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| Date | Miles | Route | Riders | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/1999 | 38 | Irish Hill - Plymouth - Irish Hill | Karen, John R | The last ride of the 1900s. JR & KB, the only ones who were off work, well enough, and not on vacation, planned this ride just right to save energy for celebrating and riding all weekend to begin the new century with a bang. Not that this was a whimper--John rode just enough to tie me for the Erma lead. It's been more than a pleasure all year in too many ways to name. Let's do more of the same in 2000. (EH) |
| 12/29/1999 | 45*, 62 | Irish Hill - Plymouth - Fiddletown - Mt Aukum - Sheandoah - Plymouth | David Dye, John R, Ed* | For those riders who had to work or had too many "honey do's", you missed a great day to ride - for that matter, any day without rain is a perfect day to be on the bike! In Ione, despite starting around 9, the weather was quite cool, but conditions improved considerably as the ride progressed. Only 3 riders, Ed, "The Don" and a new rider with Erma's by the name of Dave Dye of French Camp rode. Thanks for coming out and riding, Dave, and hopefully you'll join us again soon. Ed rode almost to Fiddletown before turning around because of feeling a little "under the weather." Fortunately he rested and got some nourishment as soon as he got home and reports he'll be riding this weekend. Dave and I pushed on to Mt. Aukum, "fueled up" and headed back enjoying some good downhills and a quicker pace . . . with Dave doing some serious pulls!! Passing through Plymouth, and riding by the section where Barbara had her accident, was an uneasy feeling. We miss you, Barbara, and look forward to riding with you soon! The weather is going to be just fine for getting in some miles for a good start to the 2000 season, so hope to see a lot of you this weekend! (JR) |
| 12/26/1999 | 63 | Sutter Creek - Volcano - Pioneer - Irish Town - Clinton - Stoney Creek - Jackson Valley | Joel, Gerry, John S, Al, Steve H, Ed | A small but strong group of riders met at 9 AM with the goal of riding 50+ miles. We missed several riders who were still enjoying X-mas with their families. The day was perfect for riding. There was a chill in the air but the sun was out in full force. We warmed up on Sutter-Ione and made a pit stop for caffeine and carbs for the climb to Volcano. Ed referred to the climb to Volcano as the "ice box," so we all donned our jackets and powered up the hill. The road was slippery in some parts so we had to stay on the saddle to keep traction. We regrouped at Volcano and decided to head up Pioneer for a short ride to Pine Grove. Ed took the lead at Irish Town (making sure to stop at the stop sign to let the cop through) and led us to Jackson where we made another pit stop at the health food store. After loading up on fuel, we tackled Stoney Creek. Once again, Ed took the lead and flew down the road to Pardee. Gerry tried to trade his bike for a hog at Buena Vista but opted to finish out the ride on his Specialized. We cruised the remainder of the ride at a relaxed pace with the odometer reading a metric century by the time we reached the parking lot. (JT) |
| 12/25/1999 | 48 | Ione - Daffodil Hill - Ione | Ed | One of my Christmas presents was riding Sutter-Ione Road while it was closed to all traffic but me. Not a single car as I rode to Sutter Creek. Of course, there was no coffee either. But I met Richard from Lodi there, and we rode to Volcano together. He set such a pace that I barely hung on. I did not even try to hang on up Rams Horn, so that was the last I saw of him. In Sutter Creek, I came upon Joyce out for a short ride. We made tentative arrangements for a birthday get-together in Sutter Creek for Chrissie on Thursday. Then I rode back to an empty Ione—except for the pharmacist, who needed batteries for some new toy, so he was raiding his own store. And then to Christmas dinner—with a feeling of having earned it. (EH) |
| 12/22/1999 | 34, 24* | Ione - Sutter Creek, plus Irish Hill | Ed, Ken*, Jerry* | This was the solstice moonlight ride originally organized by Barbara. We all finished the ride grateful that she thought of it. For full report, see http://ermasdiner.com/reports/moonlight122299.html |
| 12/19/1999 | 63, 47*, 40** | Plymouth, Monteviña, Mt Aukum | Barbara, John R, Larry H, Ray, Victor, Chuck, Ed*, Dave & Cynthia Neff (tandem)*, Cheryl**, Ken**, Karen**, Steve** | A good sociable ride turned into a scary one when Barbara crashed coming down out of Plymouth. She destroyed her helmet (according to the sheriff officers, saving her head and probably life), was unconscious for a while, but lucid and moving OK before being life-flighted to UCD Med Center. As of early Sunday evening, she is still in the ER, but internal injuries are ruled out. She will be admitted, and I'll email details to the Erma email list. (EH) |
| 12/18/1999 | 20*, 47 | Usual Saturday route (deviants' version) | Dave B*, Steve, Ray, Victor, John S, Barbara | The Don didn't show up, and neither did Ed, so those of us who did had to take matters into our own hands. Given the option of picking any route we wanted, we exercised it by choosing The Usual Saturday Ride, with a promise to ourselves that we'd take a LONG break at the coffee house in Sutter Creek and maybe even drink from REAL CUPS. Victor showed no signs of last week's up-close-and-personal encounter with Ostrom Rd., but his bike did, and he spent some time getting it to behave, but we made it to SC in usual fashion. Steve's wife, Bernice, met us for coffee; unfortunately, so did the Jazzercise class, which was 'putting it' all over the coffee house. We had to sit outside. Dave's knees had been protesting earlier in the week, so he decided to turn back there. Steve and I decided we'd ride just to Volcano, then turn around and head back. He and I rode together all the way up the Volcano Road (ask him sometime about his brother the criminal defense attorney), the rest first behind, then ahead. I was hungry by the time we reached Volcano, so I ordered a sandwich from the deli, and by the time I got back outside Ray was dangling the notion of riding Charleston in front of us. 'Let's all do it,' he said. 'It'll be the first time EVERYONE on a ride will do it together.' Steve looked at me. I looked at Steve. We both looked at Ray, Victor, and John. They looked back. I gave Steve the other half of my sandwich and said, 'Why not?' So we did. And we all made it: Ray in 19 minutes, me in 27, the rest somewhere in between. Congratulations to Steve on his maiden assault on that formidable piece of pavement. You may now refer to the five of us as Team Charleston. (This is what happens when JR stays home.) Down Shake Ridge (day getting colder), back into and nearly out of Sutter Creek when Victor got a flat, and after that we stuck together pretty much all the way back into Ione. Funny how most of the hills seem kinda puny after Charleston. Having concluded that it's a mathematical impossibility for me to catch him before the end of the year, Ray feels confident he'll hold onto his No. 9 spot in the Erma's mileage sweepstakes. Little does he know I'm planning to put an Erma's ride on the calendar EVERY DAY between now and Dec. 31 (but I still have to pass Chrissie, too). (BA) |
| 12/12/1999 | 70, 50* | Irish Hill, Plymouth, Mt Aukum, Fiddletown, Ostrom, Plymouth, Irish Hill | John R, John H*, Dave B, Dave N, Larry H, Jerry, Jim, Ed, Cheryl*, Barbara, Ray, Victor, Bob D*, Peter*, Chuck | Hey, John Hambright, you'll have to share your curve with Victor now. The old Hambright Curve on Ostrom Road will now be known as the Hambright-Duspiva Curve. Victor crashed there today too. It was his way of making The Don feel even better on his birthday. It was also Victor’s way of getting everyone to wait for me to catch up since I'd stopped just before that to wrestle some nutrition out of my overstuffed jersey pocket. When I got there, Victor was on his feet, so the jokes started about how Victor and I could not make up one full set of cycling gear with no holes or patches. I was wearing my patched tights, held together by safety pins. Underneath were my holey leg warmers, and in my pocket was my stitched up Erma's jacket from my February crash. After everyone got that comparison out of their systems and Victor's bike straightened out, we continued the ride back down into the Shenandoah area on our way back to the Irish Hill Road Race. Oh, yeah, but about four hours before that, we started in the Ione parking lot, where most Erma's riders responded to the Christmas appeal for the needy and brought helmets and shoes to throw into Chuck's trunk so that he will never be without again and not be able to ride. We have photos of him in the helmet he liked best--an offering from Larry Crawley’s son (I think). it apparently has seen better times in hockey games or skateboarding or something. Look for the photos in the future. There was a large turnout for The Don's much-delayed birthday celebration. John Hambright made an appearance despite a cold. Peter and Bob must have stayed up all night to be at such an early start. And Cheryl almost made it on time. Now that I think about it, those were the four people who turned back at Shenandoah (must have smelled the wine being made). Cheryl did come back for the party with goodies (and "almost" brought coffee). The rest of us continued up Steiner to Mt. Aukum and then over to Fiddletown on Lawrence Rd. After we finished it, John (whose idea it was) said he was surprised that there were no flats or bent frames. Some people have weird ideas of fun on their birthdays. From Fiddletown, we should have taken my suggestion and gone straight back to Plymouth--at least Victor should have. Anyway, he will have some reminders of this ride on his birthday tomorrow--in the form of road rash and bruises from his crash. He will also have a list of shorts and leg warmers and other gear newly added to his Christmas wish list. Over Shenandoah School, Dave did the big pull, taking us back to the highway. Leaving Plymouth, everyone started smelling birthday cake, especially Ray. He pulled everyone to Latrobe. After regathering at Irish Hill, the road race started, with Dave and Ray pushing each other til the end, with me sitting on any wheel I could hold on to for as long as possible. Everyone ended together. Cheryl pulled in just in time, and the party was on. The Don got lots of great stuff, including a pink basket full of dog treats for the front of his bike, a gorgeous Rex shirt, and Bob Dahlquist's (www.bobshaus.com) beautiful new "Farmer's Tan" jersey, which includes "Erma's Diner" in its design. We got lots of photos of everyone in birthday tiaras, courtesy of Babs. Yet another beautiful day in the Gold Country. (EH) |
| 12/11/1999 | 50 | standard Sat route (almost) | Ed, Gene, John R | It was cold but not bad, especially starting at 9am. But we knew that we had to prepare for Refrigerator Road (Sutter Creek Rd), so we took our warm clothes for that if nothing else. Gene had some bad gas station cappuccino and wasn't feeling peppy, so it was up to John and me to push each other most of the way, which we did pretty successfully. We climbed Gopher Flat instead of the creek road to Pine Gulch. In Volcano, we ran into bagpipers and civil war soldiers firing a canon. Gene and I stopped and talked to the members of Cailin Rua, a Celtic band from Stockton/Modesto. Then chased after The Don up Rams Horn. He thought we were climbing Charleston, so he was waiting down at the junction. I did a JR and didn't fill my bottles all the way in Volcano, so we did a short water stop in Sutter Creek and then blasted back to Ione. (EH) |
| 12/5/1999 | 64 | Ione to Fiddletown to Mt. Aukum | Dave B, Ray, Chuck, John S, Karen, John R | Too bad there weren't more Erma Riders in the peloton on Sunday to enjoy a perfect day for riding. Even though we started an hour earlier than on Saturday, it was somewhat warmer.The ride started off perfectly .... mainly because Chuck didn't forget to bring his biking gear like he did on Saturday. His misfortune on that day was a "Colnago Plot" since he showed up with the Davidson!! Sure was good to have Dave B. back on the Sunday schedule .He was favoring a sore knee and wasn't quite sure if he would be able to ride after trying to do his Michael Jordan imitation on Sat.... Ask him about his "court experience".... WARNING: it hurts to listen to the details! All in all it was a great day and thanks to all for making the day so rewarding. (JR) |
| 12/4/1999 | 51, 20*, 1** | Standard Sat route | Gene*, Fred, Ray, Victor, John R, Barbara, Karen, Ed, Chuck** (who forgot his shoes), Bob (Fred's friend), Steve | Today's ride had a very interesting flow to it. The day started in Concord were it was cold but not a cloud in the sky, then over the hill to Antioch to pick up a friend of mine, Bob, who I had talked into coming so that he could enjoy the beautiful country that you guys get to enjoy every week. By the time I reached Bob's house I was buried in a fog bank with a visibility of about 100 feet. We loaded the truck and off to Ione. On the way, we were stuck behind a truck that was stuck behind a Mercedes moving along like a snail. At this point I knew we were not going to make the ride. But as it would turn out in Lodi we were back to speed and would just make it. By the time we got to Ione it was 8:45 and not a soul was there [ride start time was 9:00 --Ed]. I figured I would ride alone with Bob, then you all showed up to make this one of the largest Saturday rides I have seen with the Erma's crowd. At about 8:55 Chuck rolled in and I noticed him reaching under his seat. It looked like he was stuffing something under the seat. He then jumped out of his vehicle and proclaimed, "Can anyone loan me a helmet or shoes looks like I left them at home." I did not want to ask him if he had stuffed them under the seat so he would not have to ride with this group. (Just kidding Chuck.) We are giving him 1 mile for showing--let's just call it a sympathy mile. We rolled out at about 9:15 and headed straight for the hills. My assignment for the day was to keep an eye on Bob to make sure he was all right. He has not done any hill miles in a while and has just been off the bike for a while. By the time we had gone 7 miles toward Sutter Creek he pulled over and apologized. He told me to go on, he said that his legs had locked up and it would be a bad thing for him to climb anymore today. I handed him the keys to the truck and we separated, now I had to put the metal down to chase you guys down. So I pushed hard for the next three miles and only got to a point where I could watch you descend into Sutter Creek. When I arrived everybody wanted to know where Bob had gone and I said, "I sent him back to the truck as he was having trouble on the hills." Then Ed chimed in, "Did everybody hear that: either you better all ride hard today or Fred will send you back to the start." We then rolled