Diablo Junction Plus - 28 miles
I still don’t have my car running so I rode my Klein to work, and stored it in Adam’s office.
Today was the hottest day I’ve ridden in at least a year. I knew it was going to be a tough ride so I tried to stay hydrated all day. But when you’ve been in a nice air conditioned building for 9 hours the heat can hit you like a load of bricks.
Adam, Brian and I rode together to the Gate and we met JB there. Adam took off right away. I hooked up with Jay and Dave for a little while – if I’m feeling really good I can stay with them but I was feeling really drained and spacey today so I drifted back. I just didn’t have much power and it was MOSTLY because of the heat but maybe also lack of sleep from getting up too early to watch the live Tour coverage.
On the Bump, Brian passed me – he was riding JB’s Della Santa and I was really being careful about over doing it. He looked like he was killing himself to pass me and I half expected to see him chunder farther up the road. He didn’t though – he did a good ride.
JB passed me around the Lower Ranch – he was on his Atlantis and he was hot but he seemed to be tolerating the heat better than me.
After that no one passed me and I was on my own for the rest of the way. There were times I thought about pulling over in the shade for a break but I kept on chugging. It really annoyed me that I didn’t have something extra in the tank and just felt weak and slow.
Finally made it to the Junction with a time of 46 minutes. I was so spent all I could do is sit on the bench and sweat until it was time to go down.
Wildlife Encounter: A racoon raiding the garbage can at the Junction. He found an empty cookie bag and couldn’t figure out why it smelled so good but didn’t taste like food. Cute little booger.
Still hot at 11pm!
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Sunday, July 10, 2005
No Diablo ride this weekend. Finally put on the new compact crank on my Eddy Merckx though. It's an FSA Gossamer Compact with FSA Platinum ISIS bottom bracket; watch for the product review coming soon. It all went together very well, initial impressions are very good, and my old crank and bb are for sale on eBay:
ClickHereToBuyMyOldCampyCrank
My Eddy Merckx With New Crank
Close Up Of Crank
ClickHereToBuyMyOldCampyCrank
My Eddy Merckx With New Crank
Close Up Of Crank
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Diablo Junction - 28 miles
My car broke down last weekend so I rode my Klein to work and parked it in Adam’s office. After work JB, Adam, Amanda, and I all rode together to the Gate but JB and Adam were late getting out the door so we didn’t leave the parking lot until 5:20. Brian had a flat in the parking lot and decided not even to go. Amanda didn’t know the way since she usually gets a ride from me or Nicole so we had to stay with her – she’s improved a lot but she’s not very fast yet so by the time we started up North Gate it was 5:45 or so.
Just before we crossed the line a guy on a roadified mountain bike (whom henceforth shall be called “Slick”) passed us and we all kind of chuckled nervously. At the line, Adam announced that it was his intention to do intervals after a 5-minute tempo ride. I hopped right on his wheel and had no trouble with his tempo because there was a bit of a headwind and he was working harder than me. JB decided not to join in the tempo riding. We passed Slick at about minute two. At minute five Adam started his sprint intervals and I just let him go. For some reason I didn’t have much focus today and my power was low also so I just rode within myself.
By the Lower Ranch both JB and Slick had passed me so that was pretty demoralizing. Adam actually came back down and turned around… literally riding circles around me. I did see some of the Diablo Cyclists hanging out in the shade so it wasn’t just me that was having trouble. No excuses today, I was just really feeling the chain. Finished up with a time of 43 and change. Hung around for a while, thought about going down South Gate but decided not to.
Got behind a car that wouldn’t pull over on the way down so that wasn’t very interesting either. I hope Saturday’s ride is better than this. Usually the TdF really motivates me.
My car broke down last weekend so I rode my Klein to work and parked it in Adam’s office. After work JB, Adam, Amanda, and I all rode together to the Gate but JB and Adam were late getting out the door so we didn’t leave the parking lot until 5:20. Brian had a flat in the parking lot and decided not even to go. Amanda didn’t know the way since she usually gets a ride from me or Nicole so we had to stay with her – she’s improved a lot but she’s not very fast yet so by the time we started up North Gate it was 5:45 or so.
Just before we crossed the line a guy on a roadified mountain bike (whom henceforth shall be called “Slick”) passed us and we all kind of chuckled nervously. At the line, Adam announced that it was his intention to do intervals after a 5-minute tempo ride. I hopped right on his wheel and had no trouble with his tempo because there was a bit of a headwind and he was working harder than me. JB decided not to join in the tempo riding. We passed Slick at about minute two. At minute five Adam started his sprint intervals and I just let him go. For some reason I didn’t have much focus today and my power was low also so I just rode within myself.
By the Lower Ranch both JB and Slick had passed me so that was pretty demoralizing. Adam actually came back down and turned around… literally riding circles around me. I did see some of the Diablo Cyclists hanging out in the shade so it wasn’t just me that was having trouble. No excuses today, I was just really feeling the chain. Finished up with a time of 43 and change. Hung around for a while, thought about going down South Gate but decided not to.
Got behind a car that wouldn’t pull over on the way down so that wasn’t very interesting either. I hope Saturday’s ride is better than this. Usually the TdF really motivates me.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Diablo Junction plus SGR - 28 miles
On the way to the Gate this morning, I caught up with a guy named Mark who must have been a Greg Lemond fan because he had an old ADR jersey and a GL frame. I passed him on Bancroft but then he caught up to me at the light on Ygnacio so we introduced ourselves and rode the rest of the way together. At first I thought I was stronger than him and I didn’t mind doing all the pulling, but then he came around me and insisted on doing a turn at the front so that was cool. We caught up to JB just below the Gate and then Mark took off by himself.
There was no sign of anyone else coming so JB and I started up alone. He looked like he had a few too many beers last night and wasn’t feeling too perky so I figured I might have some fun. It was warm this morning and I brought two bottles with lots of ice – that tasted really good as we got a little higher.
We didn’t see Mark after the start – he must be a fast climber. We did see the guy with the motorized mountain bike – he came around us quite fast above the Bump and looked like he was having fun. JB and I were riding at a casual pace and he seemed to be breathing harder than usual so with a mile and a half to go I launched my escape and stayed away until the Junction.
I tried to talk him into going down to the tire poppers and back up but he would only agree to the South Gate Kiosk so I took what I could get. On the way back up he was feeling better and did a little escape of his own at the steeper part just before the Junction. Nicole got there from North Gate at the same time as we returned from South Gate and so then we all went out for a Planet Juice. Then when I got home I put on my new tires – Hutchinson Fusion Comps… but they clash with my purple handlebar tape – might need to change that as well.
On the way to the Gate this morning, I caught up with a guy named Mark who must have been a Greg Lemond fan because he had an old ADR jersey and a GL frame. I passed him on Bancroft but then he caught up to me at the light on Ygnacio so we introduced ourselves and rode the rest of the way together. At first I thought I was stronger than him and I didn’t mind doing all the pulling, but then he came around me and insisted on doing a turn at the front so that was cool. We caught up to JB just below the Gate and then Mark took off by himself.
There was no sign of anyone else coming so JB and I started up alone. He looked like he had a few too many beers last night and wasn’t feeling too perky so I figured I might have some fun. It was warm this morning and I brought two bottles with lots of ice – that tasted really good as we got a little higher.
We didn’t see Mark after the start – he must be a fast climber. We did see the guy with the motorized mountain bike – he came around us quite fast above the Bump and looked like he was having fun. JB and I were riding at a casual pace and he seemed to be breathing harder than usual so with a mile and a half to go I launched my escape and stayed away until the Junction.
I tried to talk him into going down to the tire poppers and back up but he would only agree to the South Gate Kiosk so I took what I could get. On the way back up he was feeling better and did a little escape of his own at the steeper part just before the Junction. Nicole got there from North Gate at the same time as we returned from South Gate and so then we all went out for a Planet Juice. Then when I got home I put on my new tires – Hutchinson Fusion Comps… but they clash with my purple handlebar tape – might need to change that as well.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Diablo Junction, the Hurl Ride - 20 miles
The idea behind the Hurl Ride is that we estimate our best time to the Junction and stagger our starts so hopefully we'll all finish at the same time. Nicole's goal was the longest so she started first but Adam, JB, and I had almost a half an hour to kill before starting so we rode part way up and then turned around. I was aiming for a 38 minute ride (haven't been anywhere near PB times this year) and that meant I didn't start until 6:15 or so. JB started 2 minutes after me (today is his 50th! birthday so he was hoping to prove something),and Adam was going for a 30 minute attempt (his all-time PB is 32).
