Diablo - Apr. 24

[Veronica]

Meet at Arbolado Park - 9AM. Let me know if you need directions. :)

V.

[SadieKate]

Sign us up.

[jobob]

a big 'ol "more than likely" for us.

- Jo.

[Veronica]

Oh goodie - haven't seen you guys for awhile. How was your trip?

V.

[jobob]

The trip went fine, but more work was awaitin' me on my return. Amazing how I'm remaining so calm. not. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Since I was out there for such a short amount of time, I never never really adjusted to the time change. Which is good right now, I feel like I'm back on West Coast time already, but all this past week I would wake up at about 2 am and not be able to get back to sleep. Mid-afternoons were deadly :p

[SadieKate]

Welcome back, pardner!

[aka_kim]

Doing it from the south side (does that sound slightly risque to anyone else?). We could always meet at Whole Foods in WC, or the train museum in Danville -- both spots maybe a little easier for most to get to than Arbolado Park... But then, both will also be crowded early Sunday afternoon when we finish.

[Veronica]

Okay so it's official. We'll do this ride form the South side. Nice change of pace for us. :) Meet at the train station 9 AM in Danville. There should be lots of parking at that hour. (I hope) Any suggestions for lunch options thereabouts? There are also a couple of bicycle stores in downtown Danville.

V.

[SadieKate]

Bubba thinks the southern route sounds great as do I. "The Train Station" - is this Amtrak or BART or ??? How would we know we're at the right train station? The cookie crumbs? Sorry, we're out of our element when navigating much of the bay area.

Kim, "the south side" only sounds risque because of the nekkid bike ride thread you started.

[Veronica]

It's actually the Train Museum - 205 Railroad Blvd. Danville.

V.

[jobob]

If you want to be really picky, it's the Museum of the San Ramon Valley

http://www.museumsrv.org/directions.html

[Veronica]

Thanks Jo for finding the map. :) I had reading quizzes to grade.

V.

[snapdragen]

And Snap misses another chance to embarass herself on Diablo. :D I promised a non-biking friend we'd do the shopping thing that weekend..she and her daughter are feeling neglected. :p

[SadieKate]

V and Jo, us Foreigners out here in Tomatoland thank you for your map/address research.

Snap, I am sooooo disappointed. First, Kim puts baseball before bicycling and now you put shopping first. What is this world coming to? :D

SK

[aka_kim]

Kim, "the south side" only sounds risque because of the nekkid bike ride thread you started.
How things come back to haunt you. I posted that last year, and completely forgot about it until last week when the thread was resurrected. Yeah, I've got to get it out of my head!

[Trek420]

he obviously has never ridden the mountain or he'd understand the name ;-)

" The name Kawukum first surfaced in 1866, when a church group tried to change Mount Diablo's name for reasons nearly identical to Mijares', according to San Francisco Bay area researcher Bev Ortiz.

"We abhor the wicked creature to whom the name is appropriate, and spurn the use of the name for anything noble or good on earth," proclaimed the Congregational Church of San Francisco in its newsletter of the day.

The church proposed Kawukum, spelled then as Kahwookum, "a word learned from an unidentified Indian living at the base of the mountain,"

What the "unidentified Indian" didn't tell them is that Kahwookum means "stupid couch potato whiteguy, you'll never make it to the top"


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050414/ap_on_re_us/mount_diablo

[SadieKate]

Here you go, Snap. Come join us! Maybe I'll be able to recognize my own teammate at the Top Hat then.

[aka_kim]

... and Top Hat has hills. Gotta get that last training ride in.

[SadieKate]

Kim, could you compare the Top Hat climbs to Party Pardee? Is there anything on the Top Hat worse than Pardee (as in I'd need lower gears)?

[aka_kim]

I didn't follow last year's route too closely, so I don't know what may be in store for us this year. But, in the past, Pig Farm and Reliez Valley Road have been the hardest climbs (the climbs harder than Pardee).

Since I don't have an altimeter I like to make up gradients (and miles), but Pig Farm is about as steep as the top of Diablo, except it stair steps so there is a little relief (and the fact you haven't been climbing continuously for the past hour+ helps too). It's maybe a half mile.

