Quickie Junction Ride - 25 miles

Me, JB, and Rick

JB went to the A's game yesterday so I was hoping he'd feel a little off his game today, but no such luck. Actually I was the slowest one to the Junction and that wasn't a good feeling.

After the Junction we decided to ride up Summit Road a ways to check on the re-paving work. There were quite a few sections where there was nothiing but gravel. No one was stopping any riders from continuing, but it wouldn't be kind to your tires and descending would be pretty dicey. We went up less than a mile and then turned around.

Quickie Junction Ride - 23 miles

JB came over to my house at 7:30 to watch Floyd's TdF ITT. I had it TiVo'ed so I paused the DVR when FL got in the start box and then when he came over I hit play so we were about 15 minutes behind real time which allowed us to FF through the commercials. It was a hot morning already and I drank a half gallon of ice water before we finally left and JB didn't have anything. I figured he would suffer and then I'd beat him to the Junction but it didn't happen.

We started up the Mountain and soon found out that the "Pat Caurant Memorial Ride" was happening at the same time. Pat was a local racer who died on the House of Pain ride a few weeks ago. Adam sort of knew him - he was on Team Spine

Wildlife Encounter: A fast lizard, a swallowtail butterfly (the heat really brings them out), and a cute little bunny.

I hadn't paid any attention to the time but I had promised DW to be back by 10:45 and didn't think that would be any issue at all. It was absolutely the hottest Saturday morning ride I've ever done and then I realized it was partly because we didn't start until 9:30 because of the Tour. Adam was on the Memorial Ride so we saw him at the Junction and he mentioned that the time was 10:24 and then I realized I was going to be late getting back home so I screamed down the hill and sprinted all the way home and just for fun I timed myself at 33 minutes. I'm sure that's a PB. No time to take any photos though.

Got up to 111°F today in Concord - the hottest day in recorded history.

Junction from Work

Adam said a friend of a friend that he'd met recently wanted to come up North Gate with us today but Adam wanted to do a fast ride so I agreed to take the new guy up and make sure he got there. He was supposed to be a good athlete but new to biking. So we connected with Jason out on Walnut Avenue and rode to the Gate together. We were kind of concerned because he seemed to have trouble keeping up on the road out there. Turned out he just wasn't comfortable riding close together.

JB had gotten a head start and then Adam dropped Jason and me after about a mile. We talked a little but he was going pretty hard for a newb. I was sure he'd have trouble with the Bump so I dropped back a little bit and let him ride his own ride but he didn't have any trouble at all. He even waited for me around the bend at the top.

After that he poured it on and dropped me again! That was a little embarassing but what the heck, he'll be getting good at this. It was pretty hot and I think I was kind of dehydrated because my pulse was high even though I didn't think I was working that hard. Plus today was the day Floyd Landis cracked in the Alps so that was depressing. Anyway, Jason did 42+ and I did 46+. There was a sign saying Summit Road was closed but there didn't seem to be much construction going on - a few places where they had put in some new drainage components to keep the roads from washing out again, some spilled gravel and the like, but nothing that tears up the pavement yet.

Adam and Jason went down South Gate to their homes and I went down North Gate solo. Just before the Bump I came across a woman that I'd seen at the Junction with a flat tire. I offered her a tube but she said she was with a friend who could help, but the friend wasn't there so I started to help anyway. She said that it was her back tire and when it flatted it made a really loud noise. I didn't think of it right away but she was probably riding her brakes the whole way and had a hot tire blow-off. Then her friend came up and helped her so I took off again. Later I wished I had warned them both about how to prevent that. Only happened to me once, but that was enough!

Cougar Mountain Classic - just as a spectator

Went with dear daughter who enjoyed the bouncy houses more than the racing. I'd never been to Sears' Point raceway before even though I've driven by it hundreds of times.

The race course is really interesting. I did most of my viewing from the main grandstand which is the long white rectangle near the middle of the photo. Just past there, the riders (going from left to right) make a left turn and go up a hill that is about as steep as the Summit Wall! I didn't see anyone climbing it in the saddle, it looked really tough.

