Curtis Corlew in Bicycle Land

Life and work vs training and goals

2012-01-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

It's an embarrassment of riches and lack of will power. Here I am at beautiful Morro Bay for a journalism faculty conference. I brought the bike, and it sits unused in the hotel room. What with the rain and the conference I've missed two days of riding. And to make matters worse, they feed us really well.

Last night Tricia and I went out to taste wine and eat cheese on the waterfront. She's lovely, the wine was delightful and cheese was suitably cheesey. But it didn't do anything to make me more ready for the Solvang Double.

I hope I can get at least a short hard ride in after checkout before the drive home. At least the photos are coming out well.

Intervals on the trainer

2012-01-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the first rain we've had in ages. So instead of getting to ride out in the real world, with sky and air and wind and hills, I set up the Kurt Kinetic trainer in the garage.

What a pain-in-the-butt difference. In this world there's riding a bike (fun) and riding the trainer (not so much.) Maybe it's because there is zero coasting, no joyous downhills after a climb, no variation in... much of anything. Whatever, it's not delightful. But as if that isn't enough, it's harder too. Maybe it's that constant no rest thing, but yikes, what a pain. Just doing my 8x3 after my bike commute was more work than a longer ride outside. The only thing that wasn't awful was that the garage was freakin' cold, so i didn't get a soaked as i might have.

I sure hope it pays off, because if it's not helping me get a lot stronger it's a really really really really stupid thing to be doing.

Note to blog readers: I promise not to log every workout I do, it's just that this actual planned effort thing is all new to me, so I'm just full of insights.

Interval interupted

2012-01-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

I had to do some tricky scheduling to get in my 3x10 interval work on Tuesday, and it was really cold when I started. But it was all going to work out. Even though I have a hard time convincing myself that it's crucial to hammer hard when it was hard enough riding easy, I was doing it. Interval 1: success Interval 2... Well under way.

Then along comes the cyclist's favorite. A flat. I was annoyed, but it's no big deal I think, until I discover my spare is defective. That's OK too, I have a patch kit. Except the glue is dry. And I'm on the closed-to-cars Empire Mine Road, and a mile and a half from any auto-accessible intersection. In road cleats. And Tricia is a work. And my daughter is in San Francisco.

Fortunately for me, my college colleague Ken answered his cell and was willing to come get me. So I rode on my flat — it felt awful — to the intersection where he picked my up. What a hero!

Of course, he can't understand why I won't put 2 pounds of Kevlar anti-flat bands on my road bike. I just can't understand why I had a bad tube and dry glue.

Now I'm 1.2 repeats behind, and the rain is coming. I sure hope Thursday works out better, even it's on the trainer.

Breezing through the Delta

2012-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

I fought the wind and the wind won

I needed legs and I had none

I fought the wind and the wind won

I fought the wind and it's no fun

When Tricia and I were invited to go on a slow jaunt through the Delta with a few of the much-feared members of BikeForums.net NorCal division, it sounded great. Heck, there was even a full on lunch stop near Walnut Grove. Saturday had been perfect weather, so how different could Sunday be?

Have you ever heard of the "Delta Breeze?"

We met at Brannon Island at 9:30. After the usual complaining about the cold and wind we headed out, we being Tricia and "da boys" — Mark, Steve, Daniel, John, Rich, Georges, and me. Despite the wind, we had an easy ride toward Giusti's near Walnut Grove, where we could have had a few stiff drinks to strengthen our resolve, or opt for lunch instead. We rattled on toward our lunch stop, enjoying roads with names like Race Track Road, where Dan ~~had us take a wrong turn~~ cleverly led us up onto a levee so we could see the migrating bird flocks and somewhat rare sandhill cranes.

After lunch we took a ferry over to Ryer Island, which we circumnavigated in increasing wind (14-28mph, with higher gusts according to the weather folks), giving us a chance to test our 11mph echelon skills and generally beat ourselves senseless. At least there was a brief moment of pure tail wind that let us hit 30 plus for entirely too short a time.

For an amazingly flat ride there were a few hilarious "hills" where the farmland roads rise up to join the levee roads. They look like walls, but they're short. I think most were contested in an attempt to claim the days KOM points.

What with doing intervals into the wind and a couple of fun sprints I was toast, so of course I took a wrong turn and added almost 10 miles to my route. Oh well.

Total damage: 68 miles.

Photo by our delightful full-service ferry pilot.

Intervals: my first time

2012-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

I used a red pen to write my intervals on my arm.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

— Bene Gesserit litany against fear

I was so worried I'd forget what I was supposed to do that I wrote a reminder on my arm — 4 times for 6 minutes at 92 percent of my maximum sustained heart rate. I warmed up a long time because I was still a bit tired from yesterday's ride over Pig Farm, up the Bears and back through LanceOldStrong's secret Walnut Creek climb. But eventually I got to the road I'd decided to do this on. I tried to set aside my fears of failure and pain, and got close to succeeding.

I'd been told intervals hurt, but that's an understatement, and not even all there is to it. It's hard to concentrate on keeping a specific level of pain going, even with help from a stop watch and heart rate monitor. And it's even harder to do the second, third and fourth interval when, after the first, knowing how much it will hurt.

But I did. The real question is: Will I be able to convince myself to do this twice a week until the Solvang Double? To help motivate myself, I got on the scales today. My optimistic estimate of only a slight weight gain over the holidays was proven hopelessly naive. I have a long way to go.

Time Crunched Cyclist Training Program fitness test

2012-01-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Here I am, armed with "The Time Crunched Cyclist" by Chris Carmichael, as if I'm actually going to train for the Slovang Double Century I signed up for. I know I'll ride a bunch, but the idea of planned training is intimidating.

The program starts with a test: find a flat road where you can ride for eight minutes without stopping.
From a near stop, accelerate and hammer as hard as you can for the eight minutes. Record your max heart rate, and average heart rate.

Sounds easy, but it isn't. Just finding a road was tough. I used Chestnut near the Byron Highway in Brentwood, a road was almost long enough, with one turn onto Sellars.

Starting was tough. I had to nearly stop, then hit the lap button on the Garmin while watching my stopwatch.

Riding as hard as I could was, well, hard. It hurt. I kept thinking, as my legs burned (shut up legs) "Do I have more?" and tried to give it.

While not backing off early, I tried to hit the lap button at eight minutes. I was off by five and two seconds.

Now I need to interpret the results.
My Max heart rates were 167 and 170. In the past on short effort hills efforts I've recorded 183 as a max.
My averages on these two runs were 158 and 160. But if I remove the startup heart rates I end up with 165. I did average 165 during a Mt. Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial. So did I ride hard enough this time? Did I have more? Would I have been able to achieve a higher heart rate if I worked harder? Could I have possibly worked harder? Are the previous highs hill related?

So, what number should I use for my maximum sustainable heart? It matters because that's what gets used to calculate the workouts.

I'm lost. I fear all I've really done is confirm that I'm really slow, and provided only confusing numbers that won't help me figure out what I need to do.

Maybe I should just go ride the bike.

Life, the universe, and cable caps

2012-01-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

It was one of those things that I noticed when I was on the bike, then promptly forgot all about when I got home. I knew it was wrong, and that I needed to address it, but I just somehow let it fall off my radar over and over.

It started when I was in Washington state this summer. I had a bit of emergency work preformed on my bike right before a big tour. The shop, for some reason, put a gold — that's right, gold — cable cap on my black and white Roubaix. It looked stupid and I intended to change it. I just never did.

On the Lodi Giro d' Vino ride, Bikeforum.net's BigBossMan rode up next to me and, at 17 mph, and in his not so subtle manner, called it out. I believe he actually snickered, rolled his eyes, and tried to innocently ask why I had a gold cap on my otherwise not gold bike. I was chagrined to say the least.

I am relieved to report that I have at last replaced the offending gold cap with a better-than-standard-chrome black cap. And fear not BigBossMan, I also replaced the other caps with black.

I know you, and I, will sleep more soundly knowing this travesty has been dealt with.

New Years Day on Diablo

2012-01-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

Slow motion. Very slow motion.

Cliche or tradition? It's hard to say. But Tricia and I rode up to the Diablo summit to ring in 2012. It was a stunning day, and almost too warm, considering we left Antioch in the cold dark fog. By the time we were in Walnut Creek there wasn't a touch of fog, or a cloud in the sky.

There were many more cyclists than cars on the mountain. It made me smile. Back in the "Olden Days" of the 70s just seeing another rider was cause for celebration. Today we were everywhere.

I struggled up slowly today while Tricia looked great. Perhaps doing Pilates in the evening is more healthy than just drinking a glass of wine. Further research will be undertaken.

Now that we are two of those annoying iPhonies we can twitter and Facebook from the summit. So we did. The best part for me is that the iPhone has a camera, and being that Tricia has one there's a possibility of there being photos of me as well as her on my blog.

Hello 2012! It's us! At the summit!

Year end ride, wrap up and mileage totals

2012-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

December 31 2011, Empire Mine Road, last ride of the year. iPhone photo.

I though Friday would be my last ride of 2011, but Tricia had a mileage goal to reach, and when I added up my 3 bikes stats I was just shy of 7500, so we rolled around Antioch until we got nice numbers.

Curtis  stats

Bike        Start           End          Total

Fixed/SS      573           1209          636

Commuter    10200          12560         2360 

Road         3146           7659         4513

 TOTAL 7509

Tricia  stats
Bike        Total
Commuter    2000
Road        4400
TOTAL       6400

2011 has been pretty good for riding. Highlights included:

The two bridges, three murder sites, squirrels and flowers ride, and Steven Cozza's Giro Bello Ride
We also managed to ride in California, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. We did a number of group rides and a few organized centuries. Tricia did her Cinderella, I did my Davis Double.

For 2012
I have yet to ride Tam, or the back of Hamilton, so they are still on the list. I signed up the 2012 Solvang Double. Tricia and I have a short summer tour planned.

The Eve of New Years Eve metric

2011-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

LanceOldStrong in Hobbit Land

When LanceOldStrong called to say he had Friday off and ask if I was up for a metric I said "you bet."
As always his routes are top shelf. Even if I know about where we're headed, he always manages to toss in a few interesting twists. This ride started in Concord, went through Danville, popped over to Castro Valley up Redwood road, through Canyon. The redwoods in Canyon are magnificent, and it always feels like a magical place. On a ride a while ago as we rode out of Canyon and into Moraga LanceOldStrong remarked "We're not in the Shire any more." Since then I always think of Canyon as "Hobbit Land."

Our 63 mile jaunt was foggy, cold, fun and generally uneventful until we got back to walnut Creek, where a motorized bicycle passed us on Olympic Blvd. LanceOldStrong, being LanceOldStrong couldn't stand it and had to chase him down, then blow him away. Though he then made a total Cat 6 move by turning right. Sure, it was really our route, but still...

Anyway, what a pleasant way to wrap up the year. It's almost time to compute year end mileages, and set next years goals!

Bikeforums.net Christmas Eve Diablo ride

2011-12-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

Man, I'm glad I went on this ride. I'd say I was toast, but toast is warm. It was around 34 degrees at the start. I only made the junction, and even though it was supposed to be to the summit, when I got there I felt as beat as if I'd gone to the top. Tricia (MyLilPony) made me promise to go up new years day. How much training can one do in a week? We'll see.

It was still great to ride with the BF gang and have our old friend Pete show up on his single speed at the junction, and to ride with Dan (below) who hammered out his twentieth ride to the summit for 2011. Yikes!

The mist photos are from a fountain at Pleasant Hill BART, where the ride started, that tosses up vapor on cold days.

Photo note: I traded in my no-internet, no-texting phone when it broke and got an iPhone 4S. I've been enjoying the camera, and used it on this ride.

Delta Pedalers Christmas tree light bike ride

2011-12-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

When my bike forum friends call for an 8am ride, we leave at 8am. When the Pedalers, bless their hearts, call for a 5pm ride, they mean they'll show up and start getting their bikes ready some time around 5:20. And they're proud of it too! They told me they aren't all uptight, and it isn't a job, it's supposed to be fun.

Eventually some riders with decorated bikes turned on their lights and sometime about 5:30 we launched our ride through the neighborhoods of Antioch, checking out the Christmas lights. I was really cold, but only because it was a slow ride with a lot of stops to gawk. I'd brilliantly brought a thermos of Starbucks hot coco, so Tricia and I had a bit of a warmer upper.

The ride was fun. There are a few over-the-top houses that make it all worthwhile. Imagine, FM radio transmitters broadcasting Christmas music, and a zillion lights. There was a two-story inflatable elf with a clear stomach containing Santa and another elf (I never figured that one out) and a house with a Santa photo studio in the garage.

We rode about a bit with our blinky-flashers competing and losing to the Simpson Santa and the part-of-the-decoration large screen TV playing a Christmas video.

Our hearts were warm, but our bodies were freezing. We rode home as fast as we could to generate a bit of warmth, and by the time we got back we were feeling pretty good.

Post-Thanksgiving fog and fun

2011-11-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

Road? Pavement is for the weak. And those not on a LanceOldStrong tour.

When LanceOldStrong promises a ride with an an interesting local jewel you know it's going to be good. And he wasn't even talking about his road-ends mostly-dirt cut-through after the main feature. Tricia loves going on his custom tours, so we joined him on this forty-three-mile, foggy, cold, post-Thanksgiving Sunday for an adventure.

We spent more time on the multi-use paths than is strictly allowed by real roadies, but it was, after all, a turkey burn off fun day and not a hammer fest. And we looked totally cool, cruising the MUP in our Northern California jerseys.

The highlight of the day was Donald Rd in Orinda/Moraga. I've lived in this area forever and didn't know it was there. It's a big climb off Moraga Road with a lot of double-digit (at least a little 17+) of up-ness.

But the pay off is the view from the top. At least that's LanceOldStrong's story. For us the view was fog.

We finished up with his super-secret sneak through between Pleasant Hill Road and Walnut Creek and got back in time to hear the Raiders start their win over the Bears.

Thanks Mr. OldStrong!

Yep, lots of fog to see up here.

Giro d' Vino 2011

2011-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

I was pretty sure it was going to be a good day when BenRidin of BikeForums.net NorCal directed us to the most primo, best possible parking spot at the Woodbridge Winery starting point for the 2011 Giro d' Vino in Lodi, California. It was a might chilly, but we dressed for it, and carried our rain wear just in case. We were very happy we didn't need it at all.

We opted for the 100K plus route, and decided that it was a wine tasting on bikes, not a bike ride. The first winery came up so quickly we were hardly warmed up, but at 8:40 AM or so, there we were, tasting a nice Tempranillo and sampling Portuguese cheese at the St. George winery, buying a bottle, and riding on. We'd repeat this pattern numerous times as the day went on.

We hooked up with BigBossMan, Bikingsheer and MarcoPolo from Bikeforums, and spent at lot of time on the road with them, trading insults, discussing the Paleo diet, child rearing and solving most of the world's problems.

Among the highlights of the day was the Cycles Gladiator stop. I've loved their wine label forever, but never bought their jersey. They had last year's Hincapie bibs and jerseys on sale for 65% off. We each bought both, and some wine too. The photo is this year's jersey, you'll have to wait to see us in our new ones.

Not only did we get to taste and buy wine (delivered back to the ride start) but we got to talk with wine makers and label designers as well. There were a couple of labels I just loved. I'm looking forward to sharing them with my graphics students, whose current project is to design a California wine label.

The ride was stunningly flat, but the organizers managed to find what may be the only bump in Lodi. It wasn't long, but it did hit 18%. I was impressed, so I bought more wine.

One flat tire later (Thanks for the tube, BenRidin and sag support!) we were on our way back to the car. Total time: all day. Ave rolling speed: 15.3. Miles 67. Wine purchases: 10 bottles. Rain: Zero. Fun: Max.

Summer cycling vacation 2011 part 1

2011-11-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble getting motivated and organized enough to post our fantastic cycling vacation of 2011. Tricia suggested I just try to do a lot of short posts. Because I always listen to her, that's what I'll do. Here's part one.

With bikes on the roof, we left beautiful Antioch on July 7, headed toward Ashland Oregon, with plans to visit the Columbia River Gorge, Washington, Victoria and Vancouver, BC, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, and cycle everywhere we stopped.

Our friend Joyce made us a traveling CD mix (complete with custom cover), filled with songs about bicycling and the places we'd go. I couldn't wait and had it on the CD player by the time we hit Interstate 5. It was a blast waiting for each song to come up.

