Author: Stephen Blair

Two Rides – Two Bridges and Soup!

VeloRaptors were out and about over the weekend January 28-29, in spite of the weather!

Saturday, VeloRaptors and Oakland Rotarians once again did the Martinez-Benicia Two Bridge ride. We rode in and out of foggy patches, and it so happened that the Carquinez Bridge was in fog. But, we found the sun, hot coffee and fabulous pastries at the One House Bakery in Benecia!

On Sunday, Dale put on his annual Soup Kitchen. Moreover, the 49rs were playing for the NFC championship vs the (Philadelphia) Eagles.

Seven ‘raptors rode from Montclair out to Alamo, despite the cold and rain. Several others took the more ‘sensible’ method and drove out to Dale’s. All were rewarded with a plethora of hot soups waiting to be consumed. Thank you Dale for helping us survive the weather and the Niners shellacking.

Dale’s soup kitchen – Five soups this year including Chicken Tortilla, Beef Chili, Salmon Chowder, Minestrone, and a Moroccan style entry.

VeloRaptor Humor!

A little self-deprecating humor from a couple VeloRaptos.
For those who say we take cycling too seriously 😉

Krish says rumors of his demise are greatly exaggerated!
Dale found his very own road while in Joshua Tree National Park (Old Dale Rd)

The 7 Riders that fought the cold – and won!

Seven hardy riders braved the initial cool temperatures today and had a very nice ride.  We actually had 8 total participants, as Rob did a short ride, but Mike M. came along to take his place. Chris S. gets honorable mention for showing up at L’Cajou to cheer us on.  

We encountered a light sprinkle as we left Orinda and enjoyed sunshine all the way back. 

Great start to November!

Tour of Alameda – Saturday, Oct 29

Join us for a ride around Alameda Island on Saturday – Oct, 29, in conjunction with Oakland Rotary.  This ride is designed for those who may want a bit of exercise followed by a good beer.  If that is you, then come along on Saturday.   

Two options are planned

A 13 mile ride starting at Faction Brewery at 10:30. This will be a loop that gets back to Faction about noon when there will be a food truck there https://www.factionbrewing.com/visit#food-trucksHere is the route; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41286192
For those wanting a longer ride, meet at the Lake Merritt Library at 9:30, we will then rendezvous with those at Faction at 10:30. That will make a 40 mile ride. Email Veloraptors@gmail.com if you plan to ride.

VeloRaptors can Ride For A Reason

Saturday – April 23,  a pack of VeloRaptors helped R4R get to 98% of its goal of $180,000. Both the fund raising and the the cycling aspects of the ride were a great success.  The weather was perfect, rest stops were appropriately spaced and well supplied, and of course the VeloRaptor riders were excellent company. The R4R organizers offered a variety of routes and most of us chose the 68 mile route from Suisan City to Sacramento. Although Paul L. (in bright yellow) started in Oakland, completing over 100 miles.   

Some of us stopped for a libation before boarding the train back to Suisan City.

Kevin M. (in street clothes) provided SAG support. I should note that VeloRaptor Tom (below) and his grandson were among the top 10 overall fundraisers! 

VeloRaptors – Out and About – Winter 2022

 

While we all wish for a bit more rain, VeloRaptors have been out riding in 2022 enjoying the good weather. Here are pics from a few of our riders.

In February a group enjoyed the brilliant displays of wild mustard in the hills north of Livermore. 

Then on a windy Saturday in March several hardy VeloRaptors were spotted at the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse.

Pt Reyes Lighthouse

As the members of our club are of a certain demographic, there seem to be a lot of Steves in the mix. Four of them (front row) and friends did an alternative Wednesday ride up a very green Mt. Diablo

You may not know that a new section of the McLaughlin State Seashore recently opened near the Berkeley bike bridge over I-80. This new section of park is named Brickyard Cove and 3 VeloRaptors happened to be the first cyclists into the park on it’s opening day.

VeloRaptors Raise $$ for BORP

On Saturday, Sept 18, 10 VeloRaptors pedaled in support of BORP. Despite COVID interrupting the normal event for the second year, the group was able to raise over $12,000.  These dollars go a long way in providing sports, recreation and fitness programs to people with physical disabilities, reaching over 1,000 folks in the Bay Area and beyond.

It was a beautiful day for the ride, with cool temperatures and the group completed a metric century.  Their route circled the East Bay in a counter clockwise direction, starting in Moraga, riding down Redwood Road to Castro Valley, over the Dublin Grade to Pleasanton, up to San Ramon, Danville, Alamo and Walnut Creek, before working our way back to our starting point via Lafayette and Orinda. Post ride libations were enjoyed at the Canyon Brewery in Moraga.
To make the day truly special, the rain gods blessed them with a very tiny shower during the night. 
The effort was led by co-captains Steve Goldenberg and Randy Mellin. Othe particpants were: Steve Blair, Tom Willging, Pauline Fox, Chris Scrivani, Howard Neal, Kathy Tate, Kevin McTighe, Robin Brumell, and our beloved SAG driver Dennis Cathey.

Here we are at the Valley Java Cafe in Castro Valley.