out from the rest stop and Karen and John started picking up the pace. Then Karen dropped back and I moved up to John's wheel. After John had set a pace and had done a nice pull, I ended up at the front. I just continued the same pace figuring that everybody was okay with the pace. About 2 miles up the road I tried to look over my shoulder to see if everybody was still there, and a voice from the group said, "You’re doing great; keep up the pace." So rather than break my neck again I just shifted down and kept the pace at a steady effort. (Explanation from a pacer) When I set a pace or hold a pace it is not the speed that I concentrate on instead it is the force that my legs are putting out, so if the force increases noticeably then I back off slowly and if the force decreases I increase my speed to compensate and keep the force as constant as is possible, which to some will egg on an attack or surge when the speed slows down, while climbing a steeper grade, as it did about 9 miles up the road from Sutter Creek. When the others, that had been behind me to that point, passed me pushing the speed I just continued at my steady tempo and watched them disappear on the horizon. As we came up the canyon today there were a few patches of frost on the road and the water was flowing so nicely over the rocks the colors were full with the fall Reds, Yellows, Browns,and still the winter greens filling the hillsides of the canyon. My thoughts as we cruised up the canyon were that we truly are blessed to be able to enjoy such wonders and health. I arrived in Volcano shortly after the others and turned back as I like to go back to the back of the group to make sure nobody got a flat or are left riding alone, how ever riding on this road alone is a blessing unto itself as you can take the time to look around and enjoy it rather than worry about running up some one else's wheel. It is so peaceful and tranquil. In Volcano the conversation soon turned to yeh wells, such as Barbara is going to ride up that Charlston and she said she would leave Victor and Ray behind, drop them like a rock, then Ray made some comment about Victor and Victor made a comment about Ed being more than twice his age, so the challenges went out. We rolled out, and Karen and Barbara headed up the Charleston and drew in Ray and Victor, this then suckered me in, while the rest headed up Rams Horn. Then in a wink of an eye the women turned around and headed for Rams Horn but the guys were committed. In front of me I had two people that have attached levels to their handle bars just for a moment like this. First Victor says 12%, then a little further Ray says, 16%, then Victor, 18% and then Ray said, 21% then I said, "I will see you guys at the top," as I turned around and went back and climbed Rams Horn. I was unfortunately too loud as I approached Karen and Barbara as I think if I had been a bit more stealth-like I could have gotten some juicy bits of information on some people but instead I got yelled at as they said, "Do not sneak up on us as we could have been talking about people even you." We got to the top and did our ritual descent into Sutter Creek and again back to Ione, nothing new there except that Ed had paid his friends to keep calling this cell phone he was hiding in his clothing so he would have an excuse to stop and answer it now and again; however each time they called it was just before a big climb that meant that he had to chase the group up hill, which he did rather painlessly. It was a fun ride thanks to all of you, it made it fun to have so many out today. PS I think we should get sympathy pins for those that make it up that Charleston grade, I admire their effort but worry about their sanity. (Frederick) |
| 11/28/1999 | 69*, 50**, ?? | Stoney Creek, Butte Mtn, Jackson Gate, Sutter Creek + Willow Creek, Irish Hill (longer option) | John R*, Ray*, Dave N**, Larry H*, Karen*, Barbara*, Ed*, John S**, Al**, Ken**, Pat J | A foggy beginning to the day here in Davis, but by the time I reached Ione I'd left the fog behind. The air was chilly, though, and there was the usual dilemma of what to wear, what to leave behind, what can I wear and then strip off and be happy carrying in a jersey pocket for the rest of the ride? Decisions in the group ranged from warmers-only to full regalia--booties, full gloves, balaclavas, and who knows what. A lot of it got removed before the climb up Stoney Creek and after we'd had a chance to warm up and debrief on everyone's Thanksgiving. Pat did a U-turn just before we got into Jackson and headed back, and the rest of us stopped at Cheryl's store for water, some food, a little rest and a very short visit before it was on to Butte Mtn--a new road for me, which made it tough when I fell off the back on the climb and had to figure out which way to go when I got to that good ol' fork in the road. Luckily, Ken was behind ME (an oddity, for sure), so I waited for him to catch up and head us in the right direction--up, naturally. It must have been a wowie-zowie road race back into Jackson (you'll have to ask someone else about it). Ken and I passed John S., only because he was stopped and fixing a flat, and then--surprise!--here came everybody back UP the hill. I thought maybe I'd misheard the route, but they'd come back to see what happened to John. Then it was on to Sutter Creek and a welcome jolt of caffeine, courtesy of a double cappucino, which perked me right up and pushed me back over the Sutter-Ione Rd, where Dave, John S., Ken, Ray and Al decided they'd had enough and went on back into Ione, and JR, Karen, Larry, Ed and I went on to do Willow Creek and Irish Hill before heading home. And except for the jacket and glove liners, I kept all my clothes on and was glad of the tights. I think Indian summer is over. (BA) |
| 11/27/1999 | 54 | standard + Lockwood | John B | Is it really an Erma ride if no one is there? I guess I was the only guy to show up. I saw no other cars and no other riders? Hmmm... At any rate I rode up to Sutter Creek, Volcano, continued up to Lockwood Junction (I just wanted to see that scenery since I hadn't seen it in awhile), came back down to Daffodil Hill, shot down Shake Ridge to Sutter Creek and back home to Ione. Total was 54 mi. You still need a report? [That IS the report, John.] (JB) |
| 11/21/1999 | 45 | Sutter Creek-Sutter Hill-Ridge Rd.-New York Ranch Rd.-Jackson-Middle Bar-Gwin Mine Rd.-Paloma Rd.-Campo Seco-Pardee Dam-Buena Vista-Ione | John S, Victor, Ray | As the three of us sat in the parking lot waiting for anyone else to show, waiting for someone to point the way for today's ride(really just seeing who'd crack first and suggest we just go home), we welcomed John back, and talked about his 2 1/2 month fishing break, and my new experience with running -it sucked! With no one to guide us, and having to decide our own fate for the day, we three amigos decided for an "easy ride" (no really!) to the Coffee Shop in Sutter Creek to sort it all out since this was John's first ride back, and my legs were sore from yesterday's Turkey Trot in Davis. After a mocha, and a couple of lattes, we still had no clue. So we looked heavenward for guidance, literally. With big bad dark clouds looming over Shake Ridge, frigid temperatures on the Sutter-Volcano Rd., and blue skies over Jackson, the choice wasn't that hard. While on Ridge Rd., the rain started to fall. Too bad! New York Ranch Rd. would have been a really fun descent had the road been dry. After drying out in the warm sun in Jackson, John suggested a change of scenery. Instead of the regular climb out of Jackson, and down Stoney Creek, we headed for the unknown- Middlebar Rd. Apart from all the potholes, gravel, and the generally bumpy ride, the scenery down to the bridge was pretty nice. At least there were no cars. The climb out on Gwin Mine Rd., over more bumpy pavement was challenging, but we all made it. We knew we were somewhere near Calaveras County by all the pick-ups with dual exhausts. Headwinds and crosswinds on Paloma Rd., Campo Seco Rd., and the climb up to Pardee. More of the same to Buena Vista. Having had our fill of howling winds, we opted for the direct route to Ione from Buena Vista. Despite the rain and wind, it turned out to be a pretty good ride. (RC) |
| 11/20/1999 | n/a | n/a | n/a | no ride |
| 11/14/1999 | 41, 62* | Pardee - Campo Seco loop via Camanche | Ray, Barbara*, Amy Rafferty (Davis)*, John R, Cheryl, Karen, Ed, Chuck | This was a "where are we, again?" ride for me, as I'd done only parts of it before, and those were done in the opposite direction. I brought Amy along (she of PBP fame), so she and I explored it together. Since Cheryl had only a couple of hours to ride, the route was chosen to make sure she didn't have to return to Ione on her own and with the intention of the rest of the group going on to Plymouth after circling back to Ione. Didn't happen; most everyone was tired from hard riding earlier in the week (Ed making it four days in a row--is that an Erma's record?). The addition of Amy ensured that Erma's Diner was Title IX compliant, and the women led the way out of town, the men hanging back and doing that bonding thing or whatever it is they do back there. Rode up Stoney Creek, over the dam, up and down some more (I have no idea where or in what order we did any of this). Ray, Ed and Chuck teamed up to get Cheryl back to Ione by 10:30 (did they make it? I don't know); Karen, John, Amy and I toddled in later to find Cheryl and Chuck gone and Ed and Ray with their bikes packed up and ready to head home. JR and Karen followed suit, but I wanted to get more miles in (last chance before Death Valley next weekend), AND I wanted to take Amy on one of my Erma's favorites, the Sutter-Ione Rd. Amy was amenable, so she and I headed for Sutter Creek under clouding-up skies, taking it easy, talking and enjoying the sweet country road. Had lunch at the Coffee Works and headed back, spotting John Burge on his way up as we were going down. Amy had a good time and wants to come back. (BA) |
| 11/13/1999 | 50 | Standard Saturday route | Roberta, Garney, Ed, Barbara, Chuck, Karen, John R | Ok, you all know the weather was magnificent, and that it was the standard Saturday coffee ride. But wait until you hear the rest of the story. If you have been out of the loop, Saturday rides with Erma are leisurely strolls to Sutter Creek for coffee and then enjoy the sites back to Ione via Rams Horn for an easy 50 miler in the hills. But today was a high hormone day! Karen started off with a rabbit pace to Sutter Creek. Then John and Ed pushed the pace to Volcano. It was here that Ed and Barbara had a simultaneous endocrine blitz. It must have been a reaction to the coffee and Gu. What else would have caused them to take off up Charleston! Can you believe it? Karen, John, and Chuck were tempted to follow to try and talk 'em out of it, but resisted and took the easy route up Rams Horn where they met up with Ed, then raced down Shake Ridge trying to catch up with Barbara. They finally caught up with her in Sutter Creek. After a brief but well deserved celebration of Barbara's first assent on Charleston, we paced it back into Ione where we made a pact to return to do it again tomorrow! Just hope Ed some strength left to do the Death Valley 200 next week with John B. and Barbara! (CG) |
| 11/11/1999 | 74 | Stoney Creek - Gold Trail - Clinton/Tabeaud - Pine Grove - Irish Town - Stoney Creek | Ray, Victor, Ed, John B, Karen, Chuck, John R, Steve | Well, if this is "fall" it's OK with me!! Nothing like riding in mid-November in 70 degree temperatures!!! YEA!!! We had a great group, thanks to the Veteran's Day holiday, and chose a challenging (at least by my standards) route. You could tell it was going to be a warm one from all the jackets and tights being stripped off while still in the Ione parking lot. Any excess clothing was next removed at the well at the base of Stoney Creek. I had lots of visiting time with Chuck on Stoney Creek and Ed on Tabeau (thanks, guys!) - it's amazing how chatting makes the climbing easier, but not necessarily faster, as I would have needed my motorbike to keep up with Ray & Victor! We refueled @ Cheryl's and tried to entice her to ride with us, however her bike was at her shop, while her helmet and shoes were at home. . . it's difficult to ride that way, Cheryl! JR tried a secret mixture in his new water bottle, but found that soapy water makes you feel worse, not better!! (Couldn't tell he was feeling poorly from the blur he left as he climbed by you.) We pretty much broke into 2 groups going back over Stoney Creek: those who had to wait at the end and those who didn't. Thanks to those who were rested and JR's energy on that pretty new Red Rex, we had speedy pace lines all the way back to Ione, where I, for one, was glad to get off the bike and stretch already sore muscles! A perfect day and a great ride. Can't wait for Saturday and Sunday, as I hear this wonderful weather will continue just for our riding pleasure!!! (KB) It was like the first day of spring--but it was November. When Ray says that he just wants an "easy ride," you know that we'll be racing all day. Sure enough, that's what happened, and it was fun, especially down Clinton and Stoney Creek. Everyone had a great ride in perfect temperatures. Our stop at Cheryl's store was not long enough for us to master the hot-cold faucet or unplug her drain (ok, the sink's drain), but we replenished supplies, had fun, and even talked her into riding tomorrow. Karen gave us the insider's key to the shopping center at Pine Grove. It did not seem like a 74-mile ride to most of us--at least not until the end. (EH) |
| 11/7/1999 | 50, 40*, 25** | Volcano Rams Horn | Doug Wiktor (in spirit), Jim & Penny, Ed, Chuck, Karen, Ray, Victor, Jose, John R, Joyce**, Gail**, Mary, Mike (friends of Chrissie), Chrissie*, Bill, Steve C, Cheryl (last 4 at Sutter Creek) | Sad thoughts at the beginning as we spread word of and discussed Doug Wiktor's death. All in all, a kind of unbalanced day with Chrissie's friends showing up in Ione, while Chrissie was waiting for them in Sutter Creek. WE kind of lost Cheryl in Sutter Creek and she thought everyone else was lost. Because the wind hit hard in Volcano, we cut the planned ride short and rode straight back down Shake Ridge and on to Ione (after one-bottle Rovane had to stop) and after a squirrel tried unsuccessfully (as far as we know) to commit suicide under Ray's wheels and then Ed's wheels. Most went to Erma's afterward. I lost the nosepiece for my glasses near Chrissie's road, and she found it when she drove home. By the time we pulled into Ione, we had to pedal hard to go downhill against the wind. All in all, good ride and great timing to get it over with before the worst wind and especially the rain showed up. (EH) |
