I am riding to support AIDS services in San Francisco in AIDS/LifeCycle 4 This site documents my path to the 585-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June, 2005. Visit my homepage at the ALC web site, where you can make a donation by credit card or direct debit online (the deadline for mailing donations in has passed). I have met both my original goal of $2,500 and my revised goal of $5,000. Thanks everyone!!! For more info, write mark at markobrien.com.   ($5,555/$2,500) (1,660/1,500) Length of last ride: 22.1 miles         May 28, 2005 - Around the city - 22.1 miles - avg 10.9 mph At this point we are supposed to be taking it easy, conserving energy for the big ride. So a few of us did a very leisurely ride around the city. Starting in the Castro, we headed out through the park to the presidio and around to Seacliff. We headed down the Great Highway for a while and stopped at a coffee house, and then rode back. Very nice, and great weather! I am chomping at the bit to get on the road down to L.A. Let's go!!! May 22, 2005 - Tiburon Loop - 48.6 miles - avg 13.8 mph After sleeping in and lounging around the house, I left on a solo ride around 11 a.m. I've only done the Tiburon Loop once, as part of a longer ride on 4/3, and never alone. I had looked at a few maps to figure out where I should be going, but as fate would have it I ran into a friend just after Camino Alto, and I followed him around the loop. That saved me! I realized I never would have been able to find my way around without him. Thanks, Madan! May 21, 2005 - Sausalito to Pt. Reyes - 67.2 miles - avg 13.7 mph This time around we took the advice of some fellow ALC'ers and left Pt. Reyes in a different direction- it ended up being a huge shortcut. We made up the miles with a side trip to A Bicycle Odyssey in Sausalito. The ride itself was overshadowed by the fact that I got a speeding ticket going over the Golden Gate bridge that morning. Note to self: ride bike next time. Note to everyone: the speed limit on the bridge is 45 mph, and traffic fines are double. May 15, 2005 - Concord to Pleasanton - 59.8 miles - avg 13.6 mph Another casual ride- we began in Concord and rode down the bike trail through Pleasant Hill to Alamo, then through Danville, down to San Ramon and Pleasanton. This was a flat ride, and a perfect complement to yesterday's ride. Amazingly, I was not exhausted after two back-to-back rides. If I can just get comfortable sleeping with earplugs, I should be in good shape for the ride! May 14, 2005 - Sausalito to Pt. Reyes - 63.6 miles - avg 13.5 mph This was an informal ride with a couple of buddies. Beginning in Sausalito (so as to avoid the bridge), we rode to Fairfax, then up White's Hill and through Lagunitas. It got a little cold and cloudy as we neared the coast, but when we arrived in Pt. Reyes it was beautifully sunny. The great part about White's Hill is that coming home, it is very gradual until the end; you almost forget it is coming up until you are nearly finished. May 7, 2005 - Wine Country Century - 100 miles - avg 14.1 mph The kind folks at SRCC who organized this ride cleverly placed the longest climb of the day at mile 93. At least we were warm. They also called it a century ride and delivered a route that was 99 miles long. I did some laps around the parking lot just to break the magical 100. But seriously, folks, it was the most fun that I could have with 2,000+ other riders touring through the Sonoma wine country. The ride started early- 6:30ish, so lunch was at mile 70. That was wonderful, finishing lunch and knowing that there was but a paltry 30 miles to go, plus another rest stop at mile 87. It was a great way to break out of the Golden Gate-Fairfax route that I have been riding repeatedly of late, and did I mention how beautiful the scenery was? Also, while I feel I have heard the ALC safety speech a million times, including its pleas for common courtesies like passing on the left and announcing your presence when doing so, being on a ride with a lot of non-ALC riders made me appreciate the chatter and congeniality of ALC riders. I am so looking forward to the big ride. I was planning to do recovery ride on Sunday, but it rained, and I didn't want to deal with a wet White's Hill. What am I going to do if it rains during the ride? I am not waterproof! May 2, 2005 - Day on the Ride - 78.9 miles - avg 13.1 mph This ride was hosted by the AIDS/LifeCycle folks to give everyone a taste of what the actual ride will be like. Hoo boy- rest stops! Snacks! Roadies! Bike techs! What luxury. There were even sports therapists waiting at