# Ride Mar. 26 - OLH, West Alpine



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Ok boys, I'm ready for a group ride. I want to see your ugly mugs again.

Time: 9am, Sunday, March 26
Place: Park n Ride parking lot at 280 and Page Mill.

Route: Arastadero, Portola Rd, OLH, 84 west, West Alpine, Page Mill.

Stats: 45 miles, 5000 ft climb, I think 

This is one of the finest routes in the bay area. It also has some dangerous descents. We have to descend easy and ride 100% safe.

Who's in?

francois


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## Woofer (Nov 18, 2004)

I just did that this morning. It's closer to 4000 feet. Road surface was *newly* poor in places on WOLH and some nice pavement on 84 is being torn up for some reason with a couple of cracks and bumps that didn't used to be out there now in place in one stretch. Sand from the snow days is still on Page Mill - seemed like very little decline from last Sunday, hopefully that will be swept.


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## rensho (Aug 5, 2003)

One of my favorite rides. From the Park/ride, i only have 34mi and 3940ft.
Not sure if i can make it; already committed to a slow ride out in Uvas. We'll see.


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

rensho said:


> One of my favorite rides. From the Park/ride, i only have 34mi and 3940ft.
> Not sure if i can make it; already committed to a slow ride out in Uvas. We'll see.



Ah c-mon rensho, we can car pool. Im in, dont know what it is about suffering that I seem to enjoy so much. 

Sean


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

*we easily add more suffering*

The peninsula has lots of hills worthy of climbing. We can detour up Haskins Hill for those hammerheads who don't think 4,000 feet of climbing is just not enough pain for one ride.


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

bustamove said:


> The peninsula has lots of hills worthy of climbing. We can detour up Haskins Hill for those hammerheads who don't think 4,000 feet of climbing is just not enough pain for one ride.



Which way do the flat heads go?


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Turn left, up towards that small hill. It is only a half mile or so to the top. 

You should only begin to worry if you see the beach and smell the ocean. Then we know you made a wrong turn.


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

bustamove said:


> Turn left, up towards that small hill. It is only a half mile or so to the top.
> 
> You should only begin to worry if you see the beach and smell the ocean. Then we know you made a wrong turn.



Im hoping this ride is no more then Hamilton, or atleast close to that.

Sean


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Less total climbing, but in a shorter amount of distance.

A Mt. Hamilton ride (alone), up and down, is over 5,000 feet of climbing over the course of 40 miles. Mt. Hamilton may only be 4.200 feet, but those two valleys between the Alum Rock Ave and the observatory add to the total elevation gain.

Old La Honda and West Alpine have slightly steeper pitches, but you are not going to be climbing for two hours like your earlier Mt. Hamilton ride. You ride SS, which means this route is very doable for you. We might have to send you up Skyline Blvd, towards home, if you are not tired enough by the time you reach Hwy 35.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Watch out on 84...*



francois said:


> Ok boys, I'm ready for a group ride. I want to see your ugly mugs again.
> 
> Time: 9am, Sunday, March 26
> Place: Park n Ride parking lot at 280 and Page Mill.
> ...


About half of the lane has sunk about 6 inches, forcing you out wide. Look out for cars coming from behind.


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

bustamove said:


> Less total climbing, but in a shorter amount of distance.
> 
> A Mt. Hamilton ride (alone), up and down, is over 5,000 feet of climbing over the course of 40 miles. Mt. Hamilton may only be 4.200 feet, but those two valleys between the Alum Rock Ave and the observatory add to the total elevation gain.
> 
> Old La Honda and West Alpine have slightly steeper pitches, but you are not going to be climbing for two hours like your earlier Mt. Hamilton ride. You ride SS, which means this route is very doable for you. We might have to send you up Skyline Blvd, towards home, if you are not tired enough by the time you reach Hwy 35.



Ill be plenty tired, thanks though.

Sean


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

bustamove said:


> A Mt. Hamilton ride (alone), up and down, is over 5,000 feet of climbing over the course of 40 miles. Mt. Hamilton may only be 4.200 feet, but those two valleys between the Alum Rock Ave and the observatory add to the total elevation gain.


