Over the weekend I went to Gilroy to visit the family, do some riding, get my head on straight again, and to see how the drought has had an effect on the area. Living in San Francisco it’s often times hard to remember that we are in a drought because everything is so green around us and there is no mandatory conservation. Gilroy, however, has very little to no water and have had mandatory water conservation, with a $500 a day fine, in act since August 1st. Gilroy is also a major farming community so it’s interesting to see all this dry land and then ride by moist fertile farmland with sprinklers shooting out water without a care in the world.
Cycling, food, and beer. If you don’t thinks these three things go together like peas in a pod then you haven’t ridden yourself to the point of being completely drained. If you have, and you know the horrendous feeling of a bonk, or the magnificence of a cold beer after a hot ride, then this post is for you! For too long of a time I have forced gels, and dense protein bars down my throat during rides to keep me fueled. I say “forced” because these unappealing foods made eating while riding a chore and something I would tend to forget out until it was too late. I was tired of this and slowly started going back to “normal” food, food that I could easily make and would look forward to eating. It started with just bringing a banana and a Nutella sandwich, but then I saw Skratch Labs was releasing a second book all about portables. I got on the preorder, and as soon as the book arrived I was excited and immediately wanted to make something.
Where do I go when my bike needs a tune up? Cykel. It’s one of those bike shops in San Francisco that’s tucked away in a small space that you would miss if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The shop has a wide selection of Focus bikes which is what originally drove me to start taking my Focus bike there. They have deep knowledge and passion for what they do, and it shows in everything they do from the shop layout to detail that they take in making sure your bike is fit 100% correctly.
Labor day was last week and with labor day came the Giro di San Francisco. I took this as a chance to catch my first women’s pro race, and to cheer on some friends in the men’s categories. All in all it was a fun day getting some pictures and talking to some fellow cyclists. My buddy Matt even put together a little video of the event!
People ask me all the time, “Tobi, why do you ride a road bike?” I can get into long winded discussions describing all the emotions I feel on the bike. It’s more than just a hobby, or a sport, it’s a passion, a passion that pours through my veins 24-7. The first time I felt this emotion for the sport was in 5th grade when I zoomed down my first hill on a road bike. I was hooked!
With the coming of the summer and Grand Tour season comes the opening of two new Rapha Cycle Club locations. Last year saw London and New York City hosting these locations. This year Mallorca has already been announced, and has been open for a bit now. I am proud to announce to all of our readers that the second location will be in San Francisco!