Briones

My Marathon Mondials are in their final death throes, so before I replace them and most likely return back to 28 mm tires, I want to try and push these as far as I can, plus with an incoming wet storm, it was time to take advantage of some dry trail and go off-roading. I was also inspired by Rivendell's video on the Diablo foothills, I knew I just had to get away from the pavement for a bit. I checked a book on California's mountain biking trails and set my sights on Briones Regional Park.

One of the silliest things I've always found about mountain biking books is "recommended parking" or "how to get there" where they give you detailed directions by highway. It is definitely my snobbish bike purist showing, but I always prefer to ride to the rides, the times I've summitted Diablo I rode to the base from my house (although after the decent I usually took the Walnut Creek BART back). The ride to Briones was not planning on being a cake walk and I made it even tougher.

I decided to favor a steeper climb to get me over the Oakland Hills quicker through Tilden, choosing the more direct but steeper Claremont Ave. over Old Tunnel Road, which sends me off to the South of Tilden. For some reason, maybe it is actually the tires, but these steep climbs seem much rougher than they were in the fall when I first started riding them, maybe not doing sixty + miles a day had finally worn off my legs. Nevertheless, I pushed and spun over the top into Lomas Contadas once again, to drop down Wildcat Canyon Road.

Skyline Panorama

A view from the top

At the base of Wildcat Canyon Road sent me another challenge, one of the three bears, and it was Papa bear, a steady high climb which helped whip me into shape climbing over it. Luckily I only had a taste of Mama bear before I cut off into Briones Regional Park.

The reservoir from Bear Creek Road.

The beginning of the Briones Road Trail. The pavement didn't last long.

Now that I was in the park the fun began. I started out on Briones Road Trail, I'm assuming what used to actually be a road that connected Briones to Orinda, but now is part of this protected park for cattle ranching and general recreation. The trail turned off into Briones Ridge Trail, the one I chose to ride. Being a ridge trail it, of course, had to climb up, so up I went. The green hills rolled around me until some trees appeared arching over the trail, briefly, as they let back out to California grazing lands. I passed a few cattle guards and made it to the "pass", essentially, where looking back I could see the rolling hills of Briones park and looking forward I could see San Pablo Bay, Martinez, and to the right a cloud covered Diablo. The wind whipped through me on top of that pass. The microclimates in the Bay Area are enough to drive one mad, so far I'd gone from chilly in the clouds to warm in the sun to back in the chilly shade and would jump between those a few more times during the course of the day.

People don't like the Robin's Egg Blue Surly, but it contrasts green so well.

The top of the Ridge

The final section of trail, going down?

From there the trail bobbed up and down on bumpy trail, seemingly patted out by cow hooves in the mud hardened in this dry winter. I could definitely tell I was on a fake hard tail 29er, feeling my arms bounce on the steep downhills and hearing my chain rattle around. Either way, it was worth it. The ups at times were difficult, but I hammered through em. The biggest obstacle though was a group of cows hanging out dead center of the path. I hopped off and walked around them (I'm terrified of getting kicked by a cow or horse, for whatever reason). Crested a few more times bouncing along until the final decent which was the only single track and steep as hell. I squeezed the brakes almost the whole way down and even walked some of it. But I made it. Now it's just Papa Bear and the Oakland Hills one more time. If only that were easy. By the time I had reached the Centennial Drive drop my legs were toast. It was good to get that far of a ride in with a lot of elevation, but I really should master a mountain someday soon.

Late Night Rides

Moving to a new city can be difficult at time. This weekend, I strangely had off from work (I work at a bike rental place, something I will share soon enough). This meant that Saturday morning I could sleep in, so I wanted to do something. Since I work in the city I was trying to find someone to hang out and get dinner or a drink with me after work. Unfortunately, my few friends were busy with their own lives. I still didn't want to waste my Friday night so after work, instead of heading downtown for BART I headed towards the Presidio for a nighttime bike ride.

