2022 Diablo Day 70 - Wednesday Junction

10C at 0900, 20C at 1400... Charlie's out sick, JB chose the afternoon. It was even warmer than I was expecting... rolled my arm warmers down and took off my gloves.

Diablo Shoutout to Mark, who was riding his cyclocross bike on Burma and stopped to wave hello to us.

JB and I talked about rats in the attic, flat tires, sewer snakes, and last week's college football.

Yeah, the eBikes are looking a little more normal, but they're not fooling anybody. 
Also - BLIND CURVE! Stay in your lane.

Wildlife Encounter: Bug on the Bump

Motojerk buzzed JB for no reason.

The shadows this time of year are always fun.

Woot - close call with a BIG deer!

2022 Diablo Day 69 - Saturday Junction

Big Game Day! The sky was blue and the trees were gold and I had on my Cal jersey.

I was really slow, but a little faster than Wednesday, so that's something. JB was faster though.

Part of the contract we have with Nature here in Diablo Land, is we have to take advantage of the good weather while hoping it rains sometime when we don't have anything important to do. Today felt like winter but a nice sunny winter day - so Nature; I owe you one.

JB recognized his collar bone surgeon... the surgeon maybe not.

2022 Diablo Day 68 - Wednesday Junction

Charlie's sick, JB's tied up... just me today. I waited until the frost lost to the sun... good riding weather.

There were two guys ahead of me at the start - I figured they were 55 minute guys and I could maybe keep up with them but I was a 65 minute guy. Today's excuse: first ride since second cataract surgery. When I can't ride my bike, the fitness leaves my body faster than Russian conscripts fleeing the draft board. On the bright side - best vision in decades.

Wildlife Encounter: a HAWK... presumably a sign that IOWA will be going to the World Cup and winning a Hugo Award.

On the way down I see a guy stopped at Dumpster Gate and he gave me the thumbs up so I knew he didn't need help and then when I passed I realized it was Lance Oldstrong - so I U-turned and went back to wag chins. Today was his first Diablo Day since his knee replacement 7 weeks ago and he accomplished his goal of making it to the Boundary sign. We talked about knees and bike gear and slowing down and the good old days.

GO HAWK

55-Minute Men

Peloton of ME.

2022 Diablo Day 67 - Wednesday Junction

 Charlie suggested 1230 start time - weather was in the forecast but we risked it. Once we got going, I was thinking we were going to get dumped on, but it never got worse than a light drizzle - turned out to be great riding weather.  Some guys coming down shouted to us that the rain was heavy up ahead... it wasn't.

The pavement was wet though and I am seriously spooked about slippery stuff these days -- there were only a couple places where I needed to hold back.

Before The Bump, I made an effort because my knee felt kinda good - then I had a big gap and held it for a long time. At The Washout I was out of the saddle, not pushing too hard, and suddenly I ghost-shifted and my left foot went straight down and my chain skidded across the top of whatever gear it was supposed to be in and I panicked just a little but my bike handling skills kicked into automatic and everything was fine. 

Last week I bonked at Junction minus two, so I figured my objective today was to bonk less and later. I definitely got tired, but not wasted.  Charlie caught me at Clavicle Cracker and JB passed me after Chainbuster... but we all finished in about a 2-minute window.

Descending was chilly and a little wetter and even windy - I enjoyed it - a little of that old Flahute toughness started to flow in my veins again.

Half the sky was dark - and the road was pointed that way.

I told this guy to tell Charlie that I was WAY FAR AHEAD and he'd never catch me. Charlie told me later what he said and it was embellished into a righteous taunting.

Charlie Passed Fast

2022 Diablo Day 66

A fine brisk morning for the last Saturday ride before Daylight Wasting Time begins. I'm getting my second eyeball un-cataracted next Friday.  Hopefully I can work in the Wednesday ride in a couple days, and then be out for a week or so.

Felt good, didn't go very fast. Just me and JB - we talked about football and politics and Halloween.

2022 Diablo Day 65 - Wednesday Junction

Charlie and JB agreed to a late start so I could do some work stuff. 2PM and the weather was nice... just a bit chilly. And the winter bike has been returned to service so that was fun too. Charlie talked about his recent cycling shoe purchase... he wears a size 50! so not a lot of stores had a lot of selection for him. Another criteria was he wanted replaceable heel pads and he did get a pretty nice but not flashy pair of Fizik shoes with two BOA buttons.

I felt good enough to try to keep up with Charlie, but those last two miles found your humble blogger in the red zone. Then JB caught me and passed me by the Ranger House. Just a HINT of that calf cramp from Saturday was hanging around.

SGR had been closed for a couple days for road work, but they were done now and Charlie could make the loop back to home.