2023 Diablo Day 50 - NORTH GATE ROAD!

Blog Reader Lance Oldstrong invited me to an end of the season Wednesday Night Ride up newly re-opened North Gate Road with a couple friends. I got all my work done and went. 

Parked on Doncaster and everybody was already there. Lance was rubbing some kind of herbal Woowoo Potion on his knee, so I asked him to wipe his hands off on my knee too. 

Also joining us was Midland and new guy Jackson - who rides double centuries for recovery rides. They both were primed for a good effort. Lance said this was his first Diablo on his second knee replacement so I figured I could keep up with him and offer encouragement. He got ahead of me a couple times but I caught up and figured he'd start to fade. We mostly all stayed together for the first half of the ride.

But it's been three weeks since I've ridden at all, and I've been riding up The Easy Side for so long now... boy I was hurting. SGR has sucked all the strength out of me, then I had a stomach ache from mile 1 to mile 3, then my knee was feeling wonky from mile 3 to mile 5, and then I bonked. I was feeling a little shaky when I crossed the line, with a barely sub-embarrassing time. It was probably that Woowoo Potion that saved me from ignominy.

Then on the way down I stopped to get some photos of the Rock Baskets (which is now their official name, even though my civil engineering friends call them "gabions".

Tarantula Tally = 2 ... one above the zigzag and one below.

Lots of happy bike riders enjoying NGR again.

I stopped here for a minute to change my camera battery and switch water bottles. Should've started the HEED a little earlier I think.

I was able to put the knee under pressure for Chainbuster.

There will be no more evening rides this season.

The "Rock Baskets"