Saturday, December 11, 2010

11 December 2010

Solo ride

It had been 4 weeks since I last really rode, due to holiday travel and rain, so I wasn't feeling in very good shape. The roads were mostly wet, though drying out where there was sun. I headed up Hwy 9 and Glen Arbor to Boulder Creek, then turned left at Hwy 236. I started up Jamison Creek at 12:38, and figured that I probably could get to the top at around 1:05, but not really any faster than that. About a mile in, before the serious climbing, there were flares on the road, with a police car blocking the right half of the road. There were some branches down. The policeman said it was okay to go through, so I continued. I got to the top just before 1:05, so my initial guess turned out to be pretty good. I headed back on Empire Grade, where there were a number of cars and trucks with trees strapped on top of them.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

13 November 2010

Chasing Loki

I headed up Hwy 1 to the Low-Key Hill Climb up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat. It was a mass start with a large pack of riders, which got thinned out when the climbing started. The "HURT YET?" and "HOW 'BOUT NOW?" that I first saw last month were still painted on the road. Riders kept overtaking me throughout the climb. I finished the climb with 2 other riders. Based on my GPS, I estimate my time to be around 42 minutes. After recovering somewhat, I headed back down Empire Grade.

Saturday, November 06, 2010

6 November 2010

Solo ride

It was partly cloudy, and the undersides of the clouds were dark. And, when I started up Hwy 9, a few drops of rain fell even though the sun was out. Fortunately, even though the sun came and went, it didn't rain for real.

I headed up Hwy 9 and Glen Arbor to Boulder Creek, then up Hwy 236. I started up Jamison Creek Rd at 12:40. The initial few hundred feet were wet, but the rest of the road was dry. A few cars were headed down near the bottom, and one of the polluted the air with smelly diesel exhaust. As I arrived at the top, my clock changed from 12:44 to 12:45, for a time of 24:34. I turned left at Empire Grade and headed back.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

16 October 2010

Solo ride

It was overcast and cool. I headed north on Hwy 1 into the wind. There were bunches of cyclists, a lot of them wearing some green and black jersey, headed south. I turned up Bonny Doon Rd and headed up. Less than half a mile into the climbing, "HURT YET?" was painted on the road. Shortly after that, "HOW ABOUT NOW?" About a mile later, "AIN'T NO CORN HERE, RUSS", and shortly after that, "OUCH!" Then, at the start of the extended 10% grade after the bridge, "THERE'S MORE?", and about 3/4 of the way up the extended 10% grade, "NOW THIS IS FUN!" There were also a bunch of faded stuff from 5 months earlier, when the Tour of California came through. By the time I got to Smith Grade, I had gotten above the fog, and it was sunny.

At Pine Flat and Empire Grade, a tree had fallen and was blocking the road. The way south was cordoned off, so turned around and headed down to Ice Cream Grade, and then to Empire Grade and back down.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

9 October 2010

Saturday harbor ride

It was sunny, but a bit chilly early on. The sun was fairly low on the eastern horizon, making it hard to see through the glare. Near the end of Soquel, just before Freedom, I was at the back of the pack when some mishap happened in the middle of the pack. Three bikes were on the ground, but I think everyone was okay. On Bonita and San Andreas, the pace was pushed hard early on, but then, a little before Buena Vista, around Renaissance school, it slowed drastically. On Casserly and Mt Madonna, the pace was hard for me, so I went up the steep part of Mt Madonna with the 3rd or 4th group, and then fell off the back after the bridge on Hazel Dell, and rode alone to Corralitos and back home.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

2 October 2010

Solo ride

It was a very nice day, neither cold nor hot. I headed up Graham Hill to Felton. The Hwy 9 detour signs were gone, so Hwy 9 was back open. Then I took Hwy 9, Glen Arbor, and Hwy 9 to Boulder Creek. At the intersection with Hwy 236, a fire truck, siren blaring, came up Hwy 9 from Ben Lomond and then headed up Hwy 236. After it went by, I headed up Hwy 236.

I started up Jamison Creek at 12:04. Soon, another fire truck came heading down from Empire Grade, and turned its siren on. During the climb, three more fire trucks headed down Jamison to Hwy 236. About 3/4 of a mile from the top, I went by 2 climbing cyclists who apparently were taking it easy. They certainly weren't breathing hard like I was. I got to the top at 12:28, and it took just about 24 minutes for the climb, for my best time in almost 2 years. I turned left and headed home down Empire Grade.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

25 September 2010

Solo ride

It was sunny and hot, but I figured I'd be riding about 40 miles and just took 1 bottle and no money. I also figured it would be cool in the shade of Eureka Canyon, which it was. The heat was more than I expected, and I topped off my bottle at Corralitos. Signs warned of a road closure about 5 miles into Eureka Canyon, and half the road was closed, with metal plates covering the other half. There was a traffic light guarding the area, and it never changed from red, so I proceeded through.

