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The two Kevins, one on an ebike

From left to right, Jean, Kevin, Kevin & me
Kevin (not the Pilot) decided he’d better ride with me this morning because otherwise I’d probably be riding alone, so, knee issue or not, he was out there. Of course, he was out there on his e-bike, and this time we set him up with a bag to carry an extra battery so he could ride at higher power levels and not run out. But I wouldn’t have been alone; Kevin (Pilot) showed up as well.

Now, you would think that fighting off someone on an ebike would be a tough act, but the combination of Kevin trying to take it easier on his knees plus this bizarre feeling I’ve had lately where I can push hard and just keep going… it hasn’t been that much of an issue. We did have to hang back a couple times for Kevin (Pilot) though. Now, I can talk about feeling good and climbing hard again, but that last up until we hear someone coming up behind us and, there he goes, Jeff Z on his new Trek Domane, yelling to me “18 pounds of love!”

Kevin (not Pilot) and I ended up waiting for Kevin (Pilot) at the Park Entrance and again at the wide open clearing. It would be nice sometime to see how quickly I can get up Kings, but it’s also kind of nice not knowing, but thinking it could be pretty fast.

I still wake up each ride morning thinking this might be the day where the steak ends, where I don’t feel that good on the climb. But it’s been about 4 weeks straight where I really haven’t had a bad day.

Weather was really nice for the first part of the ride, kicking up to 62 degrees up on top before dropping to 51 as we found our way to West Old LaHonda and back up to Skyline. It was on West Old LaHonda that we came across Jean, a good customer whom you may have seen out on her bike, wrapped up head-to-toe in white, no skin showing to keep herself protected from the sun. She actually does repeats of West Old LaHonda; this morning it would be three of them.

First “longer” ride of the year

Follow that wheel! Ouch. So I finally get to ride the infamous “Bakery” ride, which leaves from Woodside 8am on Saturdays. Normally I can’t do a Saturday ride because the shop is open (and Saturday’s our busiest day) but today it was the 4th of July and I’m sure if we were open we could have done a lot of business but frankly, we needed a break. A chance to rest after three months of non-stop craziness in the bike biz.

But is it “resting” when you’re on a ride where nearly everyone else is faster then you? When one guy (Jeff Z) is so strong that you can barely hold his wheel on the flats yet he’s taking it easy because this is his “recovery” ride?

Nevertheless it was a lot of fun. Up Kings, south on Skyline to 84, west to LaHonda, Haskins to Pescadero, Bean Hollow/Highway 1 loop to add 12 extra miles, Pescadero again with brief stop for a Mtn Dew and Mexican version of a mixed-nut/sesame bar that was REALLY good.

Time out to end endless sentence.

Then Stage North and return via Tunitas. I managed to keep people in sight everywhere but Tunitas; I stayed with Kevin (pilot) and we let Jeff Z and Linda J and another guy go on ahead. Even stopped on Tunitas to chat with some other cyclists I hadn’t seen in a long time.

It was a lot of fun. Hard work too! But good to know I can still do 70 fairly hard miles. Still wondering when I’ll be doing a Santa Cruz loop again… 112 miles. Kevin (not the pilot) has to nurse his knee back to health first.