Upcoming GMR Road Closure for TdF - Nov 8 - 6am - 1pm

November 4, 2014 Update Road will be closed from Rock Sports LLC:

Although the road is closed due to our Special Use Permit to anyone not part of the event, we will allow non-registered cyclists to use GMR and will ask them to be mindful of our event taking place.

October 31, 2014 This statement was posted a few hours ago on the TdF Facebook Site

Tour de Foothills has made Special arrangements with the City of Glendora, The Forestry Service and CHP to CLOSE GMR to only Tour de Foothills Registered Riders from 6:00 am - 1:00 pm November 8th, 2014. Please obey all request, NO Vehicles, motorcycles, skateboarders or NON Registered TDF riders will be permitted on GMR. You still have time to register to ride the event. Only the 72 & 100 mile riders will be going up GMR. [They] will have 4 CHP officers on duty at both the start and finish for all riders safety. Thank you!

How to bike with five of your closest friends

Last wed ride

Last wed ride

Saturday Ride Remembered

Saturday Road buddies:

Tour de Foothills 2013

There is a Norman Rockwell feeling to this Tour de Foothills 2013 moment. Perhaps an elephant or a squirrel to round out the frame. From the left are Matt, Bill, GMR and Mark. Thanks, Tony for spotting this photo of me.

The 2014 Tour de Foothills is coming November 8th. Registration for the event and the GMR timing chip is here.

Kai and Shorty at the Tour de Foothills 2013. They are regulars on GMR and Shorty is decked out to ride.

1...2...3...4...Mountain Lions!

Just when you thought it was safe to go into the forest, Robert from Parliament of Owls has captured an amazing scene of four mountain lions strolling through the canyon as if it were their home. (hint it is!). Stunning, Robert. Kudos.



Channel 5 coverage:

Channel 7 coverage.



Matt took this photo of the Channel 5 News Team conducting the interview with Robert.

SC Velo Honorees

Wow. When I grow up I want to be like Megan and Venessa. Megan is US National Champion for her age group for Road, Criterium and Time Trial! What a cool jersey.

Venessa is California State Champion with Al (left) and Demi (right).

Sunday Ride

Bill and I rode up the road and met Kirill and Louda on touring bikes. Glendora Mountain Road was easier than Mount Diablo. Photos are coming.....

Saturday Ride

Sleeping in to 6:18 am felt glorious this morning. It also meant starting the Saturday ride a bit later. Besides it IS getting cooler and it IS getting darker. Time to adjust to a Fall riding pattern.

Heather arrived and we launched around 8 am. We shouted at Matt's house as we cycled past. Met up with Shane at the corner of GMR and Sierra Madre. My muscles definitely needed their warm up time in the cooler air. Getting past the ranger station was the warm up. Go Slow Legs. Save some for later. How nice that they behaved.

Saw Donna, Cindy and Doug on the way to the shed. I was motivated to ride. I shut off the higher thinking and put the muscles in gear to spin on the pedals. And they responded. I see some nice peaks on the power numbers. The cooler weather helped my performance. It was my fastest time to the shed this year.

Rick was enthusiastic about my arrival. I met his friend Yuri from Eastern Europe. Yuri says there are not enough trees on our hillside to be a forest. Rain is essential for plant life. We are happy with the few that we have.


Rick. A card carrying member of GMR.bike.


Yuri. Where are the trees?


Cindy and Donna. We met in Baldy.


Doug wants more stories.


Matt with his rayclone.com jersey.


Heather. The proud archer.


Shane. Better breathing will improve your performance.


Bill. Start prepping today for the March 2015 San Dimas Stage Race.


Little Dalton Canyon. Cooling clouds over the valley.


Bill. Headed home at first saddle.


Overlooking the city of Glendora. Every day on the mountain is a beautiful day.


Heather. A bike ride before work makes life all the better.


Matt. Cheers.

Daylight fades and me want to go home. Day-o!
CB#: 6264852439

Weekend rides

The heat of the week dissipated Saturday morning under a morning layer of low level clouds. The greyness cooled the air and the darker sky dampened the spirits enough so as to question the wisdom of the 7:15 am departure time. Heather arrived by 7:30 after successfully navigating surface streets avoiding the freeway closure. (Heather, check out http://sigalert.com for smooth sailing.) The heat of last Saturday's ride still fresh in our memories, the 15 degree drop in temperature made the morning ride down right enjoyable.
Bill's photo of the valley.

With the cooler air, my muscles definitely wanted their warm up time. I intentionally held back getting all of the body on board before charging out and was rewarded with energy later in the ride. I concentrated on working on the lifting of the legs during the pedal stroke to give the ham strings a work out. There seems to be more energy there and the training tips from Shane are providing more power.

Matt caught Heather and I before Newman's. It's odd how you can travel the road without seeing a soul, then on a blind curve, six people all converge in the same space and time. A white porsche, two motorbikes and three cyclists.

At the shed, people arrived and everyone had a story to tell. Mark and Shirin opening up CyclinSanity in LaVerne in November. Rick and Greg in a comeback ride to Baldy Village. Shane on his way down "north" GMR to East Fork better known as a Yo-Yo ride. Matt, Heather and Bill. Lots of connections.

Mark Sherin
Greg
Rick.
Shane
Mark
Matt. Beer?
Heather
Bill
Baldy (Sunday Ride)
Glendora under the fog (Sunday)

Back to back rides

I set a goal for myself last week. Exercise 30 minutes every day.

Pretty simple setting goals. Not so simple is the ability to ignore the inner voices whispering chill out. You rode yesterday. What in the heck are you trying to do, ride back to back days? It's hot out there. you've earned a rest. Enjoy the delicious cool couch.

Tuesday, the voices were loud. I got onto the indoor stationary bike and spinned for 30 minutes at an easy pace.

Wednesday - I logged my second fastest time to the first saddle. Yipee. I have been concentrating on the up pull of the cycle stroke.

Then the road closed due to the red flag warning for heat and dryness.

A full weekend of rides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Bill - Friday Ride Al and Suzie - Friday Ride Heather - See I got your shoes. Saturday Ride
Doug - Saturday Ride - Back from his northern bike adventure. Myself. Sunday Ride.
Larry Sunday Ride. With his Pioneer Power Meter. He had detailed instructions taped to the bike.

Full set of weekend photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/103310996410387605662/October52014?authuser=0&feat=directlink

GMR closed due to red flag warnings. Road closed 1...

GMR closed due to red flag warnings. Road closed 10/1

GMRvwill close due to red flag warnings.starting t...

GMRvwill close due to red flag warnings.starting today October 1st.