Current Issue
Tour of California, May 13-20: It’s Hollywood or Bust for Pro Peloton
April 10, 2012
No doubt it pleases three-time race champ Levi Leipheimer, a Santa Rosa native. “In my opinion Santa Rosa is at the center of the greatest place on earth — Sonoma County,” Leipheimer says in the stage promo video. “We have everything here: Great weather all year, mountainous coastal geography, the Pacific Ocean, locally grown produce, and an endless supply of sparsely populated roads that have been my training grounds for years. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
No doubt it pleases three-time race champ Levi Leipheimer, a Santa Rosa native. “In my opinion Santa Rosa is at the center of the greatest place on earth — Sonoma County,” Leipheimer says in the stage promo video. “We have everything here: Great weather all year, mountainous coastal geography, the Pacific Ocean, locally grown produce, and an endless supply of sparsely populated roads that have been my training grounds for years. Read More ...
April 29: Chico Wildflower adds 125-mile Route
April 10, 2012
New this year only will be the Wildcat 125, a 125-mile route to help CSU Chico celebrate its 125th anniversary. That should put early-season legs to the test. The ride is limited to 4000 riders. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
New this year only will be the Wildcat 125, a 125-mile route to help CSU Chico celebrate its 125th anniversary. That should put early-season legs to the test. The ride is limited to 4000 riders. Read More ...
April 19-22: Sea Otter Celebrates 22nd Year
April 10, 2012
In addition to the professional and amateur riders who make the annual pilgrimage to participate in various mountain and road races, the cycling extravaganza has expanded its offerings for avid recreational riders with events such as the Gran Fondo (“great endurance”) rides, scheduled for Saturday, April 21. There will be three Gran Fondo rides this year: two road rides and a 20-mile mountain bike route. The road rides include a 96-mile route through Carmel Valley and a 49-mile out-and-back coastal route. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
In addition to the professional and amateur riders who make the annual pilgrimage to participate in various mountain and road races, the cycling extravaganza has expanded its offerings for avid recreational riders with events such as the Gran Fondo (“great endurance”) rides, scheduled for Saturday, April 21. There will be three Gran Fondo rides this year: two road rides and a 20-mile mountain bike route. The road rides include a 96-mile route through Carmel Valley and a 49-mile out-and-back coastal route. Read More ...
April 14-15: Santa Cruz MTB Festival Cranks Up
April 10, 2012
Dirt jumpers can also practice landing hair-raising maneuvers worry-free, with the help of a giant air bag. Fox Racing Shox of Watsonville will again be the title sponsor and is donating prizes and a ton of awards, swag and raffle items. Even if you’re not competing there will be plenty of other diversions, from ogling and demoing bikes — manufacturers will include Ibis, Niner, Pivot, Specialized, Giant and Santa Cruz — to refueling at the food court and beer garden. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
Dirt jumpers can also practice landing hair-raising maneuvers worry-free, with the help of a giant air bag. Fox Racing Shox of Watsonville will again be the title sponsor and is donating prizes and a ton of awards, swag and raffle items. Even if you’re not competing there will be plenty of other diversions, from ogling and demoing bikes — manufacturers will include Ibis, Niner, Pivot, Specialized, Giant and Santa Cruz — to refueling at the food court and beer garden. Read More ...
Santa Cruz: New Pogonip Trail Approved
April 10, 2012
The trail will provide another connection between town and the UC Santa Cruz campus. The four-foot wide path will accommodate cyclists alongside pedestrians, equestrians and dogs. The new trail will reopen a 150-acre swath of Pogonip that has been closed to the public for several years. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
The trail will provide another connection between town and the UC Santa Cruz campus. The four-foot wide path will accommodate cyclists alongside pedestrians, equestrians and dogs. The new trail will reopen a 150-acre swath of Pogonip that has been closed to the public for several years. Read More ...
Report Card: California Ranks 20th in Bike Friendliness
April 10, 2012
Our report card from the league looks like that of a smart but troubled teenager. It includes an “A” for Legislation, a “B” for Policies and Programs, an “F” for Infrastructure, a “C” for Education & Encouragement, a “D” for Evaluation & Planning, and a “D” for Enforcement. The top ranked communities in the state include Davis (Platinum), San Francisco (Gold), and Palo Alto (Gold). Read More ...
April 10, 2012
Our report card from the league looks like that of a smart but troubled teenager. It includes an “A” for Legislation, a “B” for Policies and Programs, an “F” for Infrastructure, a “C” for Education & Encouragement, a “D” for Evaluation & Planning, and a “D” for Enforcement. The top ranked communities in the state include Davis (Platinum), San Francisco (Gold), and Palo Alto (Gold). Read More ...
Backroad Diversions: Highway 199 along the Smith River - A scenic ribbon for adventurous souls
April 10, 2012
Following this route will take you through remnants of truly giant coastal redwoods and offer a roller coaster ride alongside the Smith River and into the Siskiyou Mountains where one of the most diverse coniferous forests of North America grows. At 2,100 feet, the highway passes through Collier Tunnel under the Hazel View Summit, leads into the Illinois valley of southern Oregon and reaches all the way to Grant’s Pass. Four miles east of 101, at the Hiouchi Bridge, travelers get their first tantalizing gaze at deep pools and riffles in the Smith River. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
Following this route will take you through remnants of truly giant coastal redwoods and offer a roller coaster ride alongside the Smith River and into the Siskiyou Mountains where one of the most diverse coniferous forests of North America grows. At 2,100 feet, the highway passes through Collier Tunnel under the Hazel View Summit, leads into the Illinois valley of southern Oregon and reaches all the way to Grant’s Pass. Four miles east of 101, at the Hiouchi Bridge, travelers get their first tantalizing gaze at deep pools and riffles in the Smith River. Read More ...