We'd purchased tickets to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland quite a while before our trip. When we arrived the theater it was supposed to be in was closed due to a structural issue. They had erected a huge air conditioned tent in the nearby park as a replacement venue. We were impressed with the ingenuity, but not as much by the result. Still, the play, Measure for Measure, set in the 70s of all things, was a lot of fun and very creative.

We camped at Jackson Wellsprings, a campground with hot springs that feels like 1969. The aroma of sulfur from the hot springs, patchouli oil, and magic medicinal herb floats about the place. There also were some "interesting" fellow campers. We watched a young woman with a 4x5 camera photograph an aging hippie/homeless/strange-agent. She said she was photographing campers in similar places all across America. The hot springs themselves are nice and warm. We didn't stay around after dark during the clothing-optional hours.

We managed to get in a good bike ride as well. There are some delightful hills nearby, and the drivers don't seem as intent on running over cyclists as they are in Antioch. We saw actual beef on the hoof as we pedaled on roads with names like "Dark Hollow Road."

All in all, Ashland is a delight. They have a charming downtown, a brew pub, bike sharing with covered parking, banjo players in the park and Shakespeare.

Morgan Territory and Diablo with Bike Forums

2011-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

When Bike Forums member Joel from Sacramento posted "I want to ride Diablo" Lanceoldstrong went into action and planned a ride around and up the mountain. Complete with custom route slips (including an elevation profile) 21 of us launched from Heather Farms part at 9:00 am.

I almost didn't go as I was feeling pretty ill, but I'm glad I did. Tricia and I managed to hang in pretty well until Morgan, then the younger, thinner and more studdly took off. They were kind enough to regroup at the top.

This may be the first time I took "the plunge" down Morgan without huge crosswinds. It is still both exhilarating and terrifying. At about 42 mph I was passed by Joel, Lanceoldstrong and company like I wasn't moving.

After a lunch stop in Danville, Tricia and I slogged up Diablo, and back to the parking lot. After satisfying my usual post-ride sushi craving, we headed home.

Thanks BF! A good ride was had.

Foxy's Fall Century 2011 and the world's ugliest jersey

2011-10-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Even though the 2011 Foxy's Fall Century was sold out, we'd heard that if we arrived early enough we'd be able to get in. When we arrived at 6:20 there was a heck of a line waiting to get in, but they were still handing out pens and forms so we scribbled our info in the dark. By the time the doors opened our spot in line looked golden; there were three times as many folks behind us. The line went very quickly once it started moving, and after a bit of panic about "Cash Only" (We had enough. Barely.) We managed to hit the road at 7:15.

Starting early kept us out of most of the boy-racer-without-skills and I've-never-ridden-a-bike-before madness, though I'm always surprised how many of my fellow cyclists think "Share the Road" signs are an invitation to take their spot out of the middle of the lane.

The weather was just about perfect too. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. This ride is different from what we're use to. I think there was less than 100 feet of climbing in the first 25 miles. Still, rolling through the farmlands at dawn near Davis is a wonderful way to start the day.

We had an uneventful but fun ride to lunch. Then, as I ate my peanut butter sandwich, we heard a very loud, airy explosion and saw a big puff of dust... coming from where I'd put my bike down. Yep, my front tire had exploded! It had blown off the rim. A bystander suggested it was because I parked in the sun. Yeah, I'm sure that was it. Because I never ride in the sun or anything. The tire was OK, we tossed in a new tube, and then I saw it...

I realize there is a wide variety of taste, one man's ceiling is another man's floor, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that. But this, this is without doubt, the most ugly. ugly, triple-ugly cycling jersey I have ever seen. It didn't appear to be ironically ugly, or humorously ugly, it was just amazingly ugly. I present it to you here and challenge you to find one worse. If you can, post a link in the comment section

From the fifty-mile lunch stop the ride actually climbs a bit. Tricia and I are always surprised that so many people who blow past us on the flats sections crawl, suffer, blow up and even stop on the hills. But like all hills they eventually end, and we got a nice downhill back toward Davis.

There's a bike swap at the finish, and usually a booth selling DeFeet socks, so we bought a few pairs and went home happy.

Magazine cover. Kind of.

2011-10-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been working too much to ride enough or even post about not riding enough. But I do have this:

When I gave my InDesign class an assignment to create a magazine cover they complained it was too hard. So I knocked this out in half an hour to show them how easy it could be.

Here's hoping I can ride more again soon, and not become so fat I don't fit my cycling clothes any more. At least I'm getting my daily bike commute in. With the wind and the new sticker-proof extra-fat super-slow tires it is at least a workout.

Goathead puncture vine

2011-09-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year: Goathead! AKA bindii, bullhead, burra gokharu, caltrop, cat's head, devil's eyelashes, devil's thorn and devil's weed. They are everywhere, and they feed on bike tire rubber and my pain. They are 19 feet tall, quick as cats and as mean as the meanest thing you can think of. Even meaner.
I pulled this one out of my tire Wednesday. But there are more lurking out there.

A bicycle song. About me.

2011-08-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

I met the amazing Ashely at a Journalism conference for community college students. A truck load of students were twittering their fingers off, but her tweets were so insightful and funny I tracked her down just to see who she was. I added her to my twitter followings.

A short while later she tweeted she'd had her iPhone stolen. She was using a fund raising social media site to raise money to replace it. One service she offered in her fundraising efforts was to write a song. I sent money and asked her to write about me and bicycles. Then I forgot all about it.

Today my song arrived with a note:
Hey,
I wrote two songs for you. One was inside of my now broken computer, but I borrowed a friend's and wrote an entirely different one. It's very short, and for that I apologize. But there is a kazoo in this one, if that helps. If I ever fix my computer, I'll send the other too.
Hope you enjoy, and sorry about the wait.

It was worth the wait. After all, it has kazoos!

Pigs Bears, Wildcat, El Toyonal and some dirt

2011-07-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

On July 4 Dan and I planned to squeak in 30 miles at 6 am. Somehow we ended up doing 62, and along the way tried El Toyonal (painfully steep) and a trail off Wildcat Canyon (lacking pavement.) That's right, no pavement. With road bikes.

A good time was had.

Steven Cozza's Giro Bello Ride 2011

2011-06-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just about everything went right and even the things that went wrong went well.

Steve Cozza's Giro Bello is a grand idea for a wonderful cause. Starting in Sebastopol and winding up toward Cloverdale, it's well beautiful and well-organized ride. Even the tee shirt looks good.
You can read about Steve's selfless efforts here.

I'd checked the weather before we drove up Friday night with LanceOldStrong to meet with Steve the afternoon before the ride. It promised to be cool in the morning and not hot in the the afternoon. I didn't even bring any warm clothes. That night the forecast changed to the 40's for the morning.

But, good thing number 1: I managed to buy a tee shirt to wear under my jersey at the second hand store across from the motel for only $1.00.

Good thing number 2: It wasn't really as cold as the 45 degrees the weather station said it was going to be.

Good thing number 3: My Garmin 305 mount broke on the first major climb. That's bad, but when it bounced it didn't break. I may have a second mount I can use, and even if I don't have it, a replacement is cheap.

Good thing number 4: The Geysers climb was really really hard, but I lived through it, and by the time we reached the top I was getting used to moving at 3mph. The temperature was perfect. I'd have hated that climb at 100 degrees.

Good thing number 5: The descent was over some of the most riddled holes I've ever ridden. I didn't crash. Dan broke a spoke, (bummer) but the wheel stayed round enough (good thing 5a) that he managed to finish the ride. At the lunch stop he asked the mechanic from Healdsburg Spoke Folk if he had a spoke. Ironically, he did not.

Good thing number 6: The unique post-ride meal. We were issued meal tickets we could use at any number of different food vendors. I had some tandoori chicken with rice that was right tasty.

We'd started at 6:30. Steve Cozza started at 7. We had a pool about when he'd pass us, and later a pool about when he'd pass us on the climb. I won pool one, and tied Tricia on pool two. Really, I think he was able to pass us partly because he's a pro cycling god, and partly because he had a motorcycle to carry his water and spare wheels. We carry our own pumps, spare tubes and patch kits. And our bikes weigh more — partly because big sprockets weigh more than small sprockets. Plus, I'm fatter. So really, who's doing more work? And, therefore it only makes sense to ask: Who's more tough and studdly? Yep. That's right.

Anyway, despite making a wrong turn right out of the parking lot (Hey, shouldn't there be road markers? Where are the road markers? Oh…) and adding a mile to our 106 mile day, we all had a good time at a wonderful ride on a grand course.

Perfect weather for an afternoon ride

2011-06-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

I managed to sneak a fun 30 mile ride in with LanceOldStrong on Thursday evening. We climbed about 2500 feet, including Old Briones Road off Alhambra. We slid through Lafayette and the secret hills above Walnut Creek.

Two bridges, three murder sites, squirrels and flowers ride

2011-06-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

When famed tour guide LanceOldStrong proposed a ride across the Benicia and Vallejo bridges that also included:

The Frontage Road behind the Airport in Concord
The Sewage Treatment Plant
Concord's 100-year-old paupers' field cemetery for the unclaimed and indigent.
Three other graveyards along the route
County Jail
Bail Bond Row
Murder #1: The site of the murder of Dr. John Marsh in 1856
Murder #2 a Zodiac killer murder site
Murder #3 another Zodiac killer murder site
Other points of historical oddness.

How could we not go?

Our first major site (if you don't count the sewage treatment plant we saw in the distance) was the Pacheco Cemetery. They've recently started locking the gate, and we couldn't fit through the crack in the sad wall. We were reasonably content to peer in over the fence. We also stopped briefly in Martinez by a California Historical Marker (and big rig parking spot) of the murder of California pioneer John Marsh.

From there we rode past the county jail and courthouse on our way to cross the Benicia bridge. We ducked into Benicia and rolled down to the Benicia State Recreation Area where Mr. LanceOldStrong shared his snack with some ground squirrels that live in the sewer there. It was like a scene from Willard.

Leaving the shoreline we rode over about 4 feet of genuine cobblestones, just so I could say "Yes, the Roubaix handles the cobbles very well, thank you." We also dropped in on the Benicia Camel Barns, home of the US Camel Corps in 1863-64.
We saw the Cytomax factory on our way to Lake Herman Road, site of perhaps the first of the Zodiac serial killer slayings in 1968. It's just a wide spot in the road, but someone had ominously graffitied a nearby sign with the Zodiac's signature symbol.

From there we headed out Lake Herman Road toward beautiful Vallejo, stopped off at the Catholic Cemetery, and eventually passed the "Second Baptist Church." Is that the biggest claim to fame they can come up with, "Second?" After dealing with odd intersections, lights that don't sense bicycles, and interesting neighborhoods we found our way to the Vallejo Bridge, and made our way to Crockett for lunch, where we visited with a couple our real-live touring cyclists headed for Napa.

Following lunch we headed toward Port Costa. We'd been promised history, and Mr. LanceOldStrong came through with a lesson about the Eckley Pier, shipping, trains, wheat growing in Contra Costa. (See interesting link in comments for details)

Riding the The Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail is always fun, and though I'm sure they are illegal, the road paintings always make me smile. The trail, undriveable by cars, makes for a colorful flower-filled ride.

Our last cemetery of the day was Saint Catherine of Siena on the edge of Martinez. I think if I'm ever in a cemetery I'll request goats rather than flowers.

Executive summary: Metric century, touring pace. Lots of looking at stuff, good lunch, much laughing.

Canyon Classic Century 2011 and Ride For Matt fundraiser

2011-06-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

There might have been a better way to celebrate our 12th anniversary weekend than riding 111 miles Saturday and 72 miles Sunday. Wait... Nope, I can't think of one.

All the cool kids must hang out here.

We started our weekend with the Canyon Classic, a century ride that starts in Patterson, heads up to Mines Rd, drops into Livermore and heads home through the farmlands of the Central Valley. It's a very pretty ride with wonderful volunteers. Though they apparently aren't aware that "century" means 100 and not 111. After 100, 11 is a really big number. Most of the 5,672 feet of climbing comes in the first 33 miles. After that there's a downhill, this year featuring a huge headwind and some exciting gusts. It was all worthwhile for the endless downhill with a massive tailwind on Tesla Road.

We lunched at Bent Creek Winery. I'm usually rushing Tricia through the rest stops. This time she teased me because I insisted on tasting their wine and buying a couple of bottles. She didn't, however, seem to mind helping drink them later.

I didn't really transport the wine back on my bike.

Ride for Matt
We learned through our friend Joel about his friend Matt who'd been hit by a car in early 2011. Matt's friends planned a benefit ride for him. They did an amazing job, from their Ride4Matt.org website to the route markings. We don't know Matt, but because we're only one degree of separation away, as we are with so many Northern California cyclists, we wanted to support the efforts to help him.

We went with our friend Joyce, starting our drive to Roseville entirely too early and way too worn out from the Canyon Classic. We got an early start on the 70 mile route. Though some folks were less than thrilled with the bike path start, I enjoyed riding under bridges next to creeks. It didn't last long, and with our early start we didn't have to contend with much other traffic.

The rest of the route was just right. We'd ridden pieces of this before, and enjoyed them all. We've ridden so many rural Northern California roads that they all seem familiar, like home.

Though I was tired, and not riding fast, near the end I found myself annoyed that I was passed by a few... heavier.. riders. Then I realized I was seeing people who were on the 30 mile loop, and felt a bit better, kicked it in a bit and put a stop to that nonsense. Yep, life is a Cat 6 race.

When we arrived at the park finish it was like being in a small town. There was a band playing old standards and a crowd of riders eating their barbeque lunches. It just felt nice. We had to leave before Matt spoke, but we understand the ride was a huge success, getting more participants than expected and raising a goodly sum for Matt. We wish him well.

Joyce complained there weren't any new photos of her, so here she is with Tricia.

More on Ultegra 6700 and 6600 shifter problems

2011-06-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Following my last entry and a post on Bikeforums.net mechanics forum I've learned some interesting information: My shifter problem is not unique.

"200miler" on bike forums, who's provided a lot of support for double centuries, shared some interesting info with me.

Curtis, I've been running across this problem/issue for the last 3 years, or so, while providing roving support on various doubles. I get a minimum of one instance per ride. My DMD instance happened on Mines between the water stop and the Junction after I'd left you folks at the Mines RS.

About 1 year and a half back, I had a phone conversation with Shimano Tech support in SoCal. There was a more than a bit of hemming and hawing, but I finally got, IMO, a tacit agreement that there was a design issue [his words!]. The angle that the cable leaves the indexing rachet retainer and goes thru the brifter housing and into the cable housing causes "undue stresses" and wears the outer strands of the cable until, BINGO, you've got what you experienced with your 6600's. Getting the nubbin out after the cable is broken is as you relate, a real PITA. In some cases the nubbin gets jammed inside and can't be shaken loose; a new brifter is the only solution. Catching the cable in its frayed condition can be a field repair if done with due caution [on Quack events of course!]. With a broken cable it's a crap shoot; depends on where the nubbin is.

The relevant brifters include the 6600 and 6700 Ultegra, and 7800 and 7900 series Dura Ace. I haven't run across any of the 5700 brifters "in trouble" but I think that's only because they are not in wide distribution yet. Note that this applies to 10-speed only; I've never run across, nor heard of, any 9-speed issue. There is no particular cable recommended to replace a damaged one. If a 3rd party cable is used it won't necessarily prolong its eventual replacement. Of course, there *COULD* have been a flying production change on the Shimano production line.....

The only real way to prevent this from being an event-ender is to visually inspect the RD cable on a regular interval, or when ever you sense a change in shifting smoothness.
YMMV
-dg

I've made a permanent page with repair instructions.

Here's a web site that might help

I should point out that I was able to fish out the broken end on 6600 shifter without going to such extremes, but it did take a long while.

Ultegra 6700 shifting badly. Could it be...?

2011-06-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Why won't my bike shift well?
New chain? Check
New cassette? Check.
Adjusted with love and care? Check.
What of what could cause the normally-delightful Ultegra 6700 to shift like ... like something that doesn't shift well?

I'm getting ready for some long rides and thought I should do the new cable thing. I got Gore Ride-on brake and shift cables. Son of a gun, when the right shifter cable came out is was frayed as all get out.

New cables = wonderful shifting. And oh, what a pain if it had broken in the middle of nowhere.

I'd had a similar issue with my 6600 Ultegra brake/shifters. The end actually came off and took forever to dig out. I wonder if this is a design problem, that perhaps they route the cable through too may turns. I don't think this should have happened after only 4500 miles.

UPDATE: See this post

Maker faire and crazy bikes

2011-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Whiskydrome death-defying wall of death fun.

