Tour of Alameda Century-2012

Century #2  (January 28, 2012) Tour of Alameda Century, Skyline, Oakland Zoo, Palomares, Sunol, Livermore.  96 miles, 5600' climbing--mostly at the front end.  Diablo Cyclist metric ride with bonus mile group of Cisco Dave, Toby, Leo of Sears, Steven, Jack,  Dr. Dave, CA Mike--the last two managing to avoid Palomares.

Doing the Diablo Cyclist Oakland Zoo ride which is not one of my favorites.  (Never mind me getting caught on a chain link fence a few years back and ripping my shorts.)    Lots of climbing and sudden rollers out to the Zoo which is great--but then a long fast downhill through Eucalyptus groves so lots of branches, leaves covering the road and the numerous potholes and raised cracks caused by tree roots.

As last week was rained out hoped to do another self supported century this Saturday--and it seemed like a good way to add on was Palomares-Niles Canyon to Sunol.  Only problem is that the North side we'd be climbing is the side we usually fly down--meaning the North side is much steeper than the South side(which is longer and curvey but much "flatter".)  Then if I had some companions so I wouldn't get lost we could go through Livermore and return the same way Dr. Dave and I did from the Patterson Pass Century two weeks ago--keeps suburban riding to a minimum out of all the possible return routes...

All this proposed torture prompted this email from Dr. Dave
I'll make the decision at the last possible moment on Saturday. As Jack asked me a few weeks back, exactly WHAT am I training for? Haven't a clue.



Wait, when you say "up Palomares to Sunol," are you suggesting going up Palomares from the North side/hard way after the Zoo run?? It's January! You didn't even get off the trainer this week, let alone train to climb! Why not return over Dublin Grade, down blvd to Sunol, and over to Collier??? If we are going to do 100 miles in January (and, I remind you, that you and I did 100 miles once already this month), why not keep the knee-busting climbs to a minimum? (Or, does that last question make no sense, given this is a Pumpkin-inspired route??) A Pumpkin sufferfest

New Black shoes have strap 1cm further back than old grey ones--ready to dig into ankle.  I've now cut a few slits into the top strap of new shoes.

Two things ill prepared me for this ride. My old Time Cycling shoes are really beat up--and usually you can find new ones on clearance so I ordered a new pair a few weeks back.   First shoes I ever had with a buckle/ratchet strap.. And they suck.    The top strap cuts into my ankle.  I did cut a series of micro slits on the top strap which helped a little--which still wouldn't cut it on 100 mile rides.  (It was SO great wearing my old shoes on the Patterson Pass Century.)  So I ordered another pair of velcro only Time Shoes and figured I may as well break them in on this ride.  Mistake.  For some reason the top strap on both new pair of shoes is 18 cm from the toe--on my old shoes it is 17-17 1/2 cms.  On this ride the straps would be cutting into my ankle all day--especially when I stood.  (And the old shoes are 377 & 422g with cleats and superfeet liners, the new shoes are 463 & 506g--so much for improvements.)
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The second mistake was putting on my winter training wheel with a 12x25 cassette--my heaviest wheel --on the bike for this ride.  Last week when Dr. Dave and I rode at a leisurely pace this would have been great.  But today there was a bigger group and someone was always pushing the pace.  Usually their name was Patrick, Toby, Cisco Dave or Leo.  Ouch.


The Gang-of-Three-Ward, Christine, Dr. Dave in Moraga



Big surprise at the start.  My partner in trouble making, Ward, showed up to test out his knee and would ride as far as the first rest stop, about 15 miles away.  Then Christine, coming back from concussion, also showed up for her first ride of the year.  We usually we do a stupidass steep hill--the Muur de Moraga, but we stayed on the bikepath for our friends rehab.
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Major announcement from Ward--he's renounced SHRAM (well, not in the depths of the FSA gruppo) and retrofitting part of his fleet with Shimano.   Meanwhile CA Mike was wondering if he should consider the students at Stanford "real cyclists"--the ones that ride at night in dark clothes with no lights.  The ride to the rest stop was uneventful except for 1) a car U-turning on the ramp between bike path sections--blocking the path, 2) a jogger moseying down the middle of the path/ bike lane, and not moving over no matter how many times we called out, and then startled when we passed (maybe headphones aren't the greatest idea), 3) a cyclist shooting down a side street and turning into us without looking.  We blamed all of this on Ward as everyone on the street were on their best behavior for the three months he's been on the sideline.

Long stop in Moraga and then it was off to Skyline via Canyon.  Here a bunch of the oldtimer bonus mile group--CA Mike, Dr Dave, Jack, Christine and I formed the 2nd group on the road.  Lots of talk about the new U-tube video where some cyclist prattles on about all the things you constantly read in Bicycle Magazine--"carbon wheels are so cool"..."how much does your bike weigh"...its just a recovery day today"..."are you sponsored?"..."lets follow lance on twitter"..."can i borrow a tube..."...

(above) View from Skyline--if you look closely you can see the OCCUPY folks at the Kaiser Center (below) Cisco Dave and Toby

Part of our club turned off to do a shorter ride than planned, and we had a group in back of us after climbing up to Skyline.  From Skyline we hit the aforementioned rollers that Patrick-Toby-Cisco Dave and Leo flew over, while I wondered whose stupid idea was to wear new uncomfortable shoes and use a slow rear wheel--though was happy I had the junk wheel when the tree roots and potholes suddenly appeared on the fast downhill to the zoo.