EDITOR’S NOTE: Back in the Saddle
April 10, 2012
Just getting back on my road or mountain bike after winter is like that for me. Which is one of the reasons why I’m astounded by stories like this issue’s profile on Bobby McMullen, “Racing Blind. ” We could just as well call McMullen the “Comeback Kid,” even though he’s much closer to turning 50 than he is to his teen years. Read More ...
April 10, 2012
Just getting back on my road or mountain bike after winter is like that for me. Which is one of the reasons why I’m astounded by stories like this issue’s profile on Bobby McMullen, “Racing Blind. ” We could just as well call McMullen the “Comeback Kid,” even though he’s much closer to turning 50 than he is to his teen years. Read More ...
Heidi’s Climb: In the Alps, life metaphors roll easier than the miles for a cancer fighter striving to live in the moment
April 4, 2012
I started again and counted to 30. I had to stop again, I had to regroup and make a choice. Was I willing to go on or would I have to walk my bike up to the summit? What did I want? How did I want to remember the moment and who did I want to be right then? Having done various events that have pushed my body beyond conceivable limits certainly set me up for that moment but I still had to make the choice. Read More ...
April 4, 2012
I started again and counted to 30. I had to stop again, I had to regroup and make a choice. Was I willing to go on or would I have to walk my bike up to the summit? What did I want? How did I want to remember the moment and who did I want to be right then? Having done various events that have pushed my body beyond conceivable limits certainly set me up for that moment but I still had to make the choice. Read More ...
Skyline to the Sea Trail
April 4, 2012
Despite its proximity, surprisingly few have hiked the trail. Perhaps because it is so close, many deem it too short of a drive to be a “real” adventure, a “real” challenge, or a “real” wilderness experience. It’s all those things, minus the long drive and the hefty gas bill. Read More ...
April 4, 2012
Despite its proximity, surprisingly few have hiked the trail. Perhaps because it is so close, many deem it too short of a drive to be a “real” adventure, a “real” challenge, or a “real” wilderness experience. It’s all those things, minus the long drive and the hefty gas bill. Read More ...
Canoer’s Delight: Paddling the East Fork Carson River in an open canoe offers the perfect blend of comfort and excitement
April 4, 2012
Canoes are for kids at camp, or people from Maine and Minnesota. So when my husband Andrew and I decided to canoe the East Fork Carson River, we received some raised eyebrows from several friends. “It’s a fun kayak,” their faces said, or, “I own a raft you know. Read More ...
April 4, 2012
Canoes are for kids at camp, or people from Maine and Minnesota. So when my husband Andrew and I decided to canoe the East Fork Carson River, we received some raised eyebrows from several friends. “It’s a fun kayak,” their faces said, or, “I own a raft you know. Read More ...
Dedicated To The Dirty Work: New Mountain Bike Trail Groups In Tahoe
April 4, 2012
After success opening many Tahoe trailheads to fat tires in the 1990s, the group slowly disbanded. In 2011, TAMBA was resurrected and re-organized with the mission to promote new sustainable, multi-use trails, help maintain existing trails and preserve trail access for mountain bikers. Though they’ve been back on their feet for less than a year, TAMBA’s efforts have already found substantial support. Read More ...
April 4, 2012
After success opening many Tahoe trailheads to fat tires in the 1990s, the group slowly disbanded. In 2011, TAMBA was resurrected and re-organized with the mission to promote new sustainable, multi-use trails, help maintain existing trails and preserve trail access for mountain bikers. Though they’ve been back on their feet for less than a year, TAMBA’s efforts have already found substantial support. Read More ...
A Life in Flight: Wingsuit Pioneer Loci Jean-Albert, "The Flying Dude
April 2, 2012
It was just “part of the game,” and they all understood the risks. But the reward, the feeling of flight as his body screamed down toward earth like some sort of flaming comet hurled from the heavens, was enough to keep him returning to cliff edges despite the odds of catastrophe. In return for the risk, one of the rewards was euphoria, however brief. Read More ...
April 2, 2012
It was just “part of the game,” and they all understood the risks. But the reward, the feeling of flight as his body screamed down toward earth like some sort of flaming comet hurled from the heavens, was enough to keep him returning to cliff edges despite the odds of catastrophe. In return for the risk, one of the rewards was euphoria, however brief. Read More ...
Alcatraz Swimming Society
April 2, 2012
alarm catapults me from the deepest regions of sleep. For an instant I am not sure what day it is, or why the alarm clock is screaming at me. Ugh! It sinks in. Read More ...
April 2, 2012
alarm catapults me from the deepest regions of sleep. For an instant I am not sure what day it is, or why the alarm clock is screaming at me. Ugh! It sinks in. Read More ...
Racing Blind: How one person is changing what’s possible on a mountain bike
April 2, 2012
Early this year I started feeling like I was fighting for breath while riding and it didn’t make sense. I was in excellent shape but my blood pressure was spiking. Since I have had multiple kidney transplants, I went to my Nephrologist first to rule out organ failure issues. Read More ...
April 2, 2012
Early this year I started feeling like I was fighting for breath while riding and it didn’t make sense. I was in excellent shape but my blood pressure was spiking. Since I have had multiple kidney transplants, I went to my Nephrologist first to rule out organ failure issues. Read More ...
