Winter Passion Trail Bikes News # 3

This week’s news and info on January 15, 2009:

1. Bike Hut, Tunitas Creek Road
2. Cyclists’ Holiday: Tour of California via Tunitas, Skyline: Monday 2/16
3. Equality ride: Fat Bottomed Girl and Strong Legged Guy Monday 1/19 10am
4. Soquel Forest Trailwork Saturday January 17th 9:30AM
5. Waterdog Trailwork Sunday January 18th, 9:00AM
6. Carlmont Dirt Jumps Cleaned Up, and PURTY


Past issues of the Passion Trail Bikes Community Newsletter can be found on our website.


1. Bike Hut, Tunitas Creek Road

The Bike Hut, at about 150’ elevation, on Tunitas Creek Road

Caretakers of the Potrero Nuevo Farm south of Half Moon Bay have created a “Bike Hut” as a rest area for cyclists. This is one of the coolest things we’ve heard about in a while. The address of Potrero Nuevo Farm is 1045 Tunitas Creek Road, Half Moon Bay, 94019, and their number is 650-726-5700

We recently got word from the bike hut guy that he’s looking for old beater bikes to decorate the hut:

I’d like to make some new signs for The Bike Hut and thought of doing something with bikes or bike frames or parts or something. If anyone has any giveaway bikes or bike parts (ie beaters) gathering dust in a garage (out in the rain and rusty is fine, too) please drop it by anytime and just leave it in the picnic area if you happen to be driving by. But why would someone be driving by rather than riding by…I don’t know. Anyway…I could pick up bikes in SF or in or around Half Moon Bay, too.

We’re planning something for the Tour of California day (Mon Feb 16) so keep a lookout for more emails. What we’re talking about in broad terms is offering free parking for people who arrive in the early morning (before they close the road to traffic, but I don’t know any details about that) and inviting people to gather at The Bike Hut. We’ll be selling some of the snacks and drinks we plan on carrying in the Hut in the future. Bringing snacks on your own and picnicking is fine, too. People could then ride up Tunitas Creek Road and watch the Tour in the hills or just watch from the Hut. I’m guessing the peloton will be passing through around 10:00-10:30 based on the stage info/map provided by Amgen.

So, thanks in advance if you happen to bring by a bike or bike part for my signs and hope to see many of you on the Tour day. It’ll be a fine day to call in sick! As usual, feel free to pass the word and if anyone learns details about the race, like road closure plans, etc. please let me know so I can include it in my next group email.

As usual, feel free to pass the word and if anyone learns details about the race, like road closure plans, etc. please let me know so I can include it in my next group email.

Best, Bill

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2. Cyclists’ Holiday: Tour of California via Tunitas, Skyline: Monday 2/16

In February, we have our own multi-day stage race for pro cyclists through California. On Monday 2/16, Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California will depart Sausalito at 8:30am, with the peleton taking over the southbound lanes on the Golden Gate Bridge in a “neutral start.” The race will pick up pace once at the Presidio, then zig zag south to the Sunset District, then via Camino del Mar past the zoo, and south into San Mateo County on Route 1 to Pacifica and Devil’s Slide at roughly 9:30. From there, riders will follow the Coast Highway to Half Moon Bay for a sprint, and start the climb up Tunitas Creek Road sometime between 10:00 and 10:30 depending on the pace. The KOM contest peaks at 1562’ elevation, which is in the vicinity of the top of Grabtown Gulch Trail in Purisima Open Space. Riders will continue climbing, and crest Tunitas sometime between 10:30 and 11:15 and turn right on Skyline Blvd.

For those of you familiar with the pavement in this area, you know there’s more climbing on Skyline after Tunitas, with a short steep pitch between Tunitas and Swett Road. Berry recommends watching from either the KOM finish at Grabtown, or the 1/4 mile south of Tunitas where the grade is steepest. Shortly before Swett, the grade flattens out a bit and we wonder, What will the contest look like from Swett Road? Will anyone try to put the hammer down here? We can only guess. After Swett, it’s just a short rolling mile before the lead riders will reach Skeggs Point at 2300’ and start hunting for that 11-tooth cog. We suspect this will be a very exciting section of road and are planning on staking out a vantage point in this area. ROMP will have a gathering at Swett and we may set up together. Stay tuned for details.

From Skeggs, the road turns down, and the pace and pedaling will change radically with the descent down to Skylonda, where the peleton will turn west onto Hwy 84 and drop into the hamlet of La Honda and then out to the Coast Highway again. The Tour organizers expect the peleton to reach the coast sometime between 11:10 and 11:54am. Heading south, riders will pass through Davenport and then turn inland up Bonny Doon Road and then Pine Flat Road, reaching another KOM at 2135’ just before a right turn onto Empire Grade Road.

Zooming past the Twin Gates/Mailboxes area, riders will descend past UCSC and Wilder Ranch into Santa Cruz at a high rate of speed, where the finish line awaits at Front Street and Cooper Street.

