Diablo Summit plus Hole in the Fence – 31 miles

Just me and JB again. There was a period of a couple years when he and I were the only ones who met at “Eight at the Gate”. The group got big, then small, then big again, and now it’s back to just us most of the time. Anyway it was great weather, a little cooler than it has been… tights and windbreaker cool. I felt pretty good again too. I sprayed some silicon lube on my cleats this morning (Look red and white ones that aren’t supposed to squeak but have been recently), and it worked for a while but then they started to squeak again even though they still felt slippery… they must be worn out. I have some new black ones that I could put on – used to use black ones all the time but got hooked on the red ones when some came with a new pair of pedals.

A little breezy as we started to climb – very clear though, like after a rain. I did some long stretches out of the saddle just to test the legs and it felt good. I got ahead of JB each time so I started to think about beating him to the line. Finally, after Son of Chainbuster I kept on going and I really pushed it the last mile. Junction time was 42m35s and I saw my HRM go to 182.

After I caught my breath, another rider there introduced himself as John, a blog reader who e-mailed me earlier in the week for some Diablo information. In the e-mail he said he was getting back into riding after a long hiatus and was hoping to break 45 minutes. I asked him how he did today and he said he did 45 minutes! He said he saw a rider coming behind him and figured it was me so he poured it on to stay ahead of me and got a great result. I expect you to be a regular from now on John, see you next week.

There was also a guy who came up South who had a Rivendell with a Speed Blend tire and he was happy to demonstrate it for me. I asked JB what was next and he said “anything but up” so we went down South.

The breeze was a lot stronger on this side of the Mountain and I wasn’t descending very well. Then this tall guy blew right past me and then he blew past JB also, and then he slowed down after he was in front of us… the quintessential dufus move. He wasn’t a bad rider, but he should have stayed in back of us.

Back home on Danville Blvd – JB didn’t want to do any of the sprinter hills.

Diablo Junction – 23 miles

A business trip saw me in Santa Cruz at 8 am this morning. I got back to the office in the early afternoon and then left early to ride the Mountain from home. Robin was supposed to be having her farewell ride today but she postponed it until next week (when I can’t go). Adam felt sick this morning so he didn’t ride in. That left me and JB again, although Randall said he would like to come too; he’s welcome of course, but he’s not a serious rider so I wasn’t sure what would happen with him.

So I approach the Gate and I see all the Diablo Cyclists about two minutes ahead of me. I put a rock on the post and didn’t wait for JB. Beautiful weather, warm and sunny and I felt good. Passed up the OTB pack of DCers after a couple miles but didn’t see anybody else catchable up the road.

Wildlife Encounter: A snake – about a foot long, in the middle of the lane … road kill waiting to happen. Couldn’t tell what kind, I’m sure it was deadly poisonous and mean though.

Up closer to the Bump I saw another rider that I was slowly catching up to. As I got a better view I realized it was my neighbor Amy A and I said “hi” as I passed. Looking up the road though I didn’t see anyone else at all so it was solo the rest of the way up.

Got to the Junction in 42m30s – one of my better times this year, I’m starting to think sub 40 again finally. There was a huge crowd at the Ranger Shack including lots of people that I can sometimes keep up with; I should have started earlier today. Then JB got there (just after the DC crowd went down South) and said he’d waited for Randall but didn’t find him.

We went back down and at the Gate I stopped to talk with a guy I recognized from a ride a long time ago – the guy who needed a tube with a long stem at the Junction. I told him my story – that after I’d given him my tube (which worked in his wheel) I almost didn’t accept his offer to take his tube (short stem) with me for the short ride home but he insisted and then I got a flat on the way back down so I needed it. He shook my hand and introduced himself as Chris. He had called a buddy to come pick him up that day and I saved him a lot of trouble. I always wanted to tell him that story, now he knows.

Then JB and I rode down the rest of the way toward the church and found Randall – he’d gotten his instructions mixed up and had been waiting for JB at the church while JB was waiting for him at the Gate. Randall had ridden part way up by himself after a late start but turned around after a mile and a half. We apologized for the confusion and neither one of us had the heart to tell him his helmet was on backwards.

Diablo Junction plus Hole in the Wall – 33 Miles

Rained overnight but things were pretty much dried up this morning. JB and I met up at the Gate and set off for a leisurely one. Last week Adam said he thought he could do a faster time on a morning ride; this morning JB said he’s never as good in the morning as in the afternoon.

So we discussed financial planning and the weather and just about everything except riding and it was a nice mind clearing ride and we finished in the high 40’s. We hadn’t seen more than three or four riders on the way up and there still weren’t many riders at the Junction. We didn’t know if the overnight rains kept people away or maybe last Saturday’s weather was so good that everyone came out on the same day. JB also asked the ranger about repaving and he said that the bid went out and they did get some bids and he thought the schedule said to start in June. Summit Road is getting pretty cracked up so if that’s all they do I’ll be pretty satisfied. The lower part of South Gate Road – down below the tire poppers, is really bad but that’s a political issue since it’s privately owned… not sure what the deal is there.

I told JB that Rivendell was having a garage sale today and they advertised all kinds of bike parts new and used, so we decided that would be a good thing to do but they didn’t open until 10 o’clock so we went down South Gate and through the Hole in the Fence. There were many more riders coming up now, and this side of the Mountain was a lot more foggy. I never know quite where I am in those Alamo neighborhoods so I always let JB lead the way.

We got to Rivendell’s shop about 5 minutes before the official opening and they had a boss guy there who wouldn’t even let people look at the merchandise until ten so we checked out their show room which is actually pretty cool – way better than they’ve had before. At ten o’clock they let people start rummaging through the boxes and it was really a bit of a hectic scene with all the Rivendell groupies there. They had dozens of tires for $5 each so I picked up one Speedblend Pasela and JB bought two regular Paselas (but he had to borrow the money from me). They had boxes of derailleurs, handlebars, shifters, brakes, and all the assorted bits you might find in somebody’s garage except a lot more of them. Wheels were $20 each and they were a popular item. Neat idea on Grant’s part.

