# RoadBikeReview group ride - September 7th - 9am, Palo Alto VA



## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

Same meeting place (Palo Alto VA parking lot), Same meeting time (9 am).

Same general route. Francois will lead the 'A' group through Huddert while the rest of the ride goes through the maze and get a head start on Canada.

The ride usually breaks up into two groups (possibly three depending on riders) with multiple regroups.



Here's the map of the VA parking lot and where to meet.


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## kwc (Mar 10, 2008)

I'll be there if I'm not busy shooing the Master Track Nats


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

I'll try to make it (barring any unforeseen events).

I'll try and stay with the A's this time.


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

CoLiKe20 said:


> I'll try and stay with the A's this time.


Ditchin us in the C's eh?


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

I’d like to be there. I will know in less than a week if I will be able to make it.


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

bump... let's do this.


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

word.


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

We're having a yard sale to raise MS Waves to Wine funds... can't make it.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

What time do you guys actually roll? I see from a previous ride that photo's were taken as late as 9:30am. The reason I ask is that I have a 3 year old who likes to wake up early and a wife who likes to wake up late, and I need to bridge the gap. If I know the approximate roll-time I can leave things as late as possible to maximize the chance of getting the all-important spousal approval. If I'm a few minutes late, I can always attempt to bridge up to the later group. Cheers!


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

The rides usually start slow, so as long as you know the route, you shouldn't have a problem catching up.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Dr_John said:


> The rides usually start slow, so as long as you know the route, you shouldn't have a problem catching up.


Thanks! I'll broach the subject with ukwife and ukchild tonight then.


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## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

alright. imma try to be there.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Nope. This is the weekend my wife takes her business trip to Nepal. Count me out for another week or so… D’oh!!!


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## Pedo (Jul 31, 2008)

Count me in


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

so I was getting ready to head out the door then the cell phone rang.... Why do people wait till sunday to call for an "emergency" that's started 3 days ago???


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

CoLiKe20 said:


> "emergency" that's started 3 days ago???


dood, that's crazy... if i had an emergency with my EYE, i'd call immediately... were they not sure whether they wanted to see anymore or what??


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

photo time... names later, cuz i'm tired.

Good turn out! Thanks everyone for coming out to ride with us!



























Ruel (sp?) and I hauled ass on Canada when it became apparent we might beat the A group..









Jack all smiles..


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

Gregg all smiles


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)




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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

thien said:


>



You guys look great. so euro-pro. Sorry I couldn't make it. I'm fighting a chest infection right now.

Thanks Gregg and Thien for organizing.

fc


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

Yep, thanks all. I had fun as always. Always nice to see the usual suspects and some new faces. And nice job B group beating the A group to 92. We were moving pretty good and still didn't catch you. :thumbsup: 

For the A-group ride, I had 39.27 miles with an 18.8 mph average. Not bad, considering it included Huddart.


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## Superunleaded (Jun 19, 2006)

Thank y'all for the great ride. I'm not sure what ride I was in since I was caught in no mans land. By the time I got to the end of Canada, Thien and Ruel were all smiling not knowing what was that all about and then I find out about the A and B group. Next time ima do some sandbagging


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## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

Dang. The first thing I did when I got home was drink like 8 gallons of water then take a 4 hour nap.

After my greasy, greasy burger and fries, of course.


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

Cruzer2424 said:


> Dang. The first thing I did when I got home was drink like 8 gallons of water then take a 4 hour nap.


I did that too, but I fit in uploading the photos in between the water and 4 hour nap... :thumbsup:


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## velogirl (Oct 14, 2005)

okay, I think it's time for a RBR women's ride. ladies, what do you think? I'll lead/sponsor/coordinate.

Lorri

ps -- nice to see all the men out today.....but......let's get some ladies involved too!


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## JimmyORCA (Mar 18, 2008)

Wow looks like so much fun.


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## goloso (Feb 4, 2004)

*Fun ride indeed*



Dr_John said:


> For the A-group ride, I had 39.27 miles with an 18.8 mph average. Not bad, considering it included Huddart.


in no small measure due to your Cancellara like pull on Portola!


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## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

goloso said:


> in no small measure due to your Cancellara like pull on Portola!


Dr. John doesn't know the meaning of slow!


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## gregg (Oct 30, 2000)

Good ride, everyone! And thanks for taking the pics, Thien. Where was Eddy? No party at the back this time...unless you count me and Thien.... 

And thanks to Jack and the Ciclista Crew for showing up, riding all the way from the East Bay even!

I was just happy that I was able to finally make it all the way to the end of Canada...before the A group, no less!

