  |
|||||||
 |
|||||||
         
|
|
2008 Ride SeasonPLEASE NOTE: Ride schedule and data subject to change during the season. Please check this page regulary for the most up-to-date ride information.All times listed indicate departure from Lake Merritt. For more information on ride classfications, click here.  May 10 - LAKE Arlington 20/41 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Travel through residential Kensington, El Cerrito and Richmond along Arlington, a scenic alternative to Key Route to get to El Sobrante. The ride returns to the Lake via San Pablo Dam Rd, Moraga and Pinehurst. May 17 - AWAY Lake Sonoma Picnic Ride 25/43 miles | new route sheet coming soon START: Lake Sonoma Recreational Area (map) or caravan from Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: Lake Merritt @ 6:45 AM // Lake Sonoma @ 8:15 AM A Yellowjackets mid-season tradition. The ride begins and ends at the picnic grounds of the Warm Springs Recreation Area. The ride is a picturesque ramble around the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys in Sonoma County, on rolling roads alongside countless vineyards. Intermediate and Advanced riders ride to Windsor on the West side of the valleys, then return on East side of the valley through Healdsburg. Light riders enjoy a shorter loop which turns around at Healdsburg, halfway out on the longer route. A potluck picnic sponsored by Yellowjackets members awaits you at the ride finish. RIDE-AND-DECIDE OPTION: Those who prefer to ride locally may meet at Children's Fairyland and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. May 24 - LAKE Dublin Grade 34/48/67 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM This ride warms up on Doolittle Rd by the Oakland Airport into San Leandro, crosses over Castro Valley via Fairmont and Lake Chabot, then traverses the Dublin Grade (Dublin Canyon Rd). Light riders end in Pleasanton and return via BART. Option riders continue north through San Ramon, Lafayette and Moraga, then ride back over the ridge via Pinehurst. May 26 - LAKE Memorial Day Decide-and-Ride START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 9:00 AM Meet at the Children's Fairyland parking lot and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. May 31 - BART Patterson/Altamont (NEW RIDE) Details TBD START: TBD Departs: 8:00 AM June 7 - LAKE Tunnel & Grizzly 39 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Climb up Broadway along Lake Temescal, Old Tunnel Road and part of Grizzly Peak Blvd, then reap the rewards of your effort with an exhilarating descent on South Park and Wildcat Canyon Rd. Cruise along San Pablo Dam Rd into El Sobrante and return to Lake Merritt via Key Route. Light group riders may have an alternate route as determined by ride coordinators. June 14 - BART Morgan Territory 31/48 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Concord BART Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:00 AM A ride circling the foothills of Mount Diablo. Ride through Clayton and the ranch country surrounding Marsh Creek Springs, then tackle a challenging but shaded and picturesque climb. Hard work pays off with "the Plunge" on the eastern side of the Black Hills towards Livermore. The ride continues on a counter-clockwise path through Danville and ends at the Walnut Creek BART station. A shorter, less strenuous ride options for Light group begins at Concord BART, rambles through the bike trails of Contra Costa County and ends at Orinda BART. June 21 - AWAY San Jose Picnic Ride 40/49/59 miles | new route sheet coming soon START: Hellyer Park, San Jose (map) Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:30 AM Now an away picnic ride! The Humane Intermediate, Advanced Intermediate and Advanced routes start off through the Eastern hills of the Silver Creek region and heads South towards Morgan Hill, then comes back north by the Calero Reservoir (a feature of the old Gilroy ride). The Advanced route has a challenging climb up Hicks Road with some scenic views of the valley. Advanced Intermediates can may use this as a route option, or take the more humane route back to San Jose via Almaden Expressway. The Light route initially follows the old Gilroy route via Santa Teresa Blvd., then joins the Humane route as it turns north along the Reservoir. June 28 - LAKE Palomares Option 55/72 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM All groups (except Light, see below) travel to Sunol via Dublin Grade and Foothill Blvd in Pleasanton. Humane Intermediate riders use a lowland route via Mountain Blvd and Stanley; Intermediate and Advanced riders ride through Castro Valley via Redwood