So, it's the weekend after the Pt. Reyes run, and not coincidentally, my 49th birthday. Racer X and Yo-Yo decided to take me for a convivial tour of Marin a la the road bikes. Thus, a return to Pt. Reyes on two wheels this time. And Wow! what a ride.
Somehow, we hit the most perfect day of the spring. Not only were the hills an Irish green filled with wildflowers, but not a cloud, no marine layer, nada, along the coast.
We launched from San Anselmo at 0800 and picked up the bike route towards Olema. Coming up on many other bikers we learned the "toe tap" stop; a learned behavior due to law enforcement actions at the numerous (and somewhat trivial) stop signed intersections. The ride towards Olema was gorgeous, but we missed out turn and found ourselves weaving amongst the pot-holed, patchworked tarmac that wound it's way--shoulderless--through Samuel P. Taylor park. Fortunately, we were spared the anxiety of cars as we seemed to have timed our route perfectly from a traffic perspective. I did recognize the look of anxiousness in two other riders headed up Sir Frances Drake Drive reflected my own.
Reaching the coastal highway we turned south and rolled along towards Stenson Beach and Bolinas with no traffic in sight and only the occasional bike. Where are the people!?
Pausing at the beach, we learned from two other bike riders of alternative routes back to our car, now firmly halfway or 27 miles from our current location. We opted for the more scenic yet lung extracting climb up Panoramic Drive to the top of Mt. Tamalpais slowly overtaking one rider who incorrectly told us we were 1 mile from the top. Three miles and 14 cardiac edemas later we reached the fork that would climb us up even more along Mt. Tam. I will testify that this climb from Stenson to the Mt. Tam ridge is long and hard but worth every bead of sweat that clings to your nose or stings your eye. The sites of the ocean, Stinson below us, and Bolinas and Pt Reyes to the north or the view west towards the Farralon Islands, or the southern expanse of the Golden Gate, the San Francisco skyline and Bay were worth it. I wish that pain on any rider!
From Mt. Tam, we dropped down through towering redwoods towards Alpine Lake and climbed again towards Fairfax. We had been advised that "Gestauhlt Hause" for beer and brats was the bike riders destination. Man! were the right!! I highly recommend that any ride end here (I'd recommend start here too, but it makes for tougher riding.) While we stood out as roadies in a mud splattered crowd of mud riders, we soon became cyclo-bros despite our lycra with a group that had just returned from riding singletrack. After having displayed our fat-tire cred, we were warmly welcomed though the many rounds of beers didn't hurt. Soon we were trading ride suggestions, comparing bikes, and dissing and dishing dirt to tear-filled laughter.
Put this ride in your bucket list...the start, the middle, and the end were perfect. Lunch: $6.00. Beer: $20. Views and time with mates: Priceless
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