The Bay Area Ridge Trail: A 550-Miler Close to Home
Long distance trails hold a special allure for outdoorsy folks, and judging by the success of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, the notion holds sway for folks all along the spectrum from couch potato to uber outdoorist. (Read both of these books, but please don’t pay money to see …
Shredding with Father Time and The Gerries
I hooked up with “The Gerries” at China Camp State Park on a warm, late fall morning, and the eight of us suited up for a front-side loop through bay and oak woodlands, views of the remoter reaches of San Francisco Bay punctuating our route. “Gerries” refers to “Geriatrics,” and I want it to be …
Iron Horse – A Redemption Story
Tim started bellowing at me before the car had come to a complete stop, before his feet actually hit the ground. “Hi Tigger. When are we gonna ride? I got my bike. Are we gonna ride? Where’s Rob?” Have you ever been on a family or other camping trip in a singletrack mecca with …
The Appetite Seminar, Fairfax, CA – The Longest-Lived Mountain Bike Event EVER (Probably)
Since 1975, Marin and Bay Area residents have been preparing for the Thanksgiving Day feast by participating in the Appetite Seminar—a 20-mile mountain bike ride with 4,000 feet of climbing up and over the Pine Mountain Loop. While this year’s version was accompanied by crisp, clear, and cold (38 degrees to start—and yes I know …
Currently Trending: The Night Ride
As the days grow shorter, aided substantially by our recent return to Standard Time, mid-week after work riders are forced to strap on lights if they are to survive. That the black of night will soon be arriving by 5:30pm here in Northern California is always kind of a bummer after the initial delight of …
One Fast Mother: Rachel Lloyd
Rachel Lloyd lives only a quarter of a mile up Iron Springs Road in Fairfax, but it is steepish, and narrow, and I know well that on an unseasonably bright and warm Friday afternoon, mountain bikers are apt to come ripping down the hill around the corner at any moment. I’m usually one of them. …
Biketoberfest Held in Fairfax, California
This year’s Biketoberfest—a celebration of bikes and beer in Fairfax, California—got under way with riders heading out onto Marin’s world-famous roads and trails under ominous skies. By the time they returned, the sun was making intermittent appearances and the small town had been transformed. Every year since 2002, this cycling hub, the birthplace of mountain biking, …
17K in a Day–Adventures in Oakridge, Oregon
Somewhere in the depths of February, my boyfriend suggested we round up a crew, rent a house, and head for Oakridge on Memorial Day weekend for the legendary 17K in a day. We’d done Mountain Bike Oregon the year before, and while we’d had a great time, it had been difficult to get the shuttles we …
Two-Wheeled Mayhem at the Clif Bar Cykel Scramble
When I was informed I’d be racing in the inaugural Clif Bar Cykel Scramble due to my amazing prowess on a short-track with obstacles and ramps and jumps (or because the first-stringer was called away to a wedding and nobody else could/would do it), I was confused. “Wait, it’s a…what?” “A relay race thing with …
Ladies Turn Out for the Jane Fondo in Marin, California
When they told me the new all-women’s mountain bike ride would be called “The Jane Fondo,” I snorted a little bit of whatever I was drinking at the time. Would the famous actress sue the Marin County Bicycle Coalition ? It seemed unlikely. 50 ladies, escorted by pro cyclocross racer and hometown heroine Rachel Lloyd, …