Most of the racing on Sunday was MTB but there was also a roadie endurance team event that was kind of interesting. This is the transition zone and the finishing rider had to dismount before the first line, pass off a transponder(?) to the starting team member, who then had to run past the second line before mounting his/her bike. I think the laps were 2.5 miles and they were generally about 7.5 minutes each. I heard one guy say that three laps per rider seemed to be the magic number. It was a 6-hour event and there weren't that many teams so mostly it was single riders or small groups going by. Would have been more interesting with a couple hundred people on the track at the same time. The course itself was very interesting (pretty much the same as for car or motorcycle racing) and there was a tail wind through the start/finish.

There were also some kiddie events like a bicycle obstacle course and short course races - This is the smallest Colnago I've ever seen - lucky kid.

Quickie Ride to Junction

A mile from my house, I see my long-time friend through the buildings and trees.

I was the first one to the Gate, so I decided to go up and take some photos.


Absolutely no wind today... not even the slightest breeze.

Usually this doesn't say "HIGH" unless it's windy AND hot.


They put up this sign a couple years ago. I really like it. I never noticed before I took this photo that the sign is in the shape of the Mount Diablo... I thought it was just a generic mountain. On the back it says "THANK YOU FOR COMING".

This ranch is just up from the Gate called "Arroyo Del Cerro" (Stream of the Hill). I always wonder about the windmill back there; I don't think I've ever seen it turning.

While I was taking photos, this guy rode by so I took his too.

This is the loading dock where the Diablo cattle begin their final voyage. Sometimes there are hundreds of cows here wailing with fear.


Another view from the Lower Dip.


Top of the Lower Dip (closer to Gate), near Arroyo del Cerro.





This is the Upper Dip. I love to sprint up these two little climbs on the way down after a ride.

This gate leads to some trails that I think go to Castle Rock Park, but they also keep cattle in here so they ask folks to keep it closed. There's a pretty good rappoir between ranchers and trail users.

After my photo shoot I went back to the Gate and met up with JB and Rick. We started off a little slow and discussed recent Tour de France events. JB had been to some kind of exhibit of the fire arts in Oakland last night so he had some stories. I was feeling pretty good and did a little solo breakaway past Moss Landing and then let them catch up to me again.

We stayed together through the Bump and I figured we were being a little nice to Rick who's out of condition recently. Then after Chainbuster, JB poured some gas on the fire and I hung with him until the Ranger House but couldn't keep up past that. I thought I was wearing him down and would be able to out sprint him but it never came to that. Junction time = 45m. Then I went home and got ready for the Chuck E. Cheese bday party.

Junction from Work
It was supposed to be hot today, but it really wasn't bad. JB got called into a 5 o'clock meeting but Randall said he wanted to go and meet me there at 5:30. So I rode to the Gate by myself and waited until 5:45 when JB and Sarkis showed up.

Then JB saw that he had a flat tire and it took him a long time to fix it but I waited. A couple other folks from work showed up and headed up... still I waited. Then when we finally got going it was JB, me and Brian. I went slow to take some photos.

Here is the speed limit sign to look for - from this point it's two miles to the Junction (2mtg). Just past here you can see the Lower Ranch.

Here's the stationing mark on the road : 105+00 means 10,500 feet and that's two miles. The 00+00 mark is a bit past the finish line at the Junction - sort of in the middle of the three-way intersection.

Here's the Lower Ranch - aka Diablo Ranch. You can see all kinds of farm stuff down below the road, and MTB/hiking trails below that. It's privately owned and had a FOR SALE sign on it a few years ago.Above the Lower Ranch is the Upper Ranch, AKA Turtle Rock Ranch. The sign's gone now though. They used to have group BBQ's here.





The Junction - where we all re-group. I had stopped to take a bunch of photos so I was one of the last ones up. Sometimes the bugs are really bad here. We went down and met up with Jon to ride part way up with him but I had to go back and didn't make it all the way up again.

