Sunday Afternoon

Sometimes the need for the endorphins out weighs all other rational thought and you find yourself on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon pedaling up Glendora Mountain Road. I hit the sweet spot of the afternoon. Warm on the way up. I stopped at the first saddle. I noticed other cyclists headed down bundled up like skiers. It was surprising the chill in the air on the way down.



Be aware of the stick on the road as it moves. On Big Dalton Road at 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon just before the yellow gate, Tom cycled past a three foot triangular headed snake with 1.5 - 2 inch tail. That's 8-10 segments of rattles. Adult hood. He rustled up a branch to move the snake off the road, but the branch was not long enough. The snake moved towards his bike then up over the edge of the road by the guard rail.

Bicycle Friends

On Saturday, met up with Jason, Carl and Kevin of bicyclefriends.org as well as Matt and John, GMR regulars.



A very determined Kevin made it to the first saddle.



Kevin works for a metropolitan water district. With the emergency water rationing in effect, he reminded me that I don't have to time my showers as 70-80% of the water usage is on landscaping.

I hauled my bike up to Newman's averaging 7.9 mph. Carl headed back at Newman's to rejoin Kevin for the ride down. Jason, Matt and I rode to the maintenance shed.



John joined us at the shed. He talked about his yo-yo ride plan. Forgot to mention that I was excused from jury service.

Life on the road

Bill rode to the first saddle.



Life on the road is good when you are retired.

Side of the Road

At mile marker 11.90 a couple of guys were sitting on the side of the road. I looked where their car was located and asked them if that's really where they wanted to park it. NO! A mishap with a couple of motorcycles forced them off the road and up the embankment. Ron took these photos:



Sometimes life forces you to destinations you don't want to be, but it beats the alternative.



Met Phil at the top of Monroe Truck Trail heading home from Santa Clarita. He rides Palomar regularly, but enjoys the gentler nature of Glendora Mountain Road about once a month. His recommendation is to ride Palomar mid week when there is less motorcycle traffic. Same for GMR. He mentioned the Everest Challenge. Two days of three monumental climbs each day, with a total elevation gain of 29,035 feet in 206 miles.



Bill took a ride in the morning around Puddingstone. He likes ducks.

Cabin Fever

The storm broke in the early afternoon. The cotton candy clouds hung on crystal clear skies. The warm sun beckoned with gusts of a brisk cool wind. I hiked behind the ranger station on Glendora Mountain Road. The wind whipped my hat off. The view was worth it.



The high rises of downtown Los Angeles were visible.



The view to the north along Camp Wolfie.

San Dimas Stage Race - Stories

I have been under the weather this weekend and did not get out to cover the two additional stages of the 2009 San Dimas Stage Race. No race. No riding. Plus Rain. This weekend has been a bit of a bust.

Amid the backdrop of the cyclists daring to face the mountain on their wheels, a few interesting stories emerged on Friday along with the sun.

A couple of business clad spectators seated on the guard rail at the bottom of the Monroe Truck Trail rode the mountain monthly. I hope to see them in their Sprague Ready Mix jerseys some time soon.

Jason of bicyclefriends in his green Canidae jersey was spotted riding down. I shouted but he didn't stop. Could I have been mistaken?

Dennis a regular who walks his dog every day up the mountain stopped and chatted. His partner was left at home as the loud speakers used by the announcers frightens him. Dennis caught sight of the Nikon D80 slung around my neck. He worked for the company and pointed out the fact the old cameras are worth something now.

Marianne a recent psychology graduate of Berkeley wrote for the upcoming Women's Cycling Magazine. The site launches on March 23, 2009. She was pleasant company on a hot afternoon hike.

Suzy Degazon was a world class ultra triathlete. Her impressive array of accomplishes paled to her warm personality. The 3.8 mile race was a bit too short for her style. She preferred a 300 mile bike ride!



Some folks commuted up the mountain during the race on their bikes. We fondly call them tourists on the race day. Some commanded more attention than others. Here was Mike S.



One never knows who you might meet during the race. In the afternoon as we followed the sun to catch the riders in good light.



There was a tent, with table and chair manned by an enigmatic gentleman named Eric. It turns out he was a South Bay Wheelman who worked on the Manhattan Grand Prix Race and was the course director for Amgen Tour of California. He represented USA Cycling during SDSR and was noting which racers crossed the center line which is a 30 second violation.

Bill noticed Eric's Canon Powershot G10 on the table. Eric asked how Bill and I could get along since Bill carried his Canon EOS Mark 5D and I was toting the Nikon D80, I laughed. The answer: both the cameras were Bill's.

At the end of the day Matt and Bill met, talked about paper routes, growing up in Glendora and living on Lemon Avenue. It was a long day of standing, hiking, watching great cycling, and meeting new cycling friends. Once I am recovered, I am ready for my turn on the wheels.

San Dimas Stage Race 2009

Friday March 20, 2009. A 3.8 mile stretch of Glendora Mountain Road was the opening time trial to the three day 2009 San Dimas Stage Race. The transformation of a quiet wandering uphill terrain into a bustling carnival of 800 riders, their support personnel, equipment, attending race officials, and spectators brought out a few intrepid spectators. It was a day of sweat, determination and hopes as cyclists were launched one by one to meet their destiny.



Today was a day where one group of road users, cyclists needed sole use of the road. There were heated words between cyclists and skate boarders when center line rules were not followed that nearly caused two cyclists to crash.

Bill took over 700 photos today. GMR slacked off with only a couple hundred. Approximately 70 pictures have been posted. Photos on the web have been reduced. We took pictures from 9:30 am to 11:00 am and 13:30 to 16:39. If you like to make inquiries please contact: Bill. Include your start time and color of jersey.