A solid week off the bike and I have to admit I wasn’t thinking about a tough ride today! Tuesday & Thursday I was in Phoenix (meetings dealing with the future of the world, or at least the world as it will be for the local bike shop), so this morning I was looking forward to something easy. Some miles, definitely, but not fast. And I was really hoping for nice-enough weather to ride my super-light & fast Trek Emonda, not the still-nice but heavier Boone Cross bike. Well, you gotta be flexible, and while the weather report said rain would stop very early in the morning, Kevin and I woke up to very wet streets and drizzle.

Skyline looked like an ugly mess, so we stayed “low” today. What I didn’t count on was the “flying start” when we picked up JeffZ on Canada. In the photo above, Jeff & Kevin can be seen talking about whatever the really strong guys talk about. Me, I was just sucking wheels, and for the most part, successfully (other than coming off the back on that section in Portola Valley where the road tilts up until you hit the guardrail section. JeffZ stayed with us until Los Altos before he headed back home, while Kevin and I continued south, heading up over Mt. Eden and then back mostly via Foothill.

55 miles, nothing huge, but several good hours in the saddle. Wet pretty much the entire ride, so pretty messy for the bikes (and us!). Definitely a good thing we had wider tires, disc brakes and bikes that are appreciated more for basic function than style points.