Seasoned riders know all about lows and highs, from gears to mountain climbing to the PSI in their tires! Life is also full of lows and highs. (Let’s not to say “highs and lows,” as that arrangement leaves everyone sad.) This particular April has filled me with these two emotions.
Beginning with the low, I want to bid a public farewell to Sunshine Bicycles, a Gilroy icon for the past 47 years. Navy buddies Steve Warner and Norm Currie started the store all those years ago, and Sunshine has been meeting the needs of area cyclists for almost half a century. Godspeed to Norm, Steve, Fred, Matt, Brannon and all the fine folks at Sunshine. It won’t be the same without you.
Moving onto the highs, April has, for many, many years, been the month featuring two of the greatest area bicycling events of the entire year. Of course, I speak of the Sea Otter Classic and the Tierra Bella.
On April 20-23, the Sea Otter Classic returns to Laguna Seca Raceway. The best approach to this four-day bike bash? Pack up your family, bikes and helmets; head over to Monterey; then dive right into the races, rides, demos, vendors, refreshments, contests and more!
If you can break away from the SOC on Saturday (April 22), the Almaden Cycle Touring Club will be hosting their 44th Tierra Bella, pedaling out from Gilroy’s Gavilan College. ACTC has made some changes to their four routes (from 33-100 miles) and winter’s rains will surely provide some of the greenest backroads in recent memory.
Save the Dates
• April 20-23: Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, seaotterclassic.com
• April 22: Tierra Bella, Gilroy, tierrabella.org
• April 23: Primavera Century, Fremont, ffbc.org
• May 13: I Care Classic, Morgan Hill, icareclassic.org
• May 21: Strawberry Fields Forever, Aptos, strawberryfields.org
Curt “Cycle Guy” Hentschke is a cyclist, seeker, song farmer, and scribe. Send your cycle celebrations and cerebration to he*********@gm***.com.
