STATS: 25.9 miles. 1 hour 42 minutes. 2,947′ elevation gain.
Mikes Bikes is a local Bay Area bike shop that hosts regular group rides. Col Du Pantoll is one of those rides – meeting after work on Wednesdays during the summer. On the last Wednesday of each month they even have a CHP escort to keep riders safer! We meet up in Sausalito and ride out to Muir Beach, then cycle up the coast a few miles before riding up Panoramic Highway to Pantoll Ranger station near the summit of Mt. Tam.
On today’s ride about 30 or 40 cyclists showed up – splitting into several different groups based on their riding ability as the ride turned skyward. I rode with the B group today – and felt strong the whole ride. We had fantastic weather and it happens to be the solstice today. The climb felt good and the descent into Mill Valley even better. When we rolled into Mikes Bikes at the end of the ride, there was a tub of ice-cold beers waiting for us. Mike’s knows how to do it right.
Group rides like Col Du Pantoll boost my cycling performance and bring out my competitive spirit. I did the ride 2 times last year, and today beat my best time last year by 3 minutes. It’s incredibly motivating to get out and do a group ride once in awhile. Who wants to join up next Wednesday?
