Solo with A Wheel Sucking Clown

 Wow, where do they get these 🤡clowns? Solo ride. Heading back, I stopped to push some homeless shopping carts 🛒 off the trail.  I got back on my bike heading off.  Couple minutes later some guy goes by, no greeting but hey. So he pulls ahead about 1/4 mile and the entire time he's looking back at me.  Almost as if he didn't want me to take his wheel.  I have no problem with that because I don't invite myself to draft strangers.  Plus he's got all the new technology and bike so I probably wouldn't keep up anyway ha ha ha.  But as many times,  once the dh is done,  many slow down as they fade. I can see him fading and when we hit the series of underpasses,  I'm gaining with each little uphill. So I end up passing the guy but he takes my wheel.  I pointed him off then he removed his ear bud then asks, what?  I said I wasn't sucking your wheel why are you sucking mine??

So he drops off trying to match me. Ok whatever.  I sit up at the end of the trail b Pico then he races around me.  I guess he's going to prove something on that little climb.  Of course he was fading on every other underpass ha ha ha.  So I'm  right there couple seconds behind as we hit the climb.  He stands to power up and I remain seated but he ain't going anywhere.  He stops up at the top and I ride by looking at his face with a little smirk so he knows how awesome he is ha ha ha.  I ride off then stop at the Pico golf course lot.  As I'm packing up my bike   he rides by shouting something.  Not sure what he shouted as I was on the far side of the lot,  so I guess Mr  Tough guy felt safe.  Where do they get these clowns? 

Monday   happy lazy Monday.  T shirt kind of day, Monday. 🤣

Solo 40 and Wheel Sucker

 Solo 40 today. Didn't ride last week going to Laughlin. Actually,  Laughlin is cool but I'd rather ride my bike.  I only go to Laughlin to take Gina because she likes the slots.  

I did spend most my time outside and when I was inside, I did wear my mask.  I'd rather hang outside taking pics anyway.  Cool thing about my job   they offer weekly covid testing no charge to the employees.  All voluntary so I can test at will.  I tested Thursday and got my negative results on Friday.  

So today's ride,  breezy but nice.  Just held my pace up to the base of the mountains.  Out and back is 35 miles so I go off course here and there to make it 40.

The wheel sucker dude  c'mon! I can see this dude half mile ahead as we start the descent on the trail.  Slight descent where too many times you see riders busting their humps just to fade later when the trail flattens and gets windy where they fade. 

So I catch this guy then pass him holding my pace.  He let's me pull away a bit then races up trying to take my wheel.  Screw this guy, I slow way down letting him pass. 

I guess he figured I was tired so he tried to lift the pace.  I dropped back about 40 yards so he could see I'm not a wheel sucker.  About 2 miles to the end of my ride at Pico Rivera golf course. 

He starts to slow then I can't help but pull up on him as he fades on an uphill of an underpass.  Get to the top when he stands trying to pull away,  I let him. 

Of course,  100 yards later, he fades. I still hang back and even gear down to relax. But heck, he's fading big time so I pass him again.  He falls back about 15 yards then sprints up to my back wheel.  

I  sat up, looked back at him saying,  wtf! So he slows down and drops back.  He said something but whatever   don't be a bitch. Someone catches and passes you from a mile behind, doesn't mean everyone out there on a bike wants to carry your ass. 

Everything at work is 👍.  Easy work and compared to the work ethics of young people nowadays   they think I'm a hard worker even when I work half speed. 😄

Go into the clean room now and then and with the time change, no night driving to work. Starting at 7 am, arriving every day at 6:30, it's light now. 

Getting a little chilly but I enjoy it.  

After my ride today, Gina and I took my MIL and BIL  to dinner and sn ice cream at the mall. 

I  wanted a pic with Gina but my legs were tired not having been on the bike last couple of weeks so maybe it's better if she comes over here for the pic. 😃

Laughlin, No Ride

Solo Sunday

20 miles on the San Gabe trail. 

I woke up and asked Gina to pick out an outfit for me.  She picked the Fat Bastard jersey. 🤣

I  did a solo ride and actually felt pretty good after the longer ride Saturday.  On the return   I did see a guy ahead about 100 yards. Kept my pace then realized I was catching up.  Not racing the guy, just holding a good pace. 

About 6 miles later,  I caught him. Typical pace set by many on this trail. The upper section downhill,  many crank it up.  Many times I'll fall 100 yards behind. Once the ground levels out  hit the wind   up and down passes, no more downhill   many will fade. 

I figured the guy ahead of me would.  He actually did better than I expected. But I eventually caught him. As I passed, I  kept far left for quite some time letting the guy know I wasn't interested in having a wheelsucker behind me.  But he did anyway so I pulled over and down to about 10 mph waving him around. 

