Anyway, Ken and Lucas are feeling nostolgic, and decide to do a loop on the TOC time trial course, starting from Los Olivos. Certainly a twisty number riding into Solvang. Bit bumpy too. Those boys must have had fun on the speed machines.
Heading back up. Lucas gets in interval mode. Today, I'm a wheel sucker. No shame. My ego is in check, and I'm okay with it. So, Ken and I ride his little tail back up to Los Olivos.
Li'l Luc says he needs yet another effort before we head up. Sick in the head. We roll to Happy Canyon, and he gets all happy as Ken and I sit back and enjoy the ride, as much one can trying draft off a little climber. Again, reminds me of riding with Corndog. Lucas puts in a 5 mile interval just to warm up for the climb.
Alright, time to climb. As it turns out, we all did our own thing. Ken, well he is a sprinter, he knows his way to the top. Lucas is into some crazy climbing interval thang. Four minutes on cranking out a thick gear, then about 3 off. Me, I just want to hump it, so I go my own little way. My legs handled the whole thing fairly well considering the last two days of riding. Still, I needed the new and improved gearing. It's hard to tell if I was going up more efficiently then days gone by with stiffer gears, or if I simply needed the lower gears cuz I'm old. Old or not, I love this climb. Says something about my mental state, but it really is epic. You climb for miles and miles, come around a corner and see miles more. Most poeple would feel defeated. Me, I'm in awe. Climb on. But after about an hour, the fun is over. Oh well, all good things must come to and end. But, this time I did take pics.
So, I make it to the top, and wait for the interval fool and sprinter. The weather is great, and it is amazingly clear. Good stuff. Now it is time to go down. No off road excursions today. And, the descent really activates Lucas' product.
After passing by Mikey's Neverland no more ranch, I decide that we need to finish this ride off in style. Punch it while I got it. Plus, we passed by a market grilling meat as we left Los Olivos, and one thing I picked up while living in Texas is an appreciation for grilled meat, and my mind is focused on getting some of it in my belly. Five miles later, we are back in Los Olivos (A.K.A Honey let's get out of L.A. for the day). Ken and I can't be stopped from getting out of our chamios, but not Lucas. The boy is obsessed. One more time around the TOC TT course for him. Fool.
Well, Ken and I enjoy sum grub, and even a little ice cream, sitting outside soaking up some Calirific weather. Why did I ever leave this state? Who cares, I'm back. Unforntunately, my daze of back to back epic rides in the middle of the week are coming to an end, and I'll be back in the class room trying to get kids excited about regression coefficients, organizational theory, democratic theory, and a host of other things that only academics find interesting. But at least I'll have a tan, and some good memories of suffering with Kenny and Lucas.
Tomorrow, though, coffee ride. Ah, nice and easy. My legs will thank me.
7 comments:
That little market in Los Olivos with meat grilling... is owned by Steve Dennell who you might remember was a pretty good bike racer 15-20 years ago. There's a connection... he was teammates with Dave Feingold and me on the old GNC/Diamdback team, and if I remember my history correctly, Dave and you were later teammates on William K. Gamble. (hmm, or was that Eric Cech??) Small world, eh?
Cechers and I were both Dave's teammate on the Willy K. Biker's squad. Although Dave liked me more. In fact, Dave was the first person I visited when I moved back to Cali. He's not so much into the biking thing anymore, but he's still the same great guy he always has been.
It's certianly interesting hopping back into the racing thing, seeing new and familiar faces. And, it is interesting the Steve Owns the market. I saw someone riding around on a fat tire cruiser at the market, and it was probably him. However, my head is so full of worthless academic material, my memory of faces of long ago is rusty, so I can't say that I recognized him.
But I do generally remember the GNC/Diamondback crew. In fact, I think it was you who nipped me for second at the crit up and down and around the parking lot at the SB community colllege in 92 with Davey F was up the road.
Wait, that was 1990 when I was chasing Davey F around the hilly crit course, with all the GNC guys trying to spoil my fun. Oh my, how long ago.
Yep, I remember that ...barely. I also remember Feingold getting a solo Vee on the Pozo course, much to the chagrin of Greg McNeil and a couple of 7-Eleven dudes.
If you see or talk to Dave, please say "Hi" for me. Also, if Sterling McBride and/or Mike White are still around SLO, please say Hi to them too.
No, Dave did not get the win. It was, now I am drawing a blank, but the big time trial guy who he broke away during the first mile cuz Dave thought that he would break away early and drop out and go back and get over his hangover from celebrating Mike Baldwin's b-day the day before. I got fourth that day behind them and Tom Resch (sp) by slipping away while everyone was eying Corndog and the Slurpees. Yeah, Greg was pretty frustrated that day. Damn, what was the TT guys name? Rode for Team Redlands/Cytomax.
I ride with Sterl at least once a week on our Thursday night mt ride. Mike's off the bike and doing the father thang, but is still around. Don't see him much, though. Either way, I'll send them a shout out.
Bruce Reid (sp?), that's who it was.
Post a Comment