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01-03-09, 01:50 PM
Last Last year on Jan 1 I did the long version of the Mt. Wilson climb via Big Tujunga. This year I did the shorter version on Angeles Crest Highway beginning at the 210 freeway. It was in the 50's when I left Topanga Canyon at 9:20, but by the time I stepped out of the car on ACH 35 minutes later (in almost zero traffic, an extreme rarity for the LA freeways), it was well into the 60's with cloudless blue skies. Last year's weather which was mostly sunny skies, included some serious winds, but this year it was still and quiet. So much for all the layers I put on before leaving, and stripped down to the basics while wrapping the long sleeve jersey and windbreaker around my waist. I recall it being quite nipply up top last year, and wasn't about to be surprised this year despite the warm temps below. As I was putting on my gloves, a nice girl on a road bike passed by on her way up and called out, "Have a great ride. ...You'll be passing me soon." "Really? You think so?" I replied. Cyclists should have a stock phrase to wish one another good luck like actors do ala Break a leg. Hmm, maybe that is the cyclist greeting - You'll be passing me soon.
Within 2 minutes of riding I realized I had forgotten to apply sunscreen! So I began to calculate the amount of time I'd be riding, how much of that time I'd be facing the sun, and how much tan I still had on my legs and arms. Except for the fast ride down, almost none of the miles would be facing the sun. Problem solved. The next problem began a short while later when I noticed my compu mph's fluctuating rapidly. F! I thought I solved that problem weeks ago with a realignment of the magnet. I really wanted to measure my performance on this ride too. So I stopped and began futzing with the wires, resetting the computer in it's seat and rubbing the magnet/reader surfaces of any dirt. For the final fix-all measure I bashed my hand hard against the fork where the reader is strapped. I gave the wheel a good spin and it appeared to do the trick. At that point another rider pulls up next to me and asks me if I needed help. If I saw another rider b!tch-slapping his bike on the side of the road, I'd probably ask the same thing.
Some 20 minutes into the ride a series of fire trucks and e-vehicles began flying up the road. So many of them flew past me I began to worry, as in, "Is there a fire up there?" Without a radio I wouldn't know. I later learned a car had slid off the road and down a canyon. What a nightmare! Over the next hour many of those trucks and e-vehicles passed me again on their way back down. I made sure to salute them as they passed. There was a curious moment after one truck passed by. Following slowly behind it was a looong line of Porches, Ferrari's and Z3's. That's probably the last thing they wanted to get stuck behind. At first I began to laugh, but then the thought occurred that maybe it was one of them who had an accident. Maybe they were following the truck out of respect for having just saved a fellow driver's life. I don't know race car culture, so I'm just guessing.
The ride up went really well for me. A year of steady riding in the local hills where I live obviously paid off. By the time I reached the ranger station across from the Angeles Forest Highway intersection some 9 miles up, my computer said I averaged 8.7 mph. I pulled in for a water refill, pee, energy bar and listen to some cycling chitchat among the group already there. I didn't know anyone, but they knew each other well. At one point a car pulls up and greeted some of the riders. She said she just left the Rose Parade in Pasadena. One of the riders asked, "Who won?" Funny. Even a parade is a race opportunity to a cyclist. A little while later Shai "Shprung" pulled up in his car and greeted some friends. He was the only one I recognized the whole day.
On my way up Red Box Road I tagged along behind a trio of guys who looked like I had no business being able to follow. They're just doing base miles, I thought to myself. Then I overheard one of them say something along the lines of, "...only hurts when I walk, but not while riding." Then I heard another one say, "Doctor thinks it may be my ribs, but I won't know the x-ray results until Monday..." That explained why I was able to keep up with them. They were injured! I asked for clarification and the guy said he crashed earlier in the week. "Well, hat's off to you for even being able to ride up here!" I said. He thanked me for the kudos.
It was nice reaching the top with plenty of energy left. And I did it in good time (for me)! 19 miles, 4500 ft of climbing, 2 hrs, 15 minutes. Last year those last 5 miles were a slog for me in 30x27 gearing while going maybe 6 mph. This year I never went lower than 34x23 gearing for the whole route with a considerably higher average speed. In fact, the whole way up I was constantly looking for and taking advantage of the opportunity to upshift. Last year, not so much upshifting.
Once up top, I brought out my camera and took some shots of the assembled riders and sights. Sadly, the view over LA was lousy because of a thick layer of haze blanketing everything. That's the view I was really looking forward to. Oh well, next year. I didn't stay up top for very long. I talked with Sarah Brodsky for a pinch, and then her guy Keith, who told me it was his 13th straight day of riding throughout SoCal, which included those nasty, wet and cold days during Christmas week. It was his "vacation."
Had an interesting "road etiquette" moment while heading down. Most of Red Box was clear of snow, but there were still patches of black ice and streams of water. About halfway down, a trio of riders (two women and a dude) passed me, but pulled in front of me and went no further. They seemed to know what they were doing despite the road surface dangers, so I stayed with them. I stayed mostly behind the guy while the women were to my side. As we rounded a corner we went through a patch of wet stuff, and a long rooster-tail of gritty water from the leading guy's rear wheel flew up on my face, all over my glasses and into my mouth. I began to exaggerate being drowned and spit out the sand from my mouth, saying out loud, "Wrong position." Now, anyone with any sense of humor or concern for a fellow rider, or even an awareness of those around them would have acknowledged that moment with at least a shared chuckle, a shrug, nod, or some kind of crack at my expense. Instead, I got ... nothing. No sorry, no oops, no giggle, no anything. All I got was a face full of grit. So if any of you reading this was one of those "serious" Red Box "racers," then FU. That's all. Just FU.
Oh, and I can't forget this memory. Many of you know that mile long hill on ACH that greets you after descending Red Box and just before the AFH intersection. Halfway up I was passed with a flourish by someone. That's awesome, I thought. "All those miles of climbing and someone still has the legs to power up... oh wait, he's sitting down. Surely he'll keep pulling away. I mean, you don't pass someone with a flourish like that then fade out so quickly. ...wow, he's fading fast." With maybe 1/5 of a mile left and without changing speed or tempo, I was on his rear wheel, the crunching sound of my hard skinny tires rolling over bits of rock and sand reminding him I was back there. With maybe a hundred yards to go he signaled for me to pass him. I was actually going to stop at the top to remove my windbreaker, so I had no interest in passing him at that point and told him so. Why signal to pass with just a little bit to go? That's a gift. There's no gifts in cycling! Or a surrender, and that's even worse! Most importantly, if you're gonna put on a show of passing someone with flourish on a hill, then at least finish it strong.
At the bottom, after a 40 minute totally fun descent, I pulled up to my car as a pack of teenagers in several cars pulled over and began pointing up at the sky. They were looking at a B1 bomber flying by slowly and a sky writer leaving behind the words, HAPPY 2009 GO USC! Both of them signaling the start of the nearby Rose Bowl I figured. While looking up I thought about the millions of people across this great land also watching the same thing on television.
While doing assorted post-ride chores and bike maintenance, I saw quite a few riders descending on the opposite side of ACH. It's moderately steep at that location so the bikes were zooming. My puter clocked me at 40 coasting along the same stretch, so they had to be doing the same. At one point I looked up to see a rider approaching fast, when suddenly another one came into view all tucked in and flew past the first one like he was standing still. I estimate he had to be going close to 60!
I sat in my car for a while relaxing and watching riders descend, eating a bag of Lay's chips, drinking water and listening to the Rose Bowl on radio. Driving back home along the 118 I spotted the Porter Ranch exit and an image of the In 'N Out Burger located there flashed above my head like an inspired light bulb. So I stopped and worshipped at the feet of the Double Double, then did some shopping at the nearby Walmart. I noticed there wasn't much physical soreness anywhere on me. In fact, because it was still early, I considered doing another ride in the local hills when I got home. But I got caught up in shopping and listening to USC crush Penn State, and the motivation to ride drifted away.
It was a very good and memorable day on the bike. Great start to the new year!
Pics to follow.
38 miles, 4500 feet of climbing, 12.6 average, 2 hrs 55 minutes total time.
Within 2 minutes of riding I realized I had forgotten to apply sunscreen! So I began to calculate the amount of time I'd be riding, how much of that time I'd be facing the sun, and how much tan I still had on my legs and arms. Except for the fast ride down, almost none of the miles would be facing the sun. Problem solved. The next problem began a short while later when I noticed my compu mph's fluctuating rapidly. F! I thought I solved that problem weeks ago with a realignment of the magnet. I really wanted to measure my performance on this ride too. So I stopped and began futzing with the wires, resetting the computer in it's seat and rubbing the magnet/reader surfaces of any dirt. For the final fix-all measure I bashed my hand hard against the fork where the reader is strapped. I gave the wheel a good spin and it appeared to do the trick. At that point another rider pulls up next to me and asks me if I needed help. If I saw another rider b!tch-slapping his bike on the side of the road, I'd probably ask the same thing.
Some 20 minutes into the ride a series of fire trucks and e-vehicles began flying up the road. So many of them flew past me I began to worry, as in, "Is there a fire up there?" Without a radio I wouldn't know. I later learned a car had slid off the road and down a canyon. What a nightmare! Over the next hour many of those trucks and e-vehicles passed me again on their way back down. I made sure to salute them as they passed. There was a curious moment after one truck passed by. Following slowly behind it was a looong line of Porches, Ferrari's and Z3's. That's probably the last thing they wanted to get stuck behind. At first I began to laugh, but then the thought occurred that maybe it was one of them who had an accident. Maybe they were following the truck out of respect for having just saved a fellow driver's life. I don't know race car culture, so I'm just guessing.
The ride up went really well for me. A year of steady riding in the local hills where I live obviously paid off. By the time I reached the ranger station across from the Angeles Forest Highway intersection some 9 miles up, my computer said I averaged 8.7 mph. I pulled in for a water refill, pee, energy bar and listen to some cycling chitchat among the group already there. I didn't know anyone, but they knew each other well. At one point a car pulls up and greeted some of the riders. She said she just left the Rose Parade in Pasadena. One of the riders asked, "Who won?" Funny. Even a parade is a race opportunity to a cyclist. A little while later Shai "Shprung" pulled up in his car and greeted some friends. He was the only one I recognized the whole day.
