2020 SMR 09

JB texted that he had quarantined himself in his home, so it was a solo ride today.

Weather report said "showers"... they were right again. Got pretty heavy at times.

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a tough old bird.  If anybody needs a birthday gift idea - size M.   Tough Old Bird

Hardly anybody on The Mountain - the PG&E crew was doing their thing at Junction.  Saw a few riders but my Strava Flyby list was really short.

My Garmin crapped out three times before it died completely - I finished up with the phone app so most of the miles count.

Since the Strava pieces were split up, I wouldn't have a NG-Summit split, and it was wet, and I was cold, and there was nobody to notice... so I figured I would be totally justified in stopping at the Lower Lot and not doing The Wall... except TOUGH OLD BIRDS do not make excuses - so I didn't even stop for my usual HammerGel at the bottom.

I stopped on the way down at Junction to warm up my fingers a bit, but that was the only concession. And I totally deserved that nap when I got home.

LeMond Lady passed me after The Dips, but she turned around about Mile 2.

This runner called out "we're crazy!"

WARNING - but no idea of what.

At Muir, I stopped to start the Strava app on my phone... might as well whiz while I was there.

My breath wasn't warm enough to thaw my fingers.

2020 WNR 07

Me, Justin, Charlie, JB.
Joe Shami FlyBy!
Charlie pointed out some birds.
Justin turned around before Junction.
Charlie rode from home and went down SGR for a 47km loop.
Wow, it was warm... chance of showers for next week.
Lots and lots of poppies and other wildflowers.  It's a great time to be a Diablo cyclist.
Daylight Wasting Time ends on Sunday - I'll miss the first WNR of DST this year.

Aero bars and a three-story backpack... OK!

Let's GO JOE!

Enjoying this sunshine.

2020 SMR 08

Leap Day Ride!  Not very often do we get FIVE Saturday Morning Rides in February!  I checked - last time this happened was 1992.

Well the warm weather is gone and today was back to full-fingered gloves, tights, and jacket.

Above Junction we saw a CalFire helicopter, and then we smelled smoke and got a little worried but didn't see a fire.  Then we smelled a skunk and didn't see a skunk either.

A car passed us near Blue Oak and forced a truck that was coming down into the ditch.  Check out THIS video!

Rest of the ride went well and we hardly even thought about politics or corona viruses.

JB started off with a few Jack LaLane toe-touching exersizes.

This guy passed us while complaining about how "out of shape" he was.  I complained about "humble braggers".

I'm thinking my next pair of cycling shoes will be white - but I have to verify that cool guys have white shoes.

I'm thinking my next pair of cycling shoes will be white - but I have to verify that cool guys have white shoes.

2020 WNR 06

We were all thinking this weather was too nice for February... this just isn't right, but ah my friends and oh my foes, it was some good riding. Me, JB, and Charlie.

Charlie forgot to bring a bandana and he sweats a lot so I gave him one from my bag but he has to wash it before he gives it back. 

Wildlife Encounter: Three hawks - Charlie knows the species of a lot of birds so he always points them out to us.

Other than being too perfect, nothing much happened.  We all stayed together, finished together, and said "see you next week."

2020 SMR 07

JB is back from Iowa, where he reports he drank too much Busch Lite and did a lot of sitting on his butt with out of shape relatives.

It was just a wee bit chilly at 07:30 but warmed up nicely by The Ranches.

Wildlife Encounter:  turkeys at the Ranger House.

Talked to some nice guys at Junction about old bikes and such.  One guy told me he once had a top end Colnago that had been stolen from his garage years ago and he missed having a classic bike.

Dramatic Sunrise over Diabolical Mountain.

JB told this rider to slow down and enjoy the day.  He's such a geezer.

Buuglglglglglulululu.

This guy gets the DiabloScott award for DUCT TAPE ON HIS SHOES!!!

This new fence is presumably part of the Border Wall misplaced due to a Trump Sharpie mark on the map of North America. 

These yellow flowers are spreading all over The Mountain like Corona Virus on a cruise ship.

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Special Addendum:  Blog-Reader Deadhead Mike is signed up for RAGBRAI this year, so I dug out some old photos of when I did it in 1988... so he can properly prepare.  I only had one of those cardboard disposable cameras so the picture quality is pretty bad.  Also, I just scanned the prints after having  been in a paper sack for 32 years.

Here is everybody dunking their tires in the Missouri River at the start of Day 1 in Sioux City.

Here is ME dunking my tires in the Missouri River in front of the Sioux City TV station camera person.  I *think* I made the news.

This is the campground at Sioux City.

They called this "Mount RAGBRAI", a pile of old bikes in the middle of the street with a stage that you could pose on at the top.  I think this was in Fairfield, Iowa.

Best place for porta-potties is in front of the grain silos.  Long lines were part of the experience.

2020 WNR 05

Damn, I missed two Winter Wednesday Junctions in a row!  Once for work, and once for family. So I was READY for today and I felt good.  Charlie and Justin met me at The Church.  We talked about political debates, corona viruses, and bicycle chains.  JB is still out of town but should do the Saturday Morning Ride with me. Charlie is signed up to do the Tour de Cure diabetes charity ride in Santa Rosa on May 3, so he's in serious training.

Good February weather - just a little cool and breezy.  

FIRST POPPIES OF THE YEAR!  It was just a couple weeks ago that I was telling Charlie that I usually see the first poppies near Son of Chainbuster and TODAY - there they were.

On the descent, Charlie did a fishtail going too fast into a corner and pulled a good recovery move to stay upright that Justin said was pretty impressive.  I was too far behind to see it, because I don't enjoy the thrill of fast descents the way I used to.

Diablo Shoutout to Deadhead Mike who was killing it in preparation for the Davis Double.

This guy passed us like he was on record pace - he had all the bling-bling equipment and kit too.

But then he stopped at Diablo Ranch and we didn't see him again.

POPPIES!  The Mountain is a little extra pretty today.

Mike - future Davis Double doer.