the end of the ride. The only trick will be doing these rides seven days in a row and sleeping in a tent each night in between. This ride covered much of the same territory as last week's ride, only this time beginning at the Presidio. So after 75-odd miles, we had to make it up and out of Sausalito. Point Reyes is really nice; I'll have to remember to go up there and camp some time once this bike madness is over. April 24, 2005 - Jonathan Pon Century - 102.1 miles - avg 14 mph Ah, the things you learn by getting out of the city. Did you know that Petaluma hosts the Butter & Egg Day Parade? Yep. On this ride, we started in Sausalito, rode up through Fairfax and onward up to Petaluma. We rode right down the main drag of Petaluma, along the parade route celebrating Butter and Eggs. Fortunately, we arrived before the parade did; still, plenty of people were camped out on lawn chairs waiting for the event to begin. The ride then took us over to Tomales. After lunch we rode back along Tomales Bay and through Point Reyes. At last, a real century. April 17, 2005 - Twin Peaks / San Bruno Mts / Brisbane - 22.8 miles - avg 10.1 mph Yet another alarm-less morning, hence another solo ride. I wanted to keep it short, so I focused on hills. I climbed Market St. to the top of Twin Peaks, down O'Shaunessy (fun!), into Daly City and across Guadalupe Canyon Pkwy through the San Bruno mountains. From there I took a detour through both Brisbanes (new and old) and then across Sister Cities Road though South San Francisco to the Bart station there. My average speed was lower than usual (10.1 mph) but my top speed was a wicked 38.9 mph going down from the San Bruno mountains. April 16, 2005 - Skyline to Palo Alto - 75.8 miles - avg 12.7 mph I slept in, so this was a solo ride. I used this route as a foundation, and began by riding up to the Ferry building and around to Fort Point, then down the Great Highway and Hwy 35, parallelling 280, down to Palo Alto. It would have been pretty straightforward enough, except that I missed a turn and managed to descend into Millbrae. My fears were confirmed when I got directions at a gas station on El Camino: to get back on Skyline and continue the route, I had to climb back up Trousdale. So that was a little extra challenge. Rolling into Palo Alto along Sand Hill Road, I got a good view of the Stanford Linear Accelerator, and then managed to get directions to the downtown area, where I had lunch. From there I headed northeast, and crossed the Dumbarton Bridge. I made it to the Union City Bart station and headed home from there. April 3, 2005 - Bridge / Bay / Ocean - 80 miles - avg 12.3 mph I was planning to do a century loop counter-clockwise around the bay with Valdez and company, but there was some confusion about the starting point. Three of us were confused to be exact, and wondering where everyone else was. Not knowing the route that had been planned, we decided to create our own route. We went up over the Golden Gate Bridge, around part of the Tiburon Loop (with a great view of the city back over the bay), through Fairfax across the Alpine Dam (pictured) and up into Mt. Tamalpais. Ironically enough, the other two folks, Anita and Jon, had been talking about doing a solid, flat 100 miles. That went out the window with the Mt. Tam suggestion. Tons of climbing, but what a reward; at the crest of the mountain, there was a beautiful view of the Pacific. Most random moment: some guy had driven up there and set up a full drum kit. He was wearing headphones and going nuts. I'm guessing this is his only chance to play without disturbing his neighbors. I didn't realize how much we had climbed until we began the descent, and kept going, and going. March 27, 2005 - Fairfax - 46.1 miles - avg 12.3 mph My first time doing back-to-back rides. Long story short: I was not totally dead. Long story: the plan was to go from Chrissey Field up to Fairfax and then around the Nicasio Loop. Some new hills for me to try up in Marin. I decided to start from my house, and I was running late, so I warmed up with a brisk 7-mile sprint. It was one of those days where either the clouds would burn off into a glorious sunny day, or the heavens would open up spontaneously and pour down upon us. When we got to Fairfax, a small group of us decided to turn back. I have never done White's Hill, and from what I heard, going down it in the rain would have been, umm, problematic. Many thanks to John for giving me a ride back home from the Presidio. March 26, 2005 - Fairfax - 48.9 miles - avg 12.5 mph I was planning to do a Livermore ride on Saturday, but there