This is the view I was aiming for last night: Stevens Creek Reservoir. But it was not my first choice for today's destination.
I very much wanted to bike up Mt. Hamilton. Blue skies to the west and smoky skies to the east meant a change in direction was advised.
It looks like my hair was slicked back in
2019, but that was the work of the wind. The views last year were spectacular; will we have a chance to ride down the coast together, again? I do hope so.
I wanted to push myself, today. My chief ride buddy was game for some climbing, after enjoying the cool shade of Stevens Canyon. We chatted with a friendly solo cyclist, who decided to tackle the additional climbing we planned. Riding alongside me, I was momentarily puzzled when he asked if I liked
Keith Haring. Ah, I explained, he designed the
Best Buddies logo (featured on the back of my jersey).
Waiting for my bike buddy before making a turn, a Tesla blinked its headlights at me, a signal (I'm guessing) that I was standing too close. [Whatever.] A passing car was driving
sooooo slowly that I turned to look at the driver, wondering if he was unsure whether I might move into his lane. [Ha. No.] He wasn't looking at me. Nor was he looking at the road. His head was tilted down, his attention focused entirely on his cellphone with the backs of both hands resting on the center of the steering wheel.
He was texting. At least five cars were stacked up behind him, and no one honked.
Behold, sadly, my last Strawberry C Monster. [
Odwalla is no more, at the whim of its corporate overlords.] After refueling, I set out again. I had a pair of climbs in mind, but ... on a full stomach? [Not usually a good idea.] The day was heating up; if I started out flat, I would bake in the sun on a long flat finish during the hottest part of the day. I decided to climb slowly, and that turned out just fine.
My most ambitious stage of this Challenge:
52 miles, 3,280 feet of climbing. Just one more stage to wrap up this series: Stage 15, for 2020.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment