What was I thinking? Freaking hot but I wanted to test a little on GMR just to get used to some climbing again. Wanted at least the first 4 and if I could do more, great. But heck no with temps in the 90's 🥵 Starting from Encanto Park is going to be a different story compared to the golf course. Nuttin' but hills. 🤣
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Post ride meal 😋
Cut it short, 30 miles. Drove Drove to Encanto Park (Duarte) but my rear wheel locked up. Bad prawls in hub. So I drove to Rancho, our storage unit. Swapped out the rear wheel, cassette, tire and tube. 3 hours later I'm starting after all my breakfast energy was wasted. 😩 But good thing is that the wheel is much better than the one that was on there. I can feel the difference as the wheel on the Madone had some side to side slop but this one is solid. A ride the Ghost Course 👻. Looks pretty sad. 😔 Windy AH too. 🤣 Sign is of the trail closures coming around the golf course. Not sure why I took a pic of the Spanish version. 😄
Little park rest area at Thienes. I've seen this little entrance years ago when we did it with a group, maybe 2005. Probably the first time I had been on this trail but man, it was really ghetto and has been over the years. But recently, I've noticed a city worker type guy out there power washing it a few times on weekdays, if I'm not mistaken. Seems it the entrance has gotten a little nicer and bigger. A nice water station there though the idiots have already plugged up the bottle filler section. It drips like 5 drops per second for now so hopefully they fix it.
Did see a bum there on Tuesday sleeping under a little tent. But today, it was gone and a sign taped to the fence saying something about loitering and trash after a new fence has been put up around the big field section. NICE! There were a bunch of homeless hanging out there so this closed them off and seems much nicer, actually like a park. SO hopefully they continue to monitor the area and keep it clean, hopefully. I did notice the homeless hanging out under the nearby underpasses are mostly gone as well. I see them walking around but none of the couches and sheot all over the trail. I guess the upcoming improvements of the dam will affect these areas keeping them clean and monitored.
Funny though, did not see one cyclist the entire time. Not one on the trail or the dam. I finally saw one, actually 2 making my way back up to Encanto Park. Dude rolled by me like I was standing still. I was pooped I admit but even then, he was rolling pretty good. I noticed his huge ripped calves easing my mind some seeing he looked really fit and he was not wearing a helmet which in my mind and at the moment, lead me to believe he was saving about 300 gram on the gentle ascent ha ha ha!
I knew from the start I was already pooped and once on the bike, I was not feeling it but, what the heck, somebody's got to do it! Just taking my time and a goal to get a couple of pics of the Ghost Course, I survived ha ha ha! Oh yeah, big headwind too and strangely enough, a big headwind on the dam heading out thinking I would have a tailwind on that return section, NOT! Just how in the heck does that work?
Of course, I think the pooped feeling might have been because Gina ordered fries the night before at Sizzler. She MADE me help her eat them ha ha ha! I'm surprised Sizzler's fries are so good. With some ketchup and Tabasco sauce, good stuff! Well, maybe not, didn't affect me.. Just thought I'd bring them up cause they're so good.
My usual, steak and rice, or chicken and rice and a soup. Gina gets the one time salad bar.
A ride to figure out where I'm at. 😄 Reversed direction than usual now the golf course is closed. Water at Thienes gate. Then fish hooked around to the other trail while I can as that cross road section is supposed to be demolished as well as far as I know . Not too bad. Of course some Oatmeal with strawberries 🍓 and peanut butter for protein. Only went to the golden gate at the top of the trail for today til I figure out my course from here. Bike all washed, waxed, chain ⛓️ scrubbed, and waxed. 👍
Don't know why I do this to myself. End up watching cheesy Tubi movies till late. Like 2 am then I only get about 4 hours broken sleep before the ride. 🤣
Thirty five miles with TC and Mark today. Mark on the comeback trail really did well today. Overcoming some medical issues not long ago, he's worked his way back to decent health and coming back with his fitness. Still strong and the fitness is coming back. I did see a couple of chinks in the armor but my plan was to work together as I always try to do. I saw him fade a couple of times so I slowed a half step so he could catch back on to the tail end. That's all it takes as I try to preach to those I ride with. Sadly not many seem to understand. So a half step for a couple of minutes does wonders. Good thing is when Mark recovers, he will take the front allowing me to recover. He's always been that kind of rider. But since he didn't ride for quite a while, I tried to work with a couple of other riders and no dice! Too many riders seem to be about challenging after letting them recover. Not sure what it is, slow to let them catch on and recover, then instead of taking the front to return the favor, it's all about a sprint thinking that I'm tired. It's that don't mistake my kindness for weakness thing. Really strange that you can help another rider then they want to drop you. Doesn't make sense but Mark has always been a work together rider. So it's good to see him coming back. Strong and a little more fitness, he'll be right there once again.
