San Diego Descenders Cycling Club

Highland Valley & Old Julian Highway Ride Report-25 February 2017

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Jim W, Eric R, Bernie, Rick W, Dave (Rick’s friend from Tucson), Oleg, John M, Larry, Bill B, Garet, Justin (Garet’s friend), Len, Tony and Rob

It was a very brisk start to the day, just ask Oleg and Larry who rode to the start separately but were both on bikes before 7 am. Oleg noted a temperature in the low 30’s for his start and below 40 degrees until he got to the 8 am group start; it was cold for us wimpy CA boys. I rode off from PQ just after 7 am hoping to see Guido at the top of Black Mountain Road. I knew Proulx was traveling down under, having just finished his Australia Descenders ride with Bill Wood in Melbourne and posted to Strava already. No photos, but I am hoping for a short ride report! Guido did not show so I had to ride cold and alone to the corner of Pomerado.

There were a number of guys waiting for me when I arrived right at 8 am–Jim W, Eric R, Bernie, Rick W and his friend Dave were bundled up and ready to ride. Dave is a furniture maker who lives in Tucson, a very strong rider as you will see throughout this ride report. Oleg spun in a minute later; he had icicles on his beard; it was cold. John M had left to start the HVR climb just before I arrived, he was maintaining his parallel universe of riding. We left the corner at 8:05 am, according to fly-bys; all you other riders that joined later were simply late. This ride was definitely a Descenders group ride, if you could maintain an A-team pace. We did plenty of regrouping, but the pace was strong and I was off the back most of the day.

We rolled to HVR where Tony and Len were supposed to meet us, fly-bys showed that they were about 5 minutes late. We assumed they were ahead like John M so we started the flat sections of HVR. The pace picked up and I was burning matches to hide in the back. At the start of the climb I immediately lost contact and rode up solo, watching the group get farther ahead. We all passed a number of others climbing up HVR, including John M. I asked him about Tony & Len but he had not seen them. That was the last time I saw John for the day. After passing Bandy Canyon and up by Starvation Mountain, Larry M came up on my wheel. He had ridden from home but did not make the meeting corner in time. He chased us down and now pulled me along as we caught up to Eric R. I hit a pot hole in the road and lost a water bottle. Larry and Eric rolled on while I circled back to find my bottle. I continued up my solo assault of HVR. Near the Eagles Crest Road gate Bill B caught up to my wheel, he also left home late and was chasing us. We rode together to Mt Woodson Elementary and the regroup spot on the corner of Archie Moore Road. Soon after Garet and his friend, Justin, rode up; they also started late. We might have to reconsider our roll times for our 8 am group rides.

The large group rode the 3 mile flat section to 67 in a brisk pace, I was again burning matches to hold the paceline. At 67 we lost Oleg, Garet and Justin. They headed back down Highway 67; Garet and Justin hit Mina de Oró and High Valley while Oleg pedaled back home via SPP, getting in about 70 miles for the day. The remaining riders hit Dye Road in a fast paceline all the way to San Vicente Road and then to Hansen Road as we made our way to Old Julian Highway. Still no sign of Tony or Len.

As soon as we hit the start of the climb on OJH, I dropped off the back. The A team–Larry, Rick W, Dave, Eric R, Bill B, Jim W and Bernie–were off to the races. I rode solo up OJH, made time to take a few photos of the beautiful flowers in bloom, enjoy the bright blue skies and slightly warming temperatures. I finally crested the last bit of the climb and planned to ride to the end of OJH. Bernie and Tony were planning to add Mesa Grande and Palomar to the ride so I thought Bernie would be at the corner waiting for Tony. The A team was coming back towards me, including Bernie. By the time I slowed and turned around they are gone; I tried in vain to close the gap and find a wheel; I rode down OJH solo. Just before getting back to the corner at the bottom, I see Tony and Bernie just starting the climb. Bernie on his second repeat! They rode to Santa Ysabel, over Mesa Grande, up East Grade, down South Grade and over to Cole Grade before getting back home via Escondido. Bernie clocked in 125 miles for the day and Tony completed a century; both are mental, real cycling studs and masochistic. Those are epic rides.

The rest of us mere mortals regrouped just past the corner and rolled to Ramona for a water break. Len was with us but quickly rolled towards the Ramona Grade to get back to Tony’s house, he had a crew working on the backyard. The next Descenders social should be at Tony’s–his new yard is looking good! After a short break and taking a few jabs about my new white shoes, we rode back towards Dye Road. These group pacelines were painful but fun. Jim W offered a brief respite along Dye with a flat that we quickly fixed. I somehow was dumb enough to be second wheel behind Rick W for the last mile of the ride to the light at 67. We flew through the light, Eric R headed straight down HVR and I immediately lost contact with the A team.

They pedaled on and I rode solo along Highway 67. Some of the guys went down SPP to get home while others dropped down Poway Grade. I was so far behind, only Fly-bys gave me their route info. My pace slowed as I pootled on Twin Peaks and back along the 56 bike path to home. I got in 69 miles and 4,400 feet of climbing. It finally warmed a bit as I headed back into PQ. Great group ride, fast paced and good fun. The link below shows a few of the photos I took.

https://goo.gl/photos/7bVsoVa9fk7bmXHK8

Elfin Forest & Double Peak Ride Report–12 Feb 2017by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Neil R, Rick B, Flo, Bernie, Claus, Ernst, Bob P, Sheehan, Bryan Jones, Garet, Ran, Neil (from the Ranchos), John M, Bill & Peggy Braamse and Rob

The group ride was delayed from its usual Saturday time slot to Sunday due to the on-going wet Saturdays we have experienced this winter. The shift to Sunday was a great call as the weather was clear, roads were dry and we were able to bring out a large number of Descenders for the group ride. I rode over from PQ and met Bob P at the top of Black Mountain Road. Bob was getting ready for an upcoming business trip and had not been riding much, so he planned to skip Double Peak. He pulled me to the start where we met the group on Pomerado.

We all spun together, over the Lake Hodges pedestrian bridge, and onto Via Rancho Parkway. The lake continues to fill with all the rain; there were lots of egrets in view from the bridge. The group rode up to Bill and Peggy Braamse before getting to the light at Felicito. They were out ahead of us and planned to climb Double Peak as well. Bill planned to take a few short-cuts with Peggy to stay close to the group. Most of us turned onto Bernardo Ave, taking our usual back route towards Harmony Grove. Due to the recent road work, we looped back towards Eucalyptus Ave, descending to Del Dios Highway. We regrouped on the corner of Citracado Parkway and then we all sped off towards Elfin Forest. I snuck out front as we hit Harmony Grove Road but was quickly mopped up by the group. Sheehan flew by, mumbling, "Hogwash"under his breath and took the point. He held pace as long as he could before falling back. The group basically stayed together, past the Questhaven Road turn, until the first climb of Elfin Forest.

I pulled up, not able to hold pace, and spun with Sheehan to the center of San Elijo. Proulx was already there resting in front of the coffee shop. The rest of the fast guys already started the climb to Double Peak. I stopped to chat with Bob and Dave for a minute before starting the climb. They were heading back towards home and to meet others previously arranged. Ran was out in front of me a bit so I closed the gap to catch his wheel before the final climb. I saw Bryan Jones as I was making the turn to Double Peak Road. He broke his rear cable and was off to find a way to fix it. I slowly climbed to the top, enjoying the ever expansive views and bright blue skies. Most of the rest of the group was already at the Double Peak picnic table area. Ernst was out from his new Carlsbad domicile and joined us for part of the ride. Bill and Peggy B were climbing strong and also joined us at the top. The views were spectacular. Snow and many mountain tops off to the north and east. You could see downtown and far off into the Pacific looking west. Bright, clear and crisp winter morning; a great day to be on a bike.

Guys had to bail from the top as we started to head back home. The fast, but controlled descent from Double Peak was a blast, as usual. Garet went down to Twin Oaks Valley. Ran had to head back home. John M rode in his parallel universe. Ernst kept going straight on Olivenhain Road as the group made the turn to RSF Road. We still had 9 riders as we climbed El Camino Del Norte to Lago Lindo. About half the group rode to Stud Loop, while the rest waited on the corner of Via De La Valle for us. We hammered Stud Loop Backwards, almost a top 5 time for my 35 posted Strava results for the segment; not bad after DP climb. We regrouped and sped towards El Apajo and the dreaded Three Witches Climb.

