23 April 2011

Solo ride

I headed up Hwy 1. It was overcast, with a little tailwind. I turned off onto Swanton, taking the loop back to Hwy 1, and into the headwind. Looking at the GPS data, I barely got up to 30 mph on the descent to Scott Creek. At the sign just outside of Davenport, I was going 18-20mph according to the GPS data. It briefly flashed 21mph between all the car traffic making it register around 50mph. A week earlier, with a tailwind, it showed that I was going 27mph. At Bonny Doon Rd, I turned left and headed uphill. From Smith Grade up, there were traces of drizzle. At Empire Grade, I turned right and headed down, and it was wet and chilly, though the road remained dry. The drizzle became more than a trace, and my face got completely wet. It was like being in an invisible fog.

16 April 2011

Pescadero and Half Moon Bay

There was thick fog as I started north on Hwy 1. It became mostly sunny around Bonny Doon Rd. After Año Neuvo, there was a headwind, which slowed me down. I turned right at Gazos Creek for somewhat of a break from the wind, which returned on Cloverdale. At the northern part of Cloverdale, it became foggy again, and it was foggy in Pescadero. I signed into the ride and waited around for a while. Then, it was up Stage Rd for a stop in San Gregorio. Then, it was up the remainder of Stage Rd and down Hwy 1 to Tunitas Creek Rd, Lobitos Creek Rd, Verde Rd, Purissima Creek Rd, Higgins Creek Rd, and into Half Moon Bay for lunch at a sandwich place just before the lunch crowd showed up.

After lunch, I headed south on Hwy 1. Just south of Pescadero Rd, I stopped for about 5 minutes at red light that controlled a brief section where only one lane was open. By the county line, it became sunny. There were a handful of kite surfers at Waddell. There was a nice tailwind, and a speed sign said I was going around 27 mph just north of Davenport, even though I had ridden 40 miles more than I had in months so far, with more than 10 more miles to go. I was considerably slower over the last 5 miles or so of Hwy 1, and then turned left to head up the steep climb up Western.

9 April 2011

Saturday harbor ride

It was cold and sunny. My hands were really cold at first and I wished I had put on gloves, but after an hour or so, it was fine. The sun glared on the eastern horizon. It was cold and windy on San Andreas, and the pack split up. I was in the trailing group, so it wasn't hard to stay in that pack. I wound up near a big guy on a Calfee that kept moving laterally, including one abrupt move of about three feet to the right, so I was trying to get away from him while staying in the draft and wishing that he had made the front group. A bunch of the lead pack had turned right at Thurwachter, which, I guess, would be the long route today. As usual, I went up Casserly. On Mt Madonna, just after Casserly Market, the group started splitting up, long before the steep part where it usually splits up. I went up Hazel Dell with one, then two other riders for a while, before dropping back, and then descended to Corralitos alone. I got into a group of 7 or 8 going over Hames, Day Valley, and Valencia, so that part when faster than usual, and then headed back on Soquel.

2 April 2011

Solo ride

It was cool and overcast when I headed up Hwy 9. From around Ben Lomond, it was mostly sunny until I reached Empire Grade. A little before Brookdale, a group of cyclists overtook me, so I leeched off of them until they stopped at Boulder Creek. I started up Jamison Creek at 12:18. There was a slight breeze at times, but it made me feel like I was going slightly faster rather than a headwind for some reason. My clock changed from 12:43 to 12:44 when I got to the top. I turned left and headed down Empire Grade, where it became overcast around the prison camp. It got sunnier after Smith Grade.