Redding, CA is knows as a HOT town. And in fact, it IS! In summer, anyway.... days over 105 degrees are pretty common! But in spring, it's heaven for cyclists. Oak trees, rolling woodlands, livestock pastures, etc. all look amazingly green & lush for about a month in April, and that's exactly the right time to be putting time in the saddle! Temps are mild, which makes up for the occasionally breezy day. I've been riding all winter but looking forward to spring every day! I could blog a bit about a few epic rides, one of which was supposed to be a 4 hr
ride but after 2 hrs of freezing, driving rain in which I could barely brake or shift the bike, I called for a rescue, haha.... my wife just shook her head at me as I fell into the front seat of the truck, soaked head to toe and shivering uncontrollably. But anyway, in spring that doesn't happen really... wait, except a couple of weeks ago when I got caught in a 20 minute hailstorm that about knocked my glasses off, followed by sheets of rain that covered the road with huge, heavy raindrops. BUT, I digress. I am actually attempting to write about how GREAT it is to ride in the Redding area in the spring, and I've got a few pics here to show what it's like! We're also within an hour
of Lassen Peak & Mt. Shasta, so there's no shortage of beautiful cycling with tons of climbing! Every ride I do is with the TdR in mind, of course! I'm riding around 225 miles a week with the goal of 3 centuries a week by the end of April, after which I'll keep the same schedule but move those century rides into the mountains as we get into May & early June. At that point we'll do a couple of hard training weeks, the first in Tahoe where we'll ride 4 mountain centuries in as many days, and about 2 weeks later we'll spend a week in the eastern Sierras near Bishop, cycling all of the high elevation mountain climbs they have over there with the goal of 4, maybe 5 heavy climbing centuries in a row. If that doesn't get us ready, I don't know what will! I'm hoping we have a pretty solid base by then, and after a 2 week taper we'll hopefully have what it takes to tackle 13 mountain centuries in 15 days during the Rockies Tour starting July 20!
The ride I'm supposed to be blogging about today is a beautiful 72 mile loop that I do straight from the house! I'm lucky that way, as Redding is a fairly small town of 85k people, and within 15 minutes I can be on fairly rural roads that are great for cycling with low traffic and nice scenery. I'm still into fairly flat & rolling terrain at this early stage of my training, and I'm trying to build that base of mileage so I can transition into the mountains without as much trouble. Four hour rides are the norm for me these days, and I'm making sure to ride a sustainable pace, since that's what our trip will be all about! I don't stop much at all, though, so my heart rate
is up for a fairly solid chunk of time. The tour will be different, though, with our little stops for grub or a pic that will help the legs recover throughout the day. The ride passes the Northern California Veterans Cemetary, which is a very moving place in the small town of Igo, CA. It sits on a quiet hilltop outside the town, and those Northern California residents who gave either part or all of their life in the service of their country are buried there. I've stopped a couple of times, but usually I simply roll by with an increased sense of gratitude for the life I lead. After a 20 mile stretch of flat & fast section of Gas Point Rd, you cross the Sacramento River near Cottonwood and
follow Ash Creek Rd. along a long, beautiful stone fence until a small climb lifts you up enough to see the mountains on the horizon. A fast, gently downhill section on Dersch Rd. allows for a fun section of 30 mph pedaling in the big gears, and pretty soon you're back into the Redding area for the home stretch! I rode this loop the other day and took a wrong turn, so it ended up being 77 mi, time 4:24, 2400' climbing, not that fast at 17.5 avg. but quicker than we'll probably be riding this summer! I'm psyched to reach the 300 mi per week milestone and start doing long days in the mountains as the snow starts to melt. I'll post any interesting rides and pics here as we go. Thanks for reading!
ride but after 2 hrs of freezing, driving rain in which I could barely brake or shift the bike, I called for a rescue, haha.... my wife just shook her head at me as I fell into the front seat of the truck, soaked head to toe and shivering uncontrollably. But anyway, in spring that doesn't happen really... wait, except a couple of weeks ago when I got caught in a 20 minute hailstorm that about knocked my glasses off, followed by sheets of rain that covered the road with huge, heavy raindrops. BUT, I digress. I am actually attempting to write about how GREAT it is to ride in the Redding area in the spring, and I've got a few pics here to show what it's like! We're also within an hour 
of Lassen Peak & Mt. Shasta, so there's no shortage of beautiful cycling with tons of climbing! Every ride I do is with the TdR in mind, of course! I'm riding around 225 miles a week with the goal of 3 centuries a week by the end of April, after which I'll keep the same schedule but move those century rides into the mountains as we get into May & early June. At that point we'll do a couple of hard training weeks, the first in Tahoe where we'll ride 4 mountain centuries in as many days, and about 2 weeks later we'll spend a week in the eastern Sierras near Bishop, cycling all of the high elevation mountain climbs they have over there with the goal of 4, maybe 5 heavy climbing centuries in a row. If that doesn't get us ready, I don't know what will! I'm hoping we have a pretty solid base by then, and after a 2 week taper we'll hopefully have what it takes to tackle 13 mountain centuries in 15 days during the Rockies Tour starting July 20! 
The ride I'm supposed to be blogging about today is a beautiful 72 mile loop that I do straight from the house! I'm lucky that way, as Redding is a fairly small town of 85k people, and within 15 minutes I can be on fairly rural roads that are great for cycling with low traffic and nice scenery. I'm still into fairly flat & rolling terrain at this early stage of my training, and I'm trying to build that base of mileage so I can transition into the mountains without as much trouble. Four hour rides are the norm for me these days, and I'm making sure to ride a sustainable pace, since that's what our trip will be all about! I don't stop much at all, though, so my heart rate 
is up for a fairly solid chunk of time. The tour will be different, though, with our little stops for grub or a pic that will help the legs recover throughout the day. The ride passes the Northern California Veterans Cemetary, which is a very moving place in the small town of Igo, CA. It sits on a quiet hilltop outside the town, and those Northern California residents who gave either part or all of their life in the service of their country are buried there. I've stopped a couple of times, but usually I simply roll by with an increased sense of gratitude for the life I lead. After a 20 mile stretch of flat & fast section of Gas Point Rd, you cross the Sacramento River near Cottonwood and 
follow Ash Creek Rd. along a long, beautiful stone fence until a small climb lifts you up enough to see the mountains on the horizon. A fast, gently downhill section on Dersch Rd. allows for a fun section of 30 mph pedaling in the big gears, and pretty soon you're back into the Redding area for the home stretch! I rode this loop the other day and took a wrong turn, so it ended up being 77 mi, time 4:24, 2400' climbing, not that fast at 17.5 avg. but quicker than we'll probably be riding this summer! I'm psyched to reach the 300 mi per week milestone and start doing long days in the mountains as the snow starts to melt. I'll post any interesting rides and pics here as we go. Thanks for reading!
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