Circumstances required me to swap the routes for six rides scheduled through the end of the year. Three rides were destined for the recently shuttered Shorty's in Clarksburg, and the remainder were headed to either Bert's Diner or Café Bernardo on a Saturday, so seating would likely be a problem. Three routes are new, as is one of the destinations (marked below). Here are the details.
Fri 10/20: Steamboat Landing, Courtland--F/40 (in place of Shorty's, F/27.5) *NEW ROUTE/DESTINATION*
This bar/restaurant stands at the mouth of Steamboat Slough, about a mile south of the town of Courtland and on the west levee of the river. To my knowledge this will be the club's first ride to this destination. Most roads used may be familiar but Netherlands Rd., Waukeena Rd. and Courtland Rd. are probably not.
Sat 11/11: Bella Bru, Natomas--F/27 (in place of Bert's Diner, E/37.5) *NEW ROUTE*
This destination is known to the club but the route from Barrio is new. My hope is that this venue won't be as crowded as Bert's is likely to be.
Sat 11/18: 49er Diner, 49er Truck Plaza in Natomas--E-F/38 (in place of Café Bernardo-Davis, F-40)
Café Bernardo is likely to be slammed. and maybe the 49er will be busy too, but there's more seating there, and we can always just grab a drink and/or a bite to go and have it outside.
Sat 12/2: Swabbies on the River--F/39 (in place of Shorty's, F/27.5) *NEW ROUTE*
As with the Natomas Bella Bru, club rides come here on occasion, but the route from Barrio is new. Note that the return leg starts with a six-mile stretch on Garden Hwy, so be forewarned in case that particular chunk of roadway is not to your liking.
Sat 12/16: Bella Bru, Natomas--F/27 (in place of Bert's Diner, E/37.5)
See Sat 11/11 text above.
Sat 12/30: Cottage Mart--E-F/24 (in place of Shorty's, F/27.5)
While there's not much difference in the level of popularity among club members between Shorty's and Cottage Mart, the routes are well distinct; one is rural and the other urban, and you won't get nearly the workout going to and from Cottage Mart as you would otherwise. I suppose I could use another route more similar to that for Shorty's, but there aren't many and I'm trying to keep the rotation somewhat balanced by avoiding visiting the same destination too frequently.
Rough estimates of the level of difficulty for each route (in terms of mileage and road conditions/topography):
Steamboat Landing: Intermediate/Advanced
Bella Bru: Casual/Intermediate
49er Diner: Intermediate/Advanced
Swabbies: Intermediate/Advanced
Cottage Mart: Casual/Intermediate
All changes have been posted to the event calendar, and all new cue sheets are available via the RWGPS site thanks to Vivienne Nicol's timely efforts. Feedback about any of these routes/destinations is welcome.
Also, a reminder that while Barrio rides are usually planned for Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the year, during a few weeks they're scheduled on Wednesdays instead of Saturdays; the dates involved are 10/18, 11/1 and 12/20.