Day One, Done

Waves to Wine was the first charity ride I'd done, way back in 2003. I was the stoker on a recumbent tandem, and I didn't even have a bike jersey to wear on the first day. We followed the 75-mile route on both days; the first day being a loop from Santa Rosa out to the coast and back. It was spectacular!

For me, fundraising was intimidating. To meet the minimum required, I figured I'd just write a check and have my employer match my donation. With prodding from a gregarious coworker who had a background in sales and marketing, I gulped and sent a fundraising plea to 65 friends and relatives. Some donated, some did not, and I raised enough funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to be awarded a “Champagne Club” jersey (which I proudly wore the next day, as well as today).

In 2006, the organizers changed the routes, complicated the logistics, and generally messed up the event; I switched my fundraising allegiance to Best Buddies. This year someone close to me was diagnosed with MS and I decided to sign up for Waves to Wine again, 20 years after my first ride.

To see any waves on Day One, the logistics now entailed starting in San Francisco and riding over the Golden Gate Bridge. [Been there, done that.] I opted for a shorter loop, starting and finishing in Rohnert Park. That would also avoid returning to San Francisco by bus at the end of Day Two.

The area was blanketed in fog. After the sun broke through, the most scenic part of the route was along Chileno Valley Road.

There were a few white swans on Laguna Lake (not something I'd seen there before). Having spotted a red-tailed hawk on this road years ago, I kept glancing upward. [And ... yes!]

I also spotted a couple of old-timers: one guy in the standard-issue jersey from 2003, and another sporting a circa 2001 Champagne Club jersey. Like me, he missed the original route and the homey vibe of the old event; he lamented the sense of community that's been lost. The finishing area is now staged with canopies for the larger teams; people don't seem to mingle as they had in the past.

Much of the route followed busy roads. I averaged a fast-for-me 13.8 mph over the 44-mile route—probably because I wasn't distracted by the scenery. Visibility was low for the first hour or more; with fewer participants than I remember in 2003, I was riding solo for most of the day. I was glad I had brought a taillight, and regretted not bringing my front light.

As I approached the finish line, the DJ was blasting Katy Perry's Firework and I finished with an exuberant smile. You'll have to take my word for that, because I never did find an image from the photographer who was stationed there. [I found Snoopy, though.]

Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Ah, ah, ah"
As you shoot across the sky