(above) Cisco Dave psyched that he outsprinted the merry go round Zebra while (below) Christine, Jack and Dr. Dave dejected that the Giraffe and Tiger beat them to the sprint point

Long regroup at the zoo.  Nice day--lots of families out.  Leaving the zoo and rolling gently uphill with a tailwind on Lake Chabot road I put in my first hard effort of the, pulling the paceline at close to 20 until I blew up and re cursed my shoes/ wheel.

We all regrouped and rode together for the Castro Valley tennis courts--another long break--the third in 40 or so miles.  We'd soon lose Christine and CA Mike who'd finish with a metric.  Dr. Dave would meet us in Sunol but he'd skirt the Palomares climb. 

Great place where Steve got a flat--at the start of Palomares

Leo from Sears, Toby and Cisco Dave occupy the podium at the top of Palomares

We just started Palomares--a rustic road with light traffic--when Steve had a flat in a perfect place--nice wide driveway in full sunlight.  Gave me time to play with the shoe straps and wished this was a Bronx ride so I'd have a switchblade for some strap surgery.  When we set out road turned real shady--and I was unusually cold on a climb.  Yep--the North side was much steeper than the South side but also shorter.  Stayed with the Toby-Cisco-Leo group about 3/4's of the way up but then had to back off.   While waiting  at the top to regroup the Grizzly Peak Cyclists "bonus mile" group was riding up from the other side--and saw Grizzly Mark in training mode.  We used to try to kill each other on doubles-usually to the detriment of one of us--and in the last few years we've rode cooperatively together and helped each other finish a few events.  He likes to bs as much as I do on a ride--great to see him. 
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Then the curvy downhill where some chubby guy flew by until some uphill rollers where we repassed until close to the bottom when he flew by again.  Then a long gradual uphill on Niles Canyon Road which had a nice tailwind (yeah) and the usual lots of traffic (groans.)  We kept in a paceline--soon passed chubby guy, and rolled into Sunol where Dr. Dave had been waiting for 20 minutes.  Not bad considering the flat .  Special guest star also waiting there--CA. Mike.   Only problem was we were now only 55 miles in the ride, it was already early afternoon, and average speed was 14.9 mh.

Also in Sunol was a derelict reeking of Bud light and chain smoking--reminded me of Railroad Flats.  He came over to our group as we backpedaled to get away from the burning tobacco, as he recounted how he rode all over the state in his younger days.  Meanwhile two guys came riding in with track bikes--the ones where the rear wheel (with 17mm tyre) is pushed forward into a rounded down tube--fast bikes and looks great but supposedly havoc on your butt with the road imperfections transmitted straight up.  Also only one bottle mount--but the guys solved this problem by zip tying a bottle cage on their tri bars.  Was bsing with them and after they left po'd I didn't get a photo of their strange road setup.

(above) The Diablo Cyclist peloton makes it way past yet another Livermore Vineyard. 

(above) Toby and Dr. Dave anticipate Stephen suddenly jumping out at the County Line sign. 

Short of food I bought the special cycling power food--RICE KRISPIE TREATS--DOUBLE CHOCOKATEY CHUNK.  Three vegetables combine--Rice & Marshmallow & Corn syrup now teamed with Belgium Chocolatey.  Also has maltodextrin--a favorite Hammar Nutrition ingredient. The bar was huge and lasted me for the next 40 miles of the ride.

(above) The two Daves before we go back into civilization (below) CA Mike and Leo from Sears arrive

After stopping in Sunol our group didn't stop again for the next 40 miles, and did a good job keeping together on the flats.  If the paceline was going to slow Cisco Dave or Toby would go to the front to wind us up. 

Sun was now rapidly going down but was warmer than a couple of weeks ago.  Shoes weren't hurting as much when I kept my butt in the saddle.  We had 8 in the group, which was larger than our usual bonus mile group.  Sped through Blackhawk, Danville and then back to Walnut Creek.  No Lance wannabe coming down the sprint point blvd this week, too bad as this time I had all my big brothers.  I did my usual lead out and was luckily passed way too early--when someone passes my job is done--and from afar I watched as Dave or Dave took out the sprint.  Last bit of hijinx for the day, a long and semi-intense ride--which was too much intensity for January but lots of fun.

Morgan Patterson Pass Century-2012

#1 Century* of 2012.  (January 14, 2012)  Morgan Territory-Patterson Pass--With Dr. Dave.  92 miles, 5666' climbing.  Ride rating 179 (79% harder than a perfectly flat century ride)
*yes-I know a Century is 100 miles.   But the Chico Wildflower is 95 miles.  The Solvang Double is 191 miles.   So self supported rides of 90+ miles with climbing are century rides.

Historic data from Stephen Music.

Forgot that last did this great ride last October.  Great loop as after getting out of Clayton @ mile 10, mostly on back country rustic roads with little traffic until returning to Livermore @60, and then @70-80 is also rustic.   So that's 60 of 90 miles, or two thirds of the ride, with little traffic.  Of course there are some small hills.

Morgan is a climb I enjoy with sudden steep pitches and Patterson Pass is a climb I would enjoy if the almost ever present head wind wasn't there--which is rarely as loads of wind farms in the surrounding hills and the wind comes in from the West.  Usually.

I packed a phone today--which I rarely do--as I expected to do this ride alone.  Most of the bonus mile group is injured or now first riding after injury or away.  CA Mike and Dr. Dave were my only hopes for doing this--and Dr. Dave hates Patterson Pass after the headwind on the last steep pitch of Patterson stopped Dave and his recumbent in his tracks.  He didn't believe that the next few times we did Patterson Pass it was dead calm.

