This morning I forgot that my riding shorts were still in the wash, so when Justin came by at 7:20am I wasn’t ready… again. We were ten minutes late for the safety speech as we rode through the Presidio so we decided to skip check-in for today’s LifeCycle training ride and headed directly to the Golden Gate bridge.

Weather Underground said it wouldn’t reach 60 degrees today, and when I checked this morning at 7am it said it was 36 degrees in Fairfax! Brrr… I dressed warm but thankfully the sky was clear and the sun warmed things up significantly.

Today’s route took us over the bridge and along the usual route out to Fairfax; 25 miles, give or take. This is a very pleasant, mostly flat ride through the quaint villages of Larkspur and Ross, with only one little climb to speak of before Corte Madera (1.3 miles, 320 ft). At Fairfax we refilled our water bottles, ate a banana, and began the climb up the back side of Mt. Tamalpais.

The route up Bolinas Road requires a 3.5 mile (950 ft.) climb before rewarding you with a descent to Alpine Dam. On the way up we saw a bunch of deer hanging out on a busy golf course; seemingly ambivalent to all the goings on around them. Alpine Reservoir is a stunning place; it feels isolated, surrounded by hills and forest. The sounds of rushing water and wind through the trees; the water shimmering in the sunlight. We took a short break before beginning the second climb to Ridgecrest Blvd (2.5 miles, 850 ft elevation). I like this second section because, though it’s steeper than the first, it switches back and forth up a forested slope and is completely shaded; the climb to the dam is out in the open and on 90+ degree summer days it can be irritating (excess heat was not a problem today).

After a short way through the forest, Ridgecrest emerges onto the sunlit rolling hills at the top of Mt. Tamalpais State Park. This four mile section of road is so beautiful. You feel like you’re at the top of the world, vistas in every direction, but it’s the way the road twists and rolls around and over the grassy hills that give the place it’s real charm for me. These hills along Ridgecrest are affectionately known as The Seven Sisters; while you’re taking in the sights you’ll climb another 600 ft before arriving at the intersection with Pan Toll Road.

Here you can continue on Ridgecrest Blvd to the top of the east peak of Mt. Tam or descend Pan Toll to Panoramic Hwy (Panoramic runs over the mountain from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach). We saved the east peak for another day and smiled the whole way down the 2000 ft, 8 mile descent. From there it was an easy promenade back through Mill Valley and Sausalito before a short climb to the bridge.

Though the LifeCycle route sheet said 50 miles for this ride, my Garmin GPS said 61.25; hooray for metric centuries (well, almost)! Total climbing was 4500 ft of elevation.

I was really proud of my team mate Justin; this was his first time on Tam and despite handlebars that just won’t stay put, he kept a steady pace and we made the trip in just under five hours. Addy, you’re next!

My friends and I are preparing for LifeCycle 8 this June, when we will join 2500 others and ride our bicycles from San Francisco to Los Angeles (545 miles) over the course of a week. The event raises money for The San Francisco AIDS Foundation, who provides leadership in preventing new HIV infections. I am $1800 away from achieving my fundraising goal; can you help with a small donation? Every little bit counts!!

To help me to participate in this event, and to support a worthy cause, visit http://tofighthiv.org/goto/shannon