SamIAm
04-14-2009, 09:02 AM
My wife, some friends and I just returned from a cycling-wine tasting trip out to Napa and surrounding regions. I thought I would post a short summary of the experience and in another thread the longer version.
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Shipbikes.com and their triangular shipping boxes provide a simple way to get your bike across the country at a reasonable rate. Bike to box (10 min), box to Bike (7 min); $60 each way from Georgia to California.
REI is a great company with enthusiastic and helpful employees.
The El Bonito Motel in St. Helena is the best bargain going for lodging in Napa.
It does rain in Napa.
Be very careful crossing the railroad tracks at Hwy 29 and Whitehall Ln. They are essentially parallel to the direction of travel. Walk your bike. I wish I had walked mine.
Recommended restaurants:
Rutherford Grill (No corkage, wonderful Ostrich filet)
Tre Vigne (Get the fresh mozzarella appetizer)
Press (Get the Kobe beef filet)
Tre Vigne Pizzeria (Fantastic brick oven pizza and meatball sandwich)
Taylor’s Refresher (Great burgers, sweet potato fries and cold draft beer in a unique setting)
Squeezeburger (Maybe the most unique cheeseburger I have ever had)
Recommended wineries (ask for the private tasting at these, in most cases it doesn’t cost extra):
Kapcsandy
Chateau Boswell
Shafer
Beringer
Arrowood
Lewelling
Rudd
Ramey
Recommended rides:
St. Helena: Howell Mtn-Angwin-Ink Grade-Pope Valley-Sage Canyon
Occidental: Coleman Valley-Hwy 1-Bay Hill-Hwy 1-Joy-Coleman Valley
Takeaways:
Hwy 29 just isn’t fit for cycling, avoid long sections on this road and oh those railroad tracks, ouch.
Once you leave the valley, the climbs and descents are steep and the road condition is wildly variable. There are many 23c-eating cracks in the roads. Fat tires would have been preferable for me. In fact, I think I am going to look into a nice 650b with some really fat tires for an upcoming bike.
Good brakes and braking techniques are essential in descending some of these roads, in particular the Oakville Grade.
A front bike bag in high crosswinds can be quite unnerving.
Hwy 1, while sporting amazing scenery, does also sport heavy and fast moving traffic.
Joy Rd. was one of the hardest climbs I can remember.
Coleman Valley Rd. is not to be missed.
I am a weak climber and a sissy of a descender.
The 2007 vintage even though not released yet, will be one of the strongest vintages ever to come out of California.
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Shipbikes.com and their triangular shipping boxes provide a simple way to get your bike across the country at a reasonable rate. Bike to box (10 min), box to Bike (7 min); $60 each way from Georgia to California.
REI is a great company with enthusiastic and helpful employees.
The El Bonito Motel in St. Helena is the best bargain going for lodging in Napa.
It does rain in Napa.
Be very careful crossing the railroad tracks at Hwy 29 and Whitehall Ln. They are essentially parallel to the direction of travel. Walk your bike. I wish I had walked mine.
Recommended restaurants:
Rutherford Grill (No corkage, wonderful Ostrich filet)
Tre Vigne (Get the fresh mozzarella appetizer)
Press (Get the Kobe beef filet)
Tre Vigne Pizzeria (Fantastic brick oven pizza and meatball sandwich)
Taylor’s Refresher (Great burgers, sweet potato fries and cold draft beer in a unique setting)
Squeezeburger (Maybe the most unique cheeseburger I have ever had)
Recommended wineries (ask for the private tasting at these, in most cases it doesn’t cost extra):
Kapcsandy
Chateau Boswell
Shafer
Beringer
Arrowood
Lewelling
Rudd
Ramey
Recommended rides:
St. Helena: Howell Mtn-Angwin-Ink Grade-Pope Valley-Sage Canyon
Occidental: Coleman Valley-Hwy 1-Bay Hill-Hwy 1-Joy-Coleman Valley
Takeaways:
Hwy 29 just isn’t fit for cycling, avoid long sections on this road and oh those railroad tracks, ouch.
Once you leave the valley, the climbs and descents are steep and the road condition is wildly variable. There are many 23c-eating cracks in the roads. Fat tires would have been preferable for me. In fact, I think I am going to look into a nice 650b with some really fat tires for an upcoming bike.
Good brakes and braking techniques are essential in descending some of these roads, in particular the Oakville Grade.
A front bike bag in high crosswinds can be quite unnerving.
Hwy 1, while sporting amazing scenery, does also sport heavy and fast moving traffic.
Joy Rd. was one of the hardest climbs I can remember.
Coleman Valley Rd. is not to be missed.
I am a weak climber and a sissy of a descender.
The 2007 vintage even though not released yet, will be one of the strongest vintages ever to come out of California.