We just made the turn at the light and the pace intensified. Neil, Rick, Flo, Bernie and Neil (Ranchos) separated from us. Claus and I hung on for a bit, while Bill and Peggy followed. I tried in vain to close the gap. We all regrouped at the top of Camino Del Sur. Most everyone was turning north while Rick B and I headed south to the bike path. Claus kept on riding and got in another century ride. Bernie got in 86 miles, while the rest of the group finished with about 55 miles. Rick B and I chatted and spun lightly to the bike path, I peeled off to my house while Rick continued on to Scripps Ranch. Below are a few photos from a fun group ride.

https://goo.gl/photos/WeJnuDWt4du3GEKS8

Old Julian Highway Ride-7 January 2017

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: John, Quoc, Bernie, Guido, Bob R, Eric R, Rick W, Rick B, Hodges, Rob, Tony, Neil and Claus (cameo)

The group ride met up at the 7-11 store on Poway Road. We waited for Hodges who had some mechanical issue; Guido had ridden by on the way to the start; Mike was coming. It was good to see Bob R out for the group ride, it had been awhile. Rick B was back testing his post-surgery hand and Rick W was still on the mend from his shoulder. The group rolled with 10 riders, once Hodges finally got there. Claus was only stopping by to make a cameo as he was riding between swim practices for his daughter. We met up with Tony and Neil later in the ride.

The group climbed to SPP and then spread out along the ascent. Rick W, Bernie and Eric blasted off the front. Rick B and I kept together a bit behind their wheel. Rick was feeling tired due to this being one of his first rides post hand surgery. He was easily cruising up the climb while I struggled to maintain his pace. We stopped at the corner to wait for the group. We started off again and the split reformed. I hung onto the back of Rick W, Eric, Bernie and Rick B until we hit Mina De Oro Road, on the 67 curve before blowing up and hitting the deceleration pace. I pootled alone until getting back to the guys who were waited before the descent past Mt Woodson. I told them I would go meet Tony at Dye Road while they waited for the rest of the group. Qouc had to depart the group ride at Poway Road; the rest of the gang were still coming. I got to Dye Road to find both Tony and Neil. They each had climbed HVR to meet us. We waited for a few minutes before the rest of the group rejoined. Bob R had to egress at this point but we still rolled on with 10 riders toward Ramona HS.

The pace along Dye to San Vicente was its usual pace line hammer. We all turned at Hanson Lane and made our way to Old Julian Highway. Rick B had pushed him hand enough by this time so he turned around to head home, the rest of us started the climb. The pace picked up, Rick W and Bernie led off the front. Neil, Eric and I kept them in our sights. The rest of the guys followed. OJH is a great climb and we motored to the end of the road, relaxed a bit and then decided to start heading back to sweep up the gang. Last climbing up was Hodges, he had been having difficulties all ride. As expected, he did not turn around, committed to get to the top. The group flew back down OJH and powered to D Street in Ramona, where we turned to take a break at the gas station. Water break was over just as Hodges rolled up to get his break.

We all rode out, retracing our ride to Dye Road and back to 67. The group split here, with Rick W, Bernie, Guido and presumably John going down 67 while Eric, Neil, Rob and presumably Hodges and Tony went down HVR. We did not see some of the back guys due to the light changing. Neil, Eric and I hammered along HVR until we started the fast descent. I kept a bit behind and in close enough contact to ride down the curves with them. We got to the end and it was then only Eric and I heading towards 4S. Neil turned towards the mall where he had parked his car. As we rode by West Bernardo Park, Hodges got back to our wheel and the three of us cruised along. I split from Eric in 4S and started to climb behind Black Mountain, very slowly. This is when Hodges caught me again and we rode together until I peeled off on Carmel Mountain Road to my house. Mike kept going to the bike path to get back towards his house.

It was a fast and fun group ride; 72 miles and 4,600 feet of climbing for me. It was also my last group ride due to all my travels and the rainy weather. I hope to be back again in a few weeks. Below are a few photos from the ride. Ride on!

Elfin Forest & Double Peak Ride-17 December 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Bob P, Tony, Sheehan, Guido, Claus, Rick W, Bernie, Garet, Hodges, Bill B (friend of Bernie) and Rob

Winter had finally shown up in San Diego, at least for last weekend! It was cold and crisp for the planned Descenders group ride. I bundled up and pedaled over to meet Guido and Bob P at the top of Black Mountain Road. We rode over through 4S to the group start at Pomerado Road. We started with only 9 riders; picking up Bill just before Lake Hodges and then Mike H joined us in the neighborhoods north of the lake. We rode over the pedestrian bridge and along Via Rancho Parkway, before turning up Bernardo Lane. Tony showed us a cut-through due to road work and we were now at 11 riders. Somehow Hodges and I ended up at the front just as we hit Harmony Grove, I let Mike take point. He did a nice pull and then I stuck my nose into the wind; the rest of the group in single file behind. I stayed out front long enough to tire out and fall to the back; maybe half a mile! Tony and I guarded the rear while the strong riders pulled us through Elfin Forest. We saw two huge groups of riders coming eastbound on Harmony Grove. At Questhaven Road, Sheehan turned right to find some dirt and Hodges followed him. The rest of us continued straight along Elfin Forest Road. Bill and Bernie took the lead, Rick W was next and I hid own his wheel until just about the fire station. Rick backed off a bit so I pushed on to grab Bernie’s wheel. The three of us rolled along into San Elijo Hills center of town and stopped on the corner.

The sun was out and the temperatures were warming, a bit. Garet had family duties, so he rode up and over San Elijo Road to head back towards home. Guido and Bob decided to head towards the coast. The rest of us waited for all the Descender riders and then started our climb to Double Peak. I got out early and chased a number of other riders out on the road. Bernie passed me halfway up the climb. I took the turn at Double Peak Road while Bernie spun back to get Bill. There were riders going up DP ahead and I was getting chased by Bernie and Bill, so I pushed my pace a bit. As Bernie noted, I managed to escape to the top. We all regrouped and stopped to enjoy the panoramic 360 degree views. You could clearly see snow on top of Mount Palomar, San Jacinto, the San Bernardino Mountains and you could see a glimpse of Mt Baldy with snow. The views to the ocean and south towards downtown were equally beautiful.

Sheehan had to get home so he planned to ride down Twin Oaks Valley Road. We were down to 7 riders as we flew down back into the town center of San Elijo Hills. We picked up a number of other riders at the light at Rancho Sante Fe Road. Things got hectic on the speedy descent towards the turn we normally take to head back to RFS. Guys were flying and passing each other. They all seemed like good riders, but I backed off with Claus. It was a bit scary for me. Some of the fast guys headed straight, others turned left while we waited for Tony to catch up a bit. Rick W stayed out front for awhile but fell back to join us before we got to El Camino Del Norte. The climb up to Lago Lindo was speedy. Rick and Bernie were out in front with Bill and me chasing them up the climb. We stopped at the water spigot on Mimulus and waited to regroup.

The call was to do stud loop, seemed like Hodges and Claus were trying to get more mileage. We spun along stud loop and increased our pace from what started out as a pootle. We flew fast back to Via De La Valle–Bill, Rick & Hodges were pushing the pace. Rick again did a fast push as we headed to El Apajo; the 7 of us were all together as we started the Three Witches climb. Bernie and Bill headed off fast while I hid for a bit behind Rick W. I accelerated to grab Bernie’s wheel and hung on up the first two climbs. Bernie told me it was my turn to push the last climb so I stepped it up for a few cranks before Bill accelerated and flew by me. We got to the top and waited. Rick, Bill and Bernie headed north on CDS. Claus turned south and Hodges waited for Tony. I went after Claus and we rode together to Carmel Valley, turning toward the coast, and then turned back east onto the bike path. I pealed away to limp home while Claus keeping going. He lit it up with 105 miles before getting back to his house. Many of the guys rode 70 miles, I got in only 59 miles with 4,700 of climbing. Chasing or being chased by Bernie, Rick W and Bill all day had tired me out.

