Amici Veloci - Fast Friends

We're heading from Waves to Wine!

2007-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

This year the Fast Friends are coming full circle and participating in a ride to benefit the cause that brought us all together in the first place.

On day one, we'll start from AT&T Park in San Francisco, head over the Golden Gate Bridge (SadieKate is really looking forward to that!) through Marin, up Highway 1 past Stinson Beach, and then we'll cut inland for the overnight at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rhonert Park. Except since we're a bunch of pampered princesses who prefer soft beds & indoor plumbing, after the festivities at Sonoma Mountain Village we'll head off to a nearby motel for the night. On day two we'll head from Rhonert Park thru wine country to Healdsburg and finish at Lake Sonoma.

We'd be grateful for your support!
Here's a direct link to the team Amici Veloci fundraising site:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/amiciveloci

You could contribute to our team, or, click on the name of a team member to sponsor her individually.

We thank you so much for your help in the fight against MS.
SadieKate, V, snapdragen, aka_kim, Trekhawk, Ninabike, Emerald, mtkitchn, and jobob.

You NEED an AV jersey ! :) Order deadline July 18

2007-06-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Goodness gracious, the Fast Friends are at it again.

Here's your chance to finally own a lovely and highly coveted Amici Veloci jersey. Or vest. Or jacket. Or armwarmers. Or all of the above! ;)

Order Form (excel version) --> Please, if you can, use the excel version of the order form, it will make order processing so much easier for our good friend snapdragen!

Order Form (pdf version)

Payment is by PayPal only. See the instructions on the order form.

New for 2007 - Women's sleeveless in Club Cut! Yay!! No annoying elastic at the bottom!

Here are some photos of our model in the womens short-sleeve club cut jersey, with and without the matching armwarmers. The jersey will be slightly redesigned for 2007 to include the bike journal and Team Estrogen logos.

Got Questions?
Check out these threads on the bike journal and the Team Estrogen forums. Your questions might already be answered there. And if they're not, please go ahead and post 'em on one of these threads.

Fast Friends support RAAM

2007-05-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

I am just brimming with pride over my friends. Somehow I missed the fact that someone I had grown to like and respect via a cycling forum was riding RAAM was again this year. I had the opportunity to meet and ride with Bernie Barge of Team JDRF when a few friends, my husband and I rode in the San Luis Obispo Wildflower Century this year. It turned out there were no wildflowers (well, hardly any) but there sure was a lot of heat, 103 degrees of it to be precise. We were all sick with it, but I was in particular stress. Bernie stuck with me through thick and thin and we made it across the line. During the ride when we were slowly grinding away in the heat and wind, I found out that Bernie was racing RAAM again so last night I did a little sleuthing around on the ‘net idly looking for his team information, only to find that we could stake claim to time stations to not only support Bernie and his team, but to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Being the enthusiastic yakker that I can sometimes be, I emailed a few friends as test cases and they were all game to chip in and get time stations. Taking this as a good sign, I posted on the women’s cycling forum at http://www.teamestrogen.com/ and emailed a bunch of folks I knew through http://www.bikejournal.com/. Wow about sums it up. I am speechless with the generosity that flowed.

As of Thursday night we have 10 time stations:

§ Lake Henshaw, CA
§ Williams, AZ
§ Collins, MO
§ Greenville, IL
§ Putnamville, IN
§ Troy, OH
§ Parkersburg, WV
§ Rouzerville, PA
§ Delaware Memorial Bridge, NJ
§ McKee City, NJ

Thanks to the generosity of these wonderful folks, we’ll help defray team costs and support the Research Foundation with any leftover funds.

§ Veronica* and Thom
§ Jobob*
§ aka_kim*
§ pkq
§ Fredwina
§ TrekHawk
§ Pansy Palmetto
§ Yellow and Mr. Yellow
§ Tenbrooks
§ Melissam
§ ShubieGA
§ BikerZ
§ WrenchBoy
§ Adventure_Girl*
§ Triskeliongirl
§ GT

*Amici Veloci Bored Members

I was hoping to fund one time station and we have 10. What a tremendous group of people I’m honored to know.

Team JDRF, we’re at your back and we’ll be ready for those calls anytime day or night.

Vada velocemente! Go fast!

Show me your Buff money!

2006-11-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

The gang has decided they'd like custom microfiber Buffs - so we can fly the AV colors even more. We’re ready to collect your funds so here are the details. There will be limited quantities (and this is a one time order) so the early bird gets the Buff.

Design and Colors
The Buff design is still to come but we’re envisioning something with an allover chain ring design – using our signature gazelle chain ring of course – with “Amici Veloci/Fast Friends” in the borders. Buff’s designers in Spain will be working on the design very soon. There is enough interest to order two versions: one with a black background and one with red.

Price:
$18.50 per Buff -- includes uninsured USPS postage to US locations
Australia, New Zealand and UK orders – add $3.20 per Buff
Canada – add $2.20 per Buff
All others – email me and we’ll figure it out.

Ordering
Best method: PayPal to sarahandbubba at sbcglobal dot net.
2nd best because it’s via snail mail: Cashier’s Check or Money Order (request address through the buddy list)
Order info: name, address, email, QUANTITY OF EACH COLOR (black and red available)

Quantity available
Quantities are limited. Operators are standing by. This means that you are only guaranteed a Buff if you order now. I expect the deadline will be around Nov 26th but I’ll know more once I get a sample design.

