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Sunday Ride Protocols |
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Ride notes: This is an informal ride, and as always, remember that this is a social ride; your safety and the safety of your fellow riders is paramount. As a reminder here are some basic group ride protocols which you may also find useful for your own rides. Safe speed: The safe speed for road conditions will differ from rider to rider. You are responsible to pick a pace that is comfortable and within your ability. There will be plenty of opportunities to regroup. Never ride beyond your limits in an attempt to keep up with another rider! Safe distance: Do not follow closely; leave a safe distance between you and the next rider. It is especially important to avoid following closely on secondary roads where you can't see around the next corner and circumstances can change without warning. Passing: If you must ride faster than the rider in front of you, put your blinker on and pass. If you see a rider behind you preparing to pass, move over. There is little point to passing when riding in a group, however. We all get there about the same time... Lane discipline: Never cross the double yellow line! Always stay in your lane, and pick your line accordingly. Passing: If you are prepared to ride faster than the rider in front, put your blinker on and pass. If you see a rider behind you preparing to pass, move over and give plenty of room. Don't speed up! Stopping: If the group stops, pull off the road completely. When the group starts, be sure to look over your shoulder for approaching traffic before you pull out after the person in front of you. Don't assume it is clear just because they pulled out... Breakdowns: The sweeps and riding friends may stop and provide assistance. It is not safe for then entire group to stop for one rider unless there is plenty of room to pull off the road. Taking off early: It is fine to head home early, but it is appreciated if you let the others in the group or the sweeps know so we don't wait around or go looking for you. |
Dear Riding Friends,
Welcome to the December 2006 Shop Ride. This ride is suitable for beginners as well as for more experienced riders, on slow two-lane paved roads only, except for a little bit of freeway.
We have a nice, rather short, shop ride planned for Sunday, December 3rd. As always, we will leave from the shop at 9:00, the shop will be open by 8:30. Mike Meissner will lead this ride.
We'll be going down Almaden Expressway to Uvas/McKean Roads (G8) and ride by the reservoirs down to Gilroy. We'll jump onto 101 at the bottom of Gilroy and take it to 156 and the road past San Juan Bautista. At the bottom of town is a traffic light, and you turn right there to head up to the top of Fremont Peak. After a nice break and maybe a hike up to the summit, we'll ride back down into the town with the idea of making a stop at the Gizdich Ranch for coffee and pie. The return route will be up San Juan Highway to 129 west toward Watsonville, fork RIGHT on Carlton Road, (stop sign Thompson Road), straight on Carlton, RIGHT on Peckham Road to the Gizdich Ranch. This will be the end of the ride. There are many ways home from here and you can take a detour over to Moss Landing for fresh seafood or wind your way back through the Santa Cruz range to highway 17 or 9. After our stop at Gizdich, I will continue on Carlton Rd and then right on Hecker Pass (152) back to G8 and up past the reservoirs again on the way home. The ride is a big circle. This is a very good ride for beginner and intermediate riders, as it is not very long and we are not very far from home. This is also an easy and short ride loop and we'll be done by 2:00 or 3:00 or so, but it is a beautiful, little-known ride and one of the least-traveled roads is the one up to Fremont Peak.
Please, be sure you stay within the safe limits of your riding ability. Ride within your comfort zone and work on being the smoothest rider on the ride, not the fastest. True riding skill is built on the practice of smoothness, control and a sense of line, not on trying to go fast.
As always, this is a leisurely social ride, nothing difficult, and please, no racing!
I hope you can join us. Have fun and be safe! E-mail or call me (650.966.1183) if you have any questions.
Best Regards,
Kari Prager
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