All posts by Mike

If I didn’t have to open the shop, would I be riding with these guys?

Tues/Thurs 7:45am ride

Tuesday’s ride up Kings, with just Kevin (younger Kevin), was unexpectedly slow. Actually, it felt slower than it was; I was thinking I’d be lucky to break 40 minutes when I finally made it to the half-way point, but it was something around 35. 35 and I’m ok with that? But it was a pretty tough 35, nothing anywhere to add any fun or zip or just feel like I was even alive.

Thank goodness it was yet another ride where I began to feel better as it went on. By the time we got to the turnaround at the Skegg’s parking lot, I was already thinking that I’d like to see if we could get a PR for the Swett/Star Hill/Tunitas segment. That would mean no stopping for photos, no slowing down for the views, but it was a good day for that, since it was still foggy at the coast. And we got the PR! Nothing to be especially proud of, but something I can work with and try to get a little bit better if I can just manage a solid session on the upper part of Tunitas.

Returning to the start, we see why we’re not getting others on our ride anymore. They’ve all gotten older and slower and are starting an hour and a half later when it’s warmer! Well I’ve gotten older and slower too (can’t say the same for younger Kevin), but have to get out earlier or I’d be missing the first couple hours at the shop. But guessing it’s just a matter of time. It’s going to be a tough habit to break; the 7:45am Tuesday/Thursday Olive Hill/Canada start has been going on for 40 years now? It will be meaningfully sad when it’s over.

Took the Scenic route. Same roads, just slower, = Scenic

Ride reports (not Tu/Th)

When you’re riding slower, you pay more attention to what’s around you.
The Red Barn never looked so striking before, perhaps because I’d never ridden up Kings on a Sunday ride this slowly before? You do have more time to see things. Realistically, it might be about looking for distractions to take you mind away from wondering why you don’t have legs today.

I told myself I wasn’t going to get discouraged, I wouldn’t spend too much time figuring out ways to shorten the ride and skip the coast. The choice of Kings was surprising; it’s not like I don’t ride up it enough as it is, so I generally go out of my way to avoid it on a Sunday! But I was on my own today, Kevin having decided to spend the day with his girlfriend. Besides I was also curious about how much traffic there might be on Kings on a weekend, around noon, since Highway 84 has been closed. Turned out, not much; total car count from Jefferson to the top of Kings was just 35 (that’s actually the number that passed me going my direction, not total count of cars on the road, but still really low, averaging a car every two minutes).

From Skyline I headed South to West Old LaHonda, then out to the coast via 84. Headwinds, yes, but not terrible and I wasn’t trying to go fast, just get there. At San Gregorio it was coffee, one of their Hazelnut twisty sort of things, and Bob, who was doing an out-and-back via Kings/Tunitas/Stage. Rode with him the rest of the way back; nice guy, just a few months older than me and in pretty good but not annihilating condition. A pace I could just barely carry a conversation, something not possible if I’m on a ride with Kevin. Thankfully I rode up Tunitas much better than I rode up Kings though. This was yet another ride where I finished much better than I started.