gpelpel

Sounds like you enjoyed a nice ocean breeze. Kudos for finishing!

I thought about you guys as I was charting a SF-LA route for some family members who visited us from France last week. When I saw the forecast I wondered if it was wise sending them along highway 1 on Sunday. I finally said they had to drive it... they skimped and opted for the quick trip on 5.
Drivers are wimps, riders are tough!

spingineer

Okay, here's my Solvang Double blog ... https://spingineer.blogspot.com/2012/...and-windy.html ... I'd still do it in a heartbeat. The cameraderie is great. Like a big reunion party, seeing my old double rider friends (and nuts).

Midland

Went for the 1st time cut-off of the DMD with LanceOldstrong.Mt. Diablo, Morgan Territory, Altamont, Patterson Pass then 3 mi. down Mines rd. We made the time limit, weather was perfect & fun was had.

SClaraPokeman

After about a month off the bike because of rain, kid's science project, taxes, vacation, etc., I rode to Saratoga Gap with the expectation of continuing to Page Mill---a 40 mile loop I do about 25 times a year. I didn't have the legs for it though and decided after slogging my way to the top to just descend.

I wouldn't be posting about this except that about two miles into the descent I passed a couple of cyclists who were going about 20 mph while hugging the paint on the right side of the lane (I always call out "PASSING" so as to not startle anyone in these circumstances). Anyway about a quarter mile later there's one of their partners going down at about the same speed about three feet to the left of the white line. The problem was that there was also a Camry trailing this guy. So I'm forced to ride my brakes at 20 mph about 20 feet behind the Camry which isn't my idea of fun.

The cyclist had a rear view mirror on his handlebar but never turned his head towards the Camry to acknowledge its presence or to give a sign to it that it was ok to pass. The Camry driver was also obviously timid and uncertain about what to do. After about a minute of this, I considered yelling at the bicyclist but didn't. Meanwhile about five cars are now queued up in back of me.

Unbeknownst to me the driver directly behind me was a sheriff who finally broke logjam by briefly putting on his siren which gave the impetus to the Camry to finally pass the cyclist (I was so upset that I blew by this clod at 40 mph).

My question is why do people ride like this? Although fast, HW9 doesn't seem especially risky to me--if you're that adverse to even making a token attempt of keeping a reasonable speed than don't IMO ride there-esp. on a weekend afternoon. This guy was catatonic; should I have screamed at him to let people pass?

Lanceoldstrong

Sat. 4/28/12:
Finished my 2nd Devil Mountain Double

Sun. 4/29/12
Epic day in my La-Z-Boy of re-hydration, salty snacks, TV sports and a 1 1/2 hour nap

caloso

96 miles with some teammates. We rode from Sacramento to do the Davis Wheelworks ride, and then rode home. Good times.

cccorlew

all four of us Diablo from Blackhawk_1251 by ccorlew, on Flickr

One week after the Devil Mountain Double my DMD partner announced that following his kid's track meet in Livermore he was riding 50 miles home, and summiting Diablo. I said "Too bad I can't go with you."

The next thing I knew he'd worked out a plan where Tricia and I would meet Steve in Concord, ride to Blackhawk, (halfway between Livermore and Concord) meet and ride Diablo. It was a perfect plan, and we arrived within seconds of each other.

Dan billed this as a slow post -double ride, so of course, he and Steve Cat 6 raced each other to the junction. As we started to the summit, Steve and I left a few seconds earlier, and without trying opened a gap as Dan talked with Tricia. We saw Dan decide to catch us, so we waited until he did, Dan had burned a big match doing so, and just as he got to us, we powered away in a perfectly mean, but well timed effort. I was laughing so hard I could hardly pedal. We'd quickly gotten several turns ahead. I didn't think I'd let up, but just before Juniper he came past. So, even doing all my cheatty sneaky stuff I couldn't stay away.

We all met at the summit, rolled down Diablo and ended up at a Thai dinner in Pleasant Hill. Life is good, though Tricia still wishes we could have stayed at the summit for "Super Moon Rise" when the moon appeared 10% larger and 30% brighter. But, as she points out, they don't allow descending Diablo in the dark.

damnpoor

Today from Santa Cruz I went up Highway 9 to Boulder Creek then followed the ToC route over Bear Creek Road, across Summit, and back down Soquel-San Jose. The tape for the KOM on Bear Cr and the sprint point on Summit are still there.

Red Rider

We rode with some our race team members, who did another 24 miles after we peeled off. Cool, sunny, nice pace, good company.

unhookt

I used to commute back and forth along the causeway all the time and never much noticed the road noise. Riding even just moderately hard will produce enough wind noise to cover it up, I suppose. Never noticed the "bad air" either. The wind blows through the Yolo Bypass fairly consistently, which definitely keeps things circulating. Much more so than your typical busy road/street in Sacramento.

I'm very grateful for this protected bike lane. You can ride from Folsom to Davis with only minimal exposure to vehicles (in West Sac)!

Red Rider

I've had a number of fun weekend rides and have failed to report them here.

So, let me report this.

Official time 50:15.6. Hot, windy, fierce competition (they combined the W3&4). I finished 7th, and actually came in ahead a of a couple 3s; always a plus to the ego.

We've done this as a tandem team for 3 years; missed the last two yrs.; this was my first solo effort. Very pleased and totally spent.

