Things I learned yesterday

[Veronica]

1. Don't eat a bunch of chips and salsa and then decide to bike up a 3800 foot mountain.

2. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge from the top of Mount Diablo.

3. Not having to bike down a mountain when it's only 38 degrees out is wonderful!

Here are links to some pictures from my trek up the mountain yesterday.
The first one is fairly early in the ride.
The second one is just shy of the 3000 foot mark.
The third is nearly at the top. The last few hundred feet are an 18% grade! Notice the leg and arm warmers are pulled back up.
The last is some poppies.

http://tvdyson.home.attbi.com/Mount-Diablo/0001.jpg
http://tvdyson.home.attbi.com/Mount-Diablo/00000.jpg
http://tvdyson.home.attbi.com/Mount-Diablo/0002.jpg

http://tvdyson.home.attbi.com/Mount-Diablo/0000.jpg

[Joycily]

thank you for sharing these great pics! Looks like a lovely ride - glad the weather cleared up enough for you to go out. (It's been sunny/rainy/hailing/cold/gusty/sunnyagain/<repeat> here in santa cruz this weekend, and I had to work to boot. I am jealous that you got to go out. *grin*

And btw, you and Fluffy look FABULOUS!

-j

[Veronica]

We'll be biking down your way in June. We're going to go down Rte. 1 to Santa Barbara on the tandem. Maybe we can together. The plan for that night is to camp at Sunset Beach.

Veronica

[goddess1222]

amazing photogs!!! what a woman you are!!!!!

[Joycily]

Originally posted by Veronica
We'll be biking down your way in June. We're going to go down Rte. 1 to Santa Barbara on the tandem. Maybe we can together. The plan for that night is to camp at Sunset Beach.

Veronica

That sounds fun! I live in Aptos, at Seacliff. More than likely you'll be biking w/in a half mile of my place on your way to Sunset - would be great to meet you and your honey.

-j

[newfsmith]

I see you make your armwarmers the same way I do, although I usually use the mismatched socks on top of the dryer that haven't found a mate after months. What does this say about our priorities? Bikes first!

[Veronica]

It seemed silly to pay $30 for what are essentially socks with no toes. Although I probably would have if the socks hadn't worked out. I hate to be cold!

[aubergine2]

Veronica - your pix are great! But, I noticed that you are riding with sneakers on. You might want to try cycling shoes. Even if you do not use clipless pedals, the stiffer sole of the cycling shoe allows for better transfer of power to the pedal (it isn't absorbed by the padding in the sole of a tennie). OK, now I'll mind my own business.....

[Veronica]

The shop I bought my bike at has a philosophy about pedals. The owner/designer thinks Converse sneakers and platform pedals are the way to go. He says that doing the same ride on the same bike, he has only a few seconds of variance in his time. He does the ride I did yesterday about 30 minutes faster than I did. (I did cut off about ten minutes from our tandem time though!) And with platform pedals you can wear whatever shoes you want.

I decided when I bought Fluffy I'd give their philosophy a try. Actually the climb up Diablo was kind of a test for the pedals. To be honest I really didn't notice my feet at all. Like I said the last bit is fairly steep (18%) and that's where I figured I may have problems. But they were fine. I'm riding the bike to work also and it's nice to not have to worry about bringing shoes along. Although when I got ready to ride yesterday, out of habit I put on my bike shoes to begin with. I may try different shoes for some of my longer rides, but I think I'm going to stick with the platform pedals.

The funniest part is when I miss I shift - the pedals go flying! That's what I get for riding a tandem for so long I suppose.

Veronica

[Trek420]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Veronica
I'm riding the bike to work also and it's nice to not have to worry about bringing shoes along. Although when I got ready to ride yesterday, out of habit I put on my bike shoes to begin with. I may try different shoes for some of my longer rides, but I think I'm going to stick with the platform pedals."

Shimano makes a pedal where one side you clip in, the other is a platform/plain so you can ride without cleats. Unsure about my learning curve going clipless I'd originaly chosen those. I still like 'em especially for intersections when I want to get on, get going and get through right away without bothering to clip in (haven't learned to trackstand, probably never will).

But I don't feel "conected" to my bike without at least toe clips, I'd feel like I'd just fly off the mountain ;-)

PS: Fluffy is a wonderfull color! Well, gotta go walk the dog

Dita

[aka_kim]

You're brave -- I thought the weather looked awful on Sunday. I was supposed to do the Primavera, but when I got up at 5am it was pouring, so back to bed.

Another gastronomic suggestion -- never eat a burrito prior to riding up Mt. Diablo. Uggh.

I usually ride the mountain Saturday mornings. If you're looking for a riding partner (I'm slow), esp. to ride from the North Gate, I'd be interested.

Kim

[Veronica]

You ride it every Sat. morning? Wow! Good for you! We went up at about 4 in the afternoon. It was cold - about 38 at the top and there were some mean gusts of wind. I'm really glad I didn't have to bike down. Although Thom says he owes me a trip to the top.

Where do you live? I'm in Antioch. It'd be fun to go up together.

Veronica

[aka_kim]

So you had your own personal SAG support? Nice.

I'm in Concord. I haven't been to the summit since the Challenge last October, just the ranger station at the junction. But I'm up for either. It usually takes me about 47 minutes from the gate to the junction.... not a sizzling pace but then not too bad for an old couch potato.

Email me if you want to ride sometime. I'm, er, between jobs at the moment, so my schedule is flexible.

Kim

[aubergine2]

Cool about your sneakers - my feet wouldn't survive - so as long as your dawgs are happy all is good! I have to second the motion on those Shimano dual function pedals - those were my very first ones (on my hybrid) and it is really nice to have the choice between platform and SPD on the spur of the moment. I had hot spot problems on longer rides (starting over about 30 miles) so I switched to Looks and road shoes and that helped a lot. Now I just do the duck walk when I get off the bike

[Hill Nelly]

hey Veronica, thanks for sharing those great pics of your ride!

Boy, does this make me homesick....I am originally from the Bay Area (San Rafael). I am curious to know if you've gone up/down
Mt. Tam or along the Pt. Reyes and Inverness area. It is soooo beautiful out there!!

The photo you have of the CA poppies is so pretty. It reminds me of a print I have in my office by Thomas Mangelsen. I have a couple of his California images to remind me of home!

Bye for now, and hope you all have some great rides this week!

Hil Nelly