San Diego Descenders Cycling Club

Sunday Off-Road Recovery ride report
(By Bryan Jones)

After many past discussions between myself and Rob V., we finally managed to replace a Sunday "Recovery Ride" with an off-road ride (intending to be off-road, not just happening because of M. Hodges’ will and cajoling). Maybe the tipping point was my new bike that had just been completed two days prior :). Five of us braved the somewhat nippy, but soon to be perfect, temperature, meeting at Canyonside Park – Hodges, Rob V., Jeff Cresap, myself, and Mike Farkas:

After a brief assessment of how long each of us had, a route to the Torrey Pines Loop Trail was settled on, and off we went. Along the route, we managed to find one trail that tested the confidence of Hodges, and maybe Cresap, but all survived:

The highlight of the loop towards Torrey Pines Trails, had to be the discovery of a huge hole, where their used to be a trail. Fortunately, a way out was discovered, and Mike F had found, in a 30 foot deep trench, a new segment for Strava.

After the loop to Torrey Pines (and including some pavement – sort of an inverse BWR training ride), the group split up, with Rob and Jeff heading back home (Rob muttered something about Yoga, but nobody in their right mind would arrange for a yoga class during the Conference Championship games, right Oleg?), and both Mikes and myself continued on to the top of Black Mountain:

Fortunately, it was nearly all downhill from this point, and as we returned towards Canyonside Park, both Mikes headed East towards home, and I headed west for a little extra-credit before ending up at home with 40 miles.

To paraphrase Oleg, you should have come (if you have a mountain bike)…

Bryan Jones
Sent from my iPad

Skive Ride-Wohlford, Couser & Lilac Loop Ride Report

Hi all,

A small group of Descenders (Eileen & Jeff) gathered at the North County Mall at 9.00am this morning for the planned MLK/skive ride. Not sure why more riders couldn’t make it. One can only assume that the rest of the team decided to go to work and help the US economic recovery (someone has to do it). Either that or everyone was still too relaxed to ride after the yoga class yesterday (the yoga was great – you really should have come).

Anyway, it was a beautiful morning – a little cool but bright. We rode up Mary Lane, taking the usual route to get to the bottom of Lake Wohlford. Traffic was light and we rode at a good pace up Wohlford. Having elected not to stop at the top we continued on to Woods Valley, seeing Rick W just before we made the left hand turn on WVR. As one would expect on a Descenders ride we formed a really tight and compact pace line and pushed the pace on Woods Valley Road – Eileen getting 9th overall on the segment (just 5 seconds out of the top 5). Our route then took us on Lilac and West Lilac over to Circle R. We descended and stopped at the Fire Station and got filtered water (none of the regular faucet water for us) from one of the firemen. We then headed off along San Luis Rey, up West Lilac and down 395 to Couser Canyon Road. It was a traffic-free pleasant ride up Couser – nothing much to report other than a Coyote sighting and that the water is flowing through the babbling brook – like I said, very pleasant. From there we returned to the Mall via Lilac, Valley Center Road and Bear Valley Parkway. In the end it was a 67 mile ride with 5,000 feet of climbing at an average moving speed (and we hardly stopped) of 16.3mph.

And it’s official, my legs were tired at the end of the ride. I am now rehydrating (Stone Ruination and Bear Republic Red Rocket) and starting to feel much better.

Eileen’s trivia question for the day: “Who the f**k stops while climbing up Couser to pick up avocados?” . . . Answer: Jeff S.

You should have come . . .

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Del Mar and RSF Ride–Zumbar CafeSkive Ride-15 January 2015

by Rob Verfurth

The group met on a crisp and and sunny morning on the 56 bike path for the planned Skive Ride. I missed the fun Tuesday adventure and planned to host the ride. My body was still hurting a bit from the Wed Nite–MTB & Beers adventure. After a successful ascent of Black Mountain we headed back to PQ Canyon for a bit more dirt before heading to the beer party. My usually stellar athleticism and agility temporarily escaped me when I failed to navigate a high curb. Instead of a smooth jump over the curb by lifting my front wheel, I kinda just hit it. The result was a forward summy over the front wheel; quite acrobatic I was told. The light from my helmet illuminated my rotation and thud to the pavement. I hit the sidewalk and the bike crashed over me, falling on my recently recovered right wrist and arm. Fortunately, no major damage to the wrist; just a few bumps and bruises. I did manage to continue our ride in the dirt and happily consume a few post-ride beers.

