19 May 2012

Solo ride

It was sunny and a bit cool at first. I headed up Hwy 1 into a headwind. The wind was strong enough that at the speed limit sign (45 mph limit) at the bottom of the San Vicente Creek gulch just south of Davenport briefly showed my speed to be 26 mph between showing 52 mph for the cars going by. I continued to Swanton Rd and finally got relief from the wind in the valley. The hill had been repaved since the last time I rode there. At the top, the wind was back. I continued down and got to enjoy a tailwind back on Hwy 1 headed south. At the speed limit sign just north of Davenport, due to the tailwind, showed my speed to be 28 mph briefly between registering about 49-54 mph for the car traffic. I slowed way down for the train tracks and then continued past Davenport. I made the left turn and headed up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat, then headed down Empire Grade. In the last bit between the bridge and the UCSC west entrance, a car was passing me and a squirrel was running across the road. The car ran over the squirrel with a bump and the squirrel curled into a ball. That was disturbing to see and hear. Unusually, the light at the west entrance stayed green.