Enjoying This LOOONG Summer at Passion Trail Bikes

This week’s word on the trail, on October 7, 2009

1. Awesome Demo Days Turnout and FUN!
2. Wednesday Wrides: Wheels Rolling at 5:15
3. High Schoolers Morning Ride at Skeggs 10/10
4. Pumpkin Ride & Picnic 10/24
5. Women’s Specific Body Geometry Gathering and Rides 10/28
6. Passion’s Candlelight Halloween Party 10/29


1. Awesome Demo Days Turnout and FUN!
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A row of Giant Faiths and Glories waits the first test rider of the day

sez Charles: Whew! We just had a fantastic weekend running our third Fall demo event at the shop. We had major league participation from Giant and Santa Cruz for the first time, with Specialized joining us as usual, and we were also able to round out the test fleet with a small truck load of bikes from Ibis, allowing us to send out over 250 separate test rides over the two days.

John, Sterling, Will, and Charles all took turns installing pedals, setting up suspension, and making other adjustments to ensure each rider had a great experience out on the trail.

I want to thank everyone that participated, from those that came to tempt themselves by looking at new hardware, to the benevolent bunch that volunteered to help us keep things running smoothly, to those that just left a little extra in the til or the tip jar before the end of the day. We have been getting a lot of positive strokes and good feedback since Sunday, and it would not have been as good without everyone’s help.

I still would like to hear what bikes you liked, what you liked about them, what you didn’t see or get to try, and what surprised you. Shoot something out to info@passiontrailbikes.com. Santa Cruz left some bikes here for an extra day, so I was able to get a long ride in on a Blur LT Carbon yesterday. Look for a more thorough ride report on that one from me soon.

We ran special pricing on all bikes this past weekend, special orders and stock bikes included, and sold a few bikes and frames in the process. If you would like to take advantage of that and pick up a bike or frame, let me, Berry, or Pancho know and we will do what we can for you.

Two 6’ 5” tall guys didn’t have to wrestle over the XXL 29er Tallboy from Santa Cruz

The weekend wouldn’t have been a success without the style and substance provided by Specialized.

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2. Wednesday Wrides: Wheels Rolling at 5:15
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Sunset is at 6:44PM this Wednesday 10/07/09. Twilight ends and near-darkness falls right around 7:20pm.
Next week is the LAST Wednesday Wride of the season, at 5:15PM.

We will be switching over to an irregular unschedule for the fall and winter months, once daylight saving time ends, with organized rides happening on the weekends, usually Sunday morning from the shop, or other trailheads such as Skeggs, Demo, Purisima, Russian Ridge, Pacifica, etc. We will post rides on our blog and on the MRBR NorCal Forum, and here in the email newsletter. Patty plans to do some post-ride BBQ lunches for the rides launching from the shop, so a lot of the same vibe and fun will happen, just not on a Wednesday afternoon for a few months while we wait a season for the earth to pass around to the other quarter of the sun and the days to start lengthening again.

P. L. E. A. S. E. . . . P. U. T. . . . L. I. G. H. T. S. . . . O. N ! ! ! !

Please remember to put a light on your handlebar and have a blinky ready for the ride back to the shop! CA vehicle code requires it. Don’t get caught out on the streets in the dark! Also, a reminder that we need to be super conscientious about stopping at stop signs and lights, yielding to pedestrians, and operating our bikes predictably and responsibly while on the roads and trails. Let’s be safe and kind out there.

For all the details about what makes each group listed below unique, please refer to this webpage. If your questions aren’t answered there, you can also email us for info at info@passiontrailbikes.com.

All rides start pedaling from the shop: Passion Trail Bikes, 415 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002 650-620-9798.

Riders and Food Prep Staging for the Wednesday Wride

The REGULAR and FRISKY rides will go out at 5:15PM.
The WHITE SOCKS ride will go out at 5:20 PM.
The FBG or Fat Bottomed Girl ride will go out at 5:20 PM.
The STRAGGLERS ride may assemble and charge off by 5:30 PM. or might go straight up to the trailhead.
For future planning, we have the upcoming start times each week for the first wave of the REGULAR ride posted on our Community Calendar

Note we may not have leaders for each ride but usually someone knows their way around. All groups will meet back here at Passion Trail Bikes right around dark for the usual story telling & beverage enjoyment. We will have stuff to eat plus chips and fatty snacks and EANABS to pair up with the Devil’s Canyon Brewery’s Full Boar Scotch Ale, Silicon Blonde Ale, and Little Devil Root Beer. We will hang out until about 9pm, so come on down, even if you can’t make the ride! Passion Parties are better with YOU in the mix!

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3. High Schoolers Morning Ride at Skeggs 10/10
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Patty is going to lead a casual ride for high school riders on Saturday 10/10 at El Corte de Madera Open Space in Woodside (aka Skeggs Pt.). The route will include some mellow and some challenging singletrack and a few solid climbs but will be at a casual pace. She’s looking for another adult or two to join in on the ride.

There will be a carpool forming at Passion Trail Bikes, please arrive no later than 8:30. We will load and go and try to arrive at Skeggs Pt. about 9:00am. From there we will explore the redwood forests until we have adequately exercised our smile muscles. Depending on when people need to return we will either finish up around noon and return to the shop by 12:30, or possibly stop at Alices’ Restaurant at Skylonda for burgers around lunchtime, and return to the shop around 2pm.

