The time has come. We've lost our Founder and Mentor, but most of all we lost our longest and dearest friend. Rolf Soltau started this challenge in the early years of Vespa Club Los Gatos. Let's honor his memory and keep the tradition going strong.
Vespa Club Los Gatos continues tradition with the annual challenge to climb all three Bay Area peaks in a single day.
Mount Hamilton.
Mount Diablo.
Mount Tamalpais.
We will push our scooters and ourselves to ride around the SF Bay (literally), surviving the hours in the saddle.
This is not a race, but you do have to keep moving to complete the challenge before nightfall. We will pause to regroup from time to time, but each rider should be prepared to navigate the course without aid from others.
Saturday August 6th 2016.
As always, we will start in San Jose and finish atop Mount Tamalpais.
Be prepared for a VERY early morning meet-up, and to depart 1hr later.
MEET-UP IS AT ZAMORAS OMELETTE HOUSE AT 7AM
2920 Alum Rock Avenue
San Jose, CA 95127-2805
(408) 926-2628
KICKSTART AND KICKSTANDS-UP AT 8AM
As tradition goes, we will break for lunch between 12p and 2p, at Genova Delicatessen & Ravioli in Walnut Creek (S. California Blvd. & Olympic Blvd.).
Route information will be available for those who feel they may lag and/or fall behind, both in print form and online. There will *NOT* be a support truck for this ride, so you will more-or-less be on your own should you encounter issues or a breakdown (mechanical or otherwise).
We expect this to be an all-day event. Riders will be of all experience levels, so some will push their machines and themselves harder than others. This does not mean you are expected to "keep-up". Just make sure you finish if you can.
PATCHES
They will be available for $10 at the finish. We are having year rocker patches to surround the patch for each year you complete the challenge. We will get your info and send you the rocker for 2016. For 2015 and other past years, we should have these available by then as well.
REMINDERS
1) If we've said it already, we'll say it again - THIS IS NOT A RACE! Each individual is to ride at his/her own pace, and just get to the checkpoints when you can. We will be printing X amount of directions so you may need to pair-up with others if you don't know the route.
2) It helps to have cash readily available to you when you do this ride. It's $10 to get into Mount Diablo State Park, but that $10 charge will also allow you access to Mount Tamalpais (if the Rangers enforce the entry fee). There is a toll when crossing the 580 Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The Golden Gate bridge no longer has attendants to take your money, they just capture a photo of your license plate and send you a bill.
3) If you feel you've had enough of the challenge before completing the ride, no hard feelings. Just pull someone over for directions to the nearest freeway and you can ride home on your own accord.
4) There are no winners or losers in the Three Peaks Challenge - only those who can finish a very tough ride. These are backroads we'll be taking, where riders on 50cc have made it through the entire thing - though they didn't get to rest as frequently as the rest, they toughed it out.
5) Be prepared for rapidly changing weather. Often we start with an overcast morning, are roasting by the time we get to Diablo/Walnut Creek, and then encounter wet roads and drizzle around Mount Tam. This has got to be one of the more odd-ball rides for weather, from start to finish.
6) Don't try to be a hero and ride with the faster riders if you can't handle sharp turns at high speeds. Ride according to your own style, and traffic rules. Some of us are crazier/more stupid than others when we ride; others just call it experience.
Check back here frequently for updates as we get closer to August.
Don't trust us? Need to see the route beforehand so you can decide if you want/can do it? Here are JPEG versions of the printed map available on Flickr. If you get lost, link these images in your mobile device for quick reference (or just copy them directly).
Part 1 of 4
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7495515406_0178205659_b.jpg
Part 2 of 4
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7495515004_c49c656d5d_b.jpg
Part 3 of 4
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7495514716_769dbcec2a_b.jpg
Part 4 of 4
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7495515646_42573b5034_b.jpg
GPX with waypoints and tracks (You will need to build your own route with your own maps)
http://members.modernvespa.net/oopsclunkthud/uploads/3pc_139.gpx
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates as they happen.
www.VespaClubLosGatos.com
www.Facebook.com/VespaClubLosGatos
Instagram : @vespaclublosgatos
Twitter : @ VCLG_Events
VespaClubLosGatos@yahoo.com
VespaClubLosGatos@gmail.com
edited to include date in title - jimc