2026 Diablo Day 55 - Wednesday Morning Junction

I took Roxanne to Alamo Trek after last week's ride for them to put on her gravel wheels and provide the free new-bike-first-year tune up. On the way home they called already and said my brakes were almost gone so I approved their putting in new ones but told them I wanted the old ones for show and tell.

Apparently this is as thin as you want the pads to get.
I don't know if I'll ever learn how to do these myself.

It was cold this morning so I went ahead and put on my cold weather pants and a long sleeved jersey with an undershirt.  I got a little sweaty mid-ride, but I was happy to not be frozen.

I figured my gravel wheels would add about five minutes to my Junction time for the same effort as with my road wheels, and that was just about right.

Wildlife Encounter:  lots of deers and turkeys.

Lots of riders on The Mountain today too - gave me some good photos to share.

This guy ran in front of me, but not too close.

DO NOT ENTER!  (does not apply to DiabloScott)

2026 Diablo Day 54 - Wednesday Morning Juniper

Still in the throes of an early autumn heat wave. We decided to start at 8:30 and barely beat the scorching.

Roxanne is in the shop for her free new bike tune-up. Alamo Trek called me and said I need new brake pads already... 1100 miles seems like a short life-span but I'm new to all this. They said I should just plan on a couple replacements per year.  Riding Eddy today and I think he has the same pads that I put on about 5 years ago... I was reminded about how much harder you have to squeeze cable-operated rim brakes for the same effect.  

 

Maayan Jones was the rider killed by a truck in the residential area up the hill from The Athenian.  They took the ghost bike down about a year ago, but they just moved his memorial sign to the hole in the fence.  I approve.

Today we had an Alpe d'Huez jersey, a Mount Ventoux jersey, and two Mount Diablo jerseys.  

Davis Vintage Bike Ride and Show

 

2026 Diablo Day 53 - Wednesday Morning Junction

Charlie and I decided just a Junction today. I decided I'd do an interval and try to get a PB on the 2nd Mile segment I made on Strava.

Success.  This is a fun way to introduce some higher-intensity efforts on an otherwise casual ride. Mile 2 has the most climbing of the segments I made, and it averages 6.8%.

Mile 2 starts here

Mile 2 ends here

That's about constant a grade as you're likely to find anywhere.

2026 Diablo Day 52 - Saturday Morning Junction

I have a Harvest Moon celebration this evening so didn't want to be too tired. My idea was to do a fast Mile 1 and then back down to endurance pace; worked good.

Lots of riders training for The Diablo Challenge  next weekend. Fast folks, big groups, and clubs.

Autumn is definitely here - I even bought a new pair of long cycling pants - looser than tights. So I have the relaxed tights for fun rides and the tight tights for events and PB attempts.

I didn't see this rider coming up from behind me, or I would've moved over.  But she called out that she was passing me on the right; unaware that in my photo it would look like I was passing her!

2026 Diablo Day 51 - Wednesday Morning Summit

First Diablo of Autumn. There's some heavy equipment interference on the road to The Hole, but bikes and pedestrians can get through just fine.

Charlie wanted to Summit, so we developed our plan; moderate pace to Junction, a little break at Juniper, pep talk at the Lower Lot, grind up the wall.  Worked out perfectly. A couple time we evaluated our progress, got a little too analytical with numbers, so I just told myself "shut up and pedal".

We discussed a new pedal system by Shimano that requires new shoes with new cleats to fit into new pedals that have a 3mm lower profile and would require lowering your saddle to compensate. We decided it was a transparent attempt by Shimano to sell more stuff; but we were privately intrigued just the same.

Roadkill Report:  didn't see it, but there was a dead skunk somewhere on Camino Tassajara.

Tarantula Tally: one dead one near Rock City. Photo-unworthy.

Wildlife Encounter: deer near the lower switchbacks. She eyed us suspiciously but quickly determined that we were not a threat.

Warmed up in the late morning - really perfect weather with more wind than I would've liked. Lots of Valley Spokesmen today. 

Ready?
Ready. Let's do this.

Charlie stopped to take a call with his home improvement contractors.

Pain face enabled.

Shameless vanity shot.

Two months until my New Zealand adventure trip!

2026 Diablo Day 50 - Saturday Morning Junction

The dog walk was cold this morning so I had trouble motivating myself and got a late start. There were more riders and a lot more traffic though, so I'm going to find the motivation to start on time even when it's cold... maybe I need some new tights or something.

There was a group of vintage cars going up - probably related to the Concourse d'Elegance in Danville tomorrow. That might be a fun thing to go to; I'm not into cars but I'm into public festivals.

A guy passed me near the helicopter pad and as he went by, my bluetooth speaker went silent, and then came back on when he got some distance. I passed him back a while later and he said he pulled over because his computer rear-radar told him I was a car... then we wondered if his radar had communications blocking technology. We chuckled nervously about that.

Met a guy named Mike at Junction. He said it was his first ride up Diablo, he's from LA on temporary work assignment and signed up for The Mount Diablo Challenge.  I gave him some tips and we took a selfie.

I stopped at Vulture Gulch for a photo - you really can't see most of it from the road. There's a creek or something down there and I thought maybe animals seek water when they're dying; Google says "sometimes - depends on why they're dying".  

Radar Guy

These old sport cars can pass a bike without crossing the lane markers.

Me and Mike from LA

Hey - it's future Pogacar again!

Vulture Gulch