Saturday A ride 2/14- OLH-Pescadero + Cloverdale

This week we’ll head towards the coast for a loop around Pescadero and Cloverdale. We’ll do stops at Sky Londa and Pescadero for water. People can send it on Old la Honda and West Alpine if interested, but lets keep the group together on the rollers/flat sections. Weather looks ok so far, but we can modify the route if it looks like some rain will move in. Rumor has it there will be a stop at Alpine Inn at the end of the ride for interested parties.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3456864894159130310

Summary: Sandhill, Old la Honda, Skylonda, San Gregorio, Cloverdale loop, Pescadero, West Alpine, Pagemill

Start: Summit Bikes Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Steph Hart

Sunday A-ride 2/8/26 — Bohlman/Soda Springs/Hwy9 + AVRT picture day

As the race season started, it’s time to do some long steady effort! We will do three major climbs 🏔️ — Bohlman, Soda Springs (not full climb, just first 6k then we’ll go down a side road), and Hwy9 from Saratoga. Feel free to go as hard as you want on the climbs, but I’ll try to (until fail) set a steady ~4.2 w/kg tempo, with regroup on the top of each climb. We will also check out cat’s hill course and have a ☕ coffee break in Los Gatos. Lots of places you can bail on this route, and the view around Lexington reservoir is always incredible — hope to see you there!🌊✨

Note: If you are on the race team and miss the Saturday photo shot, Wil will be there at the start on Sunday too!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3454006010880478546

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00 am & roll out 9:10 am. Race team - meet 8:30 & wear team kit for photos

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Jack Liu

Saturday A Ride: Butano Gravel + AVRT picture day, 2/7/26

Hello everyone! The weather is warming up & there hasn’t been rain for awhile, which means it’s a perfect weekend for Butano, the back door into Big Basin. This is my favorite ride in the area, hands down. We will start by climbing dirt alpine, and going allll the way down west alpine to Portola State Park for a brief water stop. We will then traverse Old Haul Road, the first dirt section, down to Pescadero. We’ll briefly stop for a coffee/pastry/water - the last water stop for about 2 hours. The real fun begins after, where we climb Butano fire road, where, at its peak, you can see all the way to Monterey. After ten miles of gravel, we are spit out onto China grade/big basin, where we will climb up highway 9 to the fire station for water. After the fire station, we’ll head down skyline, -> page mill -> summit. This is a big, beautiful ride so we’ll try to make efficient stops to allow for time spent dismounting to hop over trees and taking photos at the old air field.

Note: If you are on the race team, please arrive to Summit at 8:30 & wear team kit for photos :)

Equipment: Gravel bike

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3454294432426423576

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00 am & roll out 9:10 am. Race team - meet 8:30 & wear team kit for photos

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Wil Gibb

AVA-E: PM-Jamison-Soda Springs 1/31/2026

Hi all,

A little birdie told me that there was no AVA-E ride in the works for Saturday and that made me sad :(
So I came up with this little route to fill the ride shaped void in my heart :)

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3416627466380533656
~108 mi, 12300 ft
Start: 9 AM at Summit Bikes, rolling out at 9:10
Pace: Endurance on flats/rollers. 3-3.5 W/kg on climbs longer than 5 mins. Choose your own adventure on descents.
Regroups: Top and bottom of long climbs/descents
Stops: Water at Jamison Creek Rd fire station, gas station at Felton, water stop after the Lexington reservoir gravel connector.
Ride “leader”: Paddy
P.S. Soda Springs climb can be tackled/skipped by popular vote. But I’m in favor!!!
P.P.S. I heard there might be some Shake Shack-ery. So somebody please get on the front and pull so we can make it back on time

Sunday A Ride 2/1 - Team Pescadero Loop

For Sunday, we will meet at Summit Bicycles as a team and head to Pescadero via Old La Honda. We will then take in the nature on the west side of the mountain range by riding along stage, and head back to Skyline via Tunitas. From there we will descend back down King’s Mountain with caution, headed back to Summit Bicycles.

