Saw this in the duck pond on the LaHonda to Pescadero shortcut. Had to stop and take pictures; I’ve never seen a green duck before. I’ve never seen a painted fake duck this colorful! No way would I have come across or noticed this in a car. Life goes by at just the right speed on a bike. -Mike-
Today we’re going to take you through the planning involved with seeing a stage of the Tour de France. We’re going to assume you’re on your own, you don’t have a rental car, but you do have a bike. Pretty much my typical trip to the Tour de France the past 6 or 7 years!
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This is the first stage Kevin and I will see in France. This isn’t yet an accurate rendition of the route, since it comes up 30k short of what’s listed for the length, but good enough to cover all the various mountains along the way, and good enough to plan the day. Below is the profile for the stage. If I spend a bit more time with the distances shown between each point, I can likely figure out the actual route a bit better.
Google maps driving directions for getting from Lourdes to the Mur de Peguere, viewing point for Stage 14. Available train stations are the small dark circles.
The plan is to take the train from Lourdes to a station that we can ride to the race course from, thus avoiding having to rent a car. This particular stage is the one furthest from our hotel in Lourdes, making it the most-challenging to access.
Our options include taking the train from Lourdes to Boussens (the second circle from the right) and riding through Saint Girons and the backside of the mountains the ‘Tour will be climbing, or taking the train all the way to Toulouse and then another train south to Foix, where we can climb the actual roads the ‘Tour will be heading up. It’s a longer ride from Boussons, but a much-earlier train departure if we want to get to Foix. 6:23am vs 10:26am. The 10:26am departure gets us to Boussons at 11:46am, plenty of time to ride the 45 miles needed to intersect the TdF route, entirely on roads not ridden by the race. The 6:23am train to Fois (the furthers-right dot on the map) arrives in Foix at 10:03am, plenty of time for the 15 mile ride up the mountain.
Using www.BikeRouteToaster.com, I am able to check the profile of “unknown” roads and see what we would face on our rides from the relevant train station to the race itself. A big help when riding an area you haven’t been to before.
View Larger Map I’m favoring the early departure, since that would allow us to ride different roads on the way back, including the very interesting-looking D33 which looks like a paved cowpath that gradually descends for 20 miles or so. If you want to get an idea of just how cool D33 looks, check this link.
So for now I’m thinking the early-morning departure, painful as it is, makes the most sense. Take the train from Lourdes to Toulouse, transer at Toulouse and head to Foix, get some food and head up the hill to see the race come through (we need to be in position 3 hours ahead of the race, so a 10am arrival is not as early as it seems, figuring that the race is going to come through around 3:30-4pm and it might take 2 hours or so to ride the 15 miles up the hill).
48 degrees and wet on Skyline. Hopefully last time this season!
The long-range forecast says the rain is over. Except, of course, for one final brief fling last night. Last night. Ending at 6am. Just enough time for the roads to dry off a bit before our ride! And in fact, that’s what happened. When my son and I left the house at 7:33am, the roads weredrying out. But looking up towards Skyline, I can’t say that it looked very encouraging.
Just Kevin (my son, not the pilot) and Eric with me today, riding up through the park (as we often do on Thursdays) into the beginning of a steady drizzle. Not real rain, but that constant light stuff that keeps the roads soaked and really made me feel stupid for riding my nice bike and not the not-so-fun “rain” bike with fenders and wider tires. And not only was my bike unprepared, neither was I, having brought short-finger gloves for the kinda balmy weather when we left, only to find 48 degrees and wet up on top. Could have been worse; before descending 84 into Woodside, we came across a young woman in Stanford kit with nothing on her legs.
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That’s the likely routing for the final Time Trial in the 2012 Tour de France (if it’s not showing up properly, try this link). It’s not announced anywhere (at least not that I could find!) but one of the towns on the route has put together an event in May celebrating the town being on the route, and that celebration happens to include a 53 kilometer one-way bike ride between the start & finish cities… which is the same distance as in the race. They didn’t provide a map but rather a list of cities the event will pass through, which I dutifully put into Google Maps and Voila!
There will be many minor deviations from the route shown, but this will be very close and help us figure out where to set up, where food & drink might be had, and, using Google street view, an idea of the character of the towns along the way.
It’s been tough getting the details of the various stages, which I need to figure out so I know how to get around once there. But it’s all falling into place. –Mike–
At first glance, it looks like any other Tuesday/Thursday-morning ride. Not quite. With west-side Old LaHonda still under construction, it was time to hit up the last dead-end road off Skyline, Native Sons. Actually, Native Sons is the most-northern of the three, so it would have made sense if we’d done it first, then Star Hill and then Bear Gulch, but that’s not quite how we roll.
Who rolled? Kevin, Kevin, Karl, Karen, Eric, Jan, Chris and Todd. I actually saw Millo for a few moments towards the top of Kings; he’d left a bit early and I never quite got to him before he turned to head north on Skyine, missing all the fun. Todd had to get back early so opted out of Native Sons as well, but the rest of us were treated to yet another beautiful, twisty, one-lane road through the forests on the coast-side of Skyline.