had been a couple of late nights this week, so when the alarm went off at 5 a.m., I knew that ride would not be happening. Instead I slept in and went on a ride over the Golden Gate up into Marin, stopping at Fairfax. It's really nice to be doing different rides each weekend, but it's also nice to revisit some the same routes again, since it really gives me a sense of progress. Camino Alto, which seemed the bane of my existence the first time I rode it, is now just a minor hill. After all, I have done Palomares and Grizzley Peak. March 12, 2005 - Los Altos Tour - 61.2 miles - avg 14.3 mph This was yet another chance to see a part of the Bay Area I didn't realize existed. There are some nice houses up in Los Altos Hills, if you like that sort of thing. Overall, I think the group decided that a sprawling mansion in the hills would simply burden one with too much vacuuming. March 5, 2005 - Oakland Hills - 45.9 miles - avg 11.4 mph February was a very rainy month in the Bay Area. Good for the greenery; bad for the bikers. Back on the bike at the beginning of March, I participated in a ride entitled "More Hills for You." Beginning in Oakland, the ride included a climb up Tunnel Road to Skyline (elevation 2,500 ft.) and a climb from Wildcat Canyon (1,110 ft) to Grizzly Peak (3,000 ft) back up Skyline. During the day we apparently climbed 8,100 feet. I wouldn't know for sure, since when I bought my bike computer, I didn't realize I'd need an altimeter. In any case, I surprised myself again by completing the ride with succombing to Tourette's, as I had done in the past. Aside from going to bed at 7 p.m. that night, the repercussions were surprisingly minimal- I was expecting to be sore on Sunday, but I was fine. I've also resigned myself to the fact that speed and hills go not go together, at least on the way up. The only way I can accomplish these long climbs is to ignore the speedy people passing me and focus on a slow, steady cadence. February 5, 2005 - Primavera Wine Tour - 81.1 miles - avg 14.4 mph My longest ride to date, this course took us through the scenic Livermore wine country (who knew?). The ride included another trip up Palomares, which killed me on 1/22, but was actually manageable this time. Unfortunately, they call it "the easy way" since this five-mile, 1,500 foot climb is spread out evenly in this direction. In the other direction, it is gentle rolling hills for four miles, followed by one mile of torture. I will tackle that some other day- we still had many miles to tread after this hill. Fewer misfortunes this time, too. The greatest misfortune was the fact that we fell behind schedule. See, this was supposed to be a century ride- 105 miles to be exact. Sadly, we fell behind schedule and had to trim the route short. This is why people don't schedule century rides before daylight savings time kicks in. Still, we made it, and after being psyched up to do 105 miles, when we cut it down to 80, the last few miles seemed (dare I say) easy. January 29, 2005 - South Bay Loop - 63.7 miles - avg 14.2 mph When we speak of the later, and I'm sure that we will, this will be known as "the jinxed ride." The group had at least five flat tires (I lost count), one chain break, and one fall. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The chain break happened to yours truly, in the middle of an intersection just short of the end of the ride. The chain had gotten jammed in the front changer and in my hurried efforts to release it one of the pins got snagged. Fortunately, on a group ride there was no shortage of support. Valdez gave me a ride back to BART and Clayton gave me a ride back to the city. With all of the difficulties we encountered, it was dark by the time the group returned to the starting point. Nonetheless, it was a nice tour of the South Bay area including the very scenic Coyote Hills Wildlife Refuge (pictured) and the Shoreline Park and Golf Course. Here are some more pictures. January 22, 2005 - Five Canyons Ride - 36.2 miles - avg 11.9 mph My first group ride of the new year, this ride originated in Union City and went through the canyons to Dublin. Since I am still getting back up to speed after my holiday, I chose the abbreviated version of the ride, and took BART home from Dublin, while most of the group circled back to Union City. There is some good planning going on here; the rides are getting progressively more difficult. Palomares was the longest extended climb I've done: approximately 3.5 miles of steady climb. When speaking with other riders later on, I was pleased to discover that I was not the only one that