Back on Saturday, 2 December 2023, we lost our dear rando friend Peter Grace about 12 miles into our 2023 Estero Americano 200k ride. I had done the Start Control for the ride over in Richmond which meant that I started the ride 10 minutes late (along with Robert who had crashed at my place the night before so he had a ride to the start since Brian wasn’t riding due to family obligations). I don’t really want to go into details of what we saw when we came across the crash site and finding out halfway through that ride that it was Peter, who I had a lot of mutual friends with and had finally met in person that morning when he checked it for the ride at my car. I asked Rob after if we do could do a SFR memorial ride for him and picked the Del Puerto Canyon 200k as during our short time with SFR, Peter had done DPC and Hopland (400k) twice and other ones only once. Our Spring DPC was on 24 February this year and the SFR Board granted us permission to do it in memory of Peter. Rob arranged for half the registration dues to go towards the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, a local charity that Peter supported. Peter’s family found out that we were doing a ride for Peter and reached out to offer their services. I was the Volunteer Coordinator for the ride and had the pleasure of meeting Peter’s sister, Ann, and her husband, Jim, the day before the ride to pass off 20 gallons of water to them for the Junction Bar & Grill control stop that they offered to staff. I got to share with them why we picked the DPC ride along with what Peter meant to SFR during his short time with us. They asked what other treats they could provide for us and what would I want when I’m starving on a ride and I said the obvious of “ANYTHING.” We have ensured that everyone on the ride knows that Peter’s family will be staffing that control.
DPC Start
We had a usual good turnout of about 100 riders that morning. I carpooled with Ioannis to the start at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station and knew I’d have a lot of friends showing up for the ride. Upon arrival I saw Robert and was running over to say hi to him when I made a last minute decision to tackle an unsuspecting Brian from the side and cheerfully yell “GOOD MORNING BRIAN!” while bearhugging him. A slightly terrified Brian cautiously replied with good morning salutations. I then gave a much calmer morning greeting to Robert and Pierre who had both carpooled with Brian to the start. I got to say hi to Charlie and Ken also before the customary ride briefing by are feared cat herder Rob before we peddled off in one massive peleton. Side note that I had canceled on Page Mill repeats with Charlie for the day before this ride since while it seemed like a good idea earlier in the week, by Thursday night it sounded like the dumb idea it was to do PM repeats the day before DPC. I still owe Charlie a make-up o’dark thirty PM repeat date.
I think it was the first left turn that I finally saw Dan and got to give him a quick hug hello. He and Charlie were doing the last Finish Control shift which despite Rob’s usual resistance, I managed to arrange it so both Dan and Charlie could do the ride with buy-in from Colin and Francois (mid-shift Finish Control volunteers) that both of their reliefs were doing the ride and very likely to finish in plenty of time before their shifts. I’d even arranged with Dan to get me a half-baked pizza from Zachary’s knowing that Dan would have probably been doing that anyway for his dinner plans. I also didn’t want to ask Ioannis to do the detour to the Zachary’s in San Ramon post-ride on our way home! And I was correct that Dan had been planning on hitting up Zachary’s anyway. 🙂 Anyway, Dan was planning on riding DPC “kinda fast” which meant that Dan was going to slam this in about 7 hours.
Riding along with Robert, Brian, and Ioannis
As we passed by the Livermore Public Library, Ioannis and Brian pointed out that that’s where the DPC Junior 173k ride started/ended in December which takes out much of the boring flat part between Dublin/Pleasanton BART and any fun climbing. Since a large part of Tesla Road is closed, we had a route change to go through Patterson Pass instead. Somehow Ioannis has never done Patterson Pass before! While describing to another rando who has never done DPC before on what the climb out of DPC is like, another person behind me yells out that the climb SUCKS. It’s not a long climb really, but it’s definitely not fun in the heat. Luckily today it’s early enough in the ride too that it’s not that bad. The peloton has broken up into several much smaller groups as the climbing starts. I see Victor who I recognized from the short ride we did to install the ghost bike in San Rafael where Peter was killed. Robert says that he’s going to be doing the sweep up all the climbs since he’s very out of shape and overweight these days having taken much of the winter off from doing much riding. He’s also declared that he’s going back to doing brevet cards instead of EPOP due to a scuffle the other day on a ride where he went off route a few times and exchanged unpleasantries with that ride’s RBA.