He went then I let him hang out alone for about 3 miles letting burn himself out. He did pick it up a few times but he was going nowhere and fast ha ha ha.  

So I kept back about 40 yards till the final 1 mile curved stretch.  Went down after him then passed him on the upside.  Leveled out then hammered as hard as I could to drop him. Just kept it going all the way in feeling my kidneys and liver ready to jump out the back of my ribcage ha ha ha.  

Just felt like giving it my all and making sure he wouldn't catch me. 😄

Solo SART 🌮

 A nice smooth 46 mile ride at 15.6 average speed.  Hadn't been to SART in a while so I just about missed my off ramp of the freeway ha ha ha.  

Bit breezy but nice.  The reason I did SART this time was that Jose sent a text saying he was visiting California and wanted to know if I wanted to meet for tacos. Sure!

So on the return,  I stopped to eat with him. He treated though I offered several times seeing he had done the traveling.  But hey, always taste better when it's free 😋 

So a nice ride.  Some dude was at the coast,  pictured,  who was on the phone with some techy sounding person trying to help him get his setup back on track. 

I overheard for a bit then heard something about a possible dead battery in his cadence sensor. 

Realized that was the problem so I approached letting him know I had an extra CR2032 in my seat bag.  He offered to pay me for it but I think I was just happy knowing I could make his day. 

I  carry an extra for my speed sensor and have about 5 or 6 more spares at home since I buy a bigger pack seeing it's more cost effective. 

Oh yeah,  I do enjoy having Gina make me eggs 🥚 in the morning before a ride.  Not sure if it's the eggs I like or just having a chance to look at her bubble but. 😄

Ah yes, and my employer has an outfit that comes in once a week offering us covid tests. I can get tested once per week no change. Figured I'd get tested this week just for the peace of mind.  NEGATIVE 👍

The MY NIPPLES ARE RED Tour

 The My Nipples Are Red Tour.  Easy 20 miles to spin up the legs getting ready for Monday.  Just to relax.  Used an electrolyte drink that turned my nipples red. Given to me so I'd try it on a short ride. Think I'll stick with Liquid IV.  And when the wife offers to wash the beanie but knows not to put jerseys and shorts in the dryer but doesn't think about the beanie.  One ends up with a droopy Nike swoosh.🤣

Solo Hard Effort

 Solo 40 miles today.  Just doing my thing on the way up and not many riders.  But once I got to the dam, I had caught up to some guy.   At the dam, he started the climb first but I was gaining on him the first half. 

I wasn't trying to race him but then he kept looking back several times.  So screw it,  I made sure to catch him before the top.  Once we leveled ou, he took off like he was in the TDF.  I just did my thing again but before we reached the entry booths to the park, I passed him but he hopped on my wheel. Ok  tough guy. 

So I slowed down,  way down but he wouldn't go around.  So I slowed down to 5 mph then he went around. I just hung back and let him hang out front for a few miles.  

Heading up towards the top   I thought he might exit at Encanto Park so 100 yards before we hit the turn off,  I hammered as hard as I could dropping him back about 20 yards.  He kept trying to catch up but I kept on leaving him back about 100 yards. 

Close to the top, I slowed down giving him a chance to catch up. He tried to take my wheel again but I slowed way down once more forcing him to pass.  He started doing pretty good as I saw him put his head down to hammer.  

He did surprise me a bit so I fell back some so just returned to my pace.  As I expected,  I started to gain again but when I recovered and knew I could pass him again,  I held back.  He was still trying to hammer but now I was just measuring him up for the final kill.

So about 1/2 mile from the top,  I pulled up a bit to see what he'd do. Sure enough he kept looking over his shoulder every 15 seconds.  

So I waited then put the hammer down and went around. Sure enough the clown took my wheel again. But I got to the end of the trail with about 10 yards. I sat up to make my stop but he sprinted around in that 10 yards.  What an idiot,  surprised he didn't hit the fence at the end of the trai

But anyway,  catching someone from far back then trying to sprint around at the end to finish 1/4 of a bike length is kind of silly. 

So I headed back down to Encanto Park but decided to keep going back up. To some canyon road with a rock quarry.  Lousy road   wasn't worth it. Trying to take it easy going slow was enough to bounce out one of my bottles. Won't be doing that again. 

At the end of my ride,  packing up,  Salvador stopped by to say hello.  He had ridden by but then doubled back after noticing me at my truck. 

Had another good chat about bikes and life. Always good chatting with Salvador. 

Gina didn't ride,  but she enjoyed my rewards once again. 🤣