Tricia convinced me that it would be a good idea to to, the day after the Davis Double, take BART from Bay Point to Millbrae then ride bikes to the San Mateo Fairgrounds to see the Maker Faire. I guess she was right, but my body didn't entirely agree that day. At least we got $5 off admission for riding there and parking in their very nice bike parking area.

Two Penny is one of several huge and amazing pedal-powered machines we saw. ToddBarricklow.com

We went to see all the wild bicycle stuff, of which there was plenty. We also wanted to enjoy the sustainable gardening/farming exhibits, amazing sculpture, steam punk corner, and general wacky atmosphere. I've heard the event described as Burning Man for Geeks, and that may be close. It's very kid friendly and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I found it so crowded I had trouble making clean photos, so only a couple are mine. I did try to make a movie on Tricia's Flip camera, and proved in the process that I'm a still photographer at heart. Here's a Youtube link to the video.

Woodbikes.com featured these amazingly crafted wooden bikes. I don't know that I'd care to ride one, but I'd love to have it in my living room.

Jens Voigt, Tour of California, stage 4 2011

2011-05-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Jens Voigt rode this stage with a badly broken wrist. I shot this as he neared the finish line at the top of Sierra Rd. You can almost hear "Shut up, wrist."

Jens on having to drop out of the ATOC.

Jens Voigt on how to pronounce "Jens Voigt."

Official Old Guy and Non-Athlete Tips for Surviving the Davis Double Century (with 2011 ride report)

2011-05-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

LanceOldStrong, not the old guy, on left. Curtis Corlew, the old guy, on right, at the completion of the 2011 Davis Double.

Let's start the Davis Double report with some stuff that might actually be useful.

As a veteran of four Davis Double Century rides (and 4 other doubles) let me offer my Official Old Guy and Non-Athlete Tips for Surviving the Davis Double™.
Disclaimer: These work for me. There are many way to attack this ride, but these are mine.

• Start early. I think it's better to start in the dark than finish in the dark. There's no one stopping you from leaving at 4am (like I do) or even earlier. Leaving this early gets me back just before it gets dark.

• The first 20 miles is flat and you'll be excited. People will fly past you at warp nine or faster. Let them go. Ride with a group that won't kill you. Remember, it's a long day; take the long view. Don't burn out in your first 30 miles.

• At rest stop number one you can leave your lights and pick them up on the way back (mile 180) as it's the same stop. I've done this and it worked. I've also just left them on the bike.
Another possibility is to just roll past rest stop one. It's only been 20 miles, and if you followed my advice you aren't tired at all. The time you save by not stopping is huge. You'll end up ahead of much faster riders. If you do stop, don't mess around. Get in and get out. Don't chat.

• Rest stop management is one key to finishing the same day you start. I didn't dismount my bike until mile 100 in 2010. It worked fine. I just grabbed water without even getting off the bike, and then just rolled on.

• Cardiac hill, the first climb, is no big deal, relax and enjoy it.

• The next rest stop is a chance to make sure you have water and add some sunscreen. Don't skimp on the sunscreen. Really.

• Cobb Mountain, up next, is a royal pain. It comes when the sun is full, and it's too long and too steep. I can't power through it. I drop into my lowest gear and just try to keep going. The rest stop at the top… it isn't the top. Enjoy it quickly, but move on, there is more climbing.

• You've earned your descent. It's frighteningly fast, and there are shadows that could be hiding bike-eating potholes. Relax. You'll be passed by people going over 50. Slow down and live to ride another day.

• Pretty soon you'll get to lunch. Make it quick.

• I keep saying don't screw around at the stops, and I mean it. Stopping for food and eating really slows you down. I carry a bottle of mixed Hammer HEED and Sustained Energy, and a big baggie of more. I also haul a couple of Powerbars and a bunch of gel. I try to eat on the bike as much as I can.
Sure, if you are fast and strong you can bomb from rest stop to rest stop and visit, eat and have fun. But if you are slow like me you need to do everything you can to keep moving.

• The route after lunch is a pain. It's not a climb, so you don't get to feel good about conquering a mountain. It's just slightly uphill into a headwind. Seek a slow moving pace line, or settle in for a no-turn bit of painful boredom. After the right turn there's a climb that looks to be long, but isn't. The descent is a delight as the road is wide and smooth. Enjoy it because the next climb, though not steep, seems to take forever. Eventually you'll get to Resurrection Rest Stop and be happy.

• A short climb more and it's generally downhill (there is one small climb in the middle) long and fast. Enjoy. The right turn onto Cache Creek is a slight downhill, but the headwind can kill you some years. Roll on to the next rest stop and then past the casino. The road narrows, pickups scream at you and it is no fun until you get off the highway. It's all flat from here on, and the wind will determine how your day goes.

• The rest stop where you may have left your lights is the next to last. The last one is seven miles from the end. It's a Fire station that serves Chili. I just want to be done at this point and would just as soon do without. Some riders insist you haven't done Davis if you skip the Chili. I do anyway.

• At the end, don't forget to check in and pick up your shirt. Smart riders have a cooler with cold beer waiting in their cars.

Stuff I take other than the usual:

Light that I charge the night before
Garmin Edge 305 with a battery extender (battery is good for about eight hours, the ride takes me 14-16)
Gallon bottle of water to fill my water bottles with nice tasting water
Small LED headlamp (like for camping or spelunking) to read the route sheet
"Bento Box" top tube bag for camera and ibuprofen
Interchangeable lens sunglasses
Ice chest with beer (IPA), and ice, to leave in car for after ride

2011 Davis Double Ride report.
I did my usual start at 4am with riding buddies Dan and Ron. Dan did the Devil Mountain Double just a couple of weeks ago and was doing this just to visit with me and have fun. Ron is seeking his 1000 Mile Club Triple Crown jersey.

With all the rain this year I haven't trained much, but I do bike commute every day and have a couple of centuries under my belt. Still, I wasn't as strong as I might have been. I had trouble holding Dan's wheel and he kept backing it off just so I could stay with him.

That said, even though we were taking it easy, we rolled pretty well, with favorable winds, through the morning. We did make a wrong turn, but thanks to luck and Ron's smart phone we were able to get back on course without even adding any miles.

At the first climb up to the dam I heard my bike making the weirdest noise. I stopped to check and discovered a broken spoke. Damn it! I loosened the brakes and went on. Later Dan noticed a roll of duct tape in the road, and we stopped to tie up my spoke. It worked well, though I did have to stop several more times for adjustments.

The climb up Cobb mountain is every bit as awful as I remember it. It takes too long, and when you think you are at the top, you aren't.

I knew I hadn't been on the bike enough when my butt began to get worn out around mile 130. I've not had that happen before. It just got sore, like I'd been on a bike seat all day.

After the rest stop at Resurrection when the road gets flat again we we rolling along and a paceline came by, not a lot faster than us. We jumped on, but they were so squirrely that LanceOldStrong started to be offended — he's a delicate sort. They'd speed up, slow down, wobble, speed up, slow down, You know the drill. \ So Dan dropped the hammer. He just exploded away. It was impressive. I watched him bridge to the next group, then explode past them. It was fun to see the guys in front of me looking around all confused.

Later, Dan pretty much dragged me, and a few others, along at 18-20 when he got "horse and barn" syndrome.

Tricia met me, Julie and Dan's kids met him. Ron rolled in a few minutes later. He rolls faster, but enjoys the rest stops longer. Check out his excellent ride report and photos.
Tricia drove me home as I was in no shape to operate a car.
I was beat, but managed 9 miles the next day, bike commuted on Monday, and played 3 sets of tennis as well. It's Tuesday and I'm pretty recovered. Life is good. I may even ride another double some day.

Stats for those who care:
202.28 miles
16:10:48 total time
14:29:17 rolling time

Amgen Tour of California Stage 4 2011

2011-05-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Cycling gods. That's what they are. Watching Chris Horner destroy the field and win by 1:15 up the scarey-steep Sierra Road in San Jose was like witnessing Zeus destroy the Titans, while smiling. It was hard enough standing up straight on the roadside. I can't imagine racing up it — especially after climbing Mt. Hamilton.

Lance OldStrong and I parked at Welsh Creek Road near Sunol and rode to the finish, taking the easy way up. We still had almost 3000 feet of climbing in 16 miles just to get there. I cleverly took my weighty commuter bike, thinking I'd have to lock it up and leave it somewhere. Instead it was with me the whole time. I could have taken the Roubaix. Oh well. In just a couple of hours and two flat tires we were there.

We picked a perfect spot. Such a perfect spot that that we quickly had a flock of tour photographers standing in front of us. I was starting to worry about missing the race, but the promised to duck low when the riders got there, and they did.

It's amazing how quickly it's all over. Just zoom, wow, the end, ride back. Totally worth while!

Link to a slideshow of few photos by me.
YouTube video of Versus coverage where we were.

Lodi Sunrise Century 2011

2011-05-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

What can I say about a ride that has not only has route markings, but road kill markings as well? Those, and a brief "traffic jam" that was a small cattle drive are just two of the things that made the Lodi Sunrise Century a ride fun.

We usually ride where there are a few hills. Our neighborhood loop has 2000 feet of climbing in 30 miles. Doing a century with only 3750 feet of climbing was just what I needed.

I rode with Tricia and Joyce until the first rest stop. I tried to wait for them, but I hate stopping, especially when I'm just getting warmed up. Tricia had Joyce, but I had no patience. I was in full "next week is the Davis Double" mode and took off. I thought I might see them later, but I didn't.

The ride through the California foothills featured very little automobile traffic (with the short exception of the narrow Liberty Road, and the big trucks that scared the bejeebers out of me.) It included a brief tour of walnut orchards, endless fields and a bunch of delightful rollers.

The easy climb up to Pardee Reservoir was beautiful. It was so green, and seeing the amazing amount of water poring through the spillway was awe inducing.

The friendly tail wind became a pain in the face headwind on the return leg. I was lucky to hook up with a couple of strong (and big) riders who vacuumed me along at 15-18 mph for a long way. I eventually lost contact at 100 miles. I'd missed a turn earlier and added 5 to the 103 mile route. My last 8 miles was considerably slower, but I did manage 15.1 average for the first 100. I might have even been able to bring it up a hair if I'd not been caught behind the cattle for a bit.

A good ride, and a quick stop at the Michale-David Winery on the way home made for a delightful day.

RideWithGPS map, complete with missed turn.

Pittsburg Twilight Criterium 2011

2011-05-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I went to the Pittsburg Twilight Criterium. A real bike race with real bike riders, so close to home. So many healthy looking people, so many way-cool bikes. Wow.

The temperature was 60, but the wind was howling. I can't imagine racing in wind like that. I would hardly enjoy just riding in it. I was so cold I could barely stand it. We kept trying to find wind breaks to huddle behind. It's really too bad about the weather, because the event itself was wonderful. It's supposed to be yearly, and I really hope it is.

We weren't able to get there until just before the womens race, but we had a chance to walk around and see the booths and such and scout the course. It wasn't crowded at all, so we were able to find interesting corners with great views to watch from. The women's field had a bunch of big-name riders from all over the world, and holy smokes could they fly. The seventy-five minute of full-tilt race was 15 minutes longer than most womens crits I was told, but the fast riders finished at about the same lap time as they started. It was breathtaking to sit right on a curb and have them fly by at warp nine.

Kudo's for the sponsor, Project Sport for having an equal $5000 purse for both the men's and women's main events.

As much as I loved seeing the bike race and everything that went along with it, there's one weird thing that seems like a holdover from some previous era. I know it's tradition, but I find it a bit embarrassing. It just doesn't seem to have anything to do with racing, and feels like pandering.

Why are there "Podium Girls?" I don't doubt these young women are fine people and all, but the major make-up, heavily-style hair and frighteningly-tall stiletto heels look out of place at an athletic event. And even more so at an event where there are women competitors killing themselves to squeeze every ounce of power and skill as they make superhuman efforts. One group is there because of what they can do, the other for how they look. I don't want to criticize the "girls" themselves, who seem to be good sports — they even posed for a photo with me, and countless other geezers — and who seem genuinely friendly, and are there of their own accord. I know it's supposed to be all in good fun, but still, I do wish bicycling, as a sport, could move past this uncomfortable anachronism.

Bike to Work Day 2011

2011-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

My graphic design students at Los Medanos College designed posters to promote Bike to Work Day. Yep, I assigned them to. Their posters will be printed and put up around campus. Would it be fair to grade them base on how many people actually ride that day? How about bonus points if they ride?

No image? Click this link.

Devil Mountain Double Volunteering

2011-05-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

Riding the Devil Mountain Double, a 200 mile bike ride with 20,000 feet of climbing just wasn't in the cards for me. But the Quack Cyclists did a great job supporting the Knoxville Double I rode last year, and my friend LanceOldStrong was riding the DMD, so I signed up as a volunteer. I was placed at a food/water/rest stop at Mines Road, ninety-something-miles and three major climbs into the ride.

It was an enjoyable experience. The Quacks are well organized, and are all about helping the riders. When a cyclist rolled in someone was there to hold their bike, while someone else asked what they needed. Volunteers hustled to fill their water bottles, and add whatever magic Hammer powder they needed. There was a huge assortment of cyclist-friendly food, from fresh fruit to potatoes, from peanut butter sandwiches to Hammer Gel by the gallon. Volunteers brought camp chairs for cyclists who needed a break. Even the riders were considerate. I can't imagine how they are able to focus on anything but the ride, yet many — maybe most— thanked us for being there for them.

It was also fun to have familiar faces from Bike Forums roll through, and have the opportunity to help them in some small way. Ramon came flying through early. Marco came in reasonably early reporting three flats and a broken front derailleur. He'd been shifting with his foot and planned to carry on that way. LanceOldStrong rolled in looking happy as could be and ready to tackle the next section.

At one point a little girl came up to me and, in an accusatory voice demanded to know "Why are you wearing that shirt?" referring to my Davis Double Shirt. I told her "Because I did that ride." That must have been the right answer, because she smiled and said "So did I." I remember seeing her on a tandem and being amazed, and here she was, tandeming the DMD. Watch out world.

By the time we packed up I was pretty beat after about five hours of trying to be "on." Then I realized that the riders started before I got up, and would finish after I was in bed. I felt silly, but no less tired.

The most frightening thing I saw all day was the first rider through. He was about 20 minutes in front of the next rider and must have been pushing a 20 mph average even after thousands of feet of climbing.

Crowd-favorite LanceOldStrong exits rest stop three, looking strong with over 100 miles to go.

Ione loop, part two; DMD metric fail

2011-04-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

I thought my ride in Ione was so pretty I had to haul Tricia up to see it, even if it did involve riding through a creek that crosses the road. I did a better navigation job, so we didn't get lost once. I just love RideWithGPS.com for making it possible to find routes like this. And because the cue sheet is from a GPS and I'm riding with a GPS, the mileage cues are perfect!

It really is a heck of a ride, and a big 'ol climb as well. The first 36 miles are all uphill with 4800 feet of climbing, increasing in steepness until the pitch hits an extended 15% with spots as high as 21. It was a grunt, but a beautiful grunt. It all pays off with a screaming decent from Daffodil Hill into Volcano on baby-butt smooth roads. From Volcano it's mostly downhill all the way home.

We started under cloudy skies, worried about rain, but got lucky as it stayed dry. At around mile 50 of our 60 mile trip the sun came out and the day turned perfect. We finished in wonderful light, with a delightful 5313 feet of climbing.

DMD Volunteer Ride Fail
Following our Thursday adventure I played tennis on Friday, then got up at 3:30 on Saturday to ride the first 70 miles of the Devil Mountain Double as part of their Volunteer ride (I'm not riding it, but I'll be at the Mines Road rest stop handing out goodies.). I had a brake rub when I left the parking lot. Even though I fixed it quickly, the group was gone and I found myself riding alone.

I must have been beat from the last two days because I had no pop at all. The weather was cold, but I felt even colder. Even with warm clothes and full gloves I was freezing so much it hurt. I got near the Diablo Summit and said "Why am I doing this?" and headed back to the car. I still got over 4000 feet of climbing, so it wasn't a total bust. But I was sure glad to get into a car with a heater.

Diablo Century 2011

2011-04-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

With minimal long-distance riding this year, Tricia and I were a might concerned about tackling a ride with the 100-miles and 6800 feet of climbing. We weren't really worried, just concerned. We'd been bike commuting in the rain, but that same rain had kept us pretty much away from anything over 30. We'd had one or two "real rides" but that was it.

But this ride went well. Though we both had low spots — mine climbing up toward Castro Valley into an annoying headwind — the overall experience was reassuring. We can still ride!

