Swami’s Rides
Swami's has several regular training rides. Although the rides are open to all comers, they are not beginner rides. Safety is paramount so we ask that all riders be proficient in group ride technique and etiquette before joining the rides. For more on group riding visit the riding tips.
Saturday Ride (updated 12/28/2009)
The B Ride Start Time: Leaves Nytro promptly at: 8:10am
The A Ride Start Time: Leaves Nytro promptly at: 8:30am
Start Location: Nytro Bike Shop 940 south Coast Highway 101, Encinitas,
CA 92024
Link to Map of Route
This is the signature Swami's club ride. Although it sometimes will take a different route, more often than not, the ride follows the traditional route through the Elfin Forest to Escondido then back along Del Dios and through Rancho Santa Fe to the coast and coffee at Starbucks in the Encinitas Lumberyard (total distance 33 miles).
The Swami’s ride rolls out at a casual pace from Nytro rolling north to La Costa Ave then to south on El Camino Real to Levante Street where the pace will ratchet up a notch until the ride is on Rancho Santa Fe road en route to San Elijo. But once on San Elijo the pace ratchets up again until the front group is racing through Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove, past the chicken ranch and toward the sprint at the church in Escondido. Behind the front group several other groups form and ride at more comfortable speeds and eventually everyone regroups at the church to swap stories of the sprint and top off their water bottles. From the church some may go through Escondido to Wolford or Jesmon Deen to put in some longer miles, but most head out along Del Dios towards Rancho Santa Fe. There are a couple more sprints as the ride heads through The Ranch along Paseo Delicias and up Linea del Cielo. But the hammerheads usually slow up after the sprints and the group reforms for the ride through Solana Beach and north up the coast to coffee at Nytro in the Lumberyard (Encinitas).
Which Ride is best for you?
The A Ride - Is the fast and hard ride, and it will get faster and harder as racing season progresses. Is this ride right for you? Consider this before you slot in for the A Ride. If you can comfortably finish (at the church) at the Front of the B ride AND take your fair share of pulls at the front of the B ride then you get to ride the A ride. Also if you got any hardware (medals) from States, Nationals, Olympics, Worlds (that you won legit, i.e. not winning the hardware on ebay), and or make your living riding a bike really fast you get to do the A ride. You get the idea...
The B Ride - Is still a fast, hard ride but in contrast it is more about what you make of the ride. If you ride at the front and take your share of the pulls through Elfin Forest, it will be a seriously hard and fast ride. If you cant quite hang on to the riders on the front or just want to ride a little slower then you will ride with other B riders and everyone will re-group at the chruch. So if you're "reconnecting" once again with your bike fitness, or you want to ride at a pace less than full on OMG this hurts...race pace, the B ride is for you.
Regardless if you do the A ride or the B ride please remember to ride two by two wherever possible, which means don't ride 3 or 4 wide on the road, be respectful to other motorists and pedestrians you encounter on the road. Thanks!
Why two rides?
Having two rides helps even out the gaps between rider fitness levels and gives each group a little more elbow room on the road.
Typical Mileage:
Nytro – Elfin – Del Dios – Nytro: 45 miles-
Link
to Map of Route
Nytro – Elfin – Jesmon Deen – La Costa Coffee –
45 miles - Link
to Map of Route
Nytro – Elfin – Wolford – Nytro – 70 miles
- Link
to Map of Route
Sunday Ride
Start Time: 8:00am
Start Location: Panera Bread in the Forum shopping center, 1935
Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad
The Sunday ride is the more casual of the two weekend rides and rolls from Panera Bread and ends at La Costa Roasters. The route is usually the Vista Twist but from time to time that will change to a route TBD that day.
Typical Mileage : 50-55 miles
Tuesday/Thursday Morning Ride
Start Time: 6:30am
Start Location: NW corner of La Costa and El Camino Real,
Carlsbad
Link to Map of Route
This pre-work leg burner is also known as the Gene Kelley ride for its founder who in the early days was hard pressed to find many to join him for dawn patrol. Now Gene has plenty of company as word has spread about this short (22 miles) but intense workout.
The ride leaves the NW corner of La Costa and El Camino promptly at 6:30am Verizon time* (at this hour no one is in the mood to wait around in the morning chill). The tempo is brisk out La Costa and then north up the coast highway to downtown Carlsbad. There is a brief respite as the ride snakes its way east through Carlsbad and alongside the Buena Vista Lagoon. But after the lagoon, the ride turns south and the fun begins. There are several hills and four uphill sprints packed into the last eight miles of the ride as it winds south along El Camino, Cannon, Faraday, College, Aviara and Poinsetia. Mercifully the last mile is down hill along El Camino and into the Vons shopping center for coffee at La Costa Coffee.
If you get dropped or miss the start by a few minutes, there are several short cuts that will get you back on the ride, cutting across and heading east at Tamarack Drive, or Carlsbad Village Drive will get you back in touch with the group. Other route cutoffs are heading due east on Faraday to El Camino Real which cuts out the uphills of Aviara, and Poinsettia.
Note that in the cold dark winter mornings a blinky taillight is recommended for improved visibility. Also note that for the first couple weeks of daylight savings the start time will shift to 6:45 so we are not starting in total darkness.
*Verizon time is based on the time that Roger G or Gene has on their Verizon cell phones
Typical Mileage:
25 Miles
Tuesday Night El Camino Bike Ride (held from March to October)
Start Time: 5:00pm
Start Location: El Camino Bike Store 121 N. El Camino Real #A Encinitas,
CA 92024
Link
to Map of Route
This ride is only active during daylight saving. It’s typically
fast and furious and hammers through Olivenhain, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks
Ranch, Solana Beach and finally back to Encinitas. The loop is 28 miles
and there are several sprint points along the route.
Typical Mileage:
28 miles
Wednesday Morning Ride
Start Time: 8:15am
Start Location: Starbucks in downtown Carlsbad, 2924 Carlsbad Blvd
Carlsbad, CA
Link
to Map of Route
One of Bicycling Magazines top ranked group rides, the Camp Pendleton
ride rolls north through Pendleton to San Clemente where it turns around
and heads back to Carlsbad. Out and back is 49 miles. The Pendleton ride
has been described as one of the hardest flat rides you can do. So bring
your A game and bring your ID - you must have a valid drivers license
or state-issued ID to get onto the base.
Typical Mileage:
50 miles