Originally Posted by
TakingMyTime
ob,
As always, thanks for the suggestions and encouragement. One thing I will agree with you is getting the earliest start possible during these summer months. I am a very early riser by nature, so a sunrise start is already part of my routine. I don't think I've ever been out on a serious ride and not been back by at least 11:30. Trust me, I do not want to be riding SCR on a hot summer day at 1pm.
I still need to pursue more hill work. My 2 West to East trips on SCR really shinned a light on how much room there is for me to improve in the hills. It doesn't necessarily scare me, it's just that there is work to do. But, I did see a profound improvement in my cardio after those 2 rides. I've been encouraged by it and hoping to make July 2020 a month of bicycling firsts for me.
Since you like venturing north on the SGRT, get off on Dunlop Crossing (turns into Mimes Bl) heading east to Broadway. Make a left to Hadley then right all the way thru Whittier downtown to Painter then left to Beverly Bl and make a right (turns into Turnbull Cyn Rd). This will start you on a 2 mile climb and 800 ft of climb to the top then descend down Turnbull to Los Altos and turnaround to repeat the climb and head back down to Beverly. About 3.5 miles and 1500 ft of climb per repeat. This will get you ready for more climbing adventures like GMR/GRR and the San Gabriels.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33160044