Anyway much as I thought, Pete is one strong rider. Except for the fact that he's only 40, it's hard for me to believe that he's this good after having only ridden for 2 months. Without me holding him back, he probably would have been able to stay with Don Wolff who was doing 20+ up West Dry Creek Road. After 5 miles of that, I told Pete that I needed to back off a little to have some left for those eight miles after the Visitor's Center.

So we cruised along side by side at 17 until we got to Dry Creek when I volunteered to be the one who drafted. After regrouping at the dam, we followed Don, Steve and is it Orin? up the hill. Orin missed the turn and then when we whistled him back he asked is it like this for far?

And I said oh yes, but not all of the 44 miles to Stewarts Point, just most of it. Anyway, at some point we left Orin and then a little later we saw Steve coming back. Pete and I are obviously bad influences on each other because we kept egging each other on, "well shall we do another mile", "oh yes, let's at least go to 20 on my odometer", "one more rise" and "then let's go just a little further".

The long and short of it is we got to the eight mile point after Don had finished his Cliff Bar. I offered Pete one of mine and told him the bottom line was that I needed to eat as well as drink. Anyway, bless their hearts they indulged me then and on the return ride down the hill. What a perk for all of that effort. It was a great rush, exceeding the 30mph speed limit!!! We stopped at the Visitor's Center to take off wind breakers, etc. and for me to once again offer Pete the option of going on with Don. Between the two of them though, all three of us made it back to Healdsburg in what I would call record time for me.

When I thanked Don for the draft he said it was okay because he was used to pulling his wife Barbara, who I know as being a really good rider. Don went on home from Healdsburg to Santa Rosa and Pete and I went back to the parking lot. This was Pete's longest ride since he's been riding and he seemed in great shape when we were putting our bikes up. He did admit that his legs would probably feel it, but he was glad he had done the ride for two reasons. He can now tell his friends he's done it and what were they talking about, "it was a piece of cake".

And he picked up a number of pointers while we rode (how to pick who to draft behind and the importance of keeping a straight line) and also when we stopped (how to prop the bike using the pedal against the curb). If you want you can work some of this into what I assume will be your ride report. ....... La Valle 

Editors note:

I rode back from the visitors center at Lake Sonoma with Frank and Ellen Hamlin and Craig Combs at a little slower pace than 20+ MPH (we rode Dry Creek Rd.).  We had other activities planned today and needed to get back.  The rest of the group went Dutcher Creek, Red Winery and Hwy 128 back to Healdsburg.  Darn good ride and Bill Dunn tried his best to keep us all together (but you know it's never going to happen).