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Ratpick cross ride article
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Ratpick - That is quite an inspiring ride. Well done and great writeup! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop until I finished the article. Makes me want to get a CX bike even more.
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Woah, I think I caught one way of Ratpick's route on Strava, but missed the return trip! Holy moly. Looks like great training for the zombie apocolypse! I am definitely gonna set aside some time after work to read all 9 pages... 
Half the planet is deep into bloody tribal mayhem. We’re just riding bikes (and drinking beer) here.
~Fairfaxian
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Thanks! It was a fun ride. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was out there this weekend - definitely turned into a photographic expedition!
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 Originally Posted by ratpick
Thanks! It was a fun ride. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was out there this weekend - definitely turned into a photographic expedition!
I think that is the bonus as the whole ride was tracked and photographed for the rest of us desk jockeys to relive.
Roadbikereview is going to sponsor you. Keep riding and writing.
fc
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Cool ride man.
Bolinas Ridge - Inverness Ridge loop here I come!
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Impressive outing
Makes his Rose-Toads ride look like a warm up!
Wait whuuut, who did he tell you that!?!?....
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If you have a Strava link or GPS for Inverness Ridge/Bolinas Ridge I'd love to see it. I know Bo Ridge well but have never ridden Inverness Ridge. Sounds like a killer loop.
Previously known as mttamrnr.
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Nice writeup, Ratpick; it was an enjoyable read.
-D
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Ratpick is a fucking unstoppable animal. If you see him, just run the other way as fast as you can, or just cower in the corner and cry like a little girl and hope he will just pass you by. 
one by nine works just fine but single speed is all ya need
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Originally Posted by Leopold Porkstacker
Ratpick is a ****ing unstoppable animal. If you see him, just run the other way as fast as you can, or just cower in the corner and cry like a little girl and hope he will just pass you by.
Haha.. takes one to know one!
My wife is away this weekend and I'll be all turkeyed up.. trying to find something to top this...
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Originally Posted by ratpick
Haha.. takes one to know one!
My wife is away this weekend and I'll be all turkeyed up.. trying to find something to top this...
I’m bringing a couple 750ml bottles of Duvel triple hop tomorrow morning. Be there!!!
one by nine works just fine but single speed is all ya need
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I've managed to escalate
132 miles, 11,500'!
I hit some trails I've never ridden, such as the Coyote Hills on the east side of Dumbarton Bridge
Surprisingly fun!
Climbed Mission Peak from Ohlone College (the "easy" way). I passed a hiker on the way down who exclaimed, "Woah.. double chain-ring!".. heh.. I didn't mention I have a 26x32 as my low gear.
Couldn't go to the summit as EBRPD's helicopter was destroying the peace buzzing around the summit and shouting at people up there. They came over near me when they saw I might be headed up. They need to be defunded.
Continued on to Mt Allisson and Monument Peak. Some of the gates, normally open, were chained shut but it's open space so I just jumped the gates.
I got a view of Mt Hamilton - wasn't planning to go up there on this ride, although my plans later changed.
The Ridge Trail descent down to Ed Levin Park was very steep and bumpy but not nearly as bad as it used to be.
Down through Ed Levin Park, to Piedmont and then up Suncrest. Fall colors are nice on the lower parts of this street.
Into Alum Rock Park then Sierra Vista. Some steep climbing, but achievable on CX (I only lost grip on one section right after this photo)
Onto the (relatively) new Sierra Vista Trail
The view from this trail is wonderful!
My plan once I hit Mt Hamilton Rd was to refill water at Grant Ranch, descend Quimby and make my way over to climb Highway 9 from Saratoga, descending dirty Alpine to get home. But with only 2 hours of sunlight left, and the thought that I'd never ridden from home to Mt Hamilton before, I decided to go to the top. Glad I did! I got there about 30 mins before sunset - there was a constant stream of cars headed to the top, which I almost never see on morning rides up there. Clearly, it was a good place to watch the sunset.
Ob photo at the top - Mission & Monument Peaks are way in the background - that was cool to see.
I was so, so hungry. I hadn't eaten much all day - just bars, dried fruit, etc, expecting to have stopped for a meal by this point - I actually lay down at the observatory for 10 mins until I felt I could go on.
I was tempted to watch the sunset from the observatory - I'd be riding for hours in the night anyway - but I figured the twisty descent would be safer with some light, especially with deer about.
There were so many times I had to stop to take a photo on the way down. Unbelievable sunset, despite the lack of clouds.
I finally got some food in Milpitas - Cat in the Box - tasted horrible but was just what I needed and I instantly felt renewed. I decided to work my way back via the 237 bike path, then the Bay Trail. Since I didn't have the route in my Garmin, I had to stop frequently to check my iPhone - it was losing battery quickly so sometimes I took risks and made wrong turns.
Quite an adventure! Now, how to escalate again next week.....
Last edited by ratpick; 11-26-2012 at 01:51 AM.
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Originally Posted by ratpick
I've managed to escalate
......
Quite an adventure! Now, how to escalate again next week.....
Looks like a fun ride; always impressed with the magnitude of of these endeavors. Makes our 50 mile Coe and HB ride look like a walk in the park.
-D
Last edited by Diesel~; 11-26-2012 at 07:29 AM.
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Originally Posted by Diesel~
Looks like a fun ride.
Thanks Diesel!
Last edited by ratpick; 11-26-2012 at 10:48 AM.
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Damn, it's just epic after epic!
Are you running 40/26 front and 11-32 in the back on your Crux?
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Ratpick, you are unbelievable brother. I hope I can have half the adventures on a bike that you do. Congrats!
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Thanks! I really love big rides! CX opens up so many possibilities!
26/36 up front and 11-32 in the rear. Not quite the low ratio I'd like but works well enough.
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Whoooo
Both very entertaining reads. Thanks Patrick for your detailed write-ups. You take us there, pedal stroke after pedal stroke.
I always wondered about road riding. I only ride to work but road riding is so different than dirt. Long, long miles of pedaling. It seems like it would be so much harder than a mountain bike ride in some ways.
Roy.
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That’s a beautiful “Cyclomentary” Patrick! The reality of trips like your RWS2BB and back at my door step are all the proof I need to know that I’ve already died and gone to heaven. Thanks…
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mtbr member
Reputation:
This article convinced me to get a cx bike. Went out and bought a used bmc cx02. Loving it so far. Thanks for writing a great article.
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Originally Posted by Specialized2k10
This article convinced me to get a cx bike. Went out and bought a used bmc cx02. Loving it so far. Thanks for writing a great article.
Mission accomplished . Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by plymmer
Both very entertaining reads. Thanks Patrick for your detailed write-ups. You take us there, pedal stroke after pedal stroke.
I always wondered about road riding. I only ride to work but road riding is so different than dirt. Long, long miles of pedaling. It seems like it would be so much harder than a mountain bike ride in some ways.
Roy.
For me, it’s the stress of dealing with douchebags in cars who don’t understand the California Vehicle Code as it pertains to automobiles and bicycles sharing the roads. That’s why I sold my roadbike a few years ago.
one by nine works just fine but single speed is all ya need
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we did a ride similar to this route a few years back all the way up to jenner from sf. it took almost a week though and we camped the whole time. ur nutz.
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