2011 Photo with Christine and Ward looking for Dr. Dave

Big group for the regular Club ride though it was cold as crap at the start.  Around 35 degrees but we climb almost immediately so didn't want to overdress and I didn't.  So froze for 15 minutes.  Our Club kept together and I even stopped at mile 8 at our (ridiculously early) rest stop--more to regroup than for anything else.   Some where around here CA. Mike broke a piece off his cleat--so he couldn't go on our bonus mile ride.

On Morgan Territory our peloton went to pieces.  I tried staying with Cyclocross Racer Mark for as long as I could--which wasn't long.  (He was cheating and not on his 30 lb Rivendell bike but on a lightweight carbon one.)  So I dropped off and rode up with the 2nd group of Dr. Dave, Leo from Sears, and Patrick.  Though heavily tree lined it got warm quickly.   Good working but not killer pace.  Beautiful-beautiful at the top--one group herding cattle, another group bbqing steaks (were they fresh from the cattle?)  We waited awhile for our slower climbers to make it and then continued to just hang out--our "girl power" group all brought burritos.   Then a fast downhill where the frequent crosswind was absent.  At the bottom most people were looping back, a few riders including Stephen and Mike were adding flat bonus miles, and Dr. Dave joined me for our Patterson pass trip.

Very surrealistic ride out to Patterson Pass.  Though within 1/4 mile of a major highway, the highway is over a rolling hill and out of view.  It seems like you are in the middle of nowhere as you go towards the central valley.  Extra high trestles or throwback overpasses from the 1950's suddenly appear around the next curve in the road.  Very occasional car passes.   Then windmill after windmill as you wind up in the middle of fields of windmill farms before looping past Altamont ("Gimmie Shelter" infamy.)

Movie of the Morgan--Patterson Pass Century--Click Below:

Reel 1--Morgan Territory

Reel-2--Patterson Pass

Slight headwind going out to Altamont--which is a good thing--as a tailwind meant a block headwind on the Patterson Pass climb once we looped back.  Dr. Dave and I bs'ing about my bike films--he is an English/ film professor so he has a great perspective.  He did give me the "We're #1 Sign" when I brought up his talking head part in a bozo film about Critical Mass.  (If the general population thought cyclists strange--the anti-circumcision guy and nude riding guy in the film certainly intensify that feeling.  Dr. Dave's lent some respectability and normalcy to the film,  but that would be a difficult job for even Mahamat Ghandi.)

Joined on the Patterson pass climb by a Southern California Math teacher who had to move up here cause the school districts are so f'd down there he couldn't get a job after all the cutbacks.  Half way up the view of the valley and windmills were great.  At the top-after the killer false flat which morphs into a "hit me" pitch--it's even better.

Short break at the top and then nice long fast downhill into Livermore.  A few miles into Livermore we took our first long break since splitting with the Club at mile 60--the Livermore Library.  Sunny Courtyard, nice and warm sittng among the public art.

Continuing on a few miles through traffic--the first traffic we've seen for hours, through downtown and towards the Livermore airport.  Our bike club usually has a stop ducked in here--but Dave and I didn't need to stop so we changed the ride slightly--staying away from the busy airport areas and closer to the quiet Las Positas Community College which is the gateway to rural Collier Canyon Road--the BEST return route on our club bike rides.  Well quiet means no services so Dave and I went in and circled the Community College looking for a cafeteria open on Saturday for future use--but a security guard dashed our hopes--nuttin open. 

Collier-Highland was a little windy and cool but lots of fun.  What was good for the whole ride Dave and I shared the pacemaking.  We didn't have to wave each other through--when we sensed that the person in the front was getting tired we'd just go to the front.  Ridden that way with Big Mike and Ward and it works out perfectly. 

Dave was telling me that there are some "time trial" points on this road--people with Garmin's automatically time themselves on certain segments of road and compete with other riders--someone died on a  Tilden Park downhill when someone broke their 1st place time as they were trying to recapture the top spot.  About a half dozen folks including Dr. Dave got Garmin's last year, while my bike gadget buy was a video camera.  So Dave is finding his inner animal while I'm finding my inner artist. 

Soon back in the toney suburb of Blackhawk--Danville and suddenly the sun was low on the horizon and it was cool--not cool enough for the glove liners to go back on but putting back the vest was a good idea. Things quickly heated up when some numb nut with headphones and a racing kit passed us without calling out.  Shit--Cisco Dave, Toby, Ward, Stephen--our sprinters--weren't here,  After 85 miles my inner laziness first had me just sitting on his wheel but then I got my dander up and went to the front and picked up the pace so racerboy couldn't throw in a sprint in the end.  Everything worked perfectly--Dr. Dave came around with a couple of hundred meters to go for a beautiful sprint finish.
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Easy cool down on bike trail for last couple of miles.  We were hoping to get back before the 49er-Saints playoff game ended  to avoid the drunks on the road--and figured game was somewhere around late 3rd quarter.  I'm sorry to report Dave and I didn't give the 49ers much of a chance--both of us figuring they held on tight in the first half but now the Saints would start to pull away and the 49ers spotty offense couldn't keep up when that happened. I predicted 13-24 (Saints), Dave a little more optimistic 13-20 (Saints).  Dave called his wife and we were both real happy though our prognostication ability was shot to hell-- 23-17 (49ers).

Happy New Year-2012

As an aside as I want to be the first to throw this out.  My wife loves reading fiction--cultural event of the last month was "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" which came out in the movies.  I must have been the only person in the theater who didn't know who the killer was as I didn't read the book.  Anyway--she gets bummed out whenever she finishes a book and one of her favorite authors hasn't come out with a new one yet.  Well--with Kindle and Nooks there is no need to finish a book--how about someone puts out a PERPETUAL BOOK--a book that continually has chapters added.  Every week a writer (or a group) could write a new chapter and everyone with a electronic book would have new reading material.  Futuristic, hey--its 2012.....