I gladly handed over the host duties for the Skive Ride to Hodges and tried to hang with the group from the back. Also on the ride were Tony O, Jeff L and Todd Callaway. We headed down the bike path toward PCH. Hodges loves the climb up Portofino and Mango so we rode north to Del Mar Heights. After cruising through the neighborhoods in Del Mar we stopped for a group photo at the vista overlooking the estuary and race track. It was a beauty day and we enjoyed the gorgeous vistas. Mike led us through the circuitous route that dropped us down to Jimmy Durante Road and toward the race track.

I had seen photos of Oleg and Mike from the Tuesday Skive Ride that went along the new trails of the estuary so I was not surprised when it looked like Mike was going to have us turn onto the trail. He unfortunately did not communicate well so his stopping surprised Todd who broke hard and surprised Jeff even more as he did not even brake until the last second. The result was a rear wheel collision that caused Jeff to fall from his bike. I was well to the rear and off to one side so I have plenty of proof that I was NOT involved in the fall. Jeff did a good job of mostly avoiding Todd and he even somewhat gracefully fell; no damage to any bike and only a knee scrape. No harm, no foul; we were quickly back on our way riding the dirt on the Coast to Crest trail. We crossed under I-5 and rode over past the Flower Hill Mall, eventually looped back toward the coast on Via De La Valle. Mike wanted to get us to Nardo Ave.

We, of course, routed first to the gratuitous climb of Highland Court but made our way to Nardo. Mike prepped Todd on the segment and he did not disappoint. Todd is a great climber and he surged up the hill, flying past Mike, and disappeared around the bend. I am sure Todd finished up fairly high in the Strava segments; surely very high for the 2015 crowns! We regrouped along the neighborhood roads that go through Solana Beach and back onto PCH. We cruised up the coast and turned at the Cardiff Kook statue, making our way to Zumbar.

It was coffee break time. We all got a nice cup of Joe and a croissant (in Hodges case), relaxed on the front porch and enjoyed the warming day. Love the Skive Rides. After a satisfactory period of time we decided to make our way back via RSF. We rolled along Manchester Ave, back east of I-5 and turned toward RSF. We climbed El Mirlo and then turned at Via de Fortuna, making our way to Del Dios. Tony turned north on Del Dios to get back home while the rest of us rode toward Three Witches. Todd led us up the climb and pushed the pace all the way to Santaluz. We regrouped and rode south on Camino Del Sur toward the bike path. Jeff L turned toward home at Westview HS, Todd and Mike continued on the bike path while I pootled up to my neighborhood. A fun 40 mile ride with 2,500 of climbing; perfect Skive Ride.

Pedal The Cause-20-21 September 2014

Fellow Descenders –A long overdue email on September’s Pedal The Cause event. A summary on a great ride for cancer. The event was amazing. Extremely well done. Over 800 riders and they raised $1 mil for cancer research in San Diego!

Representing the Descenders were Jeff Langley, Rob Verfurth and yours truly. We also had two women join the team who do not ride with us weekly but were great additions. So 5 riders total.

The two day event had multiple courses and our goal was to do at least 75 miles each day (85 mile option which we did on day two). The route started at UCSD and ended north east of Temecula at a campground called Tuculota Ranch. We started out fast and hammered through Torrey pines and across Carmel Valley Rd to El Camino real. The group was fast and we had Marci and a few other really strong riders. From ECR we went onto San Dieguito and eventually caught up with the lead group. That did not last long as we dropped at the del dios climb up to Escondido. I had planned on doing 150 miles over two days but was cut short on day one as I had to pedal home midway through to attend a funeral for a family friend who died suddenly. Ironically it was lung cancer (diagnosis only 2 weeks earlier), so made the ride even more poignant. All totaled I rode 127 miles. Rob logged 170 miles and Jeff 160 miles. Some amazing people and survivor stories; they also had Bob Roll (former TdF rider and funny guy) as a guest speaker at the dinner (which had lots of great wine) and we slept overnight in a tent city in Temecula.

