MarkoPolo

With the glorious non-winter weather we're enjoying, Saturday I thought I'd test my decidedly winter climbing legs in the Santa Cruz mountains. Up Hwy 9 from Saratoga to Skyline and down a very chilly descent to Boulder Creek and Felton. After a stop at Mountain Roasting for refreshments and hot coffee, I made the long slog (just over 10 increasingly steeper miles) up Zayante to Summit Road.

Just after turning onto Summit, I had to pull over to let a siren-screaming fire truck go by when I heard a familiar voice (talking a mile a minute) coming down the hill in the red & black colors of the NorCal jersey...



It was none other than LanceOldStrong who had picked up a local rider who was showing him the mountain roads. We chatted for a few minutes, had his new riding buddy snap a picture of the two of us (red was the color of the day), and then headed in our opposite directions. After a bit more climbing, I was bound for home via the "ballroom descent" of Old Santa Cruz and the dirt and gravel path along Lexington Reservoir and Los Gatos Creek.

58 miles, 5300 feet of climbing and two sore legs, but a great day to be out riding in Northern California.

DiabloScott

You always have interesting stuff. Your camera is a helmet mount? Makes it more interesting than a handlebar mount because we see what you're looking at, see what's coming up ahead, etc. I'm conflicted between hearing heavy breathing for realism, and mood music for artistry.


I have a Bike Friday tandem and we have to be really careful with heat buildup on the rims on long or steep descents... all the normal things tandem riders and hill descenders have to worry about plus the fact that there's only about half as much aluminum there to absorb the energy... at the Tour d'Organics we ruined the valve on the rear tube because it got so hot... started whistling and wouldn't re-seat.

cccorlew

Today: Pig Farm, da Bears, and LanceOldstrong's secret climb back to Walnut Creek.
Cool enough for glove liners under the cycling gloves. Which means I can't use the iPhone camera while I ride...

VNA

Saturday was the 3 Bears--it is a good ride for me. Surprisingly windy which I can do without and rather warm--could have done without the heavy gloves!

VNA

Great video--great fun to watch--does french singing help the pain?

gpelpel

How come I didn't think about that one before?

caloso

4 hours and 70 windy miles on Saturday. Oh my, did I mention it was windy?

bikingshearer 

A pleasant little jaunt today - and what a gorgeous day. From the house in North Berkeley, off to MacArthur BART and then to the Embarcadero Station. From there, along the Embarcadero, through the Fisherman's Wharf area, the Marina, Crissy Field, over the Golden Gate, and up Conzelman to the top of Hawk Hill. I had to meet the missus back in SF and hadn't gotten off as early as I should have, so I didn't have time to go down to one-way road part. Instead, back down the way I came to the traffic circle, down into whatever valley that is, through the Baker Tunnel, and back over the GG to Cow Hollow, where my honey-bunch was finishing up a dance class.

I still haven't replaced the Garmin I busted at the Giro d'Vino, so no numbers (probably 15-ish miles). But what an incredibly lovely day. The views of San Francisco and the East Bay from the Marin headlands were to die for. And the January weather was the kind that makes Midwesterners and Easterners hate us - and I'm okay with that.

DiabloScott

I thought "C'est si bon" meant: "My butt hurts" n'est pas?

PrincessZippy

We had such a fun ride on Sunday - Altamont/Patterson Pass Loop and I was suppose to keep my heart rate at 155 or below, solidly in my long endurance zone. I LOVE rides like that! There were places on Patterson where I was doing less than 3 miles an hour. , but my average heart rate was 157. My heart rate did spike up to 170 at the very top. We turned around and went back down 1.75 miles and rode back up a bit more briskly. I was 3 minutes and 40 seconds faster over this section with an average heart rate of 165 and 180 at the summit. What a difference for just 8 beats a minute.

Veronica

Lanceoldstrong

Just got to say I am still lovin' BikeForums. Twitter, Facebook, Strava all have their place and also have all hurt BF traffic a bit I suspect. Just these last 10 entries or so on this thread show why I love this place. Sharing the rides and the love of cycling with the people I have met here. To think that over the last couple years I have ridden with Gpelpel, Beaker, Cccorlew, Bikingshearer, MarcoPolo,Princess Zippy, DiabloScott, Red Rider and Joel S. and here they all are gathered in one place sharing rides and tales.

Community, it's what makes BikeFourms special.

danec99

Saturday I got to use one of my Christmas toys - an 250MPH Toro Leaf Blower/Vacuum! But we did get a run down to Pascal's in Danville for a whopping 13.9 miles. Then Sunday the high winds made me think twice about a Patterson Pass ride and I really wanted to ride my 9er anyway so it was off to the old familiar trails of Lake Chabot. The view up on Soaring Hawk was amazing, the bay air was clear and the sun very warm. I know we need the rain but wow, just beautiful out there.

Red Rider

Shop ride Sunday, a counter-clockwise variation of a Winters loop. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

DRietz

I rode in circles on Sunday. Literally, around Dumbarton Circle.

Got demolished by the 4's and held my own in the junior's race.

Not a very proud day when you step out of a 40minute race with 5 to go.

VNA

"Non" it means "it is so good" and "mon cul me fait mal"

On my next ride I will sing in french and see if I hurt less!

gpelpel

It's called Positive Thinking in california talk.

DiabloScott

How about "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" I'm pretty sure that means "I think I'm gonna hurl"

This gives me a great idea for my April Fools blogpost coming up.

Midland

68 mi. from Concord to Fairfield and back.Got some time in the wind on rough roads.Very nice day for early Jan., rode most the time in just jersey & UnderArmor base layer.

Beaker

Nah, it's all good. Hope to show there myself in a few weeks - you doing the EB RR?

Red Rider

Yes, this. Bike love to you, LO, for your inspirational posts & rides and unstoppable ambition.

budkid

Yep...Goodyear Rd on the East of 680 just hurts!

DRietz

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will. I'm far more built for a road race than a criterium.

bigbossman 

??

bikingshearer 

Don't worry, John. Lance was just trying not to insult you by lumping you in with such plebian company. We all know you are in a class by yourself.

DiabloScott

Looked like a snub to me.