• Bay Area Velo Girls Club Rides
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
  Time:
  Meet: Various Bay Area locations
  Webpage: http://www.velogirls.com/current.html
  Restrictions: Women only
  
  Various rides happening most days with a women-only slant by the 2003 USCF Women's Club of the Year. Check their ride list for full details.

• The Early Risers
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 05:30 AM
  Meet: Niles Canyon and Mission Blvd, Niles
  Contact: Larry Nolan
  Email: nolanfive@yahoo.com
  
  While some may refer to 4:30 or 5am as an "un-Godly hour", watching the sun pop up over the California Foothills is a great way to start any day. Plus, you have a much better chance of getting a daily ride in, if you ride in the morning.

  Route: the scenic Calaveras Reservoir Loop with three sprint points (Sunol Park entrance; Santa Clara County Line; "Old Oak Tree")

  Specifics:

  • This is a "no drop" ride. Sprinters or climbers can ride ahead and circle back for the rest of us
  • We only meet on Tuesdays as a group so that we can keep attendance high (12 and 7 riders the last two weeks); although there are riders that do this loop more often than once a week.
  • bright lights recommended, reflective clothing is helpful too.
  • Heavy rain cancels, wet pavement does not.
  
  Meeting points:
  • Fremont: 5:30am at the corner of Niles Canyon and Mission Blvd., leaving no later than 5:35am
  • Pleasanton: 6am just past the 680/ Calaveras intersection
  • Milpitas: 7am to 7:15am at the corner of Calaveras and Piedmont
  • Back to Fremont by 8am
  • San Jose/Santa Clara riders can climb Calaveras and ride towards the group for an almost traffic-free ride (be careful with the little on-coming traffic through)
  
  Tip - some riders will drive to work on Monday with two sets of clothes, ride home on Monday night, ride in on Tuesday. Of course, you could get in 2 days of back to back rides in if you'd like.

• Morning Ride
  Days: Tuesday, Thursday
  Time: 06:25 AM
  Meet: Downtown Palo Alto Starbucks
  Webpage: http://www.altovelo.org/
  
  From the Alto Velo website:

  This fast group ride meet at the downtown Palo Alto Starbucks (on University Ave) early in the morning at 6:25 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This ride travels opposite of the Noon ride around The Loop: Sand Hill, Portola, Alpine.

• Marin Cyclists Daily Ride
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  Time: 07:00 AM
  Meet: Corte Madera Community Park, Marin
  Webpage: http://www.marincyclists.com/html/rideschedule.html
  
  23-mile Paradise Drive Loop, training ride, moderate to fast pace.

• Marin Cyclists Over the Mountain
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 07:00 AM
  Meet: Fairfax Post Office Parking lot
  Webpage: http://www.marincyclists.com/html/rideschedule.html
  
  Alpine Dam, Ridge Crest, Four Corners, Mill Valley, Camino Alto, back to Fairfax.

• Chain Reaction Kings Mountain Climb
  Days: Tuesday, Thursday
  Time: 07:45 AM
  Meet: Olive Hill & Canada Road, Woodside
  Contact: Mike Jacoubowsky
  Email: MikeJ@ChainReaction.com
  Webpage: http://chainreaction.com/KingsMtn.htm
  
  From the Chain Reaction website:

  Every Tuesday & Thursday morning at 7:45am, join us for a quick ride up King's Mountain Road in Woodside! We meet at Olive Hill & Canada Road, which is between the town of Woodside and the 280 overpass over Canada Road just south of Jefferson. From there we head out Olive Hill, twist around a few backroads that visit both Deer Meadow (so named for obvious reasons) and the coldest spot on the mid-peninsula (which just happens to be exactly where the San Andreas fault crosses King's Mountain Road), and then to the infamous timing point- the intersection of Tripp Road and King's Mountain. There's just enough time to adjust ones breathing apparatus prior to the 1600-foot climb, and the scenery on the way up is nothing short of spectacular!

  Who's the "us" who do this ride? Anybody who cares to! Usually that's just a couple of us...most people seem too sensible. But it's a great way to start the day, and lets you feel a bit less guilty about your health-food breakfast of coffee and doughnuts.

• Alto Velo Tuesday Ride
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 09:00 AM
  Meet: Peet's in Los Altos
  Webpage: http://www.altovelo.org/
  
  From the Alto Velo website:

  The Tuesday Ride is typically an epic ride through the coastal mountains led by Dave Stahl. Local pros often use this ride as an opportunity to get in some steady, easy miles, and this is a great opportunity to ride with them. It leaves from Peet's in Los Altos at 9 am - arrive early if you want coffee. As of September 2002 the ride is leaving later (at 9:30 am) but you'll probably want to check with Dave to see if this is still the case.

• Diablo with Bart
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 09:00 AM
  Meet: Rudgear park-n-ride
  Contact: Bart Borland
  Email: gbborland@yahoo.com
  
  Beginning Tuesday, Feb 4th. Ride up Mt Diablo with Bart; the best training ride in the Bay Area!!!

  Meet at Rudgear park-n-ride for 9:00 a.m. sharp departure. We'll warm up on Danville Blvd, El Cerro to Diablo Rd and begin our climb just past the Athenian School. Ride at your own pace and regroup at the top. Bart Borland (510) 601-5062, gbborland@yahoo.com Helmets reccommended; rain cancels.

• Cycletron Rides at Lawrence Livermore
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  Time: 11:40 AM
  Meet: Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
  Contact: Ken Hernandez
  Email: hernandez7@llnl.gov
  Webpage: http://www.llnl.gov/LLESA-groups/cycletrons/noonride.shtml
  
  There are three rides leaving daily. The rides are:
  • 11:40 - the slowest group
  • Team Hammerhead at 12:05 - the brisk group
  • The noon group at 12:05 - the "oh my god, I'm going to hurl" group
  Distances, routes, speeds, elevation gains differ by group and by day. For details, please look at the webpage.

• Fremont/Milpitas lunch ride
  Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
  Time: 11:45 AM
  Meet: HP at Milmont and Page, Fremont
  Contact: Richard Brockie
  Email: Richard.M.Brockie@seagate.com
  
  Time 11:45 at the corner of Milmont and Page (Compaq / HP) in Fremont and a possible meeting with the Calaveras Hillclimb group at 12:00 on Wednesdays. Sometimes this group bypasses this corner by climbing Old Calaveras.

  An informal group of racers and strong century riders who will decide on the way to the second meeting point where the day's fun will be. Nearly all rides go up Calaveras road but options of a ride to Alum Rock or back the other way into the south Fremont hills have been known. Ride time is normally 1½ hours. Email Richard Brockie at richard.m.brockie@seagate.com for further details.

• Great America Lunchtime ride
  Days: Tuesday, Thursday
  Time: 12:00 PM
  Meet: Parking lot between the 49er's parking lot and Great America on Tasman.
  Contact: Tim O'Hara
  Email: Timothy.Ohara@kla-tencor.com
  
  Two options, depending on availability of the parking lot - if the parking lot is being used by the Police or Fire Dept, cross the street and meet in the Golf Course parking lot for the Alviso loop.
  1. Parking Lot Crit Ride:

     40 mins of pure ecstasy racing around a four corner, 0.5 mile parking lot. Good, slightly undulating pavement, with two banked turns, one off camber, lots of poles, but OK if you keep your eyes open. Generally a fantastic workout with an experienced group of 20 riders or so including Cat 5 though Cat 1 and 2's. At 12:35 the five lap to go sign is called out for a flat out sprint to the finish. If the lot is busy, see the Alviso loop below.

  2. Alviso Loop

     Approx 4 to 5 mille Clockwise flat loop (except for two overpasses) from San Jose up to Alviso. Three laps are generally run. Although portions are in traffic and have lights, every lap there is approximately a 1-mile sprint, with speeds exceeding 35mph.

     The rides goes to Alviso for three intervals of around 5 min long. The pace is very high, average speed is around 27-28 mph and the sprint can go up to 40mph. The pace slows down for regrouping and goes around back to Alviso. The recovery section takes around 8-10 mins. Total loop time is around 15min. Typical Turnout: 10 to 25 riders. Occasionally Cat 1's. Usually always some 2 and 3's.