Order early, order lots.:)

Changed to Sunday, Nov 19 – Mt George/Atlas Peak road ride

2006-11-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Come explore more of the remote roads of Napa. We’ll start in Fairfield, ride up Wooden and Gordon Valley roads, over Mt George to Napa and then up Atlas Peak. This is part of the spring Davis 200k brevet route.

Distance and climb: 60 miles (out 30 and back 30) and about 4,900 ft.
Start: Safeway parking lot in Fairfield at Waterman/I-80/Hilborn
Route Map: click here
Eats: Corner store/gas station at 20/40 mile points as we go through Napa both ways
Time: 10 am.

Oh yeah, rain cancels.

Nov 4 - St. Helena/Pope Valley road ride

2006-10-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to coordinate another ride in the wine country hills.

I mapped out this route which should be very nice for the fall color of the grape vines, the salamanders on Ink Grade and fewer goobers (uh, boat traffic) by Lake Berryessa --about 54 miles and the actual climbing will probably be about 4,000. Our core group is about average club pace - some faster on the climbs and some faster on the descents. We all get there together.

Goobers and Grapes -- www.routeslip.com/map.php?map=12207

Parking: Library and Adams St east of Main St in St. Helena. Both are dead end streets and recommended by both the Police Dept traffic person and the St. Helena Cyclery.

We'll find chow in St. Helena. There are always a lot of votes for Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen but suggestions are always welcome.
www.cindysbackstreetkitchen.com/index.php

9:30 am on your bike start - rain cancels (OK, we're a bunch of fragile flowers, you can say it).

Edited Friday at 4:19 pm - Weather looks fine. We're on!

Let me know if we should expect you.

SK

Iron Mtn Road Ride - Sunday, Aug 27

2006-08-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Edited to add: 8 am at the parking spot indicated in the link.

We've got plans in the works for a morning ride up Mormon-Emigrant/Iron Mountain. If anyone has words of wisdom about conditions, weather, etc., please add your 2 cents.

Route info from Beautiful Vista

Jersey ordering info

2006-06-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

All the info you need to choose a style, size and pay via PayPal is on the ORDER FORM.

Remember, the deadline is Wednesday, June 14th.

Jersey Re-Order Progress

2006-06-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Amici Veloci - Fast Friends

OK - here's the count so far. We've not met minimum yet.
Short sleeve jersey - 24 (need 25)
Arm Warmers - 4 (need 25 if ordered alone, 15 if we get 10 long sleeve)
Long Sleeve - 6 (need 10)
It's still early, don't panic.

snap

JERSEY RE-ORDER

2006-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination, I’ve finally got the new order process ready and Snap has graciously agreed to collect the orders with payment via PayPal. If we can get the orders collected by June 14, the orders will be shipped the week of August 7th. They’ll go off to the equally gracious yellow (to avoid CA taxes) who will ship the individual jerseys.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Amici Veloci story, here is the short version. Back in August 2004 I was diagnosed with MS and was open about it on this forum. I decided I wanted to ride in the Top Hat Classic 2005 (a local MS ride) and I suddenly received an incredible email from jobob, snap, aka_kim, veronica and Adventure_Girl. They wanted to be on a team with me! Wow, was I an emotional mess. Our team grew to 15 strong and we were the largest non-corporate fundraising team (thanks to many of you). Out of that we decided that we needed a jersey but that also we would try to ride one charity ride a year. We want anyone and everyone who wants a jersey to have the opportunity to buy one and encourage all to wear it in a charity event.

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/SadieKate/Amici%20Veloci%20jersey/

The details:

DEADLINE: JUNE 14
Photos: go to the photobucket link above
Items available: See order form which is for information purposes only. You will need to give snap all the details on the PayPal transaction.
**We need 25 minimum short sleeve/sleeveless items for the min order.
**25 min also applies to arm warmers and or long sleeve jerseys.
Shipping: included in cost
Payment: PayPal only
Fit: if you have a local shop that carries Voler team kit, ask to try it on. Feel free to ask anyone who already has a Voler jersey for advice but check which fabric is used. The AV jersey is made from SQPro which does not stretch as much as Aries MicroPlus.

If you know anyone that may be interested, please feel free to direct them here www.amiciveloci.org.

May we all be Amici Veloci, fast friends.

Special thanks to spazz for her design help. I finally get to meet her Saturday!

Fleming Meadows - May 28, Sunday

2006-05-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Bubba and Sarah are planning a little jaunt at Fleming Meadows. Been too long since we've played in the dirt.

Time: Ready to ride at 10 AM
Where: The Trailhead

Call us if you want more info.

Mt Diablo 5/27/06 - road ride

2006-05-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ride up South Gate Road to the summit (or wherever you want to turn around)

When: Saturday, May 27
Start: 7:30 or earlier if it is hot
Where: Train Museum in Danville http://www.museumsrv.org/directions.html
After Ride Rehab Location: La Ultima (New Mexican restaurant in walking distance)
Distance: 15 miles climbing up 3,850' and then back down the same path.

Dam Corners and Valleys Ride AGAIN - May 20

2006-05-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning at 4:30 am and KCRA's triple doppler is showing clear skies. Looks like it could be one great day!

I'll only post again if it looks like **** when I deliver everyone to the Davis Double start.

