Print this ride (pdf)

Dear Riding Friends,

Welcome to the April Shop Ride. On account of the sketchy weather lately we have a nice, short shop ride planned for Sunday, April 2nd.

This is a mellow ride over local roads, ending for brunch in Livermore at Emil Villa's Hick'ry Pit. It is definitely OK for experienced beginners and intermediate riders, as it is not very long and all the roads are paved and in reasonable condition. The most interesting parts of the ride are the roads along the Calaveras Reservoir, tight, twisty, but not fast and usually lightly traveled on Sunday. It is possible to take Mount Hamilton on the way back to finish this ride, but we will leave that as an option depending on weather. Our return route will likely be 84 and the freeway back to 237, the quickest way back.

We'll leave the shop at 9:00 am and head out 237, following it up into the foothills, then branching off towards Calaveras Reservoir. This road brings us back out to civilization right up the road from Sunol. We'll take 84 into Livermore and loop around behind the town to Emil Villa's where we'll stop for brunch.

Please, be sure you stay within the safe limits of your riding ability. Ride within your comfort zone and work on being the smoothest rider on the ride, not the fastest. True riding skill is built on the practice of smoothness, control and a sense of line, not on trying to go fast. For new riders, this is a very good ride, as the roads are easy, the ride is not very long, and we'll return via major roads on the way home. This will be a rain-or-shine ride, as weather can be a little iffy at this time of year. Remember, riding in the rain can be lots of fun and is always a good learning experience!

As always, this is a leisurely social ride, nothing difficult, and please, no racing!

I hope you can join us. Have fun and be safe! E-mail or call (650.966.1183) me or if you have any questions or concerns.

Have fun,

Kari Prager

Download Acrobat Reader (opens new window)