2023 Diablo Day 50 - NORTH GATE ROAD!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lots of happy bike riders enjoying NGR again.

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

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

There will be no more evening rides this season.

The "Rock Baskets"

2023 Diablo Day 49 - Saturday Junction. Turnout Pledge Ride #23

The Mount Diablo Cyclists are fund raising for more bike turnouts! I have pledged to donate $5 for every time I ride Diablo until the end of September; won't you join me?  The State of California will MATCH our donations! Here's the link - tell them DiabloScott sent you.  

LINK->  Bike Turnouts

Two weeks until The Challenge and the fast boys were on The Mountain today! I got passed by big groups with their heads down in big gears.

Foggy too - not cold, so it was a neat effect.

I didn't do very well with my knee preparation today though, so every time I got out of the saddle to honk... I only got a couple revs before I had to sit back again.

This guy ran three red lights in three blocks.

After doing my share of pulling at the front, I dropped to the back of this paceline.

This guy wins today's most colorful jersey award.

Fog

2023 Diablo Day 48 - Saturday Junction. Turnout Pledge Ride #22.

The Mount Diablo Cyclists are fund raising for more bike turnouts! I have pledged to donate $5 for every time I ride Diablo until the end of September; won't you join me?  The State of California will MATCH our donations! Here's the link - tell them DiabloScott sent you.  

LINK->  Bike Turnouts

Diablo Challenge training was in full force today - lots and lots of serious riders riding seriously. Got my less serious ride done before it got too hot.

There was also reportedly a running or hiking thing going on, but I didn't see any actual runners, just the aid stations and signs.

A couple more weeks and North Gate Road should be open, but no official announcement that I've seen.

I was right behind this guy until he turned down Camino Tassajara.

I followed this rider for a while, then dusted him right after the Kiosk.

What if they held a running event, and nobody came?

It was right HERE, that I determined to not do the Diablo Challenge this year.

Kasters! A NGR regular.

Don't know this rider, but for a minute, at a red light, in a left turn lane... our lives intersected.

2023 Diablo Day 47 - Wednesday Junction. Turnout Pledge Ride #21

The Mount Diablo Cyclists are fund raising for more bike turnouts! I have pledged to donate $5 for every time I ride Diablo until the end of September; won't you join me?  The State of California will MATCH our donations! Here's the link - tell them DiabloScott sent you.  

LINK->  Bike Turnouts

A little chilly, a little windy, sunny, and clear.

Charlie's on an airplane, so another solo ride. There was a woman rider who played a little cat and mouse with me, but she cleanly smoked me in the Junction sprint. 

I happened to see Colonel Al at Osage park the other day and he said the Diablo Turnout fundraising was going great - looks like we'll be fully funded for the whole package! 

The sun came out looking like this in all my footage - wasn't really hot, just bright.

This guy was clearly too important to wait for a clean place to pass, and didn't want to cross the double yellows, so he just squeezed me on the the farthest inch of the road on the way by.

Cat and mouse lady.

2023 Diablo Day 46 - Saturday Junction. Turnout Pledge Ride #20

The Mount Diablo Cyclists are fund raising for more bike turnouts! I have pledged to donate $5 for every time I ride Diablo until the end of September; won't you join me?  The State of California will MATCH our donations! Here's the link - tell them DiabloScott sent you.  

LINK->  Bike Turnouts

First September ride of the year and the heat is turned off. It was cool and cloudy and the air was sweet. Lots of riders training for the Diablo Challenge next month. I think I won't be able to volunteer this year though - so send me your stories!

I'm getting more comfortable with this South Gate Road routine.

2-1/2 years since my patella fracture - this is probably about as normal as I'm gonna get. Still lumpy and crunchy and unstable, but it works and doesn't hurt too much very often.