Just a few of us today; myself, Kevin (not the pilot), JR and Karl. Those not showing up missed a really nice day! Yes, it was cold at the start, and got even-colder as we crossed the San Andreas fault (on Kings right where the bridge crosses the creek, between Josselyn Lane and Tripp Road). I noticed my computer reading 33.7, but according to the Strava download, it hit 32. But as is usually the case, it warmed up nicely as we rode up Kings, a comfy 45 degrees on the middle of the climb, dropping slightly to 43 on Skyline.

Karl and I headed up the first part of Kings a bit faster than Kevin & JR but we waited for them at the park. Dumb. About a mile later Karl and Kevin rode off the front and there was no way I could keep them in sight. But while the climb up Kings kills me, I usually do fine the rest of the ride, improving as it goes, and today was no exception. Would have been nice to get some photos from the iPhone (what’s shown above is a still pulled from the GoPro, so not very high quality), but winter gloves just don’t work so well, no matter how hard you stab at the “shutter button” on the screen, it just won’t “click.”

This morning’s ride was the best Kevin would feel all day; he had gradually-increasing kidney pain while working at the shop and, by 6pm, had to be taken to Kaiser ER, as he has quite a few times over the past few years, for pain management. Finally got him home just past 1am. Kevin will tell anyone who will listen that suffering on a bike is easy compared to the pain of a kidney stone.