R&A Cycles Walnut Creek x Café du Cycliste Outsider Challenge

Saturday, September 6th — Rollout at 9:00 AM

Join us for a special community ride hosted by R&A Cycles Walnut Creek in partnership with Café du Cycliste, the French cycling apparel brand celebrated for its refined style, technical performance, and unmistakable Riviera-inspired aesthetic. Known for blending modern fabrics with timeless European design, Café du Cycliste brings a touch of Nice to the Bay Area for this unique ride experience.

The Route

We’ll depart from R&A Cycles Walnut Creek at 9:00 AM sharp, rolling out together along the Lamorinda Bike Path through Lafayette and into Orinda. From there, the group will continue towards San Pablo Dam Road with a regroup at the small parking lot at the bottom of San Pablo Dam and the turn onto Castro Ranch Road.

The ride continues through Alhambra Valley Road before turning right onto Bear Creek Road, where riders will encounter the day’s friendly competition segment: The Three Bears - (https://www.strava.com/segments/4648538) - The segment begins at the bottom of Mama Bear and ends where Bear Creek Road intersects Camino Pablo / Wildcat Canyon / San Pablo Dam Road.

Friendly Competition

The concept for this ride is not a race — we roll together as one group for the majority of the day. The timed segment is an opportunity for each rider to push themselves at their own pace. After the ride, we’ll check riders’ Strava times and stamp each participant’s result on a custom Café du Cycliste event poster for them to take home.

One large poster will also hang in the shop for 1–2 months after the event, showcasing the fastest time of the day. Remember: this is about fun, self-challenge, and community — there is no prize or winner for first place.

Ride Leadership

This ride will be led by our newest addition to the R&A Cycles team, Eugene Borodin! Eugene brings great energy and a calm, welcoming presence that we know will make this event enjoyable for all participants.

Post-Ride Gathering

After the ride, enjoy a generous spread of food and beverages provided by Café du Cycliste at our on-site café, Ramona’s Kitchen. Relax, refuel, and share the day’s stories with your fellow riders.

Don’t miss this opportunity to ride, connect, and celebrate cycling culture with R&A Cycles and Café du Cycliste.

Please invite your friends and riding partners to join!

Any questions or comments? Please email me - andy @ racycles . com.