Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Last Ride of 2013

John and I rode back to back days to the shed. There were a few more people on the road today versus yesterday. Two horse trailers passed us by and several trucks laden with off-road bikes raced up the mountain. Out the saddle for more of the ride to give the knee a straighter downward stroke was my goal. A moment at mile marker 8.9 where the road is repaved -- the slowing of the sense of time to enjoy the moment of not being at the bottom and not being at the top and wanting the moment to last forever where the road is smooth. The average speed was faster overall than the day before. A day off from riding. Enjoy the New Year.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Winding down

2013 is rapidly coming to an end. Got out and rode with Bill and John today. Shed and back. The weather is perfect Rose Parade weather cool in the mornings around the mid 40s with the highs in the 70s. Starting later in the morning means warm sun and fewer clothes.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

SCVelo Incycle Toy Ride

The SCVelo bike club stuffed back packs and pull carts full of toys and rode them to the Sheriff's station in San Dimas. 30 children's bicycles were also donated to families in need. I love the white bear stuffed in John's (Chaffee Autobody) backpack.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Where have I been

December 8 Top of Monroe
December 1 Ride

November 30


Monday, December 2, 2013

Sunset

Matt caught this sunset view on his ride up GMR this evening. Very pretty.


Saturday, November 30, 2013

Top Ten Day

Today was in the top ten of beautiful days to ride. Perfect temperature. Perfect weather. Perfect road conditions.


Bills view of Baldy.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

SCVelo Toy Drive 2013



San Dimas, California (November 26, 2013) – The Southern California Velo Cycling Club (SC Velo) and Incycle Bicycle Stores are sponsoring a Christmas Toy Collection drive beginning on Saturday November 30th and concluding on Saturday December 14th.  A Toy Ride will be held on Sunday December 15th to take the collected toys to the San Dimas Sheriff’s station so that they can be distributed to needy families.  All interested cyclists are invited to join with SC Velo riders to support this worthy cause by donating toys and/or participating in the ride.

Unwrapped toys can be left in collection bins at  Incycle Bicycle Stores in San Dimas, Chino, Pasadena, and Rancho Cucamonga ( see: http://incycle.com ) between November 30th  and December 14th.  Everyone donating toys to the Toy Drive will receive an Incycle water bottle in appreciation for their donation. 

Incyle’s San Dimas store will be hosting a Bike Swap Meet during the Toy Drive collection period.  The Bike Swap Meet will be held on Saturday December 14th.  For more information see the Incycle web site ( http://Incycle.com ). Come on out to participate in this event and bring along some toys for the Toy Drive with you.

The SC Velo Toy Ride will depart from the San Dimas Incycle store on December 15th at about 9:00 AM for an easy, no-drop, 1 hour+ ride with SAG support to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station to turn the collected toys over to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department representatives.

All toys collected as part of this drive will be delivered to kids of needy families by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas station.  Last year, the San Dimas station was able to help a large number of families during the Christmas holiday because of our Toy Ride.


Monday, November 25, 2013

The view from Bills Ride


Bill got out on the road today. The view of Baldy was spectacular.

He saw forest service trucks hanging out near mile marker 12.57 to assist with the OTS Vehicle.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sunday Ride

John and I started late on Sunday morning around 10:30 am. Enjoying the warmer temperatures of the day. Enjoying the sun and the blue sky. We were pleasantly surprised when the roadside photographer snapped our photos and chuckled with a familiar voice, It was none other than the world famous and GMR champion, Mr. Beanz. John and I became test subjects as Mr. Beanz clicked and videoed us with multiple cameras. "Are you training for something, GMR?" Beanz asked. I chuckled. Those stunning out of the saddle shots can look awesome. It has been a week since I pedalled. It was a good ride with my thumb bundled in gauze from the Saturday morning incident when a snowman bit my thumb. One ER trip and three stitches later, my thumb is holding me together.




A week ago, I saw this young cyclist paced with his own moto support.  He sped along with out breathing hard.


Sunday, November 17, 2013

Secret Training

Saturday had a 20 percent chance of rain. On Friday morning it was a late morning decision to go for a short ride. Great decision. It was dry. Clouds overhead. Just a bit of a chill on the way down.

Saturday morning was damp, drizzly and the clouds shrouded the ridge line from view. I hemmed and hawed while John C. like a trooper rode to the shed. What a man.

I ate chili for lunch. Snoozed and then saw the sun was out. Ride! Got out about 1:15 pm. Best time of the day. The road had dried. Very light traffic. Met Duane and Steve riding up GMR to ride down the Monroe Truck Trail.

Two short but well needed rides. Relieve stress. Recover the knee. Have some sun.





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Thanksgiving Food Drive Collection



San Dimas, California (November 13, 2013) – The Southern California Velo Cycling Club (SC Velo) and Incycle Bicycle Stores are conducting a Thanksgiving Food Collection Drive to help provide holiday dinners to families and individuals that otherwise could not afford one.

