weekend ride reports - where'd ya ride?
09-13-11, 10:00 AM
#3601
Too Fat for This Sport
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 698
Bikes: 2011 Cannondale Supersix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I was feeling lazy today, planned on walking the dog and relaxing. Then I saw these pics, thanks for the motivation. Love this thread!
09-13-11, 12:02 PM
#3603
Dolce far niente
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 10,704
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 17 Times
in
14 Posts
I went up last Thursday night for the High Sierra Fall Century, figuring to get in a short "altitude awareness" ride on Friday before the century. That didn't happen - I slept late, it was cold and rainy, and in every direction I looked there was thunderstorm activity. So, I spent Friday kicking around town, watching old movies on TCM, and otherwise fooling around. By evening, all the rest of the folks had showed up, and we prepared for the morning ride. The weather forecast was for mid 40's in the am, a high of 65, and 50% chance of thunderstorms. Yay.
The morning dawned with promise - it was clear, but cold. Everyone except me departed for the ride start - I've done this ride several times, and since we have to ride past Mammoth anyway I prefer to just start from the condo and cut out the first 11 or so junk miles. I get them back later in a spectacular fashion, by going off-route to enjoy the June Lake loop before rejoining the official course down by Hwy 120.
The problem with this is that I basically start off with a 6 mile descent to Hwy 395. Very scenic and enjoyable...... unless it is 40 degrees out and you do it without warmup in deep shade. I felt like a hailstone.
While I was up there with a group of 4 other folks, I ride slower than everyone else so I was pretty much on my own all day long. The clear weather started to cloud up some by mid morning, and pretty soon it was making itself heard. Funny thing, though - it always seemed to be where I had just been, so while I was treated to some wind buffeting I managed to avoid getting wet or acting as a conductor to ground.
For anyone familiar with the course, the cracks on Hwy 120 are getting significantly worse - I really took a beating on them. And the new pavement on the "flat" part of 120 as it crosses Adobe Valley are already starting to crack, so it'll be pretty miserable in a couple of years. Turnout was very low for the ride this year - I think the combination of the weather forecast and the miserable road condition of Hwy 120 played a big part in that.
The ride was nice (as usual), the weather was interesting (as usual), and we all had a good time (as usual).
Sunday I dawdled with friends and we took in Bodie, a ghost town up over Conway Summit. That was a lot of fun, but it cost me. Trying to get over Sonora Pass at 2:30-3pm was a loser - about 2-3 miles short of the summit the road was glazed over with a nice mixture of hail and ice, and that tended to make my little car a bit tail happy. As I crested one ridge I was treated to the spectacle of a pickup truck that had made it partway up the other side, slowly sliding backwards down to the dip in the road between us. I watched for several minutes as he tried and failed to go up either side. He was stuck there for the foreseeable future - it wasn't getting any warmer. I like to have as much fun as the next guy, but I try not to be stupid about it. Thinking ahead to the west side descent with it's steep twisty turns and sharp drop-offs, I elected to declare defeat and head back down to 395. From there it was a rain drenched slog all the way up to Hwy 50, which I figured was a low enough pass to just receive rain and not snow or ice. It was, but the rain was coming down in sheets up there. It wasn't till I was well down-slope on the west side that the skies parted and I could make easy time on the road.
Some pics:
Silver Lake, in the June Lake Loop:
The road around Grant Lake:
Hwy 120, just south of Mono Lake:
Crossing Big Sand Flat, after the majority of the Sagehen climb:
Looking back across Big Sand Flat:
The descent into Adobe Valley:
The weather to my right, crossing Adobe Valley:
More weather:
Heading across Adobe Vally on Hwy 120, about 8 miles from Benton Crossing:
Weather closing in at the finish:
The morning dawned with promise - it was clear, but cold. Everyone except me departed for the ride start - I've done this ride several times, and since we have to ride past Mammoth anyway I prefer to just start from the condo and cut out the first 11 or so junk miles. I get them back later in a spectacular fashion, by going off-route to enjoy the June Lake loop before rejoining the official course down by Hwy 120.