| 11/6/1999 | 20*, 45 | Sutter Creek & return, plus Willow Creek & Irish Hill | Dave, Ed* | Fog. The thickest so far in Ione. Even though it was not very cold in Ione, Dave and I bundled up and were glad we did. Even Sutter-Ione didn't warm us until we reached the top, where the sun finally started shining on us. By Sutter Creek, of course, it was a beautiful day. We had a long coffee break and then headed back down. Dave did Willow and Irish to make it worth his time, and I just headed back so I could get my front wheel fixed and other chores done, just as happy not to have to take my tired legs through the cold of Sutter Creek Rd and the strain of Rams Horn. (EH) |
| 10/31/1999 | 87, 67*, 64** | Irish Hill - Plymouth - Fiddletown - Mt Aukum - Fairplay/Perry Creek loop - Shenandoah | Barbara, Dave, Ray, John R, Karen, Jim & Penny*, Steve**, Dave B**, Al**, Ken S**, Ed, Larry H, Paul (Davis) | Halloween Ride. More than half the riders came in costume for the photo shoot. The really creative ones even designed their costumes around riding outfits and wore them for the ride: Barbara, Dave, Ray, Jim & Penny. The awards for best costume were easy to pick: Barbara as Babs the waitress in blond wig, apron, gum, order pad, name tag, and even a tatoo was a little too convincing for some friends she encountered in Fiddletown; they didn't recognize her. Dave got the award for most attention-getting costume on the ride, since he was a patient with butt hanging out of his gown--and he rode that way all day, much to the regret of some of us who had to ride behind him at times. Pending a fuller report to come, some opted to turn around at Mt Aukum (a decision that others eventually would wish they had made). The others added the Fairplay loop by passing Fairplay and then circling back on Perry Creek, past Slug Gulch. (EH) Babs here: I don't think these guys realize just how tough waitressing can be--on your feet all day, mouthy customers who change their orders three times, the ones who stiff you for the tip--so you'd think when a girl takes a little time off to do a bike ride her cycling companions would take pity on her and do a slow, leisurely ride through the lovely fall countryside. Hah! Those companions may exist somewhere, but they don't ride with Erma's Diner. The day began easily enough; after admiring everyone's Halloween costume--we had an Adam and Eve, fig leaves strategically placed; Steve as a doc (good thing he saved all that stuff), Ed as a cheerleader (type casting), Ray as The Flash with wings on his helmet and shoes (all color-coordinated with his red and yellow bicycle--the boy has style), Jim and Penny in their spiffy soccer outfits, and Dave in flagrante delicto (see EH's description). I came in my work clothes. In Fiddletown I was happily surprised to meet up with some cycling friends from Sacramento--Jeff, Barbara, Mike, Dick, Cathy, Dorothy and Elke--doing a similar ride. The little Chinese museum was open, so some of us went in for a look around and learned a bit about the Chinese who lived around Fiddletown during the Gold Rush. Then on to Mt. Aukum through glorious autumn sunshine, past abandoned walnut orchards with their yellow-gold trees and vineyards turning redder with each passing week. It must have been the thought of more of that scenery--or that double-caffeine Power Gel--that made me think doing the Fairplay-Perry Creek loop was a good idea. Me, take the short way home, when others were going the long way? Not a chance. So off I went, trailing along through more wonderful little back roads, eating a tiny but deliciously tart-sweet apple Ed persuaded off the tree, coming way too close to Slug Gulch for comfort, riding, riding, riding. Finally got back to Mt. Aukum where I had about 90 seconds to pee, drink a Gatorade, eat a banana and fill up my water bottle--what was the big hurry, is what I want to know. Ed and Ray must have wanted to get back in time to go trick-or-treating because they dusted the rest of us, who nevertheless made pretty decent time back to Ione, and I finally got to go off duty. Some things are better than big tips--this ride was one of them. (BA) |
| 10/30/1999 | 50 | Standard Sat route | Ed, John R, Karen, Chuck, Fred | Wow, what a ride this turned out to be. A big thanks (again) to Fred for the pulling, pushing, instruction, and music. I was dragging on Sutter-Ione but I think everyone was just warming up and aiming at coffee in Sutter Creek. We drank our coffees (cranberry juice for snot-boy Chuck) while standing/sitting out in the sun on the street since JR is part lizard. Chuck and I actually talked about turning around then and heading straight back to Ione. Chuck was back on the bike after a couple of weeks of illness. I was just tired. But, man, are we both glad we didn't turn back. Fred had on his music system, which plays through speakers in the middle pocket of his jersey. I figured I'd try five miles of the road to Volcano and I needed the help of the music, so I pulled in right behind Fred. The "Bohemian Rhapsody" got me to the five-mile point with a big smile on my face. By then, Fred was in a rhythm, pedaling in time to the music and pushing a pretty big gear. At that point, I thought the music and Fred's pulling might get me most of the way to Volcano. When we hit the hammer and "Fabio" on the road, I started to worry a bit since we had a lot of climbing from there, but I found I was comfortable with the climbing while sitting on Fred's wheel and listening to Queen. I think it was the fastest I've ever done it, especially the second half. Down Shake Ridge was not the adventure it was yesterday but was very fast, with everyone finishing together. Over Sutter-Ione, JR was feeling perky. Fred gave me a fling up the toughest hill. It was amazing how easy that made the hill. We moved pretty quickly to Ione too, making it in about 30 min. Everyone finished exhilerated and well worked out. And by then, the day was sunny and in the mid 70s. A great way to start the weekend. Fred said he'd send some of his how-to information for us to put on the web site. I learned a lot just watching him stay in a strong rhythm and use his straight-block cog and triple chainring to perfection to keep a seated steady rhythm up to Volcano. (EH) |
| 10/24/1999 | 63 | Burson-Ospital Loop | Jose, Ray, Victor, Steve, Larry H, Cheryl, Garney, John R, Ed, Karen, Ken S, Jim & Penny | A special route for Cheryl, who wanted to ride more miles than anyone else did, but we accommodated her by doing this big loop of rolling hills. Ray did his part by pulling us several times at 30mph. Cheryl got back at him, though, by knocking him down at Camanche Parkway North. So at least two costumes are set for next week: Steve will come as a doctor and Ray will come as a patient. Cheryl: if you come out, we'll ride just 40 miles, OK? Garney dropped Roberta and came out alone and hung in well--except for not bringing any food. The Rabbit and Victor did their usual jumping, but tended to keep it relatively moderate. Victor even had a couple of religious experiences out on this Sunday ride--at least Ray and I heard him shout "Jesus" as we went by him on one hill. Too bad the weather didn't warm up til we finished. Larry, Ray, Vic, and Bone took a turn down Curran for the team so that we could all get the benefit of those extra miles (remember the Erma mileage rule: whatever is on Larry's computer). (EH) |
| 10/23/1999 | 49, 29*, 45** | Standard Sat route | Pat, Barbara, Peter, Bob D, Ed, Chrissie* (in Sutter Creek), Roberta** & Garney** (late) | After a summer (and Fall) of missing many (OK most) Erma's rides, I decided to make this Saturday, and it was a great day! a nicer bunch of people couldn't be found, it was great for us flatlanders to sprint and climb, and the fall colors and weather were beautiful beyond description. Racing down Shake Ridge with Bob, Chrissie and Ed was a great finish - or so I thought. I just didn't remember the hills between Sutter Creek and Ione ("Those aren't hills," says Ed with a dose of 'tude.) A nice visit back at Erma's Diner over lunch and Bob's Italy photos capped off a great morning. (PS) Definitely an arm-warmer morning, but beautiful nonetheless. I got to meet Bob and Peter, and the ride to Sutter Creek passed quickly, punctuated by talk of riding in the Rockies, the writing habits of Edna St. Vincent Millay and the idiosyncracies of computer users. Everybody seems to be on some sort of new food program, Bob's new diet of leafy green meat being the most, uh, unusual. At least everyone's still drinking coffee, and after we had some in Sutter Creek, we headed for Volcano. Roberta and Garnie wanted to ride more slowly, so I followed the rest up that lovely road, feeling the air alternately cool and warm as the terrain dipped and rose. Chrissie's new breakfast food--garlic chicken pizza--seemed to work wonders for her on Ram's Horn, and it worked for me, too, since she pushed, persuaded and cheer-led me into keeping up a good pace. (Good thing I didn't time myself; Dave might have had to start worrying about his record. . . ) Shake Ridge was fun, as always, the day warming up, sky bright blue (a treat after so much smoke in the valley), wild turkeys trotting and gobbling their way across the road. Chrissie, Bob, Peter and Ed zoomed off, me trying hard to hang on to Ed's wheel but soon coming unstuck, Pat continuing the deliberate, steady pace he'd set from the beginning of the ride. (Somebody said there was a colleague of Pat's on this ride--a Sen. Pokey--but I never got introduced to him.) On Gopher Flat I learned that praying mantises are the only insects that have a neck and relearned the weekly lesson that once those guys get ahead of me on the downhills I can't catch up. Back in Sutter Creek we got water and said so long to Chrissie, then headed back the way we'd come earlier in the day at a respectable pace. I (ahem) got to the stop sign first. That's "first," as in, "before anyone else." (Bob was right behind me, though.) Ed and I broke the 35mph speed limit coming into Ione, me by five-tenths of a mile, Ed by a whole mile. (Guess who was in front.) Afterward, Bob, Peter, Ed and I went to Erma's for refreshments and we got to see Bob's pictures of his two weeks in Italy. Then Roberta and Garnie rode by on their way back into town and joined us. A good day all around. Molto grazie. (BA) |
| 10/17/1999 | 36, 56* | Sutter Creek - Volcano - Pine Grove - Irish Town - Clinton - Jackson Gate - Joyce’s house (John H started in Ione) | John H*, Ed, Karen, Joyce, Gail, Barbara, Jim & Penny, Chrissie, Chuck, Dave N, Ray, Victor, Al, Ken S, Steve, [John R in truck and spirit], Lisa, Bob, Marilee (the last 3 are Joyce’s friends along for the day) | Wow, what a day. An excellent ride with lots of good conversation and riding, and a little racing. Even Chrissie and Al showed up for my birthday ride--along with Joyce's three friends. We started the perfect way with cappuccino at the coffee house and then we were off to Volcano. We saw The Don driving down the road to visit his mother, who broke her hip. Best wishes to her. Dave's front derailleur was stuck by Cyctomax. My solution was to pour Cytomax over his rear one too for symmetry's sake. Ken was bundled with full winter gloves for the cool start. At Volcano, Chrissie began expounding about someone's "little thing," although we weren't exactly sure what she meant and were afraid to ask. Dave and Ray did some big pulling to Pine Grove and then over through Clinton til the little bump, where they let Birthday Boy take the sprint up the hill. Chuck and Karen went to shop for bread while the rest of us went to the plaza and hung out for a while til everyone was regathered and ready for the easy ride back to Sutter Creek. There we changed at our cars and walked or drove to Joyce's house for the party. After Gatorade and Pepsi and conversation, we had delicous soup and pasta salad and some great bread and vegie and cheese wraps and more chatting and poetry reading and then present opening and more conversation. What a pleasant day with great people. Riding, eating, hills, conversation, and poetry--what could be better (except to come home to a championship ballgame that was still going on because of extra innings)? (EH) |
| 10/11/1999 | 50 | Sutter Crk-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | John R, Karen, Barbara, Steve, Ed | Quick warm up to Sutter Creek for coffee and then off to Volcano and Rams Horn. Racing down Shake Ridge to delays while JR went to the Dog Bakery and got water and pretended that his brake was rubbing. Then Barbara and Karen attacked and spurred some fast riding over Sutter-Ione and a speed-limit-breaking descent into Ione. After the temperature warmed, it turned out to be just perfect riding day. I wanted to do Irish Hill for more, but The Don was more interested in a "sandwich." Steve was showing the legs he got from riding hundreds of miles in Utah a few weeks ago, and I finally felt the benefit of riding five passes in Markleeville area on Wednesday. Good ride all around. (EH) |
| 10/10/1999 | 64, 60*, 50**, 30*** | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Mt Aukum-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Cheryl, Karen, Barbara, Joyce*, John R, Dave N, Dave B**, Ken S, Ray, Jose, Ed, Roberta***, Garney*** | What a great turnout for a fine ride on a day that started cool but turned out to be nearly perfect for riding. First, congratulations to Roberta and Garney for showing up two days in a row and sticking to it. Their aim was to make it to Plymouth and back (let me know if you made it). Dave B had to turn back on Shenandoah School. Joyce rode straight up to Mt. Aukum and straight back to save a little time. As Dave N pointed out, this was one of the most unaggressive rides in a long time. We rode at a moderate pace with lots of talk all the way to Mt Aukum essentially. But Ray was determined to prove Dave wrong on the way back. Steiner, Sheandoah, Old Sacramento were just warmups for the Irish Hill Road Race, as usual. Ray attacked and Dave & I let him, only pretending to chase him, since it was his birthday we were celebrating. Big cake and card and present and drinks and jokes for Ray afterward. (EH) |
| 10/9/1999 | 40 | Sutter Crk-Willow Crk-Irish Hill | Gene, Ed, Roberta & Garney | Roberta and Garney from Shenandoah area joined us for a tryout today. I think they enjoyed the coffee at Sutter Creek anyway and maybe the company. Friendly ride to coffee and then back toward Ione for R & G and on to Willow Creek, Carbondale, Irish Hill, and Five Mile for Gene and me. Great day for a ride. Gene and I had good talk and good ride. (EH) |