The most exciting moment was after cresting Morgan Territory and descending "the plunge" — a very steep downhill that's challenging on even a normal day. We'd been in sun and nice weather. The plunge dropped us into a wet road hidden in fog. It was somewhat harrowing until we dropped out of the cloud and flew toward Livermore. Yea tailwind.

Canyon is still beautiful. Rolling into the redwoods is still like magic. And what's with car drivers in Orinda? They all drive with such a sense on entitlement, honking, backing up without looking, honking again at cars and honking at more bikes and behaving in a generally clueless manner. Do really expensive cars make you weird, or do the weird feel compelled to buy them?

Tricia, for inexplicable reasons, decided to count road kill.
Her tally: 1 squirrel, 1 bird, 3 snakes, 1 of creature undetermined species and one guy annoyingly zig-zagging up a steep section in front of her.

The Walnut Creek Jewish Community Center puts on a good ride. It's well marked and generally well organized. They did have a couple of flaws this year that i hope they'll correct next time around.

1. I stood way too long at check in. I'd prepaid, so it shouldn't have taken the 30 minutes it did. They really need a couple more volunteers at peak check in.

2. Last year the lunch stop at the school had us using the school restrooms. This year we were told to use the port-a-potties at the Sunol train station. When we came out we were accosted by an angry train engineer who was not happy we'd used their facilities. Apparently we could use one outside the fence, but not the ones inside. The ride organizers hadn't made that clear, and we got quite an ear full from the train people.

The Diablo Century had a jersey this year. The photos were really ugly, but it turns out they actually did a much better job. The photo was just a mock up. I didn't get one and now I think I should have. Maybe next year.

Here's the RideWithGPS map

Cinderella Classic 2011

2011-04-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

I keep asking Tricia to be my guest blogger and write about the Cinderella Classic ride, the annual women-only ride put on by the Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Touring Club.
Though she got a swell new jersey, she just doesn't seem enthused about writing for this world-famous, beloved by all blog. So, I will speak for her:

She had a good time. That is all.

Isolated in Ione, Pummeled in Plymouth, Foiled in Fiddletown

2011-04-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

I'd been searching RideWithGPS.com for a suitable route near Ione. I needed to go to Plymouth to pick up some wine, and I'd always thought Ione looked like it might be a pretty plce to ride. Tricia was off to ride in the Cinderella Classic, so what the heck, I planned a 60 mile solo loop using a map I found on ridewithgps, packed my stuff and headed east.

That's about when the errors started.

1. On arrival I pulled out my cue sheet and a clip then looked for a place to attach it to my bike. Whoops. My Roubaix has hidden cables, so, unlike my Kestrel, I couldn't clip it to a cable where I could see it as I rode. And my speedometer and Garmin take up a lot of handlebar space. If I'd had a clue I could have brought an elastic loop to put around the stem, but, no clue; no elastic. Having a cue sheet that wasn't easy to read would lead to more... issues.

2. I'd looked at so many ridewithgps loops in the area that I didn't notice this one went clockwise, unlike all the others I'd looked at. I started out and never felt like I knew where I was. I had to stop too often to check my cue sheet and eventually managed to turn left instead of right. I traveled about six miles downhill before I figured out I'd erred and needed to turn around and grunt back out.

When after about 30 miles I finally got to Plymouth, I was amazed discover I'd to arrived from the west and not the east. At least, now halfway through my ride, I realized where I was and that I wasn't traveling the direction I'd thought.

The ride from Plymouth to Fiddletown was an uphill delight, though much longer than I expected. I turned on Hale Road like the cue sheet said and eventually was sure I'd made another error. The smooth road turned to crap and eventually I got to a section that served as both a road and a creek. As I contemplated crossing, and wondered how deep it really was and if I was lost, a car — one of the few I'd seen — drove up and stopped. They assured me I was still on Hale and watched me ride across after promising to alert the authorities if they saw me swept away. The water was deep enough that my foot got soaked on my downstroke.

With a soggy sock I climbed up an extended 10%-18% grade, wondering again what I'd gotten myself into. At least it was freakin' beautiful: no cars, green fields filled with yellow flowers, stands of tulips by the road, and forests. It was a cyclists paradise.

I climbed and climbed and eventually turned downhill and descended on a wonderful road into the town of Volcano. The cue sheet faked me out for a moment, but eventually I got headed down Sutter Creek Road, the long downhill I was sure had to arrive eventually.

3. The route snaked me, rather cleverly, through some back streets in Sutter and I avoided the traffic in the town. The cue sheet slipped me onto the Griffinet Rd/Sutter Ione Highway and told me to turn left on CA 124. When I got to an unmarked intersection I turned onto what looked like a 124ish highway and rode a long way before some friendly broke-down motorcyclists informed me I was on Hwy 49 going the wrong way. I made a turn and eventually headed back to Ione on Hwy 88 which, having a very narrow shoulder and a ton of cars, is not a good route for bikes.

Eventually I made it back to my car, having turned 60 miles into 72. I think I learned:
1. I need a device to hold a cue sheet.
2. Carry an actual map, and not just a cue sheet.
3. Look a bit harder at the route before I leave.
4. Take LanceOldStrong and make him navigate as he is actually good at it.

Side note: In two April days I have more road bike miles than I did all of rain-soaked March.

At last, a day with no rain, and a bike ride!

2011-03-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

The famed Lance Oldstrong plotted a custom outing, and took Tricia and I on a 72 mile, 5500 feet of climbing ride that started in Fairfield, took in a piece of the Knoxville Double route, tossed in a climb up Cantelow and a taste Mix Canyon. It was my first real ride in a while. What with all the rain, and catching a cold, I haven't been out on the weekend. I've just been commuting.

The weather was cool to cold. The sky spit on us just a bit at as we kitted up, but only enough to encourage us to wear our rain jackets. We were glad we did, just for the warmth. The lack of rain today and the stunning green hills and rushing water in the creeks we rode past made the ride beautiful. And, best of all, I felt pretty darn good for having had a layoff for a bit.

I keep telling Dan he could start a touring service. He'd be darn good at it!

UPDATE: Here's a Ride with GPS map. Should I keep doing this, or does sticking them in the post slow the connection speed too much?

Drying bicycle clothes and shoes

2011-03-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

I keep reading “tips” on the best way to dry rain-soaked cycling clothes and shoes. Many say “Stuff newspaper in your shoes." That's just a plain ol’ bad idea. Stuffing newspaper in may absorb a bit of moisture, but mostly it traps the moisture inside where you don't want it.

The trick isn't newspaper, or even heat; it's airflow. What you want is a lot of air moving past your your soaked items and carrying the wetness away.

I bought a very small — just a few inches tall — electric fan at a hardware store. It was less than $10.00. It's cute (like that matters) and doesn't make much noise. Even with fenders and a rain jacket, and sometimes rain pants, on a really rainy day my cycling stuff can get pretty wet on the way to work. Just aiming this fan at my shoes and socks is enough that, when I'm ready to go home, my stuff is dry. Just the blow-past wind aimed in the general direction of my outer wear drys it off as well.

It’s works well enough that I have another tiny fan at home too. Aiming it at soggy shoes drys them out overnight.

Next time someone suggests newspaper in your shoes, feel free to roll your eyes and just move along, secure in your new superior dampness-fighting knowledge.

My bike books

2011-03-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Montana, Idaho and Oregon, 2010 by Curtis Corlew | Make Your Own Book

I've been making books about our trips for a few years now. The first was of "The Gates," Cristo's 2005 art installation in New York. I've also made them for our Oregon Coast ride, our Washington bike tour and now, our 2010 Cycle Montana, Idaho and Oregon summer. Even though I like to think I'm a digital guy, there is just nothing like having a physical book out on the table. And, like I tell my photo students, no one is ever going to go through an attic and discover an interesting shoe box full of pixels. Hopefully, the embedded link will work and you'll be able to flip through the pages here. You can even click that little four-headed arrow and get a full screen view. Just in case it doesn't work, here's a link: Montana book

I've created books using Kodak Gallery, Snapfish, Qoop, MyPublisher and Blurb. Several use a web interface, and some use a downloadable program you run locally. After messing with them all, I like Blurb the best. Mostly because their program does away with a slow web interface, and works pretty well. It's no InDesign, but it's easy to use.

This book covers our Cycle Montana ride with Adventure Cycling (which we loved. I can't say enough good things about them) as well as our stop in Idaho and our Crater Lake ride. It's the largest book I've done at about 11 x 14 inches. I'm happy with the reproduction and so far it looks like we spelled all the words right.

My other Blurb book: One Thousand Miles, and a Little Bit More
I had so much fun making the Montana book I decided to make another one commemorating the quest for the California Triple Crown jersey undertaken by Lance Oldstrong and myself in 2010. I used recycled blog posts, screen captures from BikeForums.net posts, photos and "liberated" ride reports. After all, this may well be my pinnacle of cycling achievement, so a book seemed somewhat reasonable. It will give me something to reminisce over as I sit on the porch with my mint julep.

I made two, and gave one to Lance Oldstrong. My trick totally worked. At first he had no idea it was about him, he thought I'd just found a book about the Triple Crown. It was fun watching it dawn on him that he was in it.

If you ride, make photos, or take vacations, I strongly encourage you to consider making your own book with any of these services. It's just plain ol' cool to have a physical memory, and in making the book you get to relive all the fun you had.

Art in Antioch, part 2

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'd promised myself I'd create a series of entries about the public art the Antioch area that I ride my bike past. This is entry number two, so I have a long way to go before I can really call it a series.

"The Drop" by Barbara Grygutis is a 35-foot tall stainless steel piece just outside the Antioch Water Park across from Deer Vally High School on Lone Tree. I'd seen it at a distance and thought "OK, another nice safe piece of metal. At least it isn't a guy on a horse." But up close it starts to be a lot more fun. It really is monumental — it needs to be to visually compete with the nearby traffic lights. The reflected glare of the sun makes the surface shimmer in a fascinating way. The surface isn't solid, but you can't really see through it either. The curves are graceful, even though it feels overly "thick" to me. I enjoyed it more when I stopped thinking of it as a drop. It's really it bit too weighty, massive and stable to conjure up "drop." Instead, just appreciating it for what it is, made it a lot more satisfying.

That's my Roubaix in the foreground, just for scale, and because this is a bicycle blog.

Photos between the rain

2011-02-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

I wasn't feeling strong today, so I decided to make lemonade from my lemony self. Instead of a training ride, our ride would be a photo ride. The sun and clouds between the storms were just beautiful so I took advantage and actually stopped the bike to make a few photos. Between the green hills, blue skies the majestic white clouds and the snow on Mt. Diablo it was a photolicious day.

Coach Troy is mean to me

2011-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have a solo day off, so of course it's raining. Raining hard. I'll bike commute in the rain, but the idea of going for a rain-ride just for fun seems like, well, not fun.

But I have a trainer, and it seemed like the proper day to fire it up. How long could that take?

• Find Tricia's spare wheel with the old tire on it
• Pump it up
• Replace the inner tube that was bad
• Pump up again
• Take Tricia's bike off the trainer
• Take trainer skewer off Tricia's bike and put the old wheel
• Remove my wheel, mount wheel on bike
• Find heart rate strap
• Look up how to turn off GPS on Garmin 305
• Realize there is no magnet on the rear wheel. Find. Attach.
• Find my "trainer bibs" (unraveling elastic too ugly for road use)
• Set up Coach Troy video on laptop
• Start
• Realize that I need to find that terry cloth drip catcher. Stop.
• Start again

In just a few minutes I remembered why I hadn't been on the trainer much. Riding outside is fun. There are downhills, vistas and views and wind and all sorts of nice things. The trainer is just pain.

I "worked" a Coach Troy video. At least I tried. I assume when he says "Big Ring, 16 tooth" he really means "Big ring, 24 tooth" and when he shouts "120 RPM" he really means "115, and not for very long." Coach Troy shouts a lot, and I can tell he's disappointed in my effort. All the people in the video are amazing. He introduces them with short bios, like: "This is Karen. She's an internationally ranked triathlete, a champion mountain biker, personal trainer, doctor, and in her spare time brokered a peace pact between the Crips and Bloods in LA." These are not my peoples. Coach Troy doesn't seem to understand, or care. He just keeps shouting impossible demands. "SPIN SPIN SPIN 50000 RPM!!!!"

About the only thing I bet I do as well as these folks: Sweat. Holy smokes. I drenched my sweat band and clothes, the "drip catcher" and a towel. I weigh considerably less than when I started.

I was toast in no time. There just aren't enough — or any — downhills. Oh well. Now I have to clean up this mess.

Back on the saddle, again

2011-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

I got a ton positive comments after my last whinny post. I also got a few well deserved HTFUs. Lorri Lee pointed out that, if I quit riding "who would take sexy photos of Trish on her bike?", so when Tricia dragged my complaining self out for a ride on Sunday I made sure to bring the camera. Here she is on our beautiful California winter day, rolling along Empire Mine Road. Thirty miles, and a few choice words from my philosopher-friends did a lot to improve my perspective.

David Lowe-Rogstad helpfully pointed out "Rule #10 my friend. Rule #10." Tomas Ovalle chimed in with "I like rule # 5!" Thank you, gentlemen.

Pete, Joel, Chris, Jonathan, Laura, Veronia, Scott and Steve all sent some positive and hopeful words for me, and Mariel pointed out I was so old I should happy to be doing anything. At least that's what I think she said.

I think I learned not to post right after being disappointed.

Plus, I wasn't as far off pace as I feared. I was just so tired I was doing really bad math. So, plans for giving it another shot are in the works.

And hey, it's Valentines Day, so the whole world looks a bit brighter, even though it's raining.

Life is tough, and then you die

2011-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

I ride my bike. Kind of. After completing five double centuries last year I was starting to think of myself as a cyclist. Apparently that's not the case.

The Devil Mountain Double Century has a couple of time cut offs. It's roughly 20,000 feet of climbing and 200 miles. There's a time cutoff at around mile 90. You need to be there 8 hours after the start or you can't go on. With my pals Dan and Steve, I decided to ride that first 90 miles to see if I could hit the cut off time. Kind of a test run for the "DMD." Starting in San Ramon, we rode to the Mt. Diablo Summit, through Clayton and over Morgan Territory Road. The route continues out to Livermore and over Patterson Pass.

I failed miserably. I did 6700+ feet of climbing and 63 miles in at such a slow pace — 11.3 mph average, 5:53:31 total time — that I bailed in Livermore and didn't even attempt Patterson Pass. I'd never have made it to the cutoff point in just two more hours.

It's got me rethinking this whole cycling thing. This isn't even a race, it's just a bike ride, and I can't even go fast enough to have a chance to finish. And it isn't even that fast.

Maybe I've deluded myself into thinking I could ride, or maybe I just have a faulty memory and think I used to be able to, like that old line "The older I get the faster I was."

In any event, today was a wake up call. Or maybe a go-to-sleep call. It's time to take stock and admit this whole cycling thing just isn't working out well. I've got a summer cycling tour planned, and I hope to be able to struggle through that, but after that, it's time to hang up the cleats, read more books, drink more beer and just take it easy.

Here's all my fail data, in all it's ugliness.

Superbowl Winter in California

2011-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

BigBossMan on Bikeforums.net Norcal hosted a Superbowl ride and party. The ride was a California Delight. It took us through a bunch of suburbs, but in the end we climbed up the delightful Bollinger Canyon Rd. This week the rest of the country is in snow. We've had fog lately, but Sunday was about as perfect as a day can be. Condolences to the rest of the world.

Bonus photo by Steve

The right clothing for the weather

2011-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

I wasn't the fastest, or the coolest, or the thinnest on Saturday's 85 mile ride. I went out, guided by LanceOldStrong and his sidekick Steve, to climb Patterson Pass and Mines Road. It was a bit ambitious to think I could just roll out that distance with about 6000 feet of climbing in January. I suffered as I grunted slowly up the hills I thought would never end. I had more than a few "Why do I think this is fun?" moments.

But I did absolutely nail one aspect of the ride: I dressed perfectly. I almost never hear roadies talk about it, but I've seen fellow cycling commuters do a fist pump when they get their clothing perfect on a cold day. As someone who does both, I find I'm quite pleased with my own bad self on the days I manage to pick just the right clothing. It doesn't always happen. I've been caught out too cold, or overdressed and melting. But the delight of picking the perfect kit for the weather, for cheating mother nature, is rewarding.

I knew the ride would start in cold dense fog, then we'd climb into at least partial sun. I knew the climbing would create heat, and the descents would be cool, if not cold. I thought about what I'd wear way too much, but in the end I got it just right and rode — at least temperature wise — very comfortably.