The heat was definitely a factor although it wasn't killer - probably in the low 90's F. I started off fast but holding some back. The last few Hurl Rides JB has passed me way below the finish because he sandbagged his estimated time. This ride though I kept looking back and didn't see him until much farther up. At the top of the Upper Washout -I was at 18m30s and usually that's about half the total time so I was on track for a 37 minute ride… maybe I was sandbagging my estimate this year? Nah, I was starting to struggle and my heart rate was in the mid 170's the whole time. I could see JB now but I still had a good distance on him and I stood a good chance of keeping it.
Near the Upper Ranch I heard sirens and then I saw a ranger pick-up coming down. The ranger stopped a couple times to talk to riders who had pulled over and it looked as though he was asking them if they were OK as if he was looking for an injured rider. When he came by me I pulled all the way over but didn't dismount so he didn't stop. I heard later that someone had crashed on the descent and maybe broken a collar bone but no one was really sure.
That mile from the Upper Washout to the Lower Ranch wasn't as fast as I needed to go - the heat was getting to me and my legs were feeling kind of dead. I passed Nicole in this section and she said she had stopped a couple times to rest and I told her JB was right behind me. With 2 miles to go I was about 30 seconds behind my goal. Then the mile from there to Big Shady Oak was even worse and with 1 mile to go I was about 90 seconds behind. JB passed me between there and Chainbuster so I lost my motivation as well as more time and I finished in 39m43s. JB was about 45 seconds in front of me which meant he was a minute slower than his goal. Adam came in at 35 minutes, Amanda did a PB with 63, and Nicole didn't finish at all.
It was good to do a ride where we were all going hard, but it was kind of disappointing too.
At the Junction I could really feel that the hard effort in the heat had taken a toll - it took me longer to recover and get ready to go down and I felt a little dehydrated even though I did everything right in the fluid-replacement category.
The idea behind the Hurl Ride is that we estimate our best time to the Junction and stagger our starts so hopefully we'll all finish at the same time. Nicole's goal was the longest so she started first but Adam, JB, and I had almost a half an hour to kill before starting so we rode part way up and then turned around. I was aiming for a 38 minute ride (haven't been anywhere near PB times this year) and that meant I didn't start until 6:15 or so. JB started 2 minutes after me (today is his 50th! birthday so he was hoping to prove something),and Adam was going for a 30 minute attempt (his all-time PB is 32).
The heat was definitely a factor although it wasn't killer - probably in the low 90's F. I started off fast but holding some back. The last few Hurl Rides JB has passed me way below the finish because he sandbagged his estimated time. This ride though I kept looking back and didn't see him until much farther up. At the top of the Upper Washout -I was at 18m30s and usually that's about half the total time so I was on track for a 37 minute ride… maybe I was sandbagging my estimate this year? Nah, I was starting to struggle and my heart rate was in the mid 170's the whole time. I could see JB now but I still had a good distance on him and I stood a good chance of keeping it.
Near the Upper Ranch I heard sirens and then I saw a ranger pick-up coming down. The ranger stopped a couple times to talk to riders who had pulled over and it looked as though he was asking them if they were OK as if he was looking for an injured rider. When he came by me I pulled all the way over but didn't dismount so he didn't stop. I heard later that someone had crashed on the descent and maybe broken a collar bone but no one was really sure.
That mile from the Upper Washout to the Lower Ranch wasn't as fast as I needed to go - the heat was getting to me and my legs were feeling kind of dead. I passed Nicole in this section and she said she had stopped a couple times to rest and I told her JB was right behind me. With 2 miles to go I was about 30 seconds behind my goal. Then the mile from there to Big Shady Oak was even worse and with 1 mile to go I was about 90 seconds behind. JB passed me between there and Chainbuster so I lost my motivation as well as more time and I finished in 39m43s. JB was about 45 seconds in front of me which meant he was a minute slower than his goal. Adam came in at 35 minutes, Amanda did a PB with 63, and Nicole didn't finish at all.
It was good to do a ride where we were all going hard, but it was kind of disappointing too.
At the Junction I could really feel that the hard effort in the heat had taken a toll - it took me longer to recover and get ready to go down and I felt a little dehydrated even though I did everything right in the fluid-replacement category.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Diablo Junction Plus - 28 miles
Just as I was getting to North Gate Road, Rick called to say he and Nicole would be late. There was a rock on the post but I didn’t know if JB had started up already – the rock signal is pretty much useless these days. So I waited for R&N.
It was cool and really foggy. We stayed with Nicole and talked about the upcoming Seattle to Portland ride until Moss Landing and then Rick and I picked it up a bit, but basically just chugged along.
Near the Upper Ranch, we came across Sarkis coming down. He turned around and went up with us, and said that the Diablo Cyclists were having their Death Ride training camp today; essentially climbing until they can’t climb no more and they started at 7am. Sarkis isn’t doing the DR but started out with them anyway. As we got close to the Junction I threw down a sprint – Rick didn’t follow but Sarkis came around me like a miniature Petacchi.
At the Junction dozens of riders stopped by from the north, the south, and the Summit. I chatted briefly with Dave, a Diablo Cyclist from the Wednesday night rides. I first met him last year and we frequently wound up in the same little gruppetto but he’s gotten markedly faster since then and I don’t think I can keep up with him anymore. Anyway, he mentioned that I referred to him as “an unidentified rider” in my post of about 2 weeks ago so this week he gets almost a whole paragraph for himself. Have a great Death Ride, Dave.
Rick and I decided to climb up a bit farther and then turn around to meet Nicole back at the Junction. The fog was even thicker on Summit Road, and the trees were dripping with condensation. It was an interesting ride. We got back to Junction just as Nicole got there and there was a whole new group of riders there too. We’ve got to figure out a way to get this many cyclists on the Mountain more often – I’m sure not ALL of them were training for Markleeville.
Just as I was getting to North Gate Road, Rick called to say he and Nicole would be late. There was a rock on the post but I didn’t know if JB had started up already – the rock signal is pretty much useless these days. So I waited for R&N.
It was cool and really foggy. We stayed with Nicole and talked about the upcoming Seattle to Portland ride until Moss Landing and then Rick and I picked it up a bit, but basically just chugged along.
Near the Upper Ranch, we came across Sarkis coming down. He turned around and went up with us, and said that the Diablo Cyclists were having their Death Ride training camp today; essentially climbing until they can’t climb no more and they started at 7am. Sarkis isn’t doing the DR but started out with them anyway. As we got close to the Junction I threw down a sprint – Rick didn’t follow but Sarkis came around me like a miniature Petacchi.
At the Junction dozens of riders stopped by from the north, the south, and the Summit. I chatted briefly with Dave, a Diablo Cyclist from the Wednesday night rides. I first met him last year and we frequently wound up in the same little gruppetto but he’s gotten markedly faster since then and I don’t think I can keep up with him anymore. Anyway, he mentioned that I referred to him as “an unidentified rider” in my post of about 2 weeks ago so this week he gets almost a whole paragraph for himself. Have a great Death Ride, Dave.
Rick and I decided to climb up a bit farther and then turn around to meet Nicole back at the Junction. The fog was even thicker on Summit Road, and the trees were dripping with condensation. It was an interesting ride. We got back to Junction just as Nicole got there and there was a whole new group of riders there too. We’ve got to figure out a way to get this many cyclists on the Mountain more often – I’m sure not ALL of them were training for Markleeville.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Diablo Junction - 16 miles
Last night I was browsing eBay for some bib shorts and put in a bid on some blue ones that were apparently leftovers from a racing team in Seattle. I only have one pair of bibs that aren’t black and I thought it would be nice to have some other colors. These were made by Hincapie Sports, never been worn, and looked like they would retail for $100 or more. The sponsor logos said “Wines of Washington” and “The Tasting Room”. I’ve never heard of such a team but what the hell I bid $29 and they wound up going for $30 – oh well.
