Solo Saturday 50

Solo 50 at 17.1

Few pics for now   

Solo Saturday Falcon Ridge

 30 miles with 2,000+ ft of gain. Hard time getting started today. Stayed in bed a little too long, got taken advantage of but managed to roll out of bed about an hour later. 

I just wanted to put in some miles but my bike keeps taking me up the hills. Oh well, was a brisk pace for me too just getting on the bike! 

Exploring a new trail, lots of horses up there. Nice but I worry about spooking them. Maybe I'll just stay off that trail. Falcon Ridge bird preserve and a new to me trail, Ferguson Mtwy.

Euro Cafe to top of Wheeler and above, then to Falcon Ridge/Ferguson Mtwy above San Dimas Park, to Bonita, back, then up Mills a couple of times just to get in the mileage.

Been Freakin' Lazy Photography

 Very strange but I am feeling really really good and look forward to getting on my bike but for some reason, been avoiding the bike. Maybe since Gina has some time off, been spending the days with her.

On Thanksgiving, we went for a hike at Barett/Stoddard Rd up toward Mt Baldy. I never really knew what was down there till an old friend mentioned it a couple years back. But still didn't visit till yesterday. Gina and I went for a little walk out there.  Followed the broken road to where it turned to sand and dirt. Heard some popping type sounds from below then some music. OK, must be some people dancing or something. I looked over briefly and noticed a gorge or something below. Seemed dry from what I could see, not wanting to see too much as it looks like 100 ft down into rock.  I moved away quickly.

Then Gina walks to the edge, no rail, to look over, ETF! Gina get away from there! She say she ain't going to fall but Gina, like her mother has this thing about tripping. Heck, her mother was once walking across the way from her apt and tripped. She fell on her face and knocked out her front teeth. Gina is a bit like her, trips and falls for unknown reasons. All I need is to see Gina trip, fall and go down into a rock gorge. Honestly, she scares the F out of me when she does stuff like that. I was up all hours of the night thinking of what could have happened. I was freaked out man!

So that's it, we're leaving! I remember the Grand Canyon. She was doing flips like a little 3rd grader on the monkey bars, like we did in elementary. OK, so she wasn't really doing flips, but leaning over and it scares me. Then the areas without rail, she was walking to the edge and looking over while wearing sandals. GINA! She says she won't fall but I looked up the amount of people who have fallen to their deaths there. I don't want to see anything like that with my wife.

So I tossed  her in the car and drove up to the trout farms area where it is much safer. No edges or rails t hang on. Took a few pics then headed down. Stopped at Coco's so she could eat a turkey dinner. She had bought a turkey to cook but my Mom is being a real fucking bitch so we said forget it, we'll just hang out alone this Thanksgiving.  

So we made the best of it and had our own little fun. Then Friday, I was supposed to ride with the guys but laying in the bed with Gina in the morning, I didn't want to get out ha ha ha!

So we just cruised around and I took my camera just in case I came across something interesting. No, I didn't but I took a few pics anyway ha ha ha! Trying to keep up the  photo skills.

                                                                             Thursday

                            Much better! Seated and not hanging over a cliff somewhere!

Barett/Stoddard Rd

Sadly these pathetic people paint on the rocks ruining the natural beauty

They paint on the road too. 

Friday at the airport and near Bonelli at the lookout.

Sunset pics

I used the flash on this one and settings that would 

continue to show the sunset. I wanted Gina to show

in this one.

Gina, lower middle. I set it so she would be a bit dark and 

barely noticeable like a silhouette. Holy crap, I actually 

spelled that word correctly for the first time in my life

ha ha ha! 

Same thing with Gina to the left, barely noticeable.

I was looking for that affect.

 54 miles/ 2600 ft of gain with Tony Castro and Sandra. Sandra rode from Pasadena to meet us in Claremont then we rode to Fontucky. Sierra and the 15 fwy. Amazing, Sandra is 62 years old, only riding for 2 years and kicking butt! 👍 Sandra did 76 miles today!

Sandra had sent me a message asking if I was available to ride on Monday morn. Um OK, I was lazy the week before and willing to make up a few miles. Getting close to my goal of 5,000 miles and I think I will make it now. I was a bit worried not being on the bike a week though I should be rested. I was not sure of how I would feel, good or bad. I survived ha ha ha! Well I planned 30, maybe 40 if I felt really good. Ended up doing more than 50.

It was kind of hard to get started as if the legs needed to be warmed up really well. I tried to hold the pace down a bit at the start with the stiff legs. Tony would take off and do little sprints ahead. I just kept MY pace and let him do his thing. Sandra stayed by me so that worked for the two of us.

I did take them across a course I used to ride a lot when I lived in the eastern section of Upland. So from Baseline and Mills, we headed east to Benson, across to Campus then down. I had never done this part before but see plenty of cyclists heading that way so why not give it a try. Plenty of turns so Sandra doesn't get bored. She says she gets bored on straights. OK, ha ha ha! But we mixed it up pretty good. Headed down to 19th, by the Target center. I don't like the traffic there but it's just a short bit and with 3 of us, figure we were more noticeable, and safer. Traffic was actually pretty good with us.

So we went across 19th just for a short bit then up Sapphire. To Lemon then east to Hermosa. Up to Banyan then across to the 15 fwy. Sandra really like the course. It is somewhat uphill heading the direction though it does not feel like it, looks flat. But Sandra was suffering a little bit here, I think. Tony looking good but Sandra had 17 more miles than we did at this point seeing she started in Pasadena.

