Sierra Cyclists Do The Long & Winery Road

Is it possible that serious cycling and Zinfandel can mix?
That's a lot likelier to happen when one of the 2009 Sierra Century cycling ride sponsors is local favorite, Dono dal Cielo Vineyards.


I admit to being a little partial to the Dono grapes as my in-laws, Bill and Karen McGillivray own this up and coming boutique winery nestled in the Sierra Foothills enclave of Newcastle. They are very active in promoting their region as one of California's new wine meccas on the rise. Every Saturday and Sunday Dono dal Cielo is part of the Auburn Winery Trail teaming up with four other great regional wineries to complete a Sierra Foothills vintner's circuit.

Last Saturday, however, they not only opened their new wine tasting room, but also hosted the biggest rest stop for the weary Sierra Century cyclists to catch their breath, hydrate, nourish and even taste some great Zins.

Here my sister-in-law and cycling buddy, Kristy Sanden, poses in front of the Dono dal Cielo entrance on Wise Road while herds of hungry and thirsty cyclists flock to the Dono rest stop in the background.


Could even solid rock be some relief after so many miles on a bicycle seat?


I am from the coastal town of Santa Cruz where the weather is usually a lot milder than the Sacramento area in June. It could have been 106 degrees on this ride but mother nature was super cooperative and even tossed in some beautiful scattered clouds. Shown here is the brand new Dono dal Cielo wine tasting and barrel room.


Most great organized rides conclude with food and the 2009 Sierra Century was no exception. The ride began at Whitney High School in Rocklin and the post ride activities took place at the adjacent Whitney Park. Sometimes I think you can exceed the calories expended on these rides by all the food along the way.


My parting shot is of Dono dal Cielo owner, Karen and her son, Hunter who will be carrying on the family tradition as events manager for the winery. Dono dal Cielo is Italian for "A Gift From Heaven." And for the hundreds of Sierra Century cyclists it was also an oasis and much deserved treat near the end of this great ride through the amazing Sierra Foothills.


Newcastle, California. Where even velos and vintners can meet.

My First Century!

Now that sounds really old. Actually, in the cycling world a century is a 100 mile ride and I am pleased to say I just completed my first organized one after only about a year of riding. I have been training for this and anticipating the ride called Strawberry Fields Forever. As you will see in some photos to follow this ride took place mostly in the beautiful rural agricultural stretches of Monterey County.

This is my sister-in-law, Kristy, and I still quite perky as we just got our numbers and we were pumping up on all sorts of energy foods. Kristy is not really hung up on numerology but the "666" was just a little too much so she decided to hang it on her bike upside down so it read "999" instead.

The Strawberry, as it is most affectionately known, has a reputation for having some of the best food at their rest stops. We enjoyed fresh orange slices, coffee cake, bagels & cream cheese, granola, mini burritos and even cappuccino in addition to all kinds of beverages for re-hydration. There were four rest stops and one full lunch break along our trek.

The coolest thing about these stops were how very GREEN they were. Each stop not only had triple recycling bins but a person monitoring them to make sure no waste went wasted. There were even volunteers stationed at all the bins to make sure that your food scraps made it into the compost bags. Cycling and Recycling. They go hand-in hand.


The green spirit is not only part of the cycling world but also very representative of the kinds of people who take this sport seriously. By definition cycling is one of the most eco-friendly means of transportation. Cyclists are generally quite fit and courteous of others around them. Check out this sign someone posted along the Strawberry route. Bike GPS devices are quite expensive and when they fall off it causes significant disappointment. Someone took the time and effort to make this sign. Locating the owner might be a bit of wishful thinking, however, as the device was found at last year's event. Oh well, it is still an amazing gesture and completely indicative of the kinds of great people who love this sport and have created a community around it.

And now for the scenery which is one of the most amazing perks of this ride. They don't call it Strawberry Fields Forever for nothing as this next shot reveals. Although this region is famous for its artichoke production there are also rows and rows of strawberry plants and we are right in the middle of the harvesting season. There is nothing like a cool Pacific breeze mixed with fresh strawberry essence to give you a lift while pushing that crank around and around!


One of the rest stops was near the Monterey Bay Academy. Here's the view from their long entrance off San Andreas Road. Their motto is "Where Land and Sea Unite to Inspire" and it is not hard to see how this slogan came to be. The campus rests in one of the richest agricultural belts you'll ever see. This stop had a theme called "Italian Festival" and they served all kinds of antipasto treats and Italian coffee drinks. Weren't we supposed to be pushing our collective athletic envelopes on a rigorous sporting event?

Could there have been a more natural spot on this route than the Elkhorn Slough? Outside of San Francisco Bay it is the largest tract of tidal marsh in California. My propensity to stop for photos did not win us any time trial awards but it was well worth it to document Mother Nature's constant display of beauty.



