classic Big Basin today.

Pace is Rachel pace, stops are typical. Regroup up climbs, keep it together on rollers.

Ride Leader: Rachel

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3543658619882287980 - 80mi / 8600ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Sunday A Ride - 9/27/26: Recruitment Ride

Think you’d look really good in a blue and orange kit? Want some sprinties that aren’t spectrum? Orrrrr are you interested in racing with the Alto Velo Racing Team in 2027? If so, join us this Sunday 9/27 at 9:00 AM at Summit Bicycles for our 2027 Recruitment Ride! While there will be some spirited sections of the ride like the climb and some sprints on the way back, I want to emphasize that the focus for this ride should be socializing with your potential teammates for next year and getting an idea of what racing on AV is all about.

For this ride, we will head out from Summit Bicycles on Page mill through Arastadero, go up Old La Honda, cut through PV, go up and down Kings Mountain and then head out and back on Canada. We will stop briefly at the water temple on the way back and then rip back through PV for a firehouse sprint and follow back like we’re riding spectrum.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3538343111134236980

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Jon Wells

Summary: 51.3 miles / 3,603 feet

Sunday A Ride 9/20 - FOMO Kings Coastal Classic

So I’m basically only, sort of, definitely, being a little dramatic about the fact that I need to work ONE Saturday this year and that time has come for tomorrow. It also doesn’t help that I have major FOMO to be missing Richard’s fun birthday ride. Oh well. Maybe I won’t get over it.

Because I can’t ride Saturday, I’d like to get in a decent ride on Sunday. Since I can’t really get myself to ride more than 2 hours on my own, I’m leading the Sunday A ride! Please come out and join me if you don’t have the time or legs for 100 miles on Saturday!

Route is nothing crazy. Basically a coastal classic but climbing Kings instead of OLH because I haven’t climbed Kings in a minute. Pace as always with me is chill but efficient. Come chit chat with me up the climbs but regroups will be fairly quick for the last rider [likely me =)].

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3536231253188890734

Start:Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Katie Monaghan

Summary: 60.2 miles / 5,723 feet

[8AM START] Saturday A Ride 9/19 - Birthday Basin

Hello team, we haven’t been to big basin in months. Pls fix

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3535071999473599288 - 96mi / 10,700ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 8:00 AM, Roll 8:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Richard Red

Sunday A Ride - 9/13/26: Recruitment Ride

Are you interested in racing with the Alto Velo Racing Team in 2027, or just looking for a ride that isn’t Spectrum? If so, join us thisSunday 9/13 at 9:00 AM at Summit Bicycles for our 2027 Recruitment Ride! This is your best opportunity to get to know the team and show off your strengths on the road. We should have something for everyone from fast climbing to fatigued end of day sprints, so be sure to pack a generous amount of nutrition and sunscreen.

For this ride, we will head out from Summit Bicycles East via Sand Hill, go up Old La Honda, and come down 84 to the Woodside Store on Tripp for a regroup/water stop. We will then do an out and back on Cañada before heading back on Portola for a spirited firehouse sprint as we head back to Cal Ave.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3532907636271129712

Start:Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: George Wehner / Clark Penado

Summary: 53.3 miles / 3,928 feet

Saturday A Ride 9/12/26 Pumpkin Spice Shake Shack

Come ride some beautiful roads in the Peninsula Saturday morning. Sometimes, looping in that shortish, not necessarily convenient for a big ride, but beautiful road or segment I haven’t done in a bit is all the motivation I need for a longer ride. I want to call it adding some spice, but this ride is far from ~spicey~, so let’s call it pumpkin spice. Plus it’s unofficially fall so maybe it fits. I saw a pumpkin carving kit in Safeway on Labor Day weekend which was shocking, so now that my bubble is burst, let’s ring in the fall with some pumpkin spice. Didn’t shake shack have a pumpkin spice shake at one point? Wouldn’t that be the perfect end to this ride.

We’ll head up Kings after weaving through Woodside, and then descend Tunitas to hit little Lobitos Creek loop before a water stop at the Bike Hut. We’ll take 1 and Stage to head up 84 and do WOLH. We’ll get water at Sky Londa, descend 84 to Portola Valley. If you are feeling it, join for an upper Alpine to Joaquin down through Los Trancos, or head straight to Shake Shack where we’ll all meet to end our ride with some grub.