Diablo Junction plus SGR

Lots of us from work today. Since tomorrow is bike to work day, a few people planned on riding home tonight and back in tomorrow, leaving their cars at the office. So Amanda, Robin, Jeff, JB, Adam, and I all rode the Mountain today. There were lots of other riders there too - dotted all along North Gate Road. Jeff said that Mark P was coming but we didn't see him at the Gate.

Just as we crossed the start line, Adam started sprinting and said "I'm going for 30 minutes!" and then he disappeared (he was sub 31). JB was feeling strong so he pulled as the rest of us sat on for the flat bits. He was strong though and pretty soon it was just me on his wheel. Robin was also strong because she did the 100 mile option on the Tour de Cure with some fast friends. By the time I got to the bottom of the Bump, JB was past the top of the Bump, and I hardly caught a glimpse of him after that.

It was pretty hot and my jersey was all the way unzipped and my frozen Cytomax was melted. I was pushing pretty hard but didn't seem to be going very fast… probably my tire pressure wasn't at absolute perfection - HA! Actually I was afraid Robin might pass me up - but then I realized the person that was catching me was someone else.

Then I caught up to Mark P riding with his friend Todd who appeared rider but not a strong climber (he later turned around and didn't make it to the Junction). Mark's going to Mexico with his family at the end of the month for a vacation.

So just under 45 minutes to the Junction where there was the biggest crowd I've seen in a long time. A lot of Diablo Cyclists and a lot of people I've never seen before. Probably 30 cyclists just out for a nice afternoon ride.

Robin asked me if I was going to go up any higher and I said I was thinking about going down South Gate and she asked to come along. Descending felt weird - maybe it was a funky wind or something but I wasn't cornering very well and didn't feel very fast on the straight bits either. Then after we went through the HOLE IN THE FENCE, I followed a pickup down the wrong road and we wound up on the busy section of Diablo Road that I was trying to avoid.

On the trip back up Danville Blvd Robin told me about riding here with the members of her triathlete team who sometimes train in this area. Then we were back at the office and the ride was over.

Diablo Summit – 31 miles

Karl from Seattle e-mailed me last week saying he was coming to town and wanted to ride. I offered him my foul weather bike and he was very grateful. Karl also came down in August of 2003 and did an after work Junction ride with us on my Eddy Merckx – it’s blogged in the archive.

He pulled up to my house in his rental car and I knew I was in trouble – he looked lean and strong. I gave him a water bottle, we got the seat adjusted, and headed out.

At the Gate Karl did another little adjustment and then JB showed up. We all rode together for a while but Karl was feeling his oats and riding pretty fast. I stayed with him but JB dropped back. By the top of the Bump Karl had a big gap on me and I was losing time. I stayed within eyeshot of him the rest of the way up but he still beat me by almost a minute. I also knew he’d want to do the Summit since he obviously enjoyed making us hurt so much. JB said he wanted to do Southgate but consented to do Juniper at least.

There were a lot of riders on the Mountain today – not like in the Death Ride training period, but more than I would have expected for a mid May morning. It was already warm and the bugs were getting pretty bad – biting bugs that really pissed me off.

The ride to Juniper was a little slower but it was still the same order – Karl, me, then JB. Since I was saving something for the Summit I let JB pass me near the top of the Blue Oak Speedway. So we hung around the Juniper parking spot for a while and Karl talked about how nice it is to ride with hardly any traffic and I knew he was right. It’s nice to be reminded of how special this mountain is for me and the other people who ride it.

Then JB went down and Karl and I went up. I had entertained private thoughts about stopping at the lower parking lot (skipping the Summit Wall). Would I be cheating myself? Would I feel like a wuss? But as I went around Devil’s Elbow I felt fine and knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Karl waited for me at the bottom of the Wall and I told him to start first. I thought I left a big enough gap behind some other people who started just before us but I had to pass them near the top – not a problem, I just prefer to have the whole width of the lane available for weaving if I need it.

The bugs were bad at the Summit too so we didn’t stay long. I didn’t want to challenge Karl to any descending contests since he was riding MY BIKE, so we took it easy all the way down and then he bought me a Jamba Juice and we talked for a while.

Diablo Junction from Work

Brad told me he wanted to come today so I told him I’d meet him at the bike rack at 5:10 or so, but when I got there his bike was already gone so I assumed he left without me.

Adam said he was going to be late so JB and I left the parking lot just as Mark A was riding by on his way out, so we rode with him to the Gate. Interesting how people have slightly different ways of getting out there; Mark almost took a couple turns different from us but stayed on our route today. Adam caught up with us on Walnut and he and Mark did some verbal posturing about how they weren’t going for a fast time today… that was humorous.

It was a pretty hot day and I had ice in both bottles. JB packed his arm warmers just in case… he’s a lot more sensitive to cold than I am I guess.

Wildlife Encounter: Little brown lizards all over the road, all the way up; never seen so many of them.

JB and I were still together nearing Clavicle Cracker and then we came up to a small group riding together. He accelerated and passed them quickly: I accelerated and passed them not so quickly. I kept him in my sites all the way to Junction but he beat me there by almost a minute.

At the Junction Brad finally rode in and gave me hell for not waiting for him. Turns out he brought his bike into his office to change clothes and that’s why I didn’t see him or the bike.

We don’t get as much post ride socialization as we used to. Adam went down South, JB went home, Brad went for a High Tech Burrito, and I went back to the office to pick up my civvies.

2006 Tour de Cure – Napa Valley, 26 miles with CJ

Thanks to all of you for supporting CJ and me and the American Diabetes Association in this fundraiser.

Sunday morning I got the bikes loaded onto the old Infiniti by 6 o’clock. Claudia and I had some oatmeal, got dressed, and packed our stuff that we laid out the night before. We were on the road at 6:30 for an 8 o’clock check in. Traffic was lighter than expected and we arrived at the Yountville Veteran’s Home about 7:30 which gave us lots of time to eat the free bagels and drink the coffee and juice. We got checked in and received our event T-shirts and met up with some of the other people on Team Brown and Caldwell – most of whom I didn’t know. Some were from other offices and others were from companies that we partner with like Verizon Business Systems. Our ride was supposed to start at 8:30 but they delayed us until 9:30 because the rest stop wasn’t ready so we wound up spending a lot of time in the start area and enjoying the atmosphere and refreshments.