Below is a link to a few photos from our Elfin Forest ride. I think the group ride is in weather jeopardy tomorrow. If I do not see you, Merry Christmas.

https://goo.gl/photos/i6KJ9ffntQJLQGA8A

Rob

Alpine and El Capitan Reservoir Ride Report–10 December 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Guido, John M, Bob P, Hodges, Rick W, Bernie, Claus, Marisa, Andrey, Nick, Quoc, Len (TE) and Rob

It was cloudy and cool at the start, but the weather report stated sun and mid-60’s in Alpine. It never seemed to get very warm, but it was still a nice day to be riding in San Diego. Bob P, Guido and I met at the Black Mountain Road corner and pedaled over to Spring Meadow. We picked up Quoc and John M on the way to Hodges house. With Mike in tow, we made our way to the group meeting spot at the 7-11 store. Len was waiting for us; others soon followed, including Rick W. He was back riding with us for the first time in a long time, still recovering from his broken clavicle from a MTB ride fall. I could certainly feel his pain! Andrey & Marisa brought along friend, Nick, who rode on his TT bike. Oleg was supposed to come, but he had a broken rear derailleur. Sheehan sent me a text saying he and Tony were riding near Lake Hodges instead. I noted the new "sleeping driver" road surface on the sides of highway 67 while Hodges did a quick overview of the first part of the ride; he suggested we regroup at the bottom of the 67 descent. We had 13 riders, ready to tackle Alpine.

The group set out and climbed up to SPP. Rick W and Bernie took off on point followed by me and Bob P; the rest of the group spread out close behind. At the top of SPP Bob P turned left as he planned to head back home. Rick W, Bernie and I flew down 67. It was cold, the morning fog drifted across the road and we had to deal with the new bumpy road surface just to the right of the white line; fortunately traffic was light. We all stopped at the bottom and waited for the rest of the gang to regroup. We pedaled over to Willow Road and looped around next to El Capitan High School before turning towards Lake Jennings. Rick W and Bernie kept up a brisk pace while everyone else spread out on the climbs. We regrouped at the start of Olde Highway 80 before the long slight incline that had us ride past Summers Past Farms, the starting location for the Alpine Challenge each year. After the turn just past the I-8 underpass, we regrouped again. Rick W had gone out far enough; he was initially thinking of only going down 67, then to Lakeside and well, he went almost to the start of Harbison. It was now time for him to return to home.

The rest of us went towards Harbison Canyon. Guido, who had been feeling the effects of a bit too much late night partying all ride, decided to meet us at the store. John M was already descending Harbison as he did not wait for the last regroup; we still had 9 riders heading down. I went to the front to stay out of the pack. About halfway down, Nick, on his TT bike, blew by me. I could not keep up. We took the turn at Dehesa and saw John up the road. I pedaled quickly to catch John and then kept climbing. The clouds had finally broken and it was nice and sunny, perfect weather for the climb. There were lots of riders descending but as I looked back a few times, no one was catching me. I stopped looking and pedaled up, the corner of Tavern Road was just ahead. That was when Bernie finally caught me and gave me notice to push on to the corner. We climbed Tavern together and pedaled over to the store for a break. It took over 30 minutes for everyone to regroup and for all to get their needed refreshments and food, but we finally were back on our way.

Claus, Hodges, Guido and I were out front. We flew back down Olde Highway 80 and stopped at the corner of El Monte; well Guido kept going straight, as did Len, Quoc and John. The rest of us, now down to 7 riders, set out for El Capitan Reservoir. Bernie was on point lots, with others sticking their nose into the wind every so often. We cruised past the park and at the start of the last climb, I went to the front. Bernie quickly joined me and we rode together the last mile or so to the parking lot. The road surface was much worse than the last time we rode there, bone jarring to say the least. After a quick stop by one of the picnic tables, we reversed course. I was on point for the descent and then Bernie took over for most of the way back. Nick got a bit chippy and decided to spin way out front on his TT machine; he regretted that by the time we got back to Lake Jennings Park Road. We rode together back to the start of the 67 climb and said this was a our last regroup. The climb up had the same, newly made, bumpy sections to help with sleepy drivers. A nice safety feature for the cars, a bit of a hassle for us bikers. I rode right along the white line since farther to the right was either the bumpy sections or lots of gravel and road debris. Bernie, Claus, Hodges and I got to the top at SPP basically together. We flew down SPP and then Hodge & I stopped for water at Subway while Claus & Bernie headed for Pomerado and home. Claus topped 100 miles for the day, Bernie had about 90 miles.

After our break we continued west on SPP. Nick caught up to us near Community Road and then he also turned onto Pomerado. Hodges and I took SPP to Mercy and all the way to Black Mountain Road. We climbed up to PQ and I headed for home while Mike continued north; he was doing a bigger loop to get in his 100 miles. I was content to get home, hit 90 miles and had 6,600 of elevation gain. Big ride for me and lots of fun. Below is a link with some photos.

https://goo.gl/photos/To6o2akwSk4tr1rf9

Oceanside and Sleeping Indian Ride Report-3 December 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Tony, Guido, Sheehan, John M, Andrey, Marisa, Rick B, Hodges, Cresap, Bernie, Oleg and Rob

It was a perfect day to be out riding your bike. The skies were clear, there was no wind and the cool temperatures gradually rose throughout the ride; boy are we lucky to live and ride in the San Diego area. Most of us met on the bike path and we headed for the coast. We picked up Bernie at CDS and then Oleg after passing under I-5. The group rode casually through Del Mar, where we saw Jeff & Eileen coming back from thier early am spin, and Solana Beach before we hammered it along Cardiff Beach and up towards Swami’s. Cresap had to u-turn there while the rest of us rolled through the center of Encinitas. Just past Encinitas, Tony broke a rear spoke so we waited as Rick B did his mechanic thing to fix up the tire. John M and Hodges rode ahead while the rest of the group waited for Tony’s wheel to be ready. The group spun up to Oceanside Harbor, Oleg and Bernie pushed the final sprint pace before we all regrouped for a rest.

Rick B had to head back along the coast but the rest of the riders were game for a little inland adventure. Oleg pulled lots along the San Luis Rey River Trail, with a few others hitting the point a bit. We rode onto North River Road until we hit Sleeping Indian, the climb we knew lay ahead of us. I was on point at the turn so I just picked up the pace a bit at the start of the climb. Oleg and Bernie eventually blew by me and I tried in vain to hold their wheel. Hodges came up to me and did a pull before falling back a bit. We all regrouped at the top of a long climb and then did one final climb before getting to Morro Hills; the curvy descents were smooth and fast. We hit Olive Hill Road and headed towards Bonsall. Oleg was on point and I was right on his wheel as we flew down the winding road until coming to Highway 76. Most of the group stopped for water. I waited for the last of the riders to show and we carried on towards Little Gopher Canyon. At rest stop, Sheehan had to reverse course towards Oceanside to see his nephew play in a LAX tourney. I had Hodges, John M, Andrey and Marisa with me while Tony, Oleg, Bernie and Guido were at the gas station "refueling". Our group pedaled along Old River until we hit Little Gopher Canyon Road; this is a narrow road with lots of trees that cuts across to Gopher Canyon. The traffic on Gopher Canyon was busy as usual, but we only had to ride about a mile or so to get to N. Twin Oaks Valley Road.

Twin Oaks Valley has almost no traffic and climbs up and down as it heads south towards San Marcos. We regrouped at the top of the first climb and waited for the whole gang to get back together; we still had 9 riders. The first descent is pretty bumpy before the next climb up. Oleg and I hit the final top first and we cruised down to Deers Springs Road where we waited for the rest of the gang. We knew Deer Springs would be a tight climb up towards I-15; the road is too narrow and traffic is very heavy. We all made it successfully to Mesa Rock Road, just before the freeway interchange. We cruised south and went onto City Center Parkway. No more regroups were planned as everyone was dispering in different directions once we got to the mall. Oleg, Guido and I bid adieu to Tony at the back of the mall. He was waiting for Hodges who planned a stop for more food before continuing his big loop along Del Dios to get 100 miles in for the ride. Bernie was escorting Andrey and Marisa back to Pomerado Road; he got in just short of 100 miles for his long ride.

Oleg did all the work as he pulled me and Guido along West Bernardo Drive. We did a quick water stop at the park and continued on through 4S and behind Black Mountain. We had been out riding so long, the weather started to turn cold again as we got to the 4S neighborhoods. After climbing Carmel Valley Road, Oleg kept going towards the coast to get in his 100 miles while Guido and I turned on Black Mountain Road towards home. We both hit about 86 miles and 4,100 feet of climbing, with very tired legs, by the time we got home. It was a great club ride, I have a link to some photos below.

https://goo.gl/photos/4GUWHV3LBf4FFCyn6

Lake Wohlford Ride Report-26 November 2016
by Dave Ernst

Descenders:

Hope the long Thanksgiving weekend has been good.