Time: 9:00AM at Summit Bicycles Palo Alto. Roll 9:10AM.

Date: 9/12/26

Ride Leader: Drew Mathews

Route: A Ride 9/12/26 67 miles 6700 feet …… six seven

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Saturday A Ride 9/5 - Montebello, Gist

Hello team, I’m tired of going to Pescadero every week so we are going south for a somewhat unusual segment, Gist! First Montebello, then around Lexington Reservoir to Black Rd, then Gist to Skyline to 9 to a lengthy cafe stop in Saratoga.

After making the route and writing this out, Gist doesn’t look like a real word anymore. It looks like if you mistyped Fist. Which is probably what it will feel like at that point in the ride with its 10.3% average gradient, either to your face or somewhere else on the body…

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3530679890378848268 - 78mi / 7,800ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Richard Red

Saturday AVA-E: Pigeon Point & Picnic!

This Saturday is AV Picnic day, so we’ll be knocking out a nice ride to the lighthouse perfectly timed to arrive at the picnic for an afternoon of festivity, camaraderie, and lots of food! If you haven’t signed up for the picnic, you can do so here ($5 members/$15 non-members - bring friends and family!). This means we will end at the Redwood Picnic Shelter in Huddart Park - and not at Summit or Shake Shack.

Time: 9:00AM at Summit Bicycles Palo Alto. Wheels down 9:10AM.

Date: 8/26/26

Ride Leader: Kevin Kauffman

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3339466315482731930 ~72 miles/~7.8k feet

We’ll start up OLH with a quick water refill at Sky Londa as this will be our last good water stop until our Pesky rendezvous (at 46mi) so please bring enough bottles. We’ll next head down 84 toward Pescadero with a turn-off at Cloverdale/Gazos for the Pigeon Point loop bring us back up HWY1 to Pescadero. We’ll grab a nice pastry + coffee in town before heading down Stage, taking the Lobitos detour, then up Tunitas → down Kings to the picnic.

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Sunday A Ride 8/23 - Montebello and Portola Redwoods State Park

I was struggling to think of a route that I haven’t done recently, but luckily Adam Meyer has already solved this problem with a route generator. I selected Montebello and Portola Redwoods State Park Road as the climbs, hit generate, and voila! Now we do what the AI tells us.

Pace will be endurance, but feel free to go hard on the climbs if that's what your heart desires. Regroups at the top and bottom of each climb as usual. First water stop is the fire station on Skyline.

Ride Leader: Louise Thomas
Start/End location: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto
Route: 63 miles, 8000 ft
Route link: https://www.strava.com/routes/3526089768174531766
Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.
Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Saturday A Ride 8/22 - Kings - Coast - HMB- Purissima

I’m tired of Pescadero so lets go to Halfmoon Bay instead. Yes it is shorter than Jonathan’s B-ride, but so be it. We can add on more if we want to.

We will start through Portola Valley on the Nooner/Spectrum route to Kings. After a regroup at top of Kings we will head north on skyline to 92 and descend back to Cañada and work our way north to Pacifica, make sure to have the route here if you aren’t going to be in the group, there is a little wiggling back and forth unless you’re going to be on Sawyer Camp Trail (yikes) or 280 (double yikes). Next regroup with water and bathroom will be at Devils Slide.

Our longer stop will be in Halfmoon Bay before we head up Higgins Canyon way to Purissima Creek Trail which meets Skyline near the top of Kings again. If you haven’t done the Purissima Creek Trail climb, it is doable on a road bike, but takes a little bit of thought to find your smooth line in spots.

Then we will descend Kings back into town and be home. Tada.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3525760685024402158- 80mi / 7,800ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Hannon Ayer

Saturday A Ride 8/15 - Pescadero, again

Hello team, forgive my lack of creativity but we’re going to Pescadero yet again. Z2 with a lunch stop, then maybe we can stretch our legs a little bit on Tunitas. Nothing too crazy so we can feel fresh for the next day’s Tam route up north!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3522289884458677284 - 77mi / 7,100ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Richard Red

Sunday A Ride: 8am, 8/16 - Mt. Tam!