| 10/3/1999 | 55, 50* | Sutter Crk-Sutter Hill-Ridge-Climax-88-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | Ken* (birthday guy), Fred & Reta (from Concord), Ray, Barbara, Ed, Larry H, Dave N, Pat J (yep, not a typo), Ray, John R, Karen, Jim & Penny** | To all I just want to say Reta and I really enjoyed the day except for that bit of climbing out of Sutter Creek and the busy road to get us back to Volcano. We really enjoyed your company and hope to ride with you guys again in the future. By the way, Reta is still looking at me funny because I told her about this beautiful tree-lined road and a nice gradual climb to Volcano. Now she thinks I was lying to her to get her up at 5am. So I have to come back so you can take us up that road again. Thanks to all; you were great company and great on the road, the Bday Party was fun, but I missed the age--was Ken turning 19 or 20 last Sunday. (Frederick & Reta [FredeAix@aol.com]) Reta and I spent a lot of time riding together (thanks for bringing her along, Fred), talking and having fun on the downhills (she claims she doesn't like to climb, but she's awfully steady at it). We rode mostly at the back of the pack, while the Big Kids hung out with Larry and Dave at the front. I was afraid for awhile that I'd never get to hear any of their Whitney stories--I had to ask questions in short bursts as they flew past--but the birthday party at the end of the ride gave us not-so-fast ones a chance to quiz them. Some new roads for me today--Climax was pretty, and I liked the direction we went going into Volcano better than the direction two weeks ago. Ram's Horn was--well, Ram's Horn (but this time I didn't bonk), Shake Ridge was its usual combination of exhilarating downhills and who-deployed the-parachute uphills, and the ride back into Ione was fast and furious (I broke the speed limit by five-tenths of a mile--yippee). Nice hanging out for coffee in Sutter Creek, good laughs at the birthday party learning a little Scottish culture from Fred and Jim, envious pining looking at Ray's pix of his Italian tour, and not-so-envious (but definitely admiration-filled) looking at Jim Gray's Whitney of the Whitney adventure. Dave has a new nickname, by the way--be sure to ask him about it since it can't be mentioned on a family web site. (BA) It was good to have Pat back and Ken starting in Ione for the first time in a while. I guess we have to bring cake to get some of these people out to a ride. Ray saved himself for Shake Ridge and Sutter-Ione and showed it. Dave and Larry also showed their Whitney-gained strength and endurance. Great combination of social and cycling and weather. (EH) |
| 10/2/1999 | 50 | SutCrk-Volcano-Shake-Gopher | Barbara, Ray, Fred (Concord), Karen, Chuck, John R, Ed | We got to try on the sizing samples for the new jackets and jerseys. We also met and got acquainted with Fred and especially his experience racing in France. We met Joyce at the coffee house and planned a ride that would start at her house on 10/17 at 9am and Ione at 8am. The ride was kind of a fast social one. We kept up an brisk pace (except at the coffee house) and did a lot of talking. The exception was racing down Shake Ridge, where Ray led the way. Barbara did some attacking on Sutter-Ione Rd, passing everyone on a couple of hills. But mostly a good steady moderate ride in nearly perfect weather. (EH) |
| 9/26/1999 | 22*, 49**, 66 | Sutter Crk-Rams Horn-Shake-Willow Crk-Irish Hill | Ray, Victor, John R, Karen, Ken*, Ed** | Went straight up to Rams Horn since I had to get to airport. Beautiful morning. Great combo of taking time and pushing pace. Ken met us in SC and ended there. I went straight back to Ione from Sutter-Ione Rd. Others circled around via Willow Creek. (EH) Small group but quite a fast pace for most of the ride. The ride started off moderately hearing about Ray's great trip to Italy. It would be great to get some of the Erma's gang together and "invade" Italy! Once we all got to Sutter Creek, Vic really took off with Ray eventually in hot pursuit. Oh, Ken S. met us in St. Creek and did the short loop. . Ed had a plane to catch so he headed back to Ione after the run down Ione-Sutter Cr. Karen, Ray, Vic, and John finished up the ride by doing Willow Creek and Irish Hill. Good ride and we're all looking forward to getting the whole gang back for next weekend. Hopefully the "Whitney Boys" won't be too tired to come out so we can hear their tales!!!! See you all then! (JR) |
| 9/25/1999 | 51 | Standard Sat Route: Sutter Creek-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | Chuck, Gene, Barbara, Ed | Just four of us at the start. But that made for a pleasant, easy ride to Sutter Creek and then the four of us sat at the coffee house (no Joyce) and had coffee and pastries. While we were discussing life and other important issues, Phil showed up and told us about winning a 24-hr mountain bike race with a team that he was on. I'm planning on putting together a team for it next year. Chuck had to turn back then. The rest of us picked up the pace while the temperature increased. Gene and Barbara raced each other, threatening to kick each other's butts as we went along. I tried to calm them down, but to no avail. So I just had to hang on til we got back to Ione. (EH) Addendum to Ed's report: I don't think so. OK, the first part's reasonably accurate, but I have the scars to document riding under the Hensley lash from Volcano all the way back to Ione. Following a nanosecond pause in Volcano, I bonked on Ram's Horn and scarcely had time to rip open a GU before following Gene up Shake Ridge (Ed having already disappeared over the crest of the hill. From there on out, Ed played Good Cop/Bad Cop, alternately pushing me (literally) up the hills and rocketing ahead, Gene and I trying to stay stuck on. As proof, I offer my top speed of the day--46.5 mph--and the scary thing is, I don't even remember where that was. The guys let me stop for water in Sutter Creek, but the pace didn't slacken, even in the home stretch, with Ed trying to match the speed limit on the way into Ione. Gene never faltered; I'm still tired. See you next week. (BA) |
| 9/19/1999 | 60*, 77**, 94***, 40**** | Fall Spring Roll joint ride | Larry H**, Ed*, Dave N**, Karen***, Jim & Penny*, John R***, Chuck*, Steve*, Joyce****, Ken S?, Larry R*, and lots of other people | The first 7 people on the list met and started from Ione and rode to the 9am start of the joint ride in Plymouth. This is the ride organized by Larry and Yvonne of the Rest Stop. What a treat to see Chuck back while we were riding to Plymouth and then Joyce, Bone, and Steve among the cyclists who had taken over downtown Plymouth. There seemed to be about 100 cyclists. It was a special treat to see ride leader Larry Robinson wearing his ERMA's jersey. It felt odd to start out on Hwy 49, something that the Erma's group does only in case of bad bonk and rain storms. It wasn't bad, but it was very nice once we turned onto Main St. In Drytown, a road new to me a most of the others. The big climbs came as a bit of a shock after the fast downhill behind Jim & Penny, but the road was trafficless and pretty on a perfect late summer morning. Most of the Erma's gang regrouped at Sutter Creek and stayed together from there (we found out later that it wasn’t the cabernet that caused us to lose Steve, but a wrong turn). We were a bit out of synch with the main group because of starting early, so at Buena Vista when all the others were stopped, we were too impatient and kept plowing along. I pulled out at Ione, leaving Dave & Larry with the tandem "bus" we’d been riding and JR, Chuck, & Karen chugging Gatorade at the Chevron in Ione. (EH) Larry and I stuck with the tandem past Lake Ione (sewage lagoons) onto 5 Mile Road instead of going into town. We said "No Thanks" to Forest Home Road and instead the 4 of us rode Irish Hill. Larry and I said adieu to the tandem at Hwy 16 and came home Willow Creek. Jim and Penny had just returned by the time we got back to Ione, having survived the killer climbs on the early course. Congratulations J & P! [DN] |
| 9/12/1999 | 73 | Sutter Creek-Volcano-Red Corral-Tabeau-Clinton-Stoney Creek-Coal Mine-Curran-Jackson Valley-Old Stockton | Larry H, Barbara, Paul from Davis, Steve H, Karen, Ed, John R | A great route with a good variety of paces, talking, stopping, etc., including a lot of pace sharing, including Davis returnee Paul as well as Davis old-timer (to Erma's, that is) Barbara, who's riding very strongly and just "enjoyed" her first time over this hilly route. Too bad (or good thing?) that Dave, Chrissie, Ray, and John S weren't there to stage the usual Clinton-Stoney Creek Road Race. We kept ourselves moving along pretty well nonetheless. Everybody seemed to get enough of the right kind of riding in on a great day that warmed up nicely for our trip down Stoney Creek--just the way John likes it. Afterward, four of us enjoyed our free Erma's Diner drinks along with some burgers, fries, and ice cream. (EH) |
| 9/11/1999 | 54 | Sutter Creek-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | Ed, John R | Where was everyone else? Not that we didn't miss everyone who might have been there, but The Don and I had a fine ride, good talk, perfect weather, good quality riding—all done by noon. Great way to spend a Saturday morning, but we'll look forward to seeing more of you tomorrow. (EH) |
| 9/9/1999 | 38 | Davis paceline training ride | Barbara, Chrissie, Ed, and lots of others | This is an excellent ride, held every Tue and Thur, especially for training for fast riding, pacelining, and sprinting. The group is about equally divided among racers and nonracers. There are some strong PBP-type riders who seem to have no trouble pulling the group for miles at 23 mph. The ride goes from the hospital at Covell and 113 to Winters and back via mostly backroads. It will start at 5:30 from now on. Barbara with coach Paula was in the lead pack all the way to the first sprint. Chrissie then took over a position in the sprinting group and stayed up there til the turn for the final leg (where there’s a choice for going in via shorter route). Chrissie and I regrouped there and rode in together with a group of about 6 others, meeting Paula, Ann, and Barbara when we got into town. Good thing since we didn’t know where we were otherwise. (EH) |
| 9/6/1999 | (A) 50; (B) 68 | (A) Sutter Creek-Volcano-Shake Ridge; (B) same + Lockwood - Fiddletown - Ostrom - Plymouth | (A) Barbara, Ed, Chuck, Jim & Penny; (B) Gene, John R, Karen | (A) Three rides in three days? Sure, I said; so after yesterday's 80-miler I showed up again for Ed's "shorter" ride. Legs protesting, I made it to Sutter Creek (ahead of Jim and Penny, but behind everyone else). Luckily, I got there in time for the aerobics class; otherwise, I wouldn't have known where to put "it." A cappucino helped most of me wake up enough to enjoy the ride up Sutter Creek-Volcano, where we saw Al fly by, headed the other direction. Ed took a long, strong pull here, which I hung onto until he did the big breakawa and I didn't spot him or the others again until I reached Volcano, where Jim and Penny caught up with us, Karen revealed her familiarity with less-than-mainstream films and someone else--I think it was Ed--said something about being omni-erratic; was he talking about his riding? I set no record--high or low--on Ram's Horn but enjoyed the views and the signs that fall isn't very far away--despite the heat, the oaks are turning and the poison oak gets redder every week. Daffodil Hill was Decision Point--John, Karen and Gene were for heading to Lockwood, Fiddletown, etc., while the rest of us (OK, me) wanted to do fewer miles than yesterday. So we split up--the three Ironpersons headed for long miles, and Ed, Chuck and I zoomed down Shake Ridge, the boys taking turns at the front while I sailed along in their wake having a wonderful time, glad to not be climbing for awhile. We caught our breath in Sutter Creek, where Jim and Penny caught us, so we all rode back together, the tandem giving good pull over the Sutter-Ione Rd, of which only Ed managed to take full advantage, Chuck and I being too tired to chase once we came unhooked. Ed caught me up to them on the last leg into Ione, making for a fast and heart-pumping end to the ride. Or at least I thought it was the end; Ed, however, announced that we hadn't clocked 50 miles yet, so we did a circuit of the Ione residential district until his odometer registered the big 5-0. (Chuck, wiser in many ways, stopped at Erma's on his way into town to place his order before returning to home base.) Lots of miles this weekend; tomorrow is a work day--hooray! I can sleep in! (BA) |
| 9/5/1999 | 82*,65**,66*** | Plymouth, Mt Aukum, Fiddletown, Lockwood, Shake Ridge, Sutter Creek | Karen*, Barbara*, Christine***, Chuck*, John R*, Ed*, Doug W***, Larry H*, Dave N*, John S*, Ray*, Victor*, Steve***, John H**, Pat Jacquez** | The "Don" surprised nearly everyone nearly every turn on this ride. No one seemed to know where we were going. Just as well as it turned out. Those who did the whole thing got as much ride as they could handle. John R, Karen, and Larry pushed the pace early; Chrissie pushed it in the middle; and Dave and Ray pushed it at the end. Most of the time, someone was pushing it, so you could get all the ride you wanted or you could hang back and chat or recover. Something for everyone. John H and Pat had arrived early and did some extracurricular riding before the main ride, so they turned back at Steiner. Doug and Steve went straight back from Fiddletown. Chuck and I thought about it but opted for the full ticket. We got our tickets punched for sure. Chrissie bailed at her house, letting her car in Ione take care of itself. The race down Shake Ridge took its usual shape: Ray attacking like crazy with me sitting in; unfortunately for Ray, Dave was also sitting in and had the legs to go on the hill before The Hill. Bye bye, Dave. Dave and Ray must have had to pee or something, so they really rushed to get back to the parking lot. Some of the rest of us took a brisk but more moderate pace, and others took a bit more time. Barbara rode strongly, especially considering that she rode a hard training ride in the Bay Area the day before. Chuck is coming back into form. Everyone else seemed strong too. A good, hard, hot ride for eveyrone involved. (EH) |
| 8/29/1999 | 49/53* | Sutter Creek-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | Dave B*, Ed | A weekend for those who haven't ridden for a while. Dave B showed up, so I had to ride instead of sit in coffee house all morning. It was actually chilly enough to wear jacket in morning, but warmed very quickly. Good ride and conversation, including another long stop at the Sutter Creek Coffee House (Joyce must have been our riding since we didn't see her there). (EH) |
| 8/28/1999 | 45 | Sutter Creek-Volcano and return | John B, Chuck, Ed | The three amigos were all afraid that the pace would be too hard for them since all had been off the bike for a considerable time. Turned out to be perfect. Good moderate ride, good pace and company, including a long stop at the coffee house in Sutter Creek to look for Joyce and eat scones and miniature cinnamon rolls. Saw Carl and others from the joint Stockton-Wheelmen ride (long ride = The Grand Tour) in Volcano and compared Colgnagos (Chuck’s is best). Finished early before the full heat. Good way to get started again. (EH) |