Reliez Valley is maybe 2 miles of 7% grade... I don't know. It's hard because it's pretty much the last of the climbs, so you've already got 5000 feet of climbing in your legs.

I don't know if extra gears are needed or not. I'll be using my 30x27 on the hard stuff, but if I had anything lower I might bring it.

Both climbs are on the 75 mile route, not the 50 mile.

[SadieKate]

I don't know if extra gears are needed or not. I'll be using my 30x27 on the hard stuff, but if I had anything lower I might bring it.


28x34 or 30x26. Guess your response makes it an easy decision! Thanks.

[snapdragen]

So, what can us wimps doing the 50 expect? :o


Both climbs are on the 75 mile route, not the 50 mile.

[CorsairMac]

So, what can us wimps doing the 50 expect? :o

If I may be so bold?.....Anyone riding a bike for 50 miles isn't a wimp in this girls book!

[aka_kim]

Yep, no wimps on either ride.

Let's see, Dublin Grade to start. It's just a slight grade for a few miles, and is only a problem if it's windy (like on Primavera). It's not usually windy in the morning, so shouldn't be a problem. Then out Redwood Rd into Chabot Regional Park. This is very pretty and passes San Leandro Reservoir, so it's some climbing and rollers for quite a few miles until Moraga. And that's basically it for climbing.

Here's the topo (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/can/event/event_page.asp?p=14352&e=6715).

The 50 mile is challenging if you don't do a lot of climbing, but still very doable.:)

[cindysue]

Reliez Valley is maybe 2 miles of 7% grade...

Where on Reliez Valley are you referring to? I ride that road a lot when I ride to Richmond from Walnut Creek.

[Veronica]

For those of you joining us on Sunday - Thom's b-day is Tuesday. I'm not planning anything special. And he 's already gotten his present for several years to come. But maybe at lunch we can sing him Happy Birthday.

V.

[SadieKate]

Since the starting place was changed mid-thread, I thought I'd re-post. We wouldn't want to lose anyone before the ride even starts.

9 am - Train Station in Danville (aka Musuem of San Ramon Valley)
205 Railroad Blvd. Danville
Links to the Museum location are provided up above.

We still need restaurant recommendations. V, what kind of food does the b-day boy like?

[aka_kim]

Where on Reliez Valley are you referring to? I ride that road a lot when I ride to Richmond from Walnut Creek.
Coming off Alhambra Valley Rd down to Pleasant Hill Rd. Am I exaggerating? I always find it tough going, and it's through a residential neighborhood (so how "epic" can it be?).

[Bike Goddess]

Hey V- I'll send some flowers-i.e. Chico Wildflowers that is :p
Happy Happy Birthday to Thom!!! :D :D

[Veronica]

Oh, he'll eat most anything and he HATES to be made much of. So of course I have to make a big deal. :p

V.

[SadieKate]

Sounds like you have an equal opportunity marriage like ours - equal opportunity to wash the dishes, iron your own shirt, harrass your sweetie, etc.

[SadieKate]

CindySue - are you joining us so we can sing you our very own unique and off-key version of the b-day song? Don't expect to fly under the radar any longer! Two opportunities to offend fellow restaurant go-ers would be sooooo much fun!

[Melody]

Just talked to the hubby and unfortunately, we won't be joining you all for the ride this weekend, but maybe next time. He's still making me be careful of the pulled groin muscled I got riding Primavera. :rolleyes:

Mel

[cindysue]

CindySue - are you joining us so we can sing you our very own unique and off-key version of the b-day song? Don't expect to fly under the radar any longer! Two opportunities to offend fellow restaurant go-ers would be sooooo much fun!

ahhh thanks sadiekate. I will be celebrating my birthday with 100 lashes, erhhh miles that is, at the Chico Wildflower.

I'm up for another restaurant offense, birthday or otherwise, if the chance presents itself. Hmmmm, Cinco De Mayo is coming up........ Margarita anyone?

[cindysue]

Coming off Alhambra Valley Rd down to Pleasant Hill Rd. Am I exaggerating? I always find it tough going, and it's through a residential neighborhood (so how "epic" can it be?).

anything seems easy compared to pigfarm hill on that route going towards Pleasant Hill. I'll be riding that route tomorrow on my way home from work in the late afternoon......

