Sunday Road Riders Report: Lake Murray Loop (15 Dec 2013)

Although it's often very pleasant to sleep in on Sundays, I have a standing ride date with a group of awesome friends out of Cal Coast Bicycles in University Heights at 8am that trumps even the temptation to stay under the warm cover on a cold morning! The group is called the Sunday Road Riders, and it is open to all riders fast and slow, new and old to road cycling.

Rolling east on Adams Ave in Kensington.

Anyhow, this morning we didn't have many riders and so went out in one intermediate pace group instead of the usual three. Hugo, our intermediate group ride leader had came up with a new route to Lake Murray and back, which we were all eager to check it out. The ride started, as always, at Cal Coast Bicycles on Adams Ave just east of 30th St, of course. We rolled east on Adams to Aldine and shot down to the valley on Fairmount Ave.

Stretched out a bit down perilous Fairmount Ave descent.

The Blue Boys Josh & Rick in Allied Gardens.

Terri, Hugo & Mark in Allied Gardens.

After regrouping at the bottom, the group hooked right on Twain Rd and made our way up the gentle climbs through the side streets of Allied Gardens on our way to Navajo Rd. Traffic was pretty mild and the clearing sky gave quite a nice view of Cowles, Pyle and Kwaay Paay mountains as we climbed up to Park Ridge Blvd.

Ed, Adriana & Josh.

Mark M, Terri & Alex on Park Ridge Blvd.

Lake Murray from its northern tip.

Turning south on Park Ridge Blvd and then another side street detour for a safer crossing of Murray Park Dr brought us to beautiful Lake Murray, where we split off to have a bit of fun on the paved multi-use trail.

Tim & Alex on Lake Murray trail.

Terri on Lake Murray trail.

Josh & Rick.

Most of the gang minus Mark & Stephen (AKA the fast guys).

Not keen on taking a group through the usually busy (with hikers and joggers) lake trail, Hugo opted for a road detour around the lake via the much less trafficky Murray Park Dr, Lakeshore Dr/Baltimore Dr and Lake Murray Blvd. We briefly lost Mark and Stephen, who had gone off to explore the south side of the lake and were out of holler range, but they caught back up as we turned onto Baltimore Dr and the group was nice and tight as we navigated the intersections to the bottom of the 70th St bump.

Terri & Hugo heading west on University Ave in Rolando.

We climbed back up to the mesa on 70th St and turned west on University Avenue (a much nicer cycling route through Rolando area than El Cajon Blvd is), enjoying some new stretches of buffered (and sometimes even green painted) bike lane until they all disappeared just east of Euclid Ave.

All together again in time for coffee at Twiggs!

I'm afraid the group scattered a bit heading back to University Heights, but as the streets were all in grid by then it was easy for everyone to fine their way to our usual finish line, Twiggs Bakery on Adams and Idaho. It was a nice 21 miler with lots of gentle rolling hills and a ton of view!