8AM START! It’s been awhile since we’ve had a ride start up in the city, so this weekend is a perfect one to explore my favorite Marin roads. This will be a true endurance pace, no smashing — the 8am start should give us plenty of time to enjoy the views and not be rushed.

Time: 8am from Crissy Field East Beach parking lot (free parking!)

Date: 8/16/26

Ride Leader: Wil Gibb

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3472239870892956590 ~70 miles/~7k feet

This is my favorite way to do Tam, going across Alpine Dam, climbing the seven sisters, and descending down to Stinson Beach before rolling along the most stunning section of Highway 1. Stops for water at the Fairfax police station, top of Tam. Main food stop will be in Stinson Beach.

Hawk Hill at the end is optional, but as a peninsula rider I’ll take any chance I can get to ride it.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

AVA-E Saturday 8/8 - Pesky Loop

Yes, yes, yes. The rumors are true. You might be asking what rumors. Well… After months of blowing everyone ears about how I disliked and thought my previous bike sucked (Don’t worry, I’m not done complaining). It’s finaly time for the maiden voyage of my new bike. I’m sorry to everyone (mainly Jack) who I annoyed when flying past them on my commuter with the caltrain bike tag flapping in the air. I will still pass you, just faster now.

Please join me in this exciting ride where we will head to pesky by OLH for a stages/hwy 1 loop before heading back to Manresa by West Alpine. The ride will end at Manresa in Palo Alto where Miles from Bicycle Law will generously provide treats!

Regroups at the Skylonda, Pescadero and top of WAlpine. Slow roll at the bottom of hasking to all roll together in pescadero

Ride Leader: Adam B

Start/End location: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto/Manresa Bread, Palo Alto

Route: 133km/2440m

Route link: https://www.strava.com/routes/3520664492355000504

Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.

Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Sunday A Ride 8/2 - HMB through Higgins

Join us this Sunday for a cool cruise along the coast. We will climb Kings, and find our way to HMB through Higgins Canyon. After a coffee stop we will ride highway 1, 84 and WOLH to skyline. You can go hard on long climbs but otherwise limited to my pace everywhere else.  

Ride Leader: Hoss Hayati
Start/End location: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto
Route: 77 miles, 6800 ft
Route link: https://www.strava.com/routes/3518392235038788670
Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.
Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

AVA-E Saturday 8/1 Nested (OLH) Loop

Join us this Saturday for an OLH PR. Please help me and Philip on sub-18 🥹 with a pace, pull, or cheer….

Climbs are fair game to smash, but please regroup at the top of each climb. Keep it together on flats/rollers . We’re riding OLH then a loop around OLH, hence a nested loop. I can’t code, I used ChatGPT for the witty reference.

Ride Leader: Rachel

Start/End location: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Route: 75.5mi, 7,800ft

Route link: https://www.strava.com/routes/3493436484906794006

Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.

Ride etiquette:https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Sunday A Ride 7/26 - HMB Loop

I’m often wondering why roads like Higgins canyon exist and feel the need to justify their existance by biking them. Fortunatly, this route does exactly that. Short and sweet (depending of your prefered on the bike nutrition) loop at a z2 pace regroup at the top of kings and tunitas. Includes a stop at HMB for water/pastry/coffee/toilet break. Current route goes to the usual plaza, but open to try something else.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3515851271307010618- 104Km / 1909m

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Adam Beliveau

Saturday A Ride 7/25 - Pomponio Creek

Hello team, I’m thinking of ways to make Pescadero routes more interesting since we go there so often. Z2 and a quick cafe stop after the out and back from stage. Ends at Shake Shack, where our esteemed burger benefactors will bestow upon us milkshakes free of charge. Amen

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3515516075159053538 - 80mi / 7,400ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Rachel Hwang

Saturday A-ride 7/18 HMB Express

Come along for a flowy endurance ride heading North! One of my favorite (short) loops in the Bay. Pace is endurance on the front and on the climbs throughout. Please respect the pace and enjoy the ride while logging some beautiful endurance miles.

Stops: top of Kings (regroup), HMB (5-10 mins), top of Tunitas (regroup), Summit (end)

Pace: 3-3.5 W/kg throughout

Route: https://connect.garmin.com/app/course/488557517

Summary: 63 miles / 5,835 feet

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 8:00 am & roll out 8:10 am. (YES 8am!)

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Michael Matthews