AMGEN Tour of California 2015 Stage 3

I've seen a stage of every Tour... can't let this one go by without me.

Took a half day off from work and went to Livermore to watch the peloton go up Mines Road... not as exciting as a Diablo stage but still pretty fun.

Click below for the full fan experience.

Amgen Tour of California Fan Experience - 2015, Stage 3 on MInes Road from Diablo Scott on Vimeo.

Here's a list of all the Amgen TOC stages I've seen:

2015 – Stage 3 on Mines Road

2014 – Stage 3 on Diablo Summit VIP area

2013 – Stage 7 on Diablo Summit Road

2012 – Stage 3 on Diablo South Gate Road (race didn’t go to Summit)
2011 - Stage 4 from Livermore on Mines Road
2010 – Stage 3 on Bonny Doon
2009 – Stage 1 in Santa Rosa and Stage 3 on Altamont Pass
2008 – Prologue in Palo Alto
2007 – Prologue in San Francisco

Franklin Canyon with Team Club Sport

JB's on vacation so I snubbed The Mountain and hooked up with the health club team.

Franklin Canyon with Team ClubSport (Enhanced) from Diablo Scott on Vimeo.

2015 SMR 16

JB at the Gate and admitted he didn't have a good reason for not coming last week.

Today's special guest rider:  RICK.  He has an important race tomorrow so decided riding with me and JB would be the perfect warm-up.  We did some catching up and some gossiping.

 Several big rides this weekend, I was surprised to see so many riders on The Mountain today.

Wildlife Encounter: Turkeys at the dumpster gate

Wildlife Encounter:  Deer at the vineyard.

Saturday morning regular cast of characters:  Sergeant Slow, Dudley,

Diablo Shoutouts to:  Keith, Smooth Joey, Rivendell Mark

Joey

Keith, proud Vermonter

A photo posted by Diablo Scott (@diabloscott) on May 2, 2015 at 11:20am PDT

Flatted at the Rick Roll.  Some little sharp stone that was kind of hard to remove.  Rear started going soft and I felt it going around this turn and then I did that little bouncing on the saddle thing to be sure and yup.  Is that three?  Yeah, I think I'm done getting flats for a while.

The Rick Roll

Oddball Observation:  Lady with her helmet on backwards.

Bonus blog photos:  Got my tomatoes planted!  JB sprouted these from seeds and got too many so these are the extras.

2015 WNR 04

Doing some minor repairs on NGR

Five of us from work tonight.  Good riding.  Multiple organized rides this weekend.

2015 SMR 15

Just wet enough for me to break out the Belgian Beast.  Waiting for JB at the Gate, I met this couple and the gentleman asked me (with a noticeable accent) if I was German (no)...  then if I was Belgian, and I said "no, but my BIKE is Belgian.  He examined my Eddy Merckx and then told me HE was also from Belgium.  I said "Aangenaam kennis met je te makken!"  Then they explained that they were FRENCH speakers, so I said "Well Enchanté!"

They asked about all the bike riders they'd seen while on their walk and I explained the Devil Mountain Double.  We discussed Belgian bike races, and they knew that Liege-Bastogne-Liege is tomorrow, and they were quite proud that Phillipe Gilbert was from their area.

Michelline et Jean
From LIEGE!

Wish I'd pointed my camera at them earlier, they were delightful.

SAG driver stopped to see if I needed anything.

JB never showed up so I went alone.  Going up NGR I was way too warm with tights and jacket.  Saw the last DMD rider at about 8:30.  At Junction I searched for motivation to continue in my jersey pocket and found a macadamia nut Clif Bar... did the trick.

Above Junction it got really foggy and I was much more comfortable.

Diablo Shoutout:  Celebrity Cyclist Buffalo Bill Cody

Here's another semi regular on The Mountain:  Sandal Guy.

He must really hate closed-toe shoes.

2015 WNR 03

Small group from work tonight.

Just me, Shawn, and Kevin

Weird thing happened just a mile up from The Gate.  I hear a loud rattle/buzz noise and I think it's Kevin's bike.  Then I realize that my computer sensor has come loose and dropped down around the hub and was rubbing on the spokes...really odd noise.  I got it fixed good enough to finish but I need to remember to cinch it down before Saturday.

Plus it was a little chilly.

Diablo Shoutout to Punkin Jay; who claims

to have ridden his last double.

2015 SMR 14

First of all - THIS

Thistle on Mount Diablo

Saw a rest stop set up at the Church and realized today must be the Devil Mountain Double  but later I found out it was the staff ride and the real event is next week.

There were a lot of riders today, and also a lot of vehicles because it was a Mount Diablo Earth Day event with many volunteers.

Action shot of fast guy passing me #1

Just a flat tire

Sergeant Slow Descender was barely moving...
I wonder what his story is.

JB is thinking about repainting his custom
Della Santa... found some rusty spots while
doing maintenance.

Action shot of fast guy passing me #2

Action shot of fast guy passing me #3

Mechanic's Log:  Replacing cleats and heel pads on Sidi cycling shoes

Last time I changed the heel pads was 3 years ago... not sure about the cleats but I think it's at least that long.

Tools needed: allen wrenches, screw drivers, drill, glue (just in case).

Initial conditions: worn out.

Remove worn out bits - clean off sole

Note new heel pad (top) and worn out heel pad (bottom)

Do not get these mixed up.

Heel pads have little nubs that must be removed for some shoes.

Note new cleat (top) and worn out cleat (bottom)

Much life remains in this footwear.

Note glue squirting out from under heel pad.
One of my shoes had stripped threads in there
so the glue provided bonding plus helped the screw grab.

2015 WNR 02

Hosni Mubarak died today - and flags on Diablo were at half-mast... surely those things can't be related.  Found out later that the POTUS declared a day for remembering Abraham Lincoln's assassination 150 years ago.

New rider from work this afternoon - Shawn.  He's been riding to work in Walnut Creek from his home in Pleasanton just about every day, and he's had some previous cycling experience, but he hadn't ever been up Diablo except part way up SGR one time.  So I gave him a ride to the Church where we met up with some other folks.  He wasn't sure how he'd do but figured after the ride he could either go down the other side to go home, or ride back down North Gate to catch BART, or even turn around if he couldn't make it to Junction.

So we kept things a little more social than usual and Shawn did fine and did ride the rest of the way home after.  He's planning a SF-LA bike trip this summer so he's serious about training.

Roadkill Report:  a little snake.  The badger was gone.

Coming down, the sun was at a really bad angle for visibility... it was a cautious descent.