We had a welcome *guest,* Dave Voris, join the Saturday ride (West Lilac Loop). Dave and family were in SoCal for the holiday and Dave has his *silver bullet* stored in SD for ride duties when back in SD.

Joining Voris were: Garrett; Oleg; Rick B; Ernst; Sheehan; Guido; Tony (already riding like his old strong self IMO); and John M. Hodges joined us later on the Lake Wolford accent.

So we rode our bikes, some riders left early (Garrett; Sheehan; Oleg) to tend to civilian duties, leaving eventually a six-pack of hardy riders, if riding a whole 42 miles is deemed a hardy ride. Insane Oleg rode all the way out to the mall for the start of the ride, rode with the group for maybe 10 miles, then road all the way home. Animal!

Guest Voris, with all of his regular training with his new Fremont Freaking Freewheeling Flyers team in NorCal, was demonstrating his superior fitness and yours truly nominated himself to let him know that the Descenders can ride with anyone. Meaning I *smoked" (read: won by an inch) Voris at the Woods Valley sprint finish.

Moving on the pre-storm day was ideal, even with a relentless chill and a developing headwind. After a "long" 42 miles (it felt like 102 miles to me) we wrapped it up at the mall. I mean the Descenders wrapped it up at the mall, while guest Voris kept going back to San Marcos and probably did some repeats up Double Peak.

Pic attached.

You should have come!

Julian Fall Ride-12 November 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: John M, Len (TE), Jeff S, Bernie, Eileen, Flo, Guido and Rob

As predicted, it was an absolutely beautiful day in the mountains around Julian. It was time for our annual Julian Fall Ride. The theme is to wear retro kits and ride some great roads around Julian. A small crew joined together at the start near Dudley’s Bakery; most wore old retro kits. We rolled out and immediately climbed up to Wynola Road. Jeff paced us up the first few miles of the climb. We regrouped at the start of Wynola, all except John; he rode in his parallel universe the entire ride. The air was crisp and the sky bright blue. The Wynola loop is a scenic route that connects back to Banner Grade. We regrouped again before starting our descent. The car traffic was pretty heavy on Banner, lots of folks heading out towards the desert to enjoy the fall weather. Bernie, Flo, Jeff & Eileen all headed for Scissors Crossing. Len and Guido stopped at the Banner Store. I continued down to Banner Queen Ranch before turning to start the climb back up to Julian. It was such a nice day that the leg pains did not seem so bad. Everyone stopped at the Julian Pie Shop in town to regroup, except John. Guido enjoyed his snacks and coffee, he was heading back to the start and skipping the remaining part of the ride.

We rolled to Pine Hills Road and onto Boulder Creek. My rear tire started to get soft so I stopped and waited for Len while the others headed to Engineers Road. After a quick pumping of the tire, Len and I descended down toward Engineers. My rear tire softened again so I told Len to carry on, I was going to changed my tube. The leak was slow and I decided to just use my CO2 canister to fill up the tire. I turned around and retraced my ride back up Boulder Creek, skipping the fun Engineers Road section of the ride. I stopped a few more times to top off the tire. As I got back to Highway 79, I contemplated climbing back up to Julian to take the Wynola Road loop since I knew I was well ahead of the group. I did not have confidence in my tire, was now out of CO2 and decided not to change to a new tube with my lousy pump. Instead I just headed west on Hwy 79 to ride back to Santa Ysabel.

I made it safely back and decided to add some mileage by riding up toward Mesa Grande. I did a 5 mile out-n-back, got back to the parking lot with 45 miles of riding and about 4,300 feet of climbing. I was disappointed that I missed Engineers Road but got back only 10 minutes or so ahead of John. He had turned early on Banner and went straight to Engineers Road instead of stopping in Julian. A few minutes later the rest of the gang came back, having completed almost 60 miles of total riding. The Julian Fall Ride is a classic; hope you decide to come next year. Below are links to photos.

https://goo.gl/photos/GZn8NoZakq3FfqEv9

https://plus.google.com/+RobertVerfurth/posts/NwfNrHWvT8n

RSF, Del Dios & HVR Ride Report-29 Ocotber 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Guido, Quoc, Todd, Bernie, Jim W, Eric R, Flo, Sheehan and Rob

The small group met at the corner of Black Mountain Road and the bike path; we were only 4 strong. By the time we got to the next corner at Camino Del Sur, the group grew to the nine riders listed above; plenty of late stragglers. A friend of Paul P and Eric R, Flo, was joining us again. He is a big, strong rider and is finally becoming a member of the club. There were riders with family time commitments so we rolled up CDS, past Santaluz and descended down San Dieguito Road. The group split a bit along Stud Loop. Quoc had to bail and we regrouped with 8 riders as we started our cruise along S6/Del Dios Highway. The pace was moderate until were were joined by some riders from the Wolfpack group. The quickened pace spread folks out on the climb. Jim and Todd hung with the 3-4 riders on point. I eventually fell back while the rest of the Descenders stopped to help Guido with another flat.

At the top of the climb, the Wolfpack guys pulled over while Jim and Todd took the corner at Lake Drive; I was hot on their tail. We cruised along Lake Hodges and stopped at the corner of Via Rancho Parkway. The wait was longer than we expected. Guido finally came from the main light to explain his flat tire. Everyone regrouped and we were about to ride towards the mall when Guido noticed another flat. He was cutting the ride short so he changed his tire while the rest of us rode to the gas station for a water break. We met up with Paul P and his buddies–out for a 100 mile training ride to prepare for the Pedal the Cause ride in two weeks. Huge effort on their part. We chatted and relaxed long enough for Guido to catch back up. We rolled to the pedestrian bridge where Todd had to head for home, the rest rode to the start of HVR. Sheehan and Guido kept going on Pomerado; we were down to 5 riders.

I told the guys I was planning to cut across Achie Moore so not to wait for me. They all pedaled out of sight while I trudged up the HVR climb. It was a beautiful day and it was worth the climbing pain. After the elementary school I saw Eric and Flo waiting. Bernie and Jim had gone forward along Dye Road to Mussey. The three of us took it nice and easy on Archie Moorre Road, behind Mt Woodson and along 67 to Poway Grade. Eric and Flo went to SPP while I cut the ride even shorter by going down Poway Grade to Espola and Twin Peaks, back to the 56 bike path and home. Tired legs, only 55 miles with 4,300 feet of climbing. Bernie and Jim got in 70 miles, doing the full loop. It was a fun Descenders group ride. I have put the photos from the ride in the link below.

https://goo.gl/photos/Binfavq9Vedtre4SA

Alpine Loop Ride Report-15 October 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Guido, Bernie, John, Len, Andrew, Rob and Neil R

We had a small, but hardy group of riders attempt to tackle the Alpine Loop. The ride was great, the number of mechanical issues was mindnumbing. Guido started the string by flatting on the way to Spring Meadow. He caught up to the group at the 7-11 store. Mike Hodges was sick but he made a cameo appearance at the start and took the group photo for us. We climbed SPP and then descended Highway 67; Bernie had a problem with his saddle being loose so we stopped to fix it at the bottom of the descent. Guido turned around at the end of Moreno while the rest of us rode toward Lakeside. Just past El Capitan HS, we stopped again to work on Bernie’s loose saddle. Fortunately there were a couple of engineers in the group so we finally were able to cobble together the tools we had to tighten his seat.

Neil R joined us as we rode toward Lake Jennings. At the top of the climb I got my first flat of the day. It was a pretty quick change, since I had help from Andrew and Len. We were back on the road cruising along Olde Highway 80. I feel off the pace a bit but we regrouped before getting to Harbison Canyon. We flew down Harbison and were doing a nice casual climb up Dehesa until a rider sped upon us from behind. This spurred on Neil to attack the fast rider. Bernie and Andrew also sped up while Len and I pootled our way up the climb. John M was in his parallel universe and met us at the store. As we climbed I asked Len if he had heard anything recently about Drew Peterson. Len said he was feeling better and was back doing a bit of riding. I was remembering the times Drew sped along these roads leading past Alpine Challenge rides and was glad to hear he was back out riding. As Len and I neared the turn on Tavern, we spotted Drew coming down towards us. My comments were a bit prophetic; so good to see Drew. He had stopped to talk to Neil, Bernie and Andrew who were waiting for us at the turn.