I don’t know why these roads are so unknown to most cyclists; the pavement’s not bad, there’s very little traffic (although with the narrow roads you’ve got to be pretty careful as you descend!) and you can wonder just how awesome the future could be if those three roads (Native Sons, Star Hill and Bear Gulch) went all the way through to the coast again.
Taking the wrong turn on this ride back in 2007 found this great view!
Initially I thought the people behind the gate at the “end” of Native Sons and reclaimed even more of the public road, by moving the gate another quarter mile or so up the hill from where it used to be, eliminating the views of the coast. My memory was faulty; looking up my ride reports from 2007 in an earlier diary entry show I’m mistaken; the beautiful views were on a side-road we unintentionally found ourselves on. And that’s one of the great things about a bike ride, or exploring in general. Some of the best memories will come from the wrong turns and unforeseen changes in plans.
Fortunately I was feeling better once past the monster that is Kings Mtn, and managed to keep everyone in sight on the climb back up to Skyline. And while my climbing legs belong to someone else these days, I found that I can still sprint when conditions are right (the combination of cold & wet causes me to lose my nerve on descents). You can see the results below… the guys lined up so perfectly for me it would have been criminal to waste the opportunity.
The original plan had been to ride the Primavera Century, but by the time I got around to trying to register, they were full-up. Darn, it’s one of my favorite rides, next to the Sequoia Century. So instead Kevin and I take advantage of what was supposed to be a gorgeous day for another Santa Cruz loop.
Heading into the fog on Cloverdale Road
The Strava account doesn’t tell the story. Yes, 112 miles, yes, about 9000ft of climbing, yes, best time so far for Kevin and I from Boulder Creek up to Skyline. But what’s missing from the bare stats are a fierce headwind the entire 25 miles on the coast from Gazos Creek to Santa Cruz, making one of the more enjoyable sections of the ride a real challenge, nor does it explain how the weather forecast could be so wrong! The hourly forecast for Pescadero and Davenport had the fog clearing fairly early in the day, so our late start (10:30) should have seen nice weather on the coast.
The windsock tells the story
Well let me tell you about that nice weather. It was great all the way to Pescadero, and about 4 miles south on Cloverdale. Actually we already knew the weather wasn’t going to be kind to us as soon as we made the left turn onto Cloverday and ran into a stiff headwind. But not long after that we hit cold fog, which kept us company all the way to Santa Cruz and a few miles up Highway 9.
A family in motion, stopping for food in Davenport
Cold & damp weather wasn’t doing much for Kevin’s spirits, and I came very close to turning around on highway 1 and heading north, but that wasn’t the plan, and there was something to be said for the challenge of riding 25 miles into a headwind.
The mandatory stop at Davenport’s Whale City Bakery gave me a chance to look at the updated forecast; the “now” temperature showed 52 degrees (at 1:58pm) while the 2pm hourly forecast said 74 & sunny. Eating outside, and drinking cold Mtn Dew instead of coffee or hot chocolate, was probably a mistake! But refueled and recharged we motored on, finding the headwind gradually diminishing as we approached Santa Cruz, and the intense traffic actually providing a needed distraction from the fog & cold for Kevin. Strange but true.
Heading up Highway 9 towards Felton
Heading up Highway 9 things gradually warmed up to pretty much perfect conditions for climbing, and by the time we got to the start of the main event (the climb first up to Waterman Gap and then Skyline), we were in pretty good shape. In fact, the mandatory Boulder Creek stop didn’t find us buying food or drink; we just ate a Honey Stinger Waffle and were good to go. Funny how you can do a hard bike ride and eat less than if you didn’t ride at all!
This couple was riding up Hwy 9 so fast the photo blurred! Actually two very good customers of ours.
Funny also how, once the main climb starts, you feel more comfortable, more settled, more like you’re getting somewhere. And funny how 40 miles to go seems like you’re almost there! At Saratoga Gap (Skyline and Highway 9) we picked up drinks from Mr. Mustard, who thankfully doesn’t start shutting down until 5pm and we arrived at precisely 4:59. Good timing! The run across Skyline and down into Woodside was welcome and pleasant, feeling very much like we were on “our” turf. Home. And almost exactly 8 hours after we left, there we were, back home.
Oh, the remark about “If you can’t control you weather, you can’t control your life!”? A mild alteration of a Calvin & Hobbes comic where Calvin is upset that his mom doesn’t scoop the peanut butter out exactly the right way, and exclaims “If you can’t control your peanut butter, you can’t control you life.” Wise words indeed! –Mike–
With west-side Old LaHonda still under construction, it was time for yet another variant of the Tuesday/Thursday-morning ride. Almost warm enough to go without leg warmers and a base layer… almost, but not quite. Better to keep the knees protected. No need for long-fingered gloves at least!
Predictably large group today, with Karl, Kevin, Kevin, Eric, Karen and Jan, whom we haven’t seen for a while. Kevin (the pilot) lied about his intention to ride slowly up the hill; last I saw of him on Kings he was up at the front with Kevin (my son) and Karl. I was doing my best to try and work my way back up to Jan, who’s likely figured out that I fall apart on the steeper sections and then claw my way back when the grade eases up.
