Decisions, decisions.

Gate-Junction-Blackhawk-Danville Blvd



This morning while I was walking my dog, I surmised that it was going to be cold all morning. There was rain in the forecast but not predicted until afternoon. So with almost full winter gear I rolled my bike out and noticed that the front tire was flat. I didn't see anything sticking out so I tried to just pump it up but it wouldn't hold. Then I grabbed a tube from my rack of patched and tested ones and installed it... cool, still on time. Then I got about a mile from home and realized it was flat again. I was hoping something wasn't seriously wrong and through in one of my unused spares from the seat bag... cool, it seemed to hold. Then I called Rick to tell him I'd be a little late.



I passed two women on North Gate Road before I met up with JB and Rick at the Gate, they looked like good riders but not fast - I like to make sure I don't pass people who are later going to pass me back. Good riding but it started to hot up and I was too warm; I'm pretty good about clothing calls but today I botched it. Lost contact with Rick and JB at the Bump. We passed a rider in a blue jersey a little later but I didn't seem to be able to get too far ahead of him until I hammered a few blind spots to squash his morale.


Dudley Driveby: 8:38 near Clavicle Cracker



Just when I started to relax about blue jersey rider not repassing me, I see blue rider get passed by a new guy; white jersey rider. So I was determined at least to give this dog a good chase and by the time I got to Chainbuster I knew I had made it.


At the Junction, white jersey rider introduces himself as "Doug - a faithful blog reader!"

Doug

Doug also said that another friend of his sent him a link to my site! Rick kidded me about being famous.

Doug went up, JB went home, me and Rick went to Blackhawk. I measured off the distance from the Junction to the Challenge starting line to verify my profile chart - PROFILE (it's correct). Rick wanted me to take a photo of the new "all weather sports field" at the Athenian School - this is why the Challenge riders had to park so far away this year.

I guess they fill it in with some stuff and then cover it with artificial turf and put in a drainage system... looks like a lot of money just to play soccer.

Blackhawk and Tassajara were tons of fun as usual but we started to get a few rain sprinkles. Then on Danville Blvd we drafted a cement truck for a mile or so at high speed - that was really fun!