Unlike last week’s solo ride to the coast, my first visit to Pescadero since early October, skipping Tunitas in favor of less climbing on 84, today’s ride would be the traditional. How traditional? Strava says 146 rides of this route since I started using the service back in mid-2008. Strava didn’t actually start until 2009, but I had saved Garmin rides from about half a year prior.

Back to normal also means Kevin was on the ride. He held back with me on Old LaHonda, which might have been a good thing, seeking safety in numbers. Safety? There’s a fair amount of hostility towards cyclists on Old LaHonda right now, especially after they added signage at the bottom that says “Not advised for Bicyclists.” Even had a car coming down the hill yell that to us. That sign is both inappropriate and dangerous. Because 84 is shut down, Old LaHonda is getting increasing traffic and it’s just the cyclists they want to pick on? But we made it up without further incident.

Forgot to mention the weather. We definitely over-dressed, with base layers, leg warmers and long-fingered gloves. Leg warmers were a good thing, because it wasn’t that warm but not sure if we ever really needed a base layer at all; for the few times it might be been cool enough, we could have put on one of our packable rain jackets.

Kevin said he was feeling pretty good, so I sent him flying on Haskins, and fly he did. 8:44, a PR for him and faster, I think, than anything I’ve done the past 15 years.

I knew from last week’s ride that Arcangeli market & bakery was going to be closed, so we got tacos from the gas station/mexican food restaurant. Tasty but I think just a bit too greasy for riding food; both of us felt a bit bogged down, my version of bogged down being a fair amount slower than Kevin’s.

This was Kevin’s first opportunity to see the Stage Road washout; I think he was reasonably impressed.

Because Kevin had done so well on Haskins, I suggested he go for it on Tunitas. He did really well on his time for getting to the forest (I wasn’t there to see it, being a couple minutes behind already) but had a couple of times he died on the steep stuff, so no records this time. Still, his 45:38 isn’t bad.

It’s been way longer than I thought, longer since I’d made the trip out to Pescadero than seemed reasonably possible. But Strava doesn’t lie, right? I’m going to recheck though, because early October just doesn’t seem right. Wow. Just verified it; Oct 2nd was my last time out there.

Kevin and I have been to the coast quite a few times, but via 84 or, last week, an out & back using Tunitas. There were opportunities, but rain resulted in altering the routing.

Just me on my own today; Kevin was spending time with his girlfriend. So, time for me to just get out there and do it. I knew it wouldn’t be pretty, but hey, no witnesses! Didn’t work out that way; about halfway up Old LaHonda, Billy Innes, former employee, Pro bike racer caught up to me. Probably did help to speed me up a bit, although we did stop twice, first to kill the podcast I was listening to (I do that sometimes, when climbing and alone), and the second, when we arrived at the one-lane section with the traffic light. He rode on after crossing Skyline, not sure where to. One of those guys whose Strava rides are private.

I survived the Haskins climb, only 25% slower than my best time since 2008 (when I began uploading rides to Strava). And I was actually enjoying myself, noticing things as I rode, and when I check out the video I should have both peacocks and turkeys to show. In Pescadero I had a 12 oz coke (on hard & fast days, it would be a 20 oz Mtn Dew) and a single chocolate croissant. No half sandwich today. I was getting in miles, yes, but not at a pace where I’d need much fuel.

Next, time to check out the missing chuck of Stage Road. Ohmygosh. Even worse than Old LaHonda! You don’t ride your bike across the narrow strip of pavement, like you can on West Old LaHonda! The three photos at the top show what it’s all about. Quite a bit of that hillside slid down, almost to the road below!

So, at least for now, at least on Sundays, you can still get through. For how long, don’t know.

I returned via 84 instead of Kings, wanting to take advantage of the tail wind and not eager to push myself too much harder. 6 months!!! 6 months since Pescadero. Exactly. That still just doesn’t seem right. Can’t imagine we did a ride without a working bike computer though.