Keep Turning Those Pedals

I'm getting ready for the Marathon Nationals in Bend, OR next week. Trying to keep my mileage/hours in the saddle up as I approach race time. This will most likely be the last race I do this season before settling into more base miles. This morning I road around my neighborhood, then dropped down along the coastal highway before making my way up into the Presidio and back home. Trying to keep my top speed up while not working myself too hard.

I ride into work everyday now. I've since retired my IF and mostly ride my Tarmac SL4. I feel spoiled having such a fast commuting rig. I don't rock too much riding specific gear other than a Rapha rain jacket, helmet and shoes. I hate having to carry a lot of gear, especially if I'm bringing my dog to work.

Oregon Coast

My wife, Dad and I went for a ride along the Oregon Coast on Sunday afternoon, starting in Rockaway Beach, getting up to Manzanita before turning back. I've always dreamed of riding the entire coastline, but that'll have to wait. It was fun to ride the scenic highway despite the heavy traffic. We went at a comfortable pace while soaking in the views.

My cousin and I used to explore the logging roads just outside of town. We'd get lost, and eventually connect the miles of fire road. We'd ride on the beach and battle strong headwinds on the way back. So many good memories in this part of Oregon. It's one of my favorite places to visit.

Ridgefield Ride

I rode with my Dad over the holiday weekend. I wanted to ride out in Mt. Hood, but he insisted we do his local ride, and boy it didn't disappoint. We rode 70 miles through beautiful and remote country fields and farmland. The terrain was rolling, and I was surprised we climbed over 4,500' in four hours.

It's been at least 15 or so years since I last rode with my Dad. I grew up riding with him, road and mountain, and somehow stopped when I moved up to Seattle. It's cool that he still rides, and rides strong.

I really put my Dad in the hurt locker. He normally doesn't go over 40 miles with his riding buddies, but he was curious about the area beyond Ridgefield, WA.

I mapped out a course on Garmin which brought us out into Lacenter, WA and back. It was really cool to ride through the city I grew up in. Everything was familiar but so different and strange at the same time. I couldn't remember the roads that connected with each other, but I had a general idea of where I was.

Flying through country roads. It felt great to let loose aboard my Tarmac. I would hammer it out on my own and waited up for my Dad to catch up. At one point I thought he had flatted, and turned back for a few miles only to discover he had taken a shortcut. Luckily we both had our phones.

We took a coffee break in Ridgefield. It was cool to see my Dad's ride, a full carbon Scattante bike with Ultegra.

My Dad's funny. He loves to chat and tell stories. It's hard to get a word in, but he just keeps going and going. He'll tell me all about his riding buddies in the local bike club, the way they scrutinize his bike(s) and how he teases them with stories of how he got them. He's the reason I got into cycling.

Like Father, Like Son

Talked to my dad today on the phone about going up to visit family. We also talked about doing an epic ride together, which is really exciting because I can't remember the last time we rode together. I don't even remember if it was on road or mountain bikes. It's been at least 10-12 years. We keep in touch about rides we've done, stuff we've done to our bikes, what stuff to get and so forth, but it'll be interesting to see how our levels match up. We're thinking about a ride to Mt. Hood and back, and/or maybe a ride to the Oregon Coast. It's been years since I've ridden in the area, so it'll be a nice change of pace, granted it doesn't pour rain the whole time.

Foggiest of Days

Man, was it foggy out this evening. So crazy. I haven't seen fog this thick ever since we moved here. It's a good thing I brought along my tail light, which I immediately turned on before setting out on my adventure through the park, up to and over the Presidio, looping around the Headlands and back. It felt great to shake out stress from work and pound on the pedals through the fog. It was like riding through a thick white cloud. Unfortunately I couldn't hammer the whole way through as one of my cleats worked its way loose, but not completely coming off.

A friend of mine from work has been having bad braking issues. I didn't quite understand why he wasn't getting enough power from his brakes, which were cantilevered cross brakes. He lives out in the Sunset neighborhood and I suspect it's quite a bit more foggy than where I live/commute. Coming down the backside of Hawk Hill, with its 18% downhill grade I experienced that same loss of power. I think it has something to do with riding through thick fog, the moisture acting as a constant lubricant between the brake pads and rim. That's my only explanation. Anyways, it can be frightening going down something so incredibly steep and not having complete control.

As the days get darker and darker I'm sad to see less and less riders out on the road. I saw a fair amount going up Hawk Hill as I was descending, which I found surprising, but in general the roads felt lonely.

