Palomares ride

Went out today for an EPIC ride...one that even the Bike Snob would be impressed by. Headed out with Andy from La Farine (pastry stop#1) to meet up with the infamous White brothers in Lafayette. As we cruised along Slyline, Andy and I were astounded to come across another cyclist taking a poop on the side of the road...while his friend, holding his bike watched....gross!!(incident #1)

We met up with Russ(who is just coming back from a shattered collor bone) and Greg(comming off a broken FORK yesterday! riding his TT bike today) and set off for Sonol. Andy had found a road on google maps to explore just off Calaveras, and talked us into checking it out. Welch Creek was a nicely paved single lane that was the STEEPEST road I have ever ridden, with sections at 20%, I was begging for a Cripple Crank...It ended at a group of houses on a ridge, but had a nice view.


Lungs burning!

We then backtracked to Sonol, had lunch, and then continued west on 84. Its a highway, but has a nice shoulder on it...for about 500 feet...the rest of the time your riding the white line with 60mph traffic to the left. We got buzzed by Prius, and later a dumptruck that came within centimeters of cleaning us off the road...(incident #2+3)

Palomares was a good climb and turned us out in Castro Valley where we parted ways with the White Bros, and continued our death march through the hood. A stop in Montclair for an double espresso, and we somehow made it back to Albany...
Great ride-106mi-6.5hrs-8k ft climbing