This week's Topics:

1. You're on your own for weekday rides for now
2. Shop hours back to normal closing time at 7pm Wednesdays
3. Pumpkin Ride and ROMP Picnic October 25th
4. Halloween Party at Passion November 1st
5. 16th Annual Tour of the S.F. Hills Sunday Nov 2


1. You're on your own for weekday rides for now


From Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery

Sunset is at 6:23pm this Wednesday 10/22/08. Twilight ends and darkness falls about 6:50pm.

Yes, it's true. There's no shop ride launching from Passion Trail Bikes tonight. If you want to do a ride at Waterdog, that's fine with us; we recommend parking at the end of Carlmont Drive, or at Lake and Lyall to save yourself the time it takes to ride up on the road. Last week was our last Wregular Wednesday Wride of the season. From now until spring, Passion Trail Bikes weekday rides are going to be just occasional, and probably Urban rather than trail-based. We've had a great time hanging out and riding with everyone! We recommend that if you'd like to find people to ride with after work that you post a ride to MTBR's NorCal Forum to try to find ride partners whose schedules and ride interests match yours. Unfortunately, other than a few exceptions, most parks in the Bay Area are closed after dark. To stay legal we will put together night rides on occasion that enjoy some of the unique features of our urban landscape. Stay tuned!

Also, as we take a little breather, we are getting ready to do some fun indoors gatherings, such as movie nights, slide shows, random parties, pub crawls, and so forth. We hope you'll join us!

back to table of contents


2. Shop hours back to normal closing time at 7pm Wednesdays

All summer we've been enjoying our late night hangouts at the shop, with doors open and register running until 10pm on Wednesdays. But for everthing there is a season, and as the crisp autumn evenings close in on us, we are planning on going home a bit earlier to split some firewood and rake leaves and enjoy a little quiet time for ourselves.

Please remember that we are always available for you by appointment outside our regular shop hours, either early or late, and if we are here for some reason working after hours we are happy to let you in. Just give a call at 650-620-9798 or shoot us an email at info@passiontrailbikes.com to check and see if we are available at a time that works for you.

Our shop hours are posted here. for your reference.

back to table of contents


3. Pumpkin Ride and ROMP Picnic October 25th

ROMP Pumpkin Ride & Picnic! Join ROMP for our annual pumpkin ride on Saturday, October 25, 2008.

Pumpkin rides start from the northern Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve parking lot (next to the old Kings Mountain Store). Rides leave the parking lot at 9:30am. Ride from Skyline down to a Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch, select your gourd(s) large or small, affix them to your bike or stow them in a pack, and carry it all back up to the ridge. Prizes for best costume & biggest and best pumpkin haul. The annual ROMP Picnic will be held at Passion Trail Bikes in Belmont immediately after end of ride. Food is sponsored by Passion Trail Bikes. Fun and games may include a pixie bike contest. Bring a pixie bike if you have one! Families may elect to drive to HMB to select their pumpkin, and ride on the flat and easyCoastside Bluffs Trail instead. All are welcome! Come on and pick your pumpkin and enjoy a wonderful gathering with a great group!

Fast Fred Stanke loads his handlebar bowl.

Bill Schmelzer and friends contemplate pumpkins that are more their size

Bill and Berry climbing Purisima Creek Road with their "haul"

Paul Nam, loaded, knees wrapped, on the climb and ready to suck some blood

back to table of contents


9. Halloween Party at Passion November 1st

Friday night is the night for little kids. This year Saturday night is for big kids! Plan on joining us for a super fun candlelit evening of socializing and scaring each other with our alter-egos. Healthy food to dilute all that candy you ate, intoxicating conversation, boiling beverages, what more could you want? Oh, costumes. Wear one!

back to table of contents


10. 16th Annual Tour of the S.F. Hills Sunday Nov 2

16th Annual Tour of the S.F. Hills
Sunday, November 2nd, 9am
Meet at the parking lot across the street from the Marina Safeway at 9 A.M.

The ride explores a multitude of neighborhoods in the city, taking the most difficult path from cafe to taqueria. With the many hilltops in the city, and with the usual good luck with weather conditions, the riders are treated to frequent magnificent views.

The parade of cyclists winding down Lombard St. and then climbing the 32% grade on Filbert St. always attracts the attention of tourists. Other sites explored on the ride are Potrero Hill (with the fast descent down the "other" crookedest street in the world), Coit Tower, Nob Hill, and Mt. Davidson. A bonus feature is the optional ascent of the Broderick St. sidewalk in Pacific Heights. This street, below the Levi mansion, is so steep that it is blocked off to traffic - the upper half being a driveway more crooked than Lombard St.

A casual pace on the ride ensures that the attrition rate is low, but the prospect of climbing Hill St. after scarfing burritos in the Mission always sheds a few riders.

For more information contact Gary Gellin: gary AT cmihvac DOT com

back to table of contents


To contact us, email us at info@passiontrailbikes.com, or call the shop at 650-620-9798.

Happy Trails, the PTB crew
Charles, Patty, Berry, John, Bret, Sterling, Daryl, Daniel, Peter, Reba and Buster