10 May 2008

Saturday harbor ride

It was cold and overcast and remained so for most of the ride. On San Andreas, it seemed that nobody at the front was really pushing the pace, so instead of the pack being strung out with me trying to hang onto a wheel at the back, as is usually the case, the pack kept getting bunched up so I started moving forward on the right side. On one occasion, I almost got squeezed off the right side, and on another, I had to brake since there was no room on either the right or the left. It was a new experience.

On to Hazel Dell. I stayed with the lead group up the steep lead-up on Mt Madonna and through the flat initial part of Hazel Dell. Then, the 4 in the lead group rode off while chatting away as I huffed and puffed up the hill. And I managed to get a new personal best. On the descent, a group of 4 went by, so I hopped onto their train through Corralitos and up Hames. Halfway up, they stop to fix a noisy chain, so I continue alone.

Day Valley, Valencia, and Trout Gulch back to Soquel. On Soquel, the sun finally came out. But it clouded up again. Through downtown Santa Cruz to West Cliff. It alternated being cloudy and sunny. There were a couple of tents on West Cliff with bottles of juice and stuff, and there were signs for free bus rides next to them. It said something about "The Human Race", which seemed like some kind of charity walk or run.

I was still feeling pretty good, so I decided to hammer up Western to try for a new personal best. After going by the farmer's market and waiting for the light at Hwy 1, I cranked up the initial steep part and burnt my legs out. So I recovered for a little while after it flattened, then hammered the rest of the way to Meder. Old personal best: 4:36. New personal best: 4:02.

3 May 2008

Solo ride

Summit Rd I started later, since I was riding solo. It was sunny, but not as warm as it seemed from indoors, in the morning. I started off on some roads that I hadn't ridden in a long time. I took it somewhat easy going up Glen Canyon, but it had been so long since the last time, I had a new personal best by a minute and a half. From Scotts Valley, I took Bean Creek, Mountain Charlie, and Riva Ridge to Summit. I saw deer at a number a places: Bean Creek, Mountain Charlie, Skyline, and even Smith Grade.

Up in the mountains, it was warmer. I could see a thin fog over the lower coastal areas that made it cooler down there. There were also numerous little scurrying lizards or something on the road all over the place. I continued to Bear Creek. As I approached Skyline, a black limo went by. I assume that it was going to the wineries. It started left, then pulled off into the turnout. I turned right and headed along Skyline.

At Saratoga Gap, the hot dog stand was not there. I wasn't planning on stopping anyhow, and turned left and headed down Hwy 9, then Hwy 236 into Big Basin. I stopped at the headquarters to eat a snack and get a 7up at the store. After a break, I continued on Hwy 236. On the climb out, somewhere near the edge of the park, a mail truck went by me. Approaching Jamison, I was catching up to a mail truck as it stopped to deliver mail. The truck turned right at Jamison, and so did I.

It was 1:18 as I went by the mail truck. The truck was close behind me for a little while. But then, there were too many mailboxes to deliver to, so I never saw it again. It was getting warmer, and I considered taking off my windbreaker, but I didn't. There were a few bugs around my face, but it was not as bad as it could get in the summer. One bug flew into my ear, buzzing loudly, and startled me. At the 1.33 sign, there still was a strip of skunk tail, but no flag. At around 1/3 mile to the top, 4 or 5 descending cyclists went by. When I got to the top, it was 1:43, so my time was right around my personal best. At 25:28, it was my new best by 4 seconds.

On Empire Grade, I considered either going straight home, or going down Pine Flat, and taking Smith Grade back to Empire Grade. I was feeling pretty good, and it had been a very long time since the last time I took Smith, so I headed down Pine Flat and Bonny Doon. I thought about continuing down Bonny Doon all the way to Hwy 1, since it had been a long time since I last did that descent, but I had done that more often than Smith. So I took Smith Grade to Empire Grade, then back home.

1 May 2008

Swanton time trial

I left work early, and it was sunny and very warm around quarter to 5. I got home, got changed, and headed out around a quarter past 5. It was no longer quite as warm. On the way out on Hwy 1, there was a pretty strong headwind, so I just went slowly rather than ride really hard. For some reason, from around Fambrini's to Davenport, I smelled gunpowder. I smelled it between Davenport and Bonny Doon Rd on the way back as well.

When I arrived, it was 6:06 and there was already about 15 riders lined up ahead of me. It was a little chilly in the wind. The guy ahead of me took off a couple of seconds before his countdown finished. When I started, the wind was pretty brutal at first. I had just gotten new glasses, and the lenses were smaller than my old glasses, allowing the wind to make my eyes water. I was either the second to last or third to last to start. There was only one behind me when I started. Early in the valley, I caught the guy ahead of me, so at least I wouldn't be the last to finish. I saw 3 or 4 riders on their return legs before I got to the climb, and the rest descending as I climbed. I think I saw 3 riders climbing when I descended. One of them blew by me later in the valley. Then, there was another rider with a flat off the right side of the road. Bummer. Approaching the hairpin right just before the final little rise, I saw a glimpse the guy who started 2 minutes ahead of me.

After finishing, I recovered for about 5 minutes, then headed home with a strong tailwind. I think my time was in the 34:35-34:45 range.