We had a fun ride up Old 395 and Couser Canyon yesterday. It was bright and cool at the start but the day warmed up nicely, even if the winds were a bit blustery. We started with nine riders: Guido, Rick, Oleg, Dan, Ernst, Matt, Eric, Mike and Rob. We lost Dan early as he had to get back for work. We spent 30 minutes fixing a tough flat on Ernst’s bike as we were close to Jesmond Dene Road. After the flat was finally fixed, the group headed up the climb. It must have been a Strava segment because Rick, Oleg and Eric took off for the top with the rest of us trying to catch them. Ernst did some big pulls up Old 395 and he had to turn back before we got to Route 76.
The beauty of the area and the Couser Canyon climb lay in front of us. The pace quickened and I watched the guys fly up the switch backs. The climb is much longer than it seems and took plenty out of my legs. We regrouped at the top and flew down the other side, making our way down Circle R and a water break. I managed to sneak away while the guys took a longer break and began the trudge back up Old 395. My new Cervelo allowed me to stay ahead of the guys as I knew they would try to catch me. I made it to the corner a minute or so before Rick flew up toward the light; my one small victory for the day.
We regrouped again and flew down into Escondido and back towards the mall. It was about a 55 mile loop with just over 4,000 of climbing. A fun day on the bike. Look for the February rides on the web site. Here are a couple of photos from yesterday.
Ride on-
Rob (with some additional photos from Oleg, http://goo.gl/Od4Zt).
San Diego Descenders Cycling Club 