Hamilton is less than 5000 feet. Those two valleys are only 100-200 feet each and the Alum Rock start is already a couple of hundred feet above sea level.


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## Fr Ted Crilly (Feb 7, 2002)

francois said:


> Ok boys, I'm ready for a group ride. I want to see your ugly mugs again.
> 
> Time: 9am, Sunday, March 26
> Place: Park n Ride parking lot at 280 and Page Mill.
> ...


Count me in. We're going to be riding "early season" pace, right? 

Coming off the 280 at Page Mill, where is this park 'n' ride parking lot? It's too common for me to spend as much time figuring out the last 1/4 mile as I did the previous 15 miles.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

robwh9 said:


> About half of the lane has sunk about 6 inches, forcing you out wide. Look out for cars coming from behind.


yes, yes. You're leading the way for us right?

francois


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Fr Ted Crilly said:


> Count me in. We're going to be riding "early season" pace, right?
> 
> Coming off the 280 at Page Mill, where is this park 'n' ride parking lot? It's too common for me to spend as much time figuring out the last 1/4 mile as I did the previous 15 miles.


Yes, easy pace. No drop ride unless folks want to bail.

Parking lot is right beside the freeway on the west side.

fc


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## JAishima (Apr 29, 2003)

*I should be there*

Sounds like a good ride, I need to be climbing more hills. See you there!


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## Number9 (Nov 28, 2004)

Drats - didn't see this post until after I had already made other plans. Will be riding out to the coast and back with some friends from the office so I might run into you guys somewhere along the way.

Francois, you've got to organize these local road rides more than once a year or so! BTW, still owe you a ride in the supercharted Zanardi.

Derek, you doing Tierra Bella this year?


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Hope to see you on the road somewhere Sunday morning. Its a good possibility our paths will cross since we have a good size group rolling out.

No Tierra Bella for me this year since it conflicts with the Sea Otter Classic. I'll be in the MTBR booth helping Gregg and Francis all weekend.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

*ride report*

Sunday was a brilliant day. The best thing about cold, rainy days is they make you appreciate the good days more. Today is a road ride featuring some mtbr and roadbikereview members. The ride starts in Palo Alto, goes up and over Skyline Blvd and back to town. 40 miles and 4000 feet for today

My mileage will be a little longer as I decide to ride from home. Here's some supplies:









The steelman cross bike is ready. It's dirty and loves to play in the wet. Carbon Look bike don't play that.

















This is what every roadie needs. It's a garage door keypad so you can ride from your doorstep and close the damn door.









15 miles, later, I meet up with the motley crew. Present were Derek, SMW, K-Max, Fr Ted Crilly, Jaishima and xxx









After Arastadero road and Portola Valley road comes the Old La Honda climb. Old La Honda is a special climb. It snakes through a canopy of trees with a gradual grade. Every climber in the area knows their time up OLH. Not today though.

















































After a break at Skyline blvd, we proceed on the west side of OLH and descend one of the most scenic roads in the area.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Going up West Alpine road, the road is closed. It looks lie a car ran off the road. By the size of the police force, the accident is probably very serious. This messes up our route and we have to go back the way we came down. We'll then take Skyline south and down Page Mill
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6871.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6876.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6877.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6878.jpg">

Going up West OLH is not half bad
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6880.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6881.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6882.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6884.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6885.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6886.jpg">

Going down Page Mill is an e-ticket ride. The top is rough and sandy. The bottom is nicely paved and grippy.
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6887.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6888.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6889.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6890.jpg">

Mountain biking habits don't die... and rightfully so.
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6891.jpg">

I get home and the kids are biking and smiling. That's a good day.
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6892.jpg">
<img src="http://mtbr.com/author/photos/3-26-2006%20road%20ride/IMG_6894.jpg">

So there was a great ride. Four veteran roadies and three noobies had an absolute blast!!!

francois


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

Nice ride report. I promise - I'll be hooking up on of these wonderful rides in the not-too-distant future.


