Tour de Menlo

Excellent event. Friendly folks at the start and at lunch. It may be challenging for a beginner, but it’s a great little ride! It’s also good to support a local charity!

I don’t know what all the griping is about! I’ve ridden this three times and even though I ride these hills every weekend, the Rotary Club puts their heart into it and it’s great fun. Chapeau!

OK friend saw flyer for this one so I decided to do it. The money goes to a good cause for $ 45.00 to help out the Rotary tutoring projects at Garfield School in Redwood City and the Rotary scholarship program. I have a choice between 65 miles or 37 miles and I decide lower one since not sure I can handle and never done this tour ;)) Well good thing I picked the lower one since quite a few folks said 65 mile was really tough and there were some bad markings on 37 miler which a bunch of us got lost around VMWare and figured out that was the way back not towards the winery DOH! So we all road 40 miles instead. Here are some highlights:
–Lost in VMWare parking lot with 4 other folks going ok at least we were not alone
–Going up Montebello Road and wondering why I’m going super slow to later realize I have a flat tire (Ok not in such bad shape after all!) That road was super steep and sucked!
–Nice man from SAG support who changed my tire super quick so I could go on my way. I owe you one! You are my hero!
–Awesome view from Picchetti Ranch of Cupertino
–Yummy roast beef sandwiches from Draegers and those grapes and oatmeal cookies rocked!
–Way back some guy deciding to moon our group as we rode back (EWW!)
Good times and hope to do again next year!

So… there comes a time in a former athlete’s life when she must admit that she is old, and the body is no longer cooperative. That time would be this bike ride. My friend Monique and I decided to roll out of bed on a Sunday for a 7am start time of this 30 or 50 mile bike ride.
Well, the 30 miler was billed as a beginning to intermediate ride. Folks – it was not. We hit the hills by Canada College near Woodside and OUCH – straight uphill. Knees uncooperative.
Furthermore, this lovely little race was put on by the Rotary Club and claimed to be «fully supported.» To that I say, «My ass!» or rather, «My knees!» Monique and I waited for a while for «support» after conquering the first set of three hills. My right knee was not in a good way.
We finally gave up and rode gingerly to Robert’s Market for hot chocolate. This race was a bust, and the $ 45 entry fee hopefully went to a good cause, because… otherwise I might be tempted to scream GIANT RIP-​OFF. Oh wait, it was a giant rip off.
Kids, if you want to go on a bike ride, just head to Woodside or Skyline and go biking. You’ll get about the same amount of «support.»
God bless the Rotary Club…