Please RSVP so Patty can coordinate carpools and ride leaders. Send her an email at patty@passiontrailbikes.com and let her know if you or a parent can drive, number of bikes and passengers your car can handle, and any other info.

NorCal League Racers at the Start

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4. Pumpkin Ride & Picnic 10/24
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On October 24th the ROMP Fall Picnic and Pumpkin Ride, staged near the top of Whittemore Gulch Trail at Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve, costumed riders will descend to Half Moon Bay to select pumpkins for the holiday. Here’s the blurb from the ROMP website:

Purisima to Half Moon Bay & Back
Annual ROMP Halloween Costume Ride & Barbeque

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Singles, Couples, Families, Guests, Nonmembers Invited

$10 per person For The Barbeque

Paypal RSVP http://www.romp.org/

9:00am Advanced Intermediate Ride Starts

(Multiple ride leaders helping)

10:00am Beginner Intermediate Ride Starts

11:00am Party Starts, 12:30pm Food Arrives

Party Lasts Until Approx. 3:00pm

Keg Provided By Passion Trail Bikes

Advanced Intermediate Ride Meets at 9:00am Kings Mountain Fire Station to ride down Skyline to Half Moon Bay via Purisima Open Space. Back up via Purisima Creek Road. This is a mountain bike ride with over 30 miles total & 3,500 ft climbing. 30% of the miles are paved roads to Half Moon Bay. We ride to a preselected pumpkin patch for photo opps, pumpkin selection, & a break. Maps will be provided. Prizes awarded back at the Kings Mountain Fire Station for those bringing back the most weight in pumpkins purchased, oddest looking pumpkin, weirdest stem etc. Prizes awarded for best costumes (optional & please keep costumes cycling safe). This event draw a fun hilarious group! Paniers, backpacks, bob carts, pockets etc. can be used to transport pumpkins. Historical record is over 100 lbs in pumpkins hauled back up the hill. Tandems are welcomed. If someone does not wish to cycle off road trails, there is the Tunitas Creek Road down &/or back as an alternative.

10:00am Beginner Intermediate Ride is to the upper portion of Purisima & back

For those wishing to stay after the ride, we have our barbeque & party. Or for those who cannot ride, we have the party!

Also check WWW.ROMP.ORG for details & paypal registration link

Location: Kings Mountain Fire Station & Community Center: on the forested grounds of the Kings Mountain Community Center and Firehouse at 13889 Skyline Blvd. (Highway 35), above the town of Woodside, California. If cold or foggy weather, there is also indoor space for the party, otherside festivities outdoors. There are several routes to choose from – for example, 6 miles south of Highway 92 (west of Highway 280) or 2 miles north of Kings Mountain Road (up from Woodsid) or 6 miles north of Highway 84. Parking at this location for party & start of the rides.

RSVP By 10/20/09 Midnight. Paypal payment preferred (see www.romp.org) or exact cash at entrance. Email cash RSVP to retrobiker@earthlink.net & provide names, # number of attendees, phone # & please note if vegetarian.

Food Catered by Back A Yard Caribbean American Grill, Inc. – Menlo Park CA. will include:

Jerk Tofu – For Vegetarians

Jamaican Jerk Chicken (mild spice)

Jerk Dipping Sauce

Rice n Beans

Macaroni/Cheese

Mixed Green Salad

NOTE: We suggest everyone bake/buy/bring a dessert to share!

Questions call 408 257-8284 or email retrobiker@earthlink.net or mtbikes@gmail.com

Questions on 10:00am ride – ssulljm@gmail.com

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5. Specialized Women’s Specific Body Geometry Gathering and WSD Rides 10/28
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On Wednesday 10/28, we will be hosting a wonderful women’s event with special guest Amy Shreve from Specialized. Amy will be bringing a truck with a load of Women’s Specific Design road and mountain bikes, and offering up test rides for so you can get a feeling for how these bikes are engineered to fit women’s proportions. Amy will also be giving a presentation after the ride on some of the work Specialized has done with their Body Geometry products to make sure that contact points like saddles, chamois, shoes, and gloves, fit women and work to make riding more fun and more comfortable.

Schedule:
Rides at 5pm – gear up, select a bike, and depart on road or mountain rides by 5:30pm.
Potluck, presentation, and Q&A starting at 7pm.

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6. Passion’s Candlelight Halloween Party 10/29

Perhaps you didn’t know that Halloween is Charles’ favorite holiday. Hmmm. It gets us all speculating. Why Halloween and not, say Christmas, when the shop is hoppin’ with eager buyers? We’re not really sure, but maybe it’s that his inner werewolf gets restless and needs expression. Maybe it’s the fun of guessing who is behind that amazing disguise. Maybe it’s the dim lights, candles, and dark shadows.

Whatever it is, Charles needs you to come celebrate Halloween with him. If you come, you are sure to be delighted by the wonderful costumes, the very special mood lighting of hundreds of candles, the great food and drink, the comraderie of hanging out with like minded and equally deranged friends. So, do it. Put the Passion Halloween Party on your calendar now, and start planning your escape from reality.

Thursday October 29th. 8:00pm to 11:00pm-ish

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Read back issues of the Passion Trail Bikes Community e-Newsletter on our website.

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, Daryl, Pancho, Will, Peter, Reba and Buster