Margaritas and Racing; Not at the Same Time...

Since moving to Sacramento Lisa and I have enjoyed a few bike rides within the city, most recently to Ernesto's for some Mexican Food and killer margaritas (notice I didn't say killer Mexican Food).  Our town bikes were great for getting around and are finally going to get their proper use...
The other big bike-related news in the last few months is that I've finally obtained my Category 3 upgrade.  I'm excited to be racing at a new level and hope I can hold my own...  The new TT bike below should hopefully help in the race against the clock...

Lisa's Electra and my Surly parked outside of Ernesto's for Friday Night Margaritas in Downtown Sacramento

The new Time Trial Bike - built for speed, not for turning

All the gear ready to be packed up after a tough ride at Wente Vineyards Road Race in Livermore, CA - about  40th place out of 70 guys or so, rough day, and a lot of climbing...

Everyone talks about how dangerous bike racing is, and it is definitely dangerous - this little guy seems to help though

My New SacTown Commute

Well, the last few months have been quite busy to say the least.  One of the things taking my time was our recent move to the Land Park area of Sacramento.  This has cut my bicycle commute to work from 23 miles down to 5.25 miles each way.  The greatest part about the commute is that about 75% of it takes place on the bike trail, making for peaceful and picturesque ride...  The time of year is perfect in Northern California to start biking to work on a regular basis so hopefully I'll have more to come, I hope you enjoy the following:

Sacramento's "Tower Bridge" painted "49er Gold"

Well, at least 2 out of 3 of these options are tempting this time of year...

The Surly has been converted back to my commuter - downtown Sac in the background...

January Base Miles

The December and January weather thus far has been ridiculously great for racking up serious off-season base miles.  Here's a few photos from my recent rides where I tried to play with a few new apps and processes, I hope you enjoy:

The mossy trees of the coastal foothills basking in the sun of January

My take on "seeing red" as I crest the top of the Cantelow Rd. climb - via Posterize app

A view of the Sacramento Valley from the top of Cantelow Rd. Climb - great visibility today

Teammates Carson and Bruce just after I've pulled off the front, with blurred vision incurred

THE American River

There are two extremely nice advantages to the location of my office - 1) a mid-level racquet club & gym about 300 ft door to door and 2) the American River Bike Trail about a quarter mile from our parking lot. The American River Bike Trail offers a 31 mile (one-way) reprieve from auto-traffic which connects Discovery Park and Folsom Lake.
Having this picturesque trail so close allows me and some buddies the regular opportunity to squeeze in a "lunch ride."  Today I was rolling solo which gave me a chance to snap a few photos at my turnaround point about 20 miles from work.  There's a pretty good chance there will be more iPhone pics from this and similar routes along the trail.

Mile 20 - turnaround point at Sunrise Blvd.

Kids were out feeding the ducks... and the geese, and the seagulls, and the pigeons

After taking a closer look at the previous picture you'll see Salmon season is officially over

My view of the new cockpit at ride's end: now rocking the Garmin Edge 500 so I can track about everything on a ride

Saturday Davis Wheel Works Race Ride

For those of you that aren't avid cyclists and/or locals to the Davis/Sacramento Area - the Saturday, Davis Wheel Works Race Ride is one of the best "race-prep-workouts" around.  A 58 mile group ride with 2 marked sprints and 3 small climbs in-between, the group size can vary between 20-60 fine-tuned endurance athletes.  The group is diverse with a few continental pros, several local 2's and dozens of serious 3's, 4's and 5's trying to get ahead in their training.  Today's ride was a cold one with a 38 degree start and fog to add to the chill:

38 and fog feels about like 20

At base camp (Wheel Works), about to get whistled at by our ride captain Alan Rowland

Debut of my new Fizik Saddle with "versus" technology, helps save the boys on a long ride

I'm a huge believer in fatter/beefier tires for winter workouts - these 25mm wide Conti 4-Seasons do the trick nicely

Pre-Turkey Ride: the Napa Hills

There's no question that I love food...  Maintaining a 180lb frame while riding a bike 500-800 miles a month is not achieved easily.  It shouldn't surprise anyone then that my favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving and my goal is to consume ample quantities of every tasty dish available.  In order to build an appetite I decided to make the 61 mile trek from Woodland to Napa on my road bike.  It was a cloudy and chilly day but dry roads kept it safe and gave me enough daylight to snap a few photos before my iPhone battery zeroed out completely:

Putah Creek Road - looking out at the hills between Napa and myself

Putah Creek and the Lake Berryessa Dam

Putah Creek using a reflection edit

Lake Berryessa Dam - end of climb #1 of 3 on the day

Vineyards of Wooden Valley

Sunday Funday... or Not

Most of my buddies still organize a "Sunday Funday" which typically consists of cruisers, mimosas and more mimosas to round out the weekend.  My idea of "Sunday Funday" - a filling and tasteful breakfast, a couple cups of hot coffee, and a brisk solo (or small group) ride on various Northern California country roads.  Today was a great one:

Houndstooth Panache Kit - Photogene2, B&W, no flash

My Specialized Tarmac, 2009 - Hipstamatic, John S lens, Kodot XGrizzled film, no flash

Best "post ride bar" in the area, Buckhorn Steakhouse - Photogene2, 70's, edited with center focus, no flash

Winters Bike Bridge - Hipstamatic, John S lens, Kodot XGrizzled film, no flash

With CX on the brain decided for a little gravel, County Rd 101 - Hipstamatic, Jimmy lens, Kodo XGrizzled film, no flash