We're going to try again. The Davis Double is also on May 20th so we may have a few sane people joining us whilst spouses go abuse themselves. The DD will have a rest stop at Markley Cove from 6-9 am so we should see the DD riders.

This ride will be a relaxed ramble through the countryside. We’ll climb northwest up the canyon alongside Putah Creek over the Monticello Dam and Cardiac Hill, which are the only big climbs of the day, to Moskowite Corner. From there, one little bump and then we fly down Wooden Valley to Mankas Corners and on to Fairfield where we'll take a food break at the coffee house. We’ll turn north, climb a few short rollers and then have a couple options: 1) a nice smooth ride all the way north back to Lake Solano Park and on to Winters or 2) head east across Vaca Valley Road, up Gibson Canyon and the east side of Cantelow. Option 2 rejoins the Option 1 riders for the smooth ride back to Winters.

Start: Steady Eddy's Coffee House in Winters (park in lot next door)
When: On our bikes by 7 am (early because of the heat and the boat hauling idjits)
Length: 62-72
Climbing: 2,780 without the extra climb of Cantelow

To get to Winters: Interstate 505 goes north right into Winters from I-80 or your can take Russell Blvd east out of Davis.

Let us know if you're interested.

Dam Corners and Valley road ride - Sunday, April 30

2006-04-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

A reprise of a lovely route. This ride will be a relaxed ramble through the countryside. We’ll climb northwest up the canyon alongside Putah Creek over the Monticello Dam and Cardiac Hill, which are the only big climbs of the day, to Moskowite Corner. From there, one little bump and then we fly down Wooden Valley to Mankas Corners and on to Fairfield where we'll take a food break at the coffee house. We’ll turn north, climb a few short rollers and then have a couple options: 1) a nice smooth ride all the way north back to Lake Solano Park and on to Winters or 2) head east across Vaca Valley Road, up Gibson Canyon and the est side of Cantelow. Option 2 rejoins the Option 1 riders for the smooth ride back to Winters.

Start: Steady Eddy's Coffee House in Winters (use Rotary Park parking lot at Railroad and Main east of Steady Eddy's)
When: Ready to ride at 10 am
Length: 62-72
Climbing: 2,780 without the extra climb of Cantelow

To get to Winters: Interstate 505 goes north right into Winters from I-80 or your can take Russell Blvd east out of Davis.

Let us know if you're interested.

AV team jersey spotted in the desert!

2006-02-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Look where it turned up?

72 degrees fahrenheit. Lovely.

Friendship, Life, and Cycling

2006-01-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

SK and I have been having an offline email conversation about this little (big?) electronic world through which many of us have become acquainted. But for the Team Estrogen forum, many of us may have never met...just waved a friendly hello as we rode by. But now as a result of that forum and Team AV, we have new friends that have affected our cycling and everyday lives in many ways.

Fer instance, do not most of us gals now call restrooms "elephants"? And we all know what a "cheese hill" is.

Yesterday I was out skate skiing in Park City and I ran across this sign. I immediately thought of Princess Zippy, who introduced most of us to the term "cheese hill". After zipping by the sign, I turned around and went back to take a picture. And it made me chuckle a few more times that day.

Thanks, P Zip and everyone else for making my life a little richer!

New Year's Day Road Ride

2005-12-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

THIS ISN'T LOOKING GOOD. EXPECTING THE FREEWAY TO BE FLOODED THROUGH FAIRFIELD AGAIN SO DON'T EXPECT THE DAVIS CONTINGENT. THIS MAY BE A MOVIE AND HOT COCOA DAY.

If the trails are awash in mud, come join us on a road ride up Mt. Diablo. Seems a good way to welcome in the new year - not that Mad Cyclist's dirt ride wouldn't be just as good.

Princess Zippy is training for the DMD so she's going for the summit twice. She and her coach are starting at 8 am. The rest of us will meet them at the North Gate Entrance at 11 am.

I'm guessing that means being on your bike at Arbolado Park at 10:30 but I really can't remember how far the entrance is from the park so this time may change.

Probably head for the local pizza and beer joint after. I believe it has received the Jo Certificate of Approval.

If you want to carpool from Davis, you know how to reach us.

PS - Rain cancels, but if the skies just look threatening we may choose a more weather-friendly route.

New Year's Day MTB Ride

2005-12-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Anyone up for a ride New Year's Day? Meet at 12:00 p.m. at the Foresthill Divide Trailhead. Ride followed by a little hair of the dog at the Rubicon Brewpub in Midtown Sacramento. Hope you can all make it!

Yellow's Yewtah "New Home" Adventures

2005-12-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I (yellow) relocated from Placerville, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah a couple of months ago. After living in a rathole for a month, we found a nice little restored home (originally built in 1890 at 850 square feet!) and moved in around the middle of November.

Our biggest challenge has been going from a 2100 square foot home in California to a 1400 square foot home in Utah. Now I think this is good because it has forced us to learn how to live with less (space, and therefore, stuff) but we've had other challenges that I didn't really anticipate.

Fer instance, the upstairs is a finished attic and while it is relatively spacious, there are few flat walls (most are the slope of the roofline) and only one smallish closet. Consequently, we still haven't figured out where to hang most of our clothes. We're looking into getting a "portable" wardrobe closet, but are having problems finding one that isn't too tall so that it doesn't come into contact with the sloping ceiling/wall. And how do you hang a mirror in the bathroom if the walls aren't flat? Oh, the challenges.