It was cool in the shade, but it was hot in the sun. By the time I got to Soquel-San Jose, my bottle was 3/4 empty, and the remaining water was very warm. I headed down the hill and then back home.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

18 September 2010

Saturday harbor ride

It was overcast, and drizzly in places. Some of the roads were wet, including most of San Andreas. I managed to stay with the pack on San Andreas, but had to work for it at times. On Casserly, from my viewpoint at the back of the pack, I saw some riders off the front, and then a couple more that successfully bridged up. Fortunately for me, the pack didn't chase, so I was able stay with the group up Mt Madonna and the initial part of the Hazel Dell climb before falling off the back. When I got back home, it was still overcast, but the sun was supposed to come out some time in the middle of the day.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

11 September 2010

Solo ride

It was sunny and quite warm. I headed up the coast, then up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat, and returned down Empire Grade.

Monday, September 06, 2010

6 September 2010

Solo ride

It was warm and sunny on this day off. I headed up Graham Hill then over Quail Hollow to Ben Lomond, then up Alba Rd and down Empire Grade.

Saturday, September 04, 2010

4 September 2010

Solo ride

It was warm and sunny, with a slight breeze from the south. I headed up Graham Hill to Felton, then Hwy 9 and Glen Arbor to Boulder Creek and Hwy 236 to Jamison Creek Rd. Jamison Creek Rd had been repaved since the last time I was there, and there was gravel dusting the road. Due to the gravel, my rear wheel slipped around the 1.60 mile mark, and on the steep right curve around the 1 mile mark. I started at the bottom at 12:13 and got to the top just before 12:39. Empire Grade was also repaved from Jamison to the top of Alba Rd.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

28 August 2010

Saturday harbor ride

It was cool and partly cloudy. My hip was sufficiently recovered for a hard ride. The pace on San Andreas was pretty relaxed, and I had no problem sitting in. I saw someone off the front at the little climbs after Manresa and Buena Vista. After Watsonville, a pretty large group of 30 or so went up Hazel Dell. At the start of Hazel Dell, after the steep part of lower Mount Madonna, I dropped off the lead group and also couldn't stay with the 2nd group of about 5, so I went over the top of Hazel Dell alone. On the descent, I latched onto a pair of riders that came speeding by all the way to Corralitos. I headed over Hames solo, then over Day Valley, where I latched onto a group of 8 or so, which then dispersed along Soquel.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

22 August 2010

Solo ride

It was sunny and nice, so I went out even though I still had a cough and headed up the coast into the wind, then headed up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat. Since I hadn't recharged my GPS batteries, I found out after I got home that the GPS shut off while I was on Pine Flat, a little before Empire Grade. At Empire Grade, I turned right and headed back.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

21 August 2010

Solo ride

It was overcast and breezy and I hadn't ridden all week due to a mild fever and cough, so I headed out for a short ride. I went up Graham Hill, where there was heavy car traffic. The sun came out just a little ways up the hill. Then down to Felton, and up Felton-Empire and returning down Empire Grade.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

14 August 2010

Solo ride

It was cool and overcast when I started up the coast. I headed up Bonny Doon Rd, and the sun started coming out when I got to Smith Grade. I continued up Pine Flat to Empire Grade and headed down. It was sunny, but cool, the rest of the way.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

8 August 2010

Solo ride

It was overcast and cool, and my hip was flaring up. The roads were damp yesterday, so I didn't ride yesterday, so I rode today. It was drizzly and the road had damp patches as I headed up Graham Hill. My hip also threatened pain at times. I had hoped it would be sunny in Felton or at least Boulder Creek, but it remained overcast.

It was sunny when I got to the bottom of Jamison Creek at 1:24, which was nice. I felt pretty good going up Jamison, and my hip felt fine. At the left turn where the steep part begins, a red car took the turn too wide coming down, completely crossing over into the outside lane, but that was a ways ahead of me. However, I think that car was a diesel, since the air got stunk up with its fumes. There was another truck with diesel fumes further up too. I got to the top at 1:48, for a time of 24:37 for the climb.

It remained sunny for the upper part of Empire Grade, but then it got cool and overcast below Bonny Doon. The road was damp and it was drizzly from around upper UCSC.