There will be a coffee stop along the way, but otherwise we will aim to keep stops to a minimum with the option to add on some more miles at the end of the ride.

66.26 mi, 6,554 ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3244363266010356798

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00 am & roll out 9:10 am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Jack Lund

Sunday A Ride 1/25 - HMB to Pescadero

On Sunday, we will make our way to from Summit Bicycles over to Kings Mountain then follow skyline up to 92 and descend over into half moon bay, where will will make a stop for water and baked goods. Then we’ll make our way down the coast with detours from 1 up Higgins and down Purissma creek then down stage road into Pescadero, where we will make a second stop to re up on water. We will then go up Pescadero creek to West Alpine and finally down Page Mill to finish.

I’m going to keep the pace chill for the entire ride, around 3-3.5 W/kg. If folks want to go crazy on the two big climbs, thats great and we can regroup at the top.

80 mi, 8,200 ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3449538991184377284

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00 am & roll out 9:10 am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Jon Wells

AVA-E: HMB-Pesky 1/24/2026

Matthew Y was just so convincing on the slack so I decided to lead this week. Up Kings, down Tuni. HMB, down 1 to stage into pescadero, up haskins and west alp, down page. I’m not Steph so I’m not going to ask for a PR lead out on the climbs, but usual AVA-E pace.

top of kings, HMB, Pescadero, others as needed. We can figure out on the way whether we want a long stop in HMB or in pesky

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3449835267345628906

Start: Summit Bikes Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:05 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Hannon

Sunday A-Ride 1/18 — HW1 Pacifica to Pescadero

I’ve led variations of this route before and I’ll lead many more. We’re going North on Skyline to Pacifica, then flipping it and taking HW1 allllllll the way down the coast to Pescadero. Our orophobia can’t last forever though, and we’ll struggle up West Alpine to make it back home. It’s all about ~balance~

The pace will be chill going up the small hills in the first 75% of the ride — I don’t plan on being over 3.5 w/kg for a single second. On the flats we’ll work together and it’ll be a choose-your-own-intensity. Take long pulls at the front if you’re up to it, or camp out at the back as designated caboose if you’re bonked. Stops will include a quick water stop at Devil’s Slide, a proper coffee stop in Half Moon Bay, and another café stop at the Loma Mar Store. After Loma Mar, you have free rein — ride up West Alpine at 8 w/kg if that’s your thing.

94mi, 7,664 ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3447444120081429216

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00 am & roll out 9:10 am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: David Domonoske

AVA-E: Big Basin 1/17

Saturday looks sunny, so lets take advantage of the nice whether and ride Big Basin for the first time this year. Route is up Page Mill, skyline to Saratoga pass; Big Basin to Boulder Creek + Bear Creek Rd. climb, and then descend via Hwy 9.

We’ll regroup at the top of Page mill and Bear Creek. Water stops will be the fire station on Jamison Creek Rd and Castle Rock. Pace is 3.5-4 W/kg.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3446327614522147270

Start: Summit Bikes Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:05 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Steph Hart

[East Bay] Sunday A-ride 1/11 - Wildcat Canyon, Grizzly Peak

This Sunday, we’ll head to the Berkeley Hills via Redwood Road. We’ll do one loop of the Berkeley Hills Road Race route, then continue up Wildcat Canyon (the slope failure repair is done and it should be open to all), turn onto Grizzly Peak Blvd, and head back to the start. We’ll aim to maintain a good pace (~3 W/kg). You’re always welcome to push hard on the climbs—we’ll regroup at the top.

You can take BART: it’s about a 10-minute ride from the Castro Valley BART Station to the start. We’ll also pass the Orinda BART Station around 10 a.m., so you can join us there (at Camino Pablo).

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3445200163807559650

Summary: 72 miles / 6, 525 feet

Start: Castro Valley Community Park

Time: Meet 9:00 AM, Leave 9:10 AM

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Vasyl Stokolosa

Sunday A-ride 1/11 Boulder Creek-Zayante (Hutchinson)

This week we’re going to Zayante through Boulder Creek. Instead of the usual Zayante Rd, we will take the Hutchinson Rd for some adventures! Pace = ~4 (+/- 0.5) w/kg on climbs, regroup on top/bottom of all climbs and descends. Hope to see you there!