• Noon Ride, The
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  Time: 12:00 PM
  Meet: Old Page Mill Road, Palo Alto
  Webpage: http://www.altovelo.org/
  
  From the Alto Velo website:

  For those that desire a bit of interval work, the noon ride at Page Mill and Old Page Mill road at 12:00 PM sharp is worth the aggravation of getting there. Pick up the pack about 12:06 rolling past the Park and Ride on Page Mill Road. There's always a 1-hour loop back to Page Mill and Foothill, with longer options on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The loop is about 22 miles.

  Doing the ride a couple of times a week will leave you with the sense that you're participating in a cycling epic. It's also good training for road racing, with an occasionally unruly pack that demands good bike handling skills. Frequently unfolding like a road race with surges and little attacks on the hills, you'll contest sprint points in the middle to the end.

• Pleasanton Noon Ride
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  Time: 12:00 PM
  Meet: Foothill and Bernal
  Contact: Ron Castia (EMC² /Vellum Cycles)
  Email: ron@ebcyclist.org
  Webpage: http://www.ebcyclist.org/useful.htm
  
  Meet at Foothill and Bernal at Noon. On Mondays and Wednesdays the group splits into two, some do a Mt. Bike ride at Pleasanton Ridge. Tuesdays has typically been the big group road day.

  Routes are usually a consensus of the group, Calaveras out and back (30-35 miles), Kilkare(shorter route)(15-20 miles), and sometimes the Palomares / Dublin Canyon loop(35 Miles). Or even a group split depending on time constraints and abilities. This is a friendly group, with a good mix of riders, from experienced racers to strong tourist.

• Specialized Noon Ride
  Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  Time: 12:00 PM
  Meet: Specialized, Morgan Hill
  
  No details about this ride apart from that it happens and used to run each day of the week. I do know that it is open to guests. Ring "Specialized" for details.

• Napa Tuesdays
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 06:00 PM
  Meet: Napa River Velo, corner of Soscol Ave. and Third Street
  Contact: Duke Tuchman, 258-8729
  
  Mostly Berkeley Bicycle Club and Team Spine racers. North/South on Silverado Trail. Rollers with a couple of sprint sections. Regroups after the sprints.

• Sacramento River Ride, South
  Days: Tuesday, Thursday
  Time: 06:00 PM
  Meet: At McClatchy HS across from the Bicycle Business, 3077 Freeport Blvd.
  Contact: John Elgart
  
  An all teams, racer oriented, speed workout. The group, which usually numbers around 50, rides at a leisurely and well mannered pace through South Land Park to the Freeport Bridge. The racing then commences going north along the South River Road for 13 miles to a sprint point. Pace is fast, with many pros often in attendance, and if there is a cross wind the group breaks up quickly. Being able to ride the gutter is an essential skill. Watch for diagonal railroad tracks at mile 6 -- otherwise the road is fairly safe. After the sprint the group rides slowly back through West Sacramento, over the Tower Bridge and past the Capital. The loop is roughly 25 miles with a ride down afterward. The South River Ride has been going on since the early 70's, and is the training ground for every pro who has come out of Sacramento.

• San Jose BC Tuesday night training rides
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 06:00 PM
  Meet: Stevenson Blvd and Eureka, Newark
  Restrictions: Daylight Saving time only
  
  These start soon after daylight savings begin. Up to 2002 they were located in the heart of San Jose somewhere, a secret to all but a chosen few. For 2002 they moved to a new location in Fremont, close to the old FFBC twilight course. Exact location is the block on the intersection of Stevenson Blvd and Eureka drive, west of Cherry. The continuation of these rides into 2003 will depend upon the development of surrounding businesses, but a recent communication with SJBC indicates a continuation. Time is approximate.

• Cycle Sports/Trumer Pils - Tuesday
  Day: Tuesday
  Time: 07:00 PM
  Meet: The Colonnade on the North side of Lake Merritt.
  Webpage: http://www.teamoakland.com/club/rides.htm
  
  Ride pace is usually brisk and the duration is anywhere between 1 and 2 hours, depending on ride participation. The ride route is a flat, short circuit on Oakland Port Streets. Please see their website.

The information here is as good as the information we receive - to get a ride added or to amend an entry, please email the webmaster.