Obsessive clothing details:
I wore a "buff" under mt helmet. What a great invention! I used an Under Armour baselayer under a long sleeve Champion Systems Tech Fleece jersey.

For the early morning fog and for descents I wore a Pearl Izumi Barrier Jacket. If there is one useful piece of information in this post, it's this jacket. It's somewhat windproof, and it's often just the extra layer I need. And it is so very small and light it stuffs into a jersey pocket and almost disappears. I highly recommend this jacket!

Tricia is a wool glove fan, so I listened to her and wore wool glove liners under my new Descente cycling gloves.

I have new Oakley Jawbone sunglasses with vented, yellow lenses that worked perfectly. (Review to come soon.)

I went with regular bibs, but covered my legs with Voler leg warmers. and finished off with wool socks under Performance toe warmers.

Now if I can just get the engine functionality even close to the clothing functionality I might almost be a cyclist.

Curtis and LanceOldStrong in the fog. All Photos by Steve Monroe

How clean is clean, and does it matter?

2011-01-30T15:51:00.000-08:00

On a ride with LanceOldStrong I looked over at his cassette and was amazed, if not stunned, to see how clean it was. Given the recent weather here anything short of filthy would have been an accomplishment, but this drivetrain went far beyond that. It was sparkly.

I'd been meaning to clean up my bikes, and my plans to put on a new chain pretty much mandated I at least clean the cassette. Inspired by OldStrong and using the "Anything worth doing is worth over doing" approach I ended up not only installing my chain and scrubbing the cassette, but cleaning the crud-encrusted disaster drivetrains on my commuter bike and Tricia's commuter bike as well.

What a mess. There is just no easy way to do it. I popped the bikes on my cheap wobbley stand and used several brushes, Orange Peel solvent, a plastic chain cleaner device, the garden hose, a ton of rags and a special cassette brush. Even with all that, there's no way, short of taking off the cranks, to really clean between the chainrings.

The worst of it was around the derailleur pulleys on the commuters. It was amazing they still shifted at all. Naturally, that area is really hard to get to and requires a toothbrush.

I am now covered with black gunk. My clothes may never recover, and my hands will be stained for days.

But the bikes are clean, and my cassette shines like a diamond in the sun, so it was worth it, right?

Morro Bay and journalism, with Apple and bikes

2011-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Tricia and I went to the Journalism Association of Community Colleges winter conference in Morro Bay. During a workshop Kurt from Apple demonstrated podcast tools for education and journalism. It was very cool. He handed out Macs and iPods so we could try making our own. Since I'd managed to sneak out with Tricia for a quick 25 mile ride during lunch I made my podcast about her.

Mt Diablo, with fog sans water bottles

2011-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Classic.
"Where are the water bottles?"
"I left the bag on the table so you could add the Cilff bars you wanted."
"I thought you had them."
"Well, I thought you had them."

And that's how it was when we started setting up the bikes in Walnut Creek's Los Lomas High School parking lot. We'd bailed on a 10 a.m. start due to amazingly thick and cold fog, and went to Barnes and Noble instead (if you know Druple, call me, mail me, save me.) Our 11 a.m. start wasn't much warmer, and we had one old ride freebie bottle we'd left in the car. I bought another when we got to Danville.

The ride up started in pretty cold fog, but around 1000 feet the day because glorious. It was downright warm. We shed jackets, arm warmers, gloves, and we're still almost too hot as the sun warmed our thawing selves. What a difference. And what a delight to look down on a Diablo Valley full of cotton-candy fog.

From the junction we zoomed down until we hit a wall of that dark, cold stuff again. Our decent went from rocket like to cautious as the visibility dropped to not-so-much.

By the time we got to Walnut Creek again the sky was blue and beautiful, and stayed that way until we drove into the gray curtain of East County. A cold, and warm, then hot, then cold, then really cold, then just right time was had by all.

Year end mileage and goals

2011-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Bottom line: 7477 total miles
Fixed gear/SS 326
Commuter 2484
Kestrel 1520
Roubaix 3146 (road bike total 4666)

I managed to reach my major goal: Five double centuries (Solvang, Hemet, Davis, Knoxville, Bass Lake)
I also had some other big events, including a tour in Montana and the Mendocino Monster century. I also turned my odometer over on the commuter bike at 10,000 miles.

In the upcoming year I don't plan on trying anything like five doubles, but do hope to do one. I have several out-of-state bicycle adventures planned, and with any luck will even get to touch down in Canada for a short ride.

Contra Costa Underground Railroad

2011-01-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

While almost everyone is familiar with the Underground Railroad on the east coast, few are aware of the very different kind of underground railroad in Contra Costa County.
Originally started as a simple way to avoid building rail lines over the steep hills of Contra Costa, these rail tunnels were later used during World War II to make the transport of munitions around and near Port Chicago harder to track by on-ground spies. There were even adapted during the cold war to move nuclear weapons in and out of the Concord Navel Weapons Station.

After years of being strictly off-limits to non-military personnel, with the closing of the Weapons Station and the general thawing of the cold war, the extensive tunnel network is being eyed as a possible bicycle transportation solution to the increasingly crowded highways in the area.

We were allowed to ride about 15 miles of the recently repurposed rail tunnels with East Bay Regional Parks representatives last week. Though the tunnels are very dark (more lights are planned for installation), and many remnants of their past linger in the shadows, in general they do indeed make wonderful bicycle routes.

These bike route tunnels address three of the most common concerns that non-cyclists have: Hills, cars and weather. In the tunnels there are no hills — they were build for train cars and are essentially flat. There are no cars and, perhaps best of all this winter, no rain.

Our ride went well, and we look forward to the official opening of a proposed more than 40 miles of underground bike trails in the county.

Secret Walnut Creek route, with Bears!

2010-12-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

I was just getting ready to drive to Walnut Creek to drop off some papers when LanceOldStrong called proposing we ride before the rain came. I haven't been feeling great lately, but said "OK."

I'm glad I did. It was a cool overcast day, but our ride up Pig Farm Hill and two of the Three Bears was delightful. But the best part by far was LanceOldStrong's weird route through the west side of Walnut Creek. I grew up there, and didn't realize it was possible to get from Lafayette near Pleasant Hill Road to Larkey Park by climbing through neighborhoods and taking bike/hiking neighborhood cut throughs. It was just weird. And highly vertical. You couldn't do it in a car, but following trail-blazer OldStrong it was possible. Apparently he Google-maps and street-views obsessively to find these unlikely routes with semi-secret paths and steep hills.

However he does it, it sure was a fun 40 miles with 2700 feet of climbing, even with the rain at the end.

Secret route through Walnut Creek. Click for larger version and don't tell anyone!

Click for much larger version

Test for embedding Ride with GPS map here.

Christmas lights ride 2010

2010-12-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Antioch's Delta Pedalers hosted a Christmas lights ride. I'm not a big fan of Christmas, or it's associated lights, but this was really fun. We joined almost 30 people on a swing past some of the more outlandish displays in town. Apparently the latest one-upmanship is to have a low-power FM radio station connected with your display to broadcast Christmas tunes.

Our group included many Christmas-light covered bikes (Yep, guilty. Tricia and I both hung battery lights on rides) and even a rolling, lighted Christmas tree on a Burly trailer.

We had a car honk at us and the driver shout "Merry Christmas!" which isn't what I'm used to hearing. It was a pleasant change.

As we rolled down the street Tricia pointed out that, with out bike lights and blinkies, LED lights and Christmas tree, we were our own Christmas extravaganza. She was right. We really did look pretty cool, in a weird sort of way.

Delta Ride, Jersey unveiling

2010-12-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

To steal a line from LanceOldStrong...
Recipe for a great ride in the Delta:
5 friends, 50 mi, 300 ft of total climb, 2 ferry rides, 1 nice lunch, about 6 cars total. A great day.

Maybe we weren't supposed to ride everywhere we actually rode, but no guts no glory, so we went ahead.
Not that there was a lot of glory on this ride. It was pretty darn relaxed.

We started at Brandon Island and somehow managed to sneak through the delta region on back roads up to Walnut Grove where we had a way-to0-large lunch. We crossed bridges, rode on levee roads, and never once saw the sun.

We took a detour to check out the Grand Island Mansion, which seemed like a great place to publicly unveil LannceOldStrong's and my own 1000 mile club five-double-century jerseys. We'd been waiting and they finally arrived. Now I need to drop a few pounds so I can wear it closer to home.

Eventually we made to Rio Vista, crossed Rio Vista Bridge and ended up back where we started.

Page 28 girls

2010-12-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

London newspapers may have tacky "page 2 girls" but the 2011 Adventure Cycling catalog has classy page 28 ~~girls~~ women. Yep, Tricia made their annual tours catalog again. They apparently recognize a good model when they see one. I wasn't left out either. There's a nice pull quote from me on page 2 (no photo, so I am not a page 2 boy) that reads "Signed up. Sent money. Waiting for 2011 like a kid waiting for Christmas!"

Red tires and Big Boss Man

2010-11-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

We finely got Tricia's red Valentine's Day tires and Williams wheels on her Ruby. Darn does that bike look sharp. Even better than before. We unveiled it to the public at a birthday ride for Bikeforums's Big Boss Man.

The company was grand, but the weather was cold as all get out. I found myself wishing several times I'd bundled up a lot more. Still the wonderful vistas and lack of cars made it all OK. We ended up clocking in at about 54 miles, and finished at Dublin Cyclery. Check, the owner rode with us and was kind enough to let us change clothes in his closed shop.

Big Boss Man himself

I was lost the whole time. I'd never ridden here before, but I sure will again.

click for readable size

And I would ride 10,000 miles...

2010-11-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

In the dark, in the cold, I managed to reach 10,000 miles on my commuter bike this morning. As it turned from 9999.9 I was hoping it would read 10,000, but alas it rolled over to zero. Almost all those miles are commute miles, though there are a few utility and fun miles tossed in too. I also sometimes commute on my fixed gear bike, and even on my road bike, so this doesn't represent my total commuting miles. But still, it's a milestone. And a lot of riding in 8.19 mile chunks.
Today was the coldest day in a long while, and I wore more clothes than usual. My feet still haven't really warmed up.

The day after Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Ron figured we all needed to work off Thanksgiving, so he planned a ride around Mt. Diablo via Morgan Territory, then up to the top. We didn't make the top, but managed the Junction at least. We're blaming three flats and a coffee stop for running short of daylight. LanceOldStrong and Steve joined Ron, Tricia and Taxi777 (aka Pete) and my own bad self for this ridiculous cold-fest. I really had no business attempting this as I've been busy gaining weight since my last double century, but I did it anyway.

We saw ice that looked like broken glass while climbing Morgan Territory. This mixed well with the cold sweat collecting around my glasses, creating a simultaneous too hot too cold sensory extravaganza.

It was worth it just to ride with friends, and have such wonderful autumn light.

Ron did a good writeup with photos on his site (Danger, annoying autoplay music.)

Pete did his usual crack-up job with his report too, so there's no reason for me to go hyper redundant here, except to post a few photos. Here's a small set on Flickr.

Photos of Tricia by Curtis on Adventuring Cycling site

2010-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's good to be loved. Adventure Cycling has a bunch of photos by me of Tricia on their web site. Right now Tricia is even on their home page. They have good taste, don't you think? Check out their Cycle Montana page and Great Lakes Relaxed page. Heck, sign up for a tour while you're there. These folks are wonderful. Here's a link to a five-photo slide show of them.

And just in case that isn't enough fame (still no fortune) for us, Tricia was the subject of a story in the Contra Costa Times.

A true champion

2010-11-15T10:01:00.002-08:00

Dan Edwards, perhaps one of the most respected, even revered, of the world's 50-plus sprint tri-athletes has acquired a new steed that promises to make him unbeatable in the California circuit.

The newly-equipped, Edwards, a feared opponent on any bike, will truly be the force to be reckoned with in the upcoming years.

After years of riding an antique bike — an all-steel model with downtube shifters that weighed about 40 pounds — just to taunt his competition, he's moved into the current century with a Kestrel RT-700 full carbon, highly-aero, high-tech über-machine.

With it's internal cable routing and advanced design, this bike, though used by Rock Racing in the Tour of California as a road bike, is perfect for the fast-paced world of the sprint triathlon. The copper color alone will strike fear into the field. Coupled with the modern components it carries, like the American Classic 420 wheels, it seems hardly fair to let Mr. Edwards compete on it.

Edwards tested his new bicycle in the grueling hills near Millerton Lake outside of Fresno just last Saturday and pronounced it "acceptable."

Your humble blogger is grateful to have played a small part in this transaction, having provided said cycle and delivered it to the rendezvous point. Seeing this champion ride was without doubt the high point of my cycling life. Knowing that future races will take place on a bike that I myself once rode is like having a small piece of history-yet-to-be-written all to myself.

I raise a tire lever in salute to the indomitable Mr. Edwards! Ride on, sir!

Giro d' Vino 2010

2010-11-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and rainy day, then the wind kicked up.

Holy smokes, what a wet day. Saturday was grand, Monday was perfect, but the day of the Giro d' Vino was a mess. We must have changed our minds five times about driving an hour to greater Lodi to ride in the rain. In the end we thought "If it's really bad, we'll just go taste wine."

When we got there we weren't smart enough to stick with our plan. We put on our rain gear (such as it is) and jumped on our fenderless road bikes.

We had signed up for the 100K ride, but decided to just do the 50K version(about 30 miles) Somehow we ended up with 42 miles, which in the rain is a significant difference.
It was flat, but the wind kicked up and we found ourselves working to stay at 12 or 13 mph.

There were winery stops, which were fun. But we found we just cooled off and then got cold. We skipped the last few just to keep moving and try to stay warm.

Two days later and my ski-type gloves haven't dried out yet. My shoes haven't either. The rain jacket and pants worked well, but my booties seemed to be sponges. I still haven't figured out how to keep my hands and feet dry. If you have a hint, let me know.

Note to ride organizers: Wet paper maps just melt.

Halloween day and socks

2010-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yep. Halloween Day. And it's really all about 45 miles and the lightening bolt socks. We have our priorities in order, thank you.

Autumn

2010-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Autumn seems to be here. I'm guessing it'll last about a day. We got a just a tiny kiss of rain.

Powerhouse Bass Lake Double Century 2010 and recognition.

2010-10-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Recognition
In completing the Powerhouse Bass Lake Double Century, Dan (LanceOldStrong) and I achieved our goal of riding five double centuries this season and earning the California Triple crown 1000 mile club jersey.

We rode the Solvang, Hemet, Davis, Knoxville and Powerhouse Bass Lake together. I know I couldn’t have done it without him.

We started last winter with the loose notion that, having completed the Davis Double in amazing heat, maybe we should try to do three doubles and earn ourselves the California Triple Crown jersey. That no sooner became a reality — as in a fact for a few minutes — than Dan pointed out that we could do two more and earn an even cooler jersey.

We started this season, if not equals with different strengths, at least on the same cycling page. Even though I trained a lot, Dan focused even more. Throughout the season he became stronger and stronger, and pretty much left me in the dust. Perhaps even more amazing, he’s somehow managed to do it while keeping the support of his family who text him words of encouragement throughout his ride.

This last double just about did me in, yet at the finish Dan said — and looked like — he was good for another 100. He stayed with me the last 60 when he could have easily jetted away. Having him make up weird cycling lyrics to semi-obscure rock tunes from the past may be the only thing that got me over that last climb in the dark. I couldn't ask for a better riding partner.

The Ride
I’m a reader and a researcher. So is Dan. Yet somehow we made two errors before the ride even started. We thought we’d scouted the ride start. It was a block in front of the hotel at the Veterans' of Foreign Wars Hall on 4th. Little were we aware that going out the back of the hotel put you on 4th by the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Hall, the actual ride start. When we found it the organizers told us we could have checked in the night before, but I never saw it on their site, and neither did Dan. We missed our planned 3:30-ish start and got off at 3:51. Still, we were happy to be rolling.

We were both relieved to have dressed perfectly for the morning cool-not-cold temperatures. The ride itself was, well, dark. So it didn’t really matter where we were for the first 30 miles. We played “What fruit do we smell?” as we rolled through farmlands of grapes, oranges, perhaps grapefruit and who knows what else. Though we couldn’t see beyond our lights, we can report with confidence that the Clovis area is flat, flatter than anywhere I’d ever ridden. It continued like that for a bit over 70 miles. Then the hills started.