I really wanted Claudia to have a positive experience on her first organized ride so I had talked her through all the things that would happen ahead of time. I told her we could stop and rest if she got tired or sore, that this wasn’t a race (even though we were the fastest), I explained what charities do with the money we raise, and I also tried to explain how diabetes affects people, and that we’re helping them and having fun at the same time.

She really liked identifying herself as part of a team that all had the same jerseys. There was one couple on a regular tandem (Wendy from our Sacramento office and her husband Richard) and our team captain Jeff was on another tandem with his son Ian. Everyone else was on single bikes and there was quite a range of cycling skills and experience in the group. There were also some trailer cycle riders that weren’t on our team but they must have been doing the 10 mile ride because we didn’t see them again after the start. It was pretty chilly but Claudia said she wouldn’t need her jacket and it was supposed to warm up quickly so we left it in the car.








All of us assembled at the start line and got a little pep talk and safety lecture and then our journey was begun! Here's the route sheet.

The first few miles were through residential areas and farm land. We saw some wild turkeys in a vineyard just outside of town including one big tom strutting around like he was really something special. We also saw some cows with the biggest horns I’ve seen outside of Texas. When we got to Highway 29 we stopped to regroup and Richard hopped off the back of his tandem, opened up his saddle bag, pulled out a glucose monitoring kit and tested his blood sugar right there! I didn’t know he had diabetes until just then and I explained to Claudia what he was doing. He was doing just fine and didn’t require any medications so we all turned north together.

Now we were on a wide shoulder with the wind at our backs but there was more traffic so we didn’t bother passing too many people. We just rode at a comfortable pace and enjoyed the company and the views of the beautiful Napa Valley.

At Rutherford we made a right turn to go east across the valley floor and here there was no traffic at all. CJ said she felt great so we decided to burn a few matches and we raced Jeff and Ian to the other side. Everyone we passed cheered us on and it was a lot of fun.

Next we turned south on the Silverado Trail but Jeff got a flat tire and didn’t have a pump so we stopped to help him. It was only another couple miles to the rest stop so he just got enough air in there to make it that far and we didn’t have to wait too long. It was a good chance for the rest of our team to catch up to us though. Both tandems, us with our Halfwheeler, and another half dozen BC members pulled into the rest stop at the same time.

The rest stop was staffed with great volunteers and they had lots of good drinks and snacks. It was definitely getting warm now so sitting in the shade really felt good. I realized here that a lot of these folks don’t really ride too much because after only 12 miles some of them were really in pain! People were groaning and asking for ibuprofen and complaining about how far they still had to go. It was sort of funny but it was also nice to see people who were challenging themselves physically for a cause they believed in.

One thing the organizers could have done better – more porta potties… the line was about 30 people long. Seems to be a common shortfall on events like this.

Jeff got his tires checked and topped up by the mechanic volunteers and then we all started off again. Claudia was still doing terrific but I kept the pace comfortable until I was sure she could handle some more speed. We had some rolling hills here going south until we got to Oak Knoll Avenue where we turned west and headed back to the other side of the valley. Now there was only about 8 miles to go and I knew she was having fun so I asked her if she was ready for some “megapower” and she responded in the affirmative so we poured on the velocity and passed riders by the dozens. There were a lot more riders on the 25 mile ride than on the longer rides so it was pretty much a steady stream of cyclists the entire route. We gave them all a friendly greeting with my bike bell and Claudia’s parrot horn – most of them didn’t seem to mind our passing them at all and most shouted out cheers for us. There was one group though that all had matching jerseys with no identifiable team affiliation that I called “Team Roadhog” – they were all over the road, not paying attention, and not getting out of our way! We got away from them as quickly as we could.

Then we saw the signs for the event photographer – I told CJ what was up ahead and we practiced our waves so we would have the perfect photo. We practiced three times and then she said “I got it Daddy”. When we got to the site though – there were FOUR cameras so we weren’t sure which one to look at. They wound up taking five photos of us and we’re not looking the same direction in any of them.





So now with about 4 miles to go we were back to our relaxed pace and were approaching Highway 29 where there was a stoplight. I noticed the group of cyclists accumulated at the intersection was pretty big so I figured the light was about to turn green and I skillfully maneuvered our long rig up to the front and timed it perfectly. We passed about 25 riders in one quick jump and were all alone out in front on the frontage road headed north back to Yountville. CJ said she had lots of energy left so we hammered all the way back to the Veteran’s Home and up the long hill to the finish line where we got a big hero’s welcome.


They had a bouncy house for kids set up there and Claudia played in that for about 20 minutes before we decided to go through the lunch line. The volunteers here were really well organized so even though the line was long it went very quickly. They had Portobello mushroom sandwiches for us and some noodles and cole slaw too so it was a very nice après ride meal. There were about ten Team BC people at the same picnic table so we swapped stories and congratulated each other while we ate.

I was so proud of how well Claudia did, and I was so happy that she really enjoyed it. Her arthritic knee didn’t give her any problems at all and she probably could have done another 15 miles… the best possible way to finish an epic ride.

Now when I say that I raised over a thousand dollars for the American Diabetes Association, what I really mean is that all of you donated your money on our behalf and I really can’t tell you how honored I am that you do this. We had a lot of fun on this ride but I never forget why we’re doing it or who makes it possible.

Warm regards,
Scott and Claudia.


OK, here’s the best part. On the way home it got kind of hot in the car and Claudia said she would like a Slurpee. So I suggested riding bikes to the Slurpee store after we got home and she said “YEAH!”

Diablo Junction from Work – 31 Miles

Amanda and Edgardo joined Adam, JB, and me today. Amanda (Blitz) got an early start and Adam got a late start but Ed, JB, and I left the Gate at 5:40. Ed didn’t keep up for long though so it was mostly me and JB. No sign of any of the Diablo Cyclists, they must be leaving pretty early still.

Wildlife Encounter: Between the top of the Bump and the Upper Washout there was a small rattlesnake coiled up in the uphill lane. He didn't move or anything and I joked that he would be waiting for JB on the way down.

This isn't him, I just decided to add more photos to my blog - that is until someone starts screaming copywrite infringement or fair use yada yada.

