Thanks for coming through the bay. Sooo cool. I only recently saw and subscribed to yur channel couple weeks ago. So cool that coincidentally ur out here. Me and my girls watch u on a giant 86” tv and in surround sound stereo hahaha!! Love it
Jobst rode Alpine Road starting in the 1950s, first on a motorcycle. It was closed to cars in the mid 1960s. We rode sewups when they were popular, gearing 42-21 or 24. Jobst had half-step gearing, 46-2? He was a beast on the climbs. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
Classic ride. I first did dirt Alpine back in the early '80s on my '73 Schwinn Sports Tourer. That was before they did any of the regrading work that was recently finished. There were a few spots where I heard Dueling Banjos playing in my head. I haven't been up there in about 10 years.
Hey Andy, it's great to have out here getting a taste of the delicious roads (and tacos!) we are forced to endure 365 days a year. For the record, I understand the value of following that Jobst route, but Hwy 84 (La Honda Rd) is very busy now, unlike back in the day JB rode it. There are a few other safer (low traffic) and more scenic (lots of ridgetop vistas and canyons full of Redwoods) roads to choose from, so you'll have to come back and check them out! If you want to do a supported century ride, check out The Sequoia Century, by the Western Wheelers BC in early June. It starts in Los Altos Hills, and goes to the coast and back on some of the most beautiful roads in the world. Thanks for this video, and the for noticing that "Share The Love" sign. ;-) I have no idea how that got there!
Sitting here in the northeast US in single digits and I'm not jealous, just saying :C'mon Spring, spring already!" I'm also avoiding the news so this video is perfect food for the soul!
The alpine dirt was fun! I little warm when I went through. I loved taking old la hands up to skyline then 84 back down. I miss the trails in the Bay Area!
Great video , we love riding that area of the bay. You found some of the best rides on this trip. I have a friend Peter Johnson (rip) who rode with Jobst in that area and all around the world. I always think about the gearing they used back then. Glad you had so much fun on your trip !
You are in my neck of the woods now. I had lived in Redwood City years ago and never heard of that ride. Recovering from two hip replacements in the last five months so I doubt I will be doing it now at almost 73. Great video though and glad I got to ride along with you guys. Thanks.
I’m enjoying your series in my home turf. I’m past 60 and still remember two Jobst rides I went on when my friend worked at Palo Alto Bike Shop. They were epic rides on skinny tubulars. I’m more of flatlander now, but once I retire, I’m going to do all of those rides again. Note that is Tom Ritchey’s regular commute since he lives at the top…
Keep a 7 mil woven contractor bag on your bikes. Very useful. You can spread it out to make a clean working surface. Also great for waterproofing items, or in a pinch extra storage you need to carry something and when it’s folded up, it’s a decent seating pad
That was fun to watch! When you have a flat it is always good to have real bike mechanic around! Jobst Brandt- I have his book "the bicycle wheel" on my shelf. And I read it from cover to cover. I also had an exchange with him on an on-line forum about 30 years ago. His style of engagment was shall we say---a bit on the arrogant side. His technical knowledge was unsurpassed though. He explanes in the book that the wheel "stands on the downward spoke" it does not hang on the upward pointing spokes. Honestly,I never could wrap my head around that one. I think as a result of his work bicycle bicycle wheel designs moved towards stronger rims rather than stronger spokes.
Cool ride, lets us all know on your next trip. I ride Alpine on MTB's, Gravel , and Road bikes. Always a fun climb to Page Mill and fast descent on the pavement.
The low gear on my Benotto is 40/28. I would take some of the hills by the traditional method of pushing. I've found all sorts of interesting things along the road. Nails, screws, an umbrella rib that makes a really good skewer. I've fixed all sorts of flats beside the road.
I was stationed out there in the '80s. Home port was NAS Alameda aboard Enterprise. Miss the smell of the eucalyptus trees. It's beautiful country. Really enjoyed these videos.