The problem with this is that I basically start off with a 6 mile descent to Hwy 395. Very scenic and enjoyable...... unless it is 40 degrees out and you do it without warmup in deep shade. I felt like a hailstone.
While I was up there with a group of 4 other folks, I ride slower than everyone else so I was pretty much on my own all day long. The clear weather started to cloud up some by mid morning, and pretty soon it was making itself heard. Funny thing, though - it always seemed to be where I had just been, so while I was treated to some wind buffeting I managed to avoid getting wet or acting as a conductor to ground.
For anyone familiar with the course, the cracks on Hwy 120 are getting significantly worse - I really took a beating on them. And the new pavement on the "flat" part of 120 as it crosses Adobe Valley are already starting to crack, so it'll be pretty miserable in a couple of years. Turnout was very low for the ride this year - I think the combination of the weather forecast and the miserable road condition of Hwy 120 played a big part in that.
The ride was nice (as usual), the weather was interesting (as usual), and we all had a good time (as usual).
Sunday I dawdled with friends and we took in Bodie, a ghost town up over Conway Summit. That was a lot of fun, but it cost me. Trying to get over Sonora Pass at 2:30-3pm was a loser - about 2-3 miles short of the summit the road was glazed over with a nice mixture of hail and ice, and that tended to make my little car a bit tail happy. As I crested one ridge I was treated to the spectacle of a pickup truck that had made it partway up the other side, slowly sliding backwards down to the dip in the road between us. I watched for several minutes as he tried and failed to go up either side. He was stuck there for the foreseeable future - it wasn't getting any warmer. I like to have as much fun as the next guy, but I try not to be stupid about it. Thinking ahead to the west side descent with it's steep twisty turns and sharp drop-offs, I elected to declare defeat and head back down to 395. From there it was a rain drenched slog all the way up to Hwy 50, which I figured was a low enough pass to just receive rain and not snow or ice. It was, but the rain was coming down in sheets up there. It wasn't till I was well down-slope on the west side that the skies parted and I could make easy time on the road.
Some pics:
Silver Lake, in the June Lake Loop:
The road around Grant Lake:
Hwy 120, just south of Mono Lake:
Crossing Big Sand Flat, after the majority of the Sagehen climb:
Looking back across Big Sand Flat:
The descent into Adobe Valley:
The weather to my right, crossing Adobe Valley:
More weather:
Heading across Adobe Vally on Hwy 120, about 8 miles from Benton Crossing:
Weather closing in at the finish:
__________________
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
09-13-11, 12:13 PM
#3604
Dolce far niente
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 10,704
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 17 Times
in
14 Posts
Some Bodie pics:
__________________
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
09-13-11, 02:57 PM
#3605
Family, Health, Cycling
09-13-11, 06:27 PM
#3607
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Posts: 2,544
Bikes: Time RXRS, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Nice report and great photos BBM. You have a good eye.
The cracks on 120 must be canyons now, they were already bad last year.
Interesting weather activity this year. We had storms at the beginning of last month too, it was raining in Lee Vining and stormy all the way down to Whitney.
I am planning to heading there next month, I hope it will be calmer. I would hate being forced to go all the way to HWY 50.
The cracks on 120 must be canyons now, they were already bad last year.
Interesting weather activity this year. We had storms at the beginning of last month too, it was raining in Lee Vining and stormy all the way down to Whitney.
I am planning to heading there next month, I hope it will be calmer. I would hate being forced to go all the way to HWY 50.
09-13-11, 09:22 PM
#3608
okay, maybe...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sierra Foothills, CA
Posts: 3,714
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Nice report and great photos BBM. You have a good eye.
The cracks on 120 must be canyons now, they were already bad last year.
Interesting weather activity this year. We had storms at the beginning of last month too, it was raining in Lee Vining and stormy all the way down to Whitney.