Rd. Both groups then travel along Niles Canyon and over Palomares in the northbound direction. Humane riders finish at Castro Valley BART, while others ride back to the Lake via Mountain Blvd. Light Group: Pleasanton-Livermore (30 miles) | Download Route Sheet July 4 - LAKE Independence Day Decide-and-Ride START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 9:00 AM Meet at the Children's Fairyland parking lot and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. July 5 - BART Dumbarton-Alpine 39/58 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Union City BART Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:00 AM Discover a bike-friendly path across the bay via the Dumbarton Bridge bikeway. Once across the bridge, the short loop for Lights and Humane Intermediates roams around Palo Alto before returning to the Dumbarton bridge eastbound back to Union City. The longer loop continues on to Sand Hill Road, then loops around Portola Valley and Los Altos before rejoining the return path of the short loop. July 12 - AWAY Petaluma 40/77/88 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Walnut Park, 4th/E Streets, Petaluma (map) Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:15 AM RIDE-AND-DECIDE OPTION: Those who prefer to ride locally may meet at Children's Fairyland and depart on a decided route at 8:00 AM. Explore the beauty of the wine country and the southern side of Sonoma County. Advanced riders traverse Coleman Valley to the coast, then visit Jenner, Cazadero, Occidental and Bloomfield. Intermediates do a clockwise loop, traveling northwest to Valley Ford, then up to the Guernville in the Russian River valley, then return via Sebastopol. Light riders enjoy a scenic ramble to Tomales, then a return via Chileno Valley. July 19 - LAKE/BART Mount Diablo 31/58 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Humane Intermediates start from Lafayette BART and climb up the big mountain partially - to the ranger station at the North Gate / South Gate junction (aka "the saddle"). All others ride from Lake Merritt and learn just what quadriceps and gluteus muscles are good for: a warm-up climb through the Montclair district of Oakland, then a journey to the summit of Mount Diablo at 3,850 feet and finish in Pleasant Hill. Light Group: Orinda-Pleasanton (31 miles) | Download Route Sheet Light riders shuttle by BART to Orinda and enjoy a ramble around Contra Costa County's residential bike trail system, finishing the ride at Dublin-Pleasanton BART. July 26 - BART Fog City / Grand Prix Option 35/38 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Embarcadero at Bryant St, San Francisco (map) Nearest BART station: Embarcadero Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:00 AM Take a scenic tour around San Francisco and get a taste of the SF Grand Prix pro race course (an optional climb up Fillmore Street) if you dare! Light riders travel to the beach along the Great Highway and have the option to end at BART. Others enjoy stretches of the San Francisco scenic drive, including Twin Peaks. August 2 - LAKE Three Bears and Some Redwoods 40/57 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Climb up Broadway, Old Tunnel Road and part of Grizzly Peak Blvd, then descend from Tilden Park on Shasta Rd and Wildcat Canyon. The Humane Group now completes a loop via the Key Route course in reverse, and the Light group finishes up at the Orinda BART station, while others complete an hourglass loop around the Briones reservoir with the Three Bears, San Pablo Dam Rd and a return via Moraga, Pinehurst and Redwood Rd. August 9 - AWAY Calistoga Picnic Ride 29/46/50 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Bothe-Napa State Park (map) or caravan from Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: Lake @ 6:45 AM // Ride Start @ 8:30 AM RIDE-AND-DECIDE OPTION: Those who prefer to ride locally may meet at Children's Fairyland and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. New in 2007, the route will travel in the reverse direction of the route traditionally used by the club for many years. The ride begins and ends at the Bothe-Napa State Park, heads East and across the valley floor to Silverado Trail, then heads up Howell Mountain and Ink Grade to Pope Valley. The return takes you through Chiles Valley and along the shores of Lake Hennessey, before finishing up with a long straightaway on Silverado Trail back to the mid-valley. The Light group enjoys an out-and-back to Chiles Valley via the finishing stretch of the other groups on Silverado Trail. Post-ride picnic and ride support sponsored by OYJ members. Non-members must pay a nominal