2016 WNR 02

Nice and warm and I felt GOOD.  I pegged my heart rate at Zone 4.9 and left it there.

We've got a pack of riders who really go for it on Wednesday nights.  Everybody attacked at the Gate.

Wildlife Encounter:  Two jackrabbits at Arroyo Del Cerro

Summit rides are about 1150 meters, 

Junction rides are about 600 meters,

And 4500 meters for the month will earn me a cool poker-chip award from Strava.

Should clinch this one on Saturday - don't miss it!

2016 SMR 08

It's been two years since my broken pelvis crash.  In honor of the anniversary I rode the same clothes.

Hari came again.  That's commitment coming from Berkeley to be at the Gate at Eight.

Last weekend of winter - I decided it's time to start riding the Klein again.  Took him off the hooks last night and he didn't need any adjustments or anything.  Tires were firm enough that I knew I didn't have a slow leak.  Pumped them up and I was ready.

Go Bears!  Cal Jerseys always get a Diablo Shoutout.

Colonel Al rode with JB and me up to the Summit and discussed the plans and schedule for safety improvements.

Wildlife Enounter:  1 deer and 1 jackrabbit.

So many poppies...
but you'll probably have to zoom in to see them.

Roadkill Report:  bullfrog... belly up.

Felt good to be riding in shorts on my fair weather bike.

2016 WNR 01

Six of us from work tonight.  Great weather, warm and calm.  Probably the last ride of the year on my Merckx... Winter's over, and I punctured my tubular...unless we get a rainy Saturday or Wednesday, time to take the Klein down off the hooks.

2016 SMR 07

36°F at The Summit this morning.

Only the hardiest of cyclists and a few crazies were riding today.

Special guest riders:  Dan and Steve

Steve entertained us with jokes and stories, and not breathing hard.

Dan skipped the Junction rest stop.

Fog got pretty thick near Juniper, then it got windy too.

JB turned around at Juniper, didn't like the cold.

My new fitness monitor provided this fascinating chart.
No surprises.  Diablo regulars can probably match up the
 heart rate to the terrain.  (Home to Summit to Home)

2016 SMR 06

Feels like spring!  Poppies and wildflowers and warmth. 

Wildlife Encounter:  Turkeys at Little Pine Creek

 JB's tire finally gave up the ghost... he had a rapid loss of pressure including sound effects, inspected the tire and decided not to continue.

Yup, this tire is toast,.

 Special guest rider, Hari from the office joined us this morning.  He turned around at the Junction though.

Hari

So after waiting around for JB's flat and a slower Junction ride with Hari, it was getting kind of late so I decided to just go to Juniper.

I'm out of ClifBars...went old school and brought a banana.

This lady was taking photographs for her
CYCLING HUNKS OF MOUNT DIABLO coffee table book.

Wildlife Encounter:  Jackrabbit at the Dips

Big Dog!

5

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I really love the Belgian Classics bike racing season.  It started today.

2016 SMR 05

Couple days of rain but it stopped last night and today was dry.

Road was still a little sloppy though.

8 at the Gate

This guy passed us pretty fast, but then slowed down.
We joked that he didn't know where the Summit is.
He had a fast cadence like a windmill. 

I switched my camera here from HD mode to Action mode
thinking I might get better shots on the descent.

Have you seen these 3-D profiles on VeloViewer?  COOL.

2016 SMR 04 Junction Plus Kiosk

ALMOST went out in shorts today... it was that nice.

Jim from the health club team
tells me the health club team is no more.

This guy and I both had our CAL jerseys on.
We said "GO BEARS" at the same time.

Diablo Shoutout to Kasters.
He always looks like he's having a great time. 

JB decided he didn't want to do Summit and wanted to do the Hole in the Wall.  I agreed to go down to the Kiosk and then came back up.  Got some good SGR photos.

Kind of busy on The Mountain this morning... hikers, picnickers, riders...

Later in the day, there was an injury collision near the helicopter pad (photo below).  A mountain biker was coming down the path on the right and a road biker was coming down the road, the mountain biker crossed the road without slowing down and ran into the road biker. I wish there were a way to cull the stupid from our ranks.

The Helicopter Pad

2016 SMR 03

I thought I was right on time but JB said I was late... I checked and for sure my damned cheap bike computer was 4 minutes behind.

Kind of foggy down the south side of The Mountain

JB rails Chainbuster downhill like a boss.  

I take it like a Nancy because broken bone pain 

lingers in my memory.

Hey, who're these guys?

Beautiful skies, beautiful weather, beautiful ride.

JB told me a story about hitting his head on a shelf when he was feeding his cats this morning, then he realized that he had broken a blood vessel in his eye.  By Junction it was Zombiesque.  I advised him to keep riding and not think about it.