Red wood house! That’s a crazy idea. lol. That’s my favorite type of trail to ride. Nice groomed dirt trail. Way better than an asphalt bike path in my opinion. No cracks to rattle the filling out of your teeth. Nice trip bike farmer.
Rode up Alpine in late '60s with my classmates. When we arrived at the unpaved section we let some air out of our 25mm tubulars and proceed to ride to Page Mill Road. After reaching the paved section again we would pump our tires up and continue our ride/s.
I usually inflate to about 10 psi, seat the bead by hand, then up to my usual psi. Nice to see you riding where I grew up and lived (again) from 1996-2002. Been on ALL of the paved roads in the bay area at one time or another.
Ha! Rode Alpine 2 weeks ago. Really fun downhill! Also, if you cross Pagemill and head east on the trails you can do a fun climb to the top of Black Mountain.
My local roads (when i'm not just mountain biking, that is)🙂 Beautiful ride. Hope you had a great time in the Bay Area. I suspect the descent down 84 (where you got the flat) was less trafficked when Jobst was publishing his routes... It's a bit sketchy! I wish there were a dirt descent from that area back into the Valley.
Thanks for remembering Jobst. Riding with him was an adventure--you never knew what sort of mess you were getting into. Trivia tidbit: he claimed that the Markleeville Death Ride was named after his Sierra rides, where he would lead us over snow-covered passes (aka "death marches"). I called that BS, but Jobst would hear none of it. He was an "I'm always right about everything" guy.
Agree with Randall, this is a beautiful ride, but there are better ways to get back than climbing La Honda/84 . Also agree about The Sequoia Century, which covers many of the most beautiful roads in the area. There are shorter options if you don't want to ride 100 miles.
this is the specific area I lived and rode my bike daily.. lived in Sunnyvale and worked in Redwood City, that was my daily commute (not the mountain you're on through) .. miss living there, and hell yeah Mission Style burritos are the SHIT!!!!
RE: Descending - I grew up near Glacier National Park in Montana and rode the Going to the Sun Road many times. The west side is a 12-mile climb and once you go back down it was tough to get going again for the flat stretch...even when I was in my 20s! After that huge effort I'd stiffen up.
So jealous! I'm up here in 26f temperature. Would kill for shorts weather. Drooling over the trails and views. You gotta make it up to British Columbia
I'm old school....riding on dirt with drop handlebars still seems a bit odd to me (excluding cyclocross). As I've matured (61 now) I only ride with a flat bar now. Easier on my lower back. Great video.
I used to live in Redwood City! Used to start the Alpine Road climb from that parking lot on my Motobacane Mirage. Those switchbacks were murder for me... never did the dirt
I met Jobst in the early 1970s when I edited a magazine called Bike World, which was acquired by and merged with Bicycling. Jobst and his then riding partner, can't remember his name, had just returned from the Alps where they rode 12 passes in one day. The first photos show Jobst and partner at the summit of the first pass, smiling broadly. Photos 2 through 12 show Jobst resting at the summit looking exactly the same, as if he'd just gone out for a loaf of bread; but his riding partner is visibly in increasing stages of gradual decay. What I remember about Jobst is that he had huge energy and mental focus, very high intelligence, and that he had little patience for silliness. He graduated from Stanford in mechanical engineering. His father ran the food research institute at Stanford. He regularly rode a long loop up Kings Mountain Road, a very testing climb, then down to the coast, then south on Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz, and back up through, I believe, Boulder Creek and home to Palo Alto. He was obviously exceptionally strong and fit, but never had any interesting in racing.
I’ve been riding dirt Alpine for about 30 years. In my foolish youth, I did it on 25mm 130psi Continental tires. Now, I take my Ibis Mojo with 54mm 30psi Rene Herse knobbies. Welcome to my ‘hood! I’ll have to see if I can still ride it with my 1999 Rivendell Road with 32mm tires this season.
Oh, it was maintained as a fire road by the state back in the ‘90’s, so was much easier on a road bike. Still, I wasn’t quite right in the head to be taking my RB-1 up there!
