Quote

December 28, 2011. This quote from late dramatist and author (and Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winner) William Saroyan: "The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind". Ride On!

Merry Christmas 2011

December 25, 2011. Merry Christmas from the Windbreaker Family!

2011 Tour de Foothills

November 13, 2011. Braving wind, rain and cold, the steeliest of Windbreaker men took to the roads of the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel mountains for the 2011 version of the Tour de Foothills. Well done brothers! and Ride On!

Ride Report: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

October 10, 2011. While in Cape Cod during the Columbus Day weekend, Windbreaker wife Therese joined Map Boy for a beautiful ride on the Shining Sea Bikeway from Falmouth to Woods Hole, finishing at the Nobska Lighthouse with a view to Martha's Vineyard. Ride On!

Fuel

After a hard day on the road at the California Coast Classic, the Windbreakers enjoyed a cold beverage or two to put away those last few remaining miles. Ride On!

Cycling Adventures

September 25, 2011. The Windbreakers have logged many miles this month at various weeklong cycling events. First, it was our intrepid warrior and outdoor adventurer Craig (along with lovely wife Kathi) at this year's edition of Cycle Oregon. And just last week John, Dave, and Jamie completed the 2011 California Coast Classic from San Francisco to Santa Monica. Ride On!

Seen on the Road

Duval Street, Key West, Florida. Ride On!

Mammoth Mountain/Devil's Postpile

July 30, 2011. A great bike and hike weekend at Mammoth and Devil's Postpile National Monument. Ride On!

Ride Report: Santa Ynez Valley

July 2, 2011. In Solvang, California for the July 4th holiday weekend, and found myself with the chance to take the bike while in the area to attend the wedding of the daughter of a good friend. Warm temps all weekend, so headed out very early along Ballard Canyon Rd., then on to Foxen Canyon Rd. and Alisos Canyon, through the small town of Los Alamos to Drum Canyon and return on SR 246 through Buellton. Great ride on roads in the area made famous in the movie "Sideways". Ride On!

Rabbit and Sons Return!

June 15, 2011. Our very own Rabbit has just returned from a trek down Hwy 1 from Sausalito to Santa Monica. Ride On!!

Seen on the Road

On the window at Wahoo's Fish Tacos Restaurant, Foothill Boulevard, Rancho Cucamonga. Ride On Windbreaker Nation!

A Day on "Old Baldy"

May 21, 2011. Continuing the finest of Windbreaker traditions, Rabbit and MapBoy (and rumor has it that Wrench was at Shinn Rd and Guardrail was in Downtown Glendora as well!!) joined a few thousand other crazed cycling fans for the Amgen Tour of California. In past years the Windbreakers have posted up at the Balcom Canyon "Wall", Mt. Palomar in SD County, and at Lakeview Point near Big Bear to view the Tour.

Anticipated for many weeks, this Stage 7 "Queen Stage" route followed very familiar roads to we Windbreakers, starting in Downtown Claremont, ascending Mt. Baldy Rd, then west on Glendora Ridge Road, GMR, and San Gabriel Canyon Rd. After a sprint in Glendora, the riders then experienced the pain and suffering that we know all too well...a climb up GMR, then Glendora Ridge Rd over Cow Canyon Saddle to Baldy Village, then up Baldy Rd. to the switchbacks, past Manker Flat to the Ski Lifts. An epic 75.8 mile stage won by Levi Leipheimer with Chris Horner right on his back wheel. Levi was quoted after the stage: "The last six kilometers were tough, some of the toughest in the world".

The weekend adventures started with Rabbit and MapBoy securing one of the last remaining campsites at Manker Flat on Friday morning at 7 am. We then rode to work, with MapBoy riding back later that afternoon and Rabbit riding up the next morning. MapBoy rode to Cow Canyon Saddle early to view the 1st KOM and Rabbit viewed the peloton on Mills just after the start. We met up on Manker Flat on the last mile of the epic climb to view the riders on the finish at the Ski Lifts. A great day!