Wearing it With Pride

I picked up the official Leadville Race Series jersey while I was in town. It's a nice fit from the Hincapie brand. I hate wearing anything with a bazillion logos, but this one is well designed and not too overbearing. I went on a morning ride with my wife into Mill Valley and back. It was foggy on the way out, but beautiful and sunny as soon as we crossed the bridge.

We were going at such a comfortable pace the whole way through the ride, but I had some pent up energy towards the end and snagged myself a KOM on the uphill to our place. Not much to brag about, but I was really surprised. My right Speedplay cleat was squeaking and finally came loose, sliding forwards and backwards. Luckily it didn't come off while sprinting.

Foggy Hawk Hill

One more Hawk Hill raid in the fog. Even though I was supposed to take it easy this week I couldn't help but push myself and snag a KOM from the Presidio over to the Marin Headlands. The backside of Hawk Hill was really fast, almost too fast for me. I found myself carrying way too much speed and unclipping a foot to stay balanced while flying around a steep and sharp corner. The fog plays tricks with your eyes, making everything seem flat and easy.

Hawk Hill

Just to give you all perspective of how crazy fun riding in San Francisco can be. It's a monster climb followed by a crazy fast and steep descent. The guys in the video are crazy, riding brakeless!

The Last Push (Part 2)

I had a great time today putting in some miles on my road bike, heading up to Fairfax, down to Alpine Lake, up to the Seven Sisters and down the front side of Mt Tam. I rode close to 60 miles with nearly 5,000' of climbing. Being the last weekend of solid riding I wanted to make sure I put in enough hours and miles before I head out to Colorado.

I started rather late in the afternoon, so I didn't come across to many riders on my way around Alpine Lake and up to the Seven Sisters climb. I was feeling pretty tired having ridden hard on Saturday, but I managed to put in a really good time overall for the entirety of the loop, starting and ending at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Seven Sisters climb is by far one of the hardest and most beautiful sections of road in the Bay Area. It overlooks the Pacific Ocean to one side and Mill Valley to the other before dropping down the south-facing side of Mt. Tam.

The view coming down will never get old. From the top I can see the city and neighborhood we live in. The descent is super fast. I hit 40mph in some sections, but wasn't fully comfortable carving into some of the curves. The road surface had this smooth and shiny quality I wasn't sure if I could lean into them or wash out completely.

On my way back I was feeling it in my legs, barely being able to turn the cranks over. I ran out of water and food, but as soon as I felt the cold bay air I was re-energized. I even sprinted a few times with a fellow rider on my way into Golden Gate Park.

I'm feeling really good coming into my last week of preparation at sea-level. I've done all the training I could do in terms of fitness. The next test will be acclimating to high elevation while conserving my energy before the big day.

Drizzle

I did a quick spin down the Great Highway aboard my new Tarmac SL4 this morning. It was cold and drizzly, but it reminded me of riding in New York in the winter. I've got new pedals and shoes waiting to be setup, but I haven't had the time. Besides work I've been trying to wrangle the rest of my Leadville trip together. I wish I could bring two bikes with me, but my 29er will do the job.

Blazing Saddles

Had a lot of fun taking my new road bike for a spin around the Marin Headlands. I wanted to see how it'd do on the steep climbs of Hawk Hill. I found myself standing up a lot and really putting down the hammer. I still can't believe how stiff everything is, yet supple and comfortable on long stretches of chattery road.

I can't wait to get a new pedal platform and shoes to really see its full potential. I'm thinking about Speedplays and Specialized carbon soled shoes.

The Quest for Blue Skies (Part 2)

Here I am again, near the top of Mt. Tam, overlooking the fog covered ocean. The big difference is that I made to the top on a brand new bike. I decided the only way to break in and bless a new ride is with my own sweat atop a mountaintop. I rode 50 miles and climbed over 5,000' in under a three hours. I felt pretty good considering the huge ride I did just yesterday, and I owe most of the inspiration to my new bike. See what I got after the break.

My wife and I splurged and picked up two new road bikes on Sunday, an Amira for her and a Tarmac SL4 Pro for me. Mikes Bikes is making room for new models to come through, so a lot of their current inventory was on sale. I've been eyeing an SL4 for a while now, and decided that now was the time. All I can say is that this bike screams up and down the road. A more detailed review to come.

Halfway up to the top of Mt. Tam. The fog covering all of San Francisco and Marin County.

The road to the summit goes right next to that strange ball at the top of the mountain. An observatory perhaps? After soaking in some sun I made my way down into the fog, which got more intense the closer I got to sea level.

