LOCAL CONDITIONS: Brennan Wertz

1.What is your favourite Bay Area climb and why?

My favorite Bay Area climb would have to be Mount Tamalpais. There are many ways to climb up to the top of the mountain that sits above my hometown and where I spend so much time training, but my favorite way up is the climb from Bolinas up BoFax Rd. and Seven Sisters. This is a truly magnificent climb with beautiful views in every direction.

3.Describe a perfect Bay Area summer ride? How many hours? What climbs? How much Gravel? What width tyres? Where do you stop to eat and what do you order? Ideal temperature range? In a group or alone? If in a group who are you riding with?

My ideal summer ride would be out to the Pt Reyes Lighthouse via Marshall Wall. On the way back home, I would add in the Mt Vision climb and subsequent singletrack descent. I would ideally be on my Scott Addict with 35mm tires for speed on the paved sections but a bit more grip for the occasional dirt sections. This would be about 6-7 hours and I would stop in Pt Reyes Station for a mid-ride snack and to refill the bottles. This loop includes many of my favorite local roads and trails and would take me through many different microclimates. I would probably do this ride with my main training buddies, Bradyn Lange, Skyler Taylor, Anthony Palicci, and Jovanni Stefani all of whom would be eager to push the pace all day, both on the climbs and the descents.

5.What is the most essential performance characteristic that bib shorts, jersey, vest and shoes need to have on an epic Bay Area summer ride?

The most essential performance characteristic of my technical equipment is the breathability. With such large swings in temperature, staying dry is the key to retaining warmth in the foggy, cooler sections and remaining cool once above the fog and back into the blazing California sun.

7.When did you first try a Q36.5 garment? Do you remember if it felt very different to anything you had used in the past?

I first tried a Q36.5 garment back in 2021 on my first day working at Above Category. Chad, the owner and founder of the shop, generously gave me an AC custom Gregarius Jersey and pair of Dottore Bib Shorts. I was truly blown away by the quality, comfort, and technical nature of the materials used. I had worn a lot of high-performance clothing before this point, as both a bike racer and an elite rower with the U.S. National Team. This was unlike anything I had worn before. It is now more than five years since that first ride in Q36.5 and I haven’t worn anything else since.

9.Current favourite Q36.5 garment?

This time of year, I spend a lot of time wearing the Dottore Hybrid Que Long Sleeve Jersey. I am a big fan of this jersey, especially this time of year in California because the start of the ride can be quite cold, but then it warms up a lot later in the day. I am always impressed by how well this jersey handles these large temperature swings and keeps me comfortable to continue with my efforts and training, regardless of the temperature or time of day.