L Etape' du California

May 7, 2011. L Etape' du California...for those of us not fluent in French it translates to "stage of the tour". On Saturday May 7, 2011 Windbreaker intrepid cycling warriors Rabbit and Map Boy joined approximately 1,500 other cyclists on an opportunity to ride the same route as the upcoming Stage 7 "Queen Stage" of the 2011 version of the Amgen Tour of California.

This was not a day for the faint of heart. These are roads we Windbreakers are very familiar with, just not in the planned order and doing them all in the same day! The ride started with our national anthem and other fanfare in Downtown Claremont, not far from our regular post-ride hangout, 42nd Street Bagel. From there it was up Mills, Mt. Baldy Rd. to Baldy Village, then to the first summit at Cow Saddle. Then along Glendora Ridge Rd, East Fork to Hwy 39, and down San Gabriel Canyon Rd. Then east through Azusa and Glendora, back up Glendora Mountain Rd and Glendora Ridge Rd again to the Village. It was here that the final stage of the route heads up Mt. Baldy Rd passing Ice House Canyon, the switchbacks, Manker Flats to the finish at the ski lifts. 90+ miles and 10,000 ft of vertical gain.

Map Boy and Rabbit met up with friends Vince, Patrick, Tom (from San Diego), and Theresa, Brad and Brian from Pasadena. Perfect weather...cool and overcast with the sun breaking through as the day progressed. Map Boy lost contact with Rabbit early (no surprise), but felt good throughout the day, at least until the final climb to the summit. As Map Boy's neared the switchbacks his left foot got more and more numb and sore until the pain took over and forced a turn downhill. A "spot of bother" as Phil Leggett and Paul Sherwin like to say. Only a couple miles short of the finish but may feet of climbing remaining. Still a great ride and experience!

Rabbit was our man on the mountain this day...the Windbreakers Polka Dot jersey and KOM award goes to him...Congratulations!

San Diego Gran Fondo

April 10, 2011. A beautiful day and fantastic ride starting in the Little Italy section of Downtown San Diego, south along San Diego Bay, through Chula Vista and into the hills east of San Diego, finishing the 105-mile loop in Downtown. Ride On!

High Country Ride

Looking west from Glendora Ridge Rd toward Cow Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River (photo by Rabbit)

April 2, 2011. Rabbit, Map Boy and Coach headed up Mt. Baldy Rd to Baldy Village, then across Glendora Ridge Rd and Glendora Mountain Road to San Gabriel Canyon. A great day.

Quote

March 23, 2011. This quote from the prolific English author H.G. Wells, best known for his works in science fiction including The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds: "When I see and adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race".

Ride On

March 6, 2011. A beautiful late winter ride up Glendora Mountain Rd. and Glendora Ridge Road to Mt. Baldy Village. Ride On!

Quote of the Month

February 27, 2011. Nicknamed "Il Campionissimo", (Champion of Champions), the late Fausto Coppi was the dominant international cyclist during the 1940's and early 1950's. He was the winner of the Giro d' Italia five times, theTour de France twice, and numerous spring classics. When a reporter asked him what it takes to become a great champion, he responded "Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike".

Ride On!

Glendora Mountain Road

February 20, 2011. Following an overnight storm, the Windbreakers take on Glendora Mountain Road. A beautiful ride with the snow-covered San Gabriel Mountains in the background. Ride On!

Tour de Palm Springs 2011

February 12, 2011. A beautiful day for a bike ride in the Coachella Valley for the 2011 edition of the Tour de Palm Springs. Followed with a stop on the way home for a cold beverage and grilled bratwurst at Hangar 24 Craft Brewery in Redlands. Ride On!

Riding in L.A.

Downtown L.A. skyline from Sierra Madre Boulevard in Glendora

January 15, 2011. A true "urban" ride from Upland, along the San Gabriel Valley foothills, then historic L.A. roadways, Huntington Drive, Main Street past Union Station and Olvera Street, Downtown Civic Center, Spring Street through the Civic Center and Fashion District, then west to the coast along Venice Boulevard to Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier. Ride On!

Quote of the Month

January 9, 2011. This quote from the late American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author Carl Sagan: "If the constellations had been named in the twentieth century, I suppose we would see bicycles". RIde On!