Thanks for refreshing my memory. I noticed the road to Page Mill appeared much narrower in this video. Alpine Road was closed to motor vehicles in the winter. I'd like to ride it again with my road bike equipped with 32mm tires and cantilever brakes.
Hey, BikeFarmer! Welcome to my backyard, home to some of the best cycling in the country. You've stumbled upon cycling nirvana in the Palo Alto and Los Altos Hills-just please keep it a secret! 😎😎 If you're still in town, I'll show you some of the best-hidden rides available. P.S. The locals refer to Alpine Dirt as "Dirty Alpine."😮😮
Amazing 🤩 My kind of ride... I needed this reminder of how good riding can be after some -24°C Ontario temps. Also, what do you think of TPU tubes as backup tubes if patches don't work? A bit spendy but little. Thanks, and enjoy some tacos!
I mountain bike in this area. Checkout Fremont Older Park, Steven’s creek canyon road -> trail all the way to black mountain. And so much more if you are up to drive a bit.
You coming all the way from Wisconsin to show me great riding on the other side of the bay is inspiring me to get out there! Do you have a route for this ride?
I haven't been home since 1999 I used to do that ride every weekend I envy you and I hope you enjoyed the area tacos El grullence has THE best burritos and tacos in redwood city green sauce to die for trust me happy riding
I enjoy these trip videos a lot. Thank you!
Injection of humor is why I love these videos😂 When the roadie flew bye….i was in tears from laughing so hard…great video
Thanks for coming through the bay. Sooo cool. I only recently saw and subscribed to yur channel couple weeks ago. So cool that coincidentally ur out here. Me and my girls watch u on a giant 86” tv and in surround sound
stereo hahaha!! Love it
Thanks hey!!
Jobst rode Alpine Road starting in the 1950s, first on a motorcycle. It was closed to cars in the mid 1960s. We rode sewups when they were popular, gearing 42-21 or 24. Jobst had half-step gearing, 46-2? He was a beast on the climbs. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
I feel blessed to ride the bay area everyday since retiring. It’s all good,dirty or paved.
Love that Alpine / Dirt Alpine climb! I ride it up into those mountains a couple times / week. Glad you had a great trip to our neck o' the woods!
Really digging the ride videos as much as your shop videos! You kinda got me with your turn around! 😂
Classic ride. I first did dirt Alpine back in the early '80s on my '73 Schwinn Sports Tourer. That was before they did any of the regrading work that was recently finished. There were a few spots where I heard Dueling Banjos playing in my head. I haven't been up there in about 10 years.
Hey Andy, it's great to have out here getting a taste of the delicious roads (and tacos!) we are forced to endure 365 days a year. For the record, I understand the value of following that Jobst route, but Hwy 84 (La Honda Rd) is very busy now, unlike back in the day JB rode it. There are a few other safer (low traffic) and more scenic (lots of ridgetop vistas and canyons full of Redwoods) roads to choose from, so you'll have to come back and check them out! If you want to do a supported century ride, check out The Sequoia Century, by the Western Wheelers BC in early June. It starts in Los Altos Hills, and goes to the coast and back on some of the most beautiful roads in the world. Thanks for this video, and the for noticing that "Share The Love" sign. ;-) I have no idea how that got there!
Sick ride bro! So happy to see you playing in my backyard. 🤘
Sitting here in the northeast US in single digits and I'm not jealous, just saying :C'mon Spring, spring already!" I'm also avoiding the news so this video is perfect food for the soul!
The delirious hill climb rants are almost as much fun as the truthing stand.
What a wonderful ride. Thanks for taking us with!
Nothing like hearing "car back!" on a narrow winding road with a sheer drop on your right. 😮😂
Looks like a beautiful ride though.
Nothing boring being on a bike in above freezing temps.
I enjoyed the greenery and dry rodes.
The alpine dirt was fun! I little warm when I went through. I loved taking old la hands up to skyline then 84 back down. I miss the trails in the Bay Area!
