jonathanf2

It's a garmin mount powerbank and bike light. I bring it sometimes if I plan on doing longer rides. My phone hasn't been holding charge very long lately!

cweb99

Did a ride Temple City to Claremont and back on Friday. 50 miles. Had some rain and crazy headwinds on the way back.

Training for my century in spring

Eric F 

Saturday - 18mi gravel ride. Chaney Trail, Sunset Ridge, El Prieto Rd, and Cherry Canyon. Saw multiple groups of HS MTB team riders out in the dirt at various points along my route. I love how much the sport is growing in my area.


New stem for a bit more saddle-bar drop. It feels a lot closer to my road bike now, and I like it better.


Sunday - I got up at my usual time, with the intent of joining my usual Coffee Ride group. The cool temps and threat of impending rain ruined my motivation, so I curled up on my couch with my dogs, and we all slept for another 2 hours. I kept telling myself I would get on my trainer later in the day, but it never happened.

Next Saturday is the Rock Cobbler gravel event in Bakersfield (60mi, Pebbler version). I feel like I'm fairly well prepped, physically, and will have an easy week to hit it with fresh legs. However, this week's rain may turn it into a matter of surviving a giant battle with mud. Not much I can do about that. Right now, I'm intending to run the narrowest tires I have (35s) to maximize mud clearance. I'll take both 35s and 40s with me, and make the choice based on local reports Friday night.

jonathanf2

I did 28 miles on Wednesday grabbing a beer afterwards and another quick 11 miles climbing this Thursday. During the past few rainy days, I took all the spare parts I had laying around and built out a bike. I plan to gift it to a family member, because my wife is complaining I have too many bikes and parts laying around!

cweb99

30 miles. Home to rose Bowl to Sierra Madre had a slice of pizza from the Village Pizzeria then back home. Wanted to do a 50 but my legs didn’t agree.

maybe I can do 58 today for SB 58

CAT7RDR

Still getting back into the groove of riding on a sunny brisk morning.
22 miles and 2.9K of climb in Turnbull Canyon.
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/146610417

Glendora Ridge, Mount Baldy and Cucamonga Peak.

San Bernardino Mountains

cweb99

love turnbull canyon. I grew up out there, although as a youngster I was normally driving like a nut up and down there. It now ride it frequently

CAT7RDR

I'm the old fat guy that usually rides a rigid Trek MTB with two flashers front and back because the last words I never want to hear in life is, "I never saw you. "

jonathanf2

I did 33 miles at Griffith Park this Sunday. I dropped another cyclist and then got dropped by him right back on the hill climb. I redlined before the summit, even though I told myself I'd take it easy today. I was able to catch up on the downhill though, but it's only because I know the road so well I'm usually clipping the corners without braking!

Afterwards my wife said to grab food for myself while she was out with the kids, so I treated myself to 2 beers and 3 tacos! I'm beginning to think I'm using cycling as an excuse to drink!

Parsival

Huntington Harbour - Sunset Park
Did an easy 20 miler around Huntington Beach to prepare for Super Bowl eats. This is my 700c Townie Sport. An oldie but goodie for a casual ride.

Eric F 

Friday...10 mile gravel ride around east Bakersfield, as a pre-Rock Cobbler spin. Social pace. Lots of folks.


Saturday...The Rock Cobbler (Pebble version) gravel event/race. The course wound through the rolling hills east of Bakersfield, though ranch lands and oil fields. The hills were short, but tended to be really steep, with multiple sections too steep to ride. We also had lots of mud, but thankfully, it was dry enough to not be very sticky to bikes or people. It was mostly like riding on Play-Doh. From mile 8 to the second aid station at mile 37 (29 miles), we did 4500' of climbing. That was definitely the hardest part of the route. After mile 37 was a bit flatter and faster, but included the "wall" in the last 15 miles - a 100+' high hiking section up an insanely steep, loose, rocky hill. It was sadistically brutal. The final miles were relatively mild, with some really fun downhill singletrack sections. Another fun moment was riding into a bar, drinking a cup of beer, and riding out the other side, while a live band played, and bar patrons cheered us on. It was a nice bit of levity at a time I really needed it. This event was the hardest day on the bike I've ever had. Totals: 60 miles / 6100 ft. / 5hrs17min ride time. I finished 43rd of 255 finishers on the Pebble course. I feel pretty good about that.

This was the first - and easiest - of the walking sections. A few folks were able to ride it. I was not one of them.




Sunday...15mi easy road ride in the Rose Bowl vicinity, trying to spin the Cobbler out of my legs.

CAT7RDR

That is just plain NUTZ!
Looks like 30%? Angles can be deceiving.

Eric F 

It might have been more than 30%. It was insanely steep, and footing was sketchy with loose rocks. I think it took me almost 10 minutes to climb that thing. It was past halfway up before I realized that carrying the bike was better than rolling it.
Here's a view from the top, looking down...

2seven0

I was going to comment on the brutality of that little hill but CAT7 beat me to it. I'm sure the pics don't do it true justice. The adjacent bare hillside looks in better shape than the road itself. I think I'd rather sumo wrestle Godzilla than go up that hill.
Makes my 2 road rides this past weekend look like child's play.
West

Eric F 

When I was on that hill, I used the grass. I'm not sure if it was better sucked less or not.

One thing that struck me about the landscape on the whole ride...all the rocks are rounded, even at the top of the moderate hills on our route. At some point in history, the whole area was underwater, and rocks were rolling.

diphthong

45-miler metro san diego-including dtown, embarcadero, liberty station, point loma, ocean beach, mission bay and mission valley. nice to be out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10757673031/overview

jonathanf2

I did about 27 road/dirt miles on Wednesday. It was a super nice day as well! My body has been sore all week, since I do mix of weight and cycling training throughout the week. I do alternate my days on which I train, but I just don't like having long gaps between either exercise regiment.

Eric F 

Happy Hour ride to Brown Saddle on the MTB (9mi, 1400'). Chasing the sunset, and hurrying to get home before dark. It was beautiful on the hill.

calamarichris

Only way those pics could be better is if you'd set the timer and been in the picture yourself. (Minus glasses.)
Thank you for sharing your experience.

Eric F 

I took a selfie with a nice background, but my face ruined the shot.

calamarichris

The more sure you are about that, the more wrong you may be.
A snap without you in it, is merely a postcard. A picture with you in it is so much more. It says you.

Eric F 

It was my face. Literally. I looked mad, for some reason.

calamarichris

You know, the original Dune wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but they still filmed that piece of crap, put it on the big screen, and now project it infinitely on HBOMax.
You're allowed to not look perfectly happy in some of your selfies.

Eric F 

Posting it would have not matched the character and enjoyment of the ride. I usually do a better job on selfies.

Parsival

Rode Newport to Irvine and back today. Nice loop and scenery with minimal cars. Of course had the obligatory coffee afterwards.