Clear Skies

The sun finally came out to play. I rode down the Great Highway to Fort Funston and back. I found it hard to jump on the bike and spin for an hour, especially after a hard and stressful week of work. I hate feeling drained after a day of just sitting in front of a screen. All week I've tried to get up early to do my morning ride, but I've hit the snooze button every time. The weather hasn't been all too inspiring this week either, but with the days getting shorter and shorter its important for me to continue to rise early.

My Powertap G3 was giving me some weird numbers, but I wasn't sure if something was wrong with that or my Garmin. On a number of occasions it would completely stop displaying wattage or spit out something totally off. I had to stop and recalibrate, but I'm hoping that it's just the battery. Luckily the new design makes it more serviceable, granted you still have to send it back to the manufacturer. At this point I don't need to track my wattage output given I'm so close to the Leadville races.

Who Let the Fog Out?

It's been really foggy in the city this week. I went for a quick spin after work down along the Great Highway, back up and through Sea Cliff and the Presidio. I felt great on the bike and managed to keep a 19mph average, besting a few of my previous times on a few stretches of road.

It's amazing how consistency in training, coupled with rest days, can improve your fitness. Easier said than done, of course. It's been well over a year since I started training/riding more regularly, and it feels great to have accomplished something so simple like riding a bike every day. It's more complicated than that, but it really does take dedication and discipline, but most importantly passion for the sport.

Pope Valley

On the second day of riding in Napa I rode through Pope Valley. While not quite as long it was just as demanding as the previous day. It wasn't as hot so I was able to turn up the intensity on my spin. I had one big climb up Howell Mountain, followed by rolling terrain down and around Lake Hennessey.

Riding through wine country wasn't quite like I was expecting. It was a lot more challenging than I thought, especially being so accessible to some great mountain ranges and rolling hills. The dry heat also played a major factor in my ability to cover ground. It's really a beautiful area and very popular for cycling. I passed quite a few weekend warriors who all seem to know their way around and choice routes to consider. I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit.

Mount St. Helena

I did a long and epic ride through the mountains of Napa Valley. I started out in St. Helena, where my aunt and uncle in-laws live, and made my way up to their vineyard in Calistoga. I turned on to Old Toll Road, which is adjacent to the vineyard, and climbed up the steep and twisty road halfway up Mount. St. Helena. My goal was to gain over 10,000' over a 100 miles, but it was way too hot, so I cut it down to 60 and gained over 4,000'. Not bad considering the temperature was well into the 90's.

On my way up Mount St. Helena I spotted the ridge line I rode the last time I was in Napa.

Just some beautiful landscape along the way. I've always wanted to tour a countryside like this.

He seemed surprised to see me.

Passed by a famous hub-cap graveyard. Yep.

Napa

Heading up to wine country for the weekend. Opted to bring my road bike instead in hopes of conquering and exploring the outlying mountain ranges. It's going to be hot up there, which is good training for me. The food up there is really great, also good training for me. I love how close Napa is from San Francisco. I decided to take Highway 101 all the up in favor of smoother traffic (hopefully), as well as a more scenic route.

Fourth of July Ride

This morning I rode up to Mt. Tam, around Alpine Lake and to Fairfax, CA, and back. It was the first real road ride since moving to San Francisco. What an incredible ride! I did 60 miles and climbed over 5,000'. Traditionally everyone rides the Seven Sisters counter-clockwise, but for whatever reason I decided to do it in reverse. The Seven Sisters is a narrow mountain road that cuts along the top of Mt. Tam along a spectacular ridge that overlooks the ocean and valley below. It's quite possibly the most beautiful stretch of road I have ever ridden.

The ridge is very exposed, yet the wind was very calm, and the sun was out. I followed most of the way with an Irishman who seemed to know the route really well. We chatted as we traded places and eventually got to ride most the bottom half of Alpine Lake with him.

I was so high that the clouds seemed to be miles below.

Alpine Lake sits just south of Fairfax, CA. Today was a really popular day for riding. I must have seen close to a hundred riders, mostly going the opposite direction. On our way back into Mill Valley we ran into a 4th of July holiday parade, and had to snake our way through town to avoid traffic.

Again, I'm floored by how beautiful the area is just outside of the city. It's hard to recall the beauty of the Hudson Valley after spending a few months of riding in the bay area. While I've been doing most of my riding on my mountain bike on mountain bike trails, I can easily be swayed for an afternoon on the outlying roads. There seems to be an endless amount of road to explore, each with a lot of challenging climbs and breathtaking views.

I made a pit-stop over in Sausalito to meet my wife and my in-laws for some fish tacos and chips. It was a good break to recharge and refuel before the very windy ride home.