But today, this very morning, took the cake. We had our first very cold storm yesterday and last night (it got down to about 12 F), resulting in about 4 inches of snow here at the house in the city and a couple of FEET up at Alta, where I have been skiing. So OF COURSE I was going to go get some of that fresh, famous Utah powder. But...I go to flush the toilet in the downstairs bathroom and...it doesn't re-fill. Yep. Frozen pipes somewhere in this house that I'm still getting to know.

So I get on my grungy clothes and prepare to go under the house. I don't like confined spaces, so this is not something I am looking forward to. Fortunately, it's well lit, pretty spacious, and not nearly as scary as the Placerville house. And unfortunately, I discover that NONE of the very numerous (plastic) water pipes in the exposed area are insulated. Because there is more thawing required than can be accomplished with a hair dryer, I venture to Ace Hardware to purchase a space heater and some pipe insulation. I must have been a sight, all dirty from going under the house and, as I discovered later, with my shirt on backwards and inside out.

The good news is I got the pipes thawed and none of them were broken. I stayed down there and insulated everything as well as I could. And now that I'm done I'm pretty durn pleased with myself (though that doesn't make up for missing out on the good snow). My neighbor tells me this weather is not usual.

But the ultimate cruel fact-o-life is that it's not supposed to snow again in the near future, so I get crud tomorrow. It figures.

Cool and Pink!

2005-12-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Bubba and I had a few errands up in the foothills today, so we got in a quick loop in Cool. Mathilda has her new pink wheels and was just tickled . . . well, you get the point.

Don't think it got out of the 40s today. I think Old Man Winter is with us. Any place there are springs or the drainage isn't perfect, the horses have destroyed the trail. They even go off on the singletrack that was obviously built by the mountainbikers trying to minimize the damage. They're breaking down a bridge that should never have horses on it. Very frustrating what they are doing to public land.

Otherwise, we had a superb though quiet ride. We were the only bikers and most of the horse folk were finish up when we arrived. The bay berries were just glowing and the oak leaves were a carpet in some places. Knickerbocker Creek gurgled away but was very rideable. Some of our most memorable rides seem to be in the cold winter weather (see Utah rides below).

Guess we're just going to have to figure out how do help with the trail maintenance. Bubba's poison oak incident last year was very serious and I get sciatica when wielding a shovel. Maybe we can tote the lemonade. Need to find some way to help.

AV Late Fall Utah Meeting

2005-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

SadieKate and Wrench Boy ventured to Salt Lake City, my new home, over Thanksgiving weekend to visit Wrench Boy's mother. Of course they were willing to bring their bikes.

We did two rides, one up in Mill Creek Canyon (brrrr!) and one on Antelope Island (an island in the Great Salt Lake). What fun it was to see and ride with them again. It was chilly (especially the ride up in Mill Creek Canyon), but we just wore lots of clothes and rode faster than we might normally! Oh! And we did have Thanksgiving dinner together at a lovely little bistro in one of Salt Lake's trendy neighborhoods. Thumbs up to having someone else cook and clean up.

To see all of the ride photos, you can visit SadieKate's Photobucket site (I'm gonna have to git me one!)

(At Antelope Island, from L to R, Brian, Yellow, SadieKate, Wrench Boy)

Dam Corners and Valley road ride - Sunday, Nov 20

2005-11-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Princess has decreed we will be starting in Winters.

Extended forecast shows sunny through the weekend so let's keep our fingers crossed. In keeping with traditional winter training goals, this ride will be a relaxed ramble through the countryside.

We’ll climb northwest up the canyon alongside Putah Creek over the Monticello Dam and Cardiac Hill, which are the only big climbs of the day, to Moskowite Corner. From there, one little bump and then we fly down Wooden Valley to Mankas Corners and on to Fairfield where we'll take a food break at the coffee house. We’ll turn north, climb a few short rollers and then have a nice smooth ride all the way north back to Lake Solano Park. This is the "good" section of the Foxy's Fall Century.

Start: the town of Winters (Rotary Park parking lot at Railroad and Main across from the Buckhorn and Steady Eddy's Coffee House)
When: Ready to ride at 10 am
Length: 62
Climbing: 2,780 (unless you have to go over Cantelow on the return)

To get to Winters: Interstate 505 goes north right into Winters from I-80 or your can take Russell Blvd east out of Davis. http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=u8Nhjq160SyvQA0bpmqBMulSMUtJa6zz_Bvx9k0QKNEu6UagR4mUKkMkvI6I997NqQ--&name=The+Buckhorn+Steak+%26amp%3B+Roadhouse&desc=%28530%29+795-4503&csz=Winters+CA&country=us&cs=10&qty=9&ds=n

Map of the route that you may want to download to be able to see.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sadiekatel/detail?.dir=65dc&.dnm=fd0d.jpg&.src=ph

Pizza after? We can test the Pizza Factory: http://www.palmsplayhouse.com/pizzafactory.html

Let us know if this floats your boat, spins your wheels, etc.

Napa Valley photos

2005-11-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

For once, I stopped and smelled the flowers. Though this time of year, it was the grape harvest. We rode through a constant delicious aroma of fermenting wine grapes.