Danville to South Gate - Watching the Diablo Time Trial

I really like riding SGR, but the access to actually get there sucks - narrow roads with no shoulder at all and the cars drive too fast.

North Gate Road was closed today for a USCF santioned time trial. The course was 10km from the North Gate ranger shack to a line near the Ranger House just below the Junction. I guess they didn't want to go all the way to the Junction because then it would interfere with auto traffic coming up South Gate Road. The plan was for JB to meet me at my house at 8 o'clock and we would ride to the Athenian School to meet Rick at 9 o'clock. JB called and said he was sick though, so I rode to Danville by myself. Nice warm day, very little wind, and I felt good.

I thought about doing this race - it would have required me to buy a one-day license so it would have cost about $35 with reg fees. I wanted to help make it a successful event so they'd continue having it but it looked like they were going to have a great turnout without my help. I haven't been putting in great times this year, so I guess I'll make it a goal for next year.

It took me 53 minutes to ride to the School at an easy pace. Passed a guy on Danville Blvd with a full Kelme kit including faded green shorts. Rick showed up just a couple minutes later and up we went. I think he looks like Robbie McEwen in this photo.


This is the Hole in the Fence - a short cut to Danville through mansionville that bypasses some of the hairy stuff on Diablo Road.



These are the Tire Poppers - a gate here can block incoming traffic in case the park's closed for fire danger or something, the tire poppers prevent cars from going around the gate. This is where I always time myself from when I ride South Gate Road.



South Gate Road has a bunch of sharp hairpin switchbacks just a ways past the Tire Poppers, I'm never sure how to handle these on the way down so I err on the side of caution, but on the way up they're fun little curves. Rick and I passed a kid and his father on the way up and then we saw Adam down below waving at us. He said he might show up. Adam kept trying to get me and Rick to attack each other but we took it kind of easy. Finally, past the helicopter pad, I put on a little extra speed and held on the rest of the way. Junction time was 37m21s from the Tire Poppers - so that's a benchmark for an easy ride, I think I've done this under 30 minutes… I've been sloppy about my record keeping.

Then we watched the time trial. They had a little judge's canopy shelter and a couple guys with lap tops and stuff but no giant digital timer for anyone to look at. We got there shortly after the first wave of riders was done so we hung around for a while and then the second wave started coming in - these were mostly women in all categories, and then the Juniors after that. I also started talking to the father and son team I saw coming up. The kid was only 10 years old and he told me about some of his riding and asked some questions about racing. He asked how fast the pro's would be and I guessed about 25 minutes - turns out I was pretty close as only three guys were sub 25. I encouraged the kid to sign up for next year and he said his dad would have to get him some better equipment. Rick and Adam left so I started down North Gate and came upon Amy and Tom and Dave from the Diablo Cyclists who were watching the race from the edge of the road where there was a good view. We talked for a while but then I headed down. I saw Mark A coming up when I was near the bottom of the Bump and yelled something encouraging. Grant and his buddies were at the shady pull out right below that with camping gear - they were probably up here all night. Then I watched from the start line for a while. They had an elevated platform with a ramp and a guy to hold up the riders so they could start off fast. .


They have the results posted already - here's my summary with some extra data. The first time is the actual 10km time, and the second time is the projected Junction time using the same average speed:


Best time (P12) = 23m27s 24m44s
Med time (P12) = 26m07s 27m32s
Worst time (P12) = 32m10s 33m55s

Best time (E5) = 27m19s 28m49s
Med time (E5) = 32m14s 34m00s
Worst time (E5) = 45m28s 47m00s (that's a little skewed though - there were only two guys over 40 minutes, but they were way over)

Best time (M45) = 26m53s 28m21s
Med time (M45) = 29m40s 31m17s
Worst time (M45) = 40m56s 43m10s

Mark A. (M45) 27m20s 28m50s

I figure if I could re-create my PB ride of two years ago, I could do this ride in 33m54s which would have gotten me 18th of 20 in the Master 45 category, or 41st of 65 in the Cat 5 group. From the line to the Junction is about 1m50s more riding at my PB pace.

