28 April 2012

Solo ride

It was sunny and nice. I headed up Hwy 9 to Felton. There was something going on in Felton, so there was a lot of traffic and lots of pedestrians around. Then I headed up Zayante. At one point before Lompico Rd, the west side of the road had collapsed and there was a stop sign for the one-lane. After Lompico Rd, there was much less traffic. I continued to the top and headed left on Summit Rd. I headed down Soquel-San Jose, and a little after Olive Springs, I felt my rear tire go flat, so I replaced the tube and put a few hundred strokes into the tire with my frame pump and the tire was still soft, which turned out to be about 40 psi when I got home. I continued over Laurel Glen and down Mountain View and Branciforte back. At home, I used my floor pump and got my tire to 105 psi with a dozen strokes.

21 April 2012

Solo ride

It was sunny and very warm, even kind of hot at times. The path from High to Coral was finally repaved and reopened a week earlier. I headed up Hwy 9 through Felton, and took Glen Arbor to Ben Lomond, and back to Hwy 9 to Boulder Creek where I took a left onto Hwy 236. I started up Jamison Creek at 12:17. I saw 3 separate cyclists descending as I headed up the lower part, which was a lot more than I usually see. Between the 1.42 marker and the 1.33 marker, there were two more descending cyclists who slowed because of a flat and a 3rd cyclist stopped just opposite of the 1.33 marker, apparently the one with the flat. On the upper part of the climb, the heat was starting to get bothersome. Fortunately, almost all of the road was in the shade. I got to the top at 12:42, for an estimated time of 25:21. On Empire Grade, there were clouds of bugs, so I kept getting bugs in my face and mouth for the first few miles of Empire Grade. And, as usual, my first sight of the light at the UCSC west entrance was green, turning to yellow and red before I arrived, and I had to stop and wait for the light to change.

14 April 2012

Solo ride

I headed north on Hwy 1 into a stiff headwind. As I approached Bonny Doon Rd, I saw 2 cyclists that were descending turn around and head back up, and then I saw 2 more. I overtook the latter 2 before the steep part began, and the other 2 shortly after the steep part started. There were more bunches of cyclists descending before I got to Smith Grade, so I guess there was a group doing hill repeats. I continued past Smith Grade and went up Pine Flat. At Empire Grade, I headed back. The light at the UCSC west entrance was green when I first saw it, but, as happens most times, turned red before I got there.

7 April 2012

Solo ride

It was sunny and nice. Due to rain, I hadn't ridden the last 3 weekends. The path from High St to Coral St was still closed, so I headed through downtown, waiting through a cycle and a half at a red light at River and Water before running it, and waiting through another long red light at River and Hwy 1. Then, it was up Hwy 9 with the Glen Arbor detour. On Hwy 9, a little before Boulder Creek, one lane was closed for something. From Boulder Creek, I turn left at Hwy 236, and started up Jamison at 12:33. A couple of trucks filled the air with horrible fumes at one point. I got to the top at 12:58, for an estimated time of 25:53, then headed back on Empire Grade.