Emerald Horseshoe Tour 😄

 

Solo 41 today.  Emerald Horseshoe Tour 😁 Popular course Emerald Necklace but I wanted at least 40 so I did the Emerald Horseshoe from Encanto Park.  That makes hitting The Damn Dam Climb at 36 miles vs 10 when I used to start at the golf course.  🤣 Powered by Los Jarritos last night.  😋

Ain't terrible what all them bikes with motors do? E-bike, E-moto, mini bikes, they're all destructive idiots of all types.  Even thrashed the lookout point at the airport.  No reason,  just stupid people and they all freaking cry when I say I will never ride one.

GMR What Was I Thinking Tour / Sizzler Connections

 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. 🤣

I really think the pooped ride I did the other day really affected this ride. That and the heat. The gal in the video went to the shack where I hoped I would go but later seeing her ride on Strava, I realized she only did like 17 and started from the bottom of GMR somewhere. I rode across Sierra Madre which is actually some good climbing itself. So I'm thinking that got me and if I had started at the bottom of GMR as I usually do, I would have made it to the shack. 

Good thing is on the return, I was heading back across Sierra Madre, heading west when I dropped down Grand wanting a few more miles. I ran across a street called Bennet  that runs along SM but with a nice bike lane. It goes to Barranca so I went down to Old Foothill then west to Citrus, down to Foothill Rt 66 then west. Nice ride back with a bit more climbing back up to Sierra Madre then the trail.

So a good learning experience figuring I will probably have to do this ride several more times seeing the trail will be closed, as well as the golf course in Pico. So hey, a little taste of GMR is a good starting point for now and more to come! I do have a couple of buddies axin' about GMR. So a little head start and reminder is good ha ha ha!

The video

Hey, at least I got a pretty good pic while I was up there!

She was looing good!

Of course I can't count the times cyclists on forums complain about others polluting the environment.  2 punctured tubes thrown on the side of the road 

🤣

Post ride meal 😋 

What do you think, do we got connections at Sizzler? ...and 3 of the girls are missing. 😄😁😄

I Was Sheot Tour / AKA Lousy Start / Wheel Swap

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?

All my breakfast energy was gone I think. Wish I had like 6 of these fig bar packs with me, could have used them ha ha ha!

Front entrance to the Ghost Course, soon to be demolished

Not sure why I took a pic of the Spanish version. My Mexican roots coming back on me ha ha ha! Actually, the sun was best on this side of the sign so I took a pic not realizing it was in Spanish. A few have asked me which sections and roads will be eliminated. I wasn't exactly sure so I took the pic in case anyone was wondering.

The Ghost Course from the driving range view

The better hug. I hate to tear stuff apart from my bikes but I had to remove it from the Cannondale if i wanted to ride my bike. Well, I had thought about it anyway knowing the rear wheel on the Canni was a better wheel anyway. Nice solid newer hub than that of the Madone.  Did feel a difference while rolling so that is a good thing. Kind of what I expected anyway and I guess I finally had a reason to remove it from the Cannondale. 

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.

My tan has gotten so dark that the entire image and background come out dark whenever I take my own pic ha ha ha. Seriously, last 3 or 4 pics come out like this though Gina's still come out light.

Of course, my usual complimentary salad from The Girls. Just a little one!

 

Encanto Park Start 1st Time (since golf course closed)

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. 🤣

Last Pico Golf Course Ride video coming

 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!

A little Smash Burger 🍔 after the ride 

The YT video

The lady Judy, asked me to take a pic of them with her camera. Of course, you know me and of course, a little video clip too ha ha ha! She said short 22 or so miles today but their usual is 40 to 60. No time today so they went short. Any ride is better than no ride. Sadly they had no idea that today was the last day for the golf course. They know now! 

                            Post ride dinner with Gina, well after the Smash Burger ha ha ha!

Are we regulars at Sizzler or what? 😆😄😆 These girls think we're their parents. 3 different girls sat down and ate my French fries 🍟. Silly girls but they take care of us. Reserved seating too. 😁

Silly girl sitting down with us sharing my fries.