| 8/22/1999 | 64, 47* | Mount Aukum via Ione | Bob K, Joyce, Gail, Jim and Penny, Barbara, Christine, Karen, John R., Larry the Rabbit, John, Al, Victor, Ray (last 2 Stockton guys) | What a great turn out. I was so very surprised and pleased to see the Stockton guys especially after the long, hard night at the rodeo the night before. Because the guys and I showed up late, we started off fast and cought up with those who left on time. Everybody greeted each other on Irish hill warm up with smiles and stories about what whats going on in their busy lives. Ray is going to Italy for three weeks to participate in a point to point tour with other Americans but he knows of at least one day when they will hook up with Italian racers. It is supposed to be pretty plush accommodations. I can not wait to hear how it all turns out. And one lady who hung in there today like no bodys business was Barbara but it is no wonder since she is being coached by the lovely and talented X-racer Paula Mara from Davis. Barbara said she has a plan where she does sprints, hill repeats and rides with her coach. That is one women to watch out for on the future rides. After Irish Hill, the group split up into three groups. The Stockton guys stormed school house road leaving us all in their wake. As we approached Stiener road the attacks were still going, mostly John and Ray. When junior varsity reached the end of school house road they turned around and headed back to Ione via Willow Creek. All seemed to enjoy the ride and were looking forward to the party to follow. Joyce did very well and feels great. She is eagor to build up her stamina with Erma rides. Ray won the hill climb to Mount Aukum general store so he is indeed the king of the mountain. None of us had any doubt. We rushed back to Ione because there was cake. Victor was so excited that he tried practicing his cycle cross techniques to see if maybe he could just ride thru the fields. Karen lead a pace line for bit and John too just before the turn off to Latrobe. Thanks for the pull because I knew what was to come. Even though we haggeled about whether we should go back Willow creek or irish hill, there had been talk brewing all day about how we were going to race it so I knew we would. Boy I can not even describe how i felt as we approaced it. Excited, fearful, scared...then we got there and Larry who had been giving me lead outs all day encouraged me to go, go, go. I did but Ray was the only one who came with. And thats no small potatos. I felt strong. They swear I held back all morning just so i could kick butt. And they said something about sand bagging. Niether of which I know anything about. I managed to stay in front but Ray was teaching me something. He purposely held back out of my draft to play on my confidence. Funny I kind of felt like he was playing with me because when I would check to see if he was there he was and had the same distance so he never lost anything. And just like he thought I saw him out of my draft and thought maybe i could drop him. But I did not do anthing because come on... Ray. What would you do? At the final sprint he and i were both thinking we could just play nice and both come in together but somehow someone moved and the sprint was on. He won. Eventually everyone joined us and we returned to have a joyous party celebrating Jim and Pennys anniversary and Birthdays. Penny seemed very elated about the Napa century. Every body else too. Looks like a big group and growing. |
| 8/19/1999 | 36 | Ione to Plymouth | Karen, Chrissie, Gene, John R. | Finally a nice summer evening to ride .....nice and warm!! Chrissie warmed up by riding to Ione and one would believe that she would be anxious to push the pace. But it didn't turn out that way. Lots of chatting and laughing along the way made for a most pleasant ride. We even came up with a new nickname for Ed!!!! It could be "Monty" .... but we're not sure yet and the subject will have to be brought up on Sunday's ride for a final "vote"! At the intersection of Latrobe and Old Sac.Rd., KB and CK thought it would be a good idea if Gene and John "raced" up to Plymouth, they would take their time,and catch us coming back. Well Gene and JR did their best to "race" up there , get water quickly , and head on back to meet two of Erma's finest. Well, their "easy pace" was pretty quick since we hardly left the school premises before we met them....the ole tortoise and the hare thing I guess!! Headed back to Ione via Willow Creek to avoid running into the escapee from Mule Creek Prison who was last seen on Irish Hill!! Eric and Chrissie headed for the Mexican restaurant in Ione and Karen and John had veggie lasagna at Loretta's ..... end of a perfect day. See you all at the ride and party on Sunday(JR) |
| 8/15/1999 | 84, 63*,?? | Ione, Jackson, Clinton-Tabeau, Volcano, Lockwood, Fiddletown | Larry H., Dave B., Steve, Karen*, John R*, Gail,? Jim G.? | Oh those 7 o'clock starts!!It's suppose to be summertime and it should be fairly warm at the start, not CHILLY!! We were hoping Ken S or Larry C. would arrive a little late, as usual, so the sun would be a little higher and thus a little warmer. No luck, KS and LC are "no shows" so we take off trying to ignore the chilly conditions. Jim, who gave his mountain bike an outing, and Gail did a short ride so they'll have to fill us in somehow if anything exciting happened. Karen, Larry H., Dave B., Steve (a newcomer, that we hope will join us again) and John R. headed up to Jackson via Stoney Cr and then eventually to Volcano. Everyone seemed "hooked up" and the miles went by quickly. After doing Ram's Horn, Karen and John said good-bye to the bunch and headed back to Ione with various excuses as to why they were "bailing"... like not enough carbo loading, chores etc.!!! Larry, Dave, and Steve headed off to do a 100+ but did 84 miles and, considering the route, that was more than enough. Hopefully all will be around for next Sunday's ride to celebrate Penny's and Jim's birthdays!! (JR) |
| 8/8/1999 | 70 | See report | JH solo | Arrive 6:52. I must be the first zzzzzzzzzzz... 7:15. And last. Great day for a ride. Did they know I was coming?! Why didn‚t I bring my floor pump? Time to head out. Decide and Ride. As ride leader I choose Sutter Creek. More? Volcano. Why not Ram‚s Horn? Daffodil Hill.. Shake Ridge? Naw! Lockwood Junction. Fiddletown. Want to see the Wine Country? OK! Ostrom. Steiner, Shenandoah School to Plymouth. Like the new surface on Irish Hill? Is it the shortest distance home? Yup! Hello 5 Mile and Marlette. Never saw an Erma‚s Jersey, but there was this person just ahead of me who kept leading me on, teasing me. Phantom of the Bicyclists. I want to know. Does this qualify as an Erma ride or as a special event? 70 Miles in 5 hours. JH |
| 8/7/1999 | 106 | Portolo Century | Karen, Penny and Jim , Ken G.,Chuck, Larry H.,John R. | What a perfect Century! Fortunately the weather co-operated ...had the ride been one day earlier we all would have needed rain gear. All the Erma Riders that participated arrived the day before and settled in at the Sleepy Pines Motel or Sierra Motel. On the way up to Portola, Karen, Chuck, and John finally found a place to eat and be able to watch the bikes and gear at the same time in beautiful downtown Sierraville. We had pizza that was so BAD that it is a miracle that any of the 3 could ride the next day! Oh well, the ride is on around 6:30 Sat. morning in cool temperature and a few threatening clouds. Somehow Karen managed to ride without long gloves after giving hers to Chuck. At the start there were fewer riders than on a Sunday ride out of Ione for some reason. The weather the day before must have scared off quite a few because we had the region to ourselves. The route is perfect with 3 climbs that are considerably easier than any of the climbs on the Death Ride....thank goodness. As ususal we had a lot of good fun ! Larry even met a new "friend"..... one that wants Larry to start riding single-file from now on! Don't know his first name but his last name was something like "Hole" so be sure to ask Larry about this new buddy! Congratulations to Penny for doing her first 100 MILES and still be able to smile and have a late dinner to celebrate. (JR) |
| 8/1/1999 | 87, * | Ione, Plymouth,Mt. Aukum, Omo Ranch, ShakeRidge, Sutter Cr. Ione | Karen, Larry H.,Dave N.,Chuck,Ken S.,John R., Chrissie*, Melissa* | With the considerable climbing on this ride, one would assume we were training for the Death Ride! Joined up with Chrissie and Melissa in Plymouth and immediately the paced quickened! After forcing the pace, they bailed soon thereafter and left the tough climbing for the rest of us! Absolutely perfect weather for such a long ride and the first 51 miles seemed to be all uphill....the STOP sign @ Omo and 88 was a welcomed sight! With the exception of too much "going home traffic" on Hiway 88 the ride was a good one and to be able to ride that late into the day at this time of the summer without dehydrating completely was quite surprising. Thanks to everyone for again making my day so much fun. See some of you @ Portola this weekend and the rest of you soon ! (JR) |
| 7/29/1999 | 33 | Coal Mine loop | John R, Karen | The fair is on in Plymouth, thus the southerly route. |
| 7/25/1999 | 45, 70* | Sutter Crk - Volcano - Rams Horn - Shake Ridge + Irish Hill loop | Dave B*, Ed (joined by Jim Ridder) | Dave wanted a ride. Unfortunately, I was the only one around to ride with. I couldn’t have kept up with a snail. Fortunately, we had a pleasant stop at the coffee house in Sutter Creek and actually sat down at a table with Joyce for quite a while. She’s looking good and eager to get back to riding, probably in another 4 weeks. She expects to see us at the coffee house next week on Sat and Sun too. I bonked on way to Volcano and just went sightseeing: pretty road, pretty day. Dave continued over Rams Horn after Volcano. Meanwhile, Jim Ridder, who has talked with John R on Thur night rides, showed up at Volcano, having thought we were riding out of Plymouth, but instead riding up to 88 and around to Pioneer and Volcano by himself. So Jim and I rode straight down to Sutter Creek and met Dave there for ride back to Ione. Dave did more out in Irish Hill area, and Jim took the highway back toward Plymouth for a big mileage day. I went home for a big mileage nap. (EH) |
| 7/24/1999 | 80 | Sutter Crk-Volcano-Lockwood-Fiddletown-Mt Aukum-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Chuck, John R, Ed, Ray, John S | We saw Joyce in Sutter Creek, Bill and Joe in Volcano, 3 other cyclists in Mt. Aukum, and Steve & Peggy and Dan & Ann on tandems in Plymouth. Quite a social day. A very good ride at a pace that was at times challenging and at times conversational. Chuck and Ray showed how well carbon fiber bikes climb. John R took us to a road he thought was paved. John S shared fishing tips. We topped it off with burgers at our namesake diner, where we continued the Thursday discussion of shoes, etc. (EH) |
| 7/22/1999 | 41 | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Karen, John R, Chrissie, Ed | Perfect night for a ride. Getting a bit darker, but 5:30 start works fine for now. What a pleasure to ride the newly paved Irish Hill. Lots of fun conversation: shoes were a big topic this time (unprintable stuff that you'll have to ask Karen or John about). Chrissie, as usual, was offering butt-kicking to all comers. |
| 7/19/1999 | 65-81 | Abbreviated Sierra Century (Plymouth Ione Sutter Creek Volcano Fiddletown etc) | Barbara, John Gamper, John Carbahal, Mike Justis, Paul Thober, John R, Karen, Ken S, Jim & Penny, Larry H, Ed, Dave N, John H, Chuck (anyone else?) | Lots of riders showed up to celebrate"Larry's 2nd 5-0 Party"! Larry was a good host and rode with just about everyone doing his best to convince everyone that he was actually celebrating his 40th! Nice try Larry but all that mail you have been receiving from the AARP foiled your attempt to convince anyone! The ride was a great one and thanks to everyone for showing up ....especially those riders who came all the way from Davis. Hope you come out more often to ride in God's Country! After getting to Lockwood Jct., all the work getting there made the ride down to Fiddletown very rewarding. Back in Plymouth all of us had a good time celebrating. Glad John H. got a piece of cake for the road and that as soon as he gets everyone married down in Stockton, he can join us for more great rides! See you all on the next ride! (JR) Dispatch from the Davis Division: After having told these guys numerous times that they would really like riding with Erma, they finally agreed to come see if I was telling the truth. Well, of course I was; we all had a fine time. Post-ride consensus: There are Coast Range hills, and then there are Sierra foothills. Sierra foothills go up and down more often. This is good for the cycling soul. Mike had good fun with Dave trying to catch Paul on the Fiddletown Road; he was heard saying something about a mini-Tour de France. I found good company with Karen on Carbondale Rd, Larry on Shake Ridge (rides well for someone celebrating his "second" 50th birthday; does that mean he's 100?), Ken on Rams Horn, Ed on some road I forget the name of (but I do remember the cappucino in Sutter Creek). I pestered people for their hill-climbing secrets. Here's Ken's: "Go as hard as you can until you croak." Oh. Thanks for a good day of good riding from your friends on the other side of the Big Valley. (BA) Another report from Davis: I am Paul Thober (paul@kensbikeski.com) and I rode with you folks for the first time on this ride. I wanted to tell you all what a wonderful time I had. It was a beautiful day, lovely roads and great companionship. I'm looking forward to riding with you again. (PT) |
| 7/15/1999 | 41 | Ione to Plymouth | Karen, John R | Perfect evening for riding and too bad more of us weren't able to ride .Here's some good new for those who ride Irish Hill a lot!! No, the climbs have not been eliminated but the sections of "pave" are no longer !! Good ole Amador County found the $'s to repave those sections that were not resurfaced a couple of years ago. We'll have to include I. Hill in Larry's Sunday ride . The resurfacing was a birthday present to Larry from the C of C ! (JR) |
| 7/8/1999 | 35 | Sutter Crk-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake Ridge | Scott, Chrissie, Ed | We changed route at last minute at Chrissie’s request to get some practice racing in. Scott pushed pace to Volcano and then over Rams Horn, but everyone took a shot on Shake Ridge. Good workout. (EH) |