Along the way we picked up a rider from Sacramento named Steve, or “Software Steve” to differentiate him from Dan’s other friend Steve. We rode quite a ways with him. Steve was riding a standard double crank with a low rear sprocket of 24 teeth. (Note to non-geeks: That's a really high gear for a steep hill.) I saw him struggling up the hardest section, and later at a rest stop. I hope he finished. That’s one tough gear ratio.
UPDATE: “Software Steve” reports in a comment, below, that he did indeed finish, and will be buying another cassette before he tries something like this again.

Our first climbs were’t bad at all, and the view from up above Pine Flat Lake was a magnificent vista. The next climb up Maxon Road was a taste of things to come, but still not too tough. Burrough Road was everything good about California. We rode near a creek, still alive with running water. With cattle grates eliminating the need for fences, I felt like we were rolling through a cleaner, nicer past. I even stopped to photograph a great, big, road-crossing tarantula.

We missed a turn somehow and added a few extra miles before the Auberry lunch stop. Following lunch was a pleasant climb and at mile 112 a screaming decent. I couldn’t enjoy it knowing we’d have to climb it on the way out. I should have, because it would have been the last thing I’d have enjoyed for the next 2 1/2 hours. This was the hardest, most relentless climb I’ve ever done. I hate stopping, and though I didn’t get off the bike, or push the darn thing, as I saw a lot of others doing, I did have to take a break twice. I tried to smile and make a photo of my sweat-soaked face, but it doesn’t come close to capturing the pain I was feeling. I was as close to not being able to continue as I’ve ever been. I was pretty sure that if I ever got through this ride I’d never get on a bicycle again.

But, as with all climbs, this one eventually ended. After a long break and a spin around Bass Lake we got a long, long decent back past the powerhouse to that climb out I’d been dreading. We completed it in the dark and rolled into the Auberry rest stop.

I was thrilled to find that most of the route was downhill from mile 164. We flew through the darkness.
Clarification: It was downhill and faster than uphill, but I didn't exactly fly the whole way. I had a few rough spots. I felt OK, but just couldn't generate any speed.

I was happy to finish. Even though I kicked it up the last 8 miles or so, Dan had been chomping at the bit for the last 30. He said he felt like he’d be good for another 100, and he looked like it. I was toast.

Dan’s family met him, Tricia met me (with an ice cold beer — I may have been slow, but I was the envy of the room for a while) and I crawled off to bed, with dreams of a new jersey order dancing in my head.

Ratings
The route was a delight. I love California, and this ride showed off its beauty. I loved riding through the rolling hills and past the oaks and golden fields. What an experience.

I failed to love the haphazard marking of the course. As Dan pointed out, at the Hemet Double they said “We didn’t mark a thing. Pay attention. You are on your own.” Here they marked some corners with hard-to-see paint, but they missed a few too, so we never knew if we should trust them, or if we’d miss an unmarked, or poorly marked, turn. The route sheet was on regular paper in a small font that made it hard to see. Mine disintegrated and I had trouble getting another at the rest stop. A rider who was bailing out gave me his, thank goodness.

Not that the route slip was accurate. Apparently we weren’t alone at being confused because we didn’t know already, like the locals, that Millerton was Hwy 168 and we should turn right, and not go left on Millerton, which was what the sheet said.

As long as I’ve got my bibshorts in a wad, someone should point out they make food grade hoses that don’t flavor the water you serve with a sharp plastic taint. Yech.

But the worst thing on this ride was the waterless water stops. Water stop 1 was out of water when we rolled through, and water stop 2 was just an unstaffed pile of empty plastic litter on the edge of the highway.

Even with these serious flaws, I enjoyed the ride, and I’m pleased beyond words that I finished. As one of my favorite saying goes, “It’s not how well the bear dances, but that the bear dances at all.” Now he’ll be dancing in a California Triple Crown 1000 mile club jersey, stumbling and smiling as he does.

Endnote: Even though I swore never to ride again, Tricia had me out on a short recovery ride the next morning. Oh well.

Click for much larger version

Bonus Photos of bike bridge opening.

2010-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Carlos Gonzalez is now with the SF Chronicle, but a zillion years ago I worked with him at the Ledger Dispatch (back when it was a real newspaper.) He was at the Robert I. Schroeder Pedestrian and Bike Bridge opening and sent me this swell photo. Hey! That's George Miller clapping as I ride by. Thanks Carlos.

Walnut Creek Bike Ped bridge and internet fame

2010-10-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I got to be "extras" in the grand opening of the Robert I. Schroeder Pedestrian and Bike Bridge over Treat Blvd. by the Pleasant Hill BART station in Walnut Creek. We'd responded to a note from the East Bay Bicycle Coalition looking for interested folks, and we were picked. I don't think there was much competition.

I grew up a block away from where the bridge is now and remember walking home from Walnut Creek Elementary and Intermediate along the tracks that are now part of the Iron Horse Trial, so it was really kind of neat to get to be there for this event.

They had us ride to the top and wait while politicos made speeches, then roll down when they cut the ribbon. It was great because we couldn't hear them yammering; we just chatted with the other extras and enjoyed being on a beautiful bridge.

After the event we went for a ride up Diablo. Part way up a cyclist yelled to us "Bike Forums! Margaret Thatcher!" I looked at Tricia and wondered "Margaret Thatcher? Huh....??" Later that day there was a post on bikeforums.net from "nthach," who recognised our jerseys and was telling us his name as he went by. Mystery solved.

On our way back stopped at a Greek restaurant by Sports Basement for a bite. Sitting outside a young man came by and introduced himself as "Gui" and asked "Curtis?" He'd recognized us because "I follow your blog." I'm always amazed to find anyone reads this. It makes me think maybe I should pay more attention to what I write.

Still, internet fame, where is thy monetary reward? I await you.

Knoxville Double Century 2010

2010-09-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Executive summary:
202.15 mile
13,968 feet of climbing (Garmin 305, Ascent software)
16:12 rolling time
18:22 hours on the course

Trying to sleep the night before a double century is just plain hard. A strange bed, and the excitement of a kid the night before Christmas just does not make for a deep, relaxing sleep.

We'd planned to start the 2010 Knoxville Double Century at 4am, but Ron (spingineer) and Dan (Mr. LanceOldStrong), like me, were excited enough that we arrived at the start early and managed to roll out 15 minutes ahead of schedule at 3:45.

We were among the first on the route, and overtook the two earlier riders about 10 miles in. We'd gone 35 before the sun started to lighten the sky and a group of riders passed us. They turned into the first rest stop, which we ignored, so for a bit we were out in front. It's not a race, so it really didn't matter, and it wasn't a bother that we were passed a lot more as the day went on.

Sometime around dawn I could smell breakfast being cooked. The smell of bacon and coffee mixed with the morning air is a memory stirring aroma. Later, as the sun was going down, I'd find myself on the opposite end of the day, enjoying the smell of wood smoke and the fragrance of ham being prepared for dinner.

At mile 45 I got my first kiss of direct sunlight. It felt good after the coolish morning temperatures. It had been downright warm at our Holiday Inn in Vacaville at 3am, but once we hit the road away from the city I was glad I was wearing a light windbreaker. We knew the coolness wouldn't last, and indeed it didn't seem like long until we were baking. Dan's Garmin registered over 100 more than once before the ride was over.

Riding this long gives one time to be bizarrely philosophical. I found myself thinking about how a double century is a lesson about life. Whatever the conditions are, they'll change. Temperatures change, winds shift, when you can't go on somehow you do and have a burst of energy later. Uphills end and become downhills, Cool becomes warm becomes hot becomes cool becomes cold. Light becomes dark, and on and on.

By the first climb of the day it was already hot in the sun. We'd been warned about the poor road quality on the Howell Mountain decent, so I took it slowly, thinking I'd see giant holes in the road. Instead the road was a delight, with no problem sections and I wasted a perfectly good downhill hammering my brakes to go carefully. Oh well.

Berryessa Road was pleasant, but eventually it turns mean as it starts uphill. But before it got ugly I had a chance to ride along side Chuck Bramwell, the Executive Director of the California Triple Crown. Yep, the guy whose fault all my double riding can be blamed on. If it hadn't been for his neat-o jersey I'd never have been out there doing this ride.

Berryessa Road, once it starts uphill, is exposed to the sun, and somewhat relentless. The only relief is the all-to-brief tunnel and then the water stop shortly thereafter. I wanted to camp out in the tunnel, it was so cool, but we didn't. Seeing Princess Zippy and husband Thom at the water stop was encouraging. It's so good to see a friendly face as you are facing heat, hills, and the dreaded Loch Loman climb.

After a quick stop at the lunch area we started up toward Loch Loman. I'd been dreading it the whole ride. I'd attempted to save every drop on energy I had, hoping it would be enough. Two weeks earlier I'd had to stop twice while climbing it and lay my head on my bars, drip like an exploded radiator, and pray for my heart rate to drop. This time I just rode it. I even beat my group up to the top, no small feat as they are both stronger riders than I am. At the top I phoned home and while I waited for Dan, I noticed I had a flat. I got it fixed just as Ron rolled in.

At this point I'd achieved my major goal and thought the ride might as well be over. My other goal, however, -- finishing -- was still a long way away.

After a shortish climb up Cobb we all enjoyed a long, long, screaming decent at 11% plus into Middletown. What a blast.

After our decent we hit a long, straight flat road where Dan, for inexplicable reasons, decided to crank it up to 19+ and pull a long line of cyclists for miles. I managed to hang onto his wheel because he was careful not to accelerate too quickly, but we eventually rode everyone else off the back. I was relieved when we hit the rest stop and I got to grab a quick fist full of rest and fill up on ice.

Heading toward Lake Henessey and one of the last rest stops is just a blur to me. I was losing my thinking ability at this point. I remember climbing, and climbing, and I remember a wonderful decent on a smooth road toward the rest stop. The rest stop featured, of all things, hot dogs. That's about the last thing I'd want to see on a ride like this, but for many, including my riding partner Dan, it was just the thing they needed. We were checked for proper lights. I switched out my dark lenses to yellow and we were on our way after being promised it was easy from here back. They lied.

We had several climb and decents. Perhaps they would have been easier if we hadn't already ridden 180 miles, but we had. And it was dark. And getting later.

There's something magical about riding in the middle of nowhere in the dark. With no light other than your LED headlight and the spill of other cyclists lights for miles it's hypnotic. You can't see where you've been, where you're going or off to the sides. Your whole world becomes that 50 feet in front of you. Maybe it'll go up, maybe down. You just pedal. Occasionally there's a road sign. During one climb I was sure that I'd had a major and important life changing epiphany when I realized that the most beautiful sign there could possibly be is "Trucks, use low gears."

At our last rest stop we were promised we had only 13 easy miles to go. I'd been sanity and health checked by several folks and had to convince them all I was good to go. I don't think they really believed me. I was deep inside my own head and just wanted to roll, not rest.

The last 13 was a pain that seemed like it would never end. It was too dark to see my bike computer so I couldn't take refuge in the readout that would confirm I was still moving. I was sure at one point we would never really finish. Eventually we made the last turn and were just a few hundred yards from the end. I felt like a cycling god. An old, tired cycling god, but a god none the less.

Dan, who had been a flawless navigator for 201.9 miles called the last turn wrong and sent me down a driveway costing me at least 20 feet of extra riding, but I got turned around and rolled in with Dan and Ron, exactly together as we had started.

Tricia greeted me as I just stood over my bike, unsure about what to do, or how to get off. Eventually I managed to dismount and Tricia hugged me and gave me the best beer I've ever tasted.

That night I was without a clue. The next morning I was still clueless, but added hungry to my description. IIHOP was, at that point, an amazing culinary experience. Bacon, eggs and pancakes never tasted so good.

Monday I'm still a little loopy, but feeling better and able to speak in complete sentences most of the time.

Let me add this note: Quack Cyclists rock! They had the best support I've ever seen. Great stuff at rest stops, massive amounts of Hammer products, smiling volunteers that know what you're going through and SAG cars everywhere. At one point a guy ran from his car and tossed an ice sock on Dan's shoulders without Dan didn't even slowing down. They were great!

Now I just have to recover enough for the Bass lake double in two weeks….

Injuries: Not too bad. Slightly tired neck, tight Achilles tendons and a weird skin pull from the gripper elastic where my bibs meet my legs. Must have been from all the heat. Oh, and really bad helmet hair.

Voodoo nutrition

2010-09-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

If you ride, you know how some days you feels like you have snap, and you look forward to every climb and sprint. You likely also know what it's like to just feel off; able to ride, but just not with any enthusiasm or energy.

I've had that low energy thing going for a while now. I've done long rides, short rides and commute rides and just felt blah. It's been making me nervous as I have the Knoxville Double Century coming up in 13 days.

On Saturday I told Tricia I'm willing to try voodoo, and that we should drop by the Vitamin Store and see what kind of snake oil they were pushing this month. I was ready to try anything.

I've been trying to drop a few pounds before this ride, and I've been very focused on my eating. I've not had a drop of calorie-rich alcohol this month, and I've been religious with my diet.

Apparently I've been over doing it. According to Doctor-My-Wife-Tricia and the folks behind the counter at the Vitamin Store I've not been getting enough protein. Indeed, when we returned home and Googled about for guidelines, I was way under everyone's recommendations.

So I bought a big thing of Gold Standard Whey. The sales folks said I should eat a giant jar every 15 minutes (that might be a slight exaggeration) but we figured just taking enough to get my protein intake up to average might help.

After drinking some last night, and again this morning, I went for a ride and felt better than I have in at least two weeks.

It may be voodoo, but I don't care. I'm feeling less worried about the Knoxville Double, and that's what matters.

I am down to 149pounds. I'm thinking every pound of fat I don't have to haul uphill will be a good thing. I'm hoping for 145 by the ride. We'll see.

Knoxville Double recon ride

2010-09-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

LanceOldStrong convinced me it would be a good idea to recon part of our planned Knoxville Double. Tricia came alone just because, and Ron came because he might ride the double with us.

We left Pope Valley at about almost 9 am and rode all day. It was hot, and seemed like uphill the whole way. We ended up at 89 miles with just under 7000 feet of climbing.

Along the way we got to ride through deer-hunting-territory, complete with lots of rifles and pickup trucks. We rode forever with no water stops, draining our bottles to the point where Lower Lake looked like an oasis in the desert.

I'm still stunned with how steep the back off Cobb Mountain and Loch Lomand Road are. Ouch. I can't wait to hit it 100 miles into our double....

Tricia gets some award. I'll post if I can figure out something grand enough to present her with. She rode with "the boys" again. I admit there were many section where I had trouble, or just couldn't, keep up with her. She's such a cyclist, she always claims to be slow, or having a bad day, then just rocks.

Dan did his usual great job navigating, even when the cue sheet went stupid. We all lived, and nothing broke on the bikes. A good time was had by all.

A rare photo of me on my own blog, stolen from Ron. Thanks Ron!

Marin Century volunteer ride

2010-08-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

LanceOldStrong and I rode the Volunteer edition of The Marin Century. The route was great, with no stupid miles in towns with traffic lights. The whole course was beautiful, and it seemed like we saw about three cars all day. The only issue was wind, wind and yet still more wind, with wind. At one point Dan stood up to hammer and a huge gust just about stopped him cold. We spent and amazing amount of energy to blast along at 12 mph for way too long.

We just about got used to wind and accepted it, then we'd stop and think "Holy smokes!" as the wind whipped us about and blew stinging sand into our flesh. At one point we looked over at a small inland pond and there were white caps and waves. Really.

Still, somehow, it was a fun 103 miles, and will hopefully prepare us for our upcoming Knoxville Double.

And we still can't sat enough about the Marin Cyclists Club. They are so nice, welcoming and organized. It's really been a pleasure riding and working with them.

Diablo and training for the Knoxville Double

2010-08-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I rode with Joyce on Saturday. Northgate to the Diablo Junction, down the South Gate and out through Reliez Station Road in Lafayette and Pleasant Hill. Here's a photo of Joyce because she hasn't shown up here lately, and the clouds were just grand.

I'd ridden the junction with LanceOldStrong the week before, and also done a series of five hill repeats up Somersville Rd to Black Diamond Mines on Thursday. I'm getting in my climbing, but I think I'm getting slower instead of stronger. Here's hoping I'm ready for Knoxville. My goal there: Finish alive. That's all, just finish.

Volunteering at the Mt. Tam Double Century

2010-08-08T07:06:00.001-07:00

LanceOldStrong and my own bad self volunteered to staff a rest stop in Point Reyes Station for the Mt. Tam Double. As part 4 of our quest for the California Triple Crown Thousand Mile Club we are required to volunteer at a double century. We picked the right one. These folks were great. As LanceOldStrong pointed out, they used our time well and gave us what we needed to be at our best for the riders. We showed up to a stocked van and a huge binder containing just about every piece of info imaginable. If you ever plan to volunteer for a ride, you couldn't do better than working with this group.

