2024 Diablo Day 19 - Saturday Morning Junction

Pretty warm today. Still don't have my new camera mount. JB got his new cassette put on. 

Colonel Al was at Junction passing out flyers to drum up support for the turnout celebration - August 24 @10am. See you there!

2024 Diablo Day 18 - Saturday Morning Junction

 While I was prepping my bike for this morning's ride, I realized my camera mount was broken - a nub that holds the strap had snapped off - no fix possible. I was thinking earlier that I hadn't used my rear-view mount in a long time and might take it off... but today it was a blog-saver!  So only rear-view photos today.

Roadkill Report:  an opossum.

All the SGR turn out lanes are done except for the striping. They'll be doing Summit Road next so no Summits on weekdays for a while.

2024 Diablo Day 17 - Saturday Morning Junction

 A nice warm morning leading into 4th of July week. I wore my patriotic socks.

Wildlife Encounter: two deers in the residential area.

Happy birthday to JB. We made a few jokes about getting old, but they all hit a little too close to home. We talked a little politics but that was just depressing.

They're making some good progress on the SGR bike turnout lanes.

Folding bike guy gets a Diablo Shoutout.

I had to downshift quick after slowing down for this deer at the bottom of the hill - then I had to struggle up the rest of the way because I didn't have the speed to carry me over.

2024 Diablo Day 16 - Saturday Morning Junction

First ride of summer - and it was a hot one. The heat and poor sleep quality made today a tough outing. I pulled over in the shade for a little break and a helpful rider (Yellow Jersey Lady) stopped to make sure I knew where the water supplies were. She was literally riding circles around me - passed me going up near the bottom, she must've turned around at Junction and then passed me again on her next lap.

Speaking of hot ones, JB gave me a pill bottle full of his garden pepper powder. I put it on macaroni salad.

Wildlife Encounter: a mother deer and her son just below the Tire Poppers.

Roadkill Report: a coyote and a racoon on Blackhawk Road.

Yellow Jersey Lady - passed-me#1

This is a nice one!

Yellow Jersey Lady - passed-me#2

County Animal Services was busy today picking up road kill.

I'm afraid to figure out what this means for my fitness level.

2024 Diablo Day 15 - Saturday Morning Junction

 Busy on My Mountain today - big groups, lots of Death Ride trainers, regular folks, and me. Warm and slight breeze, it was a great day.

Bike turnout lanes in the news! 

Mount Diablo gets new bike turnouts to help keep cyclists safe

This will be a good place for a turnout.

This will be a good place for a turnout!

This will be a DAMNED GOOD PLACE FOR A TURNOUT!

2024 Diablo Day 14 - Saturday Morning Junction

The air was a little smoggy today - I think there's a fire some where.

Wildlife Encounter: a young deer, somewhere, couldn't find him on my bike cam recording, but he walked across the road just in front of me.

On one of the hike crossings there was a group that cheered me on like I was winning solo on Alpe d'Huez... see video.

At Junction there was a guy who rode his SOMA fixed gear up from NGR; looked like he had a 50t crank too. He was telling someone stories about all the hard rides and steep mountains he's ridden fixed. A hardman for sure.

Didn't see much progress on the SGR bike turnout lane construction - just a few earth-moving things.

A couple riders in front of me got stopped for a safety lecture by Diablo's Finest.