Tuesday, March 8, 2011

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I head out to Vacaville to join the club ride that starts out at the Pena Adobe Park. Water and restrooms are available.

We do a loop around Lagoon Valley Park before riding through the residential neighborhoods from Lyon Rd to Hillborn and Waterman. Waterman Blvd becomes Mankas Corner Rd. We continue on Mankas to Gordon Valley Rd; this is actually the early part of the Knoxville DC route.

Gordon Valley Rd is 3.9 miles of riding on scenic rolling terrain with minimal traffic.

We continue on Wooden Valley Cross Rd to Wooden Valley Rd. We ride pass vineyards and horse ranches along the way. You can hear the water trickling along the creek. There are a few short climbs and nothing exceeds a 6% grade.

There is a brief regroup at the intersection with Hwy 121. We continue north on Hwy 121/Monticello Rd for the next 5.5 miles. We pass more vineyards and ranches; the average gradient is about 2% with a few short steep sections maxing out at 9%. The lunch stop is at The Cross Roads Market/Cafe & Bar. Their menu items include soups, sandwiches and salads along with hot and cold beverages. Water and restrooms are available.

We head north on Hwy 128 for the next 15 miles and encounter barely any traffic; it’s great! You get long stretches of flat riding along with several climbs including the backside of Cardiac Hill. The gradient ranges from 6-7% and maxes out at 9%. It’s actually pretty scenic too. I rode this portion of the route in the dark during the Knoxville DC, so it’s nice to see it during the day and appreciate the surrounding landscapes. We ride pass the Markley Cove Resort and get great views of Lake Berryessa. You’re at the top when you reach Monticello Dam. We cross three county lines on Hwy 128; Solano, Napa and Yolo counties. From this point on, it’s pretty much all downhill with a few slight rollers in between. We ride along Putah Creek; there are a few places you can stop for restrooms.

We head south on Pleasants Valley Rd for the next 12 miles. There is a short climb up towards Lake Solano Park; the rest of the way is pretty flat with a few short rollers here and there. The climbs don’t exceed 7%. The turn on Cherry Glen takes us back to Lagoon Valley Park.

Thanks to Nancy & Grace for leading today’s ride! What a wonderful way to spend the day.

5 people in attendance

57 miles with 3150′ of elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, cool and breezy. Temps ranged from the mid to high 60’s

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PUSH ON-KEEP MOVING!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>