2012-time to make new years resolutions--first time in memory that my front and back wheel match

In the new year a Diablo Cyclist tradition, along with anyone else who owns a bike in the Bay Area, is to go up Mt. Diablo.  Some years there is actually snow which prevents going to the top--other years there is a biting cold on the downhill where all the clothes you can wear do no good.  50 degrees at the bottom may mean 38 degrees at the top--a 20mph wind chill factor makes that 38 degrees feel like 28 degrees.  But but but--sometimes there is an inversion layer, where it is hotter at the top than at the bottom--and the increase in temperature ain't gradual but BOOM, suddenly found around a turn.  Last year was like that and I'm pleased to say we had a repeat performance of warmth at 3,800'.

Anyway, made a movie re our cycling ride up Mt. Diablo--where it seems like bikes own the world.  Its in 3 parts and gradually all 3 parts will make it onto You Tube.  I didn't want to break it up but either my laptop computer doesn't have enough memory (more memory on the way) or a good video card (non correctable) to prevent Windows Moviemaker from melting down when I reach the 8 minute mark.

Click on link below for movies.  Happy New Year.

Part 1--to the Junction

Part 2--to the Summit

Part 3--to the Summit



PS--If you want to see the casual joy of cycling check out the film below.  The crown jewel of my old bike club, the Delta Pedalers, is the casual bike ride John & Margot Coker have been leading for years.  Both just find joy about everything cycling--John loves the gagets and thing incredibly unique and Margot sings away as she rides.  Usually riding with John means bs'ing about politics, the legal system, philosophy, art and music....I think he should have been a radio talk show host instead of a law professor/attorney/ musician.   (John once told me about a passage in an antiquated circumstantial Evidence book when Teddy Roosevelt took the stand and all hell broke loose, and John did the Roosevelt dialog from memory--later he gave me a written copy of the passage and every time I read it I can hear John's voice dramatically doing Teddy.)   Anyway I started with them about 15 years ago on a hybrid bike with mountain bike baggy shorts and a cotton t-shirt and swore I would never wear lycra.  It was John's enthusiasm during 20 mile rides that got me going.

John and Margot's Tour of East County

Pumpkincycle Year in Review-2011

Year started out great--good organized centuries, good organized doubles (hiccup on Alta Alpina but so unique it was still great), good self supported century rides with the Diablo Cyclist Bonus mile group.  Year quickly fizzled out on the September Cruella--where our group fell apart for the year.  Huge disabled list.  2012 can't come quick enough.

Best New Bike Invention
tie

-Christine came up with a cheap pocket camera bag around the stem--perfect to keep drugs and sunscreen in there and frees up space in the pocket.   (I started putting suntan lotion in empty eyedrop bottles which fit inside nicely)

Mike returns to do the 200k Davis brevet--but big doubles group like 3-4 years ago never materializes.

-Replaced my 7 lb bike stereo with an under 150g MP3 mini power speaker that is attached to a tire and attaches to the top tube.

Best non-bike Discovery
-Stephen clued me in to Pandora Radio--where I've now heard more "new" songs that I like this year than in the last 20.



Lots of good rides out to Patterson Pass--most of the time real nice and calm. 

Lots of good photos with Ward and Christine always packing a camera.  My favorite riding photo when trying to figure out new section of Mt Tam double with Ward.  (Ward-o-photo)



Seems like this year we didn't have many riders for out of town rides--but we did have a few every time we went to Marin.

  Best photograph

I'm by lake frozen over at the top of Ebbets on Alta Alpina.  Meanwhile Dave and I disagree what is the better photo of him on the ride.

Mt Diablo Recap

Ward and I rode a businesslike pace up Mt. Diablo almost every Tuesday once daylight savings time hit, and then a balls out pace with the Diablo Cyclists on Wednesday.  Great 40 mile loop--the uphill was the EZ part--trying to stay on Ward's (or Cisco Dave's) wheel on the flats hurt.  Bad thing is that my climbing has gotten slower, but at least getting faster on the downhill whereas I don't lose sight of the group. 

2003-# times under 36 minutes to the Junction-3(Northgate); # times under 70 minutes to the Top-2

2004-1/1

2005-1/2

2006-0/0

2007-0/0

2008-2/0

2009-6/1

2010-2/2

2011-2/1

Best Unsupport Century
1) Sierra Century from Plymouth (the old way)--world's greatest ride--rumor it is being brought back next year

2) Tunitas Creek with Alpine Road bonus (w/ Ward, Christine, Dave, Jack, Todd)

3) Middle Section of Mt Tam Double going West to East (new way, w/ Ward, day after Tunitas Creek-Alpine Road Century)

People Didn't See Enough of

Rusty, Super Joe, Johnna, Christina, Ward (after Cruella), Colin (after Alta Alpina)

Good to See Again
California via Honolulu via Rverside back to Northern California Mike

And how many times did Ward and I wind up at teh Mt. Diablo Junction this year??

Best New Product

Lighter/ cheaper Time RXS Pedals replace Time Impact Pedals

Favorite Organized Ride

1) Mt. Tam Double--Course made for me-rollers all day.  Unfortunately now stupidass backwards course where you have to buck headwind to the ocean.

2) Alta Alpina Double-Though I suddenly fell apart on pass #5, what great support and route.