Finally we had a pretty big group from work this afternoon. As I was unloading and talking to Mark P a woman rode up and asked us if we were with the Diablo Cyclists and I showed her where those folks met up, and then I noticed she was wearing a “Wines of Washington” full team kit! That was strange.
So JB, Mark P, Jeff, and I all started out toward the Gate and we saw the Diablo Cyclist pack about 100 meters ahead of us. I thought we might wait for Rick, Adam, and Brian but when we crossed the line JB dropped the hammer and I glommed on to his wheel. There was a bit of a headwind so I was getting a lot of benefit back there and I could hear him breathing heavily while I was relatively comfortable. We caught up to the main Diablo Cyclist pack below the Bump and I thought we might integrate with them but JB kept on plowing so I kept on sucking his wheel. Past the Bump though I cracked and he rode away from me but Jay K merged up from the gruppetto and rode with me the rest of the way.
At the Upper Washout (3 miles to go) my split was 18m24 so that was an excellent start. Then I heard the unmistakable squeak of Adam’s Cannondale behind us – I’ll be happy when his new Dean comes in. He and a guy in a USPS jersey blew by Jay and me with little fanfare. JB wasn’t too far ahead since he pretty much cracked a minute after I did but when Adam and Postieguy passed JB he hung on for a while and increased the gap between us.
With 2 miles to go my split was 24m35s so that wasn’t too bad even though I had slowed down quite a bit. I figured I would certainly break 40 and that would be an OK result. Jay would normally have dumped me by now but he’s tapering down on his efforts so he’ll be fully rested for the Terrible Two on Saturday so he twiddled along and chatted as I tried to keep my tongue from dragging on the asphalt.
And with 1 mile to go I was at 32m30s and I started to feel a little better so after Chainbuster I put my head down and power cranked for a couple meters before the burn came back and I downshifted again. Junction time: 39m01s and that’ll do.
Mark P and Jeff came in a little bit later – Jeff looked like Mark had half-wheel-helled him the whole way up but Mark looked relaxed and cool. Brian (JB’s nephew) rode in ahead of Nicole and Amanda – he’s a good sport and has been riding JB’s heavy touring bike with panniers but I think he’d rather be playing basketball. There was a nice big group at the Junction and people were talking about recent events and races as well as the upcoming Death Ride.
Next week: HURL RIDE!
Last night I was browsing eBay for some bib shorts and put in a bid on some blue ones that were apparently leftovers from a racing team in Seattle. I only have one pair of bibs that aren’t black and I thought it would be nice to have some other colors. These were made by Hincapie Sports, never been worn, and looked like they would retail for $100 or more. The sponsor logos said “Wines of Washington” and “The Tasting Room”. I’ve never heard of such a team but what the hell I bid $29 and they wound up going for $30 – oh well.
Finally we had a pretty big group from work this afternoon. As I was unloading and talking to Mark P a woman rode up and asked us if we were with the Diablo Cyclists and I showed her where those folks met up, and then I noticed she was wearing a “Wines of Washington” full team kit! That was strange.
So JB, Mark P, Jeff, and I all started out toward the Gate and we saw the Diablo Cyclist pack about 100 meters ahead of us. I thought we might wait for Rick, Adam, and Brian but when we crossed the line JB dropped the hammer and I glommed on to his wheel. There was a bit of a headwind so I was getting a lot of benefit back there and I could hear him breathing heavily while I was relatively comfortable. We caught up to the main Diablo Cyclist pack below the Bump and I thought we might integrate with them but JB kept on plowing so I kept on sucking his wheel. Past the Bump though I cracked and he rode away from me but Jay K merged up from the gruppetto and rode with me the rest of the way.
At the Upper Washout (3 miles to go) my split was 18m24 so that was an excellent start. Then I heard the unmistakable squeak of Adam’s Cannondale behind us – I’ll be happy when his new Dean comes in. He and a guy in a USPS jersey blew by Jay and me with little fanfare. JB wasn’t too far ahead since he pretty much cracked a minute after I did but when Adam and Postieguy passed JB he hung on for a while and increased the gap between us.
With 2 miles to go my split was 24m35s so that wasn’t too bad even though I had slowed down quite a bit. I figured I would certainly break 40 and that would be an OK result. Jay would normally have dumped me by now but he’s tapering down on his efforts so he’ll be fully rested for the Terrible Two on Saturday so he twiddled along and chatted as I tried to keep my tongue from dragging on the asphalt.
And with 1 mile to go I was at 32m30s and I started to feel a little better so after Chainbuster I put my head down and power cranked for a couple meters before the burn came back and I downshifted again. Junction time: 39m01s and that’ll do.
Mark P and Jeff came in a little bit later – Jeff looked like Mark had half-wheel-helled him the whole way up but Mark looked relaxed and cool. Brian (JB’s nephew) rode in ahead of Nicole and Amanda – he’s a good sport and has been riding JB’s heavy touring bike with panniers but I think he’d rather be playing basketball. There was a nice big group at the Junction and people were talking about recent events and races as well as the upcoming Death Ride.
Next week: HURL RIDE!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Diablo Junction 18 miles
Adam said today was the day he was going to break 30 minutes; his plan was to work with Mark, who can do a 28 on any given day. But he didn’t have on his race wheels and it was damn windy in the early afternoon – I wasn’t convinced.
I got to the Gate just a little early and I saw Adam, Mark, and two other guys approach so I got on quick and grabbed Adam’s wheel. I knew JB and Nicole also were coming but I figured I’d see them later. So across the line there were five of us but one guy didn’t try to stay on so then there were four of us. I hung on for a couple hundred meters and then I got removed too. Then the three of them disappeared into the distance. A little while later the fourth guy passed me up too so then I was alone.
Coming around the lower hairpins I could see the Bump up ahead and a rider that looked like Adam was on his own; if true that would mean he couldn’t ride Mark’s wheel and likely wouldn’t make 30 minutes… but maybe it was somebody else. Then JB caught me… he said he was only 10 seconds behind Adam at the Gate but I didn’t see him there. We rode together for a while and passed up a few people. My 3mtg time was 20min so I thought I could probably just break 40. JB dropped me before Clavicle Cracker and quickly opened up a gap of almost a minute and then stayed there the rest of the way. With about 400 to go I saw two Diablo Cyclists coming up fast behind me so I poured on the juice and tried to stay away from them. One of the guys was Jay K who yelled at me to quit looking back and just go. My Junction time: 39m59s.
Adam didn’t make it. Jay told me about his recent trip to Italy including a pilgrimage to Madonna del Ghisallo and a crash on some cobblestones. There was a huge crowd of cyclists up there tonight – and all was well with the world.
On the way down, JB and I came across Nicole who just got a new saddle and a water bottle rack that goes behind the saddle and she wanted to finish so we turned around and rode back up to the Junction (hardly anyone left there by then).
Adam said today was the day he was going to break 30 minutes; his plan was to work with Mark, who can do a 28 on any given day. But he didn’t have on his race wheels and it was damn windy in the early afternoon – I wasn’t convinced.
I got to the Gate just a little early and I saw Adam, Mark, and two other guys approach so I got on quick and grabbed Adam’s wheel. I knew JB and Nicole also were coming but I figured I’d see them later. So across the line there were five of us but one guy didn’t try to stay on so then there were four of us. I hung on for a couple hundred meters and then I got removed too. Then the three of them disappeared into the distance. A little while later the fourth guy passed me up too so then I was alone.
Coming around the lower hairpins I could see the Bump up ahead and a rider that looked like Adam was on his own; if true that would mean he couldn’t ride Mark’s wheel and likely wouldn’t make 30 minutes… but maybe it was somebody else. Then JB caught me… he said he was only 10 seconds behind Adam at the Gate but I didn’t see him there. We rode together for a while and passed up a few people. My 3mtg time was 20min so I thought I could probably just break 40. JB dropped me before Clavicle Cracker and quickly opened up a gap of almost a minute and then stayed there the rest of the way. With about 400 to go I saw two Diablo Cyclists coming up fast behind me so I poured on the juice and tried to stay away from them. One of the guys was Jay K who yelled at me to quit looking back and just go. My Junction time: 39m59s.