| 7/4/1999 | 56, 71* | Plymouth, Willow Crk, Ione-Sutter Hill, Volcano, Lockwood, Fiddletown (Mt Aukum) | Pat, Jim (Cameron Park), Chuck*, John R* | A 7 AM start from Plymouth on a summer's morn provides a bracing downhill beginning and then a warmup before the can't-beat-for-beauty ride along the creek to Volcano and then a fast finish from Fiddleburg. (PJ) <BR> Despite having only 4 riders show up to start the "7 AM Departure Season," the ride was TERRIFIC!!! Bring on Markleeville.....well 3 passes anyway and forget the east side on Monitor!! Back to the ride.....the descent was a bit on the cool side but the remainder of the ride was completed in near perfect conditions.... the 7 o'clock start time is a "keeper".....sorry Ed, you're going to miss out on some beauty sleep!! Jim ,of Cameron Park, joined us and we hope he enjoyed the ride and will join us again. In Fiddletown, Patrick and Jim headed for Plymouth while Chuck and "The Don" decided to give the run up to Mt. Aukum a go. Back in Plymouth, Chuck was gracious enough to share a wonderful turkey sandwich while we reflected on what a great ride and day we were able to enjoy!! Good luck on the Death Ride !! (JR) |
| 7/3/1999 | 63 | Burson-Ospital-Campo Seco-Pardee | John S, Ray, Dave N, Gene, Ed | Good turnout for the "fast" ride. Too bad I couldn’t keep up all the time. But we had a day that felt "chilly" to some (OK, just me) after those nice 100+ days. Good hard pulls and pushes, especially Ray doing a monster pull into the wind on Warren Rd. Good effort and workout all around. We welcomed Dave back by letting him lead most of the way back, and then let him go on alone (pretending we were tired) to make him feel better about not riding on vacation (anybody believe that?). I'm never believing Dave again when he says he hasn't ridden. (EH) |
| 7/1/1999 | 40 | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Karen, John R, Scott, Gene, Ed, Ray, Gail, Joyce | Big turnout for mid-week. Ray decided to make it easy on us and hard on himself and started about 15 min after we did. He time-trailed himself hard enough to catch us just as we were turning around at Plymouth. Gail and Joyce did their own ride and didn't invite the rest of us, so we moped our way through our standard ride, enjoying the cooler weather (it was only 102 at the start). (EH) |
| 6/27/1999 | 64, 88* | (1) Irish Hill-Willow Crk-Sutter Crk-Volcano-Rams Horn-Shake; (2) Irish Hill-Plymouth Omo Ranch, Cooks Station, Volcano, Sutter Creek, Ione | Ed, Scott, John S, Al, Chuck*, Larry H*, Jim G* | Some of us needed a shorter route and faster ride and some needed big miles, so we did Irish Hill and then split the ride. The 64-mi crew had a great workout and fun ride, including pushing on Willow Crk, espresso in Sutter Crk, pushing pace up to Volcano, discussing Relativity on Rams Horn, racing down Shake, and then wobbling home. Good group, good riding.(EH) No rabbits, just tortoise work and a great day. When the Sunday Peleton split after Irish Hill, those trying to build up the miles for the Death Ride headed up to Highway 88 with short stops in Plymouth, Mt. Aukum, and Omo Ranch. Tortoise thinking prevailed in volcano when we realized we had to get home. We returned at a comfortable pace down Sutter Creek, where we were delighted to find Joyce, Judy, and Kiev playing in the river. In the end, it was just another great day of riding! |
| 6/27/1999 | 53 | Monitor Pass, front & back sides |
Karen, John R | All you Death Riders and others who may have been yearning for a change of scenery missed out on a great day! Our ride began at the Grover Hot Springs and we did both front and back sides of Monitor Pass! The weather was perfect, if not a little warm on the backside (Ed's weather), and there were many wildflowers in bloom to distract us from all the climbing. I've now got my bike dialed in for the Death Ride--in a true-weenie fashion, a 9-speed triple wasn't enough, I had to change my granny--smaller, I cried!! JR had a revelation coming up the backside: No Death Ride for him! He's glad he saved the $55. Back at Grover, we chowed on Mrs. JR's great pasta and relaxed in the Hot Springs, bouncing back and forth between cold and hot pools! A perfect day. Chuck, you were especially missed! (KB) |
| 6/26/1999 | 8K | Shriners Capital Challenge | Chuck, Dave B, Barbara, Paul, Jeff, Betty Jane, Nancy, Ben, Wes, Frank, Jim H, PJ, Ed | Great turnout of bike marshals for this running race. Everyone did a great job and had fun doing it. Thanks to the Erma's riders who helped and the others who joined in--especially Barbara for organizing a group ride from Davis. |
| 6/24/1999 | 41,? | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Chrissie, John R, Ed, Gail, Joyce | Despite his rudeness last week, Chrissie and I waited for the late "Don." We caught Gail and Joyce (who did not wait for him) on Irish Hill and rode with them on Carbondale until we realized that the discussion of which route to take would probably go on for a while and we didn't want to get back after dark. All 3 of us pushed the pace coming back on Irish Hill. I don't think I'm supposed to mention the nudist colony that two of the women were discussing privately in the parking lot, so I won't. (EH) |
| 6/20/1999 | 64*, 50**, 36*** | Sutter Crk, Volcano, Rams Horn, Lockwood, Fiddletown, Plymouth, Forest Home, Irish Hill | John H*, Ken S*, Jim & Penny**, Gale**, Ed*** | We decided to ride straight from Ione to Sutter Creek without doing the normal Five Mile Road loop for a warmup, so it took me to Sutter Creek to warmup. Regrouped in Sutter Creek. JH, EH & KS took off for Volcano, Ed turned around just before the big Hammer painted in the road. John H, & Ken went to Volcano then did Rams Horn and decided to go on to Lockwood Junction since the weather was perfect and we were feeling pretty good. On the way to Fiddletown we ran into a wagon train just before Hale Road. A little delay since there was only one lane for traffic. Took a quick stop in Fiddletown and on to Plymouth, got water at school since the bathrooms are still locked. Took Old Sacramento to Hwy 16 since Latrobe looked busy. Once on Irish Hill we started feeling a little frisky but did not get carried away. Got back to Ione and for a change was not total wasted. Just as we were going to pull out, in rolled Jim, Penny & Gale. They had gone to Volcano up Rams Horn and back down Shake Ridge. Everyone was back by 2:00 before the heat got really bad. (KS) |
| 6/20/1999 | 55 | Death Ride route: Markleeville, Ebbetts, Ebbetts | Karen, John R., Chuck | The objective: Test our bodies against all the challenges of the death ride passes. The results: (1) Both sides of Ebbetts; (2) A wonderful day; (3) Great picnic. Thanks Karen! (4) The Don made it up the backside in less than 45 minutes! (5) Met a Nevada woman at the summit who inherited her husband's old bike and on the third time ever on a bike followed him up Ebbetts in a 40/24. We suggest counseling for him and a special Erma's recognition for her. What Next? Do it again next week. Concept is developing as follows: Meet at Karen's Saturday evening to get an early start Sunday (after helping at the Shriners Capital Challenge, Sat, June 26, 1999. Start is on Capitol Mall at 8:00 (bike arrival: 7:00). Call Ed for details about being a bike marshal for the Saturday run. Call the Don for Details about the ride Sunday. (CG) |
| 6/19/1999 | 64 | Sutter Crk-Volcano-Red Corral-Irish Town-Clinton-Stoney Crk | Gene, Ed, Chrissie, Scott, Ray, Victor, Jose | Ray and Victor brought out Jose to introduce him to heat and hills, and he seemed to like them. Gene showed the strength that brought him silver medals in Senior Olympics time trials. Chrissie--guess what?--was tired and didn't want to ride hard; the difference is that this time she meant it. She rode hard on the Thur ride and then went out and took SECOND overall at the Fri night race to Volcano. And she also had copies of the local newspaper article (with photo) about her triple crown achievement. And all this on top of taking a fourth at the Nevada City Classic. What a year for Chrissie. And she’s still getting better. Victor was cheerfully aggressive all day. Ray was sedate most of the time--especially for Ray. And Scott was anything but sedate, pushing the pace with Victor much of the time. Lots of fun talk, every kind of riding, good weather. When the temperature hit 90 and the odometer hit 50, I warmed up and wanted to take some pulls for first time. We even met a couple of possible Erma recruits on the road. (EH) |
| 6/17/1999 | 42-44 | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Karen, Chrissie, Scott, John R, Ed | Even though the others tried to ride without me, I caught them just out of town. Except for the bugs, a good ride, fast at times--so fast that we had time to ride some extra out Old Stockton Rd to see the sunset. (EH) |
| 6/13/1999 | 103*,100**, 60, 52, 47 | Irish Hill-Willow Creek-SC-Volcano-? | KB*, Doug W*, Chuck*, Kevin (Sacto)*, Larry H*, John R*, Ken**, Ed, Al, Scott, Bill T | We had a surprise this morning: a visit by Bill from JFS who rode with us to SC. The "group" was fragmented today due to other commitments and time restraints. (Ed and Stockton Al had to race to Volcano and return to make appointments and report having an excellent fast, but still friendly and attractive ride.) The final group revisited last Sunday's route and had a great time. Ken, who was "unzipped" up the Creek Road, had to re-ride a bit to reclaim a vest, and was tardy to his awaiting turkey sand. The Don also displayed an "opening" on the downhill from Plymouth, but was able to zip-it-up-on-the-fly. True talent! Despite a personal bonk @ Fiddletown, the group's patience and LOTS of water brought me in alive (and kicking, actually). Kevin made a very strong recovery from last week's cramping--good to have a new face in the crowd (not that there's anything with the "old" faces, mind you). Due to the Rabbit's constant vulture circles, his computer registered 103 when we rolled into Ione, so we sent him home. The rest of us carried on via the golf course to gain our century, but did what The Don did last week. Not to be out-done by Larry, we rode and rode until we also had 103! Chuck wins the temperature-guessing contest; when I rolled into Jackson, it was ONLY 87 degrees!! Another beautiful day and ride in God's Country!!! (KB) |
| 6/12/1999 | 63 | Sutter Ck-Volcano-Red Corral-Irish Town-Stoney Ck | Ed, John B | Ione was especially deserted feeling. Not only no other Erma riders but the two of us, but nobody--period. A bit chilly so we headed right for the warming hills, where we met Kevin and Bill from Stockton on Ione-SC Rd. We rode and talked with them to Sutter Creek, Volcano, Red Corral and stopped for a visit to Bill Tanner's shop in Jackson, until their start point, Buena Vista. Good, comfortable ride on a day that turned out to be perfect--warm, pretty and green up higher, clear air, blue sky, good exercise, good to be alive. (EH) |
| 6/10/1999 | 40 | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Irish Hill | Karen, Chuck, John B, Ed, John R | It's a bit of trouble to get off work and get to Ione by 6pm for some of us, but the great exercise in the evening air and the Erma camaradarie make it a great way to spend a Thursday evening. Good pace throughout, including at the end, when Karen forced the pace because she was thirsty. After returning, JR and KB went to pizza, but the rest of us had to get back to reality. (EH) |
| 6/6/1999 | 100*,80**,... | I.Hill,W.Creek, SutterCr.,Volcano,Lockwood jct.,Fiddletown,Mt. Aukum,Plymouth, Forest Hm.,I. Hill | Karen*, John S*,John R*,Chuck**,Kevin**,Pat J.,Ken S.,.,Al, and Nick | Perfect day for riding and we had a couple of new faces in the peloton....Al's son Nick and Kevin, who Chuck had met on the bike trail. All started out well but Nick had mechanical problems on I.Hill so he and Al had to turn back. Hope Nick will try again! Pat rode very well to Sutter Cr. before heading back for a function. Ken S. really "let it all hang out" and left everyone in the dust starting on I. Hill Rd.!! We finally met up with him in Volcano....eating a turkey sandwich naturally! He also had to head back early.Kevin cramped up a bit in Fiddletown so he and Chuck headed home. It was good to hear that Kevin "recovered" and hit it hard on I. Hill with Chuck setting a fast pace! The remaining "3 amigos" headed for Mt. Aukum with Karen riding SO STRONGLY and in the process,rudely dropping "The Don" ....shame on you KB! The store in Mt.Aukum wants to sponsor us! New jackets for the Fall anyone? FINALLY back on 5 Mile Rd., John S. decided to do 5 more miles to get 100. Karen JUMPED at the chance to do the same so they headed out Old Stockton Rd. Meanwhile "The Don" headed back solo....but, not wanting to pick up the nickname of the "State Weanie", decided to get 100 also by doing the "Tour de Castle Oaks" and a repeat of 5 Mile Rd. Back in Ione we all agreed that another 100 miles would be IMPOSSIBLE!!! Chrissie, Ed, Larry C, Larry H., and Dave N how do you do it (<A HREF="events.html">see Eastern Sierra Double Century report</A>)?? Thanks for a great ride !!! (JR) |
| 5/31/1999 | 60*/64 | Camanche-Burson-Ospital loop | Dave N, Chrissie, John H, Ed, Chuck* | If Sunday was the "Men's Day Ride," Monday was the "Over Fifty Ride + Chrissie." A beautiful Memorial Day. We waited for the Don but put him down as a no-show. Ed made it 3 Erma rides in 3 days (going for a free Mountain Burger?) for total of about 200 miles, just shy of taking over first place from the Don in the Erma miles category. Chrissie held her own today, both on the bike and her usual verbal quips. John H found out he wasn't the old man of the group (and certainly didn't ride like it). The average pace was 17.2 which I'm told eclipsed the Silver Bullet duo of Chuck & Karen by 1 mph. Chrissie said she's game to team with Chuck. Could be fun. We came upon one "Fast Eddie" who wanted a bite of the burger on the jersey (and what was inside) and a hungry looking basset back in Ione - sorry dog: no Don, no biscuit. All in all, a good course and a good group, especially since the legs needed a rest from the hills. We also rode with the Stockton Bike Club webmaster, Carl, until he reached his home on Ospital. [DN] |
| 5/30/1999 | 58*, 64**, 70***, 80 | Ione,St.Creek,Volcano, Lockwood jct.,Fiddletown,Mt. Aukum, Plymouth | Larry C *, Ed**, Dave B**, Doug***, Bob D***, Jim, Chuck, Ken S, Pat J, John R | A perfect day for riding that turned out to be a "Men's Day Ride"!All of "Erma's Ladies" were noticeably missing from the peloton! However, Karen and "Shelby" made an appearance on their way to the Bay Area in their spiffy new Honda to say "hi." Chrissie didn't show because, according to Edzo, he "kicked her butt on the Sat. ride"!!! Sure Ed! And we saw Joyce going the wrong way on Sutter Ck Rd. The pace of the ride was just PERFECT. Dave B. really had good form and was ahead of everyone most of the way. Ed, Dave, and Larry had to be back early so we said goodbye to them @ Lockwood Jct. The rest of us headed for Fiddletown and then for Mt. Aukum ... at least some of us did!! Doug and Bob took the wrong turn and we never "caught" them until we headed for some goodies at Erma's after the ride! PJ and Jim really rode well. Ken S. showed some streaks of his old form and would have done better if we would have let him stop long enough for a turkey sandwich!! Thanks guys for the fun day!! (JR) |
