10 October 2009

Saturday harbor ride

It was cold and overcast, and the sunrise was getting later, so it was hard to get up for the early ride. The pack seemed smaller than usual, but I never ended up at the back on San Andreas, so I couldn't really tell, as the pace was pretty easy.

A group of 15 or so went up Mt Madonna. At the steep part just before Hazel Dell, the 6 or 7 at the front surged ahead. I stayed with them until slipping back just before Hazel Dell, then they took off on the descent, and I couldn't match that acceleration. But then, they slowed, so I made up ground until the climbing started after Green Valley, after which I slowly lost sight of them as they started shedding riders off the back. I traded pulls with one other guy on the descent to Corralitos, then headed back solo over Hames, Day Valley, Valencia, Trout Gulch and Soquel.

It remained overcast. On the last little climb up High St, my chain kept skipping. Somehow, my rear skewer had come loose.