gpelpel

Thanks Cliff for organizing this one. It was my first time doing the loop this way, I liked it a lot.

Wildcat was easier than I thought, it's actually a great mind booster, the higher you are the easier it gets.

We met at the Orinda BART station as well as many other rides so it got confusing at some point of who was riding with our group. Our own Beaker and ROJA went on a different ride up to Diablo. Cliff, our leader for the day, Pete, Rich, Curtis, and myself left around 9:15 north on San Pablo Dam Road and then up Wildcat Canyon. We regrouped at Inspiration Point for the photo op and then down to Tilden where we met Dan.

The steepest hill of the ride, Shasta, followed. This one is scarier on paper than on the wheels, the steep section is very, very short but provides for a nice little sprint. Grizzly Peak with its ups and downs is always nice but the facing sun and the pretty bad pavement made the descents a bit uneasy.
After a stop on Skyline we tagged along to Redwood for a fun, fast, and safe downhill. The Mavic Cosmics arrive first at the bottom.

The ride ended with a small climb up Pinehurst and through Moraga where I split from the group for the ride back home.

After a low mileage Fall I finally hit the saddle the last couple of weeks, mainly on the trainer though. Yet I felt very fresh today so I pushed myself. I was a bit dizzy when I arrived home, lack of fuel. Trainer work is very efficient.

I ended up with 39 miles and 3,600' of climbing.

DG Going Uphill

Great ride, Cliff. Thanks for taking the lead. It would have been hard to have better weather. Thanks for getting my miles up for January.

taxi777

Cliff's ride

First, let me apologize, never got to say goodbye to you guys...I kind of got into a groove and over shot the Bart station and when I turned around there was a Starbucks right there, so I figured I'd grab a coffee and head back to see everyone off! The coffee turned in to a sandwich, then a conversation, then desert!
After that I decided you guys had ditched me....ha ha : ) so I time trialed the "Three Bears" and ended up getting around 1K for the day.







I had a great time thanks Cliff and BTW I really thought you were younger than me! Ritch beat us pretty bad on Grizzly...sorry you had to wait for us on Redwood, I never saw you blow by us...? Too bad Justin and Richard, that you couldn't ride with us untouchables...next time...

Good to see you again Curtis, been too long! Bring Trish next time...way to much testosterone...I was hopefull in the beginning when Jane Doe showed up, but alas she was with the wrong ride and I set her straight or made her gay...She was cute : (

taxi777

cccorlew

Great ride.
But George, if there is climbing you need to pull up the Y axis so it looks like we actually did some work.
Compare:

cccorlew

Hey, Pete!
Nice photos, especially considering your glued/soldered/taped camera!

ROJA

Sounds like a great ride, guys! Sorry we couldn't joined (had the Diablo plan for a couple of weeks now). We had a great ride to Diablo- right about 60 miles RT and 4800 feet of climbing. The weather was perfect and Richard and I took turns dueling a charming guy visiting from Italy (riding a Colnago, of course). Each time we passed him, he would make a valiant charge to jump in front of us, but we left him behind for good near the ranger station. Or so we thought! He eventually caught me on the wall, where we charged up together and finished with a gentlemen's tie. I told him about BikeForums and he is looking forward to riding with us when he comes back in February! Based on his interests, I think he and Pete would be fast friends!

RoboCheme

Gosh, you guys sure are fast with the posting.

Now that you've ridden three out of my top four descents around here, I've got to get you on the one we passed up; you'll really feel like you're on the Tour.

It was fun riding with you guys, but my legs are killing me right now; too much of trying to keep up with Pete and George. At least now I've established a valid excuse for Pete being a stronger rider than moi. I bet not many others on this forum can use that excuse.

Pete, I like your "action" photos, especially the one with the sun behind George. If I tried to take pics while riding, it would be hip replacement time. You are a true artiste!

Mttraveller

Wow that is cool I grew in the East Bay it sure is good to see the area thanks for the pictures Looked like a great day to sit in the saddle and ride with some friends

taxi777

You're welcome to ride with us anytime!

reidconti

Ooh, she was cute! I shoulda come along, I could have scared her away faster!

gpelpel

Pete:
I love that picture with the sun behind the tree. Could you e-mail a fullsize copy?
Thanks.
By the way I foolishly tried to keep up with you on Wildcat. Man, you were smoking. You are in really good shape! I tried to catch up with you on Moraga Way to say bye before my exit on Glorietta but couldn't, you had a great pace.

Curtis:
I forgot we were climbing the Sierras by the Bay.

Beaker

Too bad we had a ride clash, but it was a superb day for the ride to Diablo. It was swarming with riders as always but with very little car traffic. I managed to experience my first "mini-bonk" half way up summit: my energy just dropped out the soles of my feet, I flicked to my littlest gear and just had focus in keeping the pedals turning. Made it up summit wall, but a grind. Entirely my fault - not drinking or eating enough on the way to the climb, and of course my rash decision to wear my Hammer Nutrition jersey of course. Still that awesome descent and a much needed *bux refill in Danville saw me home.

Your pictures look great and Jane Doe - hilarious. I had a sense that she wasn't quite sure that she was in the right place when we were hanging at Orinda BART.

ROJA

Yes! She was definitely relieved when she learned that we weren't the group she was looking for. Wonder why?

Beaker

But with a Shimano gruppo!!! He told us that he didn't like Campy.

I hope they let him back into the country on his return

1jacktripper

Too funny. Need to factor that into my decisions in the future when deciding kits.

Beaker

Absolutely. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps they might pay me NOT to wear their stuff?

bikingshearer 

Jeez, who was that posseur in the Brooklyn jersey? You've got pics of him: shaking Jane Doe's hand, which clearly has her worried for her safety and well being; hanging around the BART station at the start; and barfing up a lung at the top of Shasta. But he is nowhere to be seen on any of the climbs or action shots. So who was that cluck?

On, that's right - twas I. I was in my usual climbing form, meaning slooooooooow. How slow? While everyone else went all the way along Griz Peak and Skyline to Redwood and over the south side of Pinehurst, I dipped down the north side of Pinehurst and got to the intersection of Canyon Road maybe three minutes ahead of the group.

But it was a bee-yoo-tee-full day, and the company was great for the three and a half minutes I got to enjoy it. Running into Beaker and Roja at Orinda BART was an added treat.

Thanks, Cliff. It was a great day out.