developed a case of Tourette's as the climb wore on. January 15, 2005 - Sausalito - 27.9 miles - avg 11.3 mph Back on the bike after the extended holiday, I eased into things with a laid-back ride by myself. California really is a beautiful place, especially the Bay Area, something which is easier to notice as you cruise by on a bike. I was really worn out after the ride- getting up the hill and out of Sausilito seems to be my eternal challenge- but I made it without stopping. November 28, 2004 - Holiday (With the family for Thanksgiving; the bike stayed home.) December looks like a wash; I'll resume training in earnest after the New Year. November 21, 2004 - Golden Gate Park to Fairfax - 49.0 miles - avg 13.8 mph I had to take another crack at this route which totally killed me last time (See October 30). Sure enough, I was psyched up for Camino Alto and I must say I survived that hill OK in both directions, but it's the climb out of Sausalito that's the killer. Going in and out of there by itself is no problem, but after 45 miles, I swear, my quads knew it was coming and started complaining right away. Still, I made it without getting off my bike, which is something. Also, there are some pretty damn picturesque sights along that route, what with the fall leaves and all. November 13, 2004 - Alpine-Arastradeo Loop - 56.0 miles - avg 14.0 mph Maybe because of the foreboding weather, maybe because of Veloswap, there were only six of us on this ride. This was nice, because it was easier to keep the group together, and I got to know folks better over the course of the ride, which took us over the Dunbarton Bridge and through parts of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Los Altos. The ride included amazingly scenic vistas and picturesque country homes that would belong among the backroads of farm country in Middle America- though without the broken-down car on the front lawn. Going over the Dunbarton on the way home I realized I'd crossed more bridges on my bike in the last six weeks than by car; then again, I've put more miles on my bike in the last six weeks than on my car. All of this may change when I begin my new job next week in San Bruno, where it will be much faster and less expensive to drive than take public transportation. But we'll see. Winds and storm clouds greeted us as we set off, but fortunately the weather held for the ride, and the winds made everything especially clear. Special thanks to Valdez for loaning me a jacket. On the shopping list: lycra leg and arm warmers. Who knew such items would find their way into my wardrobe! November 6, 2004 - South Bay Loop - 67.7 miles - avg 14.4 mph Get this - we started in Union City and did a loop around the South Bay: Fremont, Newark, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and across the Dumbarton Bridge and back to Union City. No problem. Another fun ride with great people. Valdez, the ride leader, suggested we just keep going and make it an even century. I was disappointed when I realized he was only kidding. (Not.) Fortunately it was mostly flat, and I was only moderately exchausted after. :) October 30, 2004 - Golden Gate Park to Fairfax - 47.9 miles - avg 12.9 mph My first offical ALC training ride, and first time riding with a group. Fun!!! I had followed this path over the bridge and into Sausalito before, but had never ventured beyond there. The biggest challenge was Camino Alto, the longest steady climb I have done so far. Of course, reaching the top and sailing down was exhilarating, though all the while I was thinking "Crap! I'm going to have to make it back up this on the way back!" Many thanks to my new friend Doug who paced with me for most of the way, and hung with me when I bonked (ran out of energy and had to stop)- on the hills getting out of Sausalito- so close to home! Next time, PowerBars in tow, I will make it all the way. But if Doug's support is at all characteristic of ALC riders, this will be an even more unreal experience than I had imagined. October 24, 2004 - Week off October 10, 2004 - San Francisco Perimeter - 47 miles - avg 12.0 mph The SF Bike Coalition had a link to this ride documented in the Chronicle, circling the SF perimeter. I was looking for a longer ride that would hold my interest and take me to new or unfamiliar places. Considering I have never been to a game at either Candlestick or SBC Park, nor hung out in Bayview, this fit the bill nicely. How was it? Well, let's say I did it, and I don't need to do it again. Perhaps it had something to do with getting lost on Bayshore and pedaling halfway to San Bruno before