We all rode into Alpine and met up with John at the store. After a short break we were preparing to head back when Andrew noticed his tire was flat. John and Len decided to ride while the rest of us fixed the flat on Andrew’s bike. We rolled out and had not made it back to Olde Highway 80 when we came upong Len and John. John was attempting to shorten his chain to convert his bike into a fixie. His rear derailleur lower pulley had just fallen off, lost on the road somewhere. It looked to be a bit of a major rework so they were planning to call for a ride home. The four remaining riders–Neil, me, Bernie and Andrew–decided to start the ride back towards the 67 climb. We bid adieu to Neil at El Capitan HS and we were down to three. Andrew and Bernie pulled me along Moreno Ave to the start of the climb. I told them not to wait. I pedaled slowly up the climb and watched them get farther and farther ahead. I did stop for a nice view of San Vicente Reservoir and took a photo.

I finally made it to SPP, rolled down, stopped at the Subway for water and finally made it down the rest of SPP to Mercy Road and the climb back up Black Mountain Road. It was about 74 miles and 6,300 feet of climbing by the time I got to my house. To top it off, my rear tire flatted just as I got to my street. That was a four flat, saddle fix and derailleur mechanical ride; too much. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride.

Dudley’s Dream Ride-8 October 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Neil, Eric R, Ran, Oleg, Rob V, Len, Bernie, Bryan T, John, Larry, Bill (friend of Bernie) and Marisa and Andrey

The concern of heat and high winds was greatly exaggerated for the fall version of Dudley’s Dream Ride. It was a beautiful, clear sky and cool temperature start to the ride in bright sunshine. We had a good group of 13 riders that pedaled out towards Mesa Grande, including a guest of Bernie. Bill, rode in his old Ranchos jersey, and was strong all day long. I hope he comes back to ride with us again soon.

We regrouped at the bottom of the Mesa Grande descent by Lake Henshaw to outline the various ride options again. This was the last time we were all together as a group. At the start of the East Grade climb Neil sped off the front. Others hammered after him, including Eric R, Bryan T and Larry. Oleg, Bernie and Bill also sped up the climb. The rest of us settled into our pace and enjoyed the views.

Len passed me about mile 7 and we rode together to the top. We both made a quick stop at Mother’s before descending South Grade. We decided to skip the Observatory out and back, a hill too far. We flew down to the Y and made the u-turn; the hill beckoned. I felt tired and trudged along, passed quickly by Len. I could not hold his pace and he gained more and more distance. The views to the coast were awesome and took a bit of the pain away as I slowly rode the curves of South Grade. About 2 miles from the top I spotted the fast guys heading down–Larry, Bernie, Oleg, Bryan and Bill. I picked up the pace and bit and closed the gap on Len as we approached Mother’s again. No sight of others so my guess was that Neil and Eric R headed back towards the cars after riding to the Observatory. I also did not see John, Ran or Marisa & Andrey, so they must have returned back down East Grade.

Len and I got something to drink and rested on the porch before tackling the return legs. Oleg showed up saying he turned around early on the South Grade descent. The 3 of us rode together back down East Grade and over to Mesa Grande. Oleg did the lionshare of the pulling and protected me and Len all the way back across Mesa Grande. He also led us back down the last few miles of highway 79 to get to the cars. My ride was 70 miles and about 8,300 feet of climbing. All the early returnees cars were gone, all having done various distances. I left before the final cohort got back to the cars. I saw Larry and those guys rode the full 80+ miles and 9,000+ feet of climbing–studs.

It was a great ride, a beautiful day and the temperature/winds were not a huge factor. Below are the photos I posted to Google+. Click the link.

https://goo.gl/photos/45FmTwhf7Gu6DHeu9

Rob

Labor Day Ride Report–Coronado and Little Italy

by Mike Hodges

Oleg – Many thanks Oleg.

This ride has become a classic in the true sense. One of the best rides we do. Many thanks for organizing. Each time we do it something new occurs. This time it was John’s impression of a Slalom skier going through the gates – how he kept his bike up right and didn’t cause an international incidence I know not.

Otherwise ride kept to the prescribed spirit – low key, mellow. We rolled down Oleg’s street, turned left and went parallel to the “Ketner Express”, a nice formation all two by two like a stretched out Fischer’s statistical analysis. After 5 miles or so we turned left/right and climbed Presidio where we met Dave Ernst (still looking for Voris). Rambled through Lewis and into normal Heights which is actually a variant of Mission Hills. Barista’s beckoned us to stop with their roasted bean and crumbled pastries making a change to the burned BBQ smell along the alternate Fiesta Island TT route. Turning right to roll down the shallow hill to the Naval Base – being careful not to follow John to closely as he was gearing up, literally, for his near miss.

The cycle path running North/South then runs parallel to the coast not sure what it’s called but it goes up and over the http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2013/jul/03/gordy-shields-cycling-obituary/ Gordy Shields memorial bridge – a well-deserved shout out to one of our people. A little known story from Larry is that Gordy is at least in part – through inspiration –responsible for Larry’s cycling come back. Very interesting to hear Larry’s story. And, indeed, this is one of the joys of the ride – we have at a time to convers e and learn more about each other. Fortunately there were not too many trees around as I might have jump off and given one a hug.

Larry, Dave G, Oleg took a few turns then Larry took us across the salt bridge and turned right to the Silver Strand cycle paths – Quite a few cyclists hear and LM did a fine job keeping us under control. Until … Dave E slipped onto the road and “escaped”. In deference to a series of small steps can lead to a disaster so became the group – Ernst now away, LM increased pace, not by much but enough to put a few of us into the huff and puff zone (those with power meters that is just below the red zone). We approached a lady on the right, light weighted, slowly walking, blissful Sunday stroll, unaware that eight Descenders where heading towards her. LM slowed down (correctly) as an ongoing cyclist was approaching and this is mellow ride – DE on the road was also moving but probably not top pace – John presumably thought that LM was going to overtake and not brake (repeat LM was correct not to overtake as we following him would not have had enough time) – John broke late and skidding to the left a little then skidding to the right completely being perpendicular to the cycle path and still travelling forward (that’s actually hard to do – think about it – traveling sideways on a bike) then flipped the bike to the left and slalomed between the unaware walker and the petrified oncoming cyclist. If it were in Rio would have got a solid 10 points in the gymnastics.

The group now in show split to leave LM Rob Dave G to chase down DE who was away now TT with two local riders. The catch was not made. We all regrouped under the Coronado bridge and found john – who presumably had teleported himself ahead of us to the ferry landing (how does he do this?). Mental Note – don’t ride on this particular cycle path (Eric R who rides this section regularly – never rides on the cycle path always on the road).

The boat trip across – free Strava miles .. .local rule – is always something to look forward to. More time to chat, laugh and joke. Off the boat and over to India Street Café Italia for coffee (Not to take a way), ordinary (= regular), biscotti, carrot cake. Finally the trek back to Oleg’s in Reverse. Nice chat with Neil – who by the way was one of four riders on disc brakes, soon the majority will be discers.

My memory is Presidio park – so green, families out having picnics, must go back there to sit and read a book.

Mike

Monster Climbs-10th Anniversary Ride Report-23-26 June 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Rick Bienias, Neil Rintoul, Bernie Bogard, Jeff Cresap, Dave Voris, Dave Ernst, Dave Guidotti, Larry Murray, Oleg Shpyrko, Len Nathe, John Moran, Eric Rehberg, Lisa Rehberg, Dave Sheehan, Todd Calloway, Bob Proulx and Rob Verfurth

One picture says a thousand words, that is how the English idiom first published back in 1927 goes. The epic 10th anniversary adventure of the Monster Climbs trip is already a tome, based on the great photos Oleg has shared. Below is a link for the cameras shots I took during the trip, to add a short appendix to our library. I will add a few paragraphs of my foggy recollections from the weekend, especially for those folks that were not able to attend this special event.

Firstly, a huge thanks to Dave Guidotti for all the work he has done over the years and for this anniversary trip. It is really amazing how smooth all the logistics and details go for a large group of hard to control riders. I know we all appreciate his efforts and realize we could not have these adventures without his and others help.