For me the highlight was riding up Rainbow. As Rob, in his orange survivors helmet, passed another rider who exclaimed “great I am getting my ass kicked by a cancer survivor.” I guess he did not see the Descenders jersey….

Our small team did extremely well with both the ride and the fundraising. We finished 9th overall for all Friends and Family teams and raised $19,200!! THANK YOU. The donations from the team were a huge part of the success. All in all just a great weekend for a truly great cause with a very simple and audacious goal “A World without Cancer”.

I have attached some pictures of the ride.

NOW for next year we will be fielding a team again. This year we will be riding in honor of our own Tony O’Gorman. Giving new meaning to the term Fighting irish, Tony who is currently battling prostate cancer is still logging miles and setting PR’s. Tony has committed to ride the event and possibly lead us in some Saturday night hydration. So what we need is to get some Descenders committed. So far we have a team of three – Rob, Tony and I. Our goal is to double our efforts from last year. That means 10 riders and over $38K raised. I am confident we can do this.

To sign up for the event, click the following: http://sandiego.pedalthecause.org/register.jsp please make sure to sign up under the Descenders team.

Please join Tony, Rob and I for this great cause. It will be epic!

Best,

Dave

Today we rode Elfin Forest/Double Peak. It was fairly cold morning, we met at RB/Pomerado with a very large group of about 17 riders, including Hermann, as well as Stephane and Don (?). We met up with Eileen, Jeff and their friend Hector at the Harmony Grove so total tally was 20 riders today – a lot more than last week’s count of 6!Four of us (Larry, I, Sheehan and Rob) bravely opted for Questhaven instead of Elfin Forest. With little regrouping, we somehow got to San Elijo ahead of the main group – that’s a first. Nice views from Double Peak, as always – and a lot of hikers, must be New Year’s resolution thing.
Most of us decided to go back via steep descent down to Lake San Marcos. From there we did Camino del Norte to reverse Stud loop, three witches, and the group started splintering with everyone going in different direction. Ernst and Claus accompanied me and Larry to the coast and then came back via 56 bike path.
Rides ranged from 55 to 100 miles, fantastic day to be out riding.
You should have come!
More Photos are here: http://goo.gl/CnO8YV
Oleg.

:

Hodges and I met on 56 bike path yesterday morning for our skive ride. It rained on me a bit on my way over, unexpectedly. We did a lot of dirt segments, as should be expected. BWR training starts now.Some steep climbs in Del Mar, but no super-hard, all-out efforts. Saw some MotoGP superstars out riding their "other bikes" (Cal Crutchlow, Josh Hayes, Melissa Paris for those who know who they are)
We also had a civilized coffee at Zumbar. Fun ride. 55-60 mi.
You should have come.
More photos: http://goo.gl/0c3Gcv

Mary Lane. Summit, Jesmond Dene, Old 395, Gopher Canyon, West Lilac & Wohlford Loop-Saturday, 3 January 2015

by Rob Verfurth

It was the first Descenders group ride of the year. We had a fairly small turn-out in the sunny but cold (for San Diego standards) morning. I turned into the North County Mall parking lot only a minute before the planned start of 8 am. It was 38 degrees and I had three Ranchos riders turning into the parking area just ahead of me, hardy boys.

As I pulled over to our parking area, I saw a handful of bundled up riders. The group included Rick B and his ElliptiGO, Oleg, Rick W, Bryan Taylor, Larry and Bob P. I hustled to get ready but everyone seemed ok with waiting for the temperature to rise a bit more. I looked around and saw the handful of "Team A" riders, then me and Bob. I was glad to have Bob there and told him we would sweep all day.

We rolled out for Mary Lane, cold, but hopeful that the sun would warm us and the day. Rick B cruised along "riding" his ElliptiGO and keeping up the pace, easily. Bob P and I swept as we made our way along Summit. After crossing Highway 78, Bob P stopped to try to fix his rear wheel. He had been experiencing some shifting issues. We had the maintenance team of Rick and Oleg trying to assist Bob. It was determined that Bob and his broken bike would have to abandon. Wait, that left me alone with 5 stud riders; it was going to be a long day.