These photos were taken going up Ink Grade from Pope Valley. Veronica summits, then Kim arrives desperately trying to get rid of the madman who followed her up the hill.

Saw lots of dead raccoon, squirrels and salamanders. Dangerous time of year for these critters.

Nov 12 - A Twist on the Tour of Napa Valley (road ride)

2005-11-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Time: ready to ride at 10 am (but stay tuned, rain will cancel)
Parking: Adams St east of Main St in St. Helena. This is a dead end street and recommended by both the Police Dept traffic person and the St. Helena Cyclery.
Length: 54 miles, about 2,800 ft climbing
Route: We’ll start in St Helena, go south down the Silverado Trail, climb up Sage Canyon (around Lake Hennessey) to Chiles & Pope Valley Rd. Continue north through the junction of Pope Valley Rd and then up to the small market in Pope Valley for a brief stop. Then, we’ll climb the beautiful Ink Grade and fly down White Cottage and Crystal Springs to the Silverado Trail. Here is the twist on the Century route: we’ll go up to Calistoga for a food break at the truly charming gourmet market by the glider port. After, we’ll just cruise the Silverado Trail back to St. Helena.
Food/water on the route: the markets in Pope Valley and Calistoga only
Food after ride: It's the wine country. I imagine we can find something edible.
Map of St. Helena: http://city.ci.st-helena.ca.us/page.cfm?name=map
Website for the St. Helena Cyclery: http://sthelenacyclery.com/site/intro.cfm

After the Mt. Hamilton ride - Mission Pizza in Fremont

2005-10-30T19:48:00.000-08:00

In case anyone would like to get together after the Mt. Hamilton ride for a bite to eat, and perhaps a recovery beverage ...

Since it seems most of you are coming from north of San Jose, I thought we could get together at a really good pizza place which is just off 680, about 12 miles north of the Alum Rock exit - it's pretty much on the way home for most of us. And those who might be coming from points south, I hope you won't mind the detour.

Mission Pizza is at 1572 Washington Blvd. in Fremont.
http://www.missionpizza.com/

There's a good selection for meat-eaters and veg's alike, and their mini-pizzas are pretty substantial (so no bickering over what kind to get, you can order whatever you want).
They also have a decent salad bar, and lots of excellent beers on tap (on the off chance you might like to join us, Robb ...)

To get there from our start/finish location:
Head back down Alum Rock Ave. and get onto 680 North
Drive north ~12 miles, and take the Washington Blvd. exit
At the end of the ramp, take a left onto Washington Blvd.
Take an almost immediate right (at the sign for the veterinarian) into the Ohlone Center strip mall.
Take a left as you enter the mall parking lot. Mission Pizza is about halfway up the length of the mall.

Hope you can make it !

Mt. Hamilton, Saturday Nov. 5

2005-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the plan:

If it's raining, or if there's a very good chance of rain, I'm going to cancel. I don't do mountains in the rain!

Check this spot at 7 am that morning, or call me on my cell at (510) 507-4689.

Anyhow, if the weather cooperates, we'll start out at 10 am.

Meet before 10 at the corner of Alum Rock Ave (Rt. 130) and Mt. Hamilton Rd. in Milpitas.

Here's a google map of the general area (you can move it around and resize it to get an idea if where we're at)
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=milpitas+ca&ll=37.383048,-121.815205&spn=0.014740,0.040770&hl=en

To get there: take I-680 to Milpitas (which is south of Fremont, north of San Jose), exit at Alum Rock Ave./Rt. 130, head east on Alum Rock for about 1-2 miles until you get to the T-intersection where Rt. 130 turns right, which is the start of Mt. Hamilton Road. Instead of turning right onto Mt. Hamilton Road, you'll turn left into a small parking area along the side of Alum Rock Ave.

If that parking area is full there's Linda Vista School, which is on Kirk Ave off Alum Rock about a mile back, where we could also park. I'll be at the parking area at the corner of Alum Rock & Mt. Ham, so if that area is full I'll send you back to Linda Vista and will (ahem) patiently wait for you to ride back and join us.

This link has directions on how to get to Linda Vista School - just bear in mind that it's written assuming that you're coming from the San Jose area, so if you're coming from Davis, Antioch and other points north you'll be taking 680 South. But you knew that.
http://bikemaster.home.att.net/routes/lvs_list.htm

Make sure to bring a couple of water bottles and some snacks. It's about 20 miles to the summit, and there are vending machines stocked with very pricey snacks at the summit observatory, but that's about it. There are rest rooms at the observatory, which I assume will be open, plus there are a couple of camping/picnic areas along the way up with portapotties and drinking water.

After-ride nourishment TBD

- jobob

Okay, So Maybe I Was Being Too Optimistic!

2005-10-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Apparently I did not do my homework, when it came to selecting the appropriate AV jersey size. Or, I was hoping to lose more weight than is humanly possible. The bottom line is that all circulation is cut off when I put on that attractive little jersey.

Is there anyone out there who missed an opportunity to buy a size large, club cut... or who got one that is too big (xl/xxl)? Let's make a deal!

Otherwise, I'm going to have to flag down some skinny waif on the bike trail and give it away.

Seriously.

Robblog...

Mt Hamilton - Saturday, Nov 5

2005-10-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Tentative plans are in the works for a Mt Ham ride. This would be the completion of the Bay Area Trifecta for some of us. Jobob is coordinating so more details to come.

