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BIKE

Bike Coach: Jaffa Prince

Jaffa Prince has been based in the Bay Area since 2002. Jaffa has competed at elite levels in water polo, triathlon and road cycling. From 2002-2011, Jaffa focused on triathlon, achieving numerous podiums in top tier races in California and in World Championships at various distances. Unfortunately injury forced Jaffa to focus away from running and in 2012, dedicated himself to cycling, quickly earning the Pro 1/2 status, racing for Norcal teams.

Born in Canada, raised in Belfast, N. Ireland, educated in England, Jaffa attended St. Malachy’s College, then Manchester Metropolitan University in England. Jaffa is the son of a First Nation Indian father and an Irish mother. After competing at elite levels in triathlon and road cycling, Jaffa is now focused on sharing his experiences with all GGTC members. Jaffa brings empathy, open mindedness, and creative thinking to coaching issues.

RIDE RATING SYSTEM

Club rides vary in terms of terrain, pace, distance and regroups. "The Ride Rating System" is designed to help you choose rides that fit your ability and fitness level. All riders are responsible for choosing rides for which they can maintain the designated pace for the distance and terrain specified. It is not the responsibility of the ride leader to navigate for the group, each individual should know the route and load rides onto bike computers or watches.


Keep in mind that the miles per hour listed is the average miles per hour that the rider's computer registers at the end of your ride. Note that average does not mean how fast you ride with a tailwind or on a flat road. Even if you find yourself riding 15-20 mph on a flat road, your average speed at the end of your ride can still be only 12 mph.

PACE

  • EASY - average 8 – 12 mph. These rides regroup frequently and have an easy conversational pace.
  • MODERATE - average 12 – 15 mph. Regroups are usual and will be set by the ride leader. Medium pace and will vary throughout the ride generally.
  • EXPERT - average over 15 mph. These rides are for experienced riders and may not regroup. Regrouping is at the discretion of the ride leader and will be less frequent. 

TERRAIN

Number

Terrain Description

 Examples
 1  Flat GG park, City to merced 
 2  Gentle Grades Fairfax, Paradise Loop
 3  Rolling Hills Marin Headlands (Hawk Hill), 3 Bears
 4  Mostly rolling hills, some steep climbs Pt Reyes Loop, Marshall Wall
 5  Very Hilly  Mt Diablo, Alpine Dam, Bolinas and Mt Tam



UPCOMING BIKE RIDES

Popular Routes

Ride Name Distane Elevation Description Map
Olema 66 mi / 107 km 4,511 ft / 1,375 m