The route for this anniversary trip was very similar to our first MC trip, way back in 2007. We switched things up a bit and started with the Bristlecone Pine climb, saving Onion Valley for Day 3. The fully planned route was over 150 miles and about 25,000 feet of climbing. We also drove up in the afternoon on Thursday so we could start our Friday ride early in the morning.

The large group of excited riders met up at Mike Hodges house to drive our 4-5 car caravan up to Lone Pine. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency Mike was not able to join us for the MC trip. He was on the original 2007 weekend and was missed this year. We made our usual stop in Adelanto for a bite to eat before finishing our drive up Highway 395. As we got closer to Lone Pine, we saw and smelled the smoke from the fires over by Lake Isabella, just south of Kernville; good thing we were riding farther north and east for the trip. Guido had us all at the Comfort Inn, just south of town. It was HOT, with expected weather warm all weekend.

A smart decision was made to start Bristlecone Pine early Friday am to beat some of the heat. We got the early breakfast from the hotel and drove up to Big Pine. After the group photo, we started the climb. The group quickly spread out with the fast guys disappearing into the distance. I noted that Voris, Todd and Bob P seemed to nicely cruise up as a small sub-group. Cresap pulled me along while others fell off behind. Neil was at the top first and he must not have read his brochure since he missed the turn to White Mountain Road, heading straight towards the desert. Rick had to jump into the Rehberg truck that Eric and Lisa had positioned at the corner and chase him down.

We all eventually made it to the top. Riders were relaxing at the tables in the sunshine by the time I got there after my 3 hour climb. The descent back down only took an hour, the heat rose rapidly as we got closer to the cars. Larry, Bernie, Oleg and Rob were the only four riders that decided to venture up the Glacier Lodge climb, the second ascent of the day. The rest of the riders were smart enough to call it quits, given the heat. The four of us pedaled toward Glacier. I was quickly dropped and watched the guys pedal off. It was searing hot and I was cooked. Only about 4 miles into the climb, I found Big Pine Creek at a sharp bend in the road, next to a few huge pine trees that provided some shade. I propped my bike next to a tree and made my way down to the rushing waters; a nice cool soaking up to my thighs provided some relief. I made my way back to the shade and sat on some rocks, letting the slight breeze cool me off even more. A nap was needed, but I put my shoes back on and coasted back down the road toward the cars.

Oleg came back a bit later, he melted closer to the top. Only Larry and Bernie got all the way up to Glacier Lodge. I still got in 55 miles and 7,800 feet of climbing, a nice start to the weekend ahead. We drove back to hit the pool, but it was so HOT, that we mostly just stayed in our rooms, soaking up the AC. We ordered pizza and had it delivered to the indoor dining room. Good re-fuel for the big days ahead.

Day 2 of the trip also saw an early start to the ride. Sheehan positioned the support car while the rest of us rode from the hotel to Tuttle Creek in the Alabama Hills, on our way up Horseshow Meadow. The fast riders again rode ahead while the rest of us hit the long switchbacks of the climb. I caught Sheehan near the top, before the quick descent towards the campground. The group found some shade and water, relaxed a bit and then headed back toward the valley. It got warm and then hot before getting to the car for some food and drink. A number of the guys headed back to the hotel while others turned up to tackle the Whitney Portal climb. The goal was to get to the store where a burger and fries awaited.

This second climb of the day is always hard, the heat made it more difficult. Neil and Rick were the first to the top, again. Two cars filled with the riders that went back to the hotel drove by and picked up a few more riders after the alluvial fan climb. Todd, Sheehan and I stopped at the end of the first switchback to enjoy the views of the valley floor below. We all made it to the cooler weather up in the trees to the general store; the burger, fries and coke tasted so good. Everyone relaxed at the tables enjoying their well earned feast. We hated the leave the beauty and coolness of the high altitude forest, but cruised down nice and easy, back to the hotel. It was a 66 mile, 10,600 foot elevation day over two major climbs for me, my legs were done.

Guido hooked us up with reservations at the Season’s restaurant in Lone Pine for dinner. It was an excellent feast, we learned lots about red wine and enjoyed the company of the fellow riders. We finished the evening with an ice cream social on the deck by the pool. Rick B, Dave Voris and Rob were recognized as the only Descenders that had made it to ALL 10 years of the Monster Climbs trips; epic adventures every one of them.

The last day climb was Onion Valley. We ate breakfast again at 6 am and then drove up to the small town of Independence to begin our ride. The first car got there before 7 am, Sheehan headed off to tackle the climb. I left with Bob Proulx but was quickly dropped. My legs were gone for the first hour, everyone passed me by the time I got to the campground. The square wheels finally rounded back into circles after the first hour and I did the second half of the climb at a good pace. Rick and Neil were again to the top ahead of the others. By the time I was getting to the top, the first group of riders were already heading back down. A number of guys were in the parking area when I pedaled up. We all relaxed in the sun, drank water and enjoyed the beautiful views of pine forests and waterfalls. We made a safe descent back to the car. Voris kept it interesting by rolling his tire off the rim during his descent and still saved himself from a fall, good bike handling skills. The quick up and back to the top of Onion Valley was only 26 miles and 5,200 feet of climbing, but it was a fitting end to a great weekend.

We got back to the hotel, cleaned up, packed and still checked out early! The weekend total for me was 146 miles and 23,600 feet of climbing; others did more. The cars made their way back to San Diego, riders reminisced about the fun weekend spent climbing some of the best roads in the US. This was the 10th MC trip. Next year we will do something totally different as the riding weekend morphs into the next phase of its journey. Enjoy the photos.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6300685906722921137

Le Tour de France Stage 21 Chantilly/Paris-Champs-Elysees Ride Report

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Chris Froome, Peter Sagan, Rafal Majka, Adam Yates and the rest of the best riders in the world

This is not actually a ride report, more of a ride watch report. I was with my family in Paris for a week. Our oldest, Dyess, is studying there for the summer. After a fun week in Paris we headed for Compiegne, a beautiful town an hour north of Paris. I realized that the last stage of the tour was going to be in Chantilly, a short drive from Compiegne. Serena, Porter and I went to Chantilly on Friday to visit the Chateau de Chantilly and learn more about the start of Stage 21 by speaking to a number of locals and getting a tour brochure, before continuing onto Compiegne. Dyess joined us later that evening after returning from Ghent, Belgium for a school trip. We all made plans to go to Chantilly on Sunday.

After an enjoyable Saturday in Compiegne, which has its own large Imperial Palace in town, we got up early Sunday to drive to Chantilly. We stopped on the way to buy red wine, fresh baguettes, cheese, fresh fruit and other treats for our planned picnic. Serena found a route coming in from the south that was not going to be blocked off on Sunday. We were able to park near the Chateau and then walk closer to the center of town, where the race was to begin. We snacked in the shade and grass before walking into the main square. Roads were all blocked off, the stage took over the center of town and the starting line showed the way the ride would head–right towards the chateau. The crowds were already building. The team buses all rolled into town and parked on one side of the main street. All the team cars, piled high with bikes were parked near each bus. Eventually a large number of plain buses rolled into town; all the riders got out of these buses and strode to their large team buses to get into their kits and get ready for the race; now less than 2 hours away. Some riders walked along the edge of the crowds to take photos or sign autographs before heading to their team bus.

About 2 pm the parade started to roll down main street. These were all the tour sponsors decked out in colorful cars with displays & actors dancing to loud music. They threw out plenty of swag to the cheering fans lined 3-4 deep along the parade route. We managed to get a few hats and other mementos from our day at the start of the tour. Riders were now starting to ride up to the main stage, go up the ramp and sign in before the start. Each rider had to go to the stage. There were live interviews and riders cruising right in front of us. The crowds were now 10-15 deep and getting more crowded in the center of town.

Our plan was to head out about a half mile, just at the edge of Chantilly and right in front of the Chateau to see the riders come by us. The planned stage route was to go right up and through the chateau and begin the 113 km race to the middle of Paris. At a few minutes after 4 pm, the lead car came our way, followed by the four riders of the yellow, green, polka dot and white jersey. They were just cruising along. The race was still in a neutral zone and the stage was mostly just a celebratory ride anyway, except for the final sprint. The rest of the riders followed this lead four, then lots of cars with bikes and the whole route group of bike, cars and motorcycles went up the ramp onto the grounds of the chateau.