realizing I was off the path. Perhaps it had to do with breaking a spoke and pulling off to a nearby 7-Eleven where I bought a roll of duct tape (and a hot dog) to fix the problem, if only temporarily. Or perhaps it was the fact that the streets in Bayview are completely ripped up and unfit for biking, which the article does not mention, most likely because this construction began long after the article was published. October 2, 2004 - Sacramento Bike Trail - 41.7 miles - avg 16.6 mph Oh my! This is what biking on flat land is like? I get to go so fast! Having trained exclusively in SF so far, I zipped along the scenic Sacramento bike trail, which runs along the American River. I hadn't ridden this since I was in high school, and never before had I taken the "downtown" fork, preferring in the past to head into Old Sacramento. Well, downtown sounded so sophisticated so I took it. Little did I know it would wind me through some industrial streets behind the California Almond plant and dump me off on North B street, past the scenic Goldie's Bookstore and the soup kitchen. I rode down the K Street mall until I found a deli where I could pick up a banana and some Gatorade. September 29, 2004 - Ocean Beach via Golden Gate Park - 10.6 miles - avg 13 mph Managed to squeeze this ride in on a Wednesday morning before work. It's nice to see the beach once in a while- one forgets that it is so nearby when living in SF. September 25, 2004 - Sausalito via Golden Gate Bridge - 25.4 miles - avg 12.7 mph Though this ride was not as fun as the first time I did it with my housemate Rouel, Sausalito never fails to charm. Also, this was the first ride I did since acquiring and installing my bike computer, beginning my obsessive habit of recording as much data as I can about each ride.   New & exciting: 5/18- How committed am I really? What sacrifices are being made? I already knew that I will have to forsake the Fischerspooner concert the night before the ride begins, but today I realized that I will also miss the first two episodes of the fifth and final season of Six Feet Under. Tivo will keep 6FU safe for me; if only it could do the same for FS. 5/5- One month left until the ride; I am making a final fundraising push. Apologies for the short notice to friends and family who are learning about this for the first time. I appreciate any support you can provide- together we are making a huge impact, raising thousands of dollars to support HIV/AIDS services in San Francisco. 4/24- After several false starts, I completed my first century ride. And this was no flat ride, either- it included Camino Alto, Nicaso Loop, White's Hill, and the rolling hills along Tomales Bay. 4/4- Lycra purchase alert: very productive trip to Sports Basement yields five jerseys and three pairs of shorts; almost my entire wardrobe for the ride. (No laundry available, so I'm packing a different outfit every day.) 4/3- Six months later, I have completed 1,000 training miles. I am planning to ride at least 500 more miles before heading down to L.A. 3/29- What generous friends, family, and colleagues I have! Today I met my original fundraising goal of $2,500. The next milestone: $5,000. Let's see how close we can get. 2/23- Many thanks to my co-workers at Atomz, whose response to my fundraising request has been quick and generous! 12/19- Each year at the family Christmas reunion, we donate to a charity instead of exchanging gifts. Todd & Mariano suggested that this year the ALC and my ride be the beneficiaries. Thanks, guys! Here's info on donating by check or credit card. 11/5 - First donation, before the fundraising materials have even gone out. Thanks, Shannon! 10/31 - My housemate took pictures of me on my bike at Chrissy Field to help begin with the fundraising materials. Thanks, Rouel! 10/24 - Got the bike back from the shop with a new rear rim and new spokes. 10/16 - Picked up a nifty Camelback with a 3 liter reservoir, in time for my first ALC training ride on 10/17, which was rained out. 10/5 - Fixed my first flat. Many thanks to co-worker Jae for picking up a tube for me while he was out running errands at lunch, so I wouldn't have to find a bike store that was open late (fyi, REI is the best bet for this). 8/26 - First lycra purchase: biking shorts. I guess I'm committing to this thing. 7/25 - First trip over the Golden Gate bridge and into Sausalito. Boy, Blazing Saddles does a lot of business. Copyright © 2005 Mark O'Brien The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone in particular. For more of Mark's work, see markodesign. If you're into it, please show your support.