Wednesday, April 29, 2015

2015 WNR 04

Doing some minor repairs on NGR


Five of us from work tonight.  Good riding.  Multiple organized rides this weekend.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

2015 SMR 15

Just wet enough for me to break out the Belgian Beast.  Waiting for JB at the Gate, I met this couple and the gentleman asked me (with a noticeable accent) if I was German (no)...  then if I was Belgian, and I said "no, but my BIKE is Belgian.  He examined my Eddy Merckx and then told me HE was also from Belgium.  I said "Aangenaam kennis met je te makken!"  Then they explained that they were FRENCH speakers, so I said "Well Enchanté!"

They asked about all the bike riders they'd seen while on their walk and I explained the Devil Mountain Double.  We discussed Belgian bike races, and they knew that Liege-Bastogne-Liege is tomorrow, and they were quite proud that Phillipe Gilbert was from their area.

Michelline et Jean
From LIEGE!

Wish I'd pointed my camera at them earlier, they were delightful.


SAG driver stopped to see if I needed anything.


JB never showed up so I went alone.  Going up NGR I was way too warm with tights and jacket.  Saw the last DMD rider at about 8:30.  At Junction I searched for motivation to continue in my jersey pocket and found a macadamia nut Clif Bar... did the trick.


Above Junction it got really foggy and I was much more comfortable.


Diablo Shoutout:  Celebrity Cyclist Buffalo Bill Cody







Here's another semi regular on The Mountain:  Sandal Guy.

He must really hate closed-toe shoes.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

2015 WNR 03

Small group from work tonight.

Just me, Shawn, and Kevin

Weird thing happened just a mile up from The Gate.  I hear a loud rattle/buzz noise and I think it's Kevin's bike.  Then I realize that my computer sensor has come loose and dropped down around the hub and was rubbing on the spokes...really odd noise.  I got it fixed good enough to finish but I need to remember to cinch it down before Saturday.

Plus it was a little chilly.

Diablo Shoutout to Punkin Jay; who claims

to have ridden his last double.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

2015 SMR 14

First of all - THIS

Thistle on Mount Diablo

Saw a rest stop set up at the Church and realized today must be the Devil Mountain Double  but later I found out it was the staff ride and the real event is next week.

There were a lot of riders today, and also a lot of vehicles because it was a Mount Diablo Earth Day event with many volunteers.




Action shot of fast guy passing me #1

Just a flat tire

Sergeant Slow Descender was barely moving...
I wonder what his story is.

JB is thinking about repainting his custom
Della Santa... found some rusty spots while
doing maintenance.

Action shot of fast guy passing me #2

Action shot of fast guy passing me #3




Mechanic's Log:  Replacing cleats and heel pads on Sidi cycling shoes
Last time I changed the heel pads was 3 years ago... not sure about the cleats but I think it's at least that long.

Tools needed: allen wrenches, screw drivers, drill, glue (just in case).

Initial conditions: worn out.

Remove worn out bits - clean off sole

Note new heel pad (top) and worn out heel pad (bottom)

Do not get these mixed up.

Heel pads have little nubs that must be removed for some shoes.

Note new cleat (top) and worn out cleat (bottom)

Much life remains in this footwear.


Note glue squirting out from under heel pad.
One of my shoes had stripped threads in there
so the glue provided bonding plus helped the screw grab.



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

2015 WNR 02

Hosni Mubarak died today - and flags on Diablo were at half-mast... surely those things can't be related.  Found out later that the POTUS declared a day for remembering Abraham Lincoln's assassination 150 years ago.



New rider from work this afternoon - Shawn.  He's been riding to work in Walnut Creek from his home in Pleasanton just about every day, and he's had some previous cycling experience, but he hadn't ever been up Diablo except part way up SGR one time.  So I gave him a ride to the Church where we met up with some other folks.  He wasn't sure how he'd do but figured after the ride he could either go down the other side to go home, or ride back down North Gate to catch BART, or even turn around if he couldn't make it to Junction.

So we kept things a little more social than usual and Shawn did fine and did ride the rest of the way home after.  He's planning a SF-LA bike trip this summer so he's serious about training.

Roadkill Report:  a little snake.  The badger was gone.

Coming down, the sun was at a really bad angle for visibility... it was a cautious descent.


Saturday, April 11, 2015

2015 SMR 13




T'was a beautiful spring day on The Mountain this morn.


The poppy population is down, and there's a little more brown.


Arm warmers felt nice most of the ride.  Plus Belgian Hardmen wear them and Roubaix is tomorrow.



Lots and lots of riders of all kinds enjoying Mount Diablo State Park.

One guy at the Summit said it was his first time.  He thought it was a big accomplishment but didn't plan on doing it again soon.









Not sure what happened here,
but it didn't look like they needed
any more help.


Roadkill Report:  A BADGER!!!  Yes, a BADGER!

We'd seen it on the way up but it was upside down and looked more like a raccoon.  JB and I both said it looked like a badger, but it couldn't be because there aren't any badgers around here... are there?

On the way down I was looking for it, thinking I'd scoot it off the road and get a photo... somebody had already done that and there were two guys looking at the badger at the Loading Dock... they offered to help me with my Instagram post:

#SelfieWithRoadKill



Turns out badgers are not quite rare enough to be on the threatened species list:

My size 44 Sidi for some perspective.


I propped his head up on this rock...
I'm sure he didn't mind.

There was a tick crawling on his nose... eww.