Amici Veloci - SHIPPED TODAY 10/5/05

2005-10-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

4 boxes are on their way to Oregon for re-packing and delivery!

Estimated delivery to Oregon HQ on Friday 10/7/05.

Let's hope the Veloroaster will post his shipping schedule so we won't be in too much suspense.

Emigrant Trail - Oct 1

2005-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Meeting Place - Donner Camp Picnic Area (right side of road north of Truckee on 89)

I'm trying to gather other details such as the "when" part.

The best I can puzzle out is that Robblog, Yellow, Thom and Princess Zippy will be joining us. As Thom and P Zip are travelling the farthest, I have empowered them to set said "when." Stay tuned.

Hoping Charlie will come. Awaiting further news from him.

Emigrant Trail - Sat, Oct 1

2005-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday and I can ride if I want to!

Plans were hatched last night to ride the Emigrant Trail near Truckee as we celebrate my attempts to go down with grace and dignity (remember to go for style points with every fall). We’ll post more details later but assume this is an all day adventure.

Let me know if you’re planning on joining us.

Deep breath time

2005-09-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the final design - note that "Fast Friends" is actually over the green cuff on the sleeve. Ladies and smaller sizes will have less of the overall design, the sketch represents a men's large jersey.

I sure hope you like it. Shipment is expected the first week of October.

Spazzdog, thank you so very much for all your hardwork. Couldn't have done it without you.

Triple Loop Davis Ride - Sunday, Sept 18

2005-09-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Updating the news on this ride I'd originally planned to help the newbies take a next step and generally have a good time. "No drop" is the motto for the day but with 3 lengths and one little hill to choose from one and all should find some fun. I really hope we can get more local riders out that we haven't met before.

The Loops
1) Winters and back (@34 miles) and I'm guessing a pace below 14 mph - Have 1 newbie coming that I know of. I'm planning to lead.

2) To Winters around Lake Solano (@43-50 miles) and a pace of 14-15 mph or so -- Have 1 rider bumping up her distance. I think Petunia is leading but she seems to have date mix-up issues so I'm waiting to hear.

3) To Winters and over Cantelow (maybe 56-60 miles) - Pace 15-16 mph and maybe faster. Need to confirm a leader and sweep or even if anyone is interested.

Ready to ride at 9 AM
Meet at Common Grounds Coffee House in south Davis

Post ride meal at Dos Coyotes.

Any volunteers? I'm hoping Yellow and Killer Bea are coming but Yellow is packing! Boo-hoo! MadCyclist, can you still make it? I'm counting on you to roust out the Robblog and drag him over Cantelow.

Sisters in Spirit

2005-09-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I just returned from Bend. Sad, because a really wonderful trip with Sue (yellow) just had to come to an end. We had 4 terrific days of mountain biking the sweet single track of central Oregon. We did the classic river ramble to Benham Falls and the loop at Sisters, where we found Marney’s penstemon pillow from May but with dried stocks where once there were purple blooms. Jason (newly an Oregonian citizen) took us to Swampy Lakes and we had an epic descent to Tumalo Falls, Whoops, Phil’s and past the Flaming Chicken. Day 4 saw us exploring the upper elevations with Jason but Miss Petunia had to stay home nursing a bum leg. We did some truly serious root climbing up North Fork where I finally got to ride the Metolious-Windigo and Flagline Trails. They lived up to the hype. This was an epic ride day, especially with our 4 mile scenic detour. Fall has arrived in the high country.

Sue and I discovered that we must be sisters separated at birth. So many similar experiences and preferences – including soft and chewy molasses cookies. It was very fitting that I met my climbing goal with her on the Peterson Ridge loop in Sisters as she has been of major support in my quest to become a stronger hill climber. While WrenchBoy was the one who broached the wild idea of a goal of 100,000 feet, or the equivalent of 80 Empire State Buildings, I embraced the idea whole-heartedly. I’m amazed that I met the goal so early in the year and can only credit it to the sisterly support of all the girls on the TE forum who egged, er, cheered me on – Veronica, Kim, Jobob, Adventure Girl, Snapdragen, et al. Couldn’t have done it without them. I wish all of them could have seen the way I scaled the challenges of the North Fork climb, I think they would have been pleased.

Jersey - new low price for 24 hours only!

2005-08-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

ORDER AS OF 2 PM PACIFIC TIME 8/30/05 -- http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=39610#post39610

We had to make some revisions with our jersey and vest orders so we've been given another 24 hours to add to the order at the new and improved 50 unit price.

Jerseys are $62.50 each (down from $79)
Wind vests are $55.50 each
Thermal wind vests are $86.50 each

If you would like to order a jersey, please let me know so I can send you an order form. Send Janet your payment and order no later than 4 pm Tuesday. Snap will be refunding money for those that paid the higher price.

Hope this makes some people happy!

Friends in Fast Places

2005-08-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Lon and buddies have started shooting action scenes under the nom de video "ShareTheRoad Productions." For your viewing pleasure, see the link to the right.

Diablo via North Gate Rd - August 28, Sunday

2005-08-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

We've had requests for another ride up Diablo. Since it is so nice to ride up before the gates open and the Corvettes come racing in, we'll stage an early morning attack.

