Hi Gang,

22 riders if you count Tony O who rode to meet the group at 8 am at the corner of RB and Pomerado! He will read the ride details more closely in the future. The Ernst 50th B-day MTB ride was quite an adventure. My body is very sore today. Dave will write up the ride report.

Here are a couple of photos from the fast and furious ride from Sat. Bob P, a new rider, Alan, and I wisely took the right turn at the bottom of Via Ambiente. The pace throughout the ride had been fast and I was spent. Based on the comments from Oleg’s ride report, it is a good thing I bailed. Bob P and I quickly passed a large rider in a Swami’s kit who looked like a speed demon for the flats. We rode away fast up the hill on Del Dios, dropping Alan and the sprinter. We fully expected to be swept up after the climb. Our pace was solid heading up S6 and into RSF, we were never caught. We cruised down to El Apajo and then climbed Three Witches. Bob had taped the last of the Annecy Tour de France ride so we rolled over to his house to watch the final few miles of the climb. It was a great stage win for Quintana and a nice break before I rode home. As I left Santaluz, out the south gate, and turned north onto Camino Del Sur, Len N came up behind me. He had suffered greatly on the Del Dios climbs and along Lake Drive. Len said he was on the back of group for the Rick-Rick pulls and he looked down at his speed–30.8 mph along Lake Drive. You guys were moving! Len and I cruised back to the bike path. My ride was only about 50 miles but over 4,700 feet of climbing. Great Descender group ride.

Rob