We rode along Summit Road and I managed to stay close enough to the group. There were lights and stop signs that offered more opportunities to keep up. We rode along Citrus to Bear Valley and turned left at El Norte Parkway. The speed picked up with Rick W and Bryan pushing the pace.. Rick B cruised along and I hung on for as long as I could. We turned onto Ash, cut through the neighborhood and rode toward Jesmond Dene.

The climb up hurt. I do not think Bryan & Rick W know how fast they were pushing the pace. Oleg and Larry rolled right along with them. I fell back but fortunately was able to catch up to the wheel of the ElliptiGO and follow Rick to the top. You have to be real careful following an ElliptiGO wheel-parts of the machine extend out about a foot past the wheel. Rick pulled me to the top and we turned onto Old 395. The group was waiting at the light and some wanted to remove a jacket layer. I saw this as my chance to get ahead before we hit Gopher Canyon. I cruised north and waited for the rest of the guys at the turn. They all quickly blew by me on the first big hill of Gopher Canyon. I burned a few more matches trying to close the gap. On some of the rolling hills I was able to get back onto the wheel of Rick B just before the turn to Little Gopher Canyon, where the other guys were waiting. We cruised together to Old River Road and turned onto West Lilac after merging with Camino del Ray. This is about a 5 mile climb back to I-15. I quickly faded and kept turning over the pedals knowing they would be waiting for me at the top.

The day was warming nicely and the time was getting late, so we had decided to skip Couser. We all rolled over the Lilac Bridge and headed back towards Valley Center. The five A-Teamers disappeared while I to struggled to keep pace. They were kind enough to wait for me at every big intersection. At Valley Center, Rick W had to head back home while the rest of us turned onto Woods Valley. Bryan, Oleg and Larry pulled while Rick kept up a nice pace and I hid behind his wheel. I somehow managed to stay with the guys through the descent of Lake Wohlford. We all cruised along Bear Valley, where there were enough stops to keep me in the game.

We finally finished back at the mall. We rode 60 miles and about 4,100 feet of climbing. Bryan continued to ride down Pomerado to get to home, Oleg and Larry loaded up their bikes in the car and I shared with Rick the last of my water. He refueled and kept riding his ElliptiGO another 18 miles. I was done, limped home and skipped the Sunday coffee ride. It was a great first ride of the year. We have already had many more. Look forward to the next planned ride on Saturday-Elfi Forest & Double Peak.

Sunday Dec 4 2015

“The San Elijo shortcut”

Five hearty souls showed up for the 34 degree, 8 am meeting spot at Pomerado and Rancho Bernardo rds. In attendance were Brian “baby face” Jones, Mike “I don’t ride dirt on my road bike” Farkas, John “off the front” Moran, Steve “I am always tan” Bosowski, and me.

With Rob and Hodges not there yet, I had to check email to find out they were not coming. So we started a casual roll towards Lake Hodges bridge. On the docket for today: Exploration. We crossed Lake Hodges, came up Via Rancho Parkway and turned right on Bernardo with some strong climbing by all. As we wound our way towards harmony grove we found a new road at the end of Citracado. We dismounted and went around the barrier- to keep just the cars off the road and of course allow bikers to pass. The road wound left and eventually came out at Harmony Grove. This new road looks like it will have many new homes which means Harmony Grove will soon look more like Irvine than the pristine speedway it used to be.

So now the exploration- on google maps saw a climb off Wilgen rd which is a right turn off Harmony Grove. From Wilgen we got on Bresa De Loma which is a short stout climb with a 22% section thrown in. We wound down the backside and continued stopping several times to find the right road, Crestview- that would lead to the water tower we could see up at the top of the hill. After several steeps including one climb that had a 36% grade we came to a gravel road. With a split vote (I was in the minority) we decided to turn around at this point. We will be back to finish this climb as the backside of it leads down to San Elijo.

