Presidents’ Day to Winters

It has been an annual BBC tradition to do a bicycle ride on the Monday of Presidents’ Day. This was initially originated by Jerry, who has now moved up to Walla Walla, Washington but even with Jerry gone, the holiday tradition continues.

The “A” group started the ride at Rockville kitchen and bar in Fairfield. The “B” group started a little east of that near the Hilborn Occupational Center. Some A group cyclists rode over to the start but most of us drove to the parking lot. When we gathered in the parking lot, we found that we had 16 riders. We shoved off as scheduled, and headed up Suisun Valley Road and then east after passing Larry’s Produce, which was closed for the year. We continued up through the neighborhood above Highway 80 and eventually made a left onto Hillborn Drive. About that time one of the group had a mechanical issue and so we stopped to deal with that. But just a few minutes later the entire B group (6 riders) arrived behind us, after having started at the HIllborn Occupational Medicine Center, and so the whole group was together at this point in the ride.

After dealing with the mechanical issue, we shoved off and headed back along the frontage roads paralleling the I-80 and then left on Pleasant Valley Road up into the orchards of northern Vacaville. We continued north until we arrived at Putah Creek Road, and had a regrouping there. Then we launched the group back along Putah Creek Road eastbound arriving at Winters as scheduled. We stopped at Steady Eddie’s Café, which has many large A-frame style bike stands, and had a nice lunch together as a group. After lunch and filling water bottles, we headed back east under the 105 Freeway, and then south through the residential sections of Northern Vacaville. The GPS route we had downloaded included a wrong turn/U turn (whoops) but we sorted it out and regrouped.

We passed behind the Cantalow Road crossing and then rejoined Pleasant Valley Road. There had been a lot of residential construction done after the recent fires in the hills. There was a stiff headwind on the way back which made it much better to stay as a group as much as possible. We continued on back to Fairfield the same way as we came, and arrived back at Rockville Kitchen and Bar tired but exhilarated by a great day on the bikes.

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated. There’s no Crew without You.