Almond Orchards
We’re riding with a few other guys who are keeping us at a fairly quick pace and we discuss stopping at the Jimmy One Stop in Tracy, which has been the Second Control and first stop for many in the past. The other guys decide to keep going through so Ioannis, Brian, and I keep going to stay with them. We’ve lost Robert a little ways back and trust Robert’s magic wormhole to make him appear back with us sooner or later. We shortly lose the other guys though as they zoom off down Kasson Road and wonder why did we not stop at Jimmy’s to get off our bikes 44 miles into the ride. Ioannis and I complain a bit about how we had wanted to stop, but had kept going as we thought the other guys were going to stay with us. If we knew that they’d just take off like that shortly after, we would have broken off from them at Jimmy One Stop! Ioannis and Brian had wanted to shed some layers too. Brian asked if I ever wore leg warmers and I told him that when you have legs like mine, you need to show them off! I actually do wear leg warmers on o’dark thirty and knowingly cold rides, but today I decided to leave them at home as I didn’t want to carry them for at least half the ride. Seemingly stuck now on riding through to Patterson, about the half-way point, we meander along through the almond tree orchards with me out in front while Ioannis and Brian take their sweet time getting to Patterson. I already declared my prefer lunch spot of the Baja Fresh at the Shell gas station.
I swear that bird was just fine until Brian approached it
Being the nice girl I am, I wait for Ioannis and Brian to catch up on Rogers Road right before the turn into the gas station so they know where it is. As we pull up to the Baja Fresh, Brian happens to be parking his bike next to a dead bird. He asks me why did I put a dead bird next to his bike and I maintain that bird was totally fine and healthy until he rolled up and then the poor thing flopped over dead. My legs are kind of beat having ridden 60 miles in 4 hours without any stops minus the brief moments at red lights seconds before they turned green. I see a reflection in the store window and start thinking “who is that skinny bi…oh…that’s me.” given that I’ve hated how I’ve looked in cycling kits for years and even having lost some 20 pounds in the last 4 hours somehow, I still don’t usually think I look that good in one. We restock up on water and some snacks, which I try to buy Ioannis’ so I can cut in line with him and he drove me to the ride, but he beats me to paying with his Apple Pay and says to nevermind for paying for my water. I decide to multi-task during lunch of taking burrito bites while reapplying sunscreen, taking off arm-warmers, and repacking stuff. Robert also managed to catch up with us after stopping at the Jimmy One Stop too and joined us for lunch. He’s ready to roll out as are the rest of us. I have trouble clipping in and realize that I’ve foolishly left my cleat covers on my cleats still! Correct that blunder and we pedal off towards Del Puerto Canyon with it’s miserable climb out of it.
Riding through Del Puerto Canyon
I’m having some trouble keeping up with the guys for some reason while meandering along Del Puerto Canyon Road. This part always reminds me of the first time I did it with Ken and his friend Jacques as we stopped at a few places along the way to take photos. The wildflowers are very sparse right now which is a little disappointing, but hopefully it means the climb won’t be bad. Brian, Dan, and Ioannis told me that the climb is much easier in December/January when the temperature is definitely cool in the afternoon. Robert starts hanging back with me and I tell him that I’ll want to take a break at the Adobe Springs even though the water tap is shut off. I just want a breather before slogging up the climb out of the canyon. Robert and I jump off our bikes roadside while Brian and and Ioannis go up the start of the climb. I’m never looking forward to this climb and wonder why I do this ride every time I’m at this spot. Other randos are taking a break also even though the water tap is turned off. Robert lays down on the grass like he’s taking a nap! I really don’t want to move, but this climb isn’t going to get any flatter and the day isn’t getting any younger (neither am I). Robert and I eventually start the climb out of the canyon resting assured that we’ll have the worst of this ride behind us in just a few miles.
Robert and I resting before the climb out of the canyon
Robert and I start climbing with Robert being surprisingly slower and doing a more “delivery the paper” traverse to get up it than his usual charging straight up. I’m using the rare occurrence of being faster than him on a climb to find designated points along the way to wait for him and use as short breathers for myself. A few of us are leap frogging each other on the way up and giving encouraging words to each other as we suffer through this climb. The weather is cooperating, but the climb isn’t! I recall the last time I did this climb where I swiped screens on my Garmin and left a streak of sweat salt across the screen while having visible sweat droplets threatening to drip into my eyes. Neither miserable experience is happening today at least.
I get to the top of the climb which I wish had a better view than it does. I talk to another rando who just got there and find out it’s Noah! I’ve corresponded with Noah in the past and never knew what he looked like. We’re getting into talking about SFR stuff when Robert summits and starts immediately on the descent. I have to bid Noah goodbye to take off after Robert. It’s not much of a descent and we still have a handful of miles before we get to the Junction Bar & Grill. I’m looking forward to seeing Ann and Jim there too! Jim is there with a clipboard checking of riders’ names. Ann gives me a big hug (my highlight of the ride!) and we chat a bit. Jim thought they were out of clementines and then finds another bag and brings me one. I thank him for it and stuff it in my handelbar bag as I don’t need it right now. I take a couple of other goodies from the smorgasboard of snacks they provided for riders. They also have a wonderful display of Peter with some photos of him for riders to see. Ann and Jim are excited to be part of a world that meant so much to Peter and getting to see first hand what randonneuring involves along with places and roads that Peter had been on during his rides with us. Robert wants to get a soda from inside the bar & grill as I wait for him and notice that I actually have cell reception there! I fire off a couple of quick text messages before we roll off again to Mines Road.
