14 June 2008

Saturday harbor ride

It was foggy and drizzly when I started out on the descent down High. It stayed cool and foggy all morning, and fog clung to higher parts of the hills. There was a smaller pack than usual. I guess some of the big guns were racing at Pescadero.

The San Andreas stretch seemed easier than the first few times I did this ride. I was at the back of the pack most of the way, but didn't have any problems hanging on. I closed or bridged one little gap of around 20ft, though that probably would not have been possible had the big engines been driving the pace in front.

There was a decent sized group of about 15 doing Hazel Dell. I stayed with the group up Mt Madonna and most of Hazel Dell before falling off the back. I could even see the group about 500ft ahead of me at the summit as I was still climbing. It would be a new personal best from Green Valley to Browns Valley by 30 seconds. On the descent, one guy blew by and was around 5 seconds ahead of me hitting the turn onto Browns Valley. After that, he was gone. On the last 3rd of Browns Valley, another pair went by, the second guy telling me to get on, so I jumped to get on his wheel. A big group was stopped at Corralitos, but we continued over Hames. I stopped at Hames and Freedom behind a white SUV. There were 4 riders ahead on Freedom, but one turned at Day Valley. So I chased up the initial rise, and got closer. Then came the descent, and I eased up and fell back. Then it flattened, going by Aptos High, and I pushed some more. Then, right turn onto Soquel. Then, I caught up and could rest a bit, with Hwy 1 to the left and businesses to the right.

One guy turned off towards Capitola. The next at Harbor High. The last just after Morrissey. From there, the traffic lights favored me. Ocean and Water turned green just as I arrived. Water and Pacific was green before I arrived. And I was only stopped momentarily at Mission and Hwy 1. I usually have to stop for a while at those 3 lights.