Wednesday, September 30, 2015

2015 WNR 23

Perhaps the last Wednesday Night Ride of 2015 - definitely need to start earlier if we do this next week because DARK.


Tarantula Tally:  two crawlers and two cadavers


Wildlife Encounter:  SIX deer, including one at full gallop for a 50 meter run, really cool.

It rained a little bit this afternoon, but it was dry for the ride... just some wet spots on the road.

OK, I'm ready for autumn now... maybe ride the rain bike, start wearing tights, stop putting ice in my bottles... that kind of stuff.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

2015 SMR 33

No JB... don't know why.  Solo and slow for me.

Wildlife Encounter:  oh this is great.  At Lookout Point I stopped to change the battery in my Contour - then I hear a rustling behind me and there's a small buck with a big rack coming up.  Then he started walking down hill and there was a rider coming up and then there was a bit of a standoff - the buck didin't want to go back the way he came, but the only other way out was STRAIGHT UP AN ALMOST VERTICAL CLIFF.  So the cyclist and I watched as the buck just pranced up the cliff like nothing.  The athleticism and skill of these deer is just amazing.

This is the deer cliff



Are you still there?
Yes - and BTW I can see your butt crack through your shorts.

Oh-oh, ambulance activity on a blind curve just below the ranches.  Car vs cyclist.  Army Al is on scene, of course.

"See???  This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about!"

Ambulance NGR from Diablo Scott on Vimeo.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

2015 WNR 22

Boy, getting down to the last few Wednesday Night Rides of the year.

Got a little nervous being passed by this truck and trailer combo.


Tarantula Tally:  one on the way up, and one on the way down.


Saturday, September 19, 2015

2015 SMR 32 With TEAM ClubSport

JB's still on vacation, so I did the Club ride to Blackhawk and up SGR.

Not the tightest paceline I've ever ridden in, but it'll do.


Roadkill Report:  big fat raccoon on Tassajara.





Been a while since I've been up the Easy Side... observations:  more cars, worse drivers.


OH NO - my saddle bag failed.


Yup, the doodad fell out of the buckle... time for a new bag.



Sports Basement didn't have a big selection, but this one looks pretty nice.




My bag needs to be big enough to hold this much stuff.









Wednesday, September 16, 2015

2015 WNR 21

Elmar's brother Markus is visiting from Switzerland so I offered my extra bike to him and we all did a Summit ride.

Kinda strange to see someone else
on my bike, but Markus was
appreciative and I was happy to help
.

Wildlife Encounter:  at least 20 deer at various places around The Mountain - in groups of 2 or 3 mostly.





Tarantalla Tally:  zero, but Matt said he saw four.

It was surprisingly cold and drizzly - going to be hot again in a couple days.  All day people were talking nervously about how bad the rain would have to be before the ride would be cancelled... only one no-show.  It really wasn't too bad and I kind of enjoy a little weather.  Elmar had to keep telling Markus that the cold and rain were unusual and normally it would be clear and hot.  Too bad there wasn't much of a view.

Whenever I'm planning on a Summit, I dial down the effort on North Gate Road - that meant today I was the last of the group to get to Junction so I hardly took a break there and we all started up Summit Road.

Yup - that's rain up there.

Got considerably colder and rainier up above 2000 ft but it was still fun and enjoyable.  Message to anybody who doesn't ride in a little drizzle:  you're missing a nice experience.







Going down wasn't too bad either, just had to be a little careful around wet corners and wipe my sunglasses off once in a while.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

2015 SMR31

Full plate today - company picnic at noon.  JB's out of town so I thought about doing the Health Club Ride, but they were planning on 60 miles and I didn't think I'd be back in time.

So...just a quickie Junction Run.  But I offered my Merckx to a colleague at work to let his brother use when he visits next week... so I rode that bike to make sure it was working well.

I was really surprised at how quiet the ride was.  Other than being heavy, the Eddy Merckx has a wonderful ride quality... but if I'm noticing how quiet it is, that must mean my Klein is noisy and I never really noticed that except on bumpy roads where I get some cable buzz.  More research needed.

Wildlife Encounter:  THREE young deer at the bottom of The Bump.

Finally some nice weather after a rough heat wave.  LOTS of riders enjoying The Mountain this morning.

Tarantula Tally:  ZERO - first ride since July that I haven't seen one.







Product Review:  Clif Bar Carrot Cake flavor.  Sounds great but isn't - gets a 2/10 on the DiabloScott Energy Bar rating scale.  It doesn't make me gag, but it tastes more like carrot cardboard than cake.  Worst flavor they offer.









Wednesday, September 09, 2015

2015 WNR 20

It was a dry heat, but there was a lot of it.




Not many riders though.  Most of the ones I saw were like me, just getting through it, but a few were in full time-trial PB-attempt mode.



Every single one of my work buddies cancelled today, one-by-one, except Hari who got to The Church and then realized he had a flat he couldn't fix.

So it was a long slow ride, with lots of drinking and sweating.  Still enjoyable.  Plus I cleaned my chain last weekend so I was enjoying the smooth power transfer.

There was a lot more shade than I would've guessed, plenty of places to catch a little mini-break from the sun.


Wildlife Encounter:  turkeys just past The Gate

Wildlife Encounter:  DEER!  and another deer near The Ranches



I think the bucks send their girlfriends
across the road first to see if it's safe.


Wildlife Encounter:  more turkeys above Chainbuster

Tarantula Tally:  one




I always try to do just enough of a bunny hop to
sort of "float" over these dots.

Saturday, September 05, 2015

2015 SMR 30

Tarantula Tally:  one -  I didn't see him but JB did so I'm counting it.

Really windy - the kind of gusty wind that keeps reasonable riders off their bikes, but there was a larger than usual group this morning.  Haven't seen so many riders at Junction for a long time.

Wind even blew JB onto the gravel shoulder at one point, he recovered just fine but that was partly luck.

It was also hard riding though and my legs were rubber by the time we got to Juniper.  Then it was a slow, cautious descent.

WORD - the safety-consciousness and increased safety measures being considered by the Park Rangers include a renewed enforcement of speed limits.  Blog reader SmoothJoey recounts his story here:  SmoothJoey'sTumblr