So a couple hours after getting home from my first ride today, it was obvious my son wasn’t going anywhere, and if I didn’t get out soon, I wouldn’t be either! So I set out for a quick run up Old LaHonda, determined to “document” it as a featured ride on our website. Unfortunately, because it was getting late, the sun wasn’t in a good mood for photos. But I did get a few, which I’m posted.
Once at the top I met up with a group that had taken the train down from San Francisco to Redwood City and then ridden up, and were planning to ride straight back to Redwood City again, without experiencing the west-side of Old LaHonda! That’s something I just can’t let happen; the west side is one of the best 3-mile stretches of road I’ve found anywhere. So I talked them into a guided tour of the “other side” and hopefully they’ll show others.
Just wanted to thank you for all your interesting work on the past and current versions of this chronicle. I found the “AlmostDailyDiary” on the ChainReaction website about 18 months ago. Your posts about various area rides got me trying longer and longer routes. Had been commuting about 2 miles each way to work. Started adding slightly longer rides (Arastradero Rd to Alpine Inn, then Portola Loop at lunch time or weekends). Tried the OldLaHonda climb to SkyLine and felt like I was going to fall over! Changed my gearing, and started riding 15 to 25 mile rides a few times a week. Was amazed to see twenty pounds fall away, while eating more not less. Old La Honda to Skyline finally became regularly doable, though I would usually stay on Skyline to avoid tackling another climb on the west side. Based on your posts, finally tried Old La Honda west side this spring, coming back up the fairly gentle 84. Then went further down 84 to La Honda and back. Then tried La Honda and back on Alpine west, a harder climb back to Skyline, but a much prettier ride with great scenery and little traffic compared to returning on 84. Finally made it all the way to the coast on an Old La Honda-La Honda-San Gregorio-Pescadero-Haskins Hill-La Honda-84 loop in August. Have since done a counterclockwise Kings Mountain-Tunitas Creek to San Gregorio-back up 84 loop, and will next try your classic coastal route in the other direction (La Honda, Pescadero, San Gregorio, Tunitas Creek loop). Today I logged my 400th ride since starting to keep track in April of 2009. Got my own personal 26 minute monkey off my back on the climb up Old La Honda (just barely at 25:59!), then went down to La Honda, and came back up Alpine. I’m in the best shape I have been in since swimming competitively in high school, and now I now weigh close to what I did in college. Way better than the slow relentless weight gain I had been attributing to “slowing metabolism” as I was approaching 50. I found it does take some time and practice to build up to long hilly rides. But we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world for cycling, and have a climate that makes it possible to ride a bike year round. Your own rides, your parenting, and your documentation of Kevin’s own progress have been a truly inspirational example of what’s possible if you just get out there and do it. True thanks and just wanted you to know that what you write here may have a bigger impact than you sometimes realize.
Mike,
Thanks again for taking my friends and I to the “other side” of Old La Honda. It was a beautiful ride and we’re glad that we got to ride the 3 mile down. We love the La Honda ride and have been telling all our friends about the ride and plan on coming back soon. Hope to see you on the road:) Thanks again!
Kim: Glad you enjoyed it! One of my goals is to come up with a list of “secret” roads that people don’t know about, but should. Hope I didn’t cause you to miss your train back to the city…
it’s been about two years since i last climbed old la honda & the first time to get all the way to the top on a fixed gear. it’s a bit steep for 77″ of chain. worse going back down. but done deal. thanks for the inspirational posting.
(used to love tearing down the far side of old la honda to the red barn. won’t do that on a fixed, though. descents on that thing aren’t much fun.)