Adam didn’t make it. Jay told me about his recent trip to Italy including a pilgrimage to Madonna del Ghisallo and a crash on some cobblestones. There was a huge crowd of cyclists up there tonight – and all was well with the world.
On the way down, JB and I came across Nicole who just got a new saddle and a water bottle rack that goes behind the saddle and she wanted to finish so we turned around and rode back up to the Junction (hardly anyone left there by then).
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Diablo Junction plus South Gate and back up- 34 miles
I was about 5 minutes late getting to the Gate and I saw Peter starting up alone so I chased him down. I knew no one else was coming so I also knew I’d have to match Peter’s pace which I wasn’t sure I could do today because I felt kind of sluggish.
We rode together and Peter seemed happy to go a bit slower too, but we did pass several people on the way up. Peter got a REALLY bad case of poison oak all over his arms from a hiking incident yesterday and it looks like road rash and he said it hurts too so that was slowing him down a bit.
We had a little break at Junction and I suggested going down SGR to the tire poppers and back up and he liked that idea. It was quite cool on the way down but it felt good. Turning around at the tire poppers was tough and I thought that would be good training for the Death Ride – even more important than the long climbs is the repeats. After a few minutes I noticed a guy not far behind us and he was riding at about the same speed. A couple times I got ahead of Peter but it all came together near Stagecoach. Then Peter and the other guy (who was riding a classic steel Miyata with downtube shifters) opened up a gap on me, but I caught back on right before the Junction. So I did 44 minutes up from the north, and 34 minutes from the south.
There were lots of riders who looked like they were training for Markleeville next month. Maybe they thought that’s what we were doing too.
I was about 5 minutes late getting to the Gate and I saw Peter starting up alone so I chased him down. I knew no one else was coming so I also knew I’d have to match Peter’s pace which I wasn’t sure I could do today because I felt kind of sluggish.
We rode together and Peter seemed happy to go a bit slower too, but we did pass several people on the way up. Peter got a REALLY bad case of poison oak all over his arms from a hiking incident yesterday and it looks like road rash and he said it hurts too so that was slowing him down a bit.
We had a little break at Junction and I suggested going down SGR to the tire poppers and back up and he liked that idea. It was quite cool on the way down but it felt good. Turning around at the tire poppers was tough and I thought that would be good training for the Death Ride – even more important than the long climbs is the repeats. After a few minutes I noticed a guy not far behind us and he was riding at about the same speed. A couple times I got ahead of Peter but it all came together near Stagecoach. Then Peter and the other guy (who was riding a classic steel Miyata with downtube shifters) opened up a gap on me, but I caught back on right before the Junction. So I did 44 minutes up from the north, and 34 minutes from the south.
There were lots of riders who looked like they were training for Markleeville next month. Maybe they thought that’s what we were doing too.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Diablo Junction - 23 miles
I took the day off of work today to attend a function at my daughter’s preschool, so I didn’t know who else would be riding the Mountain tonight.
It had been overcast all day with periods of light rain so I left home outfitted for a wet ride. No one was at the Gate but I was a few minutes late so I hoped I might find some other riders. About a mile up the road I did see one guy coming down but no sight at all of anyone else up the road. I slogged on through the thick fog comforted by the incessant squeaking of my SPD cleats.
The road got pretty wet above the Bump but it never really rained exactly. The air was just so moist that water was condensing on anything it could find including the road, the tree leaves, and my helmet. I don’t have my rain bike geared as low as my Klein, and with the extra clothing and heavier wheels I felt like a slug.
Visibility was almost nil at the Junction and my glasses were all fogged over, but as I got close I could see some bikes parked there. I thought one of them might have been JB’s but it wasn’t. Brian, Craig, and Amy from the Diablo Cyclists, and one other solo guy, were the only ones there. We talked for a bit and then all went down together.
I took the last position on the descent and then at the Double Dips there was a little sprint. I figured it would be OK to join in and I won pretty easily so I did a little hammy victory salute.
I took the day off of work today to attend a function at my daughter’s preschool, so I didn’t know who else would be riding the Mountain tonight.
It had been overcast all day with periods of light rain so I left home outfitted for a wet ride. No one was at the Gate but I was a few minutes late so I hoped I might find some other riders. About a mile up the road I did see one guy coming down but no sight at all of anyone else up the road. I slogged on through the thick fog comforted by the incessant squeaking of my SPD cleats.
The road got pretty wet above the Bump but it never really rained exactly. The air was just so moist that water was condensing on anything it could find including the road, the tree leaves, and my helmet. I don’t have my rain bike geared as low as my Klein, and with the extra clothing and heavier wheels I felt like a slug.
Visibility was almost nil at the Junction and my glasses were all fogged over, but as I got close I could see some bikes parked there. I thought one of them might have been JB’s but it wasn’t. Brian, Craig, and Amy from the Diablo Cyclists, and one other solo guy, were the only ones there. We talked for a bit and then all went down together.
I took the last position on the descent and then at the Double Dips there was a little sprint. I figured it would be OK to join in and I won pretty easily so I did a little hammy victory salute.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Diablo Summit 33 miles
Nicole and Drew (not quite 6 years old) started up riding the Trail a Bike with Nicole’s mountain bike.
Peter, Rick, and I stayed with them for long enough to be social and then we set off. No sign of JB.
We had seen about 4 small groups of riders start out while we were waiting and managed to pass them all before we got to the Junction.
We stayed together until 2 miles to go and then we need to pass a guy so I took the opportunity to launch one of my 2-mile time trials and stayed away until the Junction… ride time: 41m40s. Peter got pretty close and came in about 30 seconds later, and then Rick.
Quite a few riders showed up at the Junction while we were hanging around. Then we decided to hit the Summit. I had burned all my matches on that TT though so Peter and Rick both got ahead of me after Juniper. I got to the Summit in just under 80 minutes.
Met a nice family from Hong Kong up there… the daughter was going to DVC and hoping to go on for a PhD in Astrophysics. They asked us questions about life in the Bay Area and it was nice talking to them.
Nicole and Drew made it to the Upper Washout. They said JB passed them near the Bump; he had overslept and started late so we never saw him.
Nicole and Drew (not quite 6 years old) started up riding the Trail a Bike with Nicole’s mountain bike.
Peter, Rick, and I stayed with them for long enough to be social and then we set off. No sign of JB.
We had seen about 4 small groups of riders start out while we were waiting and managed to pass them all before we got to the Junction.
We stayed together until 2 miles to go and then we need to pass a guy so I took the opportunity to launch one of my 2-mile time trials and stayed away until the Junction… ride time: 41m40s. Peter got pretty close and came in about 30 seconds later, and then Rick.
Quite a few riders showed up at the Junction while we were hanging around. Then we decided to hit the Summit. I had burned all my matches on that TT though so Peter and Rick both got ahead of me after Juniper. I got to the Summit in just under 80 minutes.
Met a nice family from Hong Kong up there… the daughter was going to DVC and hoping to go on for a PhD in Astrophysics. They asked us questions about life in the Bay Area and it was nice talking to them.
Nicole and Drew made it to the Upper Washout. They said JB passed them near the Bump; he had overslept and started late so we never saw him.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Diablo Junction - 18 miles
There weren’t many people from work on the mountain tonight, just me, JB, and Nicole. But there was a big group of Diablo Cyclists and other riders.
I rode by the church where the Diablo Cyclists were amassing and figured I’d get a head start on everybody. I was feeling pretty good and thought I’d do a hard sustained effort but not kill myself. JB’s been doing 37’s and he said his weight was down to 144 pounds so I need to get serious if I’m going to be challenging him any time soon.
I went through the Gate solo and quickly settled into my rhythm. It was warm but not hot enough to be an issue, and I had my Polar water bottle with ice and Cytomax so I was prepared. After Moss Landing I kept it in the 21 and tried to stay smooth and work on my power pedalling. Then I tried to maintain the same exertion level on the Bump by shifting down and pedalling faster.
