Sunday’s Four Hill Ride was a journey for the adventurous
cyclist, including as it did roads with abysmal pavement, roads without pavement,
and pavement rarely traveled during SRCC rides. Seven riders accepted the day’s
challenge, and two additional riders accompanied the group part of the way, then
turned in a smaller arc as the rest of us launched ourselves north toward Lake
County.
The weather was mild at the 8am start, with no need for knee warmers
or jackets. As the day progressed, the temperature climbed toward 80 degrees, a
bit warm for riders habituated by a long winter to cool and cloudy rather than
warm and sunny.
Conditions were chatty as the group climbed Hill #1, Geysers
Road. We safely negotiated the crumbling asphalt on the northern side of the ridge,
then hit the wind on Interstate 101. Fortunately, a few strong riders took the
lead and broke trail for the rest of us.
Hill #2 required more concentration. This was Old Toll Road,
an almost traffic-free road which climbs east over the ridge between Hopland and
Kelseyville. After crossing a minefield of potholes in the first few miles, we
reached the relative smoothness of gravel for the rest of the way up and down.
The Hopland Grade was Hill #3 and featured very nice
pavement, but by this time it was early afternoon and we were climbing in the
lee of the ridge, with no breeze to cool us down. Water bottles were empty by the time we reached the top of
the ridge and descended toward Hopland.
After refueling, we headed toward Hill #4. Mountain House
Road was the smallest climb of the day, but by no means the least painful, as
our tired legs could attest.
Reaching civilization again in Cloverdale, we were pushed
along smooth pavement by a stiff tailwind. This made for a fast trip back to Healdsburg, where
beer and burgers at the Bear Republic awaited us.
The adventure was a great success thanks to a well-matched
group of competent and friendly cyclists whose spirits never flagged, even if
their bodies wanted to!
The route can be viewed here: Four Hill Ride on RWGPS