Our rest stop rocked, and we enjoyed greeting and feeding riders as they rolled in. Dan made about 12,537,736 PBJs and seemed to enjoy building every one of 'em.

Cycling Crater Lake

2010-08-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal: A ride with climbing, in my book, is any ride that gains 100 feet per mile. This ride was a mere 41 miles, but with 4,412 feet of climbing. Not so bad, unless you factor in that it all happens between 6000 and 7800 feet. There's just no air up there, and if you live at sea level you really feel it. That said, what a ride. It was impossible not to stop every few feet just to gawk at the amazing vistas.

Click this image to see a larger image. I'll leave all the guidebook stuff about volcanic action and lava and such to real web sites. I'll just point out that if you ever get a chance to go here, don't think twice, just do it.

The cycling is grand. The roads are smooth as they are closed in the winter, and there are no big trucks chewing them up, because they don't go anywhere commercial. During the week there isn't even much traffic. Aside from the very real lack of oxygen, it's pretty much ideal.

And did I mention the scenery?

We camped out, cooked out, fought mosquitoes, drank a bit 'o wine and had a grand time. We talked to Sacramento Wheelmen who had a group ride through where we were, and had a nice time chatting with a California Triple Crown jersey wearer we encountered on the rim trail.

We even managed to stop off at the Sundial Bridge in Redding on the drive home.

As you might know from my posts here, I recently lost my father. I'm going through the painful task of sorting through his possessions and getting his business in order.

My wife, Tricia and I talked with my father about our planned trip just before he passed, and my brother insisted we really needed to go, so we decided to go ahead with our plans.

A day before we left, as we were headed over to work on Dad's condo when Tricia asked "Did you check under your Dad's bed?"

I hadn't. When I did I found a small box labeled "Curtis Treasures"

Inside were a few small objects from my childhood, including a top, some beads, a peace symbol, and a few other items. Among them, my early 1960s Boy Scout camping silverware.

We took them on our trip and used them every day.

Thanks, Dad.

In an odd coincidence, my sweet wife had packed away her darn-near-matching girl scout version of the same kit, which she dug out and took along as well.

Blue Lake ride

2010-08-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I are visiting Mariel and Keith on our way to Crater Lake. They live in the lovely town of Blue Lake near Arcata. We managed to sneak in thirty miles this morning, and we are so glad we did. We rode through redwoods, through fog, and through country lanes covered by the tree canopies. We rode over Mad River, worthwhile for the name alone.

Keith picked our route, and together we managed to build a circular route in Google maps using the bike feature and MyMaps points. It generally worked, though we're still puzzled over one odd turn it suggested.

Memorial ride for Glenn Corlew

2010-07-19T13:57:00.001-07:00

I lost my father, Glenn Corlew, on Saturday morning. I needed to get tired and turn off my head, and at the same time, remember him. I decided to ride up Mt. Diablo as a memorial. Several of my supportive bikeforums.net friends joined me and my sweet wife for a wonderful ride. Thanks to you all.

Photo by Irene Hightower. I hope she doesn't mind.

The joy of hill repeats

2010-07-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

When Dan (LanceOldStrong on Bikeforums.net) said we'd put a stone on the bumper every time we got to the top of the hill again, I thought he was being funny. But after three I had no idea how many we'd done and was glad for the pebbles.

As part of our assault on the California Triple Crown 1000-miles-worth-of-doubles jersey, we plan to attempt the Knoxville Double. We've got three doubles under our belts, but this one has a lot more climbing. To train we've decided to commit one night a week to pain, with no fun.

Our first effort was hill repeats up Avila Road in Bay Point, a dead end road that runs next to Highway 4 over the Willow Pass. Each .7 mile trip up averages just over 9 percent. We did eight. I tried to keep my heart rate above 90% max on each. During one silly "I'm in the tour" moment I was reading 99.

It sure wasn't fun, but I'm hoping it helps make my next double century a success. Because two weeks after Knoxville is the Bass Lake Powerhouse Double...

Mt. Hamilton

2010-07-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

LanceOldStrong of Bikeforums.net and I had never ridden up the famed Mt. Hamilton. It's a classic SF Bay Area ride, so we figured we'd better get it done this summer. It was a stellar day, so sunscreen was in order. More is better, too much is just right.

The ride up is about 20 miles, with a couple of short downhill sections in the middle. The whole thing makes for just a bit over 5000 feet of climbing. Since the road was built to haul up huge parts for the Lick Observatory it never gets steeper than about a six percent grade. That makes for a very nice ride indeed. The observatory is old school UC Berkeley architecture. It makes you feel smarter just from walking through it. It's really a beautiful place.
The ride back down is a blast. It isn't as steep or as technical as Diablo, so you can feel almost like you're skiing it without thinking that you might miss a corner any second. The pavement was a delight, especially near the bottom, where it's baby-butt smooth. All in a all it's a very rewarding 40 mile round trip.

We're thinking about doing a future ride as a 100+ mile loop from Livermore, and up the back side. It's supposed to be a bit harder, and it's over 100 miles.

We were wearing our new Northern California gear. Our fans seem to love it.

New Northern California BikeForums kit

2010-07-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

The kits I designed for the gang at the (take a breath) "BikeForums.net Northern California sub forum" finally arrived. With a lot of help from Tricia and daughter Erin I mailed out a bus load of USPS flat rate envelopes filled with jerseys, vests shorts and bibs. I ordered myself a jersey, summer jersey, long sleeve fleece jacket/jersey, bibs and knickers and was releaved when they came that I do indeed actually like the design.

Tricia got shorts and a jersey. I made photos of her after 25 fast miles in 90 degree heat and she's still talking to me.
Champion Systems did the work on the jerseys, and did a nice job. I particularly like their summer jersey, which has mesh bits that keep you cool, but doesn't look like mesh.

The kit is getting a pretty good review in the forums, and I didn't mail anyone the wrong size, so life is good.

Art in Antioch, part 1

2010-06-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try adding a new feature to this blog: Public art that I see on my bike rides in East County, particularly Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood and Pittsburg.

When Tricia and I rode past the new sculpture at the corner of Rockspring and Mt. Hamilton in Antioch, I swear I thought Antioch had at last embraced a Dr. Seuss world view. The piece, by artist Robert Ellison, is both monumental and whimsical. It twists like the wind is about to take it down, and looks like... well, it looks exactly how it looks. If you don't smile, or even laugh, when you see it you're just missing out on life somehow.

As with much of the public art in Antioch, the problem isn't the art as much as it is Antioch. As fun as the piece is, it's dwarfed by the surrounding homes and light poles. I can't help but think how much more interesting this piece would be in a less crowded environment. Maybe it says something about Antioch that the largest pieces of public sculpture in the area are traffic lights. We're so used to them we don't see them, but they are amazingly large cantilevered light-emitting, sway-in-the-wind, big-dollar public monuments. This little piece has a hard time competing.

Judging from the newspaper web site comments, this piece seem to be confounding the citizenry of Antioch much as the delightful Sprint Poles befuddled the city of Concord a few years ago. I always fear we'll only get the art we deserve. I'm hoping this shows that isn't always true. This work is a step up from a lot of the trite, predictable pieces we have elsewhere in the city. I hope it's a trend.

Mt Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial 2010

2010-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Photo from Diablo Scott and his magnificent blog

It's now official: I am slow.
This isn't exactly news, but it the first time it's been 100% official, complete with numbers and statistics, officially timed and UCI certified.
My start time was 9:26. I know that because I wrote it in sharpie on my leg because I just couldn't keep it in my head.
I competed in the 55+ group. My single-day race license had me as 16 years old, but that got sorted out at the the registration table. As I pined my number on I saw zillion dollar bikes on wind trainers, ridden by the amazingly thin. I just rode around a bit to warm up.

The start was an official platform, just like the one ones at the races you see on TV. That itself was intimidating. I was worried I'd slip just walking up the ramp. There was a holder, and I was worried I'd fall over, or somehow screw up. I'd read that I should be careful not to start in too big a gear, so I didn't.

And BOOM, I started.
My plan was to start relatively easy and ramp up as I went along, saving a lot for the last third. But I was too too excited. I was at 95% of my max heart rate in seconds. I passed my first rider in about 3 minutes. Unfortunately it wasn't a racer, just a rather heavy cyclist out for a ride. Oh well. I was passed by some rocket lad at about mile one. Many others passed me before I finished. I lost count.

I was trying to keep my heart rate at 92-93%. Any more and I'd have died before I finished. I did have bursts of 95-96 and dropped down to the high 80's just for a moment when I lost concentration.
I saw Diablo Scott making photos, and, when I saw a small car-flattened snake I thought I should photograph it for him for his road kill report. But I had no camera, and it was, after all, a race.

Eventually it all ended about 6 miles later, right by the ranger house. It's now hours later and my chest still hurts from breathing so hard. I know I'm slow, but I can't believe how fast some people blow past me. It's just amazing.

I'm waiting for the results to be posted on the web so I can see if anyone was slower than me. When I looked at the sheets they had taped up, I didn't see anyone who was.
On the up side, I had thought I'd hit 50 minutes. I think my official time was 42-something, so I beat my estimate. And I didn't die, or screw up any one else in their attempt.
Still, it would be swell to be just a hair less slow — to maybe break 40 or something.

I guess there's always next year...

BREAKING NEWS:
The results are up. I was not last. There were five mens finishers slower than me. Sure, three were juniors. And I was last in my group. But I'll take what I can get.

Mendocino Monster Century 2010

2010-06-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Mendocino Monster lived up to it's name. It really was a monster. Though it was billed as a century with 8000 feet of climbing, my Garmin reported it as
111 miles with 10,379 feet of up.

Tricia and I started the night before with a dinner in Ukiah at Patrona with a contingent of Bike Forum folks. The food was wonderful, but I don't know if I've ever been to a slower restaurant.

Sunday Morning we rolled out of the parking lot right at 7am. I wish the organizers would have planned for an earlier start, and hope they do next year. We left Ukiah and headed toward Mendocino and the coast in the cool but comfortable morning air.

Overall, this ride has fewer "junk miles" than any ride I've done. Lots of rides, though beautiful, have sections of city streets, traffic lights, broken glass and stickers, or high traffic. This ride was 99.9% unreal. The whole thing takes place in an unreal landscape. There are sweeping vistas, old-growth redwoods, wildflowers and wonderful aromas the whole way.

The ride is tough. I don't recall a flat spot the whole day. We either went up, or down. The ride starts with a tough climb, but having fresh legs makes it fun. The same hill, but a different route on the way back seems like it will never end, even though there aren't any steep spots, just a relentless 6% grade for miles.

If there was a downside to the route, it might be the road surface. A lot of the way the road is in ill repair, potholed and rough. In some spots it's merely gravel.
Oddly, it didn't bother me much. I think my magic Roubaix and the fact that I took my descents cautiously made my day less painful. I'd hate to try to get max speed on some of the surfaces we rode.

The feeling of an otherwise wonderful day was somewhat darkened by two crashes. On rider crashed right by LanceOldStrong. It appeared something happened to his bike. He was airlifted out. We saw another rider being loaded on an ambulance later in the day. I'd sure like to find out how they are, and what happened.

This was the organization's first effort, and they did a fine job. Lox and bagels at one rest stop, tri-tip at the post-ride meal. They marked the route well, and were just nice people. Tricia and I both won raffle prizes (Wine and a bottle of local apple brandy!)

My camera got a smudge on the lens part way through, so most of my photos have a weird dream-like look. I guess that makes sense for a ride with so many "tobacco accessory" shops downtown.

There's even a music a video!

In related news:

With just a little pressure/encouragement from LanceOldStrong (shown below, hammering uphill) I've signed on for the Knoxville Double and Bass Lake/Powerhouse Double. We'll volunteer at the Mt. Tam Double. With luck we'll qualify for the California Triple Crown 1000 mile jersey.
Saddle sores are a pain. After years of riding I finaly get to try one, and I do not recommend them, Yech.

Davis Double, 2010 and a ride up Diablo

2010-06-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Things I failed to post: (I've been a bum and haven't kept this up.)

Diablo Summit:
Fun ride up Diablo with Tricia, LanceOldStrong and Steve.
I think it's because I had camera issues and hate to post without art. But Steve provided me with a Diablo photo. (Thanks!)

Davis Double 2010: Complete! Alas, no ride photos...
Here's a quick outline of Davis:

I started with LanceOldStrong George P and Dante at 4am. I managed to hang on their hammer-fest until stop one, where I didn't stop. I rolled and they caught me again, and again I couldn't hang on. I rolled the second stop, just for water. I didn't dismount the bike until mile 95.
My goal was to minimize stop time, and I did. I was stopped altogether less than an hour, allowing me to finish at 15 hours 7 minutes. I got in a hair after 7 in the daylight.
A few thoughts:

Riding with temps in the 70s instead on 100s makes for a nicer day indeed.
Cobb is still steep.
I'd forgotten the downhill just before Resurrection rest stop. What a blast.
I had a headwind rolling downhill on Cashe Creek and was going really slow until I got behind a big strong guy and then hit 20 and 22 for a lot of it. What a relief.
LanceOldStrong and I now qualify for the Triple Crown jersey.

I averaged only 14.1 moving speed. Weak. I was faster last year in the heat. Heck, I was 15.1 at Hemet, and 14.9 at Davis in the amazing heat of 08. So I was a slow rider this year.
But...
I turned in my best overall time and speed: 15:07 hours. as opposed to 16:37 last year. That's a huge difference! My overall average speed, counting stops, went to 13.3 mph.
15:07 total hours, and a moving time of 14:15 means I wasn't moving only 52 minutes of the ride.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to approach this ride in the future. Go faster and rest more, or carry on with minimal stops.
I know, I should HTFU and do both. Like that's possible.

And, finely

Carbon bike: 3K plus
Davis Registration and two hotel nights: 300ish
Having my sweet wife greet me at the finish with a hug, kiss and great big, perfectly chilled bottle of Lagunitas IPA: Priceless.

Tour of California Sacramento finish 2010

2010-05-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

It was a tough race, but even wearing blue jeans I managed to nudge out Radio Shack's Armstrong in the end. Either that or Nissan had a booth with a green screen and a bike on a trainer where they'd photograph you and give you a print.

The "lifestyle festival" was fun, even though I can't say "lifestyle" without gagging just a bit. We drooled over 12 pound bikes and graffitti-decorated cruisers. Tricia got a Hincappie jersey and I bought super light tires at much less than half price at the Kenda booth. I really wanted the $300 Skinz bib shorts, but managed to talk myself out of spending that kind of money. We also picked up some carbon wheels (picked up, not bought) that seemed like a good deal at $2500.

Watching the Sacramento Grand Prix was amazing. It's really magic when the pelton blows past creating wind like a semi truck and sounds like a machine shop.

Bike to Work Day posters 2010

2010-05-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

My graphic design class designed posters for Los Medanos College Bike to Work Day. Here's a quick slide show of the best ones. You can also look at it full screen.

Serious injury or death

2010-05-10T09:48:00.001-07:00

I peeled eleven stickers off my new Specialized Roubaix Expert. Most were silly, but the "serious injury or death" is somewhat worrisome. But still, not as worrisome as the type choice Specialized made for these stickers. I went a bit nuts and rode the bike without reading all the instructions. I wonder if I missed anything really important?

Specialized Robaiux Expert

2010-05-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's here! It's here! I finely got the bike of my dreams, and so far it seems to ride like a dream. From the first short test up a really beat up Antioch street to today's descent down Mt. Diablo it's been even nicer than I'd hoped for.

Details: Specialized Robaiux Expert. Full Ultegra 6700. Triple (52-39-30 with 12-28)

I changed out the stock Avatar saddle after a 30-second test and put a Specialized Toupe 130 on it, which fits me better, is lighter and as a bonus, just looks swell.

As much as I like the package, I do have a few quibbles. Why they put 42 cm bars on a 52 cm bike is beyond me. It seems like a mismatch. I've got 40s on order at the shop. Other than the width, though, the bars feel great. I really like the shallow drop.

I wish they'd have shipped reach spacers with the bike. The new Ultegra 6700 has reach adjust with inserts. I have small hands and like pretty compact shifters. I'd ordered the inserts online. They're only a couple of bucks, but it seems like they should have been included.

The wheels are very nice looking. Perhaps a bit more weighty than my American Classic 420s, but they look sharp. I'm already looking forward to the tires wearing out so I'll have an excuse to put on something I like more than the stock Specialized All Terrain extra-heavy-seeming tires.