Diablo Junction from Work - 31 miles

Adam is just back from his trip to Italy so it was a fun day. Adam, JB, and I met Mark P and Jeff at the Church and then rode to the Gate together. Adam went to the front right away and Jeff got on his wheel like he was ready to do something so I got on Jeff's wheel and we had a little team going for a while. Jeff looked strong and smooth and Adam was having fun pulling us two geezers and making us hurt. JB and Mark didn't come along so we had a big gap as we approached the Bump.

It was pretty breezy so this mini paceline was certainly helping Jeff suddenly sat up so I accelerated to stay with Adam and he said that Jeff's good about going hard until he totally cracks. I allowed myself to think Adam and I could get a gap big enough to beat JB but then I saw him coming fast toward us. He caught us at the bottom of the Bump so Adam went with him and by the top they had about 30 seconds on me. There was another guy there who looked pretty good so I shadowed him from 20 meters back for a couple minutes, then passed him below the Upper Washout, then pushed hard to make sure he wouldn't have to pass me back.

Still windy above the Ranches and it was hard to keep a rhythm. Adam and JB were far gone and I was a safe distance beyond the guy I passed. My split times were mediocre so I just kept plugging. Actually got a little tailwind before Chainbuster so that was nice, and Junction time was 43m40s. JB must have been well below 40, then Mark came in saying he took two minutes off last week's time! We had told him his saddle was too low so he had changed it for today and I guess it worked.




Snapped these photos on the way down to use in my Location Names page. This is Dumpster Gate, aka Boundary Gate. Years ago there was barbed wire fence on both sides of the road here (and most of the mountain) and there was a gate where those traffic blocker posts are. This is the access point to some MTB and hiking trails down to Little Pine Creek. There was a dumpster where that photo sign is now. The fence, the gate and the dumpster have been gone for a long time but the location nickname remains.

Up NGR, Down SGR - 33 miles



Set off this morning after watching the Tour de France prologue stage. Met Rick and JB at the Gate and started up. Saw a solo woman riding up on a red Klein road bike but I didn’t recognize the model - it had very different graphics; kind of small letters with a circle around them. Someday I should compile a history of Klein road bikes for reference.

At the Bump things shook up a little bit and Rick dropped back. JB and I had some friendly challenges and I thought I was making him hurt a little bit but when we got about a half mile from the Junction (2,000 foot elevation sign) he sensed I was fading and finished me off. Still having some problems with my coughing fits. Junction time: 44m.

Word at the Ranger Station was that there would be no closures of Summit Road for at least another two weeks. Lots of people there talking about the time trial next week so I'm glad they're getting a good turnout for that. I'd like to do it but I'm just not putting in good times recently - probably next year.

Rick had to go back home so JB and I went down to the Hole and then back to Walnut Creek through the golf course. No squeaking yet on those new cleats.

Diablo Junction from Work - 33 miles

Warm and humid this afternoon. Not nearly as hot as last week but the weather definitely slowed us down. JB and I rode out together, met Jeff at the Church and were happy to find Mark P at the Gate. Mark says he's ready for the Death Ride and he does look fit. Just past the Gate, near the welcome sign was a snake in the gravel shoulder. Looked like it had been injured by a car and could only move the head-half of his body while the other half wouldn't cooperate. There was a ground squirrel there that looked like he wanted to eat the snake but not while we were watching.




I didn't think squirrels would eat snakes but Mark said they sure would. It was a nice little nature break.

Jeff used this opportunity to get a head start on all of us - I guess he doesn't like snakes. Mark talked to JB and me for quite a while about his preparation for the Death Ride (ride lots, go to the gym, don't worry about altitude). JB dropped us at the Bump where I started to have coughing problems - I haven't been able to shake this congested cough thing that's left over from a cold I got almost a month ago! So at the steep bits I had trouble keeping up but after we got past the Ranches I caught up with Mark and Jeff. I noticed that they took down the sign for Turtle Creek Ranch - the wooden structure is still there over the driveway but the sign is gone.

