⚠️The ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules and all participants must sign an annual waiver.⚠️

Fellow AVers,

This one is special for me... After 2.5 years in the Bay, time has come for me (at least for now) to return to Switzerland, but I would like to use this opportunity to lead a ride for one last time!

I remember my first AV ride here in the February 2024 - I joined an A ride on one Sunday (Coastal Classic), completely out of shape (off the bike for months), naively thinking that this was just "a" Sunday ride (there is a big difference between a and A) - Sunday rides were always social coffee rides for use in Europe, plus February is just Z2 chilling as there are no races until April... Surprise surprise, Bay is different! I could hold on until Tunitas (small group, guys had mercy and waited a bit) and then I got dropped like a stone, had to get off my bike mid-climb on the steepest section and rest for a while.

Despite this beginner's "mistake", I really loved being part of Alto Velo community and making friends here - thank you everyone in Alto Velo, in the name of previous and future “transplants” to the Bay, who have this strange fetish of risking their life riding on a piece of plastic in lycra (and usually with shaved legs, but that’s something most of the people here still have to work on, ehm ehm). You help us find a sense of belonging in this strange tech bubble!

I thought about what to include in this ride, decided to do my favourite climb in the Bay Area (Page Mill), ride towards the eastern end of Skyline (with the beautiful twisty descend), and then do 3 things I haven't done yet here and were on my bucket list: descend Zayante (carefully of course!), climb Mt. Charlie (hope for no grizzlies) and also climb Soda Springs. Afterwards not-so-nice gravel to Los Gatos and get back to Palo Alto via Pierce/Eden/Foothills.

Firemen in Saratoga Summit are making pancakes this weekend, so we will quickly stop to eat some. We will also have coffee in Scott's Valley (iconic place for my bike and gear brand :) ), plus some water stops here and there if necessary (Redwood Estates, Los Gatos)

The weather should be a tiny bit better than the current mid-week heatwave, so hope we will be able to enjoy it!

Vlad

Pace :
Reasonable, as always on Saturday A rides ;)
Regroups and refreshments:

• Top of Page
• Saratoga Summit fire station (pancakes! maybe bring cash?)
• Bottom of Zayante (coffee/water/food in Scott’s Valley)
• Mt. Charlie/Summit (water in Redwood Estates)
• Soda Springs
• Los Gatos (water/coffee)

Ride Leader: Vlad

Start/End location : Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Route : 97mi, 10800ft

Route link : https://www.strava.com/routes/ 3492213009132204496

Time : Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9:10 a.m.

Ride etiquette :https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules