My bike club is transient - when it’s hot in our neighborhood, we head up the hill… toward Donner Lake or Lake Tahoe. When it starts to get cool, in our foothill situation, we head down the hill, where it’s usually 10 degrees warmer.

Or, we go there just because a change of scenery is good, or there’s a restaurant we like, or just because someone likes a ride and posts it on our list-serve…

You never can tell who will show up (other than the ride leader, I expect) but it’s always a nice, sociable ride.

Last Sunday was a ride around the Sutter Buttes - the world’s smallest mountain range - how often can you ride around a mountain range in one day?

Here’s the ride elevation chart - all 670 feet of it!

Looks scary, huh? But it’s not. That’s the media for you… it all depends on how the “facts” are presented.

After that lump, one of the riders flatted, with a screw through the tire, tube and rim! What are the odds? Three of us stopped to make sure everything was OK. After that, the four of us teamed up and had a pretty good pace line going for the rest of the ride, averaging around 20 mph, most of the time.

Some of the things I’ve always like about cycling are the social aspects and teamwork that seem to naturally emerge.

- Frank Pedrick

This is a new and interesting experience. I just had to give it a whirl. I’ve logged in via a public computer in a  public library. Of course, I don’t have all the resources available that I have at home, but then I don’t have to lug my computer around either!

Truth be told, I have another, new job… and have given up one of the others. I have a longish lunch hour, so I may just use it to type away.

Very cool.

And, I will be able to ride my bike to work, once I figure out the logistics.

If you are a bike commuter, and have wisdom to share, please let me know. I’d rather not re-invent the wheel - no pun intended (well, maybe…)

- Frank Pedrick

It’s almost like a new bike!

I picked my bike up from the shop yesterday and then had to WAIT to ride it… It’s like waiting to open a present. I kept looking at the clock…

I had my wheels rebuilt, my rear derailleur changed, the rear cog set changed, a new seat put on and the “frosting on the cake,” a couple of new water bottle cages!

Sounds kind of extravagant, huh?

Nah… I’ve ridden the bike, a Bianchi Titanium, for 11 years… 11 double centuries, 4 “Death Rides,” countless centuries, Tours in Colorado, Iowa and France, a trip to China (where it was worth an average workers’ annual salary - I didn’t ride it to the grocery store…) and miles of fun around here.

It’s the third set of wheels, third seat, second set of handlebars, second forks, second “groupo,” ???th water bottle cages, and second mile of handlebar tape…

I love my bike!

- Frank Pedrick

‘Round here, the ride calendar thins out after the “Foxy.” The time change happens in a couple of weeks and the kids will be out trick or treating and the days get short and the weather gets colder and and we begrudgingly get out the indoor trainers (we Cal-ee-forn-ee-uns are such wimps - most other places in the world would consider our winter mild) and then, before you know it, it’s December 21st, which is my favorite day of the winter because the days start getting longer again.

Really, I’m just putting off telling all my excuses for not riding the couple of weeks before riding the “Foxy.”

So, I won’t. But, I didn’t. Life happens or something like that. Does that work?

100 mile century start time was 7-8 am and we rolled out of the parking lot at a quarter after 8, my riding friends and I.

The sun was up a little and I decided not to wear any extra stuff. Cool. Not for long.

I’ve taken to packin’ a point n’ shoot camera in my back pocket. Sometimes I look, sometimes I don’t.

Well, as it turns out, the beginning of the ride is flat as a pancake, so no matter, we were “motoring” along.

Now, one of the things about “Foxy” is, it can get mighty windy.

I like hills better, at least I know when they’re over.

We cruised along pretty comfortably for the first 25, to the first rest stop. Now, the guys and I talked about rest-stop time and decided to keep it short, like 5 minutes, because we all cool down quickly and starting up again is like starting up again. Once I’m started, I like to keep going. Sooo, even though we’re a sociable bunch and love to eat and all, we rolled out in about 7 minutes, with a pee break.

We started up hill a little, I mean, a little. It kinda felt like up, but didn’t really look like up to me.

We stopped at a little wayside water stop and I think that’s where I started to realize that maybe starting a little earlier might be a good idea. We made it just in time for the last third of the last jug of water.

Side Note:

I started a double century really early one time and reached rest stops as they were unpacking… timing!

We rode through suburbia. It was so cool. (I taught middle school last year.)

I stopped at a yard sale and bought a dining room set and a TV for the back bedroom. And, put it in my seat bag!

There were Halloween decorations in the yards.

Then, into the vineyards.

And backroads.