| 5/29/1999 | 48/70* | Sutter Crk-Volcano-Shake Ridge (+ Irish Hill-Willow Crk) | John B, Ray, Victor (1st time), Chrissie*, Larry H*, Ed* | So much for moderation and riding around the parking lot. Ray brought Victor from Stockton for his first visit to Erma. John B kept the twitches under control pretty well, unlike everyone else. Very aggressive riding up to Volcano and especially down Shake Ridge, with Ray leading the way most of the time except for his 3 flats. JB ran out of time and went straight back from Volcano. After the main event, Chrissie talked LH and me into doing a JR--adding Irish Hill and Willow Creek. (EH) |
| 5/23/1999 | 68/63*/51** | Stoney Crk - Clinton/Tabeau - Volcano - Rams Horn - Shake Ridge | John R, John H, Karen, Larry H, Dave N, Chrissie, Eryn (Chrissie’s racing friend), Ken S*, Ed, Jim & Penny** | Lots of climbing on this one. The ride included Eryn (Chrissie racing friend) for first time. She did fine despite carrying criterium gears. Chrissie and Dave pushed the pace the whole time, both uphill and downhill. Good hard ride. |
| 5/22/1999 | 53/57* | Burson-Ospital loop | Dave B*, Gene*, Barbara, Ed | Finally, the perfect temperature for riding. When BA & I arrived, the lot was empty, but we took a short cut and caught Dave and Gene on Buena Vista Rd. Everyone had a good moderate roller ride among the drying grasslands. Very comfortable and friendly with Dave & me pushing the pace a bit on a few hills just to do a bit of the old J J Jacobs tuneup. Since we shortcutted, we got 4 miles less than the big boys. (EH) |
| 5/16/1999 | 58, 78, 88 | Ione, Mt. Aukum, Omo Ranch, 88, Volcano, Sutter Cr., Ione | Gail, Joyce, Bob D, Peter, Larry H, Karen, Chuck, Ray, Jim, John R | First off, CONGRATULATIONS to our DD Buddies!!!! Way to go!!We all thought about you on Sat. and today wondered how you all faired. Glad to read the report that all had so much "fun"!!Anxious to get a verbal account at the next ride. Now for today's ride. Beautiful day that didn't get "off on the right foot"....rather the "right shoes"!Just as we were ready to pushoff, Chuck realized that he still had his Adidas jogging shoes on !!! As usual we had a lot of laughs and Chuck started it all with a great one indeed! The conditions were perfect for riding and when we pulled into Mt.Aukum we all decided that we all had enough steam to push on. Peter and Bob headed for Fairplay and the rest of us headed for Hiway 88.Peter and Bob will send in a report on their "detour". In Volcano, it was decided that Chuck's Grand Tour should be altered slightly and head for home.Actually only Larry and Chuck had any thoughts about doing the whole ride! The rest of us had made up our mind hours ago back in Ione! Karen had "trip-itis", Ray had "Kings game-itis",Jim had "bad back-itis",and the "Don" had "enough-itis"! The great ride, but most of all the camaraderie, was just what we all needed to get ready for the work week ahead of us! (JR "Don") Started a loverly day with the Erma’s group (waited for Ed but alas, no show - too much double, I presume). The weather was so great and the company so nice that we didn't think to ask the route or distance. Along about Mt. Akum store I asked how much further to the turn-around; When Larry said, "about 25 miles - up", I asked, "how much further to OUR turn-around?" We bailed a few miles farther at the Fair Play turn, had a great downhill return and time for a Mountain Burger at Erma's before heading home. great to ride with you guys - thanks! (PS) |
| 5/9/1999 | 57 | Irish Hill - Plymouth - Fiddletown - Shenandoah - Forest Home | PJ, Ken S, John R, Ed | Brisk ride under the bright, weak sun for the four who missed Sierra and delayed Mother's Day celebrations. Nothing like Hambright Curve on dry pavement! (pj) |
| 5/2/1999 | 62 | Ione to Mt. Aukum via the scenic route, and back, a more direct route | Jimmy, JR, Karen | Well, being the only female participant of this afternoon's wet jersey contest (Chrissie, where WERE you???), I get to submit the following report: After being rained out of our 8 a.m. ride, a few of us were brave enough to try it in the afternoon [actually, only Karen showed up for both "rides" --Ed], and we had fantasies of making a fast run to Mt. Aukum and back before the skies got any uglier. We were half right. Our fantasy went the way of most fantasies (most of mine, anyway) and we started sensing rain just before Mt. Aukum, but, being so far from Ione, were in total denial. The brief downhill after Mt. Aukum was cold and painful. Just watching JR ride with arms and legs exposed made me all the colder!!! We made it to Latrobe before really feeling the moisture, and when JR wanted to return via Irish Hill, Jimmy pretended to be his mom by reminding him NOT to play out in the rain!!! We took Willow Creek instead, and if we weren't already wet, we got HOSED on Willow Creek!!! Thankfully, though, it was a fairly warm rain! It was great fun, but we were glad to be done! (KB) |
| 5/2/1999 | 1 | Parking Lot Loop | Dave N, Chrissie, Karen, Ed, Ken S, Larry H | Well, some of us showed up (notably missing: The Don). We "rode" the parking lot loop, looking at Bone's photos, talking of double centuries and doughnuts, deciding on Chrissie's racing schedule, discussing studying techniques for final exams, watching the drizzle increase into light rain, and everything else we could think of to keep us off our bicycles. But by popular vote, we all get one honorary Erma mile for showing up. |
| 5/1/1999 | 102*/80**/65 | Sierra Century pre-ride | John B*, Chrissie**, Ed*, Gene*, Peter (& daughter), Frank | Wow, that Sierra Century is hilly! Today was an interesting variation on some standard Erma themes: we rode from Plymouth to Irish Hill to Ione, Sutter Crk, Volcano, Lockwood, Fiddletown, Mt. Aukum, Somerset, Slug Gulch and straight back to Plymouth. Chrissie had to "read a Chinese novel" (which we think is code for something she wouldn't tell us about), so she turned back at Mt. Aukum and got about 80. Peter and Shawn rode a shorter ride for their birthdays (both this weekend). Gene's new bike made Gene faster than ever, especially on the hills. Frank was in a jersey, but rode separately. It was rather lonely on Slug Gulch, not to mention steep, and then we rode into some stiff headwinds on the way back, but John & I felt fine pulling back. (EH) |
| 4/25/1999 | 40*/65**/87 | Ione to Plymoth/Omo Ranch/Hwy 88/Volcano/Sutter Creek <BR><A HREF="events.html">See Events Report for Wildflower Century (Ed & John B) and Wente Brut/Livermore races (Chrissie and ??)</A> | Gayle*, Joyce*, Pat*, John R.**, Dave N**, Bob (Modesto), Larry H., Larry C, Karen, John H., Chuck, Ken S | 12 riders showed up in Ione to some very strange weather indeed! Welcome back winter: there was no sunshine until Steiner Rd. and then it was perfect for riding! PJ turned around in Plymouth so he will hopefully give the report of his solo return trip. At beautiful downtown Mt. Aukum, Dave N. and John "Don" had accomplished what they set out to do and said "see ya" to the rest and headed for a great ride home...with plenty of time to do chores! (J"D"R)<BR>Great turnout of Erma's Jerseys! We were surprised by the delay in spring weather, but it finally arrived about noon when we arrived in Mt. Aukum. From there, John R. and Dave Neff took the Fiddletown route while the rest headed for Omo ranch where the new playground equipment was the main attraction. The ride up to Hwy 88 confirmed why this is one of the "E" ticket rides. It was beautiful. The downhill to Volcano made al the 5000+ feet of climbing worth the effort. We could see the benefit of Larry H's training miles as we tried to keep up with him back to Ione. While we did not get the full 106 miles in, the ride was a good building block to get ready for a full Grand Tour. To top off the ride, Erma gave a free lunch to all riders who wore their Jerseys to the restaurant after the ride. Too bad most were too tired even to think of food. (Note that Larry H. put in a total of 95 miles by circling while the rest of us tried to recoupe at the rest stops!) (CG) |
| 4/18/1999 | 70/... | Sutter Creek - Volcano - Rams Horn - Pine Grove - Irish Town - Clinton - Stoney Creek | John R, Larry H, Larry C, Chrissie, John S, Ray, Ed, Jim & Penny, Gail, | It started already: someone complained about the heat. Another beautiful day, especially at the higher elevations. Good climbing with the usual pace pushing (preceded by sandbagging and distracting chatter) by Chrissie along with John S and Ray. John R dragged his tail. Ed did the Volcano part backward and took about 40 miles to warm up. Larry H kept saying the rabbit was dead, but we could find no corpse. Larry C improved considerably from last time we did this one. The "racing" down Clinton and then down Stoney was fast and hard. A record number of flats along the way too. We'll look forward to a report on the movie set that Jim & Penny ran into in Plymouth. |
| 4/17/1999 | 40 | Irish Hill - Plymouth & ret | Carolle, Gene, Karen, John R, John B, John and Ray from Stockton, Ed, Ken S, Chuck | A more or less moderate ride. Karen and John B rode to the ride from home. John got in a total of 111 miles after riding back home. John and Ray pushed pace on hills and pulled us around 30 mph down from Plymouth. Others took it easier, either enjoying the first real warm day of the year or saving something for the longer ride tomorrow. |
| 4/11/1999 | 41 | Irish Hill - Plymouth | John R, Karen | no report |
| 4/10/1999 | 41/? | After the <A HREF="events.html">Party</A>: Ione-Plymouth | John R, Dave N, Larry H, Larry C, Chuck, Jerry, Ed | After some ate lasagna and others snacked and reloaded following the Party Pardee metric century, 7 of us, spurred by Dave and John especially, rode to Plymouth and back via Irish Hill to get in another 41 for a total of 106 for the day. Half way through Irish Hill, most of us stopped groaning from the stiff legs forced to ride after resting. At the bridge below Plymouth, some of us wanted to turn back since the wind had picked up, gone cold, and the air smelled like rain. But The Don just rode on by, so we had to go on. We are all better for it--and the ride back wasn't bad at all--just a tiny sprinkle. |
| 4/3/1999 | 21/42* | Irish Hill and Willow Creek | Gail, Chrissie, Karen, Ken G, John R, Dave N, Ken S*, Chuck, John H*, Penny and Jim, Dave B, Kevin and friend | Well the earlier start time of 8:00 didn't get off to a very good START! Larry H. and Edzo must have known something that the rest of us didn't because they had the insight to stay home! Had a great turnout but the weather didn't co-operate at all. UGLY dark clouds, cold air, x-large SOUTH wind, and some rain were enough to cut the ride short...unless some riders went on while the rest of us headed for home! "Pulling the plug" early was a good idea because the STRONG north winds that came up suddenly would have made the trip home MISERABLE at best! Oh well, next week will be perfect.... BOTH DAYS!(JR) POSTSCRIPT: Sprinkles shortened the large group ride. Ken had gotten into civies. John H wanted to add some miles and optimisticly saw clear skies to the West. Go west young men! Ken suited back up. Return to Irish Hill - Carbondale - Mich. Bar and back to Ione. Recommend this route when wind is from the Northwest as hills give shelter heading west and the push home makes you think riding fast is no big deal. Ken was kind to JH. (JH) |
| 4/2/1999 | 74*/... | Plymouth - Mt. Aukum - Fairplay & ret | John R*, Ed*, John B*, Larry G*, Larry H*, Chrissie*, Joyce, Jim G* | The weather report said today would be "wonderful." Hey, it was right for a change. We took off straight for Irish Hill, eager to get at it. Starting at Plymouth and all the way to Fairplay and return, almost everyone took a turn at pushing the pace. Chrissie and Larry were obviously strong from their 200 miler. But since last weekend's Erma's rides amounted to over 150 miles for some, everyone else is getting stronger too. Most took a look at The Slug. JB and LG rode to top of Slug's first climb and pronounced it delightful. Chrissie, JB, and EH committed to doing the Terrible Two this year. Often out front were the 3 with the new jerseys on, and I'm sure that helped--at least it looked good. |
| 3/28/1999 | 68*/... | Sutter Ck - Volcano - Pine Grove - Stoney Ck | John R*, Ed*, Chuck*, Karen*, Larry C*, Gail, Joyce, Jim & Penny | We deserve special recognition. We started nearly on time. The tandem route lead by Jim and Penny with Gail and Joyce headed for Plymouth, and the rest of us headed up to Sutter Creek, all the while wondering how the Solvang crew performed on their double century the day before. We rode with two Stockton riders for a while up Sutter Creek. We hope they join us on future rides. Ed was pleased to hear that they knew all about us from the web site. The weather was the best so far this year. We had a great run down Irish Town Rd. Now we know why Karen likes to make that loop on her lunch hour. Larry's flat coming down Stoney Creek was the only thing that slowed us down. The vegi-pizza back at Ione capped off a great time. Thanks everyone for another great day! (CG) |
| 3/27/1999 | 85*/73/... | Ione-Plymouth-Mt. Aukum-Fairplay--also see: <A HREF="events.html">Solvang Double Century Report</A> | John R, Ed*, Chuck, John B*, Ken S, Gene, & newcomer Joe | John B. and Ed were the early 9:00 rabbits as The Don, Chuck, Ken, Gene, and Joe rode over to Howard Park to find out what the SBC was doing and depart Ione at about 10:00. On the way up, JB and Ed met a living sundial in Plymouth. Kid: "Do you have the time?" JB: "Sure, 10:45." Kid: "Oh, I was off by a quarter." JB: "Does your watch say 10:30?" Kid: "Nah, I tell time by the sun." JB almost replies, "So what do you do on cloudy days?" We chuckled our way up to sunny Mt. Aukum, watched some deer try to cross the road in front of us, made the Fairplay loop--bypassing Slug Gulch this time--and caught Ken, Chuck and The Don back in Mt. Aukum. Shooting on down to Fiddletown, The Don thinks it's time to try Ostrom too. Didn't figure that one in. A little regrouping and we all worked together to beat down a northwesterly wind. Sitting behind those guys makes life SO easy. The longer Ed and JB route was a breakthrough 85 (breakthrough, because we could stand when we got back), and the 73-miler for everyone else was a great workout. Can't beat a day in the spring when you actually get a little sunburn. Jonathan and Peter were there too... somewhere. (jb) |
| 3/21/1999 | 87*/63/55 | Ione-Plymouth-Mt. Aukum-Fairplay | Larry H*, Larry C, Dave N*, Dave B, John R, Ed, Jim, Chuck, Scott, & return guests Al & John from Stockton | No rain (for some of the wiser ones!)but the roads were quite wet all the way to Mt. Aukum. However, on the return trip the roads were amazingly dry! When we got to Mt. Aukum, Larry H (whose new nickname is "Turtle"--for his good deed in rescuing one of Mother Nature's finest from being flattened on Latrobe Rd.! (Nice gesture foresure Larry!)--and Dave N., and Scott headed up to Fairplay where they received a very wet welcome. The rest of us, realizing that we had just missed getting soaked by minutes, headed back with a bunch of lame excuses for not going forward and treated ourselves to another great-tasting pizza at Loretta's...watch out Erma's you might get replaced! Good luck to those of the "peloton" heading for Solvang! (JR) |
