Bike and Hike

After last weekend, being out on my bike felt like a celebration (with overtones of rebellion). I hope to enjoy a few more weeks before I will necessarily take a break from my routine.

Two friends joined me for a club ride—giving me a sense of having my own private escort. The ride leader was surprised by an unusually high turnout; amidst the chaos, we slipped away to get a lead on the late-starting group.

The main attraction was Regnart Road, a climb that is new to the club. The upper section includes an extended steep pitch (a quarter of a mile at a grade >16%, as it turns out). After repeatedly lifting my front wheel off the pavement, I did the sensible thing: I dismounted and walked it.

The end of the public road offered a new perspective on another popular climb, Montebello Road. Not to mention the gray blotch of the quarry and cement plant that mar the hillside. With that, and the reverberating gunfire from the local rod and gun club, I surely do not envy those hilltop mansions.