On my way up Red Box Road I tagged along behind a trio of guys who looked like I had no business being able to follow. They're just doing base miles, I thought to myself. Then I overheard one of them say something along the lines of, "...only hurts when I walk, but not while riding." Then I heard another one say, "Doctor thinks it may be my ribs, but I won't know the x-ray results until Monday..." That explained why I was able to keep up with them. They were injured! I asked for clarification and the guy said he crashed earlier in the week. "Well, hat's off to you for even being able to ride up here!" I said. He thanked me for the kudos.
It was nice reaching the top with plenty of energy left. And I did it in good time (for me)! 19 miles, 4500 ft of climbing, 2 hrs, 15 minutes. Last year those last 5 miles were a slog for me in 30x27 gearing while going maybe 6 mph. This year I never went lower than 34x23 gearing for the whole route with a considerably higher average speed. In fact, the whole way up I was constantly looking for and taking advantage of the opportunity to upshift. Last year, not so much upshifting.
Once up top, I brought out my camera and took some shots of the assembled riders and sights. Sadly, the view over LA was lousy because of a thick layer of haze blanketing everything. That's the view I was really looking forward to. Oh well, next year. I didn't stay up top for very long. I talked with Sarah Brodsky for a pinch, and then her guy Keith, who told me it was his 13th straight day of riding throughout SoCal, which included those nasty, wet and cold days during Christmas week. It was his "vacation."
Had an interesting "road etiquette" moment while heading down. Most of Red Box was clear of snow, but there were still patches of black ice and streams of water. About halfway down, a trio of riders (two women and a dude) passed me, but pulled in front of me and went no further. They seemed to know what they were doing despite the road surface dangers, so I stayed with them. I stayed mostly behind the guy while the women were to my side. As we rounded a corner we went through a patch of wet stuff, and a long rooster-tail of gritty water from the leading guy's rear wheel flew up on my face, all over my glasses and into my mouth. I began to exaggerate being drowned and spit out the sand from my mouth, saying out loud, "Wrong position." Now, anyone with any sense of humor or concern for a fellow rider, or even an awareness of those around them would have acknowledged that moment with at least a shared chuckle, a shrug, nod, or some kind of crack at my expense. Instead, I got ... nothing. No sorry, no oops, no giggle, no anything. All I got was a face full of grit. So if any of you reading this was one of those "serious" Red Box "racers," then FU. That's all. Just FU.
Oh, and I can't forget this memory. Many of you know that mile long hill on ACH that greets you after descending Red Box and just before the AFH intersection. Halfway up I was passed with a flourish by someone. That's awesome, I thought. "All those miles of climbing and someone still has the legs to power up... oh wait, he's sitting down. Surely he'll keep pulling away. I mean, you don't pass someone with a flourish like that then fade out so quickly. ...wow, he's fading fast." With maybe 1/5 of a mile left and without changing speed or tempo, I was on his rear wheel, the crunching sound of my hard skinny tires rolling over bits of rock and sand reminding him I was back there. With maybe a hundred yards to go he signaled for me to pass him. I was actually going to stop at the top to remove my windbreaker, so I had no interest in passing him at that point and told him so. Why signal to pass with just a little bit to go? That's a gift. There's no gifts in cycling! Or a surrender, and that's even worse! Most importantly, if you're gonna put on a show of passing someone with flourish on a hill, then at least finish it strong.
At the bottom, after a 40 minute totally fun descent, I pulled up to my car as a pack of teenagers in several cars pulled over and began pointing up at the sky. They were looking at a B1 bomber flying by slowly and a sky writer leaving behind the words, HAPPY 2009 GO USC! Both of them signaling the start of the nearby Rose Bowl I figured. While looking up I thought about the millions of people across this great land also watching the same thing on television.
While doing assorted post-ride chores and bike maintenance, I saw quite a few riders descending on the opposite side of ACH. It's moderately steep at that location so the bikes were zooming. My puter clocked me at 40 coasting along the same stretch, so they had to be doing the same. At one point I looked up to see a rider approaching fast, when suddenly another one came into view all tucked in and flew past the first one like he was standing still. I estimate he had to be going close to 60!
I sat in my car for a while relaxing and watching riders descend, eating a bag of Lay's chips, drinking water and listening to the Rose Bowl on radio. Driving back home along the 118 I spotted the Porter Ranch exit and an image of the In 'N Out Burger located there flashed above my head like an inspired light bulb. So I stopped and worshipped at the feet of the Double Double, then did some shopping at the nearby Walmart. I noticed there wasn't much physical soreness anywhere on me. In fact, because it was still early, I considered doing another ride in the local hills when I got home. But I got caught up in shopping and listening to USC crush Penn State, and the motivation to ride drifted away.
It was a very good and memorable day on the bike. Great start to the new year!
Pics to follow.
38 miles, 4500 feet of climbing, 12.6 average, 2 hrs 55 minutes total time.