Rough Riders - Multi-Surface Cycling from XO-1.org Galleries

Rough Riders Rambles in La Jolla / Sorrento Valley, April 29, 2009 to the Present : These are photos from our weekly (Wednesdays at 5-7pm) Rough Riders Ramble in the La Jolla / Sorrento Valley, CA area. Join us! Our slogan is "Any Bike, Anywhere" and we believe in riding any distance, in any conditions, over any terrain, at any time of day or night. That sounds really hard-core, perhaps, but mainly we enjoy getting "out there" by riding roads, dirt roads, trails, and paths on whatever bike we happen to be on or have handy. Sometimes the pavement's long gone and we're still on our "road bikes" or some bike that would be commonly considered inadequate for the job - and that's just fine by us! Rough Riding is not defined by the type of bicycle or type of riding surface. Rough Riding is a state of mind, a riding style with limitless freedom and an all-pervasive sense of adventure. More info at http://www.XO-1.org

Rough Riders Rambles in La Jolla / Sorrento Valley, April 29, 2009 to the Present

These are photos from our weekly (Wednesdays at 5-7pm) Rough Riders Ra ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2009 8:17am PST

A little bit of Rough Stuff : A nice 62 mile road ride can be greatly improved with a few trail sections thrown into the mix!

A little bit of Rough Stuff

A nice 62 mile road ride can be greatly improved with a few trail sect ...

Updated: May 01, 2009 3:35pm PST

Rough Riding the Santa Monica Mountains on May 17, 2009 : Five illustrious Rough Riders enjoyed a 40-mile excursion through the Santa Monica Mountains. More info at http://www.XO-1.org

Rough Riding the Santa Monica Mountains on May 17, 2009

Five illustrious Rough Riders enjoyed a 40-mile excursion through the ...

Updated: May 18, 2009 8:33am PST

Rough Riding Boulder Creek and More on July 5, 2009 : Eleven riders enjoyed a fantastic day of cycling in the first real hot weather of 2009: It hit about 100 at some points. The route featured "the greatest hits" of the Mt. Laguna back country: Viejas Grade, Boulder Creek, Lake Cuyamaca, Descanso, and Wildwood Glen Ln (AKA "Mad Max Road") with a start/finish in Alpine, CA. 58 miles with about 5000' of elevation gain. Video, report, route, etc are here: http//www.xo-1.org/

Rough Riding Boulder Creek and More on July 5, 2009

Eleven riders enjoyed a fantastic day of cycling in the first real hot ...

Updated: Jul 05, 2009 8:10pm PST

Rough Riding Mt. Palomar via Nate Harrison Grade on June 14, 2009 : After first riding this route on November 6, 2009, we invited others to join us for a Rough Riders Semi-Epic Ride up Palomar Mountain via the unpaved Nate Harrison Grade on June 14, 2009. Twelve riders showed up for a fantastic day of cycling in uncertain weather. Video, report, route, etc are here: http//www.xo-1.org/

Rough Riding Mt. Palomar via Nate Harrison Grade on June 14, 2009

After first riding this route on November 6, 2009, we invited others t ...

Updated: Jul 05, 2009 8:23pm PST

Rough Riders Rally Preview: Check out Marin County's finest trails and scenery; get ready for July 23-25, 2010! : Here is a preview slideshow of the Saturday route for the 2010 Rough Riders Rally. The route is approximately 45 miles with approximately 5000' of elevation gain and features single track, double track, fire road, gravel road, abandoned paved road, and newly paved road. Some consider this "mountain bike territory," but this route is 99% rideable by an accomplished Rough Rider on a road bike with 32mm cyclocross tyres (or on a cyclocross bike), and perhaps 90-95% rideable on a road bike with 28mm road tyres. Special thanks to my long-time friend and local guide, Ed Levinson, a Furnace Creek 508 veteran who owned and operated a bike shop here for over ten years. (Our host shop for the Rally will be Mt. Tam Bikes at 357 Miller Avenue, as pictured in the slideshow.) This region is truly superb cycling, with fantastic views of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Mt. Tamalpais ("Mt. Tam"), Tiburon, Mill Valley, the Bay Bridge, a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge, and dramatic, rugged Northern California coastline. Honestly, this is cycling paradise, a region unparalleled for its beauty, diversity of scenery and riding surfaces, and its cycling-friendly trail signage and local population! More info about the Rough Riders Rally at http://www.XO-1.org and http://www.adventurecorps.com/rrr/

