Mt. Rose summit

Started this ride about 12:30pm, the hottest part of the day, for maximum suffering. Didn't even think I'd make it up to the Country Club Dr. and hwy 431 junction but after resting there for a few minutes I was back on hwy 431 then stopping to rest again at the Tahoe overlook. After a nice conversation with a Carson couple escaping the heat it was back to the climb and it was nothing but climb. Towards the meadows it starts to feel like a treadmill and progress seems nil. Might as well rest again - this time at the Toiyabe N.F. sign. Back to the treadmill. Gained some steam as elevation increased - I think that was due to the slightly cooler temps from the faint breeze off the lake. At the meadows there is a small "saddle" with some much needed downhill but only for a few hundred feet. Fortunately the summit was near. Breeze stronger, temp a bit cooler, pedaling a bit faster. Finally the top! Whoo hoo, and made it in 2 hours. After much needed rest and almost completely draining the buidon it was time for DOWNHILL - yes! Putting my hands on the top of the bars and sitting up straight combined with the increasing lake breeze bled off enough speed that I didn't have to use my brakes much until I hit the lower section after the lookout, good thing too since the brake pads are also 38 years old... Best downhill ever. More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157621991214339/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

Alex Marco "The Bike" (wtf?)

Vive Le Tour! by Louis Malle - 1962 TdF

too funny - yo yo yo...

8.8.09 mt. tam ride

Carlo called this ride starting in Fairfax at 8:30am! Am I getting old or is that just too damn early to start a weekend ride? As it turned out he was right on the money - it became quite warm in a couple hours. The goal was Mt. Tam and I can proudly say that in 3 attempts I have now failed 3 times. ;^)... We came within a couple or 3 miles of the top. Didn't matter, the ride was extremely fun for Robert, Carlo and me. To say there was a lot of climbing would be an understatement. Carlo said he hadn't done this ride for 40 years - sure couldn't tell... We stopped at the dam and yakked a bit about the deer that almost pounced directly on Robert and Carlo a couple miles before then soldiered on up another hill into the cool redwoods and ferns. At the entrance to Mt. Tam S.P. we had a picnic lunch - Carlo brought pate', sliced baugette, homemade tapenade and some excellent cheese. I brought a bottle of dago red and we had lunch European style on top of the world. The ride back into Fairfax seemed to go pretty quick. Couldn't believe we had climbed all that way!! The downhill runs were so long it made my hands hurt. I think this was our route:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/fairfax/259912271740

Elevations stats: min=112' max=2057' ascent=2598' descent: 2605'

Iced tea at Java Hut in Fairfax after checking out yet another celebration downtown and then headed home. Guys - I want to do this again. Can we go to the top next time?

More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157621859299445/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"!

8.1.09 ride - alone again naturally...

the masi 3v at rest at rossotti's in p.a.

Took a nice ride by myself to celebrate the first day of August. Not sure why I'd been ignoring the Masi 3v lately except for the nasty low gear knashing that sounded like bad rear derailluer trim but this ride was OK and even the lowest gear worked flawlessly. The chainline on this bike bothers me a bit as it's not balanced very well - maybe if I had less cogs on the back wheel... I'm thinking of taking this bike for the ride around Lake Tahoe next month. It's either this one or the Super Course I just finished building - I really like the drivetrain on that! It's got a TA triple crankset, Suntour Vgt RD, Simplex FD w/cable stop (the only FD I had laying around with a cable stop) and Campy nuovo gran sport DT shifters. - works very well but that's a blog for another day... The weather for this ride was just perfect. I stopped in P.V. at a lemonade stand run by a little girl and discovered she was selling lemonade to save money to go to Rome, Italy! Now, there's someone with a long term goal - I think she was all of 7 years old. Her Russian mom was getting a kick out of seeing her daughter so focused. The whole ride took about 3 hrs. from my house to Page Mill Rd. and back, 35+ miles, very leisurely pace, very enjoyable...

Until next time, "Have a Great Ride".