There was a strong breeze pretty much the whole way up. JB and I passed a few other riders but stayed together until past Clavicle Cracker. That’s when he saw Adam coming up from behind and decided to have a go. I almost hung on to him but he was a little faster today and when Adam passed me JB was about 100m ahead. Then when Adam caught JB they rode together for a while pretty fast.

So 44 minutes to the Junction and Blitz was already there too – she said her head start was almost 30 minutes and she got there at the same time as Adam. There was a motorcycle guy there who paid his day use fee at the Junction station and told the ranger he wished he was fit enough to ride a bicycle up here… I don’t think I’ve ever heard a motorcyclist envy a bicyclist before (at least out loud).

Jay K was there also and we talked a little about his successful Devil Mountain Double ride. I just discovered that his profile (or rather his bike’s profile) is on the Litespeed website: He also has some good ride reviews and stories on his quirky website – and some of them include me! (No DMD review yet)

After the ride we regrouped at Ed’s car. Everyone but me was going out for carbos and suds but while we were talking I saw Jay and his riding buddy coming down and right in front of them a minivan pulled out of a driveway and cut them off. I gave the driver an Italian fist-in-the-elbow salutation and then went on my way.

Last chance to sponsor me in the Tour de Cure.

Diablo Juniper – 31 Miles

Today was the Devil Mountain Double so I saw many small groups of ultra marathon cyclists coming down as I heade up toward the Gate. This is one of the toughest double centuries around and those riders have my highest respect. Didn’t see anyone I knew though.

JB and I left the Gate and started up in the breezy cool air. He admitted to having too many beers last night at a farewell party so I accepted his silent offer to make him suffer. The groups of riders got fewer and farther between as we rode up and we didn’t see any DMDers above the Ranches so we figured we’d seen the last riders. The last riders left the San Ramon Marriot at 6am and it’s about half an hour’s ride to South Gate from there so figuring 60 – 90 minutes to the Summit and another half hour back down the last riders would be finishing before 8:30 and that was about right.

So between the Gate and the Bump it was cool with a strong breeze but clear. Then above the Bump it got really foggy and cold, but still – it became one of those rides where you didn’t really know where you were on the Mountain because the visibility was too low. There’s lots of running water and wild flowers up there though and JB also noticed a strong smell of some plant that has the odor of redwood trees (but I can’t remember the name of it).

We were going at a pretty relaxed pace; over 25 minutes at the Upper Washout, and my heartrate was generally way below 80% but JB was struggling and I think he wished I would just drop him but I kept slowing down when I found myself too far ahead. Finally after Chainbuster I did a little time trial to finish in 48 minutes.

It was cool and foggy at the Junction too but some guys coming down from Summit Road (including one guy who worked the Summit DMD rest stop) said that it was warm and beautiful up there another 600 feet higher so I told JB we had to at least go to Juniper and we went up. Sure enough, somewhere below the Blue Oak Speedway we popped out of the clouds and were suddenly warm and the road was dry.

At Juniper we stared out over the clouds for a while and then turned back around. It was a cold, damp descent and I stopped at Junction for a while to warm up my fingers and talked to a guy in a wool jersey with a Rivendell about what it was like at the higher elevations.

Nice ride – sure beats yard work.

Last chance to sponsor me in the Tour de Cure

Product Review: Expresso Fitness Spark

My health club just got a group of these new exersize bikes and usually they’re in use but I had a chance to ride one tonight. They have some very good features and some really bad flaws.

http://www.expressofitness.com

These machines have some really great video game type graphics that allow you to ride different courses while you exersize. The handlebars steer to keep you on the road, the hills make it more difficult to pedal, there are riding companions (or not) and a pacer with a constant power output, and displays for wattage, hill grade, elapsed time, heart rate, etc. Here’s a screen shot:



I can’t stress enough how cool the graphics are – several times during my workout I felt like I needed to shift my weight back so I wouldn’t go over the bars on a steep descent! There are 20 different course to ride with varying scenery and levels of intensity. They also have television if you’d rather watch that, and pre-programmed music channels so you can plug in your headphones and race your pacer at the same time. Really outstanding work on the audio visual side of things. Also, you can race against people on the machines next to you if you do the same course.

Other nice features are the two sided pedals so you can use your SPD shoes. and there is a shift lever that allows you to change through 30 sequential gears for more speed or torque.

The mechanical interface is not nearly so well designed though. The saddle adjusts up and down and front and rear but no tilt. The handlebars don’t adjust at all and they are a funky shape like you’d see on a garage sale exercycle from the 80’s. The saddle itself seemed OK but I couldn’t get it into a position that kept my butt from falling asleep. The result was a very upright riding position which puts too much weight on your ass, limits your pedaling speed, and keeps your arms tucked in too close to your body; really really awkward… almost like a dog paddle position... you can see in that top photo how high the bars are.

And one ridiculous error - the gradients on the hills are ... well, ridiculous; I rode up one that was listed as 41% !!! That probably means nothing to most people but I've never seen anything that's steeper than 32% and I'd have to walk up anything over about 20% so that just bugs me. A grade of 15% is really really steep, there's no need to exaggerate.

So the Spark gets a 7 on the Diablo Scott rating from 0 to 10. The audio video is just so cool that the time goes by a lot faster than on a spin bike, but the machinery portion needs a major redesign.

Diablo Junction from Work - 31 Miles

Adam and I left from work about 15 minutes after 5 o'clock. Bud got his bicycle stolen from the rack at work yesterday so we were all upset. The thief cut his cable lock which was a pretty good one but not as big in diameter as mine - plus I have a U-lock in conjunction with the big cable so I guess that crook took a look at my bike and decided to steal something easier - too bad for Bud but better him than me! JB was planning on meeting us there but he had already left when we got to the Gate about 5:40. Adam practically sprinted the whole 5 miles from downtown to the mountain so I was already half cooked by the time we got there just from staying close to him. It was warm but pretty windy this afternoon. Last Wednesday my Cytomax got too warm so this time I had refrigerated it almost to freezing before we left and I was really glad that I had.

