By Lynn Schneider
Sierra Club weekend bike outings were common back in 1984, when I signed up for the Isis Oasis bicycle weekend in Geyserville by the Russian River, led by the Sierra Club leader Don Howarth. At lunch, I met a cyclist named Bob Migdal, who lived seven blocks away from me in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill.
While we were cycling in the vineyards on the Russian River trip, Sierra Club bike leader Mike Grupp asked me to invite others to sign up for his biking and camping trip on the Sacramento River Delta the following weekend. In order to increase attendance, I mentioned the trip to several cyclists on the Sierra Club Russian River ride, including Bob. Since he lived so close by, we decided to carpool up to the Delta bike trip the following weekend. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Bob rushed out and bought a bike rack for his car, a down sleeping bag, and a tent. It was over 100 degrees up in the Delta that weekend, and his down sleeping bag, bungee-corded to the top of his rear bike rack kept falling off, and my bike computer melted. Our group ran out of fresh water to refill our water bottles, and some of us jumped into the drainage ditch to cool off and went to the local A&W Root Beer stand to quench our thirsts.
After these two wonderful Sierra Club bike weekends at the Russian River and Delta, Bob and I biked by ourselves in Half Moon Bay. Bob and I also led a weekend Sierra Club bike trip to Pigeon Point Lighthouse and San Gregorio in this picture taken by Sierra Club leader John Swanda, which I still have in my house. On the Half Moon Bay ride Bob suggested we go on a bike trip to Maui. We did. The rest is history. I ended up moving into Bob’s apartment on Telegraph Hill overlooking the wild parrots and the Bay Bridge, we got married, and live in Berkeley. On weekends we still take bike trips, and try to go on a long bike tour every summer.
We were sorry to hear the Sierra Club bike section dissolved because it was a wonderful group, but it merged with Grizzly Peak Cyclists and we go on their Wednesday rides. However, I was thrilled to hear from Estella Garcia that the Sierra Club bike group is back now! I went on the North Berkeley waterfront to Rosie the Riveter and Red Oak Victory Richmond ride she and her co-leader Ayers led the other day. Now I am looking forward to more Sierra Club bike rides in the future. Welcome back!
Photo: Lynn Schneider and Bob Migdal leading a Sierra Club bike outing at San Gregorio Store, 1984. Photo by John Swanda, 1984.