Between the Bump and the Upper Washout there are places where you can see lots of the road below and I didn’t see anyone chasing me. I expected the faster Diablo Cyclists to catch me but they must have started farther behind me than I thought. So I didn’t have any dogs chasing me and I didn’t have any rabbits up ahead. It was just me making the decision how fast to go, and a good time was my only goal.
With three miles to go, I was at 20 minutes, then 25 minutes with two miles, and 32 minutes starting the last mile. As I came around Chainbuster a guy caught up to me. He was wearing big baggy surfer-dude type shorts and was obviously one of those rare guys whose ability far outweighed his desire to look like a pro rider. He drafted me for a couple hundred meters and I made an effort to make it worth his while, but he soon came around and dusted me. I barely kept him in sight the rest of the way up. My Junction time was 38m33s which is the best so far this year so I’m happy with that and felt like I could have pushed a little harder in some of the sections, although my peak heart rate was 187 so I didn’t have too much at the top end.
At the Junction the guy said he did 33 minutes and he had started with the Diablo Cyclists but left them all at the Gate. After another 10 minutes there were probably 25 riders hanging around the Junction. JB rolled in with a 37 minute ride but noted that he also had slowed down to ride with Nicole for a few minutes so he could probably have done a 36 if he wanted to. Yikes.
There weren’t many people from work on the mountain tonight, just me, JB, and Nicole. But there was a big group of Diablo Cyclists and other riders.
I rode by the church where the Diablo Cyclists were amassing and figured I’d get a head start on everybody. I was feeling pretty good and thought I’d do a hard sustained effort but not kill myself. JB’s been doing 37’s and he said his weight was down to 144 pounds so I need to get serious if I’m going to be challenging him any time soon.
I went through the Gate solo and quickly settled into my rhythm. It was warm but not hot enough to be an issue, and I had my Polar water bottle with ice and Cytomax so I was prepared. After Moss Landing I kept it in the 21 and tried to stay smooth and work on my power pedalling. Then I tried to maintain the same exertion level on the Bump by shifting down and pedalling faster.
Between the Bump and the Upper Washout there are places where you can see lots of the road below and I didn’t see anyone chasing me. I expected the faster Diablo Cyclists to catch me but they must have started farther behind me than I thought. So I didn’t have any dogs chasing me and I didn’t have any rabbits up ahead. It was just me making the decision how fast to go, and a good time was my only goal.
With three miles to go, I was at 20 minutes, then 25 minutes with two miles, and 32 minutes starting the last mile. As I came around Chainbuster a guy caught up to me. He was wearing big baggy surfer-dude type shorts and was obviously one of those rare guys whose ability far outweighed his desire to look like a pro rider. He drafted me for a couple hundred meters and I made an effort to make it worth his while, but he soon came around and dusted me. I barely kept him in sight the rest of the way up. My Junction time was 38m33s which is the best so far this year so I’m happy with that and felt like I could have pushed a little harder in some of the sections, although my peak heart rate was 187 so I didn’t have too much at the top end.
At the Junction the guy said he did 33 minutes and he had started with the Diablo Cyclists but left them all at the Gate. After another 10 minutes there were probably 25 riders hanging around the Junction. JB rolled in with a 37 minute ride but noted that he also had slowed down to ride with Nicole for a few minutes so he could probably have done a 36 if he wanted to. Yikes.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Diablo Junction Plus South Gate Road and Blackhawk 38 miles
Just as I was ready to head out the door this morning, I saw that I had a flat rear tire. I tried the pump and run technique but no dice; I had to change the tube and I was going to be late. To help things along, my daughter insisted on helping me so I was going to be even later.
Rolled up to the Gate at 8:10 thinking JB would be gone already, but he was there talking to the Gate Ranger whom he described as “chatty”. The ranger was doing some kind of study about bicycle accidents and said that the Juniper pull-out was the statistical hot spot. JB also got some new purple tires on his bike so we matched, but I just received some new black and gray ones so it won’t be for long.
Nothing eventful on the way up, it was a cool morning but warming up fast. As we approached the Junction I did a good hard sprint but JB didn’t follow me.
Quite a few riders hanging around up there, discussing the Giro, the weather, the road conditions… all was right with the world. Then we headed down to Blackhawk. There were lots of riders and even some big groups coming up.
I pushed it pretty hard on Blackhawk Road and on Crow Canyon Road, and did a couple little hill sprints- JB didn’t feel obligated to play along so I had to wait up for him a couple times. We got on the Iron Horse Trail off of Crow Canyon and then rode the rest of the way on Danville Blvd.
Just as I was ready to head out the door this morning, I saw that I had a flat rear tire. I tried the pump and run technique but no dice; I had to change the tube and I was going to be late. To help things along, my daughter insisted on helping me so I was going to be even later.
Rolled up to the Gate at 8:10 thinking JB would be gone already, but he was there talking to the Gate Ranger whom he described as “chatty”. The ranger was doing some kind of study about bicycle accidents and said that the Juniper pull-out was the statistical hot spot. JB also got some new purple tires on his bike so we matched, but I just received some new black and gray ones so it won’t be for long.
Nothing eventful on the way up, it was a cool morning but warming up fast. As we approached the Junction I did a good hard sprint but JB didn’t follow me.
Quite a few riders hanging around up there, discussing the Giro, the weather, the road conditions… all was right with the world. Then we headed down to Blackhawk. There were lots of riders and even some big groups coming up.
I pushed it pretty hard on Blackhawk Road and on Crow Canyon Road, and did a couple little hill sprints- JB didn’t feel obligated to play along so I had to wait up for him a couple times. We got on the Iron Horse Trail off of Crow Canyon and then rode the rest of the way on Danville Blvd.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Diablo Junction - 18 miles
I gave Amanda a ride to the church. She’s using JB’s beater old Bianchi with the English tourister handlebars, kind of like the old 3-speed style, but she’s hoping to get a new bike to replace her stolen one soon.
I knew Mark P had already started up because I saw his truck. I didn’t see anyone else from work around but I saw the Diablo Cyclists going up so I started to chase after them. There was a fast core group that was losing one rider about every half mile so I passed one rider every few minutes but never got close to the front group.
I saw Edgardo at the bottom of the Bump – he hasn’t ridden in a while and it showed, but he looked like he was having fun.
Adam’s goal was to sub 30 today. His best ever is 30m30s I think and he has vowed to break 30 this year. I saw him closing on me just before Clavicle Cracker and I sped up to give him something to chase and then I gave him a shove when he went around me.
Then there was one OTB Diablo Cyclist in a red jersey up ahead and I just wasn’t gaining on him. I’d get a little closer on one stretch and then fall back again on another. Never did catch him but it made the last couple miles a little more fun. Turns out it was Dave, a guy I saw a lot last year and we seemed pretty evenly matched then too.
Junction time 40m10s. Adam did 32 something and JB did 37 something (but he rolled in after I did so he didn’t pass me!). Also came across Mark P who said he did a 46 so he’s getting better every week. He should stop giving himself head starts!
There was some interesting discussion with one of the rangers at the Junction.
• Apparently some kind of endangered owl called the “burrowing owl” has been spotted on the mountain recently and has caused lots of interest.
• The Summit Road repair project has been delayed until next spring so there won’t be any interference with the Diablo Challenge. I thought this was really something, setting construction schedules around a bike event.
• The Diablo Challenge this year will not be sponsored by Children’s Hospital or by the American Lung Association, but by Save Mount Diablo so the entrance fee will likely be significantly less than last year ($40 I think it was).
• The ranger also said that the State Parks system was losing money and suffered severe budget cuts under the Schwarzenegger administration so they count on Save Mount Diablo to help them out with projects.
(can you believe that "Schwarzenneger" is in my spell check? I got it wrong the first time I typed it)
I gave Amanda a ride to the church. She’s using JB’s beater old Bianchi with the English tourister handlebars, kind of like the old 3-speed style, but she’s hoping to get a new bike to replace her stolen one soon.
I knew Mark P had already started up because I saw his truck. I didn’t see anyone else from work around but I saw the Diablo Cyclists going up so I started to chase after them. There was a fast core group that was losing one rider about every half mile so I passed one rider every few minutes but never got close to the front group.
I saw Edgardo at the bottom of the Bump – he hasn’t ridden in a while and it showed, but he looked like he was having fun.
