Introduction

Welcome to installment #5 of Dave’s Bicycle Adventures. This is the fifth time in ten years that Dave and I have gotten together for a Dave-planned adventure. This is the fourth adventure for Dave’s friend Dick as well as Terry, and the third for Robin. This is the first time since September, 2005 the five of us have gotten together. The group of us had been discussing for a couple of years about where to go for our next trip. Last year, Dave, Terry, and I did a short tour around Dave’s home in Denver, Colorado. We discussed and looked at various maps of Italy, hopefully doing traversing some of the Dolomite passes.

However, the mighty US dollar had been losing value for a couple of years and wasn’t looking any better this past spring. Terry and Robin suggested we do a California tour around wine country. I thought it a wonderful idea as I hadn’t been to wine country in California for about five years.

Dave was a bit apprehensive but seemed to warm to the idea. The big problem, of course, was how to convince Dick to end his boycott of the US. I’m not sure how Dave did it, but Dick was on board some weeks later.

Dave again planned his meticulous itinerary but provided for ample side trips and detours. The original plan was to take an eight day trip with six days of cycling. Most of the rest of us, however, wanted to shorten the trip by one day; we decided that two rest days was too much for this trip. In September, 2005, we cycled the Raid Pyreneen in 10 days — with no rest days.

The overall plan was to meet at Terry’s house in Sunnyvale, do our usual preparations there, drive to Santa Rosa for the start of the trip, do a circle route and end up in Santa Rosa. At that point we would drive back to Sunnyvale after the last day of riding.

Dave and his lovely wife Pattie drove out from Colorado with two bicycles – one for him and one for Dick. Dick flew out and met Dave at Terry’s house. Interestingly enough, Terry spent the previous ten days on a business trip to Japan and had returned to California, but no one had seen him for a couple of days, except for his lovely wife Donna.

Dave and Dick secured the rental van and assembled the fourth incarnation of ‘the shelf.’ I guess reincarnation does exist….

I was the last of the group to arrive on Thursday. Dave, Dick, and I retired for the evening after a big meal and toooo much beer.

So, sit back with your best bottle of California wine and enjoy our adventure.