taxi777

Spring is coming and time to find some love for the bike again. I'm trying to find a balance with my cross-training run/bike.
I haven't done the South Gate ascent up Diablo with the gearing I'm now using on my 1 speed.
Details:
I'll be leaving Dublin Bart 8:30/8:45am Saturday morning. Leisurely ride up Iron Horse to Crow Canyon. Probably a stop at Starbucks before BlackHawk then climb South Gate to summit, back down North Gate to Pleasant Hill Bart.
This is a practice run for me. I have a few new bike rider friends who have yet to climb Diablo! I want to make sure I can keep up with the road bikes before I actually ride with them, and then I'll be back to do it again with them in a couple of weeks.

If anyone is interested? See you in the morning.\
Here's a picture of me and friends around christmas climbing No. Gate

Here's the route
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...ablo-bart-bart

hueyhoolihan

i'm thinking of south gate this weekend. any particular time at starbucks? i'll be coming from walnut creek. plan on returning s. gate at junction.

could meet at starbucks or the entrance to s. gate...

bikingshearer 

I'd love to join in - it would be the second Bay Area mountain where Pete has rung a cowbell at my suffering backside - but I have a commitment Saturday (and Lord knows I shoud be committed). Plus I'd only slow you guys down on teh Devil Mountain . . . .

spingineer

Dude, if it were some other weekend, I'd do it ... but I"m doing a 100 mile ride in Pacific Grove. Need to get another century in, as Solvang Double is in a couple of weeks, and next week may be a washout.

taxi777

I would suspect It would be around 9:15/9:30 starbucks blackhawk plaza.

taxi777

Pacific Grove! Nice, enjoy Ron. I'll probably do this ride again around the first or second week in April.

gpelpel

Was planning to ride to the top tomorrow, my first since hurting my back last July. I have done to the Junction three times but not to the top yet. I will see you along South Gate road.

taxi777

Awesome!
I'm just getting over a back injury too. We can trade "War Stories"!

cccorlew

Wish you well. I promised to play tennis this morning or I'd be there.

hueyhoolihan

i'll be leaving WC at around 8am so s/b at blackhawk Starbucks in time. if we don't connect, i'll be hanging out at the junction for a while before my return trip to peets and then WC. hope to see ya.

hueyhoolihan

we met up at the junction. taxi777 and ccorlew went to the top and i went back down s. gate. (there s/b a pic or two, BTW). about 3/4 of the way down to the bottom there was such a headwind and i was so cold that i decided to take advantage of the mighty tailwind and so went back up to the junction. later, while sitting on the bench at the junction, i saw taxi777 and ccorlew (a few minutes later) decending. they didn't stop at the junction or see me either, so i went down n. gate to my home.

believe it or not the second ascent was much more enjoyable than the first. mainly because i wasn't trying to catch someone in front of me. in fact, i met a couple of nice guys, my age, and we had a pleasant conversation all the way to the junction.

good day all around.

cccorlew

Actually, cccorlew was playing tennis. I wonder who you thought was me.
I'm 4th from the left in the photo Taxi777posted, or here I am too

taxi777

Hey Curtis, great seeing you on the ride. I didn't realize you are now teaching French...(a little moonlighting)? Your accent is getting a little thick though. I would back off on the croissants.
I'll put up pictures later and full report on your ride with us.
Nice to meet you Huey...now I have the face to the name

gpelpel

Hey... the new cccorlew here. Well you might look at me as an impostor as the original cccorlew was much faster than the new one. Usually updates offer some kind of improvements, not the case here. I am even not sure the original dude will want his moniker back anymore.

I was closing on the Junction when I felt a tap on the back. It was none other than PeteTheMagnifique about to blow me up on his single speed steel tank. Good I was on my über light carbon rig otherwise the wind would have pushed me backwards.
Anyway we regrouped at the Junction for a chat, that's where hueyhoolihan, also on a single, caught up with us. This guy is 60 but in darn good shape. Well one may question is head though. Getting me confused with cccorlew, no way... That's a sure sign of an alzheimer's outbreak.

Anyway my goal was to reach the top and that's what I did. My first summit since May 28 of last year. Wow, that long!

Pete kept company for a while then he rocketed uphill just before the leg breakers. We caught up at the top. Parking lot was full of cars, very busy day up there, but it was a treat to see the view again.

On the good side the back held up pretty well, painful up to the junction but a lot better after the break there. Legs were bordering with cramps but none fired up.
It was a slow 53 miles with 4,600' of climbing at an average of 13mph.

