25 July 2009

Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge

I hadn't ridden hard after injuring my hip 3 weeks ago. I had volunteered to help at the rest stop at Greyhound Rock, so I headed up Hwy 1. It was cool and overcast, with a headwind.

I had to be there at 12, and it was 11:30 when I got to Swanton, so I turned right and headed over Swanton and then back on Hwy 1, getting to the stop at 11:56. It was sunny and nice. The biggest crowds came through from 1 to 1:30. All the standing around made my hip hurt a little. After 2, the traffic thinned considerably.

At 2:30, I headed back home. The tailwind on Hwy 1 wasn't terribly strong, and it was somewhat of a crosswind, especially on the descent to Scott Creek. I turned left at Bonny Doon, following the SCMC route, then Smith and down Empire Grade. The route then turned right at Western to go down to the coast before heading up to Scotts Valley, but I continued to Bay and then home.

4 July 2009

Alba

It was a beautiful day-- sunny, warm, and a little breezy. I headed up Hwy 9 and Glen Arbor to Ben Lomond. I started up Alba at 11:56. There were a bunch of cars parked on the road around Alba School. There was a brass band playing, presumably for Independence Day. Further up at the graffiti rock, "die to ride"/"ride to die" was painted on it. I got to the top at 12:28 and then headed down Empire Grade.

2 July 2009

Swanton time trial

Before heading out, I topped off my tires with air, remembering that I had done so just before each of the last few times I got flat tires. It was warm and sunny, with somewhat of a headwind when heading out, but much less than the last times I rode out.

At the intersection with Bonny Doon Rd, there were flares on the road, a fire truck and police cars around, and the remains of at least one crashed car.

There were 10 riders lined up before me. When I started, I immediately got held up a little by a car pulling out of Swanton Berry Farm, but managed to get by it. There was pretty much no headwind. I got overtaken by the guy who started a minute after me near the end. My time was around 34:30.

On my way back home, there were still a police car and a wrecked car near the Bonny Doon intersection, but the flares were gone, and most everything else had been cleared off the road. A minute later, I suspected my rear tire was going flat. Another minute later, I stopped, and my rear tire was going flat. Why!? That would be over 6 flat tires in the last 3 months. The year before that, I only had something like 3 flat tires. Yet again, after topping off the tires before riding, I would get a flat tire. Why why why??? I checked the tire and found nothing on the outside. I pulled out the tube and couldn't find the leak. I felt the inside of tire and found a half centimeter segment of a thin wire. It was probably from a tire from the wreck at the Bonny Doon intersection.

As I replaced the tube, a tow truck hauling the wrecked car went by. I headed home with about 40psi in my rear tire.