Long rolling ride along the coast and in the Californian country side

 Strava
Presidio and Golden Gate Park 15 mi / 23 km 1,175 ft / 358 m

Short ride around the 2 iconic parks of San Francisco and along Ocean beach

 Strava
Point Reyes Loop 74 mi / 120 km 4,747 ft / 1,447 m

Long rolling ride along the coast and in the Californian country side

 Strava

Stinson Beach

 39 mi / 62 km 3,934 ft / 1,199 m

Hilly ride alond the Pacific coast and in the woods

 Strava

Marin Headlands

 16 mi / 25 km 1,493 ft / 455 m

Short ride with breathtaking views over the Golden Gate bridge and the city

 Strava

Alpine Dam

 48 mi / 77 km 4,193 ft / 1,278 m

Hilly ride to Alpine Dam and in the forest

 Strava

Marshal Wall

 95 mi / 153 km 6,572 ft / 2,003 m

Long hilly ride along the coast and in the Californian country side

 Strava

Paradise Loop

 34 mi / 55 km 1,598 ft / 487 m

Riders favorite ride through Sausalito and around Tiburon peninsula

 Strava

Fairfax out and back

 34 mi / 55 km 1,742 ft / 531 m

Easy ride to Fairfax going through Marin's finest villages

 Strava

Bolinas and Mt Tam

 51 mi / 82 km 4,934 ft / 1,504 m

Hilly ride along the coast and to 7 sisters and Mt Tam

 Strava

Mt Tam

 41 mi / 66 km 4,147 ft / 1,264 m

Climb to the highest submit in Marin for breathtaking views over San Francisco

 Strava

4 Corners

 23 mi / 37 km 1,713 ft / 522 m

Short hilly ride through Marin country

 Strava

City Tour

 21 mi / 34 km 1,667 ft / 508 m

Ride across the western part of San Francisco starting from Arsicault Bakery

 Strava

3 Bears (from Orinda BART)

 23 mi / 37 km 1,742 ft / 531 m

Rolling country side ride in the East Bay

 Strava

Mt Diablo (from North Gate)

 39 mi / 62 km 4,062 ft / 1,238 m

Ride to the top of the highest summit in East Bay

 Strava

Morgan Territory + Mt Diablo

 69 mi / 111 km 6,923 ft / 2,110 m

Climb to the highest submit in the East Bay after a country side ride

 Strava

GGTC Ride Essentials - Checklist

  • Helmet
  • Bike
  • Spare tube / patch kit (recommend both – flats tend to come in multiples)
  • CO2 cartridge + device / pump (recommend both – flats tend to come in multiples)
  • Tire levers
  • Emergency cash
  • I.D. / emergency contact – recommend Road ID or sticker in helmet
  • Appropriate amounts of food & water
  • Before you leave the house: 
    • shoes, shorts, jersey, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, lube (yourself & your chain), cell phone in a plastic bag & extra layers (you never know when it’s going to rain)
    • Pump your tires & check your tires for damage – every ride!

GGTC Ride Rules

  • Single file
  • Maintain a safe following and passing distance
  • When riding in Aero maintain 3+ bike lengths from the person in front of you
  • No ear phones
  • Follow the rules of the road – stop signs, red lights, yield to pedestrians, do not cross a double yellow line ever
  • Bike DEFENSIVELY – anticipate and be prepared for the worst from vehicles/ other cyclists/ pedestrians/ nature
  • Communicate – with hand signals and verbally
    • Upcoming hazards (road debris, potholes, upcoming traffic)
    • Stopping/ slowing
    • Signal turns
    • Passing – ‘on your left’

Educational Videos:

  • During our group rides we expect members to be look out  for each other. Here is a short educational video that will help those who are new to group riding. VIDEO HERE
  • Riding in the busy street of San Francisco means you have to follow the same rules as drivers. Know the basic rules by watching the VIDEO  HERE

Pace-line Rules:

  • OVER-Communicate – with hand signals and verbally
    • Upcoming hazards (road debris, potholes, upcoming traffic)
    • Stopping/ slowing
    • Signal turns
  • No Aero – except if you are leading 
  • Do not half wheel, ever
  • Request to join pace line – no one likes a stranger on their back wheel that they didn’t know about
  • Do not join a pace line unless you are 100% confident in yourself and others abilities

Plan ahead – in the event of a crash / emergency :

  • Keep calm
  • Safely block/ alert oncoming traffic
  • Check for injuries
  • Dial 911, if necessary
  • Get out of the road as soon as possible
  • If no apparent injuries, evaluate for head trauma:
    • Check helmet for any cracks
    • Any loss of consciousness? 
    • Ask orienting questions (Do you know what happened?  Where are you?  What day is today?)
    • Any disorientation, loss of consciousness, or cracks in helmet needs medical evaluation for possible head trauma.
  • Get witness information & file police report, if necessary.
  • Look for emergency contact info, if necessary.
    • RoadID, sticker/ written in helmet (recommended)
  • If you escape with only some minor road rash – Remember:
    • Do not ride away without a thorough evaluation of bike for damage.
    • Get some tegaderm, celebrate your fantastic luck, and use the experience as a reminder to ride safely & defensively

Bike Rentals & Demos

Here are a few options of local bike retailers who rent and demo:



Route Links

Questions? Ask the Bike Director, James Webb bike@ggtc.org

Golden Gate Triathlon Club is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization.

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