Adam’s goal was to sub 30 today. His best ever is 30m30s I think and he has vowed to break 30 this year. I saw him closing on me just before Clavicle Cracker and I sped up to give him something to chase and then I gave him a shove when he went around me.
Then there was one OTB Diablo Cyclist in a red jersey up ahead and I just wasn’t gaining on him. I’d get a little closer on one stretch and then fall back again on another. Never did catch him but it made the last couple miles a little more fun. Turns out it was Dave, a guy I saw a lot last year and we seemed pretty evenly matched then too.
Junction time 40m10s. Adam did 32 something and JB did 37 something (but he rolled in after I did so he didn’t pass me!). Also came across Mark P who said he did a 46 so he’s getting better every week. He should stop giving himself head starts!
There was some interesting discussion with one of the rangers at the Junction.
• Apparently some kind of endangered owl called the “burrowing owl” has been spotted on the mountain recently and has caused lots of interest.
• The Summit Road repair project has been delayed until next spring so there won’t be any interference with the Diablo Challenge. I thought this was really something, setting construction schedules around a bike event.
• The Diablo Challenge this year will not be sponsored by Children’s Hospital or by the American Lung Association, but by Save Mount Diablo so the entrance fee will likely be significantly less than last year ($40 I think it was).
• The ranger also said that the State Parks system was losing money and suffered severe budget cuts under the Schwarzenegger administration so they count on Save Mount Diablo to help them out with projects.
(can you believe that "Schwarzenneger" is in my spell check? I got it wrong the first time I typed it)
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Diablo Summit 33 miles
Rick wasn’t riding today and Nicole called to say she’d be late so it was just JB and me at the Gate at 8. The weather was absolutely perfect; morning coolness to warm up quickly. It was quiet too, hardly any traffic of any kind. I called Nicole and told her we’d meet her at the Junction after we did the Summit.
We climbed at a steady even pace, neither of us especially frisky for some reason. We two have been doing this longer than anyone else in our little clique. We’ve seen ride buddies come and go over the years; people who moved away, changed lifestyles, or just disappeared, but JB and I have been riding together for 14 years. A lot of stuff goes unsaid between guys who’ve been doing the same thing together for that long, and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. I’ve had three different best bikes in that time and he’s had four. For a couple years we were the only members in the eight-at-the-Gate club. For a couple years I was so much slower than him that I would get a 10 minute head start and he’d always catch me and pass me. Those were the kind of things I thought about while we rode mostly without saying anything to each other.
We did see a few folks descending as we climbed and we wondered how early they must have started to be done with the Mountain by 8am. We also saw Mark A and one of his buddies and he always has a friendly greeting for everybody. After the torrential rains of midweek the flowers and grass were vibrant and the riding was quite pleasant.
I sensed that JB was a little off his game this morning and I was unintentionally half-wheeling him. He admitted he had some stomach gas bloating problems so I let him dictate the pace.
Near the Junction though he kicked it up a gear and I jumped on his wheel thinking if he was going to start something I’d be up to finishing it. Then he said “I’ll give you a lead out and then you can outsprint me.” So that took all the fun out of it and I declined his offer. We crossed the line together at 42m flat.
Now we started to see a lot of other riders. We talked to a few of them and then headed up. It was more relaxed enjoyable pedaling all the way up, but it was getting quite a bit warmer now. Finally I took the lead going up the Summit Wall but JB came around me in the last 50 meters to take the win. Summit time 80 minutes. We found Peter up there and we went down to the Junction together, hooked up with Nicole, and all went to Mia Café for a java/juice/tea/smoothie.
Rick wasn’t riding today and Nicole called to say she’d be late so it was just JB and me at the Gate at 8. The weather was absolutely perfect; morning coolness to warm up quickly. It was quiet too, hardly any traffic of any kind. I called Nicole and told her we’d meet her at the Junction after we did the Summit.
We climbed at a steady even pace, neither of us especially frisky for some reason. We two have been doing this longer than anyone else in our little clique. We’ve seen ride buddies come and go over the years; people who moved away, changed lifestyles, or just disappeared, but JB and I have been riding together for 14 years. A lot of stuff goes unsaid between guys who’ve been doing the same thing together for that long, and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. I’ve had three different best bikes in that time and he’s had four. For a couple years we were the only members in the eight-at-the-Gate club. For a couple years I was so much slower than him that I would get a 10 minute head start and he’d always catch me and pass me. Those were the kind of things I thought about while we rode mostly without saying anything to each other.
We did see a few folks descending as we climbed and we wondered how early they must have started to be done with the Mountain by 8am. We also saw Mark A and one of his buddies and he always has a friendly greeting for everybody. After the torrential rains of midweek the flowers and grass were vibrant and the riding was quite pleasant.
I sensed that JB was a little off his game this morning and I was unintentionally half-wheeling him. He admitted he had some stomach gas bloating problems so I let him dictate the pace.
Near the Junction though he kicked it up a gear and I jumped on his wheel thinking if he was going to start something I’d be up to finishing it. Then he said “I’ll give you a lead out and then you can outsprint me.” So that took all the fun out of it and I declined his offer. We crossed the line together at 42m flat.
Now we started to see a lot of other riders. We talked to a few of them and then headed up. It was more relaxed enjoyable pedaling all the way up, but it was getting quite a bit warmer now. Finally I took the lead going up the Summit Wall but JB came around me in the last 50 meters to take the win. Summit time 80 minutes. We found Peter up there and we went down to the Junction together, hooked up with Nicole, and all went to Mia Café for a java/juice/tea/smoothie.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Diablo Junction - 30 miles
Since this is Bike to Work Week, I promised myself to ride to work every day no matter what. Last night they said it was going to rain today so I planned on riding the Belgian Beast in to work and ride up the mountain from there – I wasn’t going to let a little drizzle make me break my promise.
It started about noon. Drizzle became showers, then the rain got quite heavy and the wind started to blow. By 3 o’clock it looked like a hurricane outside my office – the trees were bent over and I half expected to see a trailer house go flying by. JB and I were the only ones committed to going – he told me I could back out if I wanted to, and I said “I’ll quit if you will…. NOT!”
By 5 o’clock things had settled in to a mild downpour. JB and I met up in the parking garage and set off for the Mountain. We were hopeful that we’d get a break in the rain, but not optimistic. We wondered if we’d see anyone else riding today.
Saw two guys coming down just as we were starting up – they were the last signs of human life we’d have for the foreseeable future. There was definitely a feeling of venturing out into the great unknown with an indeterminable amount of risk involved.
Wildlife Encounter: A mother deer and two TINY little fawns. The little ones were a little curious about us, but mom hustled them across the ditch and down to safety.
We cleared up a few things early in the climb – there would be no hammering, no attacks, no solo breakaways; we’d just ride a regular pace with the goal of getting through it and having bragging rights in the morning.
It wasn’t really cold so even though my shoes were full of water, my gloves were like saturated sponges, and my jacket was sticking to me like flypaper, I was reasonably comfortable. Then the wind started. Not enough wind to blow you off the road, but enough to make bike handling difficult while still providing propulsion.
My computer crapped out at mile three. The numbers were still there but it wasn’t picking up my wheel and the stopwatch function was stalled. Oh well, not like this was going to be on my short list of fast rides.
There was absolutely no sign of the storm letting up. The higher we went the darker it got. Around Big Shady Oak JB looked down and noticed that there was a bubbly FOAM on his knees - it took him a minute to reason out that it must be residual detergent in his tights that his washing machine didn't rinse out and the pumping action of his legs brought up quite a head of suds!
Then suddenly, we were there. At the Junction we gathered our courage and prepped ourselves for the descent. My glasses were foggy so I started down without them but the rain hitting my eyeballs was a little too much to take so I stopped and put my glasses back on.
From then on it was pretty much a controlled freefall, riding the brakes the whole way down with limited visibility but we made it. I had to continue on back to work to pick up my backpack and finally there was a break in the rain for the trip home from there.
Since this is Bike to Work Week, I promised myself to ride to work every day no matter what. Last night they said it was going to rain today so I planned on riding the Belgian Beast in to work and ride up the mountain from there – I wasn’t going to let a little drizzle make me break my promise.