Least favorite Organized Ride

Sequoia Century--After being told how much i'd live this ride I finally signed up.  We were gonna have a big club turnout.  Alas, heavy rain where I lived that morning cancelled the ride.

Best Live Music
With Pandora I've gone "nuts" catching up on music from the last 20 years.  Seems each weeks bike ride had another high energy song stuck in my head.  Pandora leads to You Tube where one can usually catch a bunch of live performances which i usually like better--more energy, quicker pace.  Best 4 live performances on You Tube that I first saw this year: 

Haines &. Ivarsson, both much better than Sabrina Salerno who does get honorable mention for setting a record sticking out of more outfits in one video--her Vegas version of Erase and Rewind.


Metric-Dead Disco--The studio sessions from this group aren't anything special by Emily Haines becomes a manic organ player in concert, and the guitarists do a great job adding to the chaos.
The Chameleons-In Shreds--Song kinda peters out at the end--but most perfect 2/3'd of a song--Mark Burgess fronting two driving guitars..
The Sounds-Hope Your Happy Now--Don't know who has better stage moves, Emily Haines or the Sounds Maja Ivarsson--but Maja scares me.
James Brown and Luciano Pavoritti--Its A Man's World, --to incredibly opposite styles, two great artists showing great respect for each other, combined they do an fantastic job pulling this off.

Oh Henry Stories
-On real hot day (my specality) guy zoomed off at the base of Mt. Diablo.  I eventually caught and passed him--he was fixing a flat tire.  I'm setting a good pace but he soon zooms by me again.  Oh shit.  Turns out he is a pro mountain bike racer.

-Expecting inevitable collapse somewhere on Devil Mountain Double.  First time was up Mt. Hamilton (@130 miles in), second time I did the race was up on Mines Road (@95 miles in.)  NEVER HAPPENED--felt good all day.  Got to top of Palomaras in the dayight (both times before pulled into Sunol at dusk.)  Kept hopscotching with Grizzly Mark all day and we rode in together for a 66th place finish. (On same ride a racer doing Wente told Grizzly Mark/ I to get off his wheel--I fell off and laughed my ass of as Mark, in full yellow kit, help onto the guys wheel miles down the road.)

-On Knoxville, also involving Grizzly Mark--Jack/I rode with Grizzly Mark and his teammate the whole morning.  At lunch Jack and Grizzly Teammate took off--I followed.  Grizzly Teammate told us that Grizzly Mark was still at the lunch stop and was going to leave shortly.  Second half of Knoxville relatively flat and Grizzly Mark can fly over flat sections of road--so waiting for him to catch us.  No Mark...No Mark.....miles click away....No Mark.   When we pull in to ending meal....Mark waiting "what happened to you guys"--he had left lunch before us.

-On Mt. Tam Double kept a good pace all day and was planning tactical riding--sections to get into a paceline.  So--down the Coast--solo'd half the distance.    In run in to Marshall Climb passed by two big riders on climb???, and then I caught them on the downhill/ flats???   Last run in from Hicks Valley/ Marshall Wall--saw ONE whole rider (who passed me.)    Wasn't a race--was an f'n time trial.  Finished 44th.

-Flat--easy-Davis Double.  Non timed so rode easy.  Felt like crap at the end.

-Good boy on Alta Alpina Double--no digs--conserving energy.  Felt great after first 4 climbs.  Then surrounded by snow banks heart rate soared and my ride was quickly done.





Servais Knaven moment

I'm one of worst sprinters in the club and never expect to get a flat County Line.  On a very hot day after a long ride ride we're on Collier Canyon--flat rural road.  I launched with 2 miles to go to County line, Ward stayed in group and didn't help in chase, big guys were looking at each other to start chasing and it was to late when some of the locamotives finally left the pack.  Repeated a month later. 

We really wanted to go on the Merry Go Round and record the vital statistics on a Garmin--which almost everyone but me had by the end of the year.

What Was I Thinking
At Alta Alpina 4am start (that goes downhill immediately) was 37 degrees--and I'm a cold wuzz.  I had SEVEN layers over my chest.  What the fuck.  Now I did shed layers before the first big climb of the day and when we passed where I was staying--but still overdressed the whole day--which might have been a contributing factor to my meltdown later.  Months later we had a stretch of 29 degree mornings in Northern California and 4 layers did fine--thank you very much.


Best Food Item of the Year
No more microwave waffles the morning of a ride--got a waffle iron.   No wonder coudln't come close to 2010 weight.

2011 Miles 8,661.75
2011 Doubles Finished-4 (Davis, Devil Mountain, Mt Tam & Knoxville)
2011 Doubles Didn't Finish So Gotta Try Again in 2012-1 (Alta Alpina)
2011 Alcoholic Drinks-(2) Triple Rock Porter and Eiswein at Mark/ Amy's Holiday Party--quantity may be low but quality of drink very high.

New Car Smell Involves New Car Hell

My great Camry with roof rack removed-RIP

Kinda sad day this week--I bought a new car but that meant trading in my "beater," a 2004 Camry.  Before you say "that's no beater!," let me add it had 200,000+ miles, significant dents (one nice in the corner bumper that held a leaning bike in place real well,) and minor problems whereas passing smog check in the next month was not a certainty.  And even if I had the engine repaired, it still had 200,000+ miles; a little worrisome with all the "no man’s land" I drive to get to a bike ride.

But the Camry was my favorite car ever.  Even buying it was fun--I did all the dealing over the 'net with someone who had to search for the car...oh yeah...I wanted a stick shift and as it turns out only 6 Camry’s with a manual transmission were in California--and three were fully loaded (no-- don't need pin striping.)   After one crit I drove down to the dealer with my daughter (pre college)  saw it and bought it.  I was hoping for a bright blue metallic car, or a silver metallic car--and didn't want a black or forest green car.  Then there was white--no opinion either way.  Of course the car was--white, just like the piece of crap intermediate car from that "independent" (hee hee  hee) car company named after a planet.