Just as we were getting to the Gate we passed a small group of women with racing kit - I knew they might pass me back up but I figured I'd ride faster that way. Adam announce his intention of doing a series of 6-minute intervals. At the end of every 6 minute stomp he would mark his location and then ride back to me. (I joked "what if I'm ahead of you?) So it turned out that it pretty much took me 9 minutes to ride what he did in 6 minutes… for every single interval.
At the Upper Washout I was already at 23 minutes. Must be the headwind.

Wildlife Encounter: At Diablo Ranch there was a dead squirrel in the road and on the Diablo Ranch driveway sign there were two turkey vultures with their wings spread out just waiting for me to pass by so they could go snatch it up. The wingspan on those birds is really impressive.

Racer girls never caught up to me. JB was already at the Junction. Mark A was there with his singlespeed QuickBeam and cyclocross tires - he said he did 31m30s and Adam said he did 31m15s so that gave him some motivation. Grant came up a little later with the same setup - except he had slicks. There was a little Junction BSing and then we called an end to another Wednesday night ride. On the way down some guy passed me at Moss Landing (!) but he couldn't hold his speed and I had to slow down or race him so I backed off a little bit.

Can't stop thinking about the bastard that stole Bud's bike.

Diablo Junction

JB's been out of town all week but he e-mailed that he'd be at the Gate at 8 so I left in plenty of time to be there. It was cooler than I was expecting but I was hoping it would warm up by the time I had to come back down - I had on shorts, arm warmers, and a vest. Arrived at the Gate about 5 minutes early so I stretched and relaxed for a while. At five after, a guy with a yellow jacket that I thought might be JB rode through but it wasn't him so I put a big ass rock on the post and headed up. After sizing up the yellow jacket guy I decided I could pass him and did so. He stayed within a hundred meters or so for the longest time and I thought I might embarrass myself by getting re-passed later on but when things got tougher the gap got bigger. I also kept looking back for JB but couldn't see him.

22m with 3mtg - that means about a 44m Junction time - there was a bit of a headwind and that unmotivated me some. No wildlife, no hang gliders, the only people I passed were stopped on the side of the road. Lots of running water still, and green green grass, and tons of California Poppies I always like that. I noticed that I am less satisfied with the comfort of my saddle and shoes and I wish I had a better anatomic section on my handlebars.

44m at the Junction - a self fulfilling prophesy. I finished my Cytomax and then JB finally rode in. He saw the rock. There was a tall guy at the Junction on a pretty normal looking bike but he had the most spacers I've ever seen on a threadless headset - must have been four inches between his frame and the stem. He fiddled with it a little bit but didn't seem to have a problem, but that's a LOT of cantilevered steerer.

I'm riding the Tour de Cure in two weeks - click HERE to sponsor me… THANKS!

Diablo Junction from Work

Jeff was trying to drum up support for tonight's ride as a training ride for the Tour de Cure (click HERE to sponsor me), but it was only him, me, Adam, and Amanda that came. Amanda got a new bike - a Specialized Allez that is a perfect match for her - she said the bike shop in San Francisco really helped her make up her mind and get her set up. Jeff got an early start so Adam, Amanda, and I left from the office at about 5:15. I've been making a more serious effort to drive less this year so I didn't have my car at work - I left my backpack in a locker, knowing I'd have to come back to get it before going home. Anyway, the three of us got to the Gate at 5:40 or so and then we all split up. Adam decided to go for a fast one and Amanda decided not to so I was in the middle. Actually Adam rode up with me for about half a mile, then turned around to re-start so he could go hard all the way.

Just up the road I passed Grant P and another Rivendell rider - Grant was on his Quickbeam but I didn't notice if it was in fixed mode. A little while after that Adam had just caught me back up and we were together when we saw Mark P coming down. Adam was really moving and I thought about doing intervals but instead just pushed the upper boundary into the anaerobic zone and tried to maintain as long as possible. I was hoping that Adam and I would hook up with the Diablo Cyclists at the Junction and then go down South Gate for a longer ride home because he also was going to return to the office first, but we were running kind of late.

Up after the Bump I saw a group of a half-dozen or so riders above me - I don't think they were together, they just happened to be bunched up. One by one I passed them as they got farther and farther apart. All except one guy in an orange vest and knickers who I never quite caught up to, and another guy who passed me from behind. Then I noticed a bunch of Diablo Cyclists coming down so I knew there wouldn't be anybody left at the Junction when I got there. I was almost at orange vest guy's wheel near Chainbuster when Adam came down to meet me. He said he did his third best time ever - sub 31, so he was sure he could crack the 30-minute barrier this year.

I underestimated how warm it was going to be and I didn't bother to refrigerate my Cytomax - won't make that mistake again.

Got to the Junction at 43'50" and that's probably my best time for the year but I'm itching to get fast again. I wasn't dogging it though; my average HR for the ride (starting at the Gate) was 172 and my max was 188! With that kind of effort and some better conditioning I'll be able to put in some good times soon. Jeff was already there so we talked for a while. I saw Grant come in and check his watch as he crossed the line so I guess he DOES care about how fast he is.

PLEASE SPONSOR ME AND MY DAUGHTER IN THE TOUR DE CURE

Charity ride for diabetes, Napa: May 7.

LINK

Up Northgate Down Southgate and Around - 35 miles

Well I missed last Saturday for sickness and last Wednesday for bad weather so I was really looking forward to this morning's ride. It was threatening to rain but maybe it would hold out long enough for a decent ride - regardless, I mounted the Belgian Beast and put on my Flemish face. For once I got out of the house early enough to make the Gate by eight even though I hit most of the lights red. No rock on the post so I stretched for a few minutes - a few riders went up while I was waiting, and then JB showed up on his Della Santa. He said his bike felt better (than his Trek 520 he's been riding) but his engine was still in bad shape. I said I've been producing enough mucus for ten sick people and then blew a giant loogie on the road. So with our excuses made we started up.

In short order we caught up to and passed one of the guys who went through the Gate while I was waiting. He was a tall rider and had a new Specialized Tarmac; it looked like a really nice bike but the unusual top tube made it look like the frame was much too small for him - may have been fine, but it looked wrong.

There's still lots of running water in the ditches up there - we have gotten a LOT of rain the last couple months. At the Bump I did a hard turn and opened a big gap on JB but then let him catch up - maybe he was having a bad day after all. Near Clavicle Cracker we saw another guy who must have started up before I got to the Gate and that's where JB made it his mission to drop me and catch him. I held on for a while but finally let him go. Both of them beat me to the Junction by a couple minutes.