It started about noon. Drizzle became showers, then the rain got quite heavy and the wind started to blow. By 3 o’clock it looked like a hurricane outside my office – the trees were bent over and I half expected to see a trailer house go flying by. JB and I were the only ones committed to going – he told me I could back out if I wanted to, and I said “I’ll quit if you will…. NOT!”
By 5 o’clock things had settled in to a mild downpour. JB and I met up in the parking garage and set off for the Mountain. We were hopeful that we’d get a break in the rain, but not optimistic. We wondered if we’d see anyone else riding today.
Saw two guys coming down just as we were starting up – they were the last signs of human life we’d have for the foreseeable future. There was definitely a feeling of venturing out into the great unknown with an indeterminable amount of risk involved.
Wildlife Encounter: A mother deer and two TINY little fawns. The little ones were a little curious about us, but mom hustled them across the ditch and down to safety.
We cleared up a few things early in the climb – there would be no hammering, no attacks, no solo breakaways; we’d just ride a regular pace with the goal of getting through it and having bragging rights in the morning.
It wasn’t really cold so even though my shoes were full of water, my gloves were like saturated sponges, and my jacket was sticking to me like flypaper, I was reasonably comfortable. Then the wind started. Not enough wind to blow you off the road, but enough to make bike handling difficult while still providing propulsion.
My computer crapped out at mile three. The numbers were still there but it wasn’t picking up my wheel and the stopwatch function was stalled. Oh well, not like this was going to be on my short list of fast rides.
There was absolutely no sign of the storm letting up. The higher we went the darker it got. Around Big Shady Oak JB looked down and noticed that there was a bubbly FOAM on his knees - it took him a minute to reason out that it must be residual detergent in his tights that his washing machine didn't rinse out and the pumping action of his legs brought up quite a head of suds!
Then suddenly, we were there. At the Junction we gathered our courage and prepped ourselves for the descent. My glasses were foggy so I started down without them but the rain hitting my eyeballs was a little too much to take so I stopped and put my glasses back on.
From then on it was pretty much a controlled freefall, riding the brakes the whole way down with limited visibility but we made it. I had to continue on back to work to pick up my backpack and finally there was a break in the rain for the trip home from there.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Diablo Junction plus South Gate Road to Blackhawk – 38 miles
Rick, Peter, and I all started right at eight, JB said he was coming but we left without him and put up the rock. I felt pretty good, but not very energetic. It was a beautiful day, the sun was quickly warming up the mountain and there wasn’t much wind. There did seem to be a lot of traffic though, maybe some kind of trail maintenance event going on. Lots of riders too – regulars as well as some I hadn’t seen before.
Just before the Bump, JB caught us and made some remark about how he must be in top form to do that and I said if he were really in top form he would ATTACK us and so he did, because he is, and we didn’t see him again until Junction.
After the Bump I picked up the speed a little bit and Peter got shelled, but I tried to wait for Rick to catch up. Since he hadn’t done so by the Upper Ranch I decided to go for it and pulled out the plug. Never did catch JB, but I passed a bunch of other riders and finished with a 40m20s Junction time – about the same as last Wednesday.
TONS of riders at the Junction, and several really nice bikes, and there was lots of friendly chit chat. I examined my tires here and noticed some thread showing through the rear so I made a mental note to change it. I got 2000 miles out of that tire though so that’s reasonable. JB and Peter turned down so Rick and I discussed part 2. He asked for a ClifShot but nobody had one so he decided South Gate and Blackhawk would be a better ride than the Summit.
That residential section at the bottom gets worse on a weekly basis. I wonder how bad they’ll let it go before they do something.
So on Diablo Road and Blackhawk Road, Rick and I rode some good tempo and he tried to challenge me on a couple of sprinter hills but I beat him every time – he was close once though and really made me dig.
Then at 9:45 I’m pretty sure I saw blog reader Larry and a buddy on Blackhawk Road and I shouted out to him because he told me he’d be there, but I’m not sure he heard me and he didn’t stop.
Back to Walnut Creek on Danville Blvd and I did most of the pulling just because I was enjoying the power workout. A post ride Jamba Juice was especially delicious since the weather was pretty warm by then.
Then later in the evening I went out for a ride with my daughter and our Halfwheeler (she calls it the "two-headed bike"). She enjoys learning bikie lingo like “Let’s hammer Dada!”, but she doesn’t like it when I call her a wheel sucker. She also helped me put a slightly used tire on my rear wheel to replace the one with the threads showing. Her favorite part is using the floor pump.
Rick, Peter, and I all started right at eight, JB said he was coming but we left without him and put up the rock. I felt pretty good, but not very energetic. It was a beautiful day, the sun was quickly warming up the mountain and there wasn’t much wind. There did seem to be a lot of traffic though, maybe some kind of trail maintenance event going on. Lots of riders too – regulars as well as some I hadn’t seen before.
Just before the Bump, JB caught us and made some remark about how he must be in top form to do that and I said if he were really in top form he would ATTACK us and so he did, because he is, and we didn’t see him again until Junction.
After the Bump I picked up the speed a little bit and Peter got shelled, but I tried to wait for Rick to catch up. Since he hadn’t done so by the Upper Ranch I decided to go for it and pulled out the plug. Never did catch JB, but I passed a bunch of other riders and finished with a 40m20s Junction time – about the same as last Wednesday.
TONS of riders at the Junction, and several really nice bikes, and there was lots of friendly chit chat. I examined my tires here and noticed some thread showing through the rear so I made a mental note to change it. I got 2000 miles out of that tire though so that’s reasonable. JB and Peter turned down so Rick and I discussed part 2. He asked for a ClifShot but nobody had one so he decided South Gate and Blackhawk would be a better ride than the Summit.
That residential section at the bottom gets worse on a weekly basis. I wonder how bad they’ll let it go before they do something.
So on Diablo Road and Blackhawk Road, Rick and I rode some good tempo and he tried to challenge me on a couple of sprinter hills but I beat him every time – he was close once though and really made me dig.
Then at 9:45 I’m pretty sure I saw blog reader Larry and a buddy on Blackhawk Road and I shouted out to him because he told me he’d be there, but I’m not sure he heard me and he didn’t stop.
Back to Walnut Creek on Danville Blvd and I did most of the pulling just because I was enjoying the power workout. A post ride Jamba Juice was especially delicious since the weather was pretty warm by then.
Then later in the evening I went out for a ride with my daughter and our Halfwheeler (she calls it the "two-headed bike"). She enjoys learning bikie lingo like “Let’s hammer Dada!”, but she doesn’t like it when I call her a wheel sucker. She also helped me put a slightly used tire on my rear wheel to replace the one with the threads showing. Her favorite part is using the floor pump.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Diablo Junction - 16 miles
Had trouble getting a group together today; people showing up at different times. Mark P and I met at the parking spot and we saw JB ride by so we followed him. Waited at the Gate for a while and Adam showed up. We were expecting Nicole and Jeff too but JB didn’t wait. Then a friend of Jeff’s showed up and introduced himself as Tim. So when Jeff finally did show up we all took off together but that didn’t last long.
Jeff and Mark stayed together, I hung on with Adam and Tim, who it turns out is an ex-pro who took a break from riding but is now back to racing Master 4’s. Adam and Tim had both raced Cat’s Hill Criterium last weekend so they were chatting about that while I was dragging my tongue trying to keep in their slipstream. We were really flying and zoomed past some other solo riders, but by the time we got near the bottom of the Bump I decided to back off (actually less of a decision than a capitulation).
So I rode the rest of the route by myself. I kept Adam and Tim in sight for a little while but by the Upper Washout they had a couple minutes on me. I was thinking I might be able to stay with them until we caught JB, but I didn’t have it. Then I started kicking myself for eating too much lunch (free sandwiches at vendor presentation) because I was getting that “I ate too much lunch” feeling and it was really slowing me down. Every time I do that I promise myself not to do it again, but free sandwiches are my weakness I guess.
Barely broke 21 minutes for the final three miles – pretty pathetic, but thanks to the fast start I still had an OK Junction time of 40m23s. No socializing; JB turned around right away, Adam and Tim had gone down South Gate, I waited for Jeff and Mark and then we went down together. Didn’t see Nicole until back at her car… she only made it to the first ranch.
