C Ride
Alto Velo Saturday morning rides now start at Summit Bicycles on California Ave in Palo Alto.
Summit is Alto Velo's Sponsoring bike shop. Another big plus to the new start location, Terun, also a Alto Velo Sponsor, is just up the street with fabulous Italian food & attentive service.
On the C Ride (formerly known as the “Peet's Ride”) we enjoy a more moderate workout than the other Alto Velo rides (tho’ a workout it is). We practice group riding skills & communication in a supportive controlled paceline.
Start: Saturdays 9:00am from Summit Bicycles at 392 California Ave in Palo Alto, rolling at 9:15am, a few minutes after the B Ride departs
Pace: Double paceline when conditions allow, jamming as hard as you like on the climbs, sticking together otherwise. On most C Ride routes riders can skip the climbs, if desired, by waiting for the group at regroup points
Regroups: We regroup at the top and bottom of hills and recover after every climb
Example route: https://www.strava.com/routes/2977827685383107158 (click here to see more)
The C Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules and all participants must sign an annual waiver.
New riders welcome!
If you’re a new rider or haven’t done a group ride before, there are many critical things that one needs to know about biking in general & about group biking in particular, some of them not so obvious. It's a good idea to learn these not-the-hard-way 😉.
Check out this blog post “How to avoid being that rider”: https://trainright.com/14-group-ride-etiquette-tips-avoid-guy-girl/
To improve your group riding skills, consider joining a skills clinic. Lorri Lown's road biking clinics have worked for many: https://savvybike.com/clinics-and-camps-new/
A simple bike fit might also make a huge difference to your comfort & safety on the bike. For instance, many riders don't feel comfortable riding “in the drops” of the handlebars. However, riding in the drops offers, by far, the most overall control & braking ease. Alto Velo sponsor Agile Physical Therapy offers bike fit assessments.
See below for details of the next ride as well as past rides.
Alto Velo C Ride - March 29th, 2025 - Smaller 8 for your Shake
Hi All
This week C Ride is taking on some old classics. We will roll out toward the familiar OLH and WOLH figure 8, with stops at Alpine/Portola and Skylonda x2. After that, we will take 84 down to Tripp and tackle Huddart, with a stop at the old store after. Lastly we will tackle Westridge my way before rolling down Alpine to Sand Hill to the beverage of your choice at Shake Shack.
AV C Ride
Time: Saturday, gather at 9am. rolling by 9:15am
Start: Summit Bicycles
Route: OLH 8, Huddart, Westridge to Shakes
Regroups -
Corner of Alpine and Portola
Skylonda (Bathrooms, Water)
Skylonda otra vez (Bathrooms, Water)
Bottom of 84E (quick)
Woodside Old Store
Westridge/Alpine
Shake Shack!
Ride Leader: Jonathan
________________________________________________
The AV C Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules (read them!).
Non - Members:
Alto Velo welcomes non-members to join us on our rides. However, non-members must have a Waiver on file with the club.
The AV C Ride offers a more moderate workout than the other Alto Velo rides (although a workout it is). Group riding skills & communication in a supportive controlled peloton are emphasized. When not on designated climbs, we aim to keep the group together.
Alto Velo C Ride Feb 22 2025
Starts at Summit Bicycles in Palo Alto - Ends at Shake Shack
Alpine, Westridge, Mora, Altamont, Shake Shack
https://www.strava.com/routes/3327747716928068792
47 miles, 4.1k' vertical
Avoiding Skylonda due to reports of a large car meetup there this Saturday, we will once again play in the foothills. Water stops at Alpine/Portola and at Rancho San Antonio. Ending this week at Shake Shack for a complimentary beverage!
The AV C Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules (read them!) and all participants must sign an annual waiver.
Non - Members: Alto Velo welcomes non-members to join us on our ride; however, non-members must have a Waiver on file with the club.
Time: Saturday gather at 9:00am, rolling by 9:15am
Start: Summit Bikes - 392 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Summit is Alto Velo's sponsoring bike shop.
Protocol:
Helmets required, no sudden lateral moves, call out hazards, call out mechanical problems, ride at a steady pace, …, ask for a mentor if you are new to group riding
Jam as hard as you like on the climbs, occasional sprint for fun, soft pedal for an in-flight regroup when we get separated
Regroup at the top of every major climb and every significant descent — everyone descends at their own safe speed
Pay attention to the regroup locations and don’t pass them if you wish to stay with the group
Bring two water bottles
Regroups: first regroup at Alpine/Portola, water/bathrooms at Rancho San Antonio park; other regroups called out at each stop
Alto Velo C Ride Jan 4 ‘25
Starts at Summit Bicycles in Palo Alto
Route: (OLH-WOLH-Alpine-Joaquin)
https://www.strava.com/routes/3309978935440861430
48 miles, 4.2k' vertical
Happy New Year! For the first C ride of the year we will be doing the classic figure 8 and then Alpine-Joaquin to Los Trancos to finish it off. Will the ride leader be late to his own ride again? Come find out!
The AV C Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules (read them!) and all participants must sign an annual waiver.
Non - Members: Alto Velo welcomes non-members to join us on our ride; however, non-members must have a Waiver on file with the club.
Time: Saturday gather at 9:00am, rolling by 9:15am
Start: Summit Bikes - 392 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Summit is Alto Velo's sponsoring bike shop.
Protocol:
Helmets required, no sudden lateral moves, call out hazards, call out mechanical problems, ride at a steady pace, …, ask for a mentor if you are new to group riding
Jam as hard as you like on the climbs, occasional sprint for fun, soft pedal for an in-flight regroup when we get separated
Regroup at the top of every major climb and every significant descent — everyone descends at their own safe speed
Pay attention to the regroup locations and don’t pass them if you wish to stay with the group
If you breakaway before the first regroup please be encouraged to wait at the first stop (if the wait is too long we will break the ride into two fragments: drop and no drop)
Bring two water bottles
Regroups: Quick regroups after 84 descent and Los Trancos descent. Formal regroups with water at Alpine & Portola (mi 7), Sky Londa (mi 15), and Woodside Store (mi 27).
Alto Velo C Ride Dec 28 ‘24
Starts at Summit Bicycles in Palo Alto
Route: (Crestview, Huddart, Westridge, FHP)
https://www.strava.com/routes/3307430955882644216
53 miles, 4.5k' vertical
Happy Holidays! For the last C ride of the year on what should be nice dry roads we are going to pile up the vertical feet while staying below the ridgeline.
The AV C Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules (read them!) and all participants must sign an annual waiver.
Non - Members: Alto Velo welcomes non-members to join us on our ride; however, non-members must have a Waiver on file with the club.
Time: Saturday gather at 9:00am, rolling by 9:15am
Start: Summit Bikes - 392 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Summit is Alto Velo's sponsoring bike shop.
Protocol:
Helmets required, no sudden lateral moves, call out hazards, call out mechanical problems, ride at a steady pace, …, ask for a mentor if you are new to group riding
Jam as hard as you like on the climbs, occasional sprint for fun, soft pedal for an in-flight regroup when we get separated
Regroup at the top of every major climb and every significant descent — everyone descends at their own safe speed
Pay attention to the regroup locations and don’t pass them if you wish to stay with the group
If you breakaway before the first regroup please be encouraged to wait at the first stop (if the wait is too long we will break the ride into two fragments: drop and no drop)
Bring two water bottles
Regroups: Quick regroups after most climbs. Formal regroups with water/bathrooms at the Pulgas Water Temple (mi 19), Woodside Store after Huddart climb (mi 28) and Foothills Park before we lap it (mi 43).