Glad to see some old friends, that makes for a great day.

hueyhoolihan

sorry about the confusion...

taxi777

Monsieur Pelpel and Mr. Hoolihan, certainly a pleasure to ride with you gentlemen! I was experiencing a bit of a logistical nightmare getting out this morning. I've lost efficiency with getting myself prepared for morning rides. I got my crap together last night but, still found myself trying to figure out where everything was in the morning. I got in to the Bart station with 2 bucks on my ticket and no time to addfare (somehow I knew this would be an issue later). I was having trouble getting into my Zen place on the train. I'm having trouble shutting of the brain lately with everything that has been going on in real life. (I'll save that for my blog).
When I got to Dublin/Pleasanton I had to get in a horrifically long line for the 1 men's room. I gave up and went to get addfare so I could leave the station but there's no way to addfare with a debit card unless you go through the gate and then come back which entails involving the automaton in the booth and getting 15 dollars in quarters to carry up the mountain. Back to the Men's room to wait. It ended up taking me almost 40 mins to get it together and finally leave the station.

Once on the trail and moving along with a good mix in the headphones, plus the fact I had taken 2 days off from running/working out to build up some badly needed glycogen in my legs, I was finally in a good pace, a good space and ready to race! I noticed two big eared Jackrabbits matching my pace ten feet to my left like some weird hybrid land Dolphin-esque beings guiding me to an enchanted Island. This went on for quite a while but, as soon as I started to fish out the camera they were gone...
I was trying to make up time but, by the time I got to Blackhawk Starbucks I was only 15 minutes behind schedule. Unfortunately I didn't realize that this Starbucks had the slowest baristas of all time and space! I guess I'm spoiled living in the City and the speed of light service at most coffee bars here. I dropped a gu, waffed down an apple bran cupcake and tossed back the tall coffee with and extra shot. I got derailed by a family that had pulled in with kids and a neat little Jack Russell Terrier which I had to stop and pet and then ended up to be a bit of long winded conversation about the life of dogs.
As I headed towards Diablo, I was really enjoying the early blooms (even though we haven't had much rain lately), lushness of the East Bay. I think...hmmm maybe I could live here one day.


I always have a bit of anxiety when starting a long climb on my one speed. I still have doubts that I can accomplish an extended climb like this one. It seems to always work out though once I establish a decent rhythm. I could tell that three months of running had gifted me a bit of power in my legs as I passed rider after rider. After a bit I found myself ghosting a very, very nice looking younger racer girl and when I finally went around her and said good morning she smiled and said-
"Wow! You go on that thang guy"!

Oh yeah! Some girls just say the right things at the right time! I blasted away and a little while later as I went past the first gate on the South climb I spotted an odd orange/yellow bike that seemed somewhat familiar...
It would later turn out to be "Hueyhoolihan". Probably stopped for a "Natural break"
A little while later...More girls! They had really cool looking kits. Nice blue and white with the name on the back "Pacific (a skull) Crush". Kinda hot. (more later). I wave bye by to them and maybe 50 yards later I spotted a rider ahead of me. Hmmm... a very familiar cadence and riding style, somewhat resembling "Thomas Volkler". OF COURSE! FRENCH! It was the G man. I had caught the Frenchman! I creeped up slowly and and gently started to push him from behind! Ha Ha! Surprise! We soon arrived at the Junction and chatted for awhile with other riders and Huey showed up and I finally was able to put the name to the face. He's a bit of an inspiration. I hope I'm that strong when I'm his age...wait a minute...that's two years to go!


By the way I talked with the "Pacific Crush" and asked them if they were a "Surfing Team"?...They laughed at me...


We left the junction and headed on up. Seeing as I had to keep up my rhythm I proceeded ahead of George. I can't spin with the one gear so I have to stay in the red to keep my momentum.

I kept passing riders and still feeling pretty good even though I knew what was coming up soon! I'd done the wall in this gearing back in December and I was generally pleased with how my legs felt on that final 200 feet. It has to be all the running I've been doing. When I got to the top I was pretty done at that point. As I was standing there I happened to see a guy riding around in circles with a ...What?! "System U"!

I haven't seen that jersey since 1987! I talked to him for awhile. He was a nice Irish kid and we discussed bike injuries and recovery. Both George and I are recovering form bad back injuries.

Speaking of of the Devil George hit the summit and we hung out for awhile.


The weather was perfect and soon we descended. I was surprised how fast I was able to descend today. I'd been a little gun shy that past year but, maybe I'm getting over it.
I made it home around 2pm and laid down with the dogs after eating and went into a general coma!
My Layla was wearing her "Yellow Jersey" when I walked in the door!

Great Day! Thanks you guys for meeting up with me and hope to do it again soon.

"I dreamed of Diablo during my nap" I feel like things are starting to look up...

Lanceoldstrong

I am glad you had such a good time Pete and that you had such fine company too. I had a commitment or I would have been there.My kids had a track meet today. Track is a spring sport so my weekend ride days are almost always Sunday's in the spring.My son ran the mile, the 400, a 200 and a 4x400 relay today plus he threw the shot put. A busy day for an 11 year old. My daughter stayed home with a chest cold, but she tracks it up pretty good too normally. Oldstrong power!

taxi777

I'll plan the ride in April on a Sunday for sure!
WTG for the "YOungStrong"!

knotty

Hey good to see you again Pete!

hueyhoolihan

large font greatly appreciated!

taxi777

I knew us old people would appreciate it