Early Birds South - hard at and over CP max for long...

EBs South today, it's a while since last South route ride, so this was a welcome change. Py started the morning with finding 10 minutes to the time to get out while checking tire pressure that the rear was a little soft. Hate hate hate... pulling out the tube finding a tiny tiny hissing puncture in the middle of a obvious thinner wall section of this darn tube. You never really know what these tubes are about -- only that this one was his only tube with a long 60mm valve beyond his spare he did not wanted to use now already. Putting a old style glue patch on in a hurry. Ready to go just in time. A little paranoid feeling about it all the 35 minutes it took him in a little hurry to Manorville -- it some what felt little softer arriving at the start. Unhappy with that, he pulled it out again and put in his new spare, good to have all the buddies at the start and finding a floor pump for convenience -- thanks Brian.

Did he mentioned it was again darn cold this morning?

The EECT/GAB team was well represented today with George, Owen, Mike and Py and several other EECTs like Trevor... also Brian from Carl Hart and Ryan were there again. Looks like it's going to be fun?

Rolling out steady and strong from the beginning. Not sure when, but pretty soon on his second short pull and fall back to the "end" of the pace line Py noticed the group got small -- no wonder, flying at some moving speeds around nearly 40km/h. Here the Dune road statistic to the point of "I can not hold the 325 Watts at the end any more... (orange marked section)" -- Argrrr. Until this point Py unfortunately sitting on Brians wheel at 2nd position catching way too much of this cross/front winds. However, many others peeled off way earlier from even behind -- now leaving just Brian, George and Ryan for the last mile and over the bridge. Falling back to Trevor who just shortly before must have fallen off. Taking the bridge together -- this bridge, is a hell of pain -- not that the climb would be any issue, nope -- but fully exposed to the elements high up in the sky with hauling full head wind -- even on the down hill side you have to put in some power to move...

Here the only photo Py took today after arriving at the meetup beyond the bridge. Ryan, our youngest bird today.

From then on still going strong all the time... Riding home at recovery level, stopping briefly to warm up a little at the Velocipede... was good chatting, but hurt getting moving again for a minute -- oh well.

More data -- a different view: The BLACK line is of today's EBs, the shorter higher power/intensity efforts are actually part of the accumulating statistic and originating in my RP2IPBP ride!

RP2IPBP - wintery cold again

One more Saturday, 7am - breakfast - preparing for the ride, still -2C, windy but sunny outdoors. 8:50 meeting for the ride at the little parking behind Tildas. Tori, Sarah, Robbin,Marco and Dan almost ready to go -- always a different mix of riders!

Good pace out east, going hard North into the wind, very windy at IPBP... Ed&John joining. Some what unusual busy roads today?!?!?

Back home, still just a few degrees warmer, sun feels good and the following hot shower even better!

Again in full winter gear -- home many more days we will get like this?

First Early Birds North ride of the season! Speedy start.

1st really early rise on Sunday for Py to take his time to ride to Manorville to meet for the EBs ride. A cool freezing morning, but the sun just got up in time to ride there. Some frosty 26F in Manorville.

The usuals and a new young riders face, all in best order :-) Decent fast pace out of Manorville settling a bit, few attempts to keep the group mostly together, the usual play zones... etc.. However, turned out to be Trevor, Brian, Ryan (right??) and Py acting as the main rotating engine in front. Fun ride. Coffee stop :-) Finally a little warmer.

Good work up on 51 not letting off Brian wheel at any time... ;-) Flying from then on with usual fun fast rotation -- until a tire blew off at Ryan front wheel. Stop to fix that -- what let the dropped off field pass by... finishing together. Good work every one!

Py riding back home in recovery mode. He needed that last snack bar out of his pocket to make it ;-)

Golden Cheetah claims Py earned "267 Daniels Points" for that. [to be found out what that exactly means.]

>Super< Moon on Saturday evening

Nothing really extraordinary at all, bigger or not -- hard to say by just looking at it -- but a good motivation to get this old telescope out of the box and test out the new digital camera body on it!

Here the moon is: Captured in real motion on the native field of view of Py's MAC 1000mm/f10 attached to his Nikon D7000.

RP2IPBP - windy windy windy always windy

Back on the East End. Even already 9am, and nearly 9C the wind felt chilly and it did not warmed up all day. Should not complain too much, as it is supposed to get even colder tomorrow again, brrrrrrrr. Want it to get warm, now.

However, just a few riders for the usual RP2IPBP today. Some more steady work, nothing special. Even the wind, almost normal...

... and on the return stopping at the Velocipede in Wading River for a Espresso and a look at some interesting collection of cycling related/racing/history items.

Day 5: Piuma - Tuna Canyon

Last day. Seamed to be a moderate ride, but wait... heading out South East on Mulholland again via the three Sisters, Cold Canyon, climbing Piuma with the Danbury rider(s), refill at SAG and proceeding via Saddel Peak to a pretty cool Tuna Canyon downhill at grades up -17%. PCH. Climbing Las Flores with 8-17% -- for sustained 12..14% for way too long... as Py had to stand up for miles... turning into Hume rd did not really released on the grade either. Then towards the summit a little release. And some one trough in CX part for fun -- the road was gone for a good 200 meters hike and climb. Py stayed again with the Alaskian girl for the whole loop. What a last day -- lunch at the summit before returning home with the soon arriving East Enders.

Day 4: Mulholland Super Loop

Mulholland Super Loops day! One more great morning, just a slight chill -- just fine to start out again in short sleeves and get warm at Rockstore again :-) The Rockstore climb flew by in no time... refill at know SAG spot. Mulholland to PCH to Yerba Buena climb. Downhill on Cothrin/Pacific View (great!!) fast on Deer Creek down to PCH back to Mulholland -- climbing it this time. Lunch. Py was at this time a little concerned about his slightly sore knee -- but as there is no pain and it generally "tracks OK", he proceeds.
Flying down Decker (awesome descent!! Just a little speed control into the turns needed.) to PCH and climbing Yerba Buena to Cotharin -- what a great down hill again! At PCH again. Proceeding to Encinal Cyn Rd.... all the way to upper Mulholland and back again to the old SAG spot. Last loop down on Kanan DUme and up on Latigo Canyon Rd before returning hoem on Mulholland again.

Day 3: Rockstore to Latigo

Day No.3 should be the "easy" day before the long "super loops day". Start as usual, welcome warmup at the already known Rockstore climb. Quick refill and heading down to the PCH via Lechusa. Looping around Westward Beach Rd, Birdview, Fernhill, Wildlife until proceeding on PCH to the Latigo climb. Lunch at summit and heading home.

Where is the SAG trailer??? Seams they were beating it today up the hill -- lol. The "Alaskians team" and Py waiting.... to find out a little later it came up behind them and parked around the corner.



here they are...




On the descent -- a nice clear view today!