At Chainbuster I left Jeff and Mark behind so I must have been feeling better. Mark said his new Polar HRM/cyclocomputer was messed up and then we realized he had it set on kilometers instead of miles so Jeff fixed it since he has the same model.

Product Review: Look Compatible VP-ARC1 Cleats After Saturday's ride I put on some new cleats that I got at Encina. I hadn't heard of VP before but I figured I'd give them a try. They came with good hardware and seem to be well-made. They didn't have the bi-material type for reduced squeaking but I didn't get any noise on today's ride. I'd guess these guys make a lot of store branded stuff for relabeling; they have a lot of different pedals that all look like clones, and they have headsets and bottom brackets too. Their website doesn't really say where they're located but they have distributors all over the world.

Diablo Junction – 23 miles

Another Saturday morning. JB told me it would be a short one since he had a wedding to go to. I’d stopped looking for Rick’s car at the Church so it was a surprise to see him at the Gate. He just bought a new house and has been too busy to ride for quite a while.

So all three of us started up together and it started getting hot pretty early. I did some slow cadence big gear stuff as usual but kept it pretty conversational until the top of the Bump.

Wildlife Encounter: Small tarantula, small coyote, snake roadkill, mouse roadkill. Very early for tarantulas… could be global warming has them confused. The coyote looked like it was barely old enough to be on his own.

After Clavicle Cracker we kind of separated with JB in front and me in the middle. When I came past the Ranger House I saw a guy helping a woman rider with her flat tire and then I realized that it was my neighbor Jim again. He remembered me and said ‘hi’.

There was a little talk about doing the Napa Century – flyers arrived in the mail this week. And there was more talk about what we’ll do when NGR is shut down for repairs. There were no conclusions about anything and then we all went down.



Lots and lots of people coming up and we had to pass quite a few people going down also. I saw the same recumbent go down and come back up so he may have been training for the Death Ride. Rick followed me all the way down past the Bump but then said he wanted to give me a lead out for the Dips so I let him in front. There was a bit of a tailwind and I had to brake a little to keep my position behind him. I launched my sprint with a little bit of downhill before the first Dip so I could get some acceleration and really powered up the first one – then I shifted down a few for the second Dip and faded a little before the top. Then a guy in a Discovery jersey flew past me before the crest! I had no idea he was back there. Rick said Discovery guy missed my initial jump but got on my wheel on the first climb and had a huge smile when he went by. I might not have been able to beat Discovery guy up the second Dip but if I had known he was there I could have at least tried!

Road Closure Information.

The Mount Diablo Interpretive Association has a current story on road closures during the repaving. As of today, here’s what it says:

Mount Diablo State Park will begin major road repairs beginning June 19, 2006. Work is expected to take place over the next six months. This $2.4 million project will take place along the 4.5 mile-long Summit Road. Crews also will do some repairs on North Gate Road the park’s entrance from Walnut Creek.

Mt. Diablo State Park will stay open during the work. However, large sections of the park and its 3,849-foot summit will be inaccessible via car or bicycle on many weekdays during the repair and paving project. Work could spill over into weekends if the road beds need a lot of repairs resulting in selectively closing roads during some weekends as well.

The South Gate Road entrance from Danville will stay open during construction. Dirt hiking trails in the park will not be affected by the work. This website will be updated on a regular basis as road conditions change. You may also call Mount Diablo State Park at (925) 837-2525 (recorded information).

Diablo Junction from Work – 33 miles.

Freakin’ hot… 104°F in Walnut Creek at 5 o’clock, a little less on the Mountain. I gave Amanda two extra water bottles and some advice about riding in the heat, and she left a little early for a head start.

JB and I rode out together. Didn’t see anyone at the Church – the DCers must have decided not to move their start time back the way they do most years. So we got to the Gate and I told JB I was planning on just twiddling up very easy. He said he was going to sweat a little so we split up early. One older really fit looking guy passed us up early on but about a mile later I saw him coming back down.

At a switchback above Moss Landing I saw Amanda’s bike on the shoulder, but no Amanda. I called out to see if she was OK and she was behind the bushes for a natural. Didn’t see her for the rest of the ride so she didn’t make it to the Junction.

