After yesterday's leisurely ride along the bay I thought I would check out a trail in my recently purchased book "Northern California Biking". This book rates the difficulty of the ride on the scale of 1 to 5 waterbottles, 1 being the easiest and described as "..suitable for families with young children, novice riders, or those wanting a casual, recreational ride..." Since I was closeby, I chose Nimitz Way and Wildcat Canyon in Tilden Regional Park. It is rated 1 waterbottle, is 7.8 miles and described as "mostly level with only one short hill right before the pavement ends at 3.9 miles. It is well-loved by every kind of rider, including those on tricycles and training wheels". I thought no problem, it will be a nice short ride on a beautiful afternoon. So I drive to Tilden, park at Inspiration Point and head off for my 1 waterbottle ride. I have the book with me in case I decide to convert it to a 3 waterbottle ride that joins another trail.
All I can say is that my definition of "mostly level" is obviously not the same as the authors. There were lots of ups and downs, and the "short hill" had me in my easiest gear going 5 MPH. I may have to ask the author if she has any 1/2 waterbottle rides! This was a humbling experience, and it made me wonder what I have gotten myself into. Perhaps it was payback for having teased Joyce about not breaking a sweat yesterday.
I guess its time to start working on the hills!
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1 comment:
Eeks! I can barely handle the flats!
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