Trail: THE LARKSPUR CONNECTION

Posted on November 7, 2011 by weliketobike

Connecting to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal is one of the easiest ways to return to San Francisco from a ride in Marin County. The route takes you from the end of the Marin Crossroads, through one of our favorite short descents we call “The Chase Scene,” through the town of Larkspur and back along another multi-use path to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.

Distance from San Francisco Ferry Building (see Golden Gateway Trail): 22.65 miles; Distance from Marin Crossroads: 8.22 miles; Distance from Sausalito: 12.24 miles

Elevation Gain on trail: 305 feet

Difficulty: It’s not about the road, it’s about the destination. With a mix of on-road riding and multi-use paths, this rolling eight miles runs from the end of the Marin Crossroads to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and is a short, but fun adventure.

Download your route sheet here: Directions – Larkspur Connection

The path to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal begins at the end of the Marin Crossroads.

At the light, cross East Blithedale Ave. and continue down the path along Route 5 until you reach the the first paved intersection, and make a right and continue to follow Route 5 down the path.

Continue along Lomita Drive past the hill where the local horses graze.

Lomita Drive turns left up a hill to the path that follows along US-101.

Keep to the left and follow Route 5 to Meadowsweet Drive.

Continue along Meadowsweet Drive as you cruise downhill.

At the “Y” in the road at the bottom of the hill, veer left and continue along Meadowsweet Drive.

At the next intersection, make a right toward the stop light, continuing along Route 5.

Continue through the light along Madera Boulevard.

Follow Madera Boulevard until you reach the stoplight at Womum Drive.

Just before Womum Drive, merge onto the sidewalk to cross Madera Boulevard at the crosswalk.

Follow Route 16 along the Larkspur Bike Path until it ends at Montecito Drive.

An alternate to the Route 16 bike path is to take the path to the right after the bridge, Route 18, and follow Lucky Drive to the bridge over the channel as seen in The Sharks Fin.

Turn left at Montecito Drive, then make a right at the stop sign onto Tamalpias Drive.

Make another quick right at the light on to Magnolia Avenue and Route 15.

Follow Magnolia Avenue, Route 15 towards Ross, through downtown Larkspur.

Go through the light at the bottom of he hill and stay towards the center of the lane at the next light staying in the bike lane.

After the light, hop up on to the path on your right.

Follow the path until you reach Bon Air Road. Once you reach Bon Air Road, this is the point where you would continue along Magnolia Avenue to reach San Anselmo, Fairfax and beyond.

Take a right on Bon Air Road, follow it over the bridge and make a right onto South Eliseo Drive.

Follow South Eliseo Drive, Route 20, just over a mile, up the hill and down to the bike path along the channel.

Follow the bike path until you reach the bridge…

Keep following Route 20 toward the Larkspur Ferry as it winds under the overpass and over the wooden bridge.

Then follow the path next to Sir Frances Drake Boulevard all the way to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.

Make a right just before the parking lot entrance.

Once you reach the Larkspur Ferry Terminal your journey is complete. Check the ferry schedule for times, but most of the ferries go directly to the San Francisco Ferry Building, except for the 5:30 p.m. ferry on weekends which stops in Sausailto first. If you are going to take this ferry, make sure to check out The Hat Trick to protect your bike from the heavy comfort bikes of the tourists.

Whether your goal is to have another way of getting back to San Francisco from deeper into Marin, or you just don’t feel like riding back to the city after cycling Paradise Loop, the Larkspur Ferry Terminal adds another option for your return home.

Tips & Tricks: Get the Most Out of Your Bike – Get it Fit!

Posted on October 17, 2011 by weliketobike

Getting the most out of you bike requires a lot of work and effort. Part of that work is performing regular maintenance of your bike like lubing the chain, checking and pumping the tires, washing the bike and having your favorite mechanic check the bike once or twice a year.

Beyond your regular tuning, the best thing you can do to get the most out of your bike and to help prevent injury due to bad form is to get your bike properly fit. A bike fitting is more than just setting your seatpost at the right height, it’s about putting your bike in the correct place for you to get the most efficiency out of each peddle stroke, alleviate any muscle soreness you are experiencing and help to prevent future injury. While bike fittings are important for all types of riders, road bikers benefit the most from a professional fitting.

Photo Credit: Velodramatic

Riders for top teams like HTC-Highroad, Saxo-Bank and Garmin-Cervelo have their bikes professionally fit by the manufacturers (Specialized using BG Fit for the first two, Cervelo for the latter) for not only power, efficiency and injury prevention, but also for aerodynamics on the time trial bikes.

Photo Credit: Velodramatic

For those of us not-so-professional riders, the best person to fit your bike is someone trained in the science of bike fitting and skilled in the art.

