Tour of California on Diablo!

I think that's the eventual stage winner, Leopold Koenig, in front as the first riders passed us.

Tricia and I joined 197,675,635 cycling fans on Mt. Diablo to watch stage 7 of the world's most beautiful bike race.

I cleverly decided to ride my commuter bike, complete with fenders and racks, so I could carry my cameras, lunch, extra water and clothes and Tricia's book. Yes, book.

It turns out there is a reason cyclists like light-weight bikes. Climbing with a ton of junk on a heavy bike is a slow process. It's also hard on ones ego as riders pass by, and pass by and pass by.

Eventually we landed just past the junction where we had a great view. We could even see the riders miles away as they came up the South Gate. We also had a picnic table up a small hill where we ate lunch and goofed off while we waited for the cycling gods.

As always, they flashed by in an instant. After the leaders, the rest came, and then the slowest — slowest being faster than I could ever be even in my dreams.

I took two cameras. It turns out my newest Nikon doesn't play well with my slightly-older lens. Tricia used my Panasonic and out shot me. Not that I feel too much shame, she's a clever lass indeed. Still, I'm supposed to be the photographer dude. She even made a nice photo of me posing as photographer dude.


We'd been a bit worried about descending after the race with so many on the road, but there were no adventures.

We drove over to Sports Basement where they were serving beer at their post tour party. For free. I list this as the greatest retail innovation ever.