fee to cover ride support costs. Bring your swimsuit and enjoy the pool at the park after the ride! August 16 - LAKE San Ramon - NEW ROUTE 58 miles (shorter options for Light group) | new route sheet coming soon START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Climb Old Tunnel Rd, then drop down the other side of the ridge via Pinehurst and Canyon Roads. The ride then cuts through Moraga, Lafayette and Rossmoor on the way to San Ramon. A long, paceline-friendly stretch on Danville Blvd is a nice prelude to the only other significant climb of the day, the scenic Norris Canyon. After riding through Castro Valley, the ride heads back to Oakland via Bancroft Ave. August 23 - LAKE Crockett Loop / Zampa Bridge Option 36/70/60 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM Start with the familiar Key Route ride to El Sobrante, then travel up to Crockett along the Carquinez Strait. Light riders finish up at Pleasant Hill BART, while others pay the 3 Bears a visit before returning via Wildcat Canyon. Humane Intermediate riders enjoy more (but flatter) miles by travelling south to Castro Valley via San Ramon, then return via Bancroft and Foothill. There will be an option to extend the ride by crossing the new Zampa (Carquinez) Bridge bikeway. August 30 - AWAY Lucas Valley 25/42/63 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Smith Ranch Rd Park-and-Ride (map) LIGHT RIDERS START: Nicasio General Store (map) Departs: Lake @ 7:15 AM // Ride Start @ 8:00 AM RIDE-AND-DECIDE OPTION: Those who prefer to ride locally may meet at Children's Fairyland and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. Light riders start in Nicasio, and enjoy a scenic trip to the Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station and back. All others start off with a trip through Lucas Valley along Miller Creek before joining the same route to Point Reyes Station. Intermediate and Advanced riders take a turn for Marshall, up the 'wall' from the coast, then visit the Nicasio Cheese Factory before returning to the start via Lucas Valley. September 1 - LAKE Labor Day Decide-and-Ride START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 9:00 AM Meet at the Children's Fairyland parking lot and depart on a decided route at 9:00 AM. September 6 - LAKE Calaveras 69 miles (shorter options for Light and Humane Intermediate groups) | Download Route Sheet START: Children's Fairyland, Oakland Departs: 8:00 AM The complete route travels to Castro Valley via BBR (Burdeck-Butters-Robinson) and Redwood Rd, then traverses the Dublin Grade and Foothill Rd to Sunol before the "main event" - southbound on Calaveras Rd. The ride ends at Fremont BART. Shorter, less difficult ride options for Humane Intermediate and Light riders to be determined by ride coordinators. Light Group: Oakland Zoo Ride (19 miles) | Download Route Sheet September 13 - BART Walnut Creek-Sunol 51 miles | Download Route Sheet START: Walnut Creek BART station Departs: 8:00 AM This ride is designed to be a pre-Monterey ride taper-off workout: an out-and-back trip to Sunol via San Ramon and Foothill Boulevards, with only a few small rolling hills to make up any of the climbing. September 20-21 - AWAY 22nd Annual Monterey Ride 120/85 miles | maps supplied at ride start PACIFICA START (120 MILE): Pacific Manor Shopping Plaza (map) PESCADERO START (85 MILE, no overnight parking): Pescadero State Beach (map) Our famous season highlight: a one-way ride to Pacific Grove in the Monterey Peninsula with dinner banquet and overnight accommodations at the Asilomar Conference Center, then a bus trip back to the start the next day. Registration and advanced room reservations required. CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION / MORE INFO |
|
|
|
Important InformationGeneral information about our ridesMap and directions to Lake Merritt We REQUIRE that you wear a cycling helmet, carry photo ID and emergency info on all our rides. Non-members must also sign a waiver form available here and at the start of each scheduled ride. We also highly recommend coming prepared with the following items on our rides: 2 bottles with water and/or energy replacement drink, exercise snacks, pump, spare tubes, tools, patch kit, padded gloves, padded cycling shorts, protective eye wear and sun block. Questions? Please send us email. |
|
Home | About Us | Ride Calendar | News & Events | Membership Info | Photos | Links | Members' Area | Contact Copyright © 2002-2008 Oakland Yellowjackets Bicycle Club. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Site Questions or Comments? Please contact us. Site Design: Eshutter Creative LLC |
|||||||