The many aspects of a true bike fitting include: type of bike (pure racer, endurance, touring or aero), frame size (including top tube length, seat tube height and stand over height), bar width, drop length, stem length, stem angle, bar angle, gear lever placement, type of seat, seat post height, seat position (fore and aft), foot position at mid-stroke and knee angle at the bottom of the peddle stroke. A skilled bike fitter can make all of these angles and interactions not only work for you, but make each peddle stroke more efficient, more powerful and more comfortable for the rider.

When you get your first road bike, you may be uncomfortable with the typical 45 degree angle position, especially if you just transitioned from a hybrid or mountain bike. So the fit of your bike can change depending on your comfort level with a road bike and your skill level. You will notice changes in the seat post height or stem length immediately after they are changed. But as you progress in your riding you will appreciate the subtle changes like fore and aft positioning of the seat and handle bar angle just as much.

Both of us have had our bikes since we began road biking just over a year ago. Miko’s initial bike fitting was designed to make her comfortable in her transition from a hybrid to a road bike. Her seat post was a bit lower, her stem was angled up and the seat was closer to the stem. The design of her endurance road bike allowed it to take on the hybridesq fitting, while still giving her the road bike experience. This was the right fit for her at the time.

After over a year of riding and minor adjustments to her seat height, Miko was ready for an updated fitting. We took Ruby into A Bicycle Odyssey to have Tony perform an updated fitting. He took her measurements on the bike and checked the handlebar width. He started with adjustments to the seat post height, flipped the stem changing it from an upward angle to almost flat, ensured her handle bars and hoods were positioned such that her back made a 45 degree angle with her bike in the hoods and her elbows slightly bent, while ensuring he back was almost flat in the drops.

The positioning change made the saddle uncomfortable, so after trying a few different saddles, a new one that matched her positioned was installed. The seat position from the stem was adjusted to reduce chafing in this new position. Finally, all of the angles were one again checked to ensure maximum efficiency. During the first ride she commented she felt she owned a new bicycle.

Jon purchased his first road bike from A Bicycle Odyssey. Part of the purchase price includes a fit by Tony. Transitioning directly from a hybrid bike is a huge change in position, control and speed. On his test ride, the bike felt like a great fit, except for the reach, which was a bit long. During Jon’s fit, Tony swapped the stem with one 10mm shorter. He then continued with a full fitting of the bike as described above. The Result: an amazing and efficient ride that allows Jon to ride long distances without pain, or go for short, hard rides without his back and knees paying the price the next day. When Jon got his second road bike, he made sure to also have a fit done.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cyclist, a good fitting can help you improve your cycling, help reduce pain you experience while cycling and make riding a more enjoyable experience.

Golden Gate Bridge West Side Reopened!

Posted on September 24, 2011 by weliketobike

Jon and Miko Like Totally Pause Near Fort Point

On September 10, 2011 the West Side of the Golden Gate Bridge reopened to bicyclists. The West Side of the bridge will now be open 24/7 until seismic renovations are completed on the East Side of the Bridge. However, there are some restrictions on bikers during the week in the construction zone where the repainting is occuring. See the release for full details.

The East Side of the Bridge has limited access until mid-January 2012

As of September 12, 2011 pedestrians are unable to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Presently, pedestrians entering from Vista Point in Marin County are limited to the area immediately surrounding Vista Point and a 700 foot section of the Bridge. The renovations will be at the north anchor-housing and will last through mid-January 2012. Visitors from the San Francisco side of the Bridge are able to walk past the second tower, but must turn around at that point.

BIKES ONLY on the West Side! NO Pedestrians, Joggers, Rollerbladers or Skateboarders!

This effectively means that pedestrians, joggers, skateboarders and everyone else, EXCEPT bicyclists WILL NOT be able to cross the Bridge until it reopens in mid-January 2012. If you are a jogger and feel you should be able to run on the bike side of the bridge, DON’T! Bridge Police will be out and cite pedestrians trying to cross on the West Side of the Bridge. So if you want to walk to Sausalito, you will have to park in Marin County to do so.

Although tempting, pedestrians are not to ender the West Side of the Bridge

Bicyclists, you can now rejoice in the fact we can once again ride across the bridge without dealing with pedestrians. So don’t be bike douches, just slow down around the towers and in the construction zone because we all paused for pictures on the Golden Gate Bridge at one point in time and may do so once again.

Miko pauses for a picture at the south tower on the West Side

Tour de Tahoe 2011 Recap

Posted on September 17, 2011 by weliketobike

Miko & Jon at the Finish Line -- 5 hours, 5 minutes, 20 seconds!

The Tour de Tahoe was a tough, yet beautiful ride that took you from Stateline, Nevada up the switchbacks along Route 89, through Tahoe City, Incline Village and back down the steep descent along Route 50 back into Stateline. See our pictures of the event below. This ride was very challenging with almost 4,300 feet of elevation gain. If you are up for a challenge, this is the ride to do!