I am planning to heading there next month, I hope it will be calmer. I would hate being forced to go all the way to HWY 50.
The cracks on 120 must be canyons now, they were already bad last year.
Interesting weather activity this year. We had storms at the beginning of last month too, it was raining in Lee Vining and stormy all the way down to Whitney.
I am planning to heading there next month, I hope it will be calmer. I would hate being forced to go all the way to HWY 50.
We left mammoth at about 4:30 and had no trouble getting over Sonora pass... BBM, you should have dawdled just a bit longer! We made it home in 3 hours ... Can't wait for next summer, now that we know how great mammoth is!
__________________
Almost new 2005 Ksyrium Equipes; less than 1500 miles, PM me...
Almost new 2005 Ksyrium Equipes; less than 1500 miles, PM me...
09-18-11, 03:45 AM
#3609
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 1,639
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Lots of climbing in Folsom and El Dorado Hills, then some more fun at the Folsom Cyclebration.
I found four climbs I haven't uploaded to YouTube yet-Folsom Lake Crossing, Brittany Way, Gillette Drive, and the west side of Wilson Blvd. Unfortunately I had to use the footage from the handlebar-mounted Kodak Playsport again because I had the angle too high on the Contour's helmet mount. It was also crooked, so all the footage was useless except for the video of me climbing Granite Arch's rock climbing wall at the cycling expo.
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/115134789# Very long elapsed time and low average speed due to me leaving the timer running the whole time.
This is recorded in 720p 60fps HD, so rolling shutter effect is reduced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V8aAyAhb5Q
My video of the men's and women's cyclocross races is in the "Cyclebration!" thread.
I found four climbs I haven't uploaded to YouTube yet-Folsom Lake Crossing, Brittany Way, Gillette Drive, and the west side of Wilson Blvd. Unfortunately I had to use the footage from the handlebar-mounted Kodak Playsport again because I had the angle too high on the Contour's helmet mount. It was also crooked, so all the footage was useless except for the video of me climbing Granite Arch's rock climbing wall at the cycling expo.
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/115134789# Very long elapsed time and low average speed due to me leaving the timer running the whole time.
This is recorded in 720p 60fps HD, so rolling shutter effect is reduced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V8aAyAhb5Q
My video of the men's and women's cyclocross races is in the "Cyclebration!" thread.
09-19-11, 11:12 AM
#3611
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Democratic Peoples' Republic of Berkeley
Posts: 5,653
Bikes: 1967 Paramount; 1982-ish Ron Cooper; 1978 Eisentraut "A"; two mid-1960s Cinelli Speciale Corsas; and others in various stages of non-rideability.
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1025 Post(s)
Liked 2,526 Times
in
1,056 Posts
Met my friend Carl in Walnut Creek, rode to Danville and met up with bigbossman, then the mini-Diablo run - up South Gate, down North Gate, no summit. Carl launched a blistering attack part way up South Gate, while John and I formed our grupetto.
Lovely warm day. Lot's of folks out on the Devil Mountain, pretty much all of them passing John and me. Hey, we may be slow, but we make up for it by stopping a lot.
30 miles, give or take. Something like 2,000 feet of climbing. Fun times on the ride. Good hot dogs at Caspar's in Wlanut Creek afterwards.
Lovely warm day. Lot's of folks out on the Devil Mountain, pretty much all of them passing John and me. Hey, we may be slow, but we make up for it by stopping a lot.
30 miles, give or take. Something like 2,000 feet of climbing. Fun times on the ride. Good hot dogs at Caspar's in Wlanut Creek afterwards.
__________________
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
Last edited by bikingshearer; 09-21-11 at 02:34 PM.
09-19-11, 11:32 AM
#3612
Too Fat for This Sport
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 698
Bikes: 2011 Cannondale Supersix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for the ride report BBM, looks like a beautiful ride. Bodie has peaked my interest, whenever I travel near Mono I while skirt up there and check it out.
