A couple of months ago I joined a local cycling club, Mission Cycling. Since moving back to California five years ago and getting back into cycling seriously again I’ve been looking for a group to ride with, but the clubs were always either race-oriented or based outside the city. Then in the past six months I started seeing a kit with the logo “Mission” out on the roads in Marin. Turns out the club is based out of my neighborhood in San Francisco, so after a stop-light chat with a member and visiting the website I found that this was just what I’ve been looking for and signed up.

They’ve got a really nice looking kit designed by one of the founders; best looking kit I’ve seen, honestly. The sponsors, all my favorite restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffee shops in the neighborhood, provide either discounts to members or have subsidized our gear so we get top-quality kit at affordable prices.

Riding with a group is great motivation to get out of the house and ride; even if it’s just one other person. I’m riding 3-4 days a week now and loving it. Wednesdays and Thursday evenings we do hill repeats in the Marin Headlands (20 mi / 2500 ft climb), Saturday a longer challenging ride (60-90 mi / 5000+ ft climb), and on Sunday or Monday I try to ride with my lady, Addy.

The club has also been a great way to meet people, and I have found most of the club members to be very friendly and welcoming.

While I was riding ALC, I posted pictures via Twitter [follow me]. Some of these appeared in the club blog – here and here.

Recently I won a really nice helmet in a club contest. They filmed the winners being drawn and there’s a funny bit where someone who doesn’t know me assumes Shannon is a girls name. Video is taken at Delfina Pizzaria, a club sponsor.

Here’s one of the club founders interviewing us last weekend after we climbed Bolinas-Fairfax Road from HWY 1 to Ridgecrest Blvd. near Mt. Tam.