Rough Riders Rally Preview: Check out Marin County's finest trails and scenery; get ready for July 23-25, 2010!

Here is a preview slideshow of the Saturday route for the 2010 Rough R ...

Updated: Aug 15, 2009 12:15am PST

Rough Riding with Rivendell's Grant Petersen : On August 10, 2009 I joined the legendary Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycles for a ride on and around Mt. Diablo in Walnut Creek, CA. I rode one of Rivendell's newest models, the Bombadil. Grant rode one, too, though his was a prototype. Of course, we went "Rivendell style" with "street clothes" and Keen sandal shoes: no bike clothes, no bike shoes, not even attached to the pedals. It all worked perfectly and comfortably! Really, it was just a wonderful ride in a spectacular setting. I'd argue that part of Rivendell's success can be attributed to their location next to this fantastic mountain and its hundreds of miles of trails, fire roads, and even paved roads. I've known Grant since I interviewed him for an article for California Bicyclist in 1992 and have respected and admired him ever since. It was an honor and a pleasure that Grant - as head of marketing, bike design, etc at Bridgestone Cycle USA - sponsored me in 1992-1994. There were just four of us on Team Bridgestone. When he started Rivendell Bicycles in 1994, the least I could do was to sign on as one of his first members and customers. It's been fun and enlightening to keep track of Grant and his cohorts' efforts there in Walnut Creek for the past 15 years. Everything they do comes from the heart, and from their experience out there in the real world of multi-surface cycling. Here are some photos of various bikes at Rivendell, followed by shots from our ride together on and around Mt. Diablo. Grant insisted on shooting several shots of me at one of his favorite photogenic spots along the trail. He then honored me by adding one of the shots of me to the rotation of images which randomly display on the http://www.rivbike.com website, so you can see that here as the final image of this collection (or on the Rivendell website, if you hit "reload":enough times to see this shot pop up). About the bike I rode, I have to say it was one of the very most amazing rides of my life. I'm still stunned at how beautifully it handled everything we threw at it, especially the winding and often steep single-track. I have ridden drop bars off-road plenty, but generally on road bikes in a traditional roadie position. This was my first time with the drop bars high and close (short stem, that is) and it handled perfectly while feeling extremely comfortable. My hands naturally gripped the brake hoods and the balance was absolutely superb. I had absolute control, but hardly needed any; the bike just knew what to do; very little input from me was needed. Practically auto-pilot, you might say! if I were in the market for a "mountain bike," this is the ONLY bike I would even consider; it's that good and that much of a winner. It has no competitors as far as I know. Kudos to Grant and his colleagues for this amazing design. More on the bike below. Meanwhile, be sure to head over to http://www.XO-1.org for more about this type of cycling! According to the Rivendell website, "The BOMBADIL is a stout-tubed mountain bike for rough riding and heavy loads. It's not Dutch-heavy, but by contemporary standards of expensive, fine bicycles, it's out there on the edge. The tubes are about extra strong, reinforced, and there's a second top tube to create a small strong triangle even on bigger frames. It's a MOUNTAIN bike, and not a frilly-techy one for gram counters who race in their minds but not in the world. It's not for racing, period. It is a modern mountain bike in the spirit of a 1983 model. Maybe '84."

Rough Riding with Rivendell's Grant Petersen

On August 10, 2009 I joined the legendary Grant Petersen of Rivendell ...

Updated: Sep 04, 2009 7:52pm PST