We will take a longer rest stop at Zayante market @ mile 40

80mi, 8100ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3444749372743569010

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00AM, roll out 9:10am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Jack Liu

Saturday AVA-E 1/10/26 - Kings & Pacifica

We’ll be doing a nice fun ride to the coast on Saturday, but not without some climbing. We’ll head up Kings and take Skyline to Pacifica, stop in Half Moon Bay for coffee and pastries, up Lobitos Creek and Tunitas before we go back down Kings into Palo Alto.

Pace will be 3.0-3.5 w/kg on climbs and we will regroup at the following areas and for water for about 5-10 minutes.  Regroups:

• 14.7mi: Regroup at top of Kings

• 51.7mi: Coffee & Pastries at Half Moon Bay

• 67.5mi: Regroup at top of Tunitas

Summary:

82mi, 7800ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3444442616716402214

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00AM, roll out 9:10am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Rachel Hwang

Saturday A-ride 1/3 - Calaveras Reservoir

Hope everyone have a happy new year! While there’s a slight chance of rain this Saturday, the weather on Saturday still looks better than that on Sunday and might be you’re only chance to ride outside. To dodge the rain, we will go to east bay through Dumbarton bridge to Calaveras. We will regroup at Sunol Corners (26.7 mile) for water and food before heading to Calaveras Rd. Then a small detour to check out Marsh Rd before heading back through Dumbarton. If it starts to rain, we can cut it short through Milpitas/Alviso. As it’s mostly flat, I expect steady pace line (3.5~4 w/kg at the front) most of the time except the hilly part by Calaveras reservoir. Hope to see you there!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3441973094323877048 - 77 miles / 3,152 feet

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Jack Liu

Sunday A-Ride 12/28 - Pacifica & Tunitas

Hello,

This Sunday, the A-Ride heads north to Pacifica. After a quick stop there, we’ll continue down to Half Moon Bay and then roll along Highway 1 before heading over Lobitos/Tunitas and descending Kings Mountain. We’ll keep things steady at an endurance pace on both the flats and the climbs.

Hope to see you there!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3439403907635926460 - 83 miles / 6,700 feet

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Henry Mallon

Saturday A Ride 12/27 - Pigeon Point/West Alpine

Hello friends, for the final Saturday ride of 2025 we will go to the ocean via OLH/84, grab a snack in Pescadero, and climb back up Haskins and West Alpine. Word on the street is there may be a PR train going up OLH which you are welcome to follow, but you’ll have to wait for the rest of us doing the usual steady 3 w/kg pace.

There will likely be lots of road debris from the rain so please descend with care, so that we can make it to Shake Shack in one piece and enjoy our free milkshakes! 

I hope you will join us for some sunshine by the coast!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3439403907635926460 - 83mi / 6,800ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Richard Red

Saturday A Ride 12/13 - Pescadero to Pizza Party

Hello friends, I hope you have been staying warm lately. The thought of getting to climb OLH, Haskins, and Tunitas this weekend just made me so excited!! However, you’ll have to do it with me at a reasonable pace of 2.5-3.0 w/kg (as in, like almost a 30 minute OLH) because I am in deep winter mode and can’t go any faster. We’ll regroup at the top of each climb as usual but will try to minimize stopping aside from a brief snack stop in Pescadero, because near the end of the ride we have a mysterious pizza party awaiting us on Crestview 👀 (maybe, pizza is not guaranteed, if there’s no pizza I’m down to get some afterwards if anyone would like 👉👈)

Come join us for a sunny day of climbing to the coast!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3434401508808457992 - 78mi / 7,800ft

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto. Meet 9:00 AM, Roll 9:10 AM

Ride Etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules 

Ride Leader: Richard Red

Sunday A Ride: Butano Dirt Century

Ready for an adventure? Meet EARLY at 8am where our gravel escapade begins. I’ve been dying to ride Butano in non-scorching hot weather and this weekend looks perfect.