Food items to be donated should be non-perishable, such as Canned Meats, Canned Vegetables, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Boxes of Stuffing or Turkey Dressing, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, bags of rice or dried beans, etc.
 
The food can be left in collection bins at Incycle Bicycle Stores in San Dimas, Chino, Pasadena, and Rancho Cucamonga ( http://incycle.com ) between Saturday, November 16th, and Sunday, November 24th.  All of the donated food will be taken to the Salvation Army Regional Food Distribution Center for distribution to needy families

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Baldy 5 on Pie

After a a trip to Oak Glen for apples and pie on Friday, this necessitated a longer ride on Saturday. I rode to the shed with Eli as Bill and John followed in close pursuit. Matt and John his coworker took an alternate route and rode up Highway 39, East Fork and the backside of GMR for the "Loop". The day was warm not hot and cool not cold. Although the stretch of Glendora Ridge Road shrouded in shade by the hillside and the southern sun chilled and whispered of the pending colder weather. The jacket and knee warmers I had last week would have been used this week.I must have burned a few more calories shivering, right?

Most rides were uneventful, pedaling, meeting people, snacking and then more pedaling. The mountain provided relief  from the cares of the city and work. I shook off faint premonitions and rubbed the back of my neck at the beginning of the ride.

Eli talked of his entrepreneurial pursuits and the hope that more women cyclists would ride up Glendora Mountain Road. (Hint Eli, I saw a group of 7-8 women on Sunday). Eli sprinted on the downhill past mile marker 7 and I pushed hard to catch him before the 8% rise topped out. Eli surged ahead at the shed, while I waited for John to catch up. Bill lingered walking out a cramp at Newman's.

At the shed, a pair of cyclists quizzed me about a female rider in a blue jersey. Yes, she was stretching before the first saddle, that was 30 minutes ago. The color of her white shoes as she reached for a hamstring stretch blazed in my brain. The three of us watched three more cyclists approaching. Carla and John were identified. Carla's two friends measuring their time and performance on Strava rode on. She was happy not to have the pressure to keep up. I told her it was "detached contact". She laughed. She explained her philosophy of cycling was to burn a few calories in order to drink beer. John happily asked where have you been all of his life? He's available by the way, Carla.

The ride up the reward climb was just a bit easier this week. The altitude and previous miles pumped the heart. Until the relief of the downhill at GRR 8.3. The next four miles of rolling road, pine and deciduous trees with brightly colored orange, red leaves had all fallen to the ground. The rolling up and down to Cow Canyon Saddle was going along smoothly until John warned me of the rocks tumbling down the hillside at GRR  mile marker 10.2. Big ones. I darted across the road to avoid the mini-avalanche. Small critters or old age had loosen the chunks and gravity did the rest.

We dropped into the village and stopped at the small store with vending machines filled with drinks. A powerade had my name on it. A trio of cyclists stopped to eat lunch at the Lodge. They were seated on the patio above the store. The lure of real food spoke to my mouth and my gut.  John had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. that looked good as well. I chowed down a Cliff Peanut bar. The powerade was tingly cold on my tongue a few swigs then I filled up the water bottles with powerade. A quick trip up the street to the visitor center. John thought it was toasty warm inside the center and he checked out the King snake  in an aquarium too small for its occupant. Back outside, an older hiker in a quilted blue jacket struck up a conversation and tested John's hockey fitness by kicking his shins.

Stopped at the Post Office and the ceptic tank cleaner was pumping away. A few pictures and we were on our way. The climb out was just as hard as ever. What's this uphill thing? Why do I have to pedal? the legs were questioning my resolve. With the hardest climb done, I poured on the speed through the apline rolling section.

It was good to start the descent from mile marker 8.3. Down the reward climb, GRR had twisty tight curves, blind from a visual and auditory sense. You can't see around the bends and the mountain side absorbs the noise. The road was still in shade so no hint or gleams from shiny car parts. The road was narrow with no center stripe. I kept reasonably tight distance to my white line, but as I rounded a blind curve. I saw two cyclists in single file headed uphill with two cars gunning past them on my side of the road. there was no room. I stomped on my brakes. My back tire fish tailed to the left and put my bike more in harm's way. I released my grip on the brakes. One option was a face plant on the white hood of the first car. the other option was to take a plunge over the side. There was only reaction, there was very little thinking time. I steered up onto the asphalt berm lined thick with dry, brittle weeds. I was still upright and moving. The cars passed. The weeds had high potential for stickers. I negotiated back onto the road. Still upright. The drivers were white knuckling it, they didn't bother to stop. I coasted to a turn out. The heart rate was pumping. I was in one piece. John amazed at the what just happened with his front row seat. Great bike handling skills. Your rims are awesome. Not even a pinch flat. I checked out the tires for stickers. I felt none. Breath in. I am still in one piece. Breath out. No ambulance ride. Yipee. A young fellow with an Iowa Jersey had stopped nursing his bum knee. His tale distracted my mind. He could not appreciate the feat I had just pulled off.

