Carl and Levi ...

Carl ... and Levi in California last week.

The Gran Fondo Ride

One of these guys might be cardboard.

I know Carl.

He's real.

And he's done the Church proud (see below).

Levi? z Hmmm...

a

Awesome trip! The route was really fun. My garmin logged it at 9000 ft of climbing and it felt like it. I had major bike problems at the start and ended up using a demo Trek 2010. Nice bike. Lighter than mine and stiff. The first part of the trip went through vineyards and rolling hills. The next part got more narrow and wound up through a narrow valley of huge redwoods and was very shaded with a small river on one side of the road. The next section got even more narrow and it started to climb up King Ridge. It had to have been 12 - 16% grade. I started about an hour after everyone else so this is where I started passing a bunch of people. This area climbed up above tree line and into the rolling grasslands with patches of trees before we descended down to the ocean. We went up down twice before we hit the route to the ocean. The wind started to pick up to about 40mph but mostly at my back with occasional side winds as the road wound down the coast. The coast was rolling grasslands above the ocean and we wound in and out of coves above the beaches. Very pretty! The last climb up from the coast was another 1000 ft climb in the cross winds before we descended down into Santa Rosa again. More 12- 14% grades. The roads were great the whole way. I even saw Bobke there and they made him wear a helmet! The mud bath and massage the next day in Calistoga were perfect. I would do this one again.
Check out the profile.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/15523029
-- Carl