Then everyone will have a strong urge for a burrito and a beer. Oh, wait, these are roadies. Maybe not. Perhaps a plate of pasta and a glass of wine instead. At any rate, make sure you get Presidents’ Day off work so you can come watch the cycling action up in the lovely redwood-lined roads of San Mateo County.

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3. Equality ride: Fat Bottomed Girl and Strong Legged Guy at ECdM Monday 1/19 10am

Our ECdM Map has trail ratings. Not available elsewhere!

Patty and Charles are leading “Equal Opportunity” rides at ECdM on Monday. If you have Martin Luther King day off from work, please join us! We will be doing at least two, if not more, different variations on exploring El Corte de Madera Open Space trails. Patty’s will be sedate, the usual Fat Bottomed Girl type outing, and Charles will be doing something a little more, um, quick. Possibly Charles will ride every single open trail. We aren’t sure. There will be bail out points if that’s more than you want.

The ride details are posted up on MTBR’s NorCal Forum. Note that this is a perfect outing for riders of very different abilities to enjoy the same preserve at the same time. We will meet up at gate CM02 (the Methuselah Trailhead), and finish our rides at about the same time to go enjoy some food together as a group. Please check in on the forum and let us know if you can join the fun!

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4. Soquel Forest Trailwork Saturday January 17th 9:30AM

Finished Trail Feature

This year the Soquel Forest has a special volunteer appreciation day scheduled in May. There are rumors of food and shuttles for everyone that puts in 3 days working in the forest! Show up this weekend and get all the details!

We kicked off the season two weeks ago with a special holiday workday on Braille. 6 of us met up at the parking lot, then carpooled down to the bottom of Braille to work our way up. Our main goal was to make sure the drains were ready for the wet season, and to clear a couple of trees that had come down.

As we worked our way up the trail I was amazed how well the trail was holding up. We’ve work to make the trail last longer with less work, and it’s really paying off. The 6 of us were able to get most of the way up the trail and clear all of the downed trees.

On the way out we weren’t able to pass up a great opportunity to add another classic feature to the trail. One of the downed trees was the perfect place for a really solid ramp. It took 4 of us just to move the log into place! That thing is solid, and will stay that way for a long time.

Ed is a master of the chainsaw; this feature is now carefully marked for your safety

We’ve arranged a very special treat for any volunteer that does 3 workdays this year! 6 people already have a head start, come on out to the next trailwork and find out more about the volunteer appreciation day at the end of May!

Scott Robinson

For more information on trailwork in Soquel Forest, and to volunteer for the next workday, click here.

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5. Waterdog Trailwork Sunday January 18th, 9:00AM

Skinny on Canyon Creek Trail could use some poison oak removal

Patty has a fun day of service planned for Sunday. Lend a hand and make your world a better place! We will be finishing up brushing upper Finch Trail, and then starting down Rambler to Canyon Creek Trail. We will probably also attend to some drainage needs to keep these lovely singletrack ribbons through the open space in good shape through the rest of the rainy season. Please send Patty a note to let her know you plan on helping out.

There will be plenty of time after trailwork for a ride, as well as hanging out in the lounge partaking in thirst-quenching beverages.

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6. Carlmont Dirt Jumps Cleaned Up, and PURTY

Three couches, a sink, 20 bags of trash

Here’s a note from Damon at Pacifica Free Ride, stolen from the Ride Monkey Forum:

“Thanks to everyone that showed up at Carlmont today. We had over a dozen people show up to help. Specifically, thanks to Andres, Krishna, Bobby, Dirtbag Matt, Adam, Daniel, Gideon, Passion Trails Patty, and geez there were others, and thank you all.

“We pulled out three couches, a sink, a piece of car, and five super-stuffed large trash bags. Pictures to follow.

“Also, thanks to Charles and Patty from Passion Trails for letting us use their dumpster. Patty was out there at 10am and stayed until late, so double reps to her.

“Thanks to the SF DirtLab crew and San Jose Greg for letting us use your trucks. You guys rock!

“We installed a garbage can at the tree by the Math Line. There’s extra bags at the bottom of the can. If you want to earn some karma, you can drop full bags off at the Passion Trails dumpster.

“Please respect the garbage can! Use it for trash, and we’ll make sure it gets emptied on a regular basis.

“After the clean up, we had a good ride session. It was awesome to see so many people of different ages and skill levels stepping it up.

“Remember, Carlmont is one of a kind! There is no place in the Bay Area that has pro-level riding like Carlmont. If Carlmont gets closed, we are screwed. Keeping it clean of trash is one easy way to keep it open.

“Thanks again to everyone that showed up. See you on the trails.”

Damon

Wrecked TREK 3500 hybrid bike, found at the bottom of “Rocky”

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To contact us, email us at info@passiontrailbikes.com, or call the shop at 650-620-9798.

Happy Trails, the PTB crew
Charles, Patty, Berry, John, Bret, Sterling, Daryl, Peter, Reba and Buster