Lanceoldstrong

Shake and Bake.
BAM!!! That just HAPPENED!!!

Red Rider

Ha-ha, LOS, you're so funny! Thanks for the props!

Srsly, my rides have nothing over yours...you grind out 200 miles while I ride like the wind for 18-25 miles. I admire what you do and how you do it. Thx for the recognition.

UmneyDurak

Well it's finally happened. I forgot a piece of clothing for a race. Thankfully it was a jersey, so I ended up rolling to the line with a number pined too T-shirt. Ended up getting 5th.

Midland

3 Bears to Wildcat Canyon & back with Happy Valley thrown in on the return leg with these guy's sporting really cool, custom, 1 of a kind bad-ass jersey's. Really wish I would have got a picture of them.

vaara

Last week I rode from SF to Marina, then from King City to LA. 470 miles, and too many roads to list here.

bikingshearer 

Nothing epic lately - I think what passed for my "epic" days are behind me - but I've had a few nice rides. Several weks ago. MarkoPolo and I did the Sonoma Whagtever-It-Was-Called ride out of Petaluma. We did the 70 mile version that features Chileno Valley and the Marshall Road, which is about as close to "epic" as I ever get these days. Absolutely gorgeous. It was run by the Petaluma area Rotary Clubs and they put on a great ride and a nice bash afterwards at the Lagunitas brewery.

This past weekend, varried fun. Friday was a quick solo run up Spruce and back down Euclid to test out the repainted, rebuilt Ron Cooper. Saturday, the Canyon Classic (run by the Modesto area Rotary Clubs) out of Patterson up Del Puerto Canyon to San Antone Junction and back with bigbossman and MarkoPolo. W-I-N-D-Y as all get-out. On Sunday I rode from Cow Hollow through the tail-end flotsam and jetsam of the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon across the GG Bridge, up Conzelman to the top of Hawk Hill, back down Conzelman to the north end of the bridge, down the back way into Fort Baker, back up to the GG, and then back to Cow Hollow. Except for the wind on Saturday, three straight rides of "God, I love living here!" fun.

turkey9186

Yesterday I did American Canyon to Calistoga for lunch and back (80 miles). Today we did a Petaluma-Pt Reyes Station-Tomales-Valley Ford Rd-Two Rock Rd-Chileno Valley loop (75ish miles). Nice along the water, warmed up a lot when we left Valley Ford.

Lanceoldstrong

Up Northgate road on Diablo to The Junction. Then back down the same way so I could cut over to Morgan Territory Road for the 2nd major climb of the day. Went out Manning and Highland to Tasajara to head up Southgate Road to The Junction again and the back down into Walnut Creek/Concord on Northgate. Rode with Midland. We enjoyed chatting with Diablo Scott on Junction Run # 1. A hot one, at the hottest it hit 117° on my Garmin from the radiant road heat being reflected up at us. 81 Miles / 7000 feet.

DiabloScott

After hearing about this little training ride you were on, I decided I had to summit. I was about wasted with just a Junction Run but I eventually recovered and enjoyed the rest of the climb.




On the way back down, there was a snake stretched across the road - it took me a while to stop but I wanted a photo and I had to go back up a ways to where he was and then two guys on MTBs came down and one ran right over the snake despite my shout. After that, the snake coiled up.



He drew a little crowd and we cautioned people going both directions but I couldn't coax him off the road with rocks and sticks so I just piled some twigs around him to direct riders to take a wide line.

bikingshearer 

As some of you know from personal observaton, I am not a fast climber. Morgan Territory reminded me (and my friend Carl) of that last Sunday. And there was a non-trival cross-wind on the descent. Plus a non-trivial headwind on Highland and back into Danville.

Oh well, I may be slow, but I make up for it by stopping a lot.

toytech

My wife and I rode from Cannery Row in Monterrey to 17 mile drive and up to Spyglass and back. Awesome day.

bikingshearer 

Jeez, people, almost seven weeks and no posts? Time to get this train back on the rails.

Yesterday, I did a fun ride in an area I don't get to often enough. I drove out to San Geronimo, parked the car, hopped on the bike, headed up and over Nicasio Valley Road through -- wait for it -- Nicasio, then on to the Cheese Factory, over to the Marshall Wall, down Hwy 1 to Pt Reyes Station, and back to San Geronimo via Platform Bridge Road and the bike pat through and past Samuel P. Taylor Park. It was sunny and temperate to start and finish, but it got chilly and foggy by the base of the Wall most of the way to Pt. Reyes Station - I was glad I had tucked the arm warmers in a back pocket.

It was also pretty breezy - a headwind out Marshall-Petaluma Road, tailwind along Hwy 1.

About 50 miles, and a very fun day. If you haven't been out that way, put it on your list. The Fairfax-Bolinas-Pt. Reyes Station-Fairfax loop is also a great ride.

DiabloScott

I did Diablo again.

Passed three people on the Summit Wall... two were doing "The Walk of Ignominy"

Helmet cam reverse view: (I need to put these on Vimeo too, so I can embed them here)
https://contour.com/stories/summit-road-to-summit-2012-08-18

Harun

Did my one of my favorite rides yesterday: Up Mt. Madonna from the Gilroy side, down into Watsonville, up Eureka Canyon, and up Highland/Skyline to Saratoga gap. About 100 miles and 10,000 ft of climbing. I actually brought enough food this time and felt good the entire time.