Had an aftermarket moon roof put in--my dad was still alive and this bugged him as I was spending excessive money--but then I pointed out with a sunroof I wouldn't have to use the air conditioner (a rule I only broke 3 times--and one was driving a company client somewhere.)    I had top of the car outfitted with a bike rack and could look at the bikes when I stopped through the sunroof, or stretch and hold on to the roof rack after a long bike ride.  I had never been to Mono Lake-Bishop California or Mt. Shasta before the Camry.  We checked out my younger daughter’s college choice and rentals in it.  Took a nap in it before setting up at some god-awful time before a double--it slowly morphed into a perfect bike setup car--magnetic work lights and a list of crap not to forget hanging from the trunk.  Very dependable, very comfortable, and good on gas mileage for a non-hybrid clown car that was bigger than a SMARTmilk crate on wheels.

With the smog./ registration time fast approaching, and my doing my usual job of procrastinating, I waited for 1 1/2 months before the drop dead date to start my car search.  Hell, wasn't going to be much of a car search--just was going to get a manual transmission model of the "Newly redesigned Toyota Camry..with Toyotacare" (I'm sure you've seen scores of the obnoxious commercial’s)  Well, those SOB's really  redesigned the Carmy--so much so they DROPPED the stick model.

Oh well, gas is never going down, kids don't live at home, maybe I can get a smaller car and get a Toyota Corolla compact.  Turns out my wife has a friend of a friend who is a fleet manager for a large dealership so I email him with just a few requirement--lightly colored, manual transmission, sunroof and mp3 radio, but the last two can be aftermarket add ons.  Expected to have a list of choices in a week--just like my Camry experience in 2004.  But all I heard was how hard it was to find the car I want--there may be one at a certain price but it was unknown if this did or not include a sun roof no matter how many times I asked.  In short a month went by with nothing accomplished (to be fair I went into a local Toyota dealer to see the new Corolla and did hear that most stick models go into the ag belt and not the urban area--but the friend of friend was supposed to be searching all of California.

At the local dealer I finally saw a new Corolla (funny, they are still in the 2011 model year when everyone else in in 2012.)  I wasn't impressed;driver area looks small, controls seemed cheap, and trunk looked like some Rubenesque figure--it somehow was big at the ends but squeezed in the middle where wheel wells were .  And review was nothing to get excited about--still a quality car but lots of smalls cars  now on par quality and its ride was lackluster.  If I'm starting monthly payments again this seemed like a real downer.

At the Toyota dealer I also checked out a Scion TC--that's the one that looks like a mini sports car--not the boxy clown car.    Didn't mind sinking to the floor when I sat in it but windows were so tiny I might as well have been in a tank.

Nissan's small car entry, the Sentra, looked a little beefier so the next day i stooped at a Nissan Dealer.  Actually two dealers, as first had a salesman oozing slime when he begrudgingly opened the trunk so I could see if a bike would fit in there,  The Sentra's trunk was huge for a small car and they had a really good fold down seat opening.  Second dealership had a young kid who said there was no manual Sentra's on the lot, and they were hard to come by.  (I later read that  they were definitely two tiers below the best rated small cars.)  Kid dealer said I should look at the mini-SUV Juke--the whole line is manual transmissions.  When I got home checked it out online--turns out NONE of their models offer a stick except the 4 wheel drive.  So much for good information.

OK I'll have to make a choice within 3-4 weeks, and a friend just bought a new Honda.  Years ago when our used car was totaled we went to El Camino Real looking for our first new car with our small insurance payout.  In our mind, a car advertised for $7,500 MSRP should sell for $7,500.  What did we know. The Honda dealer laughed at us as his dealer sticker on the $7,500 car was $9,750--and we would have to pay THAT price and then could pick up the car when it got unloaded sometime in the future.  Our auto buying lesson continued when we went to two Toyota dealers that day--the first also had an inflated dealer stick but was not a haughty as the Honda dealer.  The second, when we told him what the first Toyota dealer offered the car at quickly dropped the price $500.  Later that week 3 more calls to different dealers had the price drop $500 a shot.  Shit, buying a car was like being at the middle Eastern Market.

So we'v owned 4 Toyotas and 2 Nissans and 4 (pseudo American) cars we hated and rather not talk about, and  we never considered a Honda.  But the Honda Civic was rated very high for dependability and drivable.  AND THEY HAD TWO MANUEL MODELS--one was bare bones and I could go to town adding the radio I wanted--just like our first few cars.

Dropped into Honda dealer and low key young salesman greeted me--cause I'd walk right out if one of the loudmouths with a cheap jacket and cologne and utter bullshit was my contact.  Salesman was amazed I was interested in the bare bones model:

Salesman

-But it has no power doors.   Me-"That’s OK".

-But it has no power windows. "That’s OK."

-IT DOESN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.  "That’s OK, I never use it."

-It doesn't have a center console.  "(I think) Problem, as really do want a place to rest your elbow."

Salesman said he's never seen one, went off to check and there weren't any available in Northern California (this had been confirmed when I did a web search.)  So I'd have to consider the stepped up manual model, which the dealer didn't have but would look for.  Ok--the stepped up model came with a USB port radio and a center console. 