No first century could be complete without the proverbial flat tire award. I caught a construction staple in my rear tire just shy of the big rest stop for lunch. My very hungry state made this the fastest flat I have ever fixed but we did have to pause for one silly shot of me and my spent tube around my neck like a lei. Ahh-Low-Hah!




How about this sign for a little bit o' irony along the way. Fire safety aside I could not help but think they were also pushing those of us century newbies towards that big 100 mile mark.





OK, now it's time for some truth in blogging. The REAL reason they call it The Strawberry is your final reward at the end of the ride. You guessed it. The freshest strawberries you'll ever taste and many of them dipped in a variety of chocolates too. Kristy and I were certainly not shy at that point to partake in the red delicious.


Strawberry Fields Forever...
And in the end the love you take is equal to the miles you make.

Very Velo Vendors

Sunday I saw a long time wish come true when I finally got to hit the road with some of my favorite fellow wedding folks. Human nature so often surfaces when you toss out the invitations. Everybody says let's get together and ride but when reality sets in family/events/clients and other distractions take hold the rides seldom come to fruition.

However, this time I had a winner route map and a very cooperating Mother Nature so rounding up the cast of characters was a snap.

This first picture was my team. On the far left is the Rev. Ed Holt. In the middle position is Ron Grandia and batting cleanup on the right is David Ethridge.

Rev. Ed Holt and I have been getting in lots of rides both near his hometown of San Carlos and in Santa Cruz as well. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to work with Ed he is the greatest wedding officiant going. His passion for delivering personalized ceremonies just shines through.

Dave Ethridge and I go way back to his humble beginnings of wedding videography. He is truly one of the originals and just celebrated his first year of full-time wedding videography. Just check out his beautiful website at www.avideoreflection.net

Ron Grandia is a fellow DJ and one who really gets it. Ron calls himself "a different kind of DJ" and it doesn't take too close of a look for one to realize that title is well deserved.

This shot of Ron & Dave is a bit of a self-portrait with my camera. The silliness here is a combination of fatigue and endorphin rush. However, neither of these gentlemen are known for being particularly shy nor reserved.

Our ride began right on the beach at Highway 1 near Pescadero Road. We road into the beautiful hills overlooking the ocean and down to San Gregorio. Our first stop was at the famous San Gregorio Store. This place is an exercise in eclectic. The one building houses the post office, only store and a rest stop for hundreds of cyclist, bikers and anyone else enjoying these back roads. On the weekends the store also boasts live bluegrass bands. What's not to love about San Gregorio.

We concluded our ride with an amazing meal at the legendary Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero. They were kind enough to let us stow our bikes in their huge pantry for safe keeping while we dined. I had recently seen Duarte's featured on The Food Network so I was eager to taste its local color. I was a bit surprised not to see a framed photo on the wall of Guy Fieri who hosts The Food Network segment but I guess the Duarte's folks just remain unaffected by the national attention. You must go there and try their famous artichoke soup. The food is every thing they rave about and more but served where unpretentious is the word. About the only thing that stood out in this place was the four hungry cats in their wild cycling outfits.

We hope that our little trek through the hills above Highway 1 is just a precursor to many more rides with wedding folks. If you share our passion for riding, please let me know and we'll include you in our next outing. Ron says "cycling is the new business golf." Although no million dollar deals were struck we had an amazing day of comradery and a great workout too with about 45 miles under our belts.

My Very First (Real) Ride

I have been Spinning for about five years now. Some of you may think that means playing DJ (spinning the hit songs) like I have done for a career since 1969. But actually it is a great form of exercise on a stationary bicycle. Forget that image you might have of someone sipping on a soda and reading a magazine while they barely move the pedals on a LifeCycle. A Spinning class is a brutal workout. It is 45 minutes to an hour of jogs, runs and sprints that is the equivilient of a 15 mile bike ride. I got hooked on Spinning right out of the chute.
The endorphin rush is spectacular. In less than one hour and in any weather you can get a great cardio workout and burn lots of calories.

The funny thing is that most people who spin are cyclists who are there to train. I am a Spinner who just got his first taste of the open road. My sister-in-law, Kristy, took up cycling a few years ago and now goes on all kinds of organized rides. She even has done the Deathride which is a serious 129 mile, 15,000 vertical feet through three passes in the Sierras.

Our first ride was from Castroville (the Artichoke Capital of the World) down about twenty miles to the famous 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula. What makes this ride so spectacular is the cool ocean breeze in your face and no cars to run you off the road. They have a very smooth bike path that runs along Highway 1 so you never have to worry about traffic. A stop for lunch in one of the many great spots in Pacific Grove makes this journey complete. Navigating 17 Mile Drive by bike is an amazing up close and personal look at some of the most incredible personal homes and exclusive golf courses in the world.

See you on The Peninsula!