After a recovery period, John and I restarted the descent. The trio from the Lodge breezed past us. Every blind curve I approached with caution. It was good to put the hard climbs past us and in the cool of the shade in the shed. It had warmed up on the way home, by mile marker 4. At the shed, a surprise meet up with Ron. We chatted about broken collar bones, steel plates and airports.

John and I headed out from the shed. The wind was blowing warm and dry. With the gusts on the Glendora Mountain Road, I rode in the middle of the lane. GMR was a wider road and a delineated yellow center line. The last bit of hill near mile marker 7 has a blind curve and true to the day two more drivers speeding around the bend. Their tires squealed with a high pitched frenzy to match the white knuckles as the need to keep in their lane more imperative. Another "grey poupon" moment. Where my yellow jersey could have been mustard on the road. The mountain gods were testing my resolve on Saturday. My descending mojo broken, I took it slower than normal and thankfully squirrels stayed out of my way.

Road Rage incident in the city, a police car blaring its siren. I was finally at home. As time passed the event seemed inconsequential to those who hear my tale. In that instant of facing down a charging car with outcomes equally likely to result in ambulance rides, broken bones and medical bills, I am thankful to being upright and well.


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Baldy 4



Matt wanted to go far. I thought he meant Glendora Ridge Road +4, or +6. John upped the ante and said Cow Canyon Saddle. The weather was perfect, with the day that dawned clear and the haze of the valley below us. Temperatures in the 70s-80s, it couldn't get any better. What the heck, it's Baldy. Fortunately John told tales, Matt listened and I huffed and I puffed to get up the Reward Climb (aka the wall). The great thing about friends chatting is that you concentrate on their words and put the body into auto pilot. Tales of Tom and his broom sweeping Glendora Mountain Road. Rides to Crystal Lake, and Mountain Biking up Mount Wilson.
Goal for this week: I must put in more time on the indoor trainer.
Today's ride was harder than the first time to Baldy this year. I need more training in the upper altitudes. Got there. Got back. Long day. Good ride.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Bill's Big Day

Definitely click on the photo to get a full image of the view Bill had this morning. The hill on the right is "the Glendora Mountain." Then further behind in the distance is the road leading up to the shed. Both Bill and John C. enjoyed the day for a ride.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Culvert on Glendora Mountain Road


Bill has the scoop from a foreman on site: Roughly two more weeks to go

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Saturday 10/12

Andy noticed the large bird sitting in the tree at Glendora Ridge Road mile marker 0.29. Bill was the bird whisperer who got up close about 30 feet away and took the photo. Furloughed US Forest Rangers said they were bald eagles. Another rider went by and asked what was up. An Eagle! He said that was worth stopping for. After my photo of Mt. Baldy, Andy spied a red tailed hawk attacking a second eagle. What a spectacular sight. Definitely worth the trip.
Lin at the shed.
Andy's Liqui Gas Canondale at the shed. Green is his theme.
The view of baldy between eagle sightings. Glendora Ridge Road mile marker ~1.
Andy at Glendora Ridge Road at mile marker 6.2.
It was a ride full of friends, as John C. waited for us at Palm Drive. Rick and Greg pedalled by and I kept pace with Rick for about 2.5 miles before dropping off. Greg had his new Trek Madone 660 bicycle. An ultra light 15 pound "pure air" machine.
Bill, John and I rode to the shed from the first saddle. Hung out at the shed when Andy and Lin arrived. The five of us rode to fork plus six with a stop at fork plus four chatting with the furloughed US Forest Rangers.
Spent five hours out on the road, with plenty of chatting at the shed. It was a 38.5 mile ride.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

FWD:

9Road is closed.

Glendora Mountain Road Closed due to high winds. 1...

Glendora Mountain Road Closed due to high winds. 10/3/2013 to 10/7/2013.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Two Flat Day

Story coming later...












Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Madre Fire 9/24 - A Day Later


The fire crews did a superb job on the Madre Fire.


Incident TypeWildfire
CauseUnder Investigation
Date of OriginMonday September 23rd, 2013 approx. 06:00 PM
LocationSan Gabriel Canyon 1/4 mile west of the entrance station
Incident CommanderTomaselli

Current Situation as of 09/24/2013 5 pm

Total Personnel450
Size250 acres
Percent Contained70%
Estimated Containment DateFriday September 27th, 2013 approx. 08:00 AM
Fuels InvolvedChaparral (6 feet), dormant brush, hardwood slash.
Fire BehaviorActive backing
Significant EventsUnified command with US Forest Service & LA County.

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Madre Fire - Azusa Canyon 2013

Fire in the forest. Azusa canyon. From Sierra Madre
Fire in Azusa from Glendora Mountain Road. photo by Matt

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Saturday 9/21

Wasn't it just 110F? Now its merely 60F. If the photos look a bit bleary, I am shivering.