Diablo Ride - Sat. Dec. 8

[SadieKate]

Way easier! Why even bother?

Let's do repeats up Pilot Butt instead.

[maillotpois]

I was thinking about this more.

Alpe d'Huez is 11% average, I believe. (They do their roads differently, so the switchbacks are dead flat and the part in between is scary steep, but I digress.) Anyway, when I rode that back in 2003, I remember thinking it was the hardest ride I had ever done, after the 2002 Death Ride.

So 11% is pretty scary steep average.

[jobob]

Pilot Butte averages out to about 9%.

Happily, it's only about a mile long.
But you're almost 4000 ft above sea level.

Do a few repeats of that and you'll be tres studly, SK !

----

This gradient tabulating thing is fun, in a geeky sort of way.

I'll see if I can dig up the gradient data for Sierra Road - I think I managed to do the entire climb once or twice. Don't know if I saved it, tho.

Welch Creek, however, ain't happening.
V, I'd be glad to lend you my computer and you can slog up it as a Public Service.

[SadieKate]

Do a few repeats of that and you'll be tres studly, SK !

Or just ride it without your bottom 3 gears and on knobby tires.

[Veronica]

I'll look at my data on Welch Creek when I get home and report back.

V.

[Bike Goddess]

Welch Creek? Hmmm- where's that one?
Yeah, I'd love to know what Sierra is. Even the Amgen Tour guys suffered on that!

We did Diablo today and wouldn't you know- no one had their altimeter with them. BUT I will say, south side sounds like 5% average to me. After doing it 6 of 7 times up in the last 8 weeks and averaging about 7mph up to the junction, it feels pretty gentle. The last part up couldn't be much more than maybe 7% unless we take into account the 17% grade at the end which might bump it up a bit. I did that one once on a triple with a 25 on the back- it just about did me in! Now I do it on my Jamis which has an XTR on the back. I can almost walk it up (on the bike that is).

It was pretty darn cold- 53 at the junction and 48 at the summit. The only thing that made going up easier was NO wind... as in ZERO! How many times do we get that???? But coming down was a different story. Cold, cold,cold! Thank goodness Sweet Affair had hot soup waiting for us!

As an aside- our oldest club member- Joe Shami (71)has done Diablo 25 weeks in a row. I'm not sure what his goal is, but as of next week, if he gets to the top it will be a full 6 months! I'm happy to support his endeavors until it gets 1) too cold, and/or 2) too wet. Since we have 7 days to do the climb, usually one of those will work. We'll see come January.

Sure is nice to be retired.....

[snapdragen]

Sure is nice to be retired.....

Oh stop bragging!