Now, about our dead-end roads mission this week. There are three of them, all coming off the coast side of Skyline, between Kings/Tunitas and Sky L’onda. Tuesday we hit up Star Hill, and today it was the mother of them all, Bear Gulch. As you’re heading south on Skyline from Kings, Bear Gulch is on your right, just as you begin the continuous long descent into Sky L’onda. It starts with a short climb, then becomes a long gradual descent on a twisty narrow (yet nicely paved) road until… until the bottom literally drops out. The last mile or so is a killer. A “bear” of a climb as it were. But the views of the redwoods, the coast, the cattle grazing on the hillside next to the road… those all make it worthwhile. That is, if you could see them through your salt-stung eyes.
If you would like to check out Bear Gulch, I’d do it sooner than later. This is not a ride to do on a warm day, nor is it a ride to attempt without a low gear (the road is too narrow to effectively zig-zag your way up the hill, although Jan did an admirable job of trying). But it’s definitely one to scratch off your list.
This morning I get an email from Ueyn, a former regular of our Tuesday/Thursday-morning rides, letting me know that some guy from Texas was in the area yesterday and rode up Old LaHonda 30 seconds slower than Kevin.
http://app.strava.com/rides/6974489
For those unfamiliar, “Juan Pelota” is the name of Lance Armstrong’s ranch in Texas. And “Juan Pelota” did a smokin’ 110 mile Palo Alto-Santa Cruz loop, including the 2nd-best-time on Strava up Mt. Charlie. No biggie, except that it was on a Trek Speed Concept time trial bike!!! You don’t climb on a time trial bike. Unless you’re Juan Pelota. In which case you climb very, very well indeed (after a “slow” warm-up on Old LaHonda anyway).
Warning: Next section rated PG: Regarding “Juan Pelota”, the name isn’t random. “Pelota” is “Ball” in Spanish. “Juan” sounds a lot like “one.” And one certain famous cyclist who went through testicular cancer had one of his two testicles removed.
I don’t think I’m ever going to allow myself 10 days off the bike in March again! It’s only this past few days that I’ve begun to feel like myself on a bike, and that doesn’t mean that I’m going fast, but rather that I’m in control of what my body can do. If I want to go faster, I push myself harder, limited only by pain and not that awful feeling of not being able to torture myself enough that I really feel it later on.
Sunday and today, I really felt the effects of the ride later on.
Big group this morning, including but not limited to Karl, Kevin, Kevin, Karen, Jon, Eric, George, Todd, Michael and at least one other I think. Kevin (my son, not the pilot), Michael and I somehow found ourselves out ahead of the rest at the base of the climb, and we just kept on going, thinking they’d catch up to us fast enough. The reality was that they were taking their time today, so Kevin & Michael never did get caught, and just kinda cruised to the top in 25:48. Eric did pass me up about 3/4 of the way to the top, but I was pretty happy to get a 27-something time (27:57).
Because west-side Old LaHonda is still being worked on we rode over the top and down Star Hill to its dead end, and back up, adding another couple miles and 500ft of extra climbing to the day. As they say, it’s all good! Especially since I was able to get my heart rate up to 175 (which is pretty much my absolute max) and really feel it in my legs. Up to this point my lungs have been the limiting factor to my climbing, so my legs never really got that feeling later in the day that stairs were something to be avoided.
Finally, I’m looking forward again to my Tuesday/Thursday-morning rides!
Sundays are normally reserved for rides of 50+ miles, preferably closer to 70, but that wasn’t possible today since we the Redwood City store was open from noon-5pm for our TREKFest sale (we’re normally closed on Sundays). Noon. That meant having to get back by 11am to have time to take a shower and get ready. How many rides can you reliably pull off in 3 hours that are suitably challenging?
Oh sure, we could get out earlier than 8am, except that we had to watch the final 20k or so of the Amstel Gold road race on the ‘net. As if I can remember the bit-player who won. Still, it bought a bit of time, allowing some of the overcast to burn off, and it was indeed a glorious morning as we headed out over 84, Yes, we went up 84, not Old LaHonda, because it would be both faster and different. 84 is such a consistent and shallow grade that it’s kinda fun to do as a change of pace, espeically on a Sunday morning, when the traffic is almost unbelievably light.
It might have been a bit more fun if Kevin hadn’t dumped me on the pavement shortly after the ride started, when he got spooked by a car pulling out of a driveway and slammed on the brakes without warning. It’s difficult not to see Kevin and a seasoned and skilled rider because he’s gotten so fast, but the truth is, he got fast so fast that he really doesn’t have the zillions of miles the rest of the guys (and women) I ride with have, so I really shouldn’t expect him to have the same skill set yet. He’ll get there.
A bit gray and mildly drizzly along the coast, but not bad, certainly better weather than we’ve had lately, and not bad weather for climbing Tunitas. Of course Kevin took off as soon as it got steep, finishing about two minutes ahead of me. I’m getting used to that. But I got there, and later (as in, right now) feel the effort in my legs. At just 43 miles that’s somewhat surprising, but also welcome. As welcome as warm weather and literal crowds of cyclists on Canada Road on our return.