The summer I first got into riding I also didn't have many friends. Most of my friends were home from college for the summer, while I stayed behind for classes. To fill the time I just rode and explored new things. Friday night's ride felt a lot like this. I started out along the bike path tourists ride from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge. I followed around the pitch black Fort Mason to the equally dark Chrissy Field bike path. The path was crushed limestone with some sand encroaching onto the path. I was terrified I'd slip out in the dark. Thankfully, I didn't.

From this path I could see the Golden Gate bridge dimly lit, it gave off an ominous relaxed vibe in the night. I followed along the path until I came to the beginning of the Presidio where I climbed up to try and reach Golden Gate Park. The Presidio is beautiful, and at night, it's even prettier. The old fort buildings were gallantly lit up while the officer's homes, now private residences, were lit in a more casual manner. The park was quiet and I climbed up the Arguello hill out of the Presidio toward Golden Gate Park.

My destination was The Velo Rouge, a great bicycle themed cafe that serves beer. After dropping out of the Presidio I came upon The Velo Rouge, but it was crowded with some band playing (the crowd of the Velo Rouge is usually an older clientel, not really who I wanted to hang out with), so I skipped there and rode on through the park. Golden Gate Park at night is always a pleasant ride. I've done it several times at this point. I saw a group pass-by on a Friday night joyride, before I passed the hippies at the top of Haight Ashbury and dropped down to grab a vegan sausage before heading back to BART.

I was planning on grabbing a drink, but the bars were too crowded for me to really enjoy and after a ten hour work day, I was ready to go home, but I got some miles in and grabbed a new perspective on the Presidio and the bike path through the National Park. Getting dinner with a friend probably would have been nicer, but I seized the night anyway and made the most of it.

[Sorry no photos, my little point and shoot takes awful night photos]

The Smell of Warm Eucalyptus

This morning I left to check out Nimitz Way for the first time. I've passed this pathway a hundred times and desiring to see something new, decided to check out this path up in the Oakland hills at Tilden Park.

Greens and blues.

The drop down Lomas Contadas.

El Toyonal, always nice and shady.

The first thing I noticed before I even left the city of Berkeley was the fact that I was overdressed. I had on a sweater and some leg warmers and they were unnecessary, the sun was shining and the air was warm. The warmth brought out the beautiful smell of eucalyptus which always has me wistful for the first time I smelled those trees on the Pacific Coast in Peru. That smell brought back the memories of exploration and I felt like it was going to be a great ride.

El Toyonal really does feel like going back in time.

Wildcat Canyon Road, going up or going down?

Nimitz Way pavement.

Before I started exploring I hit some of the usual roads, Old Tunnel, Skyline, Grizzly Peak, Lomas Contadas, El Toyonal and Wildcat Canyon Road. After the same old, I pulled into Tilden Park and found the entrance for Nimitz Way next to Inspiration Point. For the first mile or so there was a good deal of hikers and walkers, some dog walkers; using my mechanical advantage I was able to make it farther than these hikers, to the point where I was all alone. The trees kept changing from tall redwoods, to Douglas Firs, to the aromatic Eucalyptus trees I mentioned. Then after crossing some cattle guards the trees were gone and all I saw was rolling green hills. I just lazily rolled along the paved path taking lots of photos. The landscape felt foreign, I imagined it's what Ireland looked like, endless rolling green hills. Unlike Ireland though,  hiding over the hills is the urban sprawl of the Bay, but that was miles away; I was miles away. I made it into Wildcat Canyon Regional Park before I realized I wouldn't have a loop back and decided to just drop down into Centennial Park Drive once again back home.

Look at the High Quality photo of this one, you can see the Golden Gate in the background.

The dam and Diablo in the same shot. I was grinning like a goofy bastard at this point.

The path reaching on until forever.

Today's ride reminded me of why I love cycling: the exploration of something new, the ability to go somewhere you've never seen. I almost considered doing climbs I like, which would have felt more like a workout training ride, I'm glad I didn't, 30 miles clicked away in no time and part of me didn't want to head back home. Nimitz Way continues on all the way until the hills drop down right before the San Pablo Bay to the North. This quick exploration just has me craving more, maybe I'll get in a quick Sub 24 Overnighter soon.