[cindysue]

We still need restaurant recommendations. V, what kind of food does the b-day boy like?

A really fun place to go in Walnut Creek is Tiki Toms

(925) 932-9204
1535 Olympic Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

[SadieKate]

Just thought I'd let everyone know that our group (5 total -- 3 who have voted) are willing to wait a bit later in the day just in case it gives us drier roads and warmer weather. Are there problems with South Gate drying?

Maybe you're already seeing better weather down there. Anyway, we're very flexible and can do whatever makes sense.

[aka_kim]

It's been drizzling/raining on and off all day, with dark clouds moving through at the moment. Tomorrow's forecast still says party cloudy.

I'm flexible on the time tomorrow too. Maybe 10 would be good? Or even later since it won't be hot.

[jobob]

Whatever you folks want - I wouldn't be adverse to leaving a bit later. 10 sounds good to me.

- Jo.

[Veronica]

10 it is. We'd been thinking 9 to avoid heat. I don't think thayt will be a problem. :D

See ya then! I'll have a new chain, rear cassette and freshly taped handlebars.

V.

[jobob]

ooh, what kind of casette? did you go larger?

We just put a 32t cassette on Pokey. Gotta save those knees :rolleyes:

[jobob]

...We brought Dusty to the Mother Ship today to have her checked out, she's been making an annoying squeaking noise when shifting - we've figured out it's coming from the rear cassette area, the cassette was slightly loose so a friend of ours tightened it up but it's still doing it to some extent. It might have something to do with the rear hub. So hopefully the good folks at Riv can check her out and come up with a suggestion or 2.

In the meantime, Pokey's all set for Diablo.

[SadieKate]

Sounds good to me.

I think you all have been lusting after my 34T freewheel :p .

I just put new pedals on (decided to upgrade to a 21st century version) and took off a whopping 0.35 lbs! Golden Girl's gonna fly - perhaps just putz infinitesimally faster. :o

[jobob]

perhaps just putz infinitesimally faster. :o
bah, you'll still put the hurt on Lee & me :p

[Veronica]

I started off with trying a 15 - 30. Fluffy isn't meant for something so big. His frame just isn't big enough, the derailleur doesn't move far enough away. I wasn't unhappy with 11- 28, but Thom was in hurry yesterday and Precision only had the 15 - 30. He was there to pick up my wheeel which had been trued. So I figured I'd give it a try.

Went back out to Performance today and got another 11 - 28. I have that little 24 in the front and that combination seems to work for me.

V.

[jobob]

I forgot to mention along w. the 32t cassette we put on a new Deore derailleur - Pokey's original 105 derailleur didn't go past a 27t or 28t cog.

It looks like the Saluki might not be ready in time for our vacation (we're driving up the Thusday before Memorial Day to Port Townsend WA, leaving the truck there and cycling to Port Angeles, taking the ferry to Victoria and bopping around Vancouver Island for a few days, taking another ferry to the San Juan Islands and staying there a few more days, then ferrying to Anacortes and biking down Fidalgo & Whidbey Is. and back to Port Townsend), and while the route doesn't seem particularly hilly, I figure since I'll be riding w. panniers the lower gears won't hurt.

[Veronica]

Wow - sounds like a cool trip. That's been on our "To Do" list. You'll have to a complete retelling you know - what the roads were like, places you stayed at. I'll want ALL the details.

V.

[SadieKate]

(we're driving up the Thusday before Memorial Day to Port Townsend WA, leaving the truck there and cycling to Port Angeles . . . . .

Sounds like fun! We'll expect pics and a full travelogue.

[jobob]

but of course. :)

[slinkedog]

Sounds like a great trip, Jo! Take lots of pics and give us all the details! Blaine and I honeymooned in PT... we rented a tandem and rode around town for a while. Lots of rollers! Anyway, have a great time!!

And all of you have a fun, safe ride tomorrow! I really hope to join you for a Diablo assault someday.

[SadieKate]

We're planning on leaving the house by 8:30 am. Could someone please be sure to post or call me before if the weather means we should cancel?

Thank you! Got my bag 'o gear packed and ready. :)

[Veronica]

Sure thing. :)

V.

