Biking It!: Don't be a turkey--get out and cycle in the Turkey Ride!

Biking It! with Celia

Looking for a fun ride to do the morning of Thanksgiving Day to get your appetite ready for Thanksgiving dinner and eat with no remorse?

Then don't miss the 34th Annual Thanksgiving Ride which begins in Fairfax every year.

The Thanksgiving ride, also called the Appetite Seminar or Turkey Ride, is a tradition that started in 1975 (click here to read about the origins of this ride) to celebrate mountain biking and the spirit of giving.

Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., hundreds of mountain bikers from all over the Bay Area gather around the Java Hut parking lot in Fairfax and start pedaling toward Pine Mountain to do the well known "Pine Mountain Loop."  And the spirit of giving starts right at the Java Hut drive-thru which offers free coffee, bagels and cream cheese to the riders.

If you don't know the way, just follow the crowd and join a group.  There will be a party in the mountains so you won't be alone. On this ride if you are lucky, you can meet local bike celebrities including pioneers Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, and Jacquie Phelam; bike leaders and advocates like Danny Forer, Jim Jacobsen and Lisa Luzzi; racers like Rachel Lloyd and Marla Streb; or super hot and sexy riders like me, Celia the Hot Mama.  

Way into the loop, after climbing to the top of Pine Mountain (hard steep rocky climbs!), descending into Kent lake, and climbing back up to the ridge around Green Hill (the hardest climb of the loop!) there is a fun and popular stop where representatives of local bike advocacy and bike organizations give out power bars and information on bike related events and rides.

Toward the end of the loop, another popular gathering spot is Horse Shoe Junction, where the spirit of giving is also in action!

At this intersection, Josh (a great mechanic from Fairfax Cyclery) and Dave, offer pancakes, hot chocolate, and hot coffee to any rider wanting to taste their goodies. Using their bike trailer, they start carrying cooking equipment and ingredients days before the ride.

What a great tradition!!! One year, close to 1,000 riders showed up! This year, you could be one of them!

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Celia Graterol, a former Downhill U.S. National Champion, has organized mountain bike rides and clinics around Marin, the SF Bay and Tahoe areas since 2002.  Her extensive knowledge of the trails and her rider leadership experience allow her to offer opportunities for fun, safe and gorgeous rides at all levels.

Celia, who lives with her family in Marin, is founder and CEO of Mountain Biking Marin and she shares her experiences in her new column Biking It! with Celia.

Comments

[Jesse McMinn]

Awesome. We will see you out there!!

[Acai Optimum]

Wonderful post... Great pictures too! I will take into account some of what you have talked about here come next Thanksgiving!

[used cell phones]

Biking is a great fun..Beautiful post.Biking is fun as well enjoyment at Fairfax every year.