We will start by going up dirt alpine and descending all the way down to Portola State Park, only stopping briefly if needed before cutting across our second dirt section, Old Haul Road. We’ll stop in Pescadero for a coffee/snack before the challenging but stunning Butano Fire Road climb. This is an area of big basin where the fires burned back in 2020 and feels a little bit like riding on the moon with its ashen terrain (and it even features an old air strip).

The adventure really begins as we crest the climb, carefully descending off-road back towards the coast. We’ll pop out on Highway 1 right by Pidgeon Point Lighthouse, where we can stop for bathrooms/water. We’ll regroup next in Pescadero for food/water, and will take stock of our emotional fortitude to continue. But continue we must, across Stage road, up Tunitas, and home before dark.

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3432162769554649108

Stats: 100 miles, 10 thousand feet vert

Meet: Summit 8am, roll 8:10am, Sunday 12/7/25

Leader: Wil Gibb

AVA-E 12/6/25 4 PR Attempts

Saturday's ride will be 4 classic climbs in the area - Page Mill, OLH, Kings, West Alpine - in that order.  It's a "build your own ride" kind of day, and many attempts to PR or do all sorts of intervals on, or just fun climbs with your friends.  Obviously I hope everyone stays for the full thing, but there are many bail out options.

Pace will be 3.5 w/kg+ on climbs and we will regroup at the following areas and for water for about 5-10 minutes.  Regroups:

• 11.9mi: Top of Page Mill after Page Mill climb

• 28.8mi: Water @ Skylonda after OLH climb

• 44.0mi: Water @ Skylonda after Kings climb

• 59.2mi: Top of Page Mill after West Alpine climb

Summary:

71mi, 8660ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3420487024638177474

Start/End: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: meet 9:00AM, roll out 9:10am

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Ride Leader: Rachel Hwang

The A Ride Classic - Pacifica Tunitas

Tomorrow, Sunday, November 30 I will lead the A ride to Pacifica down highway one a short pitstop in half Moon Bay before before we climb Tunitas. Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving and see you tomorrow.
We’ll meets at 9am, roll at 9:10am at Summit Bicycles in Palo Alto

See you there!

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3400932259950910090

Summary: 80 mile route with 6,000 ft of climbing. Summit Bicycles > Junipero Serra > Sand Hill > Mountain Home > La Cañada > Skyline > Sharp Park > > Devil’s Slide > Highway 1 > Tunitas Creek > Kings Mountain Road > Tripp > Portola Rd > Alpine Rd > Arastradero Rd > Page Mill Rd

Start: Summit Bicycles, Palo Alto

Time: Meet 9 a.m., Leave 9.10 a.m.

Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules

Saturday A Ride: Hamilton LKHC + Bonus East Bay Climbs

Hello! This week the A ride will take us to the final LKHC: Mt. Hamilton. Speaking from experience (I’ve ridden it twice this week!), the weather out in the east bay is perfect, with fall colors, green hills, and sunny climbs. This morning I wore long bib tights, a thermal layer, and a thermal jersey - and was a little too warm at the top. The descent was not cold and I didn’t wear gloves.

We will start at the Berryessa Community center which has water/bathrooms, and will give us 3 miles to warm up before a spirited effort up Mt. Hamilton. The observatory at the top should be open, which has water, bathrooms, and a (cash only?) vending machine.

We will descend Hamilton halfway before making a sharp turn onto the often overlooked Kincaid road, which is an out and back rolling segment offering great views and no traffic. After Kincaid, we’ll make our way all the way down Mt. Hamilton road before traversing over to Sierra road. Before starting the segment, we can either stop back at the community center for water/bathrooms, or find a coffee shop. To those brave enough to continue, Sierra road is a beast, 3.5 miles at an average of 9%, but also offers spectacular views and a beautiful wandering loop descending back down to where we started.

Start time: 9am meet at Berryessa Community Center, 9:10 rollout

Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3428864910358063446 (70 miles, 9200 feet)

Leader: Wil Gibb

Ride rules: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules