Ride name: 2026 #8 Feather Pedals Conditioning Ride
Distance: 45.4 miles
Elevation: 3106 ft
Rating: 2/3 L
Number of regroups:
No Drop: Y
Start Time: 9:00 a.m.
Start/End Location: Mike's Bikes 6754 Bernal Ave, Pleasanton
Ride Host Name: Rebecca Wood
Ride Host Contact: 925-577-3842
Coffee Stop: Sunol's Corner Little Store 37.2 miles
SAG Support: TBD
Ride Details: This is the 8th of 12 Feather Pedals Conditioning Rides in the Cinderella Series.
This is one of my favorite rides in the Bay Area. It is smooth road covered by large oaks with many scenic vistas. This week's ride takes us down Foothill Rd. to Tyler Ranch for a bathroom stop. Then we go through Sunol to climb up Calaveras. It is a gradual climb to the "false" summit. You can choose to turn around here for a 30 mile ride. If you continue to the county line and the top of the Wall, you will be rewarded by glorious views of Calaveras Reservoir. On the way back, we will regroup at the False Summit and then descend and regroup again at the Sunol Corner Little Store which has a portapotty and drinks and food. Then we will turn onto Pleasanton Sunol Rd. to Verona to Foothill and back to Bernal and Mike's Bikes.
We will break into A - 15+ mph average B- 13-15 mpg average and C - New group riders and less than 13 mph.
History Nugget:
You will be riding in historic railroad country. In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was completed when the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific tracks were connected at Promontory Summit in Utah. The route ran from Omaha to Sacramento, yet it did not reach the San Francisco Bay and, hence, Pacific Ocean shipping. Within six months a rail line was opened running from the Bay through Niles canyon, Sunol, Pleasanton, the Livermore Valley, and up north to Sacramento. Adding this track section linked the continent by rail from to sea to shining sea. When you see the years ~1869 in our region it is likely due to the influence of the transcontinental railroad. - Randy Simpson
Disclaimer: All participants must register online on the VSBC website or via the Wild Apricot app in order to participate in this ride. You do not need to be a VSBC member to participate, but we expect that you will become a member if you ride with us more than 3 times during a calendar year.
Link to Ride with GPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45763909