09-19-11, 02:07 PM
#3614
Family, Health, Cycling
57 miles / 2250 feet of climbing. Concord to San Ramon then Bollinger Canyon and Both Sides of Norris Canyon, followed by back to Concord.
My last major effort before the Knoxville Double next week.
My legs felt real good, this gives me real confidence for Knoxville.
Total Time 3:55 with:
1 stop (brief to buy a bottle of water at Peet's in Danville)
1 GU slurped
3 Bottles of water drank
Why?
Because sometimes you have to ride on the edge of a bonk.
Otherwise, how do you learn how to ride on the edge of a bonk.
Another one from "The Book of Oldstrong"
It was good to see Norris Canyon again. My first visit since DMD. It was a little easier today at only mile 35, in daylight and in temps above 45 degrees. It brought back DMD memories which was perfect as I psyche up for Knoxville.
My last major effort before the Knoxville Double next week.
My legs felt real good, this gives me real confidence for Knoxville.
Total Time 3:55 with:
1 stop (brief to buy a bottle of water at Peet's in Danville)
1 GU slurped
3 Bottles of water drank
Why?
Because sometimes you have to ride on the edge of a bonk.
Otherwise, how do you learn how to ride on the edge of a bonk.
Another one from "The Book of Oldstrong"
It was good to see Norris Canyon again. My first visit since DMD. It was a little easier today at only mile 35, in daylight and in temps above 45 degrees. It brought back DMD memories which was perfect as I psyche up for Knoxville.
09-20-11, 08:14 AM
#3615
"Ride Lots!"
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Contra Costa County
Posts: 324
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Didn't you do Knoxville last year? You'll be just fine. We won't be working it this year; I've got a tri that day. I really like this tri and wish it didn't always conflict with Knoxville.
We worked a rest stop for Waves to Wine on Saturday. I'm not sure I ever want to work such a large ride again. We were at the stop in Point Reyes Station and between the riders who didn't know what to do with the traffic and the cars who didn't know what to do with so many riders... It was stressful! Saw a lot of bad manners and/or cluelessness on both sides.
Veronica
We won't be working it this year; I've got a tri that day. I really like this tri and wish it didn't always conflict with Knoxville. We worked a rest stop for Waves to Wine on Saturday. I'm not sure I ever want to work such a large ride again. We were at the stop in Point Reyes Station and between the riders who didn't know what to do with the traffic and the cars who didn't know what to do with so many riders... It was stressful! Saw a lot of bad manners and/or cluelessness on both sides.
Veronica
09-20-11, 07:38 PM
#3616
Dolce far niente
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 10,704
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 17 Times
in
14 Posts
Sunday I hooked up with Bikingshearer and his friend to do a loop up and over the Diablo Junction and back. We elected to skip the last 4.5 miles of the summit road to the top because it was getting warm and.... well, we just didn't feel like it. I would have normally agitated to summit, but I was a week off the bike after post ride (Sierra Century) cold, and just didn't have the jam to get up the rest of the way.
The ride with these two folks was fun (as usual), but fairly nondescript with about 43 miles and about 2400' feet of climbing. What was special was that, in a bit of serendipity, I stumbled into a local concourse on the way home after parting company with my pals.
Pretty much everything from classic vintage American iron to top-tier current exotics, and everything in-between. I took a few photos before grabbing a cold drink and heading for home.
Some random car pics:
The ride with these two folks was fun (as usual), but fairly nondescript with about 43 miles and about 2400' feet of climbing. What was special was that, in a bit of serendipity, I stumbled into a local concourse on the way home after parting company with my pals.
Pretty much everything from classic vintage American iron to top-tier current exotics, and everything in-between. I took a few photos before grabbing a cold drink and heading for home.
