Get out of the fog!

[yellow]

I just have to gush about the near perfect riding weather we are having in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It's been in the low to mid-60s all week and the roads are mostly dry. There is some sand on the shoulders (left over from the last icy period), but it's easy to see and avoid.

Went out for a 30 miler today with nearly 2500 feet of climbing. I wore a ss jersey with armwarmers, a light vest, tights, skullcap, my normal smartwool socks and toecaps. I was comfy the whole ride. We started pretty early; I'd probably ditch the vest for an afternoon ride.

We saw several other folks riding and they were all smiling. The sun sure feels good!

Check out this link for maps of some of the local rides:

http://www.beautifulvista.com/bike_rides_index.htm

[SadieKate]

Well, poo on you. The streets are just getting dry enough to ride here in Davis. I just couldn't get the hubby motivated (well, me too) to drive anywhere today. I like the website! Lots of good looking rides. We need to plan something.

See the Top Hat Classic postings. There's plans afoot for training rides down here. I'll keep you posted.

[SadieKate]

Oh, meant to ask if you did one of the loops on the link. I'm not familiar with the road riding up in your nek o' the woods.

[Veronica]

Diablo was great today. It was foggy at the foot of the mountain but a mile or so from the Junction the sun appeared and it was probably 70 degrees at the summit.

V.

[SadieKate]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rub it in. A friend in Piedmont already called and reported. Getting the message from all fronts that we screwed up. I blame the fist o' beef dinner and chocolate truffles last night.

Diablo was probably an easier ride, too. We're 7 miles into our 27 mi. flat "easy" training ride (because we're going to be mtbiking tomorrow, right?). Got to keep the legs fresh for the hills. Anyway, a hardbody guy in his flashy team shorts and tri-bike (and no gray hair) whizzes by us. Can't let THAT happen! So, hubby proceeds to keep pace with him. And, of course, I can't let them get away from me! So, we stay about 150 feet back for the next 20 miles. The poor tri-bike guy kept looking back, standing on his pedals and trying to out sprint us -- for the next 20 miles. :) I'm thinking 15 miles of misery going up Diablo would have been more fun cuz there would have been the reward of the next 15 whizzing down. Instead, I got 27 miles of non-stop hardwork. Oh well, didn't think about the 40 degree air I was sucking into my lungs. I was actually kind of grateful for it. Off to find the Vitamin I now.

[yellow]

We did portions of several loops. We made up our minds as we went along and gauged it on how much more climbing we felt like doing. I'm sure you've done Slug Gulch...you'll have to come experience Snow's Road sometime! (I'm pretty sure that one isn't on the website...only a few hearty souls ever even talk about it!)

I'd be happy to be a personal tour guide any time. Flat it ain't!

[aka_kim]

Yellow, tell us more about Slug Gulch. Every year, I tell myself I want to try Slug Gulch at the Sierra Century, and every year I bail out and do the bypass option.

Is it *really* 18% for one mile? Can you stop and restart? Are there any brief respites where it's not so steep? What gearing do you use?

And Snow's Road? Never heard of it. Is it even worse?

[yellow]

Seventy-whatever miles into the SC, yes, it's tough. But a lot of it is anxiety of the unknown for folks that have never ridden it. I curse a blue streak every single time I ride it and on particularly hot days have to stop between the first short climb and the "real" climb, usually to shed some clothes (I don't do well with heat). But really the steepest climbing is less than 3 miles long and you get nice rollers after that with great scenery. I think the trick is to come out and ride it before so you know what it is; yeah, it's tough, but I'm sure you've ridden other equally-as-hard climbs. 18%?? Maybe for a few feet at the part right after the last winery (the part right after I've shed my jersey in the summer). Here is a URL for a description that shows a profile:

http://www.beautifulvista.com/Bike_Rides/slug_gulch_fairplay_rd_loop.htm


And Snow's makes the Slug seem not so bad. Unfortunately I don't have a profile for it. I guess I'll need to do that the next time I ride it, eh? Or maybe I can sucker someone else into doing it...

y