2026 Diablo Day 35 - Wednesday Morning Junction

Great weather. Felt great. Great company. 

Charlie finally diagnosed his flat tire problem - there was a "stiff thread" poking out from the inside of the tire carcass - less than 1mm long but that's enough to puncture a tube with a slow leak that was hard to find. Solution: new tire.

Apparently, much of the road work on the south side of Diablo Road is part of the new bike trail that will continue the existing trail on the north side of the road that we always use to get to the country club, and go all the way up to the Athenian School. I'm not sure I'll use it, but maybe.

At Junction, Charlie and I talked about cholesterol and rat trap bait.

No road kill, no wildlife, no oddballs.

SHARKS??? On DIABLO????

2026 Diablo Day 34 - Saturday Morning Juniper

First time I've done more than Junction in a while - my anemia treatment seems to be working... going faster and farther and harder and higher.

Saw an old work colleague at Junction... we talked about dogs and the economy.

The crosswinds coming down were creeping me out. It might be my semi-deep rim profile or it might be me just aging out of reflexes and balance. I'm going to up my safety game and just let people pass me on the way down.

Wildlife Encounter:  turkeys

This is the street they were oiling on Wednesday - looks nice.

Come on California - this is past due for some repairs.

Kinda smoggy over the Diablo Valley.

These folks looked like they didn't need any help.

 

2026 Diablo Day 33 - Wednesday Morning Junction

This morning walking my dog and checking out the weather, I noticed a dark rain cloud overhead. Yesterday was damn hot but today was supposed to be a lot nicer - no mention of rain though... and it turned out to be a nothingburger.

They were doing asphalt oiling on my normal route to The Mountain and they had some of the streets closed off so I had to ride on the sidewalk. I promised to remember to take a different way back home.

When I got to St. Tim's I did some stretching and waited for Charlie but then he texted me to start without him because he got TWO flat tires on the way out.  I talked to Colnago Ted on his Gios for a while; we discussed old man health issues. 

The weather was perfect by the time I got to the Boundary Gate. I felt pretty good, but didn't push TOO hard... and wound up with a time almost as fast as Saturday's ride when I did push hard.

Wildlife Encounter:  big mess of turkeys... not interested in conversation.

At Junction I took a normal break and about forgot about Charlie, but he rode in just as I was about to go down... so I took a longer break. We talked about time trial bikes, sunscreen, and friends dealing with health issues.

Kind of windy on the way down... I got blown around some in the switchbacks and was a little nervous so I took it extra safe. Then I remembered to take the long way back home which brought me through downtown Danville so I got to see people having lunch at the outdoor cafes and enjoying the perfect weather.

Fresh oil and new bikes don't play well together.

I let the VSBC go ahead of me.

I stayed ahead of these guys for quite a while... but finally had to let them escape.

Charlie wore his Alpe de Huez jersey because he earned it, and the Tour is doing it on Friday.

I wore this jersey because it was on the top of the pile.

2026 Diablo Day 32 - Saturday Morning Junction

A little windy on my morning dog walk / pre-ride weather check... so I had another cuppa before kitting up. Another half hour made everything nicer.

Wildlife Encounter: turkey on the fence, deer on the shoulder.

There was one really clueless driver that passed me, a car ahead of me, and the two riders in front of the car ahead of me... around a blind corner with double yellow lines. Not dangerous for me, but could've been bad for someone coming down. I yelled... partly out of anger, partly as a warning to anyone ahead.

I felt pretty good and had my best Junction time in a while... not by much though. I think those iron supplements might be working.

At Junction I saw Kasters - it's been a minute. He hadn't heard that JB died. We did some catching up and told some stories. I told him about my anemia and that the iron supplements seemed to be working. He told me that in the Soviet Union (he's originally from Belarus), they used to give the children candy made from ***bull blood*** for extra iron in their diet. I was imagining some kind of blood-filled gum drops and I threw up a little in my mouth... but he said it was actually pretty good, and his wife tried to bring some back last time she went to Minsk for a visit but the customs folks took it away from her. I had to look it up to make sure he wasn't pranking me:

The Russian "blood candy" you are referring to is called Hematogen (Гематоген). It is a dietary supplement bar made from bovine (cow) blood (specifically black food albumin) mixed with sugar, condensed milk, and vanillin to create a sweet, chewy treat.

Google says it's chewy like a Tootsie Roll with an odd metallic aftertaste. I'll stick with my pills.

Deer in the shadows. I shouted at him to see if he would dart in front of me,
but he just watched without any chalant.

Clueless Tesla driver executing a stupid maneuver in an illegal place.

Turkey on the fence.

Best Junction time in months.

Kasters - no iron deficiency here.

2026 Diablo Day 31 - Wednesday Morning Junction

The Bay Area has been pretty lucky with weather and air quality this summer - but today was going to be warm. Me and Charlie figured we could get a ride in before the worst of it, so we did.

Saw lots of landscapers clearing trees and brush getting ready for fire season... those folks must've been miserable.

There were lots of shady spots going up SGR, but not much wind. On the way down though I was getting blown around a little, so carving my turns required a little more attention, but the trees weren't blowing so I'm not sure where the wind was coming from.

Wildlife Encounter: coyote near Rock City. Crossed the road in front of us and then watched us go by from the top of a little hill.

Lots of vultures too - I suppose their food sources go up in step with the temperature. I wonder if they like eating baked carrion better.

Good Grief

I think this is the first bike mirror I've ever had. I'm getting to really like it.

Charlie has a little round mirror. I like mine better.

These shady spots made the ride pretty pleasant.

COYOTE!

For fun I like to check my altimeter right here.
It's always between 1,992 and 1,999 ft. Pretty good precision.