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.

14 May 2012

Tour of California

It was overcast and cool. I headed up Hwy 9 and Glen Arbor to Boulder Creek, and there were brief sprinkles in places. At Boulder Creek, I headed out on Hwy 236, and, for the first time of the day, saw some groups of cyclists headed the opposite direction. I started up Jamison Creek at 11:15. There were more cyclists descending. I got to the top at 11:39, and stopped there to watch the race go by. The pace of the race was slower than expected, so the race didn't get to Jamison Creek and Empire Grade until around 3. The signs at Boulder Creek had been warning of road closures from 1:30 to 3:30. First, the leader, riding for Liquigas, went by all by himself. Minutes later, two more went by, one of them riding for Bissell. A little later, the big pack went by. Then, another big pack went by. Then, minutes later, the last two riders and the broom wagon went by. I then headed back down Empire Grade.

12 May 2012

It was clear and sunny. I headed down to the Spokesman to meet up with a couple of other riders. We headed up Glen Canyon to Scotts Valley, the out on Bean Creek Rd, getting a flat at the start. After fixing the flat, it was up Bean Creek, Glenwood, and Mountain Charlie, then over on Summit Rd and down Soquel-San Jose, and returning to the Spokesman over Laurel Glen, Mountain View, and Branciforte.

5 May 2012

Solo ride

I headed down to Hwy 9 and waited through an entire light cycle at Encinal and Hwy 9 before running the red. There was a headwind going up Hwy 9. There were also lots of antique cars on the road, their tires much narrower than modern automobile tires. I took Glen Arbor into Ben Lomond and continued to Boulder Creek on Hwy 9. I headed out of Boulder Creek on Hwy 236 and started up Jamison Creek at 12:28. I got to the top at 12:52 for an estimated time of 24:49, then headed back on Empire Grade. There was an unusual amount of traffic around the Waldorf school on Empire Grade.