You read a lot about racers trying to “peak” at just the right time, and the dangers of peaking too soon. I’ve generally tossed off such musings as being excuses for why they didn’t do as well as they thought they should, although back in the 70s, when I raced myself, I took it seriously enough to write on the wall of my room “No early season wonder.” A warning that trying to do well at the San Bruno Mountain Hillclimb, held January 1st each year,

Now I’m wondering if my mid-February 112-mile Santa Cruz ride might have been a mis-placed peak. The reality is that it’s more likely been the wet weather we’ve had since then that has seen my times up Kings steadily deteriorate, and this morning was yet one more mucky ride. It never actually rained on us, but it had stopped just shortly before the ride so it was very wet. Thankfully the weekend looks nice, although I can only pull off a short ride on Sunday since the shop’s open for the big sale we’re having.

But this morning it was a slow slog up the hill with Kevin, Karen, & Kevin. Slower than it should have been with Kevin (my son, not the pilot) got a flat about halfway up the climb. Due to the flat we didn’t have time to run any sort of loop off Skyline, so it was a quick ride across the top and then down 84. Surprisingly cool, with temps in the upper 30s.

So yeah, I’m ready for spring. Heck, I’m willing to skip Spring and head straight to Summer. –Mike–

I’m 56 years old, raced way back in the day, “serious” cyclist since 4th or 5th grade, yet last night was the first time I dreamt that I was in the Tour de France. Not watching, racing. No idea what happened during the first 3/4 of the race, as the action cut in with about 50k or so to go, and I’d been dropped from the leaders and was going from group to group, trying to get in before the time cut. Funny how much the scenary reminded me of Davis, even the overpass that led into the city. I don’t recall actually crossing the finish line, but I do remember being in the team bus afterward, climbing some stairs up towards the back and having an ice cream sandwich. Go figure.

I knew in the dream that things didn’t quite seem right, but wanted it to continue, with more detail. There was no indication in the dream of what team I was on, but it didn’t seem to be in the distant past. Maybe Chris Horner has me subliminally convinced that 56 isn’t too old to compete at a high level? After all, he’s only got 15 years on me!

Alas, the alarm went off at 6:55am, as it always does on Tuesday & Thursday mornings, so I dutifully got up and sent Jack (our psycho Welsh Corgi) in to wake up Kevin and get ready to head out into the rain. It felt a bit odd for me, working out the kinks and clearing my mind a bit after having ridden 140 miles in my sleep, but I quickly fell into the usual routine because I was way past trying to go back to sleep to continue the dream.

A distortion in the time-space continuim on this-morning's ride

Nobody but us at the start, or anywhere else along the ride for that matter! Everyone else at home, maybe still asleep, still dreaming, while Kevin and I rode up Kings in a steady light rain, lamenting the fact that it wasn’t coming down harder, since we wouldn’t have gotten any more wet but would have had greater bragging rights. We continued over the top to the other side, getting in a bit more distance by taking in the Star Hill/Swett Road loop since west-side Old LaHonda remains closed.

This ride was in no way epic; the temperature never got below 40 degrees, the rain never that heavy. Still, it felt good to get back down on the flats so we could use our legs again and warm up a bit. But what I really look forward to is my dream playing out a bit more.

35 degrees up on Skyline this morning. Not that the four of us (Kevin, Eric, Todd and I) weren’t dressed appropriately for it, but I’m ready for something warmer. Not just to help my breathing issues, but there’s a world of difference in how your bike handles at 70 degrees+ vs 40. It’s not the frame, but the road & tires that feel so much different on a warmer day, because your tires feel more firmly planted on the road when it’s warmer. They don’t chatter in the corners and rough pavement as much, and they recover in a far less scary fashion when you hit a wet spot.

There’s also the issue that your body isn’t as flexible when cold, and when you hit bumps in corners, your response isn’t as fluid which, at high speeds, can literally cause you to crash where you otherwise wouldn’t have. The solution is obvious- ride slower. But that’s not as fun as riding fast, and after a lot of climbing you feel like you’ve earned a fun descent.

What’s perfect weather for cycling? From a comfort standpoint, probably low-70s. You won’t get chilled on the descents, and the climbs won’t cook you. But your bike? It probably comes into its own in the mid-80s, when the roads are stickier, your tires more supple, close to zero chance of water, and no chance of speed wobble caused by your body shaking from cold.

There’s something to be said for crisp cold days, with a bit of wind that gives it a real bite. It wakes you up in a hurry and the views are spectacular. There’s also some street cred that goes along with temp readings in the 30s. But like all “good” things, it gets old after a while, and I’m ready for a bit less street-cred, even at the expense of air that’s less than crystal-clear. I’m looking forward to the first Tuesday/Thursday ride without leg warmers (likely a couple months away) and being able to push my bike hard in the corners and have it ask for more.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to take up my position at the rear on the main climbs and later on hear the stories from my son about what went on at the front. I’ll exploit whatever weaknesses I can find in others in an attempt to prove there’s more to life than climbing fast, but in my heart I know… there isn’t. I love climbing, and I really miss climbing fast. I haven’t written off the future yet; I still think I can improve significantly and be a force again when the road pitches upward. Just have to lose a few pounds and maybe, finally, take care of my cold-weather breathing issues.

Yes, I look forward to warmer days ahead!

Sure, I feel better, a lot better, than I did two weeks ago. And I’m going to get even better, but… I don’t know that there’s much I can do to keep up with Kevin (my son, not the pilot) anymore. This morning he took another minute off his Kings Mtn time, bringing it to 25:20. If I’m firing on all cylinders and it’s reasonably warm, I can probably still get to 26:30. Kevin is now officially out of my league.

I stayed with the group until the first timing point, about 3 minutes in, and then slowly drifted off the back. Kevin meanwhile was hanging with the fastest guys and I think he said (and I can only go by what he said because I certainly wasn’t there to see it!) George was the only person ahead of him.

I’m trying to remember what it was like, 35 years ago, almost 40, when it would have been me off the front and some older guys behind, and those older guys would be a bit nasty towards us young upstarts, picking on our skills or riding style (you need to ride a straighter line, ride at a more consistent speed, whatever) because they couldn’t keep up with us. I don’t want to become one of them. I’m still a fighter, I still want to be up at the front, and I think there’s still time to get there. Which explains why I’m drinking this dreadful Sobe sugar-free Grapefruit/Cranberry stuff instead of my usual half & half Lemonade/Mtn Dew mix.

If I bring my weight down, if I deal with my breathing issues, and if I can hide a motor on my bike, I can get there.