First sales guy started dealership patter of trying to get top dollar.  Took me out to the lot to see/test drive and automatic model and showed me a car with a dealers sticker--which was $3k over manufacturers.  I got a little annoyed and blurted out "don't even show me a dealers sticker" where sale guy immediately became apologetic and said "some people will pay that, but we'll just show you manufacturers sticker."

Back inside he asked me if I'd buy the car for $100 less than manufacturers sticker.  Now, if I played the call a bunch of dealers, or walk out and maybe come back later, I'm sure I could have gotten another $500 knocked off the price.  (And if I actually wanted a car sitting on the dealers lot the incentive for them to sell would have been much greater.)   Maybe a month ago--when I started the car search I would have hesitated, but Toyotaman had wasted a month of my time, interest rates on loan were OK so I  did agree 

The next "price dance " was over my trade in.  I wasn't going to ask the dealer if they wanted to take my beater in trade, they asked me.  I had indicated to a friend who was interested that I'd sell the car for $500, so I told the salesman I was looking for $750.  Salesman disappeared with the car, came back in awhile and told me they could only give me $500--so I said forget it I'll keep the car.  Salesman quickly disappeared and came back two seconds later saying "we'll have to get it an auction house but we'll give you $700 for it."  Now why couldn't he/ they have said that on the first go around.

I added aftermarket sunroof dealer would install (so it falls under manufacturers warrenty.)  OK--price and trade in settled in--and salesman came back and told me I had a choice of two cars they located--white and silver.  Yahoo--finally a nonwhite car.  Salesman came back 5 minutes later and said oh, they made a mistake the silver car was an automatic.  OK, annuder white car.  

Real fun ratched up to see the finance manager .  Now I wanted fog lamps and bluetooth but desided against as both expensive via dealer.  Luckily I was talking to salesman who told me real price of these items as  finance manager never talks about real price but how the montly will only go up slightly.

Finance manager reminded me of car dealer William Macy in Fargo.  First he went into a 10 minute routine about how things will go wrong on cars--not the mechanics but the electrical.  Then he offered the extended warranty--where factory warranty would go from 3 to 8 years (kinda desirable for me as  the way I drive the 3 year warranty would be over in 1 1/2 years due to mileage.)  He then mentions that this comes with a minor dent repair component.  The cost--(and I don't recall exact figures)--only $50 more a month for ALL THIS PROTECTION.  Told him I didn't want it, and he asked why--I said it was because I was buying a quality car and not a Dodge Colt, and plan was expensive.   

Finance manager then pulls a classic--he says "wait wait wait--Honda sent me  a coupon" and he starts rummaging through his desk drawer until he finds something he says is a coupon and then grabs calculator and now ALL THIS PROTECTION is only $40 more a month.  No--told him still not interested.

HOLD ON-HOLD ON--furiously hits the calculator keys--and then asks if I would take it at $30 a month. I shouldn't have out of principle  of these floating prices(just like when we once turned down a dealer loan that suddenly dropped 4% points after we revealed we had our own credit)  but I did need an extended warranty so I took it. 

Later at home I was pissed when I saw that the dent protection was a separate component from the extended warranty and increased the warranty price by  20% ---I stayed pissed until I read the contact and saw I could cancel Dent Protection within 60 days--which I did when I picked up the car.

So instead of being stoked about buying a new car (to be picked up in 2 days), I was drained when I drove home.  And this local dealership actually had better folks to deal with that most dealers. 

Weasel postscript--I emailed the Toyota fleet manager who spent 4 weeks NOT finding me a car and NOT being able to give me a solid price for one--thanked him for his help and told him I was going in another direction  First email from weasel:

*Weaselman*-Not a Toyota ......Amazing  ...Givin' their Amazing dependability etc.   oh well .........what Route are you going  ??

After I told him I purchased a Honda Civic got the following slimy email

*Weaselman*-cool ......... you should have checked with me ........ as we also own a  Honda Dealer  ..............and could  saved  hundreds or even Thousands ........but  hey  it's Only Money .......right ??

Wow, Weaselman could save me $1000's, though obviously not on a car. (As he couldn't save me $1 after a month)    Maybe he can save me money on other things. 


I sent Weaselman's emails to my friends as a public service so they could save alot of money.  My car pool buddy, Melissa, is in line for a new Toyota this year but she had a strange reaction to Weaselman's  emails--"what a douchebag--I wouldn't go to Hayward Toyota." 


I also emailed Chris Robinson of Robinson Wheel Works who had just built me a great King Hub/ Stan Rim wheel:

 i coulda have had a king wheel built cheaper at toyota hayward and saved millions

Chris Robinson of Robinson Wheel Works--he built me a great new wheel but didn't offer me a coupon so obviously overpriced. 

But Chris reminded me

But did he have a coupon ?? .......Because without a coupon its all bogus!..............

He fails simply for the egregious usage of ...............................

Muur de 20%+ Crockett Climb

Finding out that working on videos takes alot of time.  On a 5 hour ride (300 minutes)  shoot @120 clips about a half minute each, so have 60 minutes of footage.   From there have to aim to boil it down to 15 minutes--as captions and a soundtrack.

As an outtake of the Diablo Cyclist's ride to Crockett (as an aside--my favorite Sunday ride when we recover from Saturday,)   when we got to Crockett I did the Muur de Crockett loop--a 20% climb that one might find on the Tour de Flanders. (minus the kasseien.)  CA Mike and I usually do the majority of the climb but Ward is the only person who consistently does the end section that hikes up another 2-4%.

Looking down the Muur de Crockett before the turn and the steepest section

Anyway--click here for the Muur de Crocket short film.    Warning--lots of camera sway on the climb--but instead of getting seasick look out for the sudden appearance of monsters or other abbortaions as an alert reader discovered a few weeks ago.

