Sopping Wet, Autumn Arrives at Passion Trail Bikes

This week’s word on the trail, on October 14, 2009

1. Berry is Departing
2. Wednesday Wrides: Prolly Too Wet. Beer and Pizza at 7:00 Regardless
3. Pumpkin Ride & Picnic 10/24
4. Women’s Specific Body Geometry Gathering and Rides 10/28
5. Passion’s Candlelight Halloween Party 10/29
6. Two Awesome Rides in SF 11/8


1. Berry is Departing
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A day we never really wanted to happen, in our own selfish way, is approaching. That day is Berry’s last workday at Passion Trail Bikes, coming up this Friday 10/17. Berry has been here since the beginning, in fact he helped build the walls, unload fixtures, install the bike racks, construct the workbenches, and unload the first delivery of bikes.

Berry and Charles unload the last delivery of wood for our walls in October 2005

Berry insists he doesn’t really like the term “retiring” since he expects to get back into working at a bike shop somewhere near his new home in North Carolina, sometime after he remodels his house, and gets his fill of playing with his grandson. We do know he will enjoy the freedom from the ten-to-seven grind he’s been reliably putting in for the last four years. And we are going to miss him a whole lot.

There will be a gathering of friends on Thursday evening to send him off feeling all the love; if you would like to participate please contact Patty for details patty@passiontrailbikes.com.

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2. Wednesday Wrides: Prolly Too Wet. Beer and Pizza at 7:00 Regardless
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Sunset is at 6:34PM this Wednesday 10/14/09. Twilight ends and near-darkness falls right around 7:10pm.

Well, we didn’t bring ride gear today. Doesn’t mean you can’t ride though. It’s the LAST WRIDE of the season. We expect a pretty small crowd, so if you decide you want to come for beer and pizza without a ride, RSVP to patty@passiontrailbikes.com, to have your head added to the headcount.

And due to the lack of daylight, we are not scheduling any more Wednesday Wrides for the season. (Whaaaaa!)

It looks like the trails are likely to be coated with a nice layer of liquified dust, given the rain that’s been storming down the last 24 hours. We think it’s a good idea to let this set and firm up with a few days of rest before we start rolling wheels through the slime. So, we suggest cross bikes, fenders, and pavement, but think it’s OK for you to chose otherwise. Remember, that special abrasive quality of mud on your drivetrain keeps us in business! Oh, and by the way, this marks the official start of trailwork season!

ALL rides will go out at 5:15PM.
For future planning, we have the upcoming start times each week for the first wave of the REGULAR ride posted on our Community Calendar

The soupy sandy residue of a wet Skeggs Ride

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 ride 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.

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. 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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4. 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.

Please RSVP to Patty by sending an email to patty@passiontrailbikes.com, include if you would like to test a road or mountain bike, and if you want to bring a dish for the potluck.

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5. Passion’s Candlelight Halloween Party 10/29
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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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6. Two Awesome Rides in SF 11/8

Read on for two fabulous opportunities to enjoy the hills and openspaces of San Francisco!

17th Annual Tour of the S.F. Hills

Sunday, November 8th
(Note: I’ve finally switched from the first Sunday to the second to avoid foot traffic from the US Half Marathon race.)

Meet at the parking lot across the street from the Marina Safeway at 9A.M.

The ride explores a multitude of neighborhoods in the city, taking the most difficult path from cafe to taqueria. With the many hilltops in the city, and with the usual good luck with weather conditions, the riders are treated to frequent magnificent views. The parade of cyclists winding down Lombard St. and then climbing the 32% grade on Filbert St. always attracts the attention of tourists. Other sites explored on the ride are Potrero Hill (with the fast descent down the “other” crookedest street in the world), Coit Tower, Nob Hill, and Mt. Davidson. A bonus feature is the optional ascent of the Broderick St. sidewalk in Pacific Heights. This street, below the Levi mansion, is so steep that it is blocked off to traffic – the upper half being a driveway more crooked than Lombard St. A casual pace on the ride ensures that the attrition rate is low, but the prospect of climbing Hill St. after scarfing burritos in the Mission always sheds a few riders.

For more information contact Gary Gellin: g2h2@earthlink.net

SF FLOW

Last year’s SF FLOW ride got quite a bit of buzz, and it seemed like everyone had a really great time. 30+ miles of city dirt (some road) and ~3500 vertical.

Check out this thread on MTBR,.

If you’re interested in volunteering send an email to BobbyHill@me.com.

For those that didn’t hear about last year’s brouhaha – here’s what some participants had to say:
http://www.ihatebikes.net/wordpress/...e-sf-flow-ride
www.willaldrich.com/?p=38
http://www.deltavelo.com/08_race_vid…s/sf_flow.html (download the promo video)

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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