We decided to go down Southgate even though there looked to be rain down there, because I wanted to end my ride at Encina Biycle Center and they don't open until 10 o'clock. On the descent, near Rock City, I was leading and then some guy passed us very fast. No problem there, but then he slowed down. I wasn't bombing the down I was just cruising and I didn't want to pass this guy back and have him think I was trying to race him, but he really slowed down and it bugged me. He kept looking back to see if I was still there so he probably thought I was using him to pace my ride but I was really wishing he'd get out of my way. We cut off at the hole in the fence and when we got onto Diablo Road, the same guy (who apparently took the road past Athenian) was just going by so I thought "Great, now he's really going to think we've marked him." After a while though he finally managed to drop us - HA!

In Alamo it started to drizzle on us and by the time we got to the trail in Walnut Creek it was really coming down. We were pretty wet when JB waved good-bye and I turned to cross the little bridge through Shadelands and the shortcut to Encina.

I went to Encina because my brake pads are worn out to almost nothing. I've got older Ultegra components on the Beast and I thought they may not be the standard pads anymore but the guys at Encina usually come through. I was prepared for the "we'll be happy to order that for you" response but instead they looked though their big box of brake pads trying to find a solution. They found some Dura Ace shoes at $25/pair (ouch, but maybe), and they had some generic ones that would fit my calipers but only had one pair of them. They considered opening up a box of new brakes to give me the pads from them, and didn't flinch when I suggested maybe taking some off of a new bike on the floor! But we agreed that if they did that, the guy who wanted to buy that bike would walk in 5 minutes later. So in the end, we put on the one pair of generic pads just on the rear since the front ones still have some life in them. Actually I figured I'd just bring home some pads and do it later but they installed them and adjusted the front ones while I waited (remember my bike was still dripping with rain and road grime) and only charged $5 labor. It was fun because virtually everyone in the shop was brainstorming on ideas and possibilities just to help me with some cheap brake pads. That's why I continue to send people there when they ask me about shops with good service.

Change your pads before they get this bad. Surprisingly, they still worked pretty well with not much more than a few mm of rubber left.

Diablo Junction – 23 Miles

Daylight Wasting Time has finally ended. The rainiest March in history was now over, but things haven’t changed much so far in April. My plan for today was to ride Eddy in to work, up the mountain after work leaving my backpack at the office, and then home after the ride and pick up my stuff later.

Adam talked JB and me into starting a little early so we all rolled out of the parking lot just before 5 o’clock. JB was on his touring bike with panniers so I thought if I had trouble keeping up with him then I was really in bad shape. We encountered a guy in a Pegasus jersey on Walnut Avenue and he rode with us for a while without saying anything.

At the Gate, JB decided to take off his jacket and then Pegasus guy left us. So the three of us left the line at the same time. Adam is really frisky because he just upgraded to Cat-2 and is racing the Sea Otter Classic P-1-2 circuit race alongside the likes of Gord Frasier. But we all stayed together until the double dips where JB drifted off the back. I stayed on Adam’s wheel for another half mile until I was well out of JB’s site and then I settled down into a sustainable pace, and Adam did a long interval – one of those where you pedal too big of a gear for too long. Shortly after that the Pegasus guy came back down and we all figured he was a flare.

About half way up the Bump, I saw Adam coming back down. Earlier I had joked that he could literally ride circles around JB and me with his intervals, and it seemed that was exactly his plan. He kept on going until he got to JB and then did another interval back uphill until he caught me near Clavicle Cracker and kept going for a little while before he turned around again. I hadn’t seen JB for quite a while so I was sure I wasn’t going to be humiliated and that gave me a little satisfaction, but I wanted more… I wanted to not let Adam pass me a third time so bit the reins and pounded the last couple miles.

Up near Big Shady Oak I caught sight of a few straggler Diablo Cyclists, and passed them right at Chainbuster. Right at that time Jay K was coming down and did a U-turn to ride back up with them also but when he recognized me he went with me instead. We talked about Performance Bicycles, De Ronde Van Vlaanderen, the Devil Mountain Double, and Tom Boonen. I got to the Junction with an ET of 45m… pretty bad, but better than JB who came in at 50.

At the Junction I noticed how many people had different bikes for the wet weather. Just about everyone except Adam (who had his ultrabike and race wheels; btw the only reason he didn’t pass me the third time was that he had a spoke come loose and had stopped to investigate). Diablo Cyclist Brian asked me about my Merckx because he’s been thinking about getting one of the Merckx 7-Eleven re-issued frames that are coming out. http://www.bikyle.com/images/Merckx7-11frame.jpg Brian asked about the head tube angle and other frame specifics but I couldn’t answer his questions – so I just told him that I really liked the way it handled and let him ride it around a bit. Brian you’re surely welcome to take it out for a long ride whenever you’d like – I’ll even put on the sew-ups for you.



On the way back home I noticed that the good old reliable Conti 2000’s had developed a sidewall split so those sew-ups may be on sooner than I expected. For now though, I put on the Conti UltraGatorSkins I got at Performance last week. Watch for the ride review on those.

Diablo Junction – 23 Miles

I missed a ride last week for a rare weekend business trip so I was committed to riding today no matter what the weather. Luckily it wasn’t too bad. Not cold at all but lots of rain over night and more in the forecast. It wasn’t raining when I rolled out the door though so I was expecting a good ride.

Got to the Gate a little late and saw JB’s rock so I started up right away. Took off my gloves and unzipped my jersey and took in the sights. The normal streams were full of fast flowing water, there was even a miniature Niagara Falls near the farmer’s house at the bottom. The ditches were full of running snow melt, and in the few places that were flat, there were ponds of still water.

I first saw JB just below the Bump – he was probably a half mile ahead of me but I must have been going faster. With three miles to go I almost caught him but he apparently decided he didn’t want me to because after that the gap just got bigger. With two miles to go the rain started falling but it was just enough to be annoying. There was a ranger in his pickup who was kicking rocks off the road and he said to me “I think these little ones are the cause of most broken clavicles.” I agreed and explained that we called the corner just beyond there “Clavicle Cracker”.