Another disadvantage to riding slowly is that the bugs have an easier target; not that many of them but they were harder to get rid of. My heart rate was high even though I didn’t feel like I was working that hard so I took that to mean my “easy ride” strategy was a good one… my blood must have been like syrup even though I was drinking a lot. Also, I need some new cleats; my current ones squeak like heck and are hard to unclip so I found that very annoying.

Only one other guy passed me and he looked like a racer. JB was about three minutes ahead by the time I got to the Ranches. Almost caught one slower Diablo Cyclist before the Junction but not quite. Elapsed time: 52m45s and I still felt drained. Lots of bikie talk about the upcoming USCF time trial on the 8th, and also about road closures due to resurfacing... not really sure how all that's going to go.

Drank another bottle of water and went back down. I still feel a little queasy so I'm glad I took it easy. Cool shower felt great though.

Bump d’Bump - 34 miles

Looked to be the hottest Saturday morning of the year so far – sleeveless jersey and frozen bottle weather. I saw Mark A. getting his bike ready when I rode by his house, then he caught up with me at the light on Ygnacio; said he was beating the heat and wanted to do some trail riding before the USA v Italia World Cup game. I stopped at the Gate and he went on. I decided today I would not go for a sub 21 big gear ride but would only use lower gears when it would help me go faster and when I needed to to hold JB’s wheel.

JB showed up right on time and two guys who looked about our speed started up just in front of us. We let them go and stayed a ways behind them for a long time. We were pretty close behind them when two other guys (Pegasus team) passed all four of us fast and easy – not even breathing hard.

JB told me that he usually makes a smoothie for breakfast and puts some in his bike bottle. Today though, he was out of strawberries so he made a smoothie out of broccoli and walnuts (!) He admitted it didn’t have the restorative qualities of his usual concoction.

At the Bump, one of the first two guys attacked his buddy and got a big gap – JB and I stayed behind the slower guy. Now it was two Pegasus guys, single guy, another guy, and me and JB. Then we got to Son of Chainbuster and JB tried to launch one around the single guy and I accelerated around the outside and kept it up. So now I was in front of JB and stayed there the rest of the way to Junction (42m26s) with him finishing about a minute back.

Yes, nice and warm at the Junction. We decided to go down South Gate Road and back up. It really felt good and cool to descend through the shade of those big trees. We also saw Mark A on his way up the road so I don’t know what trails he rode to get way over there.

We turned around at the Tire Poppers but JB forgot to downshift beforehand so he struggled for a minute to get in a groove. I opined that most of the people who don’t ride Diablo regularly and the riders who come from farther away, prefer riding on the south side because it’s a little easier and has more varied scenery and for that reason the average speed of riders on this side is a little slower than on the north. There are certainly plenty of fast riders here, and there are usually more riders here, and there are more slow riders here than on the other side so you wind up passing more people than you do on NGR… and that’s always fun.

Then a really fast guy passed us, and then a triathlete guy passed us and I tried to stay with him. Suddenly JB appeared to bonk but I kept going with triathlete guy, passing him at the SGR ranger kiosk. I felt pretty good and kept on pounding but the triathlete guy passed me back. So my SGR time from the Tire Poppers was just under 37minutes and JB was way back. I think he’ll be buying some more strawberries this week.

Diablo Junction - 31 miles

JB and I rode from work and met Randall at the Gate. After a mile or so we left him behind and continued on our own. I was doing another Sub 21 and that was a good excuse to let JB get ahead of me.

It was supposed to be really hot so I had both my bottles frozen but it was cool and even drizzly so I hardly got to drink anything all the way up (still frozen). It's getting easier to do these big gear rides, but I'm not getting any faster!

