The Climbing Ride, December 11 - Questionable Decisions

The forecast for Sunday is extremely dicey, but this will be my last chance to lead a Climbing Ride until mid-January, so I’m at least going to schedule it. If it’s actively raining at 08:30 I’ll stay home; descending 15% grades in the wet is a fool’s game. I’m also going for the most conservative and close-to-home route, in case we get caught in the rain. So, uhh, with all that optimism in the air it’s sure to be a fun-fest.

Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1748276

39 Miles, 4700 ft.

Climbs of note: Arastradero, Westridge, Pinon/La Sandra, Mapache, Golden Hills/Fawn, Golden Oak, Hillbrook, Corte Madera, Los Trancos/Buck Meadow, Los Trancos (eastern spur), La Mesa.

Ride Safety:

Riders must be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19.

For additional ride safety rules, please visit https://www.altovelo.org/riding-etiquette

What: The Climbing Ride meets at the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce parking lot alternate Sundays at 09:10 and leaves at 09:15. We regroup and recover after every climb; if you can do OLH in under 25 minutes you should have no problem keeping up.

Where: Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. 321 University Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022

How: Remember, pace yourself appropriately, there's lots of hills to climb! Pay attention to traffic and don't hog the road. Rides are 40-60 miles with 5000-7000 feet of climbing. The emphasis is on little-traveled hills with grades of ten to twenty percent. Riders are encouraged to wear garishly colored socks, and discouraged from vomiting in people’s driveways.