Till next time.

-g


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> in no small measure due to your Cancellara like pull on Portola!


Yeah, we were definitely hauling there. :thumbsup: And although we didn't catch the B group, I thought we did a pretty good job on Cañada too.



> Dr. John doesn't know the meaning of slow!


I'm not so sure about that... what was funny to me was when I told you guys at Arastradero and Alpine that we'd regroup at Alpine and Portola and that if you wanted to really hammer, to go ahead, you guys promptly dumped me. LOL. :thumbsup: Thanks for coming Cruzer, hang-over and all.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

*Notes from the sharp end*

This was my first group ride with the RBR crew. Actually, my first group ride ever if you exclude organized century rides. I'll try to recount what happened in the A group though I don't know all the names/handles so please excuse me (or remind me) of the ones that I missed out.

DrJohn set a fast tempo pace right out of the parking lot. It was clear that he was taking his group leader responsibilities very seriously. Everyone came back together at the left turn onto Page Mill and we rode as a group with DrJon leading through Old Page Mill. Immediately after that I could see gaps forming and it was pretty clear that the elastic was going to snap! Since there were no cars around the 280 intersection I took advantage of the extra space to jump up to second wheel right behind DrJohn and decided to hold tight there. DrJohn would not relent over Astradero so I just held his wheel until Cruzer2424 and someone else came up along side and I fell back in line. I think it was just the 4 or 5 of us then, with a big split to the rest of the group. I ride this route a lot, but this was the only time I can remember never noticing any of the scenery with all my concentration on maintaining my line and holding the wheel in front.

After turning onto Alpine I think it was Cruzer2424 who announced his attention to put the hammer down, and the leaders powered up the hill. I held on again and I think the A group did split under Cruzer's crushing up-hill sprint. After the regroup, DrJohn led a fast Cancellera-esque pace down Portola Rd and there were about half a dozen of us in the lead group. We got broken up turning left onto Tripp by the sudden arrival of a two-seater sports car coming in the other direction. By the time Cruzer2424 and I made the turn we were gapped by several hundred yards to the leaders. Clearly there was to be no mercy in this group, and the rules of engagement for the day were set! This time I put the power down and Cruzer2424 tucked in behind as we sped through the back streets of Woodside in the low 30mphs to bridge the gap. No sooner had we bridged then everyone eased off and it was time for the regroup.

So the A group went off through the Huddert Park extension, and I think it was the same half-a-dozen-or-so riders. Early pace was pretty social as we picked our way through the seemingly random turns at the bottom of the park. I went the wrong way twice from the front and thankfully got called back. Eventually we were going up more steadily and I decided to seek revenge for being gapped on Tripp, so I stood up on the pedals and started cranking. I knew it was a 6 minute climb from the map so sized myself up for a 6 minute all-out effort. I also suspected that DrJohn was winded from his big pulls, and Cruzer2424 had been complaining about his hangover and the party from the night before (the perils of youth!). So I got about a 15 second jump on them and held it all the way to the top.

We regrouped but dilly-dallied at the top losing precious seconds to the B group. Off we went down King's Mountain with our descent slowed by other riders slowly cruising down. Back in Woodside and heading through the maze, the pace fell off again becoming more social but losing more time to those B group riders. I went to the front, and eventually people fell in line and off we went once more. I let through the maze, onto Canada, under 280 and then out some ways past the road closure point.

At this point we were humming along pretty nicely though the B group was nowhere to be seen. We overtook a rider out on his time trial bike in full aero position. He did not appear to be particularly impressed by the rag-tag group of RBRers blowing by, and he fell in line too then picked his moment to attack as we crested a rise. So the aero-bar guy comes by in the high 20s mph and I have nothing left in the tank. Cruzer2424 takes on the challenge and comes by with somebody else in tow at a very high rate of knots. Now the race is on!! I try to respond but can't get a wheel and I'm gapped. DrJohn comes by and gaps me, and I realize that I'm in no man's land so I start pouring it on again determined to at least match DrJohn's speed even though I don't think I can catch him. Cruzer2424 and friend are now way up the road, and aero-bar guy is going backwards. Bizarrely he fails to make any corrective action coming upon a kiddie on the right hand side of the road, brakes hard and we all shoot by leaving him in our dust.

Finally I catch DrJohn's wheel and just sit in to catch a breath and calm down my screaming lungs and legs. As my vision returns I can now see that the lead guys have backed off a tad and see that we're on a level stretch before another rise in the distance. I tell myself that this is our one chance to get back on terms and come around DrJohn, trying to make sure that he can get a tow. Off we go again and we bridge the gap to the 2 leaders at the base of the rise and catch a break.