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## Woofer (Nov 18, 2004)

francois said:


> Going up West Alpine road, the road is closed. It looks lie a car ran off the road. By the size of the police force, the accident is probably very serious.


http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/14193727.htm
Driver killed near La Honda when car flips over
By Kimra McPherson
Mercury News

A Pescadero man died this morning after his pickup truck flipped over west of La Honda and landed under water, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Jesse James Cole, 24, was driving on Alpine Road half a mile south of Pescadero Road when his silver 2000 Dodge Dakota flipped just before 9 a.m., officers said. The car tumbled into some swiftly moving water about 200 feet off the road near Sam McDonald County Park. 
.
.
.


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Excellent ride report, Francis. Thanks for taking the time out to shoot some photos along the route. It was fun getting out on a beautiful day logging some miles with a new group.

Next step is teaching Kyle to lift the inside leg when carving turns. I shudder to think of the consequences if the pedal had hit the pavement while negotiating a turn.


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## Fr Ted Crilly (Feb 7, 2002)

*Thanks guys*

Great ride report Francis - thanks for taking the effort to organise this gathering. I had a blast, really enjoyed riding with you guys and riding on a few new roads.
And thanks to Derek for pulling us up OLH and Skyline. There's no way I would have been ascending at that pace on my own. Looking forward to the next RBR S. Bay ride.


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## goose127 (Jun 9, 2004)

*ride report*

it looks like the boys had fun yesterday. I wish I had checked the site last week or I would have showed up for the ride.


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## JAishima (Apr 29, 2003)

*great ride!*

The roads were a bit of a mess, especially those nasty sunken bits on 84, but the ride was great. Great company, it was fun meeting all of you! Derek is the man!

By the way, how often do you guys organize mtbr rides?


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

Great ride and great report. Looking forward to the beach ride. Gonna get an anchor to attach to Derek next time. Nice meeting you all.

Sean


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Fr Ted Crilly said:


> Great ride report Francis - thanks for taking the effort to organise this gathering. I had a blast, really enjoyed riding with you guys and riding on a few new roads.
> And thanks to Derek for pulling us up OLH and Skyline. There's no way I would have be ascending at that pace on my own. Looking forward to the next RBR S. Bay ride.


Yes, we'll definitely have to do this again.

My three friends at Stage road are waiting. Lobitos Creek and Tunitas road will finish us off for sure!!

francois


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Yes, you would have enjoyed this one. I'll give more advanced notice next time.

You need to be there next time to spank the speedsters Derek, Jun and Ted!!

francois


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

JAishima said:


> The roads were a bit of a mess, especially those nasty sunken bits on 84, but the ride was great. Great company, it was fun meeting all of you! Derek is the man!
> 
> By the way, how often do you guys organize mtbr rides?


Yes, that was indeed a great group that showed up. Rode hard, rode safe and had fun.

We usually do an mtbr trail ride once every two weeks once the season starts. 

fc


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## mecam (Mar 13, 2006)

Hey guys, are you guys a club or anybody can join this group ride? I usually ride this route alone but group rides seems more fun.


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

*Secret Handshake*

No club membership required. This is totally an informal group ride that consists of people who share a passion for riding. All you have to do is show up at the start point with a positive attitude and a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada for the ride leader. 

Seriously, the ride is open to anyone who enjoys cycling.


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## smw (Mar 7, 2006)

bustamove said:


> No club membership required. This is totally an informal group ride that consists of people who share a passion for riding. All you have to do is show up at the start point with a positive attitude and a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada for the ride leader.
> 
> Seriously, the ride is open to anyone who enjoys cycling.



I thought you didnt drink?

Sean


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

smw said:


> I thought you didnt drink?
> 
> Sean


You are right. I don't drink. 

But I am always willing to share.


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## mecam (Mar 13, 2006)

bustamove said:


> No club membership required. This is totally an informal group ride that consists of people who share a passion for riding. All you have to do is show up at the start point with a positive attitude and a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada for the ride leader.
> 
> Seriously, the ride is open to anyone who enjoys cycling.


Sounds good man! Thanks...


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