3 March 2007

Short solo ride

Jamison Creek Rd Since the club ride this week started at Suñol, which was too far away, I planned on joining a ride on Sunday. However, since the weather was supposed to be very nice all weekend, I decided to go on a short ride and climb Jamison Creek Rd, to make it 14 straight months in which I had done that climb at least once. With my new, lighter bike, and with the short route, I was pretty sure to set a new personal best on the climb.

The route I took was identical to one I rode 28 May 2005, which I never logged. On that day, I rode with someone to see an art and wine festival in Boulder Creek, and we walked up half of Jamison Creek Rd.

This time, it was a little cooler than comfortable on Hwy 9 in the shade, but very nice in the sun. By the time I got to Felton, I was nicely warmed up. At Boulder Creek, I turned left onto Hwy 236 and headed to the bottom of the climb at an easy pace. It was 12:13 when I started up Jamison Creek. There were signs warning of ice from earlier in the week. There was also lots of sand left on the road. As I approached the steep right-hander just before the 1.33 sign, I took out my camera and took a picture. I barely managed to turn the camera off and put it in my pocket before I had to stand up for the steep part, my front wheel almost coming off of the road. Near the top, the sand made my rear wheel slip when I was standing. When I got to the top, it was 12:40, so I destroyed my old personal best of a little under 29 minutes by over a minute and half, setting a new personal best of a little over 27 minutes.

At Empire Grade, I turned left and headed home.

After getting to Hwy 9, the only places I stopped were at the red light at Hwy 9 and Graham Hill in Felton, and at the stop sign at Hwy 9 and Hwy 236 in Boulder Creek.