Speeding Down Hills?

You know that nervous feeling you get when you’re driving down the road and you see a cop? And you have no idea how fast you’re going or what the speed limit is? It can happen on a bike too.

On Thursday nights, my friends and I unwind by rambling on the quiet backroads of Los Altos Hills. Given the town name, it’s no surprise that it’s a climbing ride, and as they say “what goes up must come down.” No complaints for me, though. The downside of climbing is the upside for me. I LOVE to descend.

A couple of weeks ago, I slapped on my GoPro helmet-cam before we descended Altamont Road. I had carved through the tricky off-camber steep section and was shooting down the final straightaway when a sheriff pulled out ahead of me. He wasn’t close at all, but I felt a twinge of fear. How fast was I going? What’s the speed limit? That night I replayed the video, but couldn’t find speed limit signs. Do you see any?

Tonight, we climbed up to Altamont Road again, taking a slightly different route so we could find a speed limit sign. We found it: 30 mph. Lower than I expected.
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This time I caught up to two guys early in the descent, so I took it easy the rest of way down. At the bottom I checked my bike computer. Max speed 39.5. Definitely speeding. I wonder what it was two weeks ago when I was pedaling instead on braking through the turns?

Have you ever been pulled over for speeding on your bike? Would you try to fight it, or would you proudly frame the ticket?

 

The Road Not Traveled

The plan for third and final week of hill training for Jill’s Ride for Hope: ride from Woodside to the coast and back via the Old La Honda/84/Tunitas loop. At 45 miles and 4500 feet climbing with a 2 mile stretch at 9-10% grade, it’s hard work. Yet it’s one of my favorite routes: two shady, winding climbs through redwoods, interesting rest stops, a stellar descent down Kings and most of all, the satisfaction of knowing you made it to the Pacific.

But after feeling strangely lethargic all day Friday, I was definitely sick on Saturday morning. So I stayed home while my friends rode without me and tried not to be bummed. Lucky for me, Cindy took lots of photos, which is the next best thing to being there. Thanks, Cindy!

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Water Stops for Girl Scouts

When I was packing up to drive cross-country from Louisiana to California, a friend told me: “Don’t pass up a gas station in the desert, no matter how expensive it is.” Great advice, especially since we skipped the interstate highways and drove the smaller highways instead. We filled our tank up with gas at twice the normal price with smiles on our faces, and never ran out of gas.

For cyclists riding the backroads, the advice would be: “Don’t pass up a water stop on the backroads, even if you’re on a sweet descent.” Even though our route started in town, today’s ride required the discipline of a Girl Scout to not run out of water on a warm day.

The route was simple: up Old La Honda to the ridge on Skyline, down almost to sea level at La Honda, then back up to Skyline on West Alpine, then shooting back down Page Mill Road to the valley. 33 miles, 4,000 feet elevation gain.

But a simple map doesn’t tell the water story. After the first few miles, there’s no free water until after almost all of the 4000 feet of climbing is done. And who wants to pull over and pay for bottled water when you have over a full bottle left and you’re going 30 mph?

So you fly past the little store in La Honda and start the big climb. A nice grade in the cool redwoods, then a much steeper grade still in the trees, followed by the steepest sections in the sun. By the time you get to the top at Russian Ridge your head is pounding and your bottle is empty. There’s a bathroom (not that you need it since you’re dehydrated) but still no water.

Then you remember: the secret water fountain on Page Mill. It’s just on the side of the road, not near a trailhead or parking lot, or any other sensible place. But you know where it is. And even though it’s in the middle of an awesome descent, and you don’t have much climbing left to do, you stop. And drink, like a good Girl Scout. This time, at least.

Where were you when *you* ran out of water?

 

Hill Training for Hope

After we pressured Katie into racing the 12 Hours of Humboldt with us, she demanded payback. So that means more training rides to prepare for Jill’s Ride for Hope, a small local charity ride for CASSY, a non-profit that provides counseling services for teens. Jill was a young teen who was bullied and took her own life. Tragic, and far too frequent. Katie’s sister-in-law is the executive director of CASSY, so we are more than happy to support her cause.

Which leads us to hill training. The route we chose is not that long–a mere 62 miles–but climbs to the highest point in the Santa Cruz Mountains at Castle Rock, drops down the coastside and then comes back over again. That translates to 5000+ ft elevation gain. The organizers’ description: “The brutal 100K course designed by professional endurance athlete Lou Kobin. For experienced athletes only!” Ouch!

Today’s plan: up Kings Mountain Road, down Skyline, down Hwy 84, and back up to Skyline via Old La Honda. We got an early start, so Kings was still shady and cool. But we were still grateful to reach the top.

Of course, there was still more climbing up to Skeggs, with all the sport drivers whooshing by. But the reward was fast descents down to Four Corners and then down Hwy 84.

The climb up West Old La Honda offers outstanding views of the Pacific at a gentle grade, plus some interesting carvings in the hill side. When I realized that Sheri, Cindy and Michelle had never seen them, we had to stop. And since we stopped I had to take a picture. I tried to imitate the expression on the carving, but ended up being goofy instead. And would someone please tell me when my helmet isn’t on straight.

After that, we headed down Hwy 84 into Woodside. We rolled out from the top with a couple. I ended up chasing the guy down the hill (we were flying), while my friends got caught behind the woman, who was riding her brakes the whole way. Awesome for me, not so awesome for my friends.

We celebrated with post-ride lobster rolls and beer at the Old Port Lobster Shack in Ladera.

Ride stats: 36 miles, 3200 ft climbing, 2:50 ride time. 1600 calories burned, 1200 consumed. (ok, I guessimating on that)

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in training for an event? (other than not training, of course)