But the darn bike looks so sharp I haven't added the second water bottle cage, the GPS, seat bag or pump yet. I know I need to so the bike will be really practical, but it's hard to hang all that junk on it when it looks so clean now. I'll just have to ride with Tricia a while and steal her tube and pump if I flat.

It may be uncool, but I am enjoying the triple thus far. The 52-39-30 chain rings seem to fit my riding more than the compact 50-34 on my other bike. And I have no ego about dropping into the granny. It just works for me.

Tricia and I went up Diablo's South Gate with BikeForum.net's RoboChem (Cliff) to shake out adjustment details and try it on a hill. He said he's never been in anyone's blog before, so here he is. The ride up was easy, and the ride down, even in the wind, was very stable. The way the bike sucks up vibration and bumps is confidence inspiring.

My sweet daughter has been in Italy in a study abroad program. She said she saw this jersey through a window in the back of a shop as she walked past and thought I'd love it. She was so very right. And it's even better because it came from her. Here's a photo of it.

Diablo Century 2010

2010-04-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I rode the Diablo Century Sunday. One hundred of the slowest miles I've ridden. I started feeling low, and finished lower. Every once in a while I'd push myself up to slow, then drop back to barely moving. I'm not sure if it was last weekends double, a week off the bike letting me knee recover, the extra glass of wine at dinner, or the alignment of the stars. But I was dog meat all day. But I grunted through it. I didn't even bail at the metric point turn off.

A shame, because Tricia was in great form. She held back a lot, but I still didn't see much of her. She just couldn't ride slowly enough. She'd have enjoyed rocking this ride, but I didn't give her a chance.

On the up side, my knee was fine after I warmed up, so I think I'll be OK for the Davis Double. Here's hoping I don't ride there like I did today. And I made it. I can ride an ugly 100 miles even feeling like crap. That's got to be some kind of accomplishment, even if it's the sort of thing that doesn't usually get written up in magazines. No medals were awarded, but still...

The ride it itself was fine. Good support, and a nice route that included Morgan Territory, Sunol, Redwood Road and Pinehurst Rd and Canyon. Even really nice folks at the stops. Sure, I've done this on my own, but it was nice to support a good local effort by the Walnut Creek Jewish Community Center.

No photos. I carried a camera, but was too beat to use it. Plus, without Tricia near enough to photograph, what would be the point?

Performance enhancing drugs for me

2010-04-24T12:32:00.001-07:00

I keep reading about performance enhancing drugs, and I thought "Why are they just for professionals?" After all, we get to ride the same bikes they do, and wear the same clothes they do. So when my knee started hurting to the point it was affecting my riding I did what I assume the pros do: I went to the apothecary seeking help.

Indeed they had exactly what I needed. Magic redish pills called Ibuprofen and a stinky concoction named "Tiger Balm."

Humming "Eye of the Tiger" for good luck I applied the balm and ate a couple of ibuprofen and, shazam, I was rolling again.

I guess it isn't really fair, as it does give me an advantage over the competition. Later that day I was able to blast away from a stop light and drop a hybrid rider who had bragged about his "eighteen-mile ride" while we waited for the light to change.

There is a downside I understand. The reek of Tiger Balm is enough to send friends and family running. And if you use ibuprofen you run the risk of getting used to not being in pain. But at the level I ride at I guess I just have to be willing to make a few sacrifices. So it goes.

Hemet Double Century 2010

2010-04-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you appreciate the environment of Bakersfield, the culture of Fresno or the city planning of Oakley, you’ll enjoy Hemet California, the starting point for the Hemet Double Century.

Fellow BikeForums.net poster LanceOldStrong and I launched from Northern California on Friday morning. Mr. LanceOldStrong commented that his Garmin only noted “Here be dragons” once we got south of central California. But we were on our quest for leg two of our attempt for the California Triple Crown jersey and would not be deterred. After a seemingly endless drive we finally arrived in Hemet, where we checked in and were informed that, “No, the route is not marked at all,” but we could leave as early as we wanted.

Bikes in order, clothes set out, we got to bed early and I promptly had dreams of trying to start, but not being able to find my arm warmer. I unpacked my seat bag and pulled out jackets, tires, cantaloupe and all kinds of impossible stuff, but no arm warmer. I had a two-foot tall stack on the sidewalk. What a dream. But I woke up and it was time to go. Oh, wait, no it was only 9:30 pm. And that’s how my night went.

Eventually it was really time to leave. We rolled over to the start and signed in and were on our way, with lights, in the total darkness of 4:30 am.

The first few miles were a preview of my entire day. I sat on LanceOldStrong’s wheel and hung on for dear life. Darkness? Ha! Bumpy road? Ha! Traffic? Ha! We just screamed through the night, him leading, me worried I’d lose his wheel and never see him again.

As strong a rider as Mr. LanceOldStrong is, he is not a climber (thank God.) Usually climbing is where all the work is. For me, the only rest I got was on the few hills when he slowed down. I often found myself praying for more hills. I didn’t get many.

There is one area I’m quick at: Rest/check points. Early in a ride I hate to stop for longer than it takes to fill my bottle. I’m so old I feel like my engine just seizes up if I stop for long. Mr. LanceOldStrong is more methodical at the stops. I found myself circling the parking lot enough that it showed in my mileage total.

But I can’t complain. Thanks to OldStrong’s big pulls we ended up with a rolling speed average of 15.9 for the first 100 miles.

A unique feature of this double is that it loops back to the start at 100 miles, so we were able to drop by our hotel, shed some clothes and restock energy stuff before we started our second half.

I’m not used to astroturf lawns, but if I lived in Hemet I sure would be. Our route took us through the mobile home zone where they seem to be a requirement.

At last we got to a decent hill. It’s really only 1000 feet over eight miles or so, but to hear people talk you’d have thought it was Mt. Diablo. It was the only real bump the entire day, and it was also by far the most attractive part of the ride.

We had a rest stop/check point at a winery where I caused some small amusement by buying four bottles and asking for them to be sagged back to the start. (It worked!)

After that it was just trying to hang onto OldStrong’s wheel again.

Right at dusk as the light started to fade and we started up a hill we rode past a stock yard ripe with the aroma of urine and manure and into a swarm of small bugs. It was really a low point. But after cresting that last bump we kicked on the lights and both got a burst of “horse and barn” and managed to light it up for the last few miles. It turns out that 203 miles feels a lot farther than the 195 of Solvang.

After the ride we managed to have another adventure trying to find a restaurant without a drive-through that stays open after 9pm in Hemet. We eventually ended up at what OldStrong called a “gringo mexican” place next to the ride start. I got the margarita I craved and all was good.

Final stats via Garmin 305:
203.65 total miles
6912 climbing (Ascent smoothed)
15.3 average moving speed
15:38 total time

Damage: Right knee really hurts. Enough I skipped riding to work today. I’m hoping to ride the Diablo Century on Sunday, so I’m doing lots of voodoo.

Best stat: 15.9 moving average for the first 100 miles

Special awards:
LanceOldStrong for the big pulls, and great navigation
Nick and Melgarpoe, who we hooked up with on the ride and were just plain fun to roll with.

Library Scraper Bikes

2010-04-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

Bonus photo: Los Medanos College doesn't allow bikes inside campus buildings, but these cool scraper bikes made it into the library entrance anyway. I'm glad. They kind of class up the place.

Party Pardee ride

2010-04-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Joyce in the yellow and Tricia in the white cruise the California foothills.

The Party Pardee ride out of Ione CA put on by the Sacramento Bike Hikers was a blast. Every year they have a theme. This year's was baseball. They had baseball trivia questions lining the walls at the post ride dinner. Servers wore ball uniforms. They even served hot dogs at the rest stops.

The ride itself is 65 miles through the absolutely beautiful springtime California foothills. This years rain produced ponds and filled the creeks along the rides. The wildflowers were out in force. Minimal climbing made for a fast and delightful ride, but we still had time to enjoy the views.

The day started a bit on the cold side, and instead of warming up it just got colder. Still, there were just enough hills to keep us warm. The Bike Hikers insisted on a rest (read food) stop every 15 miles, so I dutifully stopped and stuffed my face at every one. I may have gained weight on the ride. If the ride food didn't do it the stops at two local wineries put me over the top. All in all, a very good day.

Solvang Double in the bag

2010-03-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm like a kid who knows he has to go to the dentist, but it's his birthday, and Christmas too. He's been called to the principal's office, and there's a bully lurking, but the girl he has a crush on just smiled at him. That was me the night before and morning of the Solvang Double Century.

Just getting all my junk together was a chore. I was so afraid I'd forget something I organized myself into disorganization. When we got to the motel I was sure I'd left my cycling clothes behind and started to panic. Tricia had brought them into the room and I was too wound up to see the big box they were in. It went on like that.

But shortly after 5 am I rolled out with my crew, with all the crap that makes a pretty bike look like a skid row trash pile: Lights, GPS, route sheet clipped on the cables, two water bottles and a huge ugly (but necessary) seat bag.
The morning ride out of Solvang in the dark was amazing. We looked like an endless trail of ants marching with candles in a religious procession as we wound our way through the hills.

I had a cold start, but used a tip I'd read somewhere. I wore an old sweatshirt I planned to abandon. It kept me warm even though my fingers froze. I dumped it at rest stop 2 and stopped looking like a total fred.

Here are a few of my disconnected memories of the ride

The 3:30 AM call from my riding partner LanceOldStrong (Daniel) telling me he checked with the desk and that since I gave him a ride I was clear to park in the hotel lot, thereby saving me from obsessing over where to park.
The amazing dawn as we rode through... I have no idea where we were, but it was amazing.
Riding with "Big Georges." I was so beat I kept thinking I was with Big George Hincapie and maybe he'd give me some bike clothes.
Almost missing a turn in the dark and thinking the change in road color was a cliff.
The speed run pace line that ran at 22-24 for quite a while. I'm not used to that and it was a blast.
Getting way too much info about LanceOldStrong's last check point break (ask him, or better yet, don't.)
Riding behind LanceOldStrong after Pismo Beach for miles and miles at an amazing speed. That guy can crank.
Being thrilled that the alleged 8-mile climb at the end was really only 2. What a deal.
Telling Dan to "Light it up" with about 3 miles to go and watching him explode downhill.
Seeing the cool poster Dan's kid's made him at the finish. Way sweet.
Having MyLilPony sneak up behind me and rub my aching neck at the ride finish.

The best part might have been after the last rest stop. There was a climb, and we'd heard it was the big climb of the day. It was 2, 4 or 8 miles, depending on who I asked. It was steap, and over a really bad road. I was thinking it was going to get really old if it went on for 8 miles. But suddenly we were at the top. It was actually really short, and the summit that was marked on our cue sheet was really just a small rise near the finish.

Finishing stats via the Garmin and Assent:
Moving speed: 15.1 mph
Average speed with stops: 13.4 mph
Rolling time: 12:47
Total time out: 14:20
Climbing: 8020 feet
Pain: Monday, a tired neck and a tight right calf. Could be worse.

Elevation profile. Click map for large version

Map. Click map for really large version

Solvang "training" report and jerk encounter

2010-03-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Deborah and LanceOldStrong climb Morgan Territory Road

I've been negligent in reporting my recent rides, so I'll toss in three in this post.
What with the Solvang Double just two weeks away I've been concerned — not really worried — but concerned about the lack of major mileage I've put in this year. The big problem is that it's been wet most weekends. I do have my daily bike commute that I never miss, and that helps, but it isn't exactly long distance. Over the last three weekends I've at least put in some mileage, though not the kind that really gets one ready for 200.

Feb 28, 80 miles guided by LanceOldStrong and accompanied by the usual Bike Forums gang. The route included a good climb up Morgan Territory on the back of Diablo followed by a climb up Redwood Rd in the Berkeley Hills. It was the first good weather day in ages.

March 6 Tricia and I rode Morgan Territory for 50 miles. That gal can climb. It was a beautiful day until we hit the summit and dropped into the clouds and cold. That ride back toward Danville can be demoralizing. A slight invisible uphill with a headwind made us feel really weak for a bit. But eventually we got back to the sun, and a downhill and all was well again. And it's Spring again, so all is right with the world.

BlastRadius of Bike Forums was our Daylight Savings Time leader for the day

March 13 I rode with the Bike Forums gang from SF over the Golden Gate and out to Point Reyes Station for 75. The pace was leisurely, with frequent stops, but it was fun and 75 miles is 75 miles. The ride was to celebrate daylight savings time, and encourage Pete Taxi777 to ride with us. Daylight Savings Time worked out well, but Pete didn't make it. We were sad.

Jerk Report
While we were having lunch at Point Reyes Station we all leaned our bikes on a wall. A moment later another cyclist got his bike from the wall and in the process knocked over three of our bikes, including mine. When my bike fell it broke my water bottle cage. I pointed it out to him, and he just shrugged it off and walked away. Nice guy. My riding mates insist karma will get him.

Photo of Curtis by BlastRadius

Valentines Day on Diablo

2010-02-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

It wasn't epic. Just a 35 mile ride up the South side of Mt. Diablo to the junction and back through Danville. But what a nice day! It's been wet and cloudy lately, and even raining. It's cut down our weekend miles dramatically. This was one of those California clear sky days that makes you happy to be alive. Valentines day with my sweetheart on the mountain — it just doesn't get much better.

As a side note, there is a move by an East County religious crank wing nut to change the name of Mt. Diablo to Mt. Regan. Amazingly it has been getting a little traction, and press coverage as well. The Board of Supervisors said "no" so hopefully that will end it. There is a Facebook group opposed, but has a Facebook group ever carried any weight in any issue?

Small thought hardly worth posting

2010-02-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

The perception of distance
I often ride a 20-25 mile loop near my house. It doesn't feel that far, and I'm never far away from home. Yesterday I started at home and did a long ride in a less usual direction. At 25 miles I was thing "This is a long way." I had a similar experience driving to Northstar ski area. It's a long drive. When we got there I told my daughter "We just drove 180 miles. I've ridden my bike farther than this in a day." I'm not sure that she was impressed after I did the Davis Double, but our ski trip drive put 200 miles in a different perspective.

Photos
I took my camera on my 70 mile ride yesterday and didn't make one photo. I realized that it's because I wore full finger gloves. I need to take them off to fish my camera out of my jersey and use it. I like to shoot on the bike and the gloves make it impossible. I was also on a solo ride, so I didn't have Tricia to photograph.

Wet roads
I spent a lot of time on wet roads in the drizzle yesterday. I'm always amazed how much I dislike wet on my road bike, and how it doesn't bother me at all on when I'm commuting. Maybe it's that the commute is shorter, or that on the road bike I'm constantly thinking how much road gunk I'm sending into my finely-tuned drive train. Those skinny tires sure get exciting riding over wet metal grates too.

Chains and clothing
Is it just me, or have chains become a lot more expensive over the last two years?
And what about cycling clothes? A reasonable cycling jacket costs almost $200 new. If it wasn't for eBay, BonkTown and closeouts I'd be riding in sweatshirts jeans. I'd love to try some CapoForma bibs, but they are so out of my price range. I'm not even bring up Assos.

Cables
The Gore shifter cables I ordered came today. In theory (and product marketing) they a slicker than... something really slick. They will make my shifting so smooth the bike will shift when I just think of shifting. We'll see. Film at 11.
UPDATE: Doh! I clicked the wrong button and bought pricey brake cables instead of shifter cables.

Specialized Roubaix
I'm still looking for a great deal 2009 or 2010 Roubaix Expert. I want the white one with Ultegra and a triple in 52cm. You'd think one would show up on eBay or Craigslist, but I guess I have too specific requirements. I haven't seen one anywhere. The search continues.

The wind and rain

2010-01-20T07:26:00.001-08:00

We've got some serious rain and wind this week in the SF Bay Area, but it doesn't stop Tricia from bike commuting. Wednesday is supposed to be the big day in the series of storms, and it sure is windy already. I'm glad she has lots of lights on her bike.

Almost New Years Day on Diablo

2010-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

We missed our 1.1.10 ride to the summit of Mt. Diablo. We did manage to make it on the day after, so it still counts, right?

It was mighty foggy on the way up, but when we broke through the clouds it was like being on top of the world.

Even though there are bus loads of riders on the mountain, and many of them passing us at warp 9, I always feel like I've done something epic when I reach the summit. Maybe it's just that little kicker at the end, but merely making it to the top seems like a big deal, even though it's only about 13 miles from where we start. I guess it could be the 3770 feet of climbing...