Cycling this week - 09-23-2012

On Saturday, Irit and I rode up to the Rose Bowl and back.  UCLA was playing a football game against someone, I mean, who really pays attention to UCLA anyway. Despite the potential for crowds, we decided to go and see what was happening, and check out all the tailgaters.  When we got down into the Rose Bowl, the security told us we had to leave, so we convinced them we would leave via one of the other exits.  After riding along and checking out the tailgating for a while, we had almost reached the exit.  Just then, two policemen on motorcycles stopped us and told us we had to leave.  We explained that we were on our way out, at which point I jumped on my bike and started riding towards the exit.  Irit thought she might have a conversation with them and started asking them questions.  To her surprise, they were in no mood, and told her to go, several times, as she thanked them for not arresting her. 

After riding out of the Rose Bowl, we stopped at the Gamble house for a break.  Irit took the opportunity to use a few choice words to describe her encounter with some of Pasadena’s finest.  We rode about 20 miles.

On Sunday, I rode out to Glendora and back.  I was on my way further East, but the temperature just got to the point where I had to turn around.  When I got home, it was 102 degrees in the shade.  I rode 40 miles and almost died from heat exhaustion.  No pictures from Sunday's ride, its just the same old stuff.

From Saturday, here is Irit taking a break at the Gamble house.

 

As it turns out, being chased by the cops is tiring.

 

 

 

Cycling this week - 09-08-2012

This past weekend Nabeel and I drove up to Mammoth for the High Sierra Fall Century.  We got up there just before midnight on Friday night and managed to sleep to 6 AM, so, not too bad a start.  We stayed at the Shilo Inn, which had a pretty good free breakfast and it started at 6 AM, so we had plenty of time to chow down before the ride, which, it turns out was a good thing. 

The weather was great, it was about 65 degrees and sunny when we started at 7:50 AM, and it only got warmer throughout the day.  The ride starts at a 7,000 foot elevation and goes up and down between that and about 8,100 foot elevation throughout the day.  The total climbing is about 6,000 feet, which isn’t so bad, but when coupled with the elevation, makes for some pretty heavy breathing.  Throw in a pretty good headwind on the second half of the ride, and it becomes pretty challenging. 

The ride itself was probably the most beautiful ride I have ever done.  The scenery is just magnificent, (look at the pictures) and the roads had very few cars.  The rest stops were not stocked with very much food, unless you liked orange slices and trail mix.  The second to the last stop was the only one with anything other than water to drink.  Nabeel and I relied mostly on our large breakfast and what we brought with us for nutrition.  At the end of the ride, all they had was barbequed pork sandwiches.  If it wasn’t for the beer, they would have been in big trouble.  If I do this ride next year, I’m bringing my own Subway sandwich. 

All in all, it was a good day, the scenery made up for the lack of food.  We rode the 95 miles in 6 hours 38 minutes.

 

Nabeel and I at the start

 

Nabeel going on down the road (Hwy 395) during the first 15 miles

 

Mono Lake

 

Nabeel in front of Mono Lake

 

 

Me in front of Mono Lake

 

Just some scenery off to the side of the road

 

 

Nabeel is having a good time

 

More good times

 

Some more scenery off to the side of the road - about half way through

 

More scenery

 

 

Nabeel in front of scenery

 

 

Me in front of scenery - look at the clouds

 

 

Nabeel at one of the many summits, this one is Wildrose

 

 

Me at the summit of Wildrose - still smiling

 

 

More scenery

 

 

More scenery

 

 

The clouds started rolling in about 1:30 PM

 

 

 

Nabeel crossing the top of yet another summit

 

 

Lucky for us, the rain stayed off to the side of the road - looks like we were going to be beamed up to the mother ship

 

 

A river runs through it

 

 

Here I am close to the end, probably complaining to Nabeel about something

 

 

 

 

Cycling this week - 09-02-2012

Labor day weekend means I can party after riding on Sunday because I don't have to get up and go to work the next day.  Jen, Rich, and Nabeel met at my house on Sunday and we rode down to the beach and back.  We stopped at Chronic Tacos in Long Beach for our usual grilled fish tacos, then headed over to Seal Beach for our usual iced mocha coffee drinks at Javatini's, then we rode home with our tummies full and our bodies caffeinated.  Once home, we commenced our party and BBQ activities.  We rode 72 miles.

Here is Rich, Jen, and Nabeel before we left my house in the morning.  They all have their "King of the mountains" jerseys on.

 

Here is Jen, rocking the pink sash that says: "It's a queen thing"

 

Here they are down at the lighthouse in Long Beach.

 

Here we all are in Long Beach.

 

Here they are in the evening, Simon joined us for dinner.