One thing to consider is all those guys were young and race ready in the 60s and 70s. Don’t beat yourself up over getting tired😊
Palo Alto Native - Wow, You're in my backyard! Love it!
I miss this area so much. Some of the best mixed surface riding in the country.
Great ride to have nearby! Your friend is lucky to have all those options available.
Great video , we love riding that area of the bay. You found some of the best rides on this trip. I have a friend Peter Johnson (rip) who rode with Jobst in that area and all around the world. I always think about the gearing they used back then. Glad you had so much fun on your trip !
O man, what a great ride, and what a sandwich!!!
That was a great line "There's Japan"
Ngl I thought you were really leaving your bud and I was like damn dude not cool! You got me lol
Probably hits a core wound. Sorry to trigger.
Oh damn, Jobst Brandt mention! What a great plan, well done!
Just love this video . Thankyou for sharing.
Enjoyed coming along for the ride with you!
You are in my neck of the woods now. I had lived in Redwood City years ago and never heard of that ride. Recovering from two hip replacements in the last five months so I doubt I will be doing it now at almost 73. Great video though and glad I got to ride along with you guys. Thanks.
Love it man!!
I will always dig this kinda stuffs 😁👍🏻✌🏻
Good stuff AQ. I get super picky about that ring around the tire being even as well. Drives me nuts!!
Nice one, BF and Chief, epic ride😊
I've bounced my inflated tire like a basketball and gotten it to seat when it was stubborn.
Tried that once...woulda been a funny tiktok video
Tried that once. Woulda been a funny tiktok video
I’m enjoying your series in my home turf. I’m past 60 and still remember two Jobst rides I went on when my friend worked at Palo Alto Bike Shop. They were epic rides on skinny tubulars. I’m more of flatlander now, but once I retire, I’m going to do all of those rides again. Note that is Tom Ritchey’s regular commute since he lives at the top…
Another brilliant video Andy. I'll now go for a ride! 🚴🏽♂️
First time I rode Dirt Alpine was in 1979 on my 78 Peugeot PX10 with 25mm tires. I also got off and walked everyone and then. Good memories.
Very cool series. Thanks for sharing.
Keep a 7 mil woven contractor bag on your bikes. Very useful. You can spread it out to make a clean working surface. Also great for waterproofing items, or in a pinch extra storage you need to carry something and when it’s folded up, it’s a decent seating pad
Just out here watchin videos of dudes taking great rides
Great ride, and the music was perfect.
Thanks for letting us tag along!
That's a beautiful area. Glad you're able to enjoy the biking routes here in the Bay Area! Those aren't easy climbs.
This was awesome.
Incredible ride BF! Enjoyed this one immensely...
That was fun to watch!
When you have a flat it is always good to have real bike mechanic around!
Jobst Brandt- I have his book "the bicycle wheel" on my shelf. And I read it from cover to cover. I also had an exchange with him on an on-line forum about 30 years ago. His style of engagment was shall we say---a bit on the arrogant side. His technical knowledge was unsurpassed though. He explanes in the book that the wheel "stands on the downward spoke" it does not hang on the upward pointing spokes. Honestly,I never could wrap my head around that one. I think as a result of his work bicycle bicycle wheel designs moved towards stronger rims rather than stronger spokes.
"Standing on the downward spokes" doesn't make sense because it's a ridiculous thing to say. Jobst definitely had opinions.
Great video and beautiful scenery too! Makes me home sick, beings I'm from northern california. Thanks hey!
Cool ride, lets us all know on your next trip. I ride Alpine on MTB's, Gravel , and Road bikes. Always a fun climb to Page Mill and fast descent on the pavement.
A prune is a plum, a date is a date.
🤔 the date depends if she's pretty/witty ❤
@ 😂
Bikefarmer for president!
The low gear on my Benotto is 40/28. I would take some of the hills by the traditional method of pushing.
I've found all sorts of interesting things along the road. Nails, screws, an umbrella rib that makes a really good skewer. I've fixed all sorts of flats beside the road.
Really cool ride!
Nice rides this week!