Sadly the golf course is kaput now! Well, will be closed on the first but today was the last day of any kind of services. Did have a Smash Burger stand so we enjoyed one after the ride. TC and Mark had a beer but I'm not a drinker type, water for me. But it was a good time chatting about old times and stuff seeing we've known each other since I was 13 when I started high school.
Well, today was the last day for the Pico Rivera Golf Course. Rode with a couple of friends, one who is on the comeback trail doing really well today. Poor old golf course, bye bye! But a good ride with buddies.
Got a couple of nice compliments today. Passed a dude riding up to Azusa Cyn. As we rolled by he said, "I can't keep up with you pro riders but I'm coming to get you, you cranky old bastard!". 😆
Then later at the top, another ride we had passed said, "you sure don't ride like a cranky old bastard from what I saw.' Heck, I need to wear this jersey more often. It's the only time anybody says anything nice to me ha ha ha!
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Solo, well me and my monster. 😁 Feeling achy and icky the last couple of days so worried I wouldn't feel good on the bike but.....Man I FELT GREAT!😄 Must have been the oatmeal. Last day I'll start from the golf ⛳️ course as it's a day or two from closing for services etc. 😌
I actually had thoughts of riding up GMR from Encanto Park the night or two before. But freaking Roku TV, got suckered into watching a couple of movies that I shouldn't have. The first ending at about midnight, I still had plenty of time to sleep but got caught watching a second movie. I thought it might be 1 am or a bit later and yeah, it was a bit later! Like an hour and 45 later. Heck, trying to go to sleep at 2:45 knowing I had to wake up at 3:30 am to get Gina up for work. She's terrible with alarm clocks and getting up. Had some of the best alarm clocks in the world over the last 20 years and she still can't operate, set them, properly, or keep herself from hitting snooze too many times. So I have to wake up and get her up or she'll fall back asleep. And those double alarm clocks only mean she has to hit snooze more than once ha ha ha! So I mush have fallen asleep about 3 then up at 3:30. Then I set my alarm as usual, at 4:55 to make sure I'm awake to get her text verifying she got to work safely. Then 8:30 was my planned time to get up but I woke up at about 7 am and couldn't go back to sleep.
Then I was thinking no way could I feel tip top on the bike so I opted for the trail and figuring it might be the last time I can start there and ride there as that section of the trail will be demolished as well. So I did but heck, felt much better on this day than I have for a while. Doing GMR would have felt good, well maybe maybe not. So who knows, but the sleep didn't affect me. I do remember doing Ride Around the Bear, 100 miles 10,000 ft of gain years ago on only 2 to 3 hours of sleep.
But oh well, had good ride anyway and felt great! I am actually shocked having a section of achy back the last couple of days. Gina has been sick with a cold and everyone around it seems. I didn't get a cold but my back feels achy like it has before when having a cold. But not an issue on the bike. Later at night feeling it again but great on the bike so I won't complain. Just thinking maybe I had some cold traces thought not noticing. Just enough to make the back a little stiff.
The ride was good, saw some gal heading up as I was just turning around at the top. Friendly hello then later as I stopped to mount the claw on a pole for a pic, she tolled by. I wasn't expecting it but she stopped and we had a little chat. Mainly about where the trail leads and what other courses can be had along the way. Seems she lived in the area and had done some of the local routes but she seemed to think there was more somewhere in the area besides the mountains. I named a few places that she already knew so I wondered if she was fairly new in the area and knew some but still thinking there was more to the trail. I did forget to ask if she had been below the dam as she mentioned riding to the dam and back. Friendly lady though and a good pleasant chat.
Later as I was leaving Encanto Park, I got back to the trail entrance and saw a couple coming up form off the trail. I had to waif for a couple of cars to go by to enter the trail safely from the street so I knew it was clear. As I entered they were hitting the exit so I let them know it was clear of cars both directions. The dude was cool and said thanks, have a nice day but the chick was silent. Then later on Strava viewing the flyby's, I noticed it was Sandra's friend. Probably doesn't know who I am as I have seen her a few times and don't know who she is until I see it on Strava. But who knows, maybe she does and thinks bad things about me ha ha ha!
But as always, a good ride is better than no ride. Though the last couple of days, I wouldn't consider no riding a bad thing. I think I got to let my body rest fairly well and that's why I felt so good today.
Just snapping a few pics with the golf course in the back ground before they demolish it. Which is planned to start in October as well as the trails being closed and demolished.
Little did I know I would be getting a text from TC asking to start there on Saturday. OK, one more chance and a video I hope. Historical ride ha ha ha! Final one with the golf course in it.
