You’re never really sure how the pace of a given Tuesday or Thursday-morning ride is going to be. I’d already discussed with Kevin the need for him to start out slower on the climb so he wouldn’t blow up like he’s been doing the past couple of weeks, not that he’d actually pay any attention to my advice. But for whatever reason, everybody was in an easy-going social mood this morning… everybody being Kevin, the other Kevin, Eric, Nigel… just 5 of us, unless I’ve left anybody out.

The ride through the park was easy, and even included an extra break where it comes out at Kings, so Kevin (the pilot) could deal with his Diet Coke rental. In fact, the entire trip up Kings was at a pace where even I could carry on a conversation! Rare indeed.

Things finally picked up a bit descending 84 towards West Old LaHonda, partly because I recognized the rarity of not having a slight headwind there (and in fact got my second-best Strava time for that segment, despite lacking a couple of our “big guns” for such sections, Karl and the now rarely-seen Chris.

On West Old LaHonda you find us admiring the view (as you can see in the photo at the top of this entry, as well as Nigel’s embedded video below), and things stayed pleasant until Kevin (not the pilot; he’d headed back early for work) decided to drill it on the upper stretches, towing Nigel along with him. Final chance for my own redemption came descending 84 into Woodside, not quite keeping up with Nigel but still getting one of my better times on that descent. I think I’m going through the natural “cycle” of first being a climber, then a sprinter, and finally, a descender.