We waited for everyone to get by before making our way back to our car to drive back to Compiegne. We thoroughly enjoyed the day in Chantilly and the Tour de France experience. On the way back, we decided to stop by the chateau de Pierrefonds, another neat historical location. We finally made it back to town and stopped to get a bite to eat at La Brasserie Parisienne. The tour was on the television and the race had made its way to the Champs-Elysees. We watched the last 20 km, seeing Andre Greipel finish first just ahead of a charging Peter Sagan. The head waiter asked me if I was familiar with Paris-Roubaix race. I told him I knew it was a 1-day spring classic race won this year by Matt Hayman (who I had seen earlier in the day near the main stage area in Chantilly). The waiter told me the race started at the Imperial Palace in Compiegne, only a block from the restaurant. It is really Compiegne-Roubaix!

It had been quite a day to be part of the Stage 21 festivities, see the start in person and then watch the finish. The family wants to go back and do it again someday. I still hope to ride some of the routes in the future. I have attached the photos from the day spent in Chantilly for the start of Stage 21.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6311844511357550945

Mussey & Pamo Ride Report-2 July 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Hodges, Cresap, John M, Rick W, Jim W, Eric R, Ernst, Rick B, Rob, Lisa & Chris (on Pamo), Josh (a guest from OC) and Bob Raibert (cameo in Mussey)

I pedaled over to Hodges house and we made our way to the 7-11 start. Mike was leaving that evening to fly to Europe. He is doing the Etape again and has a number of days planned riding in France. He is my hero. We did not get more than a mile from his house when his real derailer broke. It was his Ritchey bike, the one he was taking to Europe!. Mike made his way back home while I went to the start. Mike was going to get his bike fixed and meet us later on the ride. We all gathered at the start and had one guest visiting family in San Diego. Josh is a strong rider who lives up in OC.

We started the ride up SPP and immediately got strung out along the climb. I had talked about a few regroup locations but missed providing more direction on riding together as a group. After a bit of coaching from Rick B and Ernst as we climbed, I reinforced the goal of riding together as much as possible when we all got the the top of SPP. We maintained mostly a group pace over to the start of Mussey. We even waited by the Mt. Woodson curve as Josh fixed a quick chain mechanical and caught up to us. The group rode down Mussey together. Ernst displayed some of his "Segan-like" bike handling skills when he hit a bump in the road near the bottom, both hands flew off the top of his handlebars and he still stayed rubberside down; very impressive. It was a picture perfect morning with great views of San Vicente Reservoir. We were surprised to see Bob Raibert roll down the final hill of Mussey Grade. He was out for an early ride before family activiites took over later in the day. Bob has not ridden much with the Descenders of late so it was good to see him. We all pedaled together back to the top of Mussey where we found Hodges waiting on another bike. He gave his broken bike to his wife to drop off at the bike store while he went for a ride. He is my hero.

Bob R had to head home so he went left of 67 while the group rolled together along Dye Road. At the end we lost Ernst and Rick B as they turned around while the rest of us rode to the gas station in Ramona for a water break. The group rode to Pamo, passing Lisa R and her friend Chris, before the descent. We all went very carefully down the curves, descending with a much slower pace than previous rides. This was my first time back to Pamo since Tony’s crash. After a quick regroup and photo at the end of the road, we climbed back up and regrouped again at the top. This group ride thing was working. We rode as a group back to the gas station for more water. Eric R, Lisa, Chris and Cresap pedaled on while the rest of us relaxed for a bit. Our smaller group rode back along Dye Road, regrouping again at the light on 67. This was our final regroup, everyone get home safely.

Rick W and Jim W immediately picked up the pace. I held on past the country store before falling away. Hodges, John and Josh rode together a bit farther behind. I caught up to Cresap by Mount Woodson and we rode down Poway Grade together before I turned onto Espola Road. Now fully alone, I could pootle my way back home. It was a nice 71 mile loop with about 4,600 feet of climbing on a beautiful morning in San Diego. Life is good! The below link has a few photos to enjoy.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6303648318641204961

Elfin Forest and Double Peak-11 June 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Rick W, Neil, Sheehan, Jim W, John M, Hodges, Guido, Cresap, Garet, Ran, Ernst and Rob

The final weeks of MC trip training were at hand and Double Peak was the offering. I was so late that I had to drive all the way over to Pomerado Road to meet the group for the start of the ride. As I pedaled over, I saw Dave Ernst heading back towards his home. John M was there and he said Ernst already had a flat and was going home to get a new bike. The group gathered and I directed Rick W, Jim and Neil to lead us out; that was a big mistake. I missed the chance to clearly cover regroup points and reinforce that we want to ride together as much as possible. The end result was a ride of Descenders spread out all over the route, very little group cohesion, my bad. In the future, we will assign a host/ride leader for each group ride so we all know the regroup points and stay together as a cycling team.

Rick hammered out front on Pomerado. I was struggling to hold his wheel going almost 24 mph. We flew to the Lake Hodges bridge and looped around on the bike path. It was a busy morning on the path with riders, runners and walkers. This enabled us to regroup before we got to the light by the mall. The group climbed over the freeway but started to quickly spreadout along the road. Hodges took the turn at Felicito instead of Bernardo Raod so a small group of us followed, thinking everyone went that way, wrong. Our group was now down to Hodges, Guido, Cresap, Sheehan and me. We figured we would reconnect on Harmony Grove. In fact, they were waiting for us due to the break in the group. Another lesson learned, make sure everyone knows the route and do not follow the guy who is lost.

We kept up a steady pace through Elfin Forest but never saw the rest of the guys. At Questhaven, Hodges, Sheehan and I split for the dirt. We had a fun climb up the soft dirt trails and eventually got back to the climb towards Double Peak. The group was now reconnecting some as I saw Garet climbing out of San Elijo town center. Double Peak offered a good test of the legs for Monster Climbs, only two weeks away. At the top we found all our fast riders waiting for us, including Ernst who was now on his second bike of the day. We heard Guido flatted and was still on his way up. Garet had to get home so he went down the other side towards Escondido.

The group started the fast descent, a bit cautiously due to moisture on the road. We flew to Rancho Sante Fe Road and took the turn left. I knew we were now split up again so I waited on the side of the road. After 5 minutes, we decided to roll out; thinking guys must have gone back a different direction. We still had Rick W, Jim W, Neil, Cresap, Rob and Ran. The ride over to RSF went well, we spread out on the climb to Lago Lindo BUT did regroup nicely at Cresap’s water stop, just ahead of Stud Loop. The rest of the guys never showed so our small group rode towards Three Witches. I could not hold the pace on the climb and by the time I got to the top Jim W and Neil were waiting for me, Rick W had already gone south on Camino del Sur. Cresap and Ran were farther back and I knew I had to head back towards my car in RB, so I turned left, waving good-bye to Neil and Jim.

I was now looking forward to a soft pootle to my car after the fast pace trying to keep up with Rick, Neil & Jim. Unfortunately Jim directed Neil to head back the same diretion as me. Neil came up on me before we got near Del Norte HS. Neil pulled me around Rancho Bernardo Road and we kept up a healthy pace back to the start of the ride. It was only a 50 mile loop, but included some dirt and nice elevation; fun ride. After I got home and checked out the fly-by, it turns out that Sheehan, Guido, Hodges and Ernst were not that far from us on the return leg. Ernst got anothrer flat. John M was back there as well. Lot of riders not in a cohesive group. We will do a better job moving forward to keep togehter and regroup more often. In the link below are a few photos from the ride.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6295520969276107825

Faces Up Soledad-18 June 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Jim W, Oleg, Sheehan, Ran, Marcy, Neil, Rick B, Marisa & Audrey, Guido, Bob P and Rob

Only 1 week left until the MC Trip, last chance to test the legs. Oleg servved up the juicy adventure of Soledad. The group met on the 56 bike path and we pedaled over to the coast. Oleg met us on the bike path on his ride from the Soledad area. The climb up Torrey Pines was spiritied and we regrouped at the top. Marcy met us there before we rode towards La Jolla Shores. Bob P was saving his legs and had family commitments so he turned on Calle del Oro while the rest of the group headed to our first climb up Soledad.

We had Marisa and her fiance, Audrey, with us. They ride very well and we wish them a hdarty congratulations on the upcoming nuptuials. Traffic was heavy in La Jolla but we managed to safely make the turn to start the climb. Oleg made sure everyone knew the route and we all warmed up the legs, regrouping for the first time at the cross. We descended Neptune and started the climb up Country Club Road. Everyone stopped for a group photo with great views of the oceanography peir and the TP cliffs behind us. Another regroup at the top before another fast descent to get to our next climb.