There's going to be a USCF time trial up North Gate next month - check it out!
ClickHere

Diablo Junction - 23 miles

Today had to be a quick one because I had a family event in the early afternoon. As I went past the Church, I saw a couple guys nearly ready to get going but I didn't recognize them. JB wasn't at the Gate yet so I waited until 8:01 and put a rock on the post. Just then the two Church guys rode up and I contemplated starting behind them but figured it would be a good challenge to go first and not let them catch me. I also decided to do a "Sub 21" ride again today; meaning I wouldn't use any cassette cogs bigger than my 21 so it would be a big gear workout.

It was windy through the Dips and up past the Dumpster Gate - a headwind the whole way. I half expected JB to catch me and I kept looking back but I didn’t see him and I didn't see the Church guys. The wind got even stronger in the winding section below the Bump. Then I saw my first rabbit so I concentrated on chasing him while not forgetting about climbing the Bump in a 21. Caught the guy just below the Upper Washout and saw he had a white Klein so I said "hi" and he said "nice bike" and that was the whole convo.

Now up near the Ranches I look back and see three guys chasing me. Then I figured out it was a group of two and a solo rider who just happened to be together when I saw them. Then I started to wonder if the two were the Church guys. They came past me pretty quick and it looked like them but couldn't be sure - they were both tall guys with sinewy legs. Then the single guy passed me too and he had a triathlete kind of bike with a triple and he was twiddling about 110rpm in a really small gear - quite a contrast with my big gear mashing. Coming around one hairpin (into the wind) I looked up at the grass and saw that I was going to have a tailwind after the switchback - but as soon as I came around the corner the grass changed directions!

Up above Chainbuster was more headwind but no JB so at least I didn't let him catch me. Junction time 45m51s so that was a slow one. JB showed up after and then went up to the Summit in search of sun.

On the way back home the oddest thing happened. There was a garage sale on Walnut which is usually a pretty nice street to ride on but now there were a lot of parked cars. I was on guard for dumbass drivers and sure enough a minivan pulled out of its parallel parking spot right in front of me. It wasn't close enough to make me skid but they clearly weren't looking and didn't signal or anything. So I pulled up next to the passenger's window and pointed at my eye saying "Watch what you're doing". Inside was a very elderly couple (mid 80s at least) and a little rat-dog. The woman was driving and the man was in the passenger seat. They couldn't hear me but I made it clear that we had just had a close call due to her inattentiveness. Then they got ahead of me but we met up again at the stoplight on Walnut and Ygnacio - I was going straight and they were in the front of the left turn lane and there were now lots of cars waiting for the green. I looked over hoping to see some sign of remorse or contrition but instead I saw the old lady driver giving me the finger! I stared for a moment in disbelief, wondering if I was really seeing this and then the old guy flipped a crooked middle finger at me too! Now this was funny but maddening at the same time and all the other people in their cars were watching so I give the guy my Italian fist-in-the-elbow gesture a couple times and then the light changed and it was all over.

Diablo Juniper - 21 miles

Today was the first day I drove my car to work since before May. I had my bike on the roof and drove out to the Church right after work. I saw all the DCers leaving just as I got there. I rolled up to the Gate and waited until 5:30 before I started up. JB and Adam and Jeff would have to chase me.

Warm day but not too hot. I decided for fun I'd do the whole ride without shifting lower than my 21t. It was actually pretty easy after a while - I stood up more but kept my cadence in check. Didn't have any trouble going up the Bump, where I passed two DC stragglers. I was breathing hard but controlled.

Wildlife Encounter: A coyote on the shoulder right next to me. I talked to him and he trotted right past me in the other direction with lots of eye contact. They really are a lot smaller close up than they appear to be at a distance… or maybe this one was still a pup. Anyway it was a neat experience.

Up past the Upper Washout I passed a guy with a jersey that had the Spanish Flag on it, and I shouted out "¡Qué viva España! and he smiled at me and said "Viva España" but he didn't say it with as much enthusiasm.

Still in my 21 I plugged along but it was fun. Junction time was 43 minutes so it didn't slow me down too much.

Another big crowd up there. I talked to Jay K about the Sierra Century where a cyclist died from a stupid maneuver in front of a logging truck. Jay found some orange tires for his bike so that pretty much completes the package except maybe his spokes.

The rest of my little group showed up after a while. Jeff and JB went back down North, Adam went home via South, and I went up to Juniper - IN MY 21.

The Blue Oak stretch was quite a grunt in the big gear but the rest of it was fine. It was a little windier toward the top and there were a lot of riders descending from the Summit. The shadows up here get long and dark and can obscure the pot holes so you have to watch out for that. A guy on a touring motorcycle passed me at one point and I thought how nice it was that he had a Honda or something with a quiet engine and good mufflers and not one of those obnoxious Harley noisemakers.

Just a few minutes at the Diablo Valley Overlook (that's what the sign at the Juniper Parking Lot says) to enjoy the view and then it was back down. I'm not a screaming descender but I timed myself and it was about 21 minutes from Juniper back to the Gate.

Diablo Summit – 33 miles

I thought I was getting an early start this morning. Everything was all ready and I pumped up my front tire, then went to pump the rear – gave the valve a little burp before I put on the chuck and the tube ripped right at the valve. It was one of those things you just understand – no need to investigate what happened, the tube was ripped. So I pulled down one of the patched tubes that hangs from my ceiling in the garage and got to work. Got some tree poop in the chain, got chain grease on my hands, got a new tube in my tire and got it all back together again. No time to wash my hands – I can just make it to the Gate if I sprint the whole way.

8:02 and JB was already there. The sun was out and it was clear and warm. JB thought it might have been his first ride of the year with no tights. After about a mile we passed a guy and I said “hi” and then realized that I knew him from somewhere… not sure if I knew him well enough to stop until I figured out he was my neighbor Jim. So we slowed just a bit and Jim rode with us.

I had spoken with Jim a few times in the neighborhood. One time a few years ago I saw him with a bike and he told me he was just getting back into riding after a long hiatus. I hadn’t seen him ride much after that though, so I figured he never got that serious. Jim had a different bike now – a Specialized Tarmac. He asked us if we ever rode with the Diablo Cyclists and we said not really but we see them all the time and know most of them. He knew Mark and Amy and Sarkis so that was a nice connection. Then Jim said he was just starting to ride after an injury. He was descending North Gate Road about a month ago when a car coming uphill passed some riders around a blind turn and Jim got hit hard – a shoulder separation and totaled his new $4000 Trek. He had an interesting story about how the other riders viewed the accident compared to what the automobile passengers said. There was a report but nobody got a ticket and Jim had hired a lawyer because he had medical bills, lost wages, and a ruined bike. As he was telling the story we knew pretty quickly that he was talking about Clavicle Cracker so then JB told his story about how he gave the corner its name. Anyone who doesn’t know where Clavicle Cracker is should figure it out and be careful there – it’s probably the most dangerous corner on the Mountain; about 2.5 miles below Junction on North Gate Road… as you’re coming down it’s a right hand sharp hairpin, there’s a 15MPH sign with a right turn arrow, and it’s REALLY easy to misjudge it. I always assume there’s a car passing riders coming at me in my lane when I approach it – that attitude has saved my skin a few times. Most of the Rangers now are bike friendly but I don’t think most of them understand how really stupid some of the drivers up there are.

So at the Upper Ranch, Jim excused himself and said he was just warming up for the Diablo Cyclists club ride that left from Countrywood at 9 so he turned around.

After that JB tried a couple accelerations to shake me and the 4th or 5th one worked and he beat me to the line by about 30 seconds.

At the Junction there was the usual camaraderie of people who don’t know each other but all love bike riding. JB asked around for an 8mm Allen because his cranks were creaking, but nobody had one. I also saw a guy with a Klein that had Rolf wheels. I like to write about the other people I see thinking maybe some day some of them will recognize themselves.

JB went down but I decided to summit. It was a little more breezy up there but still very very nice. Some friends of mine were camping on the Mountain somewhere so I took a cruise through Juniper campground looking for them, but they must have been somewhere else.

At the Summit I rode to the far end of the Lower Parking Lot and found some really great perspectives to take photos from – so I’ll have to bring the digicam next time.

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.