Start: 6:30 am
Where: Arbolado Park in Walnut Creek
Davis Bike Bus: Leaves the curb at 5:15 am

New friends and cyclists ride - Sunday, Sept 18

2005-08-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

We're tentatively planning a ride to gather together all of our friends and their friends and their friends and, ok you get the point, but all those who are getting into road riding, help the newbies take a next step and generally have a good time. "No drop" is the motto for the day but with 3 lengths and one hill to choose from one and all should find some fun.

I'll post details later but the plan is to have 3 loop options from Davis: 1) Winters and back (@34 miles), 2) To Winters and around Lake Solano (@43-50 miles) and 3) Out to Winters and over Cantelow (maybe 56-60 miles). To pull this off, we'll need a ride leader and a sweep for each loop (I can supply good maps).

We'll probably meet at Common Grounds Coffee House in south Davis and can have a post ride meal at Dos Coyotes.

Any volunteers?

Time Trial #3 - August 24th, Wednesday

2005-08-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Everybody now knows about our little secret especially since I just invested in aero bars. Used them around Lake Solano today and definitely cruised a bit faster. My inner tortoise was having fun!

Attempt #3 is this Wednesday at 6 pm. I think the Monster Bea and Yellow will be coming down from Pville. Who else will come join in the giggles? The Davis Mad Cows and Wheelworks put on a low key, friendly, just have fun time trial. Here's the link: http://www.madcowsracing.org/train/2005tt.html

Afterwards, we can go for frozen margaritas at Dos Coyotes or head to the downtown Farmer's Market for BBQ and other local good eats.

Arm Warmers - Make Bubba's Dream come true!

2005-08-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Team Amici Veloci is only 8 pairs away from making our minimum order of 25. Just think how snazzy you'll look this winter styling your jersey and arm warmers. You'll look like a pro! They'd even make a great gift.Arm warmers are only $29 and may drop a buck or two depending on our shipping and tax situation. You can order via PayPal until tomorrow morning. Everyone needs warm and cozy arms. Order now! Bubba thanks you for your support!

Scroll down below to see more details about the jersey and to get snapdragen's paypal address.

Around Lake Solano and back - Sun, Aug 21

2005-08-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

WrenchBoy and I are planning a road ride around Lake Solano on Sunday morning. Have to start putting in the longer miles since the Siskiyou Century isn't that far in the future. Let us know if you're interested.

Total loop is 45-50 miles.

"Healthy" Jelly Belly Beans??

2005-08-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jelly Belly has a promo to introduce their new Sport Bean. You get a free water bottle with your order through the end of August.

Jelly Belly is touting the new bean as competition for Gu, Gatorade, ClifShot, etc. The self-reported numbers don't look too bad, especially against Gatorade. I had no idea Gatorade had so much sodium. Probably why Gatorade is also so sweet, to cover up the sodium flavor. I couldn't find the ingredients but the sugars can't be any worse than regular old strawberry jam which gets favorable ratings against the fancy gels.

WrenchBoy can be our test subject since he is a connoisseur of all things junk and sweet. It does worry me that his palate sometimes is not very discriminating. The man likes Circus Peanuts! Yuck! You know those pasty orange Styrofoam things? Ewwwwww. He does have other fine qualities and knows his way around derailleurs, a very important skill in my estimation (me, the drivetrain princess).

Stay tuned for a product report. WrenchBoy gets the beans and I get the bottle.

JERSEY ORDER DEADLINE - 8 AM PST, 8/21

2005-08-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

The order form is on the link here. At this point in time, please email snapdragen all the pertient info and pay via PayPal using her address: snapdragen@yahoo.com.

Jersey Orders - PayPal

2005-08-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hey! Someone try paying using PayPal - I wanna see how it works.....

Just a couple of fyi's concerning payments for the jerseys.

1. I'll be keeping track of what everyone pays. If we get enough orders to drop the price, and you've paid the higher, I'll send a refund.

2. PayPal is now an option! Go to PayPal,

email is snapdragen@yahoo.com

For type of services select Goods.

Fleming Meadows dirt ride - Sun, Aug 14 UPDATE

2005-08-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

WrenchBoy and I are planning to ride Fleming Meadows with Sue (yellow). Intrepid leader pictured at right.

Details: 9 AM at the trail head (about 2.5 miles up Mormon Emigrant Rd)

We had quite a nice little group - Yellow, WrenchBoy, Robblog, Charlie, Mad Cyclist, Bea and me. Definitely need more lizard time in the sun on the lake shore. Yellow earned many style points with her backward ride across the trail and down the hill ending with a graceful butt-boggan slide.

Jersey Orders due August 19!

2005-08-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

As you know, we are in the process of having team jerseys made. Now is your chance to join us! Currently the price for a short sleeve jersey is $79 (as reflected in the order form link on the right), but that’s with a minimum order of 25 jerseys. If 50 people buy a jersey, the cost will plummet to the bargain price of $62.50. That includes tax and US shipping!

What a deal! What a way to show fellowship, comradeship, joie de vivre.

Oh yes, you say, how can I join!? Simply click here for the order form:
http://home.att.net/~amici_veloci/AVOrderForm.pdf

Not ready to commit? Can only do this if the price is $62.50? Email snapdragen and she'll add you to the list. If it looks like we’ll get to 50 by adding in your order – voila! Our compiled order is due to Voler on August 22 so order early to make sure snap has your money in time.

BUT WAIT! What am I getting myself into you ask? What do I have to do? Participate! Encourage your fellow riders in their endeavors, whether it is their first 20-mile ride, or their first century. We’re all about cheering each other on, helping each other to achieve their individual goals. Recruit new members and get them to purchase a jersey also!

The above composed by snapdragen and stolen by Sarah :)

Day 7 Off the Bike

2005-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

As Sarah and a few others know, I will be relocating from Placerville and my beloved interval-training-through-hills to Salt Lake City, UT (yeah, I know they have hills and mountains but alas! they seem to pale in comparison to the stuff around here). For the last month or so I've been pretty focused on getting the house ready for sale and haven't been riding much ("weekend warrior princess"). As of today, this is the longest I've gone without riding (7 days) in a number of years. When compounded with only riding 1-2 days a week since the Sierra Century, the result is lost fitness and what I can only describe as "panicky anxiety" about being off the bike. Brian, my hubby, is already in UT and is going through his own struggles trying to find temporary housing that will allow us to bring our zoo along (currently at 1 dog, 4 cats, 3 birds--any of you interested in adopting a parrot?).

My bike sits on the stand, still with the flat that seemed to develop after our ride on Iron Mtn Road 7/24. It's dirty and in need of some TLC. I feel guilty that I've let it sit this long in the state that it's in. It's looking over my shoulder right now, in fact.

I always considered our house pretty low maintenance, such that we could play several weekends in a row and it really wouldn't suffer too much from nothing more than some dust and dog-hair floofies in the corners. One of the many things I've learned as I've gone through this process (the list of lessons is sooooo long) is that no house is low maintenance. I think this will really help us as we look for our new house in SLC. Because low maintenance will be key. I can't wait to start riding and hiking and living a normal life again (that includes eating regular meals--but for my wonderful friends bringing me food, I'd probably eat nothing but popsicles and avocados).

But looking forward, Sarah and I have been talking about Little Red Riding Hood, the women-only century in UT that she and Petunia did this year. We have big (tentative) plans for a convergence, complete with a scheme to haul a bunch o' bikes there via Wrench Boy's Towing Service. Think about it ladies. It'll be a grand time.

Time Trialing - August 10

2005-07-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

OK, my little secret is out. I did a time trial and it was fun. Learned stuff like maybe I need to come up with a strategy before I'm trying to get clipped in at the start, where I need to train harder, to ignore the guy at the turn around, etc. I am pleased to report that I did much better than I expected but lots of room for improvement. Anywho, this was fun. The Davis Mad Cows and Wheelworks put on a low key, friendly, just have fun time trial every other Wednesday night. Come out and join in the giggles.

Next one is August 10 at 6 pm. http://www.madcowsracing.org/train/2005tt.html
Frozen margaritas at Dos Coyotes after provide an excellent recovery regimen.

Hmmm, wonder if I can justify a TT bike just for a 10 mile race once or twice a year.

good to see the blog up!

2005-07-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

hello everyone!

i haven't hooked up with y'all for a ride since bend, but really need to. i am getting ready for 12 hours of willamette pass on september 4th- so i needs ta spend more time on the dirt. anybody riding on sunday? (it's tim by the way! ;-)) my blog is up and running as of last week too! check it out here

July 30th, Mt Diablo Hill Climb - road bike

2005-07-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Day: Saturday, July 30th
Start: Time to be determined by weather but guessing between 6 and 6:30
Where: Train Museum in Danville then up the South Gate Rd http://www.museumsrv.org/directions.html
Pace: Your own tempo as we go up then come down. Hard to get lost.
SAG Services (now known as Camel Services :)): Provided by Snapdragen
After Ride Rehab Location: To be determined

Hey

2005-07-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

What happened to I'll be in the bar.....

just kidding! Love the design, love everything about it. I've been running around the office showing everybody. Lots of nods and smiles......be nice to the crazy lady........

The Jersey

2005-07-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Spazzdog has been working her little paws to the bone so please send her a few treats. Based on my inarticulate and confusing requests, she's created a wonderful preliminary design that is veddy, veddy close. While we know the Voler art department will make some more changes based on their vast jersey building experience we thought we'd get this out there for the world to see. So scroll down below.

The order form with estimated prices should be posted in the next few days when I'll add the link. Miss Snap is in charge of collecting orders from anyone and everyone who is so inclined to join us. Our current order deadline is August 22nd though this may change a bit as Voler is a tad behind on the women's club cut jersey (not their fault - the manufacturer of the lycra used in their shorts in going out of business which has impacted their whole delivery cycle).

On the women's club cut - it will have no elastic in the hem, a slightly shorter length, and will flare a bit at the hips. The bust will be adjusted slightly to better accomodate those of us with girly curves. I tried on prototype #2 on Monday and it fits really nicely. Sizing info can be found at www.voler.com.

Oops, once last thing -- the secret message on the inside of the pocket will be "Another hare racing story" (a Bubba contribution) to go with our collar message, "Embrace your inner tortoise" (a Veronica inspiration).

Jersey design complete

2005-07-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Am posting this for SadieKate... hopefully???

You can click on the picture and it will take you to a larger view.

spazzdog

2005-07-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Trying to get the durn logo smaller.

Hi Sarah

2005-06-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's not very creative, but it's just a test.

2005-05-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

logo 1

Maiden voyage

2005-05-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is just a test to get the template set up.