| 3/20/1999 | 65/60/... | Burson - Ospital loop | Joyce, John B, John R, Peter, Karen, Chuck, Ken S, Ed, Pat & Marggie, Bob; guests: Brad & Lee from SBC | Ah, yes. There was blue in that sky (finally), some sun, some wind, great camaraderie, and oh yeah, a new bike. Bike-life is good again. Almost-spring was in the air and it was great to be back in the saddle. A really fine day to ride with Erma. The Burson-Ospital loop is a nice combo of pick-it-up, ease-off, and pick-it-up again, along with rollers, loop-de-loos and wow, even some flats. With the strengths of Ed, Chuck, John, and "2 guys from Stockton" (Brad & Lee) leading the way, I could sit in the draft and keep mumbling, "Doh. Keep the heart rate under 180." It worked. We all made the ride in style because we knew what counted--how you look. All those new jerseys out there gave everyone real panache. Yeah, the new Lemond made a HUGE difference, but the biggest inspiration came from the group. (JB) |
| 3/14/1999 | 68/55/83* | Irish Hill-Plymouth-Forest Home-MichBar + Coal Mine - Curran loop | John H, Pat & Pattie, Pat J, Karen, Chrissie*, John R, Ed | As I sit here all cozy in my jammies nursing tired muscles and a very slight sunburn after two consecutive days of AWESOME riding, I am reminded that, yes, Virginia, there IS a spring and it will be here before we know it! YEA! The day began (or almost didn't, thanks to the doom and gloom of TV weather people!) <A HREF="reportsadd.html#031499">More</A> |
| 3/13/1999 | 65/79 | Stoney Crk - Clinton - Irish Town - Red Corral - Rams Horn | Karen, Ken S, John R, Chuck, Doug W, Dave B, Gene, Chrissie, Larry H, Ed, Joyce, Jim & Penny (tandem), Pattie (along the way) | Just another beautiful day riding hard in the California foothills followed by Karen's birthday celebration at the park in Ione. Thanks, John, for making it happen! The high points of the ride included Ed's scramble after Chrissie up Stoney Creek just to win a Cappuccino (good thing she got to Jackson first). Jim and Penny had a blow-out in the bike shop at Jackson--talk about good luck; anyone else would have been mile from nowhere. Chrissie ran into a couple of racers from Stockton. She teamed up with them and kicked our butts up Rams Horn and down to Sutter Creek. Hope they will ride with us again because they certainly helped keep the pace up. Thanks everyone for a great time! Happy Birthday Karen!! (CG) |
| 3/7/1999 | 64/87*/... | Burson-Ospital loop | Chuck&Karen, Jim&Penny, Larry&PattieM (tandems), John R*, Ken G, Larry C, Ed, Gail, Joyce, Pat | It was a marvelous day. Ed picked the perfect three-county route for tandems. Marggie & Pat road Sat. so today was Pat's time on the single. Jim & Penny, Patty & Larry, and Chuck & Karen made up the tandem portion of the peloton. Chuck & Karen had first-time jitters as a tandem team, fearing they would fall behind. <A HREF="reportsadd.html#030799">More</A> |
| 3/6/1999 | n/a | races | Chrissie, Dave, Ed | see <A HREF="events.html">Events Reports</A> page |
| 2/28/1999 | 56*/34/87** | Stoney Crk - Butte Mt. & back | Dave N*, Karen*, Jim*, John R*, Ed*, Chrissie*, Chuck*, Larry H**, Pat & Marggie (tandem); guests on first part: Kevin, Joe, & Bill from Stockton | An abbreviated ride was in order following yesterday's on several counts but long on camaraderie. Ideal day, though it got a bit warm on the climbs. While the rest of the guys took off up Stoney Creek, John stayed behind while the women shed some clothing. No espresso for Chrissie next time: she gave no quarter on the hills even on the "warm down." By the finish, only Larry had the steam left to tackle more, adding to his early-bird start. (DN)<BR> We did 34mi Pardee loop to train for tandemizing the Pardee Party with Jim & Penny. (PJ) |
| 2/27/1999 | 66*/28 | Burson - Ospital - Southworth Loop | Karen*, Ken*, Chuck*, John R*, Ed*, Gene*, Doug W*, Jim&Penny, Gail, Joyce | Something old, something new, & the sky was blue. Spring returned. Joyce returned from shoulder injury. Ken returned from too much work. Gene returned - period. Penny returned from being ill. Doug is new Erma rider. We rode a new route, a variation on the Burson - New Hogan Loop. Beautiful rolling hills all the way. (EH) |
| 2/22/1999 | 76*/55/51 | Stoney Creek - Butte Mtn - Stoney Creek - Irish Hill - Willow Creek | Chrissie, Pat, John R*, Ed* | The ride up Stoney Creek and Clinton Rd. had a lazy-day feel to it--a 9:50 AM start from Ione and an espresso stop in Jackson. John and Ed needled Chrissie, who gave as good as she got. Pat's new Ed-inspired heart monitor told him to shut up and breathe. New Monday holidays needed for this kind ride-- where the hell's a legislator when we need one? [PJ] (<A HREF="reportsadd.html#022299">More stuff about this ride...</A>) |
| 2/21/1999 | 48 | Camanche - Pardee - Campo Seco - Camanche | John R, Chuck, Ed | It didn't look possible last night, but this morning was beautiful in the foothills. Lots of clear, sunny periods, punctuated by a few isolated black clouds with rain in them. As we circled Pardee, we managed to do a successful doe-see-doe with a rain cloud, getting slightly wet only just after Campo Seco. All in all, a good recovery ride--followed by burgers at Erma's in honor of Chuck's birthday (Ed had the famous Virtual Burger). |
| 2/20/1999 | 84*, 58, 45 | Burson Loop in Reverse | LH*, DN,* LC, JG&PG, KB, EH, CG, GW, SHIRLEY, JOEL, JR | Good loop but not as good as the normal direction. Everyone had a good ride with some doing some extra mileage and some modifying the route to fit their needs. The rain started but it wasn't a problem. We got back to Ione just at the right time ... before the rain got "serious." (JR) |
| 2/15/1999 | 60 | Burson - New Hogan Loop | Karen, Chrissie, Jim, John R, Ed, Chuck | He's back--Ed returned from the Saturday crash. His back muscles hurt "only when breathing"; everything else seemed ok. Chrissie was fired up about her SECOND PLACE in her first criterium race on Sat. She attacked on every hill (she said she can "whip every Erma butt"). John was so frisky, he did the usual: rode two rides. Karen loved every minute, even though still feeling Saturday ride a little. Ole Lead Bottom was, as usual, laughing a lot and riding steadily until the end when he took a monster pull into the wind (thank goodness). Good ride, good conversation (PMS, etc.), good pace, and lots of playful competition on hill climbs. |
| 2/14/1999 | 83*/67/24 | 5 Mile, Michigan Bar, Carbondale, Willow Creek | Pat, Chuck, Jim & Penny (tandem), Larry C., Barbara Anderson, John R; Dave N*, Larry H*, Ken*, John H | Short "A" ride for some of us but good enough since Chuck and the "Don" had overcooked their legs the day before and planned on having a long day on Monday. So we said goodbye to LH, DN, KS, & JH at Ione-Sutter Creek Rd. and headed home. Oh, Jim Gray and Penny set the new record for the soapbox derby race on Willow Creek, passing Edzo's mark by a considerable distance. Having set the new "distance record," Jim is no longer known as Jim Bob but Ole Lead Bottom. (JR)<BR> The "E" Ride: Cool and cloudy. Welcome new rider Barbara from Davis. JH, LH & DN were earlybirds & looped thru Buena Vista before rendezvousing with the pack. (<A HREF="reportsadd.html#021499">continued, including 1st-timer's report...</A>) |
| 2/13/1999 | 65 | Stony Creek, Clinton, Irish Town, Pine Grove, Volcano, Shake Ridge | Dave B, Karen, John R, Ed, Chuck | What started out to be a short easy ride turned into an extended workout because of the sun and warm weather. Lots of green hills, great climbing, a new colt along the way. We enjoyed the >50MPH descent from Indian Grinding Rock into Volcano and a good climb up Rams Horn. On the way back Ed christened a stretch of pavement on Sutter Creek-Ione. A few sore ribs, but he should be back in the saddle soon! (CG) [You heard of Hambright Curve; now add the Hensley Straightaway to the list of Memorial Erma Body Parts Roadways.--EH] |
| 2/6/1999 | 27 (rain shortened) | Curren Road /Coal Mine Rd. Loop | Crissie, Karen, Chuck, Ken, John R | An elite and brave group headed out of Ione under cloudy skies but comfortable conditions. We decided to do loops that end back at the "port" in case it started raining. Got to Commanche w/o rain and ran into Chuckles who attempted "not to know us." He was a little late for the ride and came "against the grain" and joined up. Not to blame Chuckles, but the RAIN started upon his arrival.[<A HREF="reportsadd.html#020699">Click here for more.</A>] |
| 2/5/1999 | 60 | Stoney Creek - Clinton - Irish Town - Pine Grove - Volcano - Sutter Crk | Chrissie, John R, Ed, Lois & Bob Weast (tandem) | Very nice day for a ride, even though a front came in near Pine Grove and Volcano and lowered temperature a bit. Great new route: Clinton-Irish Town Rd. Visited Bill at shop in Jackson and then saw Karen in her civies (so that's what she looks like without a helmet) at her office in Pine Grove (she couldn't come out & play). Bob & Lois, training for PBP, handled the 5000 ft of climbing on a tandem just fine, despite Bob's ride to Auburn yesterday. JR so fired up by good weather, he did another 20 "other" miles. |
| 1/31/1999 | n/a | n/a | n/a | canceled--rain |
| 1/30/1999 | 82*/60/55/... | Karen's Choice: Burson - New Hogan loop | Karen*, Larry H*, Chuck*, John R*, Ed, Gail, Joyce, Bob Y., Rich, Gene | Karen's report: What a ride! Well, for me, anyway. It all started when John asked me to pick the route. What a sleepless night I had--decisions, decisions. But I knew what I wanted: to be able to keep up for a change. The group has a jump-start on me this year, and I'm trying to catch up. So my request was: drop it a notch! And while you're at it, let's ride on the "other side" of Ione for a change (fewer BIG hills, more rollers). [<A HREF="reportsadd.html#013099">Click here to see the rest of this report.</A>] |
| 1/29/1999 | 77*/60/55 | Stoney Creek - Butte Mtn & return | John R*, Ed, John B, Patty | A beautiful day for cycling. So beautiful, John R rode two (rides). Jackson was sunny and felt like 70 degrees. A combination of harder riding and conversation. We picked up Patty on Jackson Valley and then re-met her on Stoney Creek. We did Coal Mine & Stoney Creek to Jackson, where we visited Bill at Jackson Family Sports. Then rode to top of Butte Mtn & returned down Stoney Creek. After returning, JR went out to do the Carbondale loop. |
| 1/24/1999 | 69*/36 | Irish Hill - Plymouth - Fiddletown - Mt. Aukum | Larry H*, Dave N*, Chuck*, Dave B*, John R*, Chrissie*, Ken*, Ed, Pat | The weather cleared perfectly. The clearest, sunniest day of the year so far. Though chilly at start, not bad with so much sun. Lots of new green grass everywhere. Pat & Ed returned via Willow Ck from Plymouth. The rest of the ride went from Plymouth to Fiddletown and then to Mt. Aukum via Tyler. The sun disappeared, and it really got COLD. So much so that we didn't stop for long in Mt. Aukum and headed back down to Plymouth, joined up and went home via Carbondale and Ione-Michigan Bar Rd. Everyone (except Dave N. and Crissie) was "done" and there was no mention of going for a few extra miles! (JR) |
| 1/17/1999 | n/a | n/a | n/a | canceled--rain |
| 1/10/1999 | 70*/60/49 | Sutter Creek - Volcano - Rams Horn - (Shake Ridge) - Lockwood Jct - Fiddletown - Ostrom - Plymouth | John R*, Dave N*, Chrissie*, Larry H*, Jim, Karen, Ed, Ken, | Cold, gloomy fog til half way over Ione-SC Rd. Then strip time. Sutter Ck was spectacular--clear, warm. Road to Volcano had ice, frost, but no traction problems. We sunbathed in Volcano while Larry made a sculpture out of his bike and Ken ate turkey. Ken, Karen, Ed came straight back Shake Ridge. From Daffodil Hill thru Lockwood Jct was just great. Warm. Fiddletown Rd. was in perfect shape--no ice. From Fiddletown, did Ostrom Rd. back to Plymouth, School House Rd., Irish Hill and 5 mile road to get 70 miles. (JR) |
| 1/3/1999 | 58/54/41-45 | Sutter Creek - Volcano - Rams Horn - Shake Ridge | John R, Larry H, Chuck, Ed, Ken, Larry G, Jim & Penny, John H | Take me back to Volcano! It was perfect up there and even better at the top of Ram's Horn. Great ride except for the beginning. Ram's Horn was in fine shape as was most of Shake Ridge. John H & Ed ran out of time. Chuck wasn't feeling up to par but gutted it out. Ken missed his turkey sandwich because we wouldn't let him stop long enough in Volcano ... great friends we were! Larry G. and I did extra out around the prison and back on 5 Mile Road, so we got 58 miles. (JR) |
| 1/1/1999 | 99*/60/40 | Burson - New Hogan Loop + Irish Hill - Plymouth out & back | John R*, Dave N*, Larry H*, Chuck*, Ed*, Ken*; Chrissie, John B, Larry C, Jonathan, Jim | Perfect start for the year. Just ask John about meeting Jean in Valley Springs. 6 finished a full 99 miles to start 99. 5 others did 40- & 60-mi options. Not as sunny throughout as we expected, but moderate temps. Quotes: "Good ride today. And lots of laughs." "A great ride and to have such good weather in January is amazing." "I felt really good. Great way to start the year." |
| 12/29/1998 | 70/58* | Plymouth - Mt. Aukum - Fiddletown - Ostrom | John R, Chuck, Ed, Pat* | Great day in the foothills. We actually got HOT and had to strip off gear in Plymouth. John & Chuck set fast pace last 30mi. [Minority report: Winter sun shone on us. My first Erma's ride in weeks was a reminder that the foothills are warmer and prettier than the fog-bound valley. The 3 amigos knocked off an extra 12 miles while I ate soup in the pizza place on the corner (don't tell Erma). (PJ) |
| 12/27/1998 | 45/62* | Coal Mine - Pardee Loop | John R, Ed* | Like springtime (comparatively). No cold fingers & toes. Pleasant ride. Decided not to ride with Stockton BC. Rode around Pardee. Ed added 5-Mi-Rd. and Irish Hill out and back. |
| 12/26/1998 | 45/63* | Coal Mine - Pardee Dam Loop | Chuck, Jim*, John R* | A great ride. We did the Pardee Loop. It was cold but not like Thursday thank goodness. Chuck had an airport run so he did 45 and Jim and I did 63. (JR) |
| 12/24/1998 | 45/68* | Coal Mine - Pardee Dam Loop | John R*, Chuck, Ed | Even colder. Ice on Coal Mine; mostly dry, clear. We bundled up and had no problem after warming up for ~10 mi. John added 20+ after returning to Ione. |
| 12/19/1998 | 75 | Slug View Loop | Larry H, John R, Dave N, Dave B, Ed, Jim, Ken | COLD. Never warmed up. Original plan changed to Tyler across to Fiddletown and then back via Plymouth, Forest Home, Irish Hill. Not even a peek at Slug Gulch. |
| 12/17/1998 | 50 | Basic Rams Horn Loop | Chuck, John R, Larry G, Ed, Gerry | Clear, warm, perfect day. Watch for wet areas and sand on Sutter Ck Rd & Shake Ridge. |