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.