So I get close to Chainbuster and JB has pulled far enough away that I knew I wasn’t going to catch him, and I pulled into the Junction probably a minute behind him. It was still drizzling and another rider came down from the Summit – he said it was even wetter up there. So JB and I decided going straight back down made the most sense.

After the ride I made a trip to the Performance store in Walnut Creek with my daughter. Dear wife had a couple of $10 vouchers from the expired Team Performance membership and I had a $10 off coupon if I spent more than $50. We decided to get some PowerBars and new tires for Eddy. If you’ve ever been there, you know there are some “Performance Customer Only” parking spots behind the store – well those were all full but I sort of thought it was OK to park in one of those other spots back there – NOT. Got a $20 parking ticket that blew all my savings from the coupons. So I won’t be doing much shopping at Performance any more – it’s not their fault that I got a ticket of course but that’s only part of it. Without the “Team Performance” incentive there’s not much to get me in there – their bicycle selection is really unexciting. Mostly I’ve bought tires, tubes, and Cytomax there for the good pricing but I think I’ll get that stuff off the web from now on and get other stuff from the smaller stores that I appreciate like Encina Cycle Center, Pleasant Hill Cyclery, Danville Pedaler, and Pegasus.

Diablo Junction - More Snow 23 miles

When the weather forecasters started talking about snow down to 500 feet today I resolved to go riding and bring my camera. It wasn't quite as white as they'd predicted but Mt. D did get a good dusting of flakes.

Nicole told me she and Rick wouldn't be coming and JB was sick yesterday but I didn't know how bad so he was an unknown. I ran a little late and got to the Gate at 8:07. No JB, no rock, I didn't stop. I rode the 5 miles there as fast as traffic would allow, trying to maximize workout effort and continued on up at a high aerobic pace. Seems like time to get serious what with the early Belgian semi-classics over and both Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico underway.

Wildlife Encounter: Two deer, way up on a hill looking down on me near the Bump. If I hadn't been looking for snow I wouldn't have seen them.

It was very cold and really foggy so visibility was pretty low and I couldn't see if the summit was snowy or not but we didn't get that much rain overnight so I wasn't expecting too much. Below the Bump I closed in on a guy that I thought was going pretty well and I might ride with, but he was an older guy actually going pretty slowly and when I passed him I saw that he was on a comfort bike and was wearing a backpack full of stuff. I said "good morning" and went right around him... I hope he drew some inspiration from my powerful riding style.

I grunted up the Bump thinking I was doing alright (couldn't find my HRM this AM) and checked my time at the Upper Washout: 24 minutes... head slap! Not fast at all. I actually thought I was on a low-40's pace... NOT.

So reality took some of the wind out from under my wings and the next mile took 7 minutes and I got to the Junction at 49 minutes. There was one cyclist there and we exchanged greetings and I hadn't seen any other riders going up or down other than the comfort bike guy. The monster SUVs were starting to fill up the available space and Summit Road was closed so I snapped this quick photo:

While I was there, I saw a guy with a Kelme jersey come up from South Gate and head up Summit Road without stopping or heeding the "DO NOT ENTER" sign the rangers had placed there. I really wanted to go up also but my midwestern respect for authority prevented me from being too brazen about bucking the rules. Turns out Kelme guy got turned around in short order and wound up going down the North Side within a few minutes anyway. I hung around the Junction for a while and the other guy there expressed some concern for going down in such cold so I told him "you're just underdressed" which he really wasn't but he was just being wimpish. Maybe his jacket was a little thin but it was just not that frigid.

So I went down a few minutes later, after putting on my extra gloves. My face and neck did get pretty cold but it's not like it was sub zero blizzard conditions. I saw a few more riders and a lot more SUVers coming up and down near where I saw the deer earlier one of the riders said "Hi Scott" and I realized it was Peter. It took me a few to downshift and turn around but I did so and chased him down. Peter hasn't been riding recently due to back problems so I wanted to see him. It really hurt in the glutes to hammer so hard at this point and I figured it was good pain. Peter was riding his Cannondale hybrid which was black and pretty cool with bar extensions. We chatted until we got to the bottom of the Bump and then I excused myself but he knew I just didn't want to Up de Bump again. Anyway, good to see him on the Mountain. Man, my butt muscles hurt.

Product Review: Descente Coldout Gloves I've always liked the stuff Descent puts out. I wore Descente jerseys and socks in my early racing days. These gloves are REALLY great for my riding conditions - they're like really good liners with grippy things on the palms and fingers but they're warm enough to go without outer gloves most of the time. They don't block the wind much but they're much better than polypro liners when used by themselves and they have that ubercool Descente logo on the back of the hand. Used with an outer layer they're good to about freezing but don't quite have the insulation for temps less than that. Also they bled some dye onto my white handlebar tape so if you're picky about that stuff you may want to be careful. Descente Coldout Gloves get a DSPRS score of 9. I'd definitely buy another pair of these, especially at the Performance sale price of $10 vs. the MSRP of $25.

Product Review: SKS Adventure Fenders

I was looking for a quick release rear fender just to keep the skunk stripe off my back on rides where the roads are wet. I wasn’t looking to stay as dry as possible and didn’t want a full set of fenders that wrap almost all of the rear wheel and front wheel too, with mud flaps at the bottom, I wanted convenience and simplicity. These fenders came in a set that included a front one that I didn’t really want but it was only $15 for the pair so I just threw the front one away. The front one had some kind of thingy that you were supposed to attach with your brake bolt and then the fender attached to the thingy so it was kind of quick release but you had to leave the thingy on your bike all the time. The rear one has a hard plastic clamp that goes around your seat tube and attaches with a rubber band; it’s a pretty good system but it doesn’t allow for much adjustment in the up and down direction so as you can see, mine is up kind of higher than I’d like… good enough for me, doesn’t protect the guy behind me from my rooster tail though. The rear one also had something to go around your brake bridge but it only works if your brake bridge is circular cross section and mine’s not so I just left it off and used some tie wraps.