[snapdragen]

We just put a 32t cassette on Pokey. Gotta save those knees :rolleyes:

Ah, good, so you'll stop eyeing Bleu's cassette!


It looks like the Saluki might not be ready in time for our vacation .

Well, you need to give the Riv folks my phone number. When she's ready I'll pick hr up for you. Honest, just to keep 'er safe......

snap (checking to see just how difficult it is to change one's identity and disapear)dragen

[Veronica]

What a great day! We had cookies, a nice climb, screaming descent, Mexican for lunch. Thom was truly surprised that the birthday dessert was his. He was convinced it was for Andrew - a soon to be 21 year old who smoked us all. But hey, he couldn't have a beer with HIS lunch.

My D'oh moment, I asked Bill what gear I was in on my rear cassette (first ride with the new stuff and it felt different.) Told him I hadn't developed the skills to turn around and look. He said, "Veronica, you don't turn around to look, you look between your legs." I looked and said, "Wow! you really can see it!" How many years have I been riding? Let's just say I'm NOT spatial.

I did go up most of the mountain one gear higher than normal. I thought I was in my 28, based on shifter position and feel, but nope I was one down from there. That was cool, since I have a tendency to get into my easiest gear and stay there.

We all survived the climb and plan to do it again in two weeks.

V.

[SadieKate]

Another really good ride! Everyone, all 10 of us spanning 4 decades, made it to the top. Everyone was really riding strong, in the zone, and it was fun to see all the grins of accomplishment at lunch. Woohoo!!

[Veronica]

Thom's not that old. :D

V.

[SadieKate]

Ah, he's a long way from a LOF. He's still just a LF!

[jobob]

Lee is :D :D :D

[jobob]

Gee snap, how very kind and selfless of you - whadda pal :p :rolleyes:

[SadieKate]

Lee is :D :D :D I thought the trio of LOFs (and LFs) did a mighty fine job today. Having Lee set the pace for Robb made a huge difference and I think it is what kept him motivated. I was floored when I found out Robb made it up. Thank you both for keeping Moose rolling uphill.

Ha, I'm still thinking about what we must have looked like when the Bike Bus arrived - vertically challenged me and the PeeWee team. I liked someone's comment about "Soccer Mom."

[jobob]

uh, I beg to differ, Moose was way faster than us. At least until that wretched mile or so before Devils Elbow.

[snapdragen]

Gee snap, how very kind and selfless of you - whadda pal :p :rolleyes:

Anything for the cause - I'm willing to make the sacrafice......

[SadieKate]

uh, I beg to differ, Moose was way faster than us. At least until that wretched mile or so before Devils Elbow.But I saw the smiles on your faces and not quite the same on Moose's. I also saw him walking around a bit crippled when he got out of the car at home. He told Bubba that he was going to have to get a bigger cassette and that he'd paid big time for his little gears. Yes, it was a huge accomplishment for him but he's going to be sore! I know that having you back there meant he was willing to back off the pace. I've ridden enough hills with him to know that he will push to stay with a faster rider and then blow up. Something tells me you two aren't going to be in the pain he will be tomorrow.

[slinkedog]

Snap, sounds like you made it! That's awesome! Now I have to try it sometime... but not on May 8. That is not only Mother's day (gotta go be with my mom) but its also my birthday so I will be celebrating with the whole fam damily. :) (And hopefully getting some new cycling shorts and a jersey!! :D )

[snapdragen]

Nope, I ended up staying home trying not to get sick. :( I didn't want to push it and end up missing out on Top Hat. Drank lots of Airborne, did the sinus thing, so I think I may live. :p

[slinkedog]

Oh, I'm sorry you missed it. Maybe we will be able to try the assualt together at some point. How are you feeling today? I'm just getting over a cold, too. I've barely ridden since the TB weekend.

I hope you're feeling better soon!

P.S. Did you do that saline nasal irrigation thingy? I'm still going to try it. So far my allergies haven't been too bad because of all the rain.

[cindysue]

well, it sounds like you all had a great time- sorry I missed it. Hopefully I will be around the next time you all do a group ride :)

I'll post a new thread for the Chico Wildflower girls to tell their same day tales.

[Bike Goddess]

BTW- Saw Lon on the Chico ride. Passed him on the 1st big hill :D