AV-B Ride April 25th: 9, Skyline, and the Shack

AV-Ber’s rise up!

It’s finally time for us to get what we deserve: tasty treats!

To earn our Shakes at the Shack we’ll be riding a relatively chill route this week with 47 miles of riding and 4300 feet of climbing.

We’ll start by taking Foothill to Steven’s Canyon road, then climb Mount Eden before we make our way up Highway 9. After that, we’ll have a beautiful ride along Skyline ending in a descent of 84. From there, we’ll just hit Sandhill to bring us to our finish at Shake Shack.

We will have 3 regroups: the first is at Mountain Winery on Pierce road, the second is at the fire station on Skyline, and the last is at Skylonda.

The forecast is currently cloudy and cool, from 55-60 degrees in Palo Alto. You’ll probably want to bring some gear to keep you warm out there.

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader: Ryan

Start / End Location: Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route: 47 miles and 4,300 feet

Route File: Link to RideWithGPS Route File

Start Time: Meet: 9 AM, Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups:

Mile 17.2 - Mountain Winery

Mile 23.6 - Fire Station on Skyline

Mile 36.8 - Regroup at Skylonda

Mile 47 - Shake Shack

AV-B 18-Apr- 26: The Only Way Out is Back Up

Hi All,

Somehow this week I am completing my personal ride leader 2026 Triple Crown (AE, B, and C). B Ride will be doing two lesser-known out and back climbs off Skyline, Bear Gulch, and Native Son. We will start with the usual way out and up via OLH (I plan on taking it easy to save my legs for later) before water at Skylonda. Make sure you fill up because the next water stop isn’t for another 30 miles! After doing Bear Gulch and Native Son we will roll down Skyline/92 to the Water Temple and then hopefully have a smooth paceline home. Slight chance of rain in the forecast so bring your ass savers.

Ride stats: 60 mi and 6300 ft

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3479940689787465220

Regroups/stops:
Alpine/Portola
SkyLonda
Bottom of Bear Gulch
Top of Kings

Bottom of Native Son

Top of Swett

Water Temple

Pace: Just don’t drop me too early in the ride, please.

Ride leader/route provider: Jonathan

Please read the AV ride rules and sign the waiver if you’re not a member! Links below.
https://www.new.altovelo.org/riding-etiquette
https://www.bikereg.com/alto-velo-guest-waiver

AV-B 11 April 2026 - Steve Esswein Classic

Hi All!

This will be a leaderless ride due to weather!

The weather this Saturday is shaping up to be rough: morning showers turning into steady rain by the afternoon, with a 100% chance of precipitation.

For those brave enough to embrace the elements, I’ve put together the Steve Esswein Classic. The route includes multiple bailout options if conditions (or spirits) fade, so you can turn back anytime. Ride smart, ride safe, and respect the weather.

Ride stats: 44 mi and 3560 ft (70 km and 1085 m)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40887108

Regroups/stops:
Portola & Alpine
Sky Londa (2x)
Woodside Strore Park (Tripp Rd.)

Pace: Ride at your own pace! Be safe!

Ride leader/route provider: No ride leader due to rain!

Please read the AV ride rules and sign the waiver if you’re not a member! Links below.
https://www.new.altovelo.org/riding-etiquette
https://www.bikereg.com/alto-velo-guest-waiver

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AV-B 4 April 2026 - Pacifica

Hi all,

On the B ride, we will head out to Pacifica, stop at Half Moon Bay for water/snacks, meander through Higgins Canyon and climb Tunitas. We will then drop down Kings Mtn Road to get back home! This is a wee bit longer and slightly more climbee than the usual bee ride so bring food/carbs with you. However, I will do this at an easier pace to compensate. We can also come up with wild scenarios for the 2026 edition of the Tour of Flanders that’s on Sunday :)

Ride stats: 80 mi and 7000 ft (129 km and 2125 m)

Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3474957864259090764

Regroups/stops:
Devil’s slide trail restroom
Half Moon Bay
Top of Tunitas
Bottom of Kings by Tripp Rd.

Pace: I will do 3 W/kg on Tunitas and we will keep it together on flat/rolling terrain. Your own safe pace on descents.

Ride leader/route provider: Paddy (oops)

Please read the AV ride rules and sign the waiver if you’re not a member! Links below.
https://www.new.altovelo.org/riding-etiquette
https://www.bikereg.com/alto-velo-guest-waiver

AV-B Ride Mar 28th: Classic Route with a Twist

AV-Ber’s,

It’s Shake Shack weekend!

I know. I’m stoked, too. To earn our indulgence we will get a full ride in on this side of the hills but I will try to keep the regroups/stops at a timely pace so we can get to Stanford Shopping Center before too late.

We’ll head around Arastradero and up Westridge for something different and our first regroup will be at the top. After that it’s OLH and a classic Skylonda stop. We’ll rolling regroup after the 84 descent and pass Woodside to Cañada. We’re going to turn on Jefferson for something different again and weave through town and back up Edgewood. We will quick regroup at the top and then ride all of Cañada/Skyline together before regrouping at the very end of Skyline. No need for a Pulgas Water Temple stop! If anyone falls off the back or needs to make an emergency bathroom stop at the Camp Sawyer Trailhead you can always turn off at Crystal Springs Road, cut off part of the route, and catch back up with us. We’ll roll/climb on Polhemus to Ralston and make one last water stop at Waterdog Trailhead. Then we roll across Crestview, maybe do a quick regroup before the descent to Edgewood, and it’s 10 miles of flats all the way to Shake Shack!

Forecast looks to be about 60 at 9am and 75 when we finish the day. Couldn’t ask for a much dreamier day! I know the RideWithGPS file says 5,900 feet but it always overestimates elevation. Strava said 5,500 but was not allowing me to upload the file. I think 5,500 is probably more honest… I haven’t led a ride in over a month so I’m excited to see everyone!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader: Kessler

Start / End Location: Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route: 61 miles and 5,600 feet

Route File: Link to RideWithGPS Route File

Start Time: Meet: 9 AM, Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups:

Mile 7.7 - Regroup at Top of Westridge

Mile 17.6 - Water/Bathroom Stop at Skylonda

Mile 31 - Regroup at Top of Edgewood

Mile 39 - Regroup at Top of Skyline

Mile 46.2 - Water Stop at Waterdog Trailhead

Mile 48.5 - Regroup at Top of the World Bench

Mile 59 - Shake Shack

AV-B March 21, 2026 - Palo Alto to Cat’s Hill

Hi all,

The AV race team is competing in Cat’s Hill this Saturday and we will make our annual pilgrimage to the race to support them.

Starting at Summit in Palo Alto. We will meander a bit and then go up Redwood Gulch.
Those racing folk do one super short hill ~30 times so we can do one medium length climb once. It evens out in the end.

AV B Ride
Time: Saturday 03/21/2026, gather at 9:00 AM, rolling by 9:10 AM
Start: Summit Bicycles, California Avenue, Palo Alto
Route: Meow
Pace: Keep it together on flats/rollers. Choose your own adventure on climbs and descents.
I will be doing 180-220 W when in the wind and whatever my legs feel like on the climbs.
Regroups: 1. Rancho water fountain/restrooms 2. Top of Redwood Gulch 3. Cat’s Hill crit course in LG
I’ll be there for an hour cheering and then head back via Foothill Expy. People are welcome to stay till late afternoon for the P/1/2 race or head back with me.

Ride leader/route provider: Paddy

Good luck!

P.S. Read the ride rules on the Alto Velo website, sign your yearly waiver if you’re a non-member etc etc.
P.P.S. Plz don’t cross the double yellow. The mustard on the road stops you from turning into ketchup.

AV-B Ride March 14th: Coastal Classic

Hi AV-Bers,

OLH, 84, Stage, Tunitas - sound like fun to you? If so you’re in luck! This week we’re heading to the coast and back with a time tested loop. Forecast on the coast is mid 60s with a (mild) headwind to keep us cool out by the ocean.

There are two major climbs - feel free to take those at your own pace as we’ll have longer regroups after both. Otherwise we regroup after each descent and we’ll keep it moderate to enjoy the land, the views, and each other (right?).

Start / End Location

Summit Bicycles, California Ave

Route: 55 miles, 5,000 feet: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40102681

Summary: Portola, OLH, 84-W, Stage, Tunitas, King’s, Woodside / Whiskey / Sand HIll

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Mile 7 - Portola and Alpine (short)

• Mile 15 - Skylonda (long)

• Mile 22 - La Honda (short)

• Mile 33 - Bike Hut (long)

• Mile 42 - Top of King’s (short)

• Mile 46 - Woodside store (short)

Ride Leader

James R

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

AV-B(ike Law) Ride Mar 7th: Swetty Kings w Cake

Hi AV-Ber’s,

Welcome to March! It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s also Bike Law week (Thank you Miles). We’ll be doing the Simon Sojourn route but ending at Manresa. There are some little detours/turns along the way, so make sure to save the route. Why is it called this? I don’t know - that’s before my time… Will Simon show up? Maybe!

Feel free to climb Huddart & Kings as hard as you want. I personally will be doing it at a conversational pace of 3w/kg. The rest of the route is fairly flat so let’s try to keep the group together :) If we’re successful, we can keep the regroups fairly short and perhaps we can finish around the same time as C ride for more socializing.

Start / End Location

Start at Summit Bicycles, California Ave, end at Manresa Bread

Route: 51 miles / 4,100 ft - strava

Summary: Up Huddart/Kings, mini loop (Tunitas/Star Hill/Swett), down Skyline & 92, returning via Canada/Portola/Sand Hill

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Portola & Alpine (short)

• 2x Top of Kings (1st time normal, 2nd time short)

• Pulgas water temple

• Woodside Store Park @ Tripp Rd (short)

Ride Leader

Hannah C

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

AV-B Ride Feb 28th: Moody, Page Mill, WOLH

AV-Ber’s,

This Saturday, we’re heading out for a 51-mile loop with about 5,400 feet of climbing. It’s a classic route that hits some of the best-known roads in our backyard. We'll start with the steep sections on Moody Road before settling into the long climb up Page Mill. After hitting the top, we’ll head down towards La Honda and then work our way back up via West Old La Honda. We’ll keep a steady B-ride pace on the flat sections and wait for everyone at the top of the climbs so no one gets left behind.

Once we finish the climb, we’ll take Skyline across and then descend via Kings Mountain Road. We will wrap up the day with a well-earned finish at Shake Shack at the Stanford Shopping Center.

Start / End Location

Start at Summit Bicycles, California Ave, end at Shake Shack Stanford Shopping Center

Route

Moody, Page Mill, WOLH, Shake Shack

51 miles / 5,400 ft

Summary

↑ Moody ↑ Page Mill ↓ 84 ↑ West Old La Honda → Skyline ↓ Kings Mountain

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Top of Page Mill

• La Honda Country Market

• Skywood Trading Post

• Bottom of Kings Mountain

• Shake Shack

Ride Leader

Nicolas Delecroix

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

AV-B Ride Feb 21st: Los Gatos to Morgan Hill

AV-Ber’s,

No rain on Saturday?? We’re finally doing it! I’ve been wanting to get us on this ride since December!

Many of you have commented that you want occasional rides to different locations so this Saturday we start from Summit Bikes LOS GATOS. I have kept the ride normal length and short on climbing because I assume a few people might choose to ride to the start. But don’t think that means we won’t get a workout in because after warming up on Kennedy we are headed up Norths Hicks!! We will descent South Hicks and head to McKean. If anyone hasn’t been on McKean, think Cañada but faster! We will take a proper coffee stop at Coffee Guys in Morgan Hill then loop back around to McKean. On the way back we will take Shannon for one last climb BUT… if anyone thinks 4,000 feet isn’t enough there is a 1,000 foot climb less than 1 mile from the bike shop and I will turn with you and climb Aztec Ridge. Hope you like the steeper than steep stuff.

I’m assuming I’m not the only one missing rides this week because of the rain so I’m really looking forward to Saturday! There are also some great small climbs and rollers on this route I know many of you have never ridden and I can’t wait to show you how awesome they are. See everyone in Los Gatos!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader

Kessler

Start / End Location

Start and end at Summit Bicycles

111 E Main Street, Los Gatos, CA

Route File

Link to Strava Map File

60 miles and 4,000 feet

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups

• Mile 3 - Top of Kennedy Regroup

• Mile 10 - Top of Hicks Regroup

• Mile 17 - Rancho San Vicente Water Stop

• Mile 32 - Coffee Guys Stop

• Mile 37 - Top of Willow Springs Regroup

• Mile 47 - Rancho San Vicente Regroup

• Mile 56 - Top of Shannon Regroup

AV-B Ride Feb 14th: Montebello Backwards

AV-Ber’s,

This week we’re tackling the Montebello climb with a less common approach. We’ll start by taking a shortcut to get onto Page Mill and heading up to Altamont for our first regroup. Then we’ll make our way down to Foothill Expressway and head south to McClellan Ranch. From there we’ll traverse through Saratoga “backwards” and take on Pierce/Eden from the south. Then we’ll do a final bit of warmup on Stevens Canyon Road and regroup before climbing Montebello itself. From the top we’ll take the direct route down and back Foothill on the road - although if you know the way and have the tires for the gravel route over Black to Page Mill be my guest!

The current forecast is for temps in the mid 50s no rain expected while we’re out. If the weather changes we’ll adjust as needed.

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader

James R

Start / End Location

Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route File

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53957322

59 miles, 5,088 feet

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Altamont / Black Mountain Rd

• McClellan Ranch Preserve (water, bathroom)

• Saratoga (water)

• Top of Stevens Canyon Road

• Top of Montebello (sometimes water)

AV-B Ride Feb 7th: OLH, Skyline to West Alpine, 84 to WOLH, Cañada

AV-Ber’s,

Last week was so fun! Let’s do it again without the steep climbing, eh?

This week we’ll make a loop up Old La Honda, south on Skyline, down West Alpine, and then back up 84 and West Old La Honda. We’ll regroup after climbing OLH and stay together across Skyline. Doing that should enable us to stay together as one group for most of the ride. There are no steep climbs on the entire route! After a Sky Londa stop we’ll make our way to Cañada for an out and back all the way to Hwy 92 and hit the water temple on the return trip. After that we’ll roll back into town and head to Manresa Bread for some coffee and pastries courtesy of Bicycle Law! Thanks, Bicycle Law!

Forecast looks like low 50’s when we start and low 60’s when we finish. I’m predicting dry roads but Skyline or West Alpine could be damp. Looking forward to seeing everyone again but I promise someone else will lead next week so you don’t get too stale on me/my routes!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader
Kessler

Start / End Location
Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route File
Link to Strava Route File
62 miles and 5,500 feet

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups

• Mile 12 - Top of Old La Honda Regroup

• Mile 18 - West Alpine Road/Page Mill Regroup

• Mile 23 - Pescadero Road Regroup

• Mile 34 - Sky Londa Water Stop

• Mile 49 - Pulgas Water Temple Return Trip Stop

AV-B Ride Jan 31st: Riding in Circles Until it’s Time for Shake Shack

AV-Ber’s,

Can this be right? We haven’t climbed Page Mill all year yet?? Well, we’re going to rectify that on Saturday.

We’ll go up Page Mill and then head south on Skyline for 6 miles before enjoying that sweet, sweet Highway 9 descent. We will turn down Redwood Gulch and ride all of Stevens Creek Canyon, then up and over Mt Eden before weaving our way back to Foothill. We will turn on Monte and head up Altamont and then finish by taking Arastradero to the Portola loop that lines us up perfectly for the sprint to Shake Shack. And let’s be honest I don’t lead the last ride of every month on “accident”. Someone remind me to order a double this week.

It’s looking like temps will be 50 when we start and up to 65 when we finish! Can’t wait to see everyone!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader
Kessler

Start / End Location
Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route File
Link to Strava Route File
60 miles and 5,600 feet

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups

• Mile 12.5 - Page Mill Summit Regroup

• Mile 25 - Stevens Creek Canyon End Regroup

• Mile 29 - Canyon Picnic Area Water Stop

• Mile 37 - Foothill Blvd Regroup

• Mile 45 - Byrne Preserve Regroup

• Mile 51.5 - Portola Road Regroup

AV B-Ride Jan 24, 2026: Carob Bites via Tunitas

Carob Bites via Tunitas

Hi AVB-ers,

Spring is just around the corner and this Saturday we’re heading out to The Bike Hut via Tunitas to procure some carob bites (I mean, to each their own). The legs get plenty of work with climbs big and small, but the star of the show — and our reward — is the beautiful Tunitas Creek Rd climb through the redwoods.

We’ll roll out from Palo Alto and warm up together before hitting our first real test up Kings Mountain Rd. From there we’ll enjoy a fun descent and coastal roads before looping back via Tunitas.

Route Summary

Route: Strava Link

Start / End Location: Summit Bicycles, California Ave, Palo Alto
Distance: ~53 miles
Elevation Gain: ~5,570 ft↑
Start Time: Meet 9:00 AM • Roll 9:10 AM
Regroups: Alpine + Portola • Top of Kings • @ The Bike Hut • Woodside Store (Tripp Rd)

Ride Leader: Kyle M

Queue Sheet

↑ Kings Mountain Rd (from Hwy 84 up to Skyline) — the first big test.
↓ Tunitas Creek Rd — regroup before the descent
→ Coastal connectors toward Lobitos — quick turn off Tunitas Creek onto Lobitos Creek Rd
🏕️ The Bike Hut — legendary cyclist stop for refilling bottles, snacks, and community vibes before the second ascent.
↑ Tunitas again — giant redwoods, peaceful lanes, and a ride through one of Peninsula cycling’s iconic climbs.
↓ Kings Mountain Rd back toward Woodside and home.

What to Expect

↑ Kings Mountain Rd — Long climb with punchy pitches; ride your own pace and regroup at the top.
↓ Coastal jog to Lobitos — A chance to spin the legs, enjoy views, and catch a breather.
↑/↓ Tunitas Creek Rd — The true star of the show: shaded redwoods, peaceful gradients that hide steeper switchbacks, and that quiet forest feel that makes this ride special.
🚴‍♂️ The Bike Hut — This self-serve cyclist hub sits right at the base of Tunitas and is open year-round with water, snacks, picnic space, and a message board for road notes — the perfect little detour to recharge before heading up again. Bring cash or plan to pay w/ Venmo.

AV-B Ride Jan 17: Pescadero Loop

Hi B riders.

The weather this weekend is supposed to be sunny and nice and we haven’t done a classic Pescadero loop in some time! I’ll be riding steady endurance pace, so probably a 28-30min OLH. If the group is interested we can also work on non-strenuous pacelining after the Haskins descent.

Hope to see you there!

Start / End Location

Summit Bicycles, California Ave

Route

Pescadero loop: https://www.strava.com/routes/3375985049198459728

67 miles, 6495 ft

Summary

↑ OLH ↓ 84 ↑ Haskins → Pescadero → Stage ↑ Tunitas ↓ Kings

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Roberts

• Skylonda (water)

• Pescadero (coffee/food, water)

• The Bike Hut (water, bathroom)

• Tripp/bottom of Kings

Ride Leader

Robin Betz

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

AV-B Ride Jan 10: Montebello, Redwood Gulch & Hwy 9

Hi AV-Bers,

This Saturday we are tackling a climbing-heavy route with some local favorites. We will head out and warm up before taking on the long climb up Montebello. After regrouping at the top, we’ll descend back down the way we came (watch your speed and stay in your lane!) and head over to Stevens Canyon.

From there, we’ll take on the steep challenge of Redwood Gulch before connecting to Highway 9 for the climb up to Skyline. After a traverse along the ridge, we’ll enjoy the long descent down Page Mill and cruise back to the start.

It’s a big climbing day with over 6,000 feet of elevation, so bring plenty of food and water. We’ll stick to the standard regroups to keep everyone together.

Start / End Location

Summit Bicycles, California Ave

Route

Montebello and the 9

52 miles, 6,025 feet

Summary

↑ Montebello ↓ Montebello → Stevens Canyon ↑ Redwood Gulch ↑ Hwy 9 → Skyline ↓ Page Mill

Start Time

Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Top of Montebello

• Stevens Canyon Picnic Area (Water)

• Fire Station 21 (Skyline)

• Top of Page Mill

• Bottom of Page Mill / Arastradero

Ride Leader

Nicolas Delecroix

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

AV-B Ride Jan 3: Avoiding the Rain by Staying in Town

AV-Ber’s,

We can do this. Forecast says rain in the hills, but it’s not supposed to come down until 6pm in town. I don’t know about you, but I want to start my 2026 with a group ride! So I will be there even if the forecast changes, and whoever finishes the ride with me gets to enjoy some coffee and pastries from Manresa courtesy of Bicycle Law!

We will be doing a big clockwise loop starting heading south on Foothill and finishing coming back south on Alameda de las Pulgas. The ride will feature a lot of roads we ride regularly, some roads we get to but less frequently, and some short stints on roads I’m guessing will be new to most of us. As of now, the biggest chance for rain will come around noon as we hit the northern tip of the route at Hillsborough. If the clouds are looking doomsdayish we might turn off at Crystal Springs Road, cut 7 miles off the ride, and head back south early.

Of course, dress for wet shoes/legs at the least and bring something in case it does start to come down. Looking forward to the first ride of the year with you all and Manresa absolutely hitting the spot at the end of the day!

P.S. As soon as we get a rain-free Saturday I want to get back to the other side of the mountains we miss so much!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader
Kessler

Start / End Location
Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route File
Link to Strava Route File
62 miles and 5,000 feet

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups

• Mile 14 - Altamont Regroup

• Mile 19 - Minoca Regroup

• Mile 32 - Pulgas Water Temple Stop

• Mile 39 - Chateau Drive Regroup

• Mile 47 - Water Dog Park Regroup

• Mile 50 - Top of the World Bench Regroup

• Mile 60 - Manresa Bread

AV-B Ride Dec. 27th UPDATED: Four Loops Ride

AV-Ber’s,

My sincerest apologies. There was a miscommunication with ride planning and this weekend we will be riding from Summit Bicycles Palo Alto as usual so we can finish the year right… with Shake Shack!!

We will start by going up Westridge since it has definitely been a hot minute since we’ve done that. We’ll cut off at the bottom because I’m selfish and want to ride my favorite little 1-block stretch in Portola, Hidden Valley Ln. Then it’s time for one last OLH for the year. If anyone wants to push up it together or would like a lead out I’d be psyched to help someone go for one last PR of the year or just get a good effort in. Please tell me once the ride starts! We will regroup at Sky Londa before descending the front of 84.

We will meander past Woodside and turn off Cañada at Jefferson to go up the Emeralds the opposite direction we came down them 2 weeks ago. We will do a quick regroup at the top and there are a lot of turns descending these hills so let’s make sure those on the front know them. After that it’s a flat stretch across Edgewood and Alameda before climbing up Ralston. We will regroup at the top and be very cautious regarding traffic (we had a close call turning onto the bike path from here this fall).

After descending the bike path and going over 280 it’s down Cañada again. We will stop at the Water Temple for water but the ride is not over yet! We’ll take Mountain Home to Portola Rd and go around the valley to Alpine for one more climb. No one enjoys Joaquin but we can suffer one more steep one for the year, right? We’ll regroup at the Vista Verde intersection and then descend back and head to Shake Shack!!

Again, the forecast says completely clear of rain so far but I’m sure the roads will still be wet so dress appropriately. Looking forward to one more ride of 2025 with y’all and hearing about your plans for 2026!

Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.

Ride Leader
Kessler

Start / End Location
Start and end at Summit Bicycles, 392 California Street, Palo Alto, CA

Route File
Link to Strava Route File
62 miles and 5,600 feet

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM
Leave: 9:10 AM

Regroups

• Mile 7 - Top of Westridge Regroup

• Mile 16 - Sky Londa Regroup (Water)

• Mile 25 - Top of Emeralds Regroup

• Mile 34 - Top of Ralston Regroup

• Mile 37 - Pulgas Water Temple Stop (Water/Portos)

• Mile 51 - Top of Old Spanish Trail Regroup

• Mile 60 - Shake Shack Stop

AV-B Ride Dec 20: Quantum South Rain Route

Hi AV-Bers,

The forecast calls for rain on Saturday starting around 10am. I’ve prepared a variation of the South Rain Route with some extra climbing options in case the roads are dry and our spirits are high. We will play it by ear and if it gets too wet just stick to the regular rain route. I recommend loading both routes - the route is a quantum superposition of the two until rain and our psyches collapse it.

We’ll try to beat the showers to Rancho to start via Mora Dr. Next choice is to do Voss H2N or skip due to H2O. Then we decide whether to take Stevens Canyon road or cut over via McClellan. If we do go by the reservoir and it stays extra dry, we could throw in a cheeky Montebello to the school (not on the Strava route). After that the route goes through Eden and Pierce and rejoins the regular rain route through Los Gatos then back up Foothill.

Start / End Location
Summit Bicycles, California Ave

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:10 AM

Route

South Rain Route + (Optional) Extras

48 mi 3,012 ft

South Rain Route

46 mi 1,971 ft

Regroups

Rancho or McClellan Ranch depending on route, then TBD after that.

Ride Leader

James R

The AV B Ride is subject to Alto Velo's Ride Rules (read them!).

Non - Members:
Alto Velo welcomes non-members to join us on our rides. However, non-members must have a Waiver on file with the club.

AV-B Ride Dec 13: Moody, Kings & Emerald Hills

Hi AV-Bers,

The mornings are feeling a bit chilly, so we’ll try to warm up by getting into the climbing as soon as possible, starting with Elena Rd and Moody. From there, we’ll do the standard traverse through Portola, climb Kings, and take Skyline to 92 before heading back on Cañada.

To mix things up a bit, we’ll then detour through Emerald Hills (I’ll try not to get everyone lost, but it probably pays to download the route for this one) before heading back to Palo Alto.

Hope to see you there!

Start / End Location
Summit Bicycles, California Ave

Route
Moody, Kings & Emerald Hills
58 miles, 5,500 feet

Summary
↑ Elena / Black Mountain ↑ Moody → Portola ↑ Kings → Skyline ↓ 92 → Cañada ↑↓ Edgewood ↑↓ Emerald Hills

Start Time
Meet: 9 AM, leave: 9:12 AM

Regroups

• Black Mountain Rd & Altamont

• Bottom of Page Mill

• Top of Kings

• Pulgas Water Temple

• Cañada Rd after Emerald Hills

• Sand Hill & Sharon Park Dr

Ride Leader
Louise

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Non-members are always welcome, but please complete the waiver once a year.

Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the ride rules as well.