Category Archives: Web Rides

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74 days to go- Will Kevin be ready? Will I? Today’s run to Pescadero & Tunitas suggests yes.

Ride reports (not Tu/Th), Tdf trip planning, Web Rides, , ,

Any doubts about Kevin getting back in shape in time for France were erased today

Question was, would today be that “day off” that he couldn’t afford? My concern was that last night was Senior Prom (an event I didn’t attend back in the day because it conflicted with a bike race) and Kevin didn’t get in until 1:30am. Would I be able to roll him out of bed and onto a bike before the sun went down? Turned out not to be much trouble; Kevin woke up around 9:30 if I recall correctly, and not being terribly energetic for a while, it wasn’t until noon that we finally got out… but that’s plenty of time for what some refer to as the “coastal classic”- up Old LaHonda and down the other side, over Haskins Grade to Pescadero, north on Stage to Tunitas and back up to Skyline and down Kings to Woodside.

Lots of people on the east side of the hills today, but darned few on the coast. In fact, there was only one other cyclist at the Pescadero Bakery, a nice guy from Bonny Doon who hitched a ride into town on our wheels (which I don’t mind; if you see Kevin and I out on the road, and I’m plowing into a head wind, go ahead and grab a wheel). My guess is that most were at the Grizzly Peak Century, which is what Kevin and I would have been riding if not for Senior Prom (I did offer, when I picked him up, that we could go home, get dressed for the ride, grab our bikes and just head over… who needs sleep?).

Anyone not riding missed the best day of the year so far. Temps ran from mid-60s to low-80s, with the only downside being a persistant headwind regardless of what direction you were riding. What was a bit sad was not having many “rabbits” (cyclists ahead of you) to catch. Even on Old LaHonda, where you normally encounter a steady stream of rabbits (those you’re chasing) and dogs (those chasing you).

We didn’t charge any of the climbs flat out, but did put the hammer down once we got to the upper reaches of Tunitas, where it flattens out. That’s a real good test for how Kevin’s doing, because as he tires, he’ll often have trouble holding onto a wheel (a wheel which you need all that much more when you’re tired!), but today I was able to gradually crank up the speed and he held on. In France, that will become even-more important, as we’ll need to catch “trains” of riders speeding by if we want to get around quickly and efficiently.

Most of the “infrastructure” for the 2011 trip to the Tour de France has been handled; plane tickets, train tickets, car rental, hotels, and some route planning. What’s needed is a feeling that Kevin and I are ready for a far-more-ambitious schedule of riding than we’ve done on any of the three prior trips to the ‘Tour with Kevin; in particular, there’s a 100 mile day, a huge loop without any possibility of shortcuts, featuring the Col du Glandon and the massive Galibier. 74 days is just not that far off, and Kevin got off to a pretty bad start this year with his kidney issues, so it was a very good thing we got this ride in!

We finally pulled off the “different” ride from a few weeks ago

Ride reports (not Tu/Th), Web Rides

A few weeks ago, Kevin (my son, not the pilot) and I were going to do something a bit different from the norm. He often complains that he wants to ride something different from the usual Pescadero/Tunitas loop, but it’s tough to get in a really challenging ride without heading toward the coast, and it’s hard to avoid Pescadero (gotta stop at the bakery) and Tunitas. That day Kevin had some issues from his various epilepsy meds, so I went out on my own and had to do a slight modification due to some flooding.

Today, no danger of flooding, and Kevin was doing fine, so we finally pulled it off, but not at the 9am starting time I was hoping for; somehow it was determined that Starbucks and Noah’s Bagels had to be procured first, and then Kevin remembers that his rear tire is flat, plus a couple other things I don’t recall, so it wasn’t until noon that we finally set out.

Lunch at the excellent Gazos Creek Cafe. And yes, they take credit cards!

The route? Woodside/Old LaHonda/Pescadero (nothing unusual yet!), the Bean Hollow to the coast and south on Highway 1 to Gazos Creek. Now we’re talking something different. Had an excellent lunch at the Gazos Creek Grill, same place I ate a few weeks ago. So far, so good, since we were heading south, with the wind at our backs!

The run north was on Gazos Creek Road, which I’d hoped would be relatively sheltered from the win, which it was. Then back through Pescadero (twice through Pescadero on one ride, without stopping at the bakery?), north on Stage, then the long grind up Highway 84 back to Woodside.

Ever get a sunburn on just one side? Easily done on Stage Road, with fog on the coast, and the afternoon sun opposite.

It’s counter-intuitive that it’s actually longer getting back via 84 than Tunitas Creek, but that’s just the way it goes. The grade’s not as steep on 84, but there’s something about, shall we say, “less defined” climbs that seems to make them harder. On Tunitas, you’ve got a climb you can sink your teeth into! On 84, you’re just putting miles under your feet as you make your way first from the coast to LaHonda (with a variety of small “junk” climbs along the way) and then a mild, exposed and often-straight climb from there to Skyline.

About 75 miles, 6600ft of climbing, so technically, not a “tough” ride (has to be 1000ft of climbing/10 miles). But it felt harder than the numbers indicate, partly because of the headwinds, partly because Kevin’s getting stronger again and has his Old LaHonda time back into the 24 minute range (he was just a bit faster than that before he had the kidney issues earlier in the year that kept him off the bike for three months).  Not much time left to get Kevin in really good shape; the trip to see the Tour de France is only a few months away, and one of the days we’ll be there will possibly feature a truly-epic 100 mile ride with over 15,000 feet of climbing. After today’s ride, I’m thinking it’s possible!