So really this review is only for the rear fender and remember that the intended use is only for a little protection, not full coverage and that’s how I’ll rate it. It’s reasonably stable back there – it doesn’t flop around too much and you do tend to forget it’s there. It looks kinda cool in a motocross kind of way and says “I don’t let a little rain keep me off the bike – I ride in the slop and I like it.” I do wish I’d shopped around a little bit before I bought this one though because I saw another similar one made by Zefal that attached to your seat post (vs seat tube) and had an adjustment gizmo that allowed you to get it down closer to your tire.

Anyway, this product gets a middle of the road 5 out of 10 on the Diablo Scott Product Rrating System (DSPRS). But remember, I was only shopping for a middle of the road product and it was pretty cheap so I’m not unhappy with it, just wish I would have found the Zefal first.

Junction plus Blackhawk

Got to the Gate at the same time as Rick and JB. Nice day, a little cold but spring is almost here.

We started pretty quick and had a little talk about the Tour of California and other current events. Then we had some good natured testing of each other with little attacks which were more like mini intervals.

Wildlife Encounter: A millipede (big fat one) and a coyote (above Bump).

Below the Upper Ranch we were still all together and I heard Jay's voice behind me say "A Klein on Diablo - must be Scott". We exchanged pleasantries and then he passed everyone. After the Upper Ranch, Rick launched the decisive attack. JB followed and for quite a while there was Rick, then 20 seconds, JB, another 20 seconds, and me. Finally after Chainbuster JB closed in on Rick a little bit and I stayed within a minute but couldn't close. After he finished Jay turned around and rode me up to the line and my time was 48m55. Felt like a harder ride than a couple weeks ago when I was a few seconds faster, but that one was in much warmer weather.

We hung around the Junction for a while. Jay had some "Lion of Flanders" socks on that were really cool and he said he also had a flag in his garage. Today in Belgium was the Het Volk race so we talked about that a little too; hardly anyone else I know follows the early season classics as much as I do so that was a treat.

JB suggested Blackhawk and off we went. After the descent I was the one who put in all the moves. Diablo Road, Blackhawk Road, Tassajara, La Gonda - every little sprinter hill I enjoyed applying some pain. Rick did a pretty good one in Danville but otherwise it was all me. It's all about power to weight on the long climbs, and undivided power on the shorter ones.

Tour of California, Stage 2.

The plan today was to meet Rick at his house and he would drive to somewhere near Sierra Road which is the toughest climb of the whole week. Word was there’d be a lot of riders there and the road would be closed to cars. He knows that area pretty well and easily found a good parking spot at a sports facility (with restrooms!) about 2 miles from the bottom so we unloaded our bikes and started riding from there. Turns out though that he had to leave right after the race and go to a job site so I would be getting a ride home with Nicole who drove to the start earlier and was planning to walk part way up (no bike).

I brought Eddy because I wanted to wear my SPD shoes since I knew I’d be standing around and walking a lot after we got there. Plus I always get smiles from people who remember the old 7-Eleven team days.

The route sheet said the race would get to the TOP of Sierra between two o’clock and two thirty, but I thought that sounded a little early. At the left turn onto Sierra it was already starting to fill up with people by noon. The police were everywhere and turning the cars around except for a few who had “local traffic” status. We found Nicole who had staked out a comfortable place underneath a tree near the bottom and was sitting on a portable stool reading some magazines. It was surprisingly difficult already and I was glad to have a little breather. Then we started up again and there were a few houses with very big properties that were apparently having a party and some of the cars that were going up had invitations. After the first mile or so though there were no cars at all, and no more houses – just hundreds and hundreds of riders and a few dozen hikers all going up this steep hill. And it was hard. I made this comparison chart to show how Sierra Road compares to the first three and a half miles of Summit Road on Mt. Diablo.

For the Sierra Road curve, the elevation pretty much starts at zero, and for the Summit Road curve, zero is really the elevation at the Junction. Interesting, no? You can double click on it for a bigger picture. I have the whole Mt. Diablo road profile in the "MY PHOTOS" section; click the link up on the right to go there.





I was dressed for cold but I was putting out a lot of heat so I took off my jacket (with about five pounds of junk in the pockets) and wrapped it around my neck but it sometimes felt like it was choking me and sometimes slipped around one side or the other and was a hassle. Anyway I think it took us about 45 minutes to go three and a half miles – we rode all the way up to the area where the official cars and “king of the mountain” flags were but the view wasn’t as good so we rode back down about 250 meters where there was a better view point.

Cell phone reception up here was sketchy but we did manage to contact Nicole and told her to give us an update once the racers went past her. Then we mostly people-watched for a couple of hours while the sides of the road filled up with bike racing fans. There were also some folks on horseback on the uphill side of the road and it looked like they had great vantagepoints, plus they could move around easier, and they seem to have gotten their pictures taken and published everywhere. I also met the independent photographer who was on assignment with PezCyclingNews and he was passing out some little cards to win a trip to the Tour of Georgia. I think the best shots of our crowd there at the top are on the Pez site.

Finally about 2:30 we started seeing the race caravan of officials, police motos, and one Cliff Bar van passing out free samples (I scored three mini bars!). Then the noise started to escalate – everyone was on their feet craning for a look. The cowbells and whistles and cheers got louder and closer and the crowd opened up and there was Leipheimer and Kohl, and Floyd wasn’t far behind them. Got really good looks at Simoni, Creed, FredRod, Hincapie, lots of famous guys. It took over 20 minutes to get the rest of the field up and there were a few stragglers even beyond that.


Here's a shot taken from almost my exact place on the hill - shamelessly copied from the web somewhere:









Then we rode down to Piedmont and watched most of the riders finish the loop before they turned into town. We hooked up with Adam who had ridden all the way from work, including 10 miles or so with a T-Mobile rider who wasn’t racing but was doing the whole route just for training! (If you saw the T-Mobile rider with no helmet and no race number toward the very end of the hill climb that was him – Bram). They were ahead of the race until the end of Calaveras, then they pulled off to watch and started again after everyone went by. Adam said a lot of fans were cheering them on, not realizing they weren’t part of the race and he was a little embarassed but also jazzed to be riding along with a Euro Pro.

Here's Bram Schmitz. Adam says he's a good guy and he liked riding the Calaveras Reservoir section and thought the fans in California were better than in Europe!

Best excuse I’ve had for taking a day off from work in a long time!