And this is where I made my mistake. Cruzer2424 backs off slightly and I go through. I pull for a bit even though I'm massively winded, do my fair share, then peel off to the side. We do this in rotation a few times and I think we're finally all sharing the load to try to get back up to the B group. But now, we're running out of Canada and Cruzer2424 plus friend jump and they're off to the races. DrJohn follows but is gapped, and I'm done for and fall back. I don't know how hard the final sprint was contested, but well done to the guys for making the big move.

After the regroup at Crystal Springs we head back, and now the pace is more social with time to chat and I manage to avoid being in any of the pictures. Cruzer2424 drops something and has to go back. One of the riders (and I've forgotten his name, sorry!) loses concentration and veers off the road and starts off-roading through the gravel. But there's a kerb coming up and a pretty severe drop-off down a nasty bank, and he hops back up into the road just in time. Fabulous bike handling skills! We make good time to Roberts and stop again. Then things got a bit confused with some of us on one side of Roberts, and the rest on the other side with the water tap. After a lot of waiting it is determined that the Ciclista guys are heading off home and that it really is just the few of us for the ride back to the VA. Thien talks about some other cyclist, not from RBR, who got into an altercation with a driver.

Off again and I find myself up front once more. Over Whiskey Hill and onto Sand Hill. At this point I think it is just DrJohn and myself, and he gets across the junction more smoothly than I and starts cranking up Sandhill road. I grab his wheel and start spinning up the hill behind him. I notice that DrJohn is on his big chain-ring and I'm on my middle so I shift up to match him. Then I realize that this is the last hill du jour (I'm a climber) and that I've still have some reserves left. So I bide my time and once DrJohn has pulled as 3/4's of the way up, I pull around pouring everything that I have left onto the cranks. A cheeky move after all DrJohn's efforts, but it feels so good! This time I've gapped him by what feels like a big margin but still keep the hammer down all the way up and over the crest. Then I realize that I have an extra shadow - someone is right on my wheel and sitting tight. So I spin out as fast as I can down the other side and even try some manoeuvres to throw the other guy out into the wind, even tempting the gutters on the 280 overpass but he's still there. We slow some for the red light, but then off again up the incline near the hotel construction and plummet down the other side. But I can't throw off my chaser and sit up as we make our way through light after light. Turns out that the guy wasn't even on our ride and he heads off towards Palo Alto, while I make the turn.

Now back onto Alpine then Foothill and a more sane pace back to the car park. DrJohn catches me up at Page Mill Road and then we're all done. The rest of the guys show up over the next few minutes. I think only 6 or 7 end up back at the VA where Thien breaks out the cool box, the sandwiches and the bananas - many thanks!

Great times, hope to get to ride with you guys again soon!


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

Wow. Best ride report for a RBR group ride I've ever seen. :thumbsup: We could ask Cruzer to corroborate, but if his hang-over was anything like the ones I had when I was in my 20's, I doubt he remembers much.


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

It's official, ukbloke is the official scribe of all RoadBikeReview ride reports going forward!


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

thien said:


> It's official, ukbloke is the official scribe of all RoadBikeReview ride reports going forward!


Yep, that report puts Bob Roll's to shame!

fc


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

francois said:


> Yep, that report puts Bob Roll's to shame!


Wow, thanks! I'll have to change my handle from ukbloke to ukbobke! :thumbsup:


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## gregg (Oct 30, 2000)

ukbloke said:


> ... One of the riders (and I've forgotten his name, sorry!) loses concentration and veers off the road and starts off-roading through the gravel. But there's a kerb coming up and a pretty severe drop-off down a nasty bank, and he hops back up into the road just in time. Fabulous bike handling skills! ... Thien talks about some other cyclist, not from RBR, who got into an altercation with a driver.


Yes, excellent blow-by-blow, ukbloke!

And I was also right there, too, behind the guy who veered off the road at Canada. I don't know how it happened but there was a LOT of Luck involved in that not ending in a big crash!

And I was also right there, talking to Jack and his crew, when that gnarly biker rage incident happened right at the Woodside intersection in front of Roberts. I don't know what the driver did, but that dood was PISSED! He punched the top of the car, then kicked the side of the car, then kicked it again, all the while yelling at the driver. The driver was pretty scared, as the guy looked to be about 6 foot tall and plenty amped up. Driver went throught the intersection without hardly slowing at all...just to get away.

Glad he wasn't with us...makes me wonder what the driver did.


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