I was stationed out there in the '80s. Home port was NAS Alameda aboard Enterprise. Miss the smell of the eucalyptus trees. It's beautiful country. Really enjoyed these videos.
Red wood house! That’s a crazy idea. lol. That’s my favorite type of trail to ride. Nice groomed dirt trail. Way better than an asphalt bike path in my opinion. No cracks to rattle the filling out of your teeth. Nice trip bike farmer.
Rode up Alpine in late '60s with my classmates. When we arrived at the unpaved section we let some air out of our 25mm tubulars and proceed to ride to Page Mill Road. After reaching the paved section again we would pump our tires up and continue our ride/s.
Wiping as we go ❤❤❤❤❤
You picked the perfect week. Its been brutally cold up here, as I am sure you have heard. Mojave bikepacking in March! I can't wait!
I usually inflate to about 10 psi, seat the bead by hand, then up to my usual psi.
Nice to see you riding where I grew up and lived (again) from 1996-2002. Been on ALL of the paved roads in the bay area at one time or another.
I was The Wife.🤣😂🤣TwoFansFromCanada 👏👏🇨🇦🇨🇦😂😂love the video!
Ha! Rode Alpine 2 weeks ago. Really fun downhill! Also, if you cross Pagemill and head east on the trails you can do a fun climb to the top of Black Mountain.
Fremont Older Preserve , a couple of Wicked Fat Chance bikes , hey Freddy, hey Mike
My local roads (when i'm not just mountain biking, that is)🙂 Beautiful ride. Hope you had a great time in the Bay Area. I suspect the descent down 84 (where you got the flat) was less trafficked when Jobst was publishing his routes... It's a bit sketchy! I wish there were a dirt descent from that area back into the Valley.
Thanks!
Thank you!
Thanks for remembering Jobst. Riding with him was an adventure--you never knew what sort of mess you were getting into. Trivia tidbit: he claimed that the Markleeville Death Ride was named after his Sierra rides, where he would lead us over snow-covered passes (aka "death marches"). I called that BS, but Jobst would hear none of it. He was an "I'm always right about everything" guy.
The last part of the book goes into his insufferable prickiness.
@@bkefrmr That's a good description of his personality.
Agree with Randall, this is a beautiful ride, but there are better ways to get back than climbing La Honda/84 . Also agree about The Sequoia Century, which covers many of the most beautiful roads in the area. There are shorter options if you don't want to ride 100 miles.
Good thing Bicycle Repair Man was nearby.
That green bar tape is dope
this is the specific area I lived and rode my bike daily.. lived in Sunnyvale and worked in Redwood City, that was my daily commute (not the mountain you're on through) .. miss living there, and hell yeah Mission Style burritos are the SHIT!!!!
RE: Descending - I grew up near Glacier National Park in Montana and rode the Going to the Sun Road many times. The west side is a 12-mile climb and once you go back down it was tough to get going again for the flat stretch...even when I was in my 20s! After that huge effort I'd stiffen up.
Excellent video and inspiring on a cold Winter's day. You should try Northern Majorca sometime.
Great vids!
Welcome to our beautiful State.
Even though I’m in SoCal.
How does a screw end up on the road in the middle of nowhere?
Welcome!
I loved riding in those hills. Did NOT like riding on Skyline.
So jealous! I'm up here in 26f temperature. Would kill for shorts weather. Drooling over the trails and views. You gotta make it up to British Columbia
Any bike changes coming up after such a solid road test?
I'm old school....riding on dirt with drop handlebars still seems a bit odd to me (excluding cyclocross). As I've matured (61 now) I only ride with a flat bar now. Easier on my lower back. Great video.
Seems like cycling agers rise up their handlebars! Oh, Yeah! Makes SO much sense as one ages!
You reminded me of myself with that Lezyne pump , which end do I screw it into lol 👍😁
You are having way too much fun.
I used to live in Redwood City! Used to start the Alpine Road climb from that parking lot on my Motobacane Mirage. Those switchbacks were murder for me... never did the dirt
Woops my bad I used to ride Page Mill Road from park and ride-murderous switchbacks
Neil Young had property around La Honda... woopdidoo.