So we ride up along the 15 fwy heading to Sierra and the 15. At one point, Tony says he will see us at the top. He stopped at the beginning of the canyon stretch, Coyote Cyn/Lytle Creek Rd. I thought he was just being nice waiting for us. So we ride up to Sierra where the gas stations are. The old one is going under construction so it is totally closed. I look down Sierra and see the gas stations just 10 yards away, maybe. Then I look back up Sierra and see a ton of cars coming, fast and close, no shoulder. Oh heck no! Sandra needed water but I said Sorry! We ain't going that way, too dangerous. I thought about it a bit and hey, we're going back downhill through the canyon, Sandra can hold on a bit and we can stop at the baseball field about a mile or two away. No problem worked out for the best I am sure, no risk.

Sad thing though. First time I rode up that way, from Ontario to SanBernardino Devore area, it was a one lane road all the way. Even Baseline was a one lane road back in 1994. Huge difference but the upper section, still rode it to Cleghorn op Old Cajon Rd till 2010 maybe. But sadly, this Coyote Cyn, above Duncan Cyn is getting developed now. What a bummer. Beautiful area going down the tubes just like the section below and near Glen Helen Park. Sad to see it go so glad we got on it one more time.

So we head back, trying some new sections, like the roundabout area. Back to Day Creek. We were planning to head down to Victoria Gardens at Sandra's request. But she changed her mind figuring we would have to climb back up to Banyan for the return to avoid traffic. Tony had done the TD Foothills back when so he said banyan went all the way to Carnelian. I didn't think so, some kind of a break there. So once at Hermosa, I talked Sandra into climbing up to Wilson, nice road too!

We were heading west when Tony took the front and looked pretty strong. I jumped on his wheel and it seemed we dropped Sandra. Dang it, I don't want to drop anybody but I could use a draft rest right now. Then Sandra caught up, nice! Then we both sat on Tony's wheel for a bit. Then later on Wilson, we ended up pulling away from Tony. I figure he was just clowning around. But we get back to Baseline and San Antonio to a park to refill before Sandra heads back to Pasadena. There Tony gets off his bike and lays down to stretch his back. I guess he was feeling it and I didn't remember but he had only ridden 20 miles or so in the last month or more.

I asked if he wanted to ride with me heading back with Sandra some, just for a few miles. Nope! I think he had had it and was feeling the lack of mileage. So he turned off at Mills with 40 miles. There, Sandra had 57 miles and still 17 more back to her start. Well heck, I am game, feeling pretty good with the week off, legs warm by now after 40 miles ha ha ha!

So I headed back with Sandra then turned down Walnut. She took off looking strong climbing Pinnacle Peak hill. I went down to Bonita, across and back to Mills and Baseline to my start with 54 miles. Felt really good!

Sandra ended up with 74 miles, and close to 4k of climbing, wow! Nice ride and last I saw of her that day, she was still looking good!

So A pretty good ride and workout for all of us. Great riding!

East on Lemon, rather peaceful street.

Sandra and Tony agree, nice street

Up Coyote Cyn he flies like the wind. Later he tells us he was stopping at the top of each section

hoping we would say it was enough. But Sandra kept it going ha ha ha!

Up along the 15 fwy, getting windy now!

Say bye to this section, construction going on. About to ruin the peacefulness of this area.

Solo 33 Running Across Tour de Foothills

 33 with 1,324 ft of gain. Solo ride along the foothills and ended up crossing the TDF along Bonita. I ran across a few people I know as I rode back and forth for a bit to see what was going on. 

Used my recorders some to get some footage of the riders. Not sure if I will make a video or not.

Ran across Nadine for a little chat.

                                                                       Nadine

A little group at a stop light.

Tony, Sandra, and some Solo Around the Foothills (Video Friday)

 41 miles around the local foothills. Getting in some miles prepping Sandra for her century on Sat. So we took it easy and just did some miles and rode to Upland COF to pick up some stuff for her ride. Tony rode with us for 20 but had financial business meetings to attend so he cut it short. Then Sandra said 30 was good not wanting to waste too much energy so she cut out at 30. I had some daylight so I went down the road looking for 35 but ended up going up Mills a couple of times for some added mileage to make 40, actually 41.

The video on youtube

This lady is 74 years old and still riding, nice!

Solo Night Ride with Fog Setting In

 20 miles tonight with 1100+ ft of gain. Dark at 6:30 but that is cool, I actually prefer riding in the darkness. But it was dark today ha ha ha! I found a light valued at $100 the other day. Some poor soul lost it. I posted on my Strava but nobody claimed or mentioned the light so it's mine now. Wow, really worked well. I had thought about investing since I ride so much at night but it just came to me ha ha ha! I am a bit different, I will tether the sucker to make sure I don't lose it. Those rubber straps suck and scare me. So I'll tether it till I get a mount adapter that I can use with my aluminum bar mounts.

But a great ride tonight, actually felt like I could ride all night and thought about not going home ha ha ha! Been getting that feeling a lot lately. Maybe it's that I've increased my mileage this year and feeling it, feeling good!

Of course the little bitches who thought they would outride me this year were fine all year long but now seeing they ain't, they go private on Stava ha ha ha! I was almost 500 behind at one time then now within 100, time to hide bitches cause Mr. Beanz is coming for ya ha ha ha! Heck, within 100 miles but 40,000 more feet of gain over my competitors, hey, who did better this year? ;-)

But anyway, feeling so good and strong lately. And comfortable on the bike most of all!  

                                             Dark at 6:30 ? Hate it but love it for cycling!

Getting foggy at the end of the ride.

HA! New filler installed at Kun's Park, my rest stop! :-)

This bike is such a slacker ha ha ha!

210 fwy, jammed and stopped. Same with Baseline. Wow, forget that, stayed off Baseling eastbound today.