Parrott

Many blogs ago I wrote about my friend David and his velomobile concept. Well...after too much time, he finally came back to S.F. to visit. And he brought his sister, Sarah, along. It was an awesome several days of microbrews, cycling, and business ideas.



Here's a picture of David (in the yellow cap) in this month's critical mass.

It was pretty wet out this month, but the dedicated few were still out. We stopped afterward at bar called Gestalt. It's become a favorite Mission destination of mine because of the indoor bicycle parking and Steins of beer.

Well, it turns out that Steins of beer, wet roads, and fixed gears can be hazardous. I'm not quite sure of the sequence of events, but I ended up taking a spill on the way home and somehow didn't even react to the fall.

David and Sarah - Thanks for coming to visit! I felt like the guest the entire time.

Spanish Devil

Today, some friends (one from high school, two from college, and one from high school and college) and I rode up Mt. Diablo in the east bay. It's about a 3500 ft. climb up to the summit and almost nothing but descent on the way back. Wicked!

On a sadder note, the Wine Country Century is full. I've ridden the last couple of years and blogged about it a couple weeks ago, but registration filled up early. Too bad. However, the Grizzly Peak century located in the same neighborhood as Mt. Diablo still has spots open. The registration spots available are around 900 compared to 2,500 for the wine country century, so I imagine it'll fill up soon. Plus, I've heard it's a pretty popular ride.

Here's the link: Grizzly Peak Century

(Oh, and I remembered to sign up for this one.)

Also, I wanted to give everyone a little glimpse into my day. Here's a picture of my desk with a pile of vintage hardware. Bitchin!

Get Ready...

The weather is getting nicer. With the daylight savings, the days are getting longer. It looks like it's finally time to get out of that winter rut.

Just wanted to share a picture from yesterday's ride. My friend Tom took me up the backside of Mt. Tamalpais, and the view was awesome (the point in the background is Bolinas, a favorite surf spot).

We're starting to get into the swing of things and will be signing up for some organized rides this summer. Organized rides are a great way to get out and put some serious mileage on your bicycle and at the same time have the luxuries of support staff and pit stops. One ride that I've done the last couple of years is the Wine Country Century. It's typically a 100 mile ride in the vineyards surrounding Santa Rosa, but there are also shorter and longer variations depending on how ambitious you are. The Wine Country Century is one of the easiest of Northern California centuries, so if you're looking for a place to start, this is definitely it.

If you're looking to step it up a notch higher, it's time to look at double centuries (yes, 200 miles in one day). I've yet to do one, but it's been on my mind for the past couple of years. I am eying the Davis Double located at my Alma Mater.

Aside from cycling, I've been getting settled at my new job. Things are going really well and I'm learning a lot each day.

Hope to see you on the road!