We lost Marisa on a turn and Sheehan was falling behind so Oleg went back to sweep while I led the group up the climb. We then descended down Soledad Mountain Road and made our way to the difficult Pacifica climb. On the climb back up we we connected again with Sheehan and Marisa. The whole group made its way back to the Soledad Cross, except Oleg. He had to head back home. Ran also now had to head back so head left as well. At the top we received a very plesant surprise, Diane and Tony O’Gorman were waiting for us, with brownies to boot!.. It was great to see Tony up and about. He is making great progress on his long road to recovery form his bike crash. We all laughed, caught up and wished the O’Gormans well.

It was time for me to head back to PQ. Sheehan and I flew down Soledad with Marisa and Audrey. We climbed up Calle del Oro and then Sheehan led us on a traffic filled, harrowing route along La Jolla Village Drive, Regeants and Genesse; before riding on the I-5 ramp to Sorrento Valley. Yes, it was shorter than TP, but not nearly as bike friendly or beautiful. We made it back to the bike path. I grabbed the wheel of a young buck and spun along the path at a brisk clip until reaching the duck pond. I then pootled to the top of the next light and waited for the rest of my group. Marisa and Audrey rolled by, they were on their way back to Poway. Sheehan stopped for a nature break so I waited for him. We rolled together back to my house to get him my spare rear cassette–a nice 30 tooth gearing for the MC trip the following week. We had completed a nice 57 mile and 5,200 feet of climbing ride and were ready for the Sierras. In the link below are a few photos from our Soledad adventure.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6298010643989932977

A short drive to the French Café in Escondido with Tony – who was on good form and even managed a gentle dig showing he had list none of his acerbic wit.

It was hot as hell walking the 500 yds from car (parked down the road and across the street) to café – Tony pulled ahead of me, but I dug in as I wasn’t letting him get away, not this time anyway. The incredibly strong heat hit us both at the traffic lights at our half way point. We glanced over at each other, seeing who would do the sprint across the red light – fortunately for both of us we waited for the white man to flash (sic) then advanced across the road. It was now a straight shot to the finish line Tony edged ahead and reached out to pull the door open – somehow I managed to dive for the line and get my hand on the door and held it open. It was a photo finish – not sure the result but I will take any win I can.

Only disappointment was their world famous almond croissant had just ran out – literally as we had witnessed the fiend walking out just as we crossed the line (er, sorry stood in line). Oh well another first world problem to contend with.

Whose next up to take on the mighty Tony (wo)mano et mano?

Dudley’s Dream Ride Report-28 May 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Rick B, Larry, Cresap, John M, Hodges, Neil, Oleg, Proulx, Garet, Bernie, Rob, Len, Jeff & Eileen, Eric, Renee, Eric & Lisa R, Tom, Brian and Mark

The May Gray was thick in Poway as we drove towards Santa Ysabel. Mike Hodges predicted it would clear up by the time we got to the start; I was more skeptical. I was also very wrong. It was bright sunshine and a gorgeous day for a group ride. We had more than 20 riders out for this classic ascent of Palomar Mountain. Jeff & Eileen brought some friends from the Wolfpack Cycling Club while Eric R brought some of his buddies to augment a large Descenders contingent.

We rolled up and over Mesa Grande. Oleg had an early flat so a number of guys waited to regroup while the rest of us started the climb up East Grade. The fast guys of Neil, Rick, Larry and Eric R blew by us within the first mile. Oleg and Bernie came by, as did just about everyone else for that matter. Proulx, Hodges, Cresap and I rode up together or in close proximity of each other all the way to Mothers. We headed to the Observatory with my stated goal of getting there before Hodges. The fast climbers were already heading back from the top well before we got there. I managed to keep Hodges at bay; a quick stop at the top allowed us to catch our breath and watch Hodges get a stern lecture for not dismounting from his bike whilst at the telescope area.

Mothers was a short respite of water bottle filling before many descended down the South Grade. Rick and Neil were eating brunch and Proulx made the strategic decision to not do South Grade; I was not as smart. On the descent I spotted Len and John already climbing back up as they skipped the Observatory, another good move based on how my legs felt later in the ride. Larry blew by me on the descent. We stopped at the Y to see a number of others circle back to begin the climb. It was a slow pace for me. I saw Cresap head down and eventually Hodges go by me with another tire issue; they were the only ones behind me at that point.

I enjoyed the fog layers breaking through the mountain tops and seeing the coast socked in with heavy clouds. It was sunny and still great weather for the ride. I finally stopped to take a break about 2 miles from the top. After stretching and eating, I got back on my bike. Cresap was now only a 100 yards behind me. I finally got back to Mothers and waited for Jeff to come up, he was looking a bit haggard. We rested and got water before Hodges showed up. He needed coffee and pie before we started back down the descent of East Grade. It was windy and the road was bumpy in many places. We took the descent carefully and rolled past Lake Henshaw.

Hodges announced he was going to ride home via Black Canyon. Jeff’s knee was hurting and my legs definitely did not look forward to a climb back up Mesa Grande. We bid adieu to Mike near the biker bar and then kept going straight on Highway 76 until we got to the turn at Highway 79. This was not the safest route with many holiday RV’s and trailers flying by with little road shoulder to protect Jeff and me. We slowly made our way back to the start. A number of riders had already departed and others were preparing to head home. I covered 74 miles and climbed almost 9K in elevation. It was another great Dudley’s ride. The link below has a number of photos of the riders.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6290265705854210049

HVR & Lost in Ramona Ride Report-30 May 2016

by Rob Verfurth

Riders: Larry, Claus, Jim W, Garet, John M, Cresap, Len and Rob

A Memorial Day ride was posted to host Dave Voris for his return visit to San Diego. Dave’s plans changed but we kept up the original ride. I was late getting out of the house and trying to meet Bob Proulx at the top of Black Mountain Road. I drove to BMR park, saw Jim W on the way, but never found Bob. He went to Blk Mtn and the 56 bike path and missed the group ride. We had a small group meet at Pomerado and RB Roads, ready to climb HVR.

Larry led us up the climb of HVR. He circled back to sweep Len and I before going past Bandy Canyon. I tried to get the group to ride Camino Del Aguilo, but got few takers. It was another slow climb for me as I swept up the group. John M met us at Archie Moore; he had a flat early on so guess he rode up Poway Grade. I again offered some adventure to take the group through some side roads to get beyond the Ramona Airport and into town. Everyone said is was not possible and I backed down. The group was heading to OJR for the rest of the ride. Garet had to head back down HVR to get home.

We rode as a group on the top portion of HVR to Highway 67. I decided to explore alone as I was sure there was a route. I took the left turn at Rangeland while the rest of the guys turned right to stay on HVR. Pretty soon after the turn I spotted a small dirt road that looked like it was heading in the right direction. I decided to skip it in favor of the paved road up ahead.

The private road entrance to Highland Hills Winery was straight ahead. I turned and climbed up Rangeland Road until it ended a few miles later. I retraced my ride and went through the gate when a car came through. I climbed up this road for a few miles and found every dead end in the private neighborhood. I was above the Ramona Grade Canyon but found no way to get into town or connect to any road. After another regress, I got back to the original dirt road. It was soft, rutty, rocky and barely passable; probably a good BWR route for next year!

I slowly peddled east and north, saw the airport and knew I was making progress to get to the other side. I finally hit Montecito Road, the same road I was on during my BWR explore last month. It headed into town and I was now debating on whether the guys were long gone from the gas station after climbing OJR. I took a chance and turned left to get to the center of downtown. The gas station attendant said the guys left only 5 minutes earlier. They would be riding back along Dye Road so I headed back through town to try to get to the HVR intersection. I spent the last reserves of my energy making a vain effort to find the boys. Strava Fly-by later showed I was 25-30 minutes behind the group at the gas station. The pootle down Poway Grade and back over to BMR was slow. I finished with 54 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing. I did see on Fly-bys that Claus rode by on Carmel Valley Road as part of his 120+ loop, just after I got back to my car. Claus was the stud rider of the day. Getting lost in Ramona was fun, now I know the way for a future adventure. The link below shows photos from the early part of the ride.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117626389252909371681/albums/6290613592668031665