Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Picture Perfect

Met up with the Calvary Riding Association at the maintenance shed. I met Louie, Tony, Rick and Art. Their club was 50 members strong with a vast array of abilities. The excitement over the new younger members could not be contained.




A stunning day.



Clouds are my favorite.



Made it to fork plus six. Light traffic. It was a good day to ride long.

Now that I am a bit rested:
Being a Wednesday I treated the mountain as interval training. I had an excellent long surge up the first incline past the start of Monroe. The public works crew were maintaining the road. Red signs with "Road Work Ahead", "Flagger" and "Prepare to Stop" lined Glendora Mountain Road. A large bulldozer was clearing brush. The flagger and radio man waved at me. "Cyclist coming, slow and steady," he radioed the driver of the bulldozer. Cyclist coming through. They waved at me and I obliged as I picked up the pace pleased that I didn't have to stop. I rounded the hair pin turn to find a second flagger with a stopped cyclist coming down the mountain. I was doubly pleased at my preferential treatment. The traffic kept me company about once a half hour a motorcycle or car or cyclist who pass me. The maintenance shed provided chat time with the Calvary Cyclists. The next leg of the trip past the fork on Glendora Ridge Road, nature and clouds billowed larger than life. I noticed a hawk shadow soaring on the pavement. If I had been a bit smaller I would have been a tasty treat.