Sure would be nice to have some bigger groups.
Had trouble getting a group together today; people showing up at different times. Mark P and I met at the parking spot and we saw JB ride by so we followed him. Waited at the Gate for a while and Adam showed up. We were expecting Nicole and Jeff too but JB didn’t wait. Then a friend of Jeff’s showed up and introduced himself as Tim. So when Jeff finally did show up we all took off together but that didn’t last long.
Jeff and Mark stayed together, I hung on with Adam and Tim, who it turns out is an ex-pro who took a break from riding but is now back to racing Master 4’s. Adam and Tim had both raced Cat’s Hill Criterium last weekend so they were chatting about that while I was dragging my tongue trying to keep in their slipstream. We were really flying and zoomed past some other solo riders, but by the time we got near the bottom of the Bump I decided to back off (actually less of a decision than a capitulation).
So I rode the rest of the route by myself. I kept Adam and Tim in sight for a little while but by the Upper Washout they had a couple minutes on me. I was thinking I might be able to stay with them until we caught JB, but I didn’t have it. Then I started kicking myself for eating too much lunch (free sandwiches at vendor presentation) because I was getting that “I ate too much lunch” feeling and it was really slowing me down. Every time I do that I promise myself not to do it again, but free sandwiches are my weakness I guess.
Barely broke 21 minutes for the final three miles – pretty pathetic, but thanks to the fast start I still had an OK Junction time of 40m23s. No socializing; JB turned around right away, Adam and Tim had gone down South Gate, I waited for Jeff and Mark and then we went down together. Didn’t see Nicole until back at her car… she only made it to the first ranch.
Sure would be nice to have some bigger groups.
Diablo Junction - 16 miles
Had trouble getting a group together today; people showing up at different times. Mark P and I met at the parking spot and we saw JB ride by so we followed him. Waited at the Gate for a while and Adam showed up. We were expecting Nicole and Jeff too but JB didn’t wait. Then a friend of Jeff’s showed up and introduced himself as Tim. So when Jeff finally did show up we all took off together but that didn’t last long.
Jeff and Mark stayed together, I hung on with Adam and Tim, who it turns out is an ex-pro who took a break from riding but is now back to racing Master 4’s. Adam and Tim had both raced Cat’s Hill Criterium last weekend so they were chatting about that while I was dragging my tongue trying to keep in their slipstream. We were really flying and zoomed past some other solo riders, but by the time we got near the bottom of the Bump I decided to back off (actually less of a decision than a capitulation).
So I rode the rest of the route by myself. I kept Adam and Tim in sight for a little while but by the Upper Washout they had a couple minutes on me. I was thinking I might be able to stay with them until we caught JB, but I didn’t have it. Then I started kicking myself for eating too much lunch (free sandwiches at vendor presentation) because I was getting that “I ate too much lunch” feeling and it was really slowing me down. Every time I do that I promise myself not to do it again, but free sandwiches are my weakness I guess.
Barely broke 21 minutes for the final three miles – pretty pathetic, but thanks to the fast start I still had an OK Junction time of 40m23s. No socializing; JB turned around right away, Adam and Tim had gone down South Gate, I waited for Jeff and Mark and then we went down together. Didn’t see Nicole until back at her car… she only made it to the first ranch.
Sure would be nice to have some bigger groups.
Had trouble getting a group together today; people showing up at different times. Mark P and I met at the parking spot and we saw JB ride by so we followed him. Waited at the Gate for a while and Adam showed up. We were expecting Nicole and Jeff too but JB didn’t wait. Then a friend of Jeff’s showed up and introduced himself as Tim. So when Jeff finally did show up we all took off together but that didn’t last long.
Jeff and Mark stayed together, I hung on with Adam and Tim, who it turns out is an ex-pro who took a break from riding but is now back to racing Master 4’s. Adam and Tim had both raced Cat’s Hill Criterium last weekend so they were chatting about that while I was dragging my tongue trying to keep in their slipstream. We were really flying and zoomed past some other solo riders, but by the time we got near the bottom of the Bump I decided to back off (actually less of a decision than a capitulation).
So I rode the rest of the route by myself. I kept Adam and Tim in sight for a little while but by the Upper Washout they had a couple minutes on me. I was thinking I might be able to stay with them until we caught JB, but I didn’t have it. Then I started kicking myself for eating too much lunch (free sandwiches at vendor presentation) because I was getting that “I ate too much lunch” feeling and it was really slowing me down. Every time I do that I promise myself not to do it again, but free sandwiches are my weakness I guess.
Barely broke 21 minutes for the final three miles – pretty pathetic, but thanks to the fast start I still had an OK Junction time of 40m23s. No socializing; JB turned around right away, Adam and Tim had gone down South Gate, I waited for Jeff and Mark and then we went down together. Didn’t see Nicole until back at her car… she only made it to the first ranch.
Sure would be nice to have some bigger groups.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Diablo Junction - 23 miles
Well I was more than a little disappointed that the rain kept me from riding Wednesday night. My legs on Wednesday were fully recovered and I felt great, but there was a thunderstorm and I don’t do thunderstorm rides.
So this morning I still felt pretty good, but maybe like I’d lost some of that power boost that I got from the century last week. The road was still a little wet and it was a cool, arm-warmer kind of day. Rick, JB, and I started off right on time.
I checked the web for coverage of the Giro prologue but since it was such a late start (Italian time) that I didn’t find anything. Rick and I discussed tactics for riding a 1.1km prologue TT and we decided you should just think speed and not tactics.
Starting way down at Moss Landing I got out of the saddle and pedaled slow RPMs in a big gear because it felt good and it was fun and I imagined that there was some training benefit for doing so. I got a little ahead of the guys but I really wanted to stay close so we could have a sprint at the Junction maybe. Then just before the Bump, Rick asked me if I was going to stand the whole way up – and I thought I just might do that! But at the Bump I sat down and pedaled a slightly smaller gear.
Somewhere near the Upper Washout we lost JB – I think maybe he stopped to take off his rain jacket. Rick and I were still together at Big Shady Oak and he wondered if JB was going to chase us down, but I said “There will be no capture!”. Then after Chainbuster I figured I’d take a hard pull and see if Rick could stay with me… but he couldn’t. Junction time: 42minutes, Rick was about 45 seconds back. A few minutes later, JB showed up shouting “it’s a mad sprint for third!” and that was kind of funny - sprinting for last place.
Back home by 9:40 ! Wife and daughter liked that, they had some bossing around to do.
Well I was more than a little disappointed that the rain kept me from riding Wednesday night. My legs on Wednesday were fully recovered and I felt great, but there was a thunderstorm and I don’t do thunderstorm rides.
So this morning I still felt pretty good, but maybe like I’d lost some of that power boost that I got from the century last week. The road was still a little wet and it was a cool, arm-warmer kind of day. Rick, JB, and I started off right on time.
I checked the web for coverage of the Giro prologue but since it was such a late start (Italian time) that I didn’t find anything. Rick and I discussed tactics for riding a 1.1km prologue TT and we decided you should just think speed and not tactics.
Starting way down at Moss Landing I got out of the saddle and pedaled slow RPMs in a big gear because it felt good and it was fun and I imagined that there was some training benefit for doing so. I got a little ahead of the guys but I really wanted to stay close so we could have a sprint at the Junction maybe. Then just before the Bump, Rick asked me if I was going to stand the whole way up – and I thought I just might do that! But at the Bump I sat down and pedaled a slightly smaller gear.
Somewhere near the Upper Washout we lost JB – I think maybe he stopped to take off his rain jacket. Rick and I were still together at Big Shady Oak and he wondered if JB was going to chase us down, but I said “There will be no capture!”. Then after Chainbuster I figured I’d take a hard pull and see if Rick could stay with me… but he couldn’t. Junction time: 42minutes, Rick was about 45 seconds back. A few minutes later, JB showed up shouting “it’s a mad sprint for third!” and that was kind of funny - sprinting for last place.
Back home by 9:40 ! Wife and daughter liked that, they had some bossing around to do.
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