KGO-CUMULUS, GO TO HELL

Warning--this post will bore the 98% of the population glued to television who view radio as a necessary evil when stuck in the car and want to find out where the traffic jam is. It's written as the largest talk radio station in the Bay Area was taken over by a mega corporation, who already owned two other major stations in the market, and then to cut costs they fired most of their long standing talk show staff. Thank you government deregulation.

I've been a talk show junkie all my life. As a kid I hid a transistor radio under my pillow and tried to stay up all night listening to one of the pioneers of talk radio Long John Nebel. Sometimes he'd conduct interviews with local political notables, like Congressman Allard Lowenstein (one of the leaders of the 'dump Johnson' movement.) Other times he'd take calls all night from kooks with talking goats in the phone booth or people wondering how pasta got to curl (Long John said in Italy pasta grew on the side of a hill and curled downward.)

Later, as a teenager, I repeatedly got kicked off the radio by WMCA stalwarts John Sterling (Yankee apologist) and Bob Grant (Vietnam war apologist.)

After my teenage years I didn't call talk shows anymore, though continued to selectively listen to talk radio--as much is virtually unlistenable. I was in a bookstore the day before Clinton beat Bush and they were piping in Rush Limbaugh. Between rustling papers and yelling 'dittohead' he was pretty boring--he may be the #1 radio personality but I can't figure it out and never listened to him again. It's not a liberal/ conservative thing--while disagreeing with most of Michael Savage's rants he's interesting, sometimes unpredictable, and often sounds like a beat poet gone off the deep end. And of course anyone I like is usually taken off the air one way or the other, from comedian Adam Carolla (station changed format) to political insider Duane Garrett (killed himself.)

Now truth be told during the warm weather, cycling/ baseball season, I mostly listen to Giants games and sports talk. (Except when the Giants fired Hank Greenwald--then I didn't listen to a ballgame for 2 years until he came back.) But during the fall-winter months I'd switch to talk radio--which meant KGO in the San Francisco area. And the best they offered was Gene Burns.

Former libertarian candidate for President, Gene had moved toward a moderate Democrat position as libertarians had no social policy for those left behind. How many talk show hosts dramatically change their political outlook? Gene respected callers unless they were complete fools, unique among radio talk show hosts with strong opinions. In Dr. Bill Wattenburg's world (the self proclaimed smartest man alive) you were a complete fool if you didn't agree with him 110%. This isn't unique to the right, on the same station Bernie Ward and the every whiny Karel weren't far behind in their lack of tolerance without full agreement--how exciting to hear a talk show host who controls the microphone hang up or disparage a caller. This even happens on sports talk; Ralph Barbari has made a career of asking 10000 word questions and badgering anyone who doesn't agree with him.

(Parenthetically, Dr. Bill teamed with Karel would make good radio, so would Dr. Savage and Bernie. Local sports radio is terrible, the best are syndicated Colin Cowheard who unfortunately focuses on football to build ratings, but throws in a few unique observations along the way. Locally, ex-players Tom Tolbert and Eric Allen are humorous and knowledgable. Allen is on 'FM's only sports station' who has the greatest commercials skewing Cumulus' 'the out of touch Leader'--no doubt Cumulus will solve this problem by buying them soon and canning everyone)

Of course this would never happen on Public Radio, but the hosts are so vanilla.... snore.

So a big radio conglomerate, Cumulus, buys KGO and fires most of their on air hosts. They plan to convert from talk radio to all news. Great plan. Problem is there already is an all news station in the Bay area that does a great job reporting on traffic and weather and how many people are camped outside of Target the night before Black Friday. Another fluff news station isn't needed, and certainly isn't going to get a large audience. It's clear "all news" is a crappy plan------unless Cumulus plans to abandon news in a year and put on their nationally syndicated radio hosts. What do they care--they'll have 1/2 the radio audience they do now but wouldn't have to pay any local talent.

At one time the airways was considered a public trust, and one station couldn't have multiple stations in the same market. That went the way of antitrust regulation against oil companies. And like all deregulation, business hasn't been helped (think airlines and utilities) but the public has been screwed. Now a corporation can have 5 stations in a market. We already have one sports host who had been bounced between the the two sports stations owned by Cumulus and then was put on KGO to do a political show. Man, if you dislike someone on the Cumulus network they'll be no escaping them.

So we have a story of corporate greed, cost cutting, and millions of talk show fans in the San Francisco area that "lost" radio hosts who they spent alot of time with. My carpool buddy, Melissa, wrote on one blog:

Gene -
Like so many previous posters, I have been a long time KGO listener. I am in shock! While I will miss the other hosts, your evening show was my favorite. Listening to your show made me feel less trapped in my car during my long commute home. I cannot believe KGO management. As long time listener, I would love to know how they arrived at this decision. I for one know that I never asked for more news. I can (and do) get news from multiple sources but it is much, much harder to find an intelligent, constructive discussion about the news. That is what you offered and I will miss that so much.

Late last night, as I made my way home from a very late night at the office, my sadness turned to anger when I had my first taste of the "new, improved" programming. As a listener, I felt nothing short of insulted as I listened to the syndicated garbage they started playing at midnight.

This is my first visit to this site but will not be my last. Like so many others have said, wherever you end up, I'll be listening.

Thank you!

Melissa said it all. In any event thanks to Gene Burns for providing great radio and making me think. He'll definitely be missed. And KGO has now been taken off all my radio presets.
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Good blog to follow the KGO mess and other local media 'stuff' is Rich Lieberman's