Lunch was excellent at about mile 62, and we did hang out a little bit - I really appreciate the volunteers who do these events!

The ride did get to be a little more uphill after that, or maybe it was that sandwich?

Did I mention that it was a 106 mile century? I started to think about that a little bit more after lunch. I think I need some new riding shorts or maybe a new seat…

Or, maybe a 10 pound carbon fiber bike…

Just kidding! It was beautiful.

Ken was feeling spunky and rode off ahead. I was feeling my “rest days,” and pedaled along. It did get hilly, though, and warmer.

The last rest stop was in a shady, beautiful park. A lot of people were hanging out enjoying it, with 23 miles to go…

Ken waited for me and we headed out together, but joined a paceline that was wonky… I was stuck behind a guy that would pedal, pedal, coast… it drove me up the wall, so I dropped out.

I’d rather ride solo than deal with that!

So, I rode in with a variety of different people, chatting and kinda savoring the last few miles.

About not riding before the ride… I probably… OK, I would have been quicker and happier if I’d gotten out. I averaged 16.7 and about 6:30 ride time…

Here’s the elevation chart - it looks a lot scarier than it was…

On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t the sandwich!

- Frank Pedrick (Photographs Copyright 2008, Frank Pedrick)

Dear Lance,

Thank you so much for returning to racing, whether it’s the Giro d’Italia or the Tour de France.

Thanks to you, our local newspaper has run three articles about bicycling in the past two days! Wow!

Two, mostly positve. One, about doping in cycling… my lower lip is sticking out, as it does when I’m upset about something.

“Third-place TdF cyclist Kohl tested positive for CERA” Crap! Then, a long article about all the other cyclists caught doping… Crap, again!

Well, the articles about you were mostly positive. Of course, the AP articles go into your disputes with the French authorities regarding doping. It drags on and on. Please don’t let them be right!

I would really like to see you do well in the Giro. I’ll be following it!

I have no doubt you will do well. Maybe not a win, after three years off… but, hey, cycling needs positive role models!

Go, Lance!

Best regards,

Frank Pedrick

p.s. I support the Armstrong Foundation

I’ve been collecting information about the road rides us local folks do - up here in the Grass Valley / Nevada City area. My friends over at the Tour of Nevada City Bike Shop tell me visitors to the area often ask for them, so I’ve set them up as PDF file that are easy to download. So far, I have nine rides mapped that range from 15 to 42 miles… There are few more lengthy rides I want to add, including the route for the century my bike club sponsored until one of the roads washed out!

I collect all the information with a Garmin 305, then put together a route slip, elevation chart and map.

I’ll give copies to the local bike shops or you can print your own here: www.bicycleways.com/rides/local-rides. Go to Nevada County to find our local rides!

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I live in gold country. I’ve been told that heavy rains and spring floods often stir things up enough to reveal new gold deposits.

A couple of years ago, I was riding the Triple Crown ( 3 or more double centuries in a year). The closest rides include a LOT of climbing (Devil Mountain and Terrible Two), so I decided to change my gearing so I could spin as much as possible. I had the shop take off the Dura-Ace rear derallieur and 12-27 cogs, and put on an XTR with an 11-32… a range that lets me climb walls and pedal down 30% descents!

I put the Dura-Ace parts in a “safe-place.”

I must be getting stronger - I haven’t used that “32″ in months… I was wishing I could remember where that “safe place” was…

Saturday morning I found our garage had flooded. As I was moving things to clean up the mess, I found all the parts! Eureka!

p.s. be careful what you wish for…

- Frank Pedrick

Well, now… as the days get cooler, I have to give myself an extra nudge to get out the door (or on the trainer - ugh!), so I’m a thinkin’ about what I want to do next season.

A lot of the usual stuff - ride more, be more consistent in riding/training…

I need to be more specific.

Hills, baby! That’s where my average speed drops… Hill repeats, a little more push (effort…)

Stand up on the bike - I’ve worked on spinning 90-100ish for quite a while, and it’s working for me, but I can’t stand up for long… Not to sprint. I’m definitely a long distance, slow twitch muscle kinda guy. Just to give my poor bicycle seat a break. What if I sat on you for 6 - 15 hours? How would you feel? So, stand up and pedal, just to give my seat a break and develop those other muscle groups.

Endurance - this past year I got off to a slow, late start. I pretty much “rode into shape” on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado in June, then had to sit out the smokey days of California for two weeks. So, more miles.

Hmmm… what rides? Maybe 10 centuries? Doubles?  a Tour? I’m thinking about it…