Team NorthBay has been busy hosting rides for beginners and intermediate riders.
Other cycling groups host group rides but Team NorthBay is the only local group that offers rides for beginner cyclists.

Monticello offers rides for novice riders but not for the rank beginner. Our group welcomes everyone no matter what your fitness level or type of bike you are riding. Many of the participants can not be described as fit (yet) and some ride on balloon tire cruiser or heavy department store bikes.

Last week I left off in my report on the six-day, 400 mile, 55th annual Christmas in Warner Springs, a quiet spot in high dessert in between San Diego and Palm Springs. Here is the remainder of the story.

I took a long trip over the holidays. It was a multi-part trip. Grace and Max our dog accompanied me along with two bikes, a road and a mountain bike.

Grace planned to spend Christmas in Spokane with her son but first we visited Las Vegas to get it off her Bucket List. Then we visited my parents who were staying at their place at the Fountain of Youth Hot Springs located on the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley.

I wrote this while traveling three weeks ago but was unable to get online to send it in. Would have been great to have been able to post it during the holiday, but here it is several weeks late. -- Patrick

I will be with my parents not far from Palm Springs, then driving to San Diego to see my cousin and her two daughters. The following day, I'll leave on a six-day, 400-mile-tour that is the 55th annual Hostelling International Christmas Ride. This will be my first time doing this tour, but I have friends who make it an annual event.

The reason I have never done this ride is because I almost always work on Christmas. I grew up in a  family who worked in hospitals, my father is a R.N. Our tradition was to always take Thanksgiving off and work the Christmas holiday.