NGR - SGR - Blackhawk - Danville

Started off solo, JB was late.

I guess the kiosk ranger was also late.

I almost signed up for the Cruella Century today. I know a couple of the women on the Links for Life team and a bunch of folks from my Club Sport team are doing it... but it was $70, a small field, and the post-ride meal was hosted by Lawrence Meat Company (I'm vegetarian). Also I had a lot of stuff to do at home. But the ride came up the Easy Side as the first part of the course and I got to see all of them coming over.

So right about the Dumpster Gate this guy on a triathlete bike passes me pretty quick. He was obviously pretty good but something about him didn't quite seem legit. When he was a couple hundred meters in front of me he stuffed up a shift and couldn't get his chain to settle anywhere... he lost momentum and was almost stopped when I came around him and then he made some kind of excuse. A few minutes later he passed me back again, but after the Bump, he was pulled over on the shoulder playing with his Crackberry... looked like another excuse to me.

Passed-em:Passed-me ratio: 1:3

After Chainbuster I see a guy closing in on me and I decided that resistance would be futile. I expected him to blow by but it was blog reader Rozel who slowed down to tell me JB was a few minutes back. Then we decided to sprint and he nipped me by about ten bike lengths. I told him to make it look like he was cooked after that effort for the photo.

Unfortunately I think I photographed him in LANDSCAPE mode or something so it's a blurry shot. He's a photographer so this mistake is especially embarassing. Sorry kaibigan ko.

I waited around for the last of the Team Club Sport folks to make it up SGR, then JB and I went down toward Blackhawk. Also talked to one guy who showed us the route map and I didn't realize the full century came BACK over the Mountain at the end of the ride... kind of a neat route. I'll probably do it next year.

Roadkill Observation: raccoon on Blackhawk Road, just inside the bike lane - I rode by real close to it because I didn't want a car to pass right there and run over it and spew raccoon guts over me.

We took the Iron Horse Trail up to Danville - sure is nice in there... long stretches with no street crossings.