29 October 2011

Solo ride

I headed out on Soquel to Aptos, then took Trout Gulch, Valencia , Day Valley, and Hames to Corralitos, and started up Eureka Canyon. On the lower parts, it was slightly chilly in the shade-- a reminder that Eureka Canyon is chilly in the winter, but very nice on a hot day. On the upper parts, it was warm in the sunny parts, and very nice in the shade. On parts of Highland, there was piles of dirt on the side of the road from slides earlier in the year. The road was cleared, though narrow in places. The slides were why I hadn't ridden this way in quite a while. I headed down Soquel-San Jose. There was a stink from roadkill in the middle of the road a little before Olive Springs. I turned right and headed up Laurel Glen and down Mountain View, and returned on Branciforte. It was a sunny and warm afternoon when I got back.

22 October 2011

Solo ride

It was sunny and warm. I headed up Hwy 1 with a little tailwind past Davenport to Swanton. There were many bunches of motorcycles, including on Swanton, Bonny Doon, and Pine Flat. At the north end of Swanton, I headed back on Hwy 1. There wasn't really any noticeable wind. At Bonny Doon, I turned left and headed up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat, then back down Empire Grade.

15 October 2011

Saturday harbor ride

It was overcast pretty much throughout, with hints of drizzle when I started out. There was a tailwind for the outbound part, especially on Soquel and San Andreas. On San Andreas, a cop car blipped its siren a few times before going by the pack. At one part, the pack slowed to go by a slow tractor on the road. A little before Sunset, I couldn't keep up and fell off the back. After Watsonville, a decent size group of at least 20 went on to Casserly, where pack was held up by another slow tractor on the road. On the steep bit of Mt Madonna just before Hazel Dell, I was at the back of the pack and was further behind by Hazel Dell. On the Hazel Dell climb, I was in a small group for before falling behind at the part where the right side of the road had collapsed in a slide, and went into Corralitos by myself. It was briefly sunny on Browns Valley going towards Corralitos. I continued over Hames and Day Valley and Valencia to Aptos. There was a headwind for the rest of the way back, and it remained overcast.