I met Jobst in the early 1970s when I edited a magazine called Bike World, which was acquired by and merged with Bicycling. Jobst and his then riding partner, can't remember his name, had just returned from the Alps where they rode 12 passes in one day. The first photos show Jobst and partner at the summit of the first pass, smiling broadly. Photos 2 through 12 show Jobst resting at the summit looking exactly the same, as if he'd just gone out for a loaf of bread; but his riding partner is visibly in increasing stages of gradual decay. What I remember about Jobst is that he had huge energy and mental focus, very high intelligence, and that he had little patience for silliness. He graduated from Stanford in mechanical engineering. His father ran the food research institute at Stanford. He regularly rode a long loop up Kings Mountain Road, a very testing climb, then down to the coast, then south on Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz, and back up through, I believe, Boulder Creek and home to Palo Alto. He was obviously exceptionally strong and fit, but never had any interesting in racing.
There was only one Jobst Brandt
I’ve been riding dirt Alpine for about 30 years. In my foolish youth, I did it on 25mm 130psi Continental tires. Now, I take my Ibis Mojo with 54mm 30psi Rene Herse knobbies. Welcome to my ‘hood! I’ll have to see if I can still ride it with my 1999 Rivendell Road with 32mm tires this season.
Oh, it was maintained as a fire road by the state back in the ‘90’s, so was much easier on a road bike. Still, I wasn’t quite right in the head to be taking my RB-1 up there!
Thanks for refreshing my memory. I noticed the road to Page Mill appeared much narrower in this video. Alpine Road was closed to motor vehicles in the winter. I'd like to ride it again with my road bike equipped with 32mm tires and cantilever brakes.
I like the voice over
I would have stopped to see if you guys needed any help. 😊
Hey, BikeFarmer! Welcome to my backyard, home to some of the best cycling in the country. You've stumbled upon cycling nirvana in the Palo Alto and Los Altos Hills-just please keep it a secret! 😎😎 If you're still in town, I'll show you some of the best-hidden rides available.
P.S. The locals refer to Alpine Dirt as "Dirty Alpine."😮😮
That's the best ride video I've watched in a very long time. Most are a bit meh 🎉
Amazing 🤩 My kind of ride... I needed this reminder of how good riding can be after some -24°C Ontario temps.
Also, what do you think of TPU tubes as backup tubes if patches don't work? A bit spendy but little.
Thanks, and enjoy some tacos!
Thanks hey!
You're in my area BikeFarmer! Love it. I mountain bike and just like the easy flowy trails also. I want the workout not the crazy technical stuff.
I mountain bike in this area. Checkout Fremont Older Park, Steven’s creek canyon road -> trail all the way to black mountain.
And so much more if you are up to drive a bit.
You coming all the way from Wisconsin to show me great riding on the other side of the bay is inspiring me to get out there! Do you have a route for this ride?
In the description
Alice's Restaurant awesome place. Are you coming to Napa as well or is it not in the plan?
My wife sat up straight as you no-handed between the speed bumps. I immediately pretended ipad battery died.
what kind of speeds did you hit on that descent?
42
I grew up in rwc so many rides to do try skyline blvd
I haven't been home since 1999 I used to do that ride every weekend I envy you and I hope you enjoyed the area tacos El grullence has THE best burritos and tacos in redwood city green sauce to die for trust me happy riding
You’re still in California you’re not back home in Wisconsin in this negative weather that just sucks
Tubeless or tube like he had. I'd like to hear opinions on if that repair would have been easier, harder, or maybe unnecessary.
That appears to be a spam branded screw.
What the! I live in redwood cool
YO ANDY! You still hanging out in the Bay Area? Well have fun, ride safe and if you get into The City there are a LOT of great places to ride to.
Knee warmers!
Can I interest you in a 24 x 36 gear? That looks like serious Type 2 fun. 😅
those tyres look real comfy but not the most puncture proof