Some random car pics:
__________________
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, it’s the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
09-26-11, 09:04 AM
#3617
In the Gear 3434
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 370
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
It was MTB for this weekend as I did a bike to work day on Friday. On Saturday I enjoyed the pleasant weather for a nice Pine Canyon loop in the Diablo Foothills, not many people out there and had a great ride. On Sunday I had a destination -BEER. It was the Clayton Oktoberfest where much delicious Spaten was awaiting. I wanted SPD's so I wouldn't have to carry extra shoes and I didn't have to ride back - so I chose to go in a relative straight line - from Alamo to Clayton. You know what lies in between? BURMA ROAD! I seem to be drawn to unrideable hike-a-bike trails that defy gravity. Burma Road is at times 35%, and then it started pouring. The rain diminished and once the trail was rideable again. It is yet another marvel of Mt. Diablos variation of terrain, a rocky, windswept plain. Then more climbing... I passed the two fishbowls, Moses Rock Springs and Burma Road Springs - large, circular troughs full of goldfish (koy?) very odd. The view must have been nice but the fog made visibly about 50 yards. And I did have it all to myself. Finally hit Deer Flat and the steep descent into Mitchell Canyon. 16 miles, 3000' of climbing. Then it was time for beer!
09-26-11, 05:32 PM
#3620
"Ride Lots!"
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Contra Costa County
Posts: 324
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I did a tri in Pleasanton on Saturday. I was 3/72 in my age group, 20/525 overall on the bike. Swim was also quite good - 5/72 AG and 68/525 overall. It's a darn shame I am not a better runner. I ended up 11th in my age group, 95th overall. It was great fun and I am pleased with how I felt.
Veronica
I ended up 11th in my age group, 95th overall. It was great fun and I am pleased with how I felt.Veronica
09-26-11, 05:45 PM
#3621
Don't mince words
Did an extended ride yesterday with the LBS ride. The last 22 mi. made me feel rather Belgian -- wind & rain -- all we needed were bad roads. 48 mi. total, avg. 17.8 mph, not bad for a social ride.
09-26-11, 08:14 PM
#3622
moth -----> flame
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 5,916
Bikes: 11 CAAD 10-4, 07 Specialized Roubaix Comp, 98 Peugeot Horizon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Nice. Whereabouts in Northern California is this?
__________________
BF, in a nutshell
BF, in a nutshell
09-26-11, 08:21 PM
#3623
moth -----> flame
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 5,916
Bikes: 11 CAAD 10-4, 07 Specialized Roubaix Comp, 98 Peugeot Horizon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Well if I'm going to be snarky, I might as well contribute something. After a Saturday spent mostly coaching or watching kids soccer, I got out early Sunday and met up with brentley and some other studly individuals to put in a nice 50mile/5000ft ride - up Pinehurst, down and up Tunnel, then up Grizzly to loop around the bears. Of note, there's a heckofalot of repaving going on in CC county - Pinehurst N&S, Wildcat Canyon and a new pavement round the backside of the 3bears on Alhambra Valley. Nice to see, but serves as a stark contrast with Grizzly Peak.
A good workout was had despite the damp air->fine mist->rain progression that I hadn't expected.
A good workout was had despite the damp air->fine mist->rain progression that I hadn't expected.
__________________
BF, in a nutshell
BF, in a nutshell
09-27-11, 02:42 PM
#3624
Degree in baloney
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Yay Area, CA
Posts: 27
Bikes: Fuji and Jango
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hey, was that the See Jane Run? I was there... I had done my first tri last year, but schedule conspired against me to get another one in until the SJR. My swim was made of suck, but my bicycling made up for it and I had just enough run to not lose what I made up on the bike - got 1st in my age group and 4th overall.
09-27-11, 04:05 PM
#3625
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Democratic Peoples' Republic of Berkeley
Posts: 5,653
Bikes: 1967 Paramount; 1982-ish Ron Cooper; 1978 Eisentraut "A"; two mid-1960s Cinelli Speciale Corsas; and others in various stages of non-rideability.
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1025 Post(s)
Liked 2,526 Times
in
1,056 Posts