There is a great century that leaves from Bay Meadows which should be really close to you. Here is an interactive map of the route. It has a ton of climbing so it won't match IMFL but it is a great tour of the area.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Giro-di-Peninsula-2006-100-Mile

Actually, I just found that there is a century stating in Woodside that covers most of that route. I am debating doing that ride, but not sure if I will stick with the road bike or go with the tri-bike. I really need to get some time in that saddle of my tri-bike.

Thanks for the link,

Jeromy

Stop by our shop in Palo Alto and I'll hook you up with some good routes. The flattest ones in the area will take you south.

We have some cycling specific maps of the Bay Area made by Krebs Cycling Products which show the roads which are cycling friendly too.

Another option would be to come join our Saturday morning ride and convince some of the others to go for a longer ride with you. Shop ride starts at 7:30 am on Saturday mornings.

---

-Darrell

Darrell,

Looking forward to stopping by your store. By the time I ride to and from Palo Alto, I will probably be up in the mileage that I need. About how long would it take to ride down from Foster City? How far do you usually ride on Sat?

Also, I will be dropping my bike off at your store for Bike transport to Fl. So if I don't see you sooner, I will stop by then.

Jeromy

You need to hook up with my pals who are doing IMF, though the course sim ride they do is up in napa.

can't wait to see the new one!

clm

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Here's the link to Saturday's century. http://www.tourforwoodside.com/homepage.html. I don't have time for the whole thing but may do part or the 55 miler.

I am planning on doing the Napa half, but I would probably be up for driving up to meet a group for a weekend or two. My email is in my profile.

Did you climb palomar over the weekend?

Jeromy

Thanks. How is the climb up King's Road? And what about the desent. Are you taking a road bike or a tri bike?

Jeromy

PM me if you want to meet up for some rides in Napa. The Silverado trail is pretty good training ground for a course like FL. Also a number of good climbs.

Next Friday (9/29) there's a charity ride with Eddy Merckx in Marin at noon. Looks like a cruiser but the climb up Tam after will be higher intensity. Details follow:

The ride with Eddy Merckx that you registered for is building momentum with 45 riders already signed up. Keep in mind that we are only going to do 35 miles around Marin with Eddy. The ride will not be a hammerfest.

After the ride and a chat with Eddy, please join ZteaM for a climb up Mt Tam if you want to do additional miles.

If you you have any questions or issues, please email me at zteamcycling@gmail.com

I look forward to meeting any of you not associated with ZteaM.

Hunter Ziesing

ZteaM Founder and Captain

ZteaM Cycling

www.zteamcycling.com

My guess is that it would take 90 to 120 minutes to ride from Foster City to my shop depending on the route you take. It's not very far as the crow flies but you would have to weave around a bit to find a bike friendly route.

Our Saturday ride goes for about 30-40 miles depending on the route.

And going up King's Mtn is a good route. The pavement is good and the turns aren't bad for coming down either. On weekends it can get a little busy with car traffic. The best way to do it is climb up Old la Honda, King's, or even Page Mill and descend back down on 84. 84 has very smooth pavement and nice wide turns for cars. More cars than the other roads but you'll be at the bottom faster.

---

-Darrell

[reply]
Did you climb palomar over the weekend?
[/reply]

Yes I did...in the car. ;-)

---

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

KIngs Mountain Rd is one of the classic climbs on the peninsula (Old La Honda & Page Mill, too). It's about 4.4 miles averaging 7% grade. Traffic can be an issue. The descent is fast with a few hairpins.

Darrell,

I am going to try an meet up with you guys tomorrow. I will give myself 2 hours to get down there, so hopefully that will give me enough time. My cell phone is below if you need to reach me.

Jeromy
760-579-3496

Jeromy, i live in Foster City. i'm not riding right now, (just finished the Grand Columbian and have a long assed trail race coming up) but i could tell you about the best rides out of Foster City if you don't want to use the car.

That would be great. My email is in my profile. Let me know if you want some running company.

Jeromy

email sent. hope to hear from you.

Here's my bike after coming down 84 in an ambulence...be careful no matter where you descend:)

Stan

do NOT ride 84! never!

glad you survived.

i'd also strongly advise against King's Mountain. if the potholes won't kill you the drivers will.

Damn. Hope that you are okay.

Jeromy

Jeromy

Hope everything is going ok for you guys in NOCal. Good luck with IMFL. Stay off 84 looks kinda dangerous.

---

Train safe & smart
Bob

Stan

That looks bad. Hope you did better then your bike!

---

Train safe & smart
Bob

Escaped with a broken finger and some bad road rash...will never forget the sight of a semi tire rolling by my head. Was just bad luck-coming around that turn descending pretty fast, and right as I come into the corner, a semi is getting wide to make the sharp turn. I miss the semi, start to skid off the road, overcorrect and skid back on. As luck would have it, there's another semi behind the first. I'd like to think I ditched the bike, but I probably just got lucky and fell off. Police report said I was at fault because I was riding on the wrong side of the road-I'm not always smart, but I'm not that stupid.

Taught me a lesson about what can happen on a bike-angels watching over me that day.

84 isn't that bad, but you do have to be careful. I would, however stay away from descending Kings.

Stan

i think 84 is very bad. there's a lot of people driving up and down and some of them are exceptionally clueless (i don't mean you!) i almost got killed there by somebody pulling out of a driveway. thank God for Koolstops.

i'm glad you won't ride down King. i did it twice and it took all of my attention not to fall prey to the potholes. never again.

Old La Honda is the place to ride up.

i didn't know there were semis on 84!

have you ever gone down 92? what a nightmare that is!

So how do you get down from Skyline? You've eliminated 84, 92 and King's Mtn. OLH has the worst pavement, narrowest roads, and most number of people going up it so do you go all the way down to Hwy. 9? I'm not trying to start a war but there are limited ways of getting down once you've gone up.

One of my riding buddies crashed going down 84 a few years ago on a wet patch, ended up breaking his clavicle. On the ride to the ER in the fire truck the firemen told him that they give a ride to at least one cyclist a week who has crashed coming down from Skyline.

Each road has reasons why you wouldn't want to use it to descend unless you ride a mountain bike to the top and take trails down.

---

-Darrell