Junction Bar and Grill
This is the part of the ride where I feel so close to the end, yet so far. I prefer to think of it as we don’t have any real climbing left and Robert says we have two big climbs left. They aren’t really THAT big and for my mental sanity, I don’t want to think of them as “big” or even really existing. Truth to be told, they aren’t more than just relative bumps especially considering the real climb we did getting out of the canyon. We pick up another rando whose names I forgot along Mines Road. There’s a car behaving oddly as it was driving towards us and then stopped, turned around, and sat there as we passed it, making all of us very uncomfortable. It calmly passes by us and we never see it again. At the top of the second short climb, I lose Robert as I guess he pulled over (?) and I start descending with another guy, Jack, who had been at the top and started descending at the same time as me. We’re drafting off of each other as we swap places back and forth for several miles along Mines Road through the short descents, gradual climbs, and a lot of flats. We eventually introduce ourselves and he goes “YOU’RE the famous Kelley Prebil?” I brush it off as that well, I guess he knows my name since I was the Volunteer Coordinator for today’s ride so I sent out a few emails pestering people to volunteer for the Finish Controls. There are a couple of runoff crossings which Jack is more hesitant about crossing than me sending every single one with abandon. Jack asks if I have ever done PBP and I tell him no, which he says that he is going to convince me to do it one day. I have little desire to do anything that involves training for a long event ever again after my marathon swimming days. Good luck with convincing me Jack as it’s a HARD NO and I don’t see that changing anytime soon!
Riding along Mines Road with Pierre
We meet up with Pierre and a friend of Jack’s who had been looking for Jack. Pierre happily cries that he promised the guy that he’d find Jack and he’s found Jack! Jack pulls over to his friend at the side of the road while Pierre and I continue on. I haven’t ridden with Pierre really since the time I met him at the Davis Last Chance 200k with Brian a couple of years ago. Pierre is fun to ride with as at every single, even small, descent, he happily hoots and hollers “HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Right before we get to the real descent on Mines Road into Livermore, I see a text from Dan saying that he’s ordered my pizza! OMG I REALLY AM GOING TO HAVE ZACHARY’S WAITING FOR ME AT THE FINISH!!! I quickly stuff my phone back into my jersey pocket and savor the descent knowing that all of the climbing is totally over and we’ve just got flat miles afterwards to the finish and my pizza!
I was expecting Robert to catch up to me since he is normally much faster than me on descents, but I surprisingly don’t see him at all. Jack and his friend catch up to us and we’re a foursome continuing to the finish. At the turn from Mines Road onto Tesla Road, another group catches up to us and ask us what ride we’re on as they’ve seen a lot of us wearing the SFR jerseys. I start explaining it to him when the light turns green and we never finish the conversation. Unfortunately on one of the left turns, we lose Pierre who gets stuck at the red light. We try to soft pedal and a couple of other randos catch up to us, but neither is Pierre. I see a text from Robert that he’s finally at the bottom of Mines Road, but I’m quite a bit far ahead of him. I decide to just keep going to finish with Jack and his friend. This is always the longest part of many rando rides where you’re done with all the climbing and descending and now it’s just the flat slog to the finish. There was a slight change for this route with coming back which I silently complain that it’s just to add unnecessary mileage when I just want to finish. Also in this case, I want to get to my Zachary’s pizza!
We roll into the finish and I see both Charlie and Dan hanging around early for their Finish Control shift. I check in with the current Finish Control volunteers and chat with Dan. They’ve got Bubly sparkling water which makes me damn happy since I don’t drink soda so usually I don’t want the drink offerings at the end of rando rides. I also decline any snacks since hey, I’ve got a whole Zachary’s pizza to take home! Dan says I should have ordered it fully baked so I could have been eating 2 slices right there and then instead of waiting to get home. Good idea, true, but may have been cold between the time that he picked it up and I finished my DPC! Pierre rolls up and we cheer that he finally caught up to us! Yah! Robert also finishes so I can at least say bye to him before Ioannis and I depart. Dan gets my pizza from his car and brings it to me at Ioannis’ car. One last hug goodbye and Ioannis and I head home.
My Zachary’s pizza delivered by Dan!
I’m glad that we got to use this ride to honor Peter Grace. During his short time with us, he volunteered a lot and left an impression on everyone who crossed paths with him. He broke some ribs crashing into a deer before PBP last year and instead of canceling his flights to Paris, he went anyway to support his fellow SFR and other randos for the epic 1200k. I’m sorry that he didn’t ever get a chance to ride PBP himself. It was awesome to have his family at the Junction Bar & Grill getting a taste of the rando world that he loved so much and seeing some of the remote roads that he had ridden on with us. He was definitely with us for this ride today.