We had a medium high tempo ride to San Elijo with Mike and Brian sharing pulls and me holding on. We stopped downtown for halfway point. With John sporting his Pearl Izumi retro wool jersey, Brian lamenting his ability to grow a beard and Mike explaining his training strategies, we enjoyed Stoked Café’s best fare. Because of the collective uneasy feeling from the incomplete prior summit-OK mostly mine, the decision was made to go back Elfin Forest and do Ambiente. John of course went off the front but was gathered in by Brian, Mike and I. We climbed Ambiente and stopped at one point for a new road going in and then eventually summited. At the base we split with Steve and I heading back on Del Dios and the San Deguito Trail and Brian, John and Mike heading back RSF and three witches route. Overall 41 miles and 3900 feet of climbing. A great day to be a Descender. You should have come.

Dave

Hi All,

The growth of the coffee rides from within the group has been a nice addition from my perspective. Most all the Skive Rides include a welcome coffee shop break and now, many of the Sunday Recovery rides are adding a stop to relax with the riders and enjoy a cup of Joe. Below are just two of the recent coffee ride reports where nothing has been previously published.

SPP, 67, Old Julian Hwy & Poway Grade Loop-Sunday, 21 December 2014

Dave Voris offered to again host the recovery ride. He suggested Old Julian Hwy with a stop for coffee in Ramona. We had a large group ride up to Oceanside Harbor on Saturday so the turnout could have been low. I was my usual late getting out the door so I hustled down Poway Road, by-passing the turn to Spring Meadow; sure that our host was well out in front of me. As I crossed Community Road, John Downing pulled out on the road. I knew it was going to be a safe ride with John along. He has provided me medical attention on previous rides from my falls. We would make use of his nursing skills again if needed. John and I pedaled to the 7-11 store where Todd Callaway and John M were waiting for us. Scott "Moneyman" Coiner joined us and then we spotted Hodges rolling into the parking lot.

Mike informed us that Voris had a mechanical issue and would not be coming. Mike took over host duties. We had 5 riders from the Saturday Oceanside ride, plus John D, ready for a great recovery ride. He helped keep our pace under control for much of the climb up SPP. We regrouped at the top and Mike led us toward Ramona. We all rode together until the climb up and around Mount Woodson. We sped down toward Dye Road. Our group was not well practiced in pace-line protocol but Mike did his best to keep us in some semblance of rotation along Dye. Mike led us through Ramona to start the climb up Old Julian Road. I pushed the early pace, following close behind were Todd and John D. Todd cruised by me with about 2 miles left in the climb and we kept up a good pace to the top. John D, Scott, Mike and John M joined us before we turned around to head back to town.

The planned coffee stop was at Packard’s, the same coffee shop that Hodges, Geoff and I visited a few years ago on a brutally cold, wet and rainy Mussey Grade ride. That day we wrung out our socks and drank coffee to regain warmth in our toes. It was a much needed respite on a cold winter day long ago. The ride today, it was just a chance to relax at the front patio tables and enjoy a cup of coffee. The owner of Packards remembered Mike when he retold the story of our previous visit. I wonder if it was the accent that was familiar or just the constant chatter Mike provided that rang a bell. We all sat outside and had some good conversation about cycling…what else would you expect?

The ride back out of town was another junior league pace line along Dye Road before hitting 67. John M fell back a bit but the rest of us hammered to Poway Grade. Hodges continued toward SPP while Todd, John, Scott and I floored it down Poway Grade. Scott turned toward home when we hit Espola, John turned at Community while Todd and I rode toward Ted Williams. Todd pushed the pace until he exited near Carmel Mountain Country Club so I could then throttle back and pootle towards home. A nice 65 mile recovery ride with 4,300 of climbing and one coffee break.

Swami’s Coffee Shop & RSF Loop–Tuesday, 30 December 2014

It was likely going to be my last day to ride the Cervelo for the year. Bob Proulx and I planned to head to the coast. I was doing some work from my home office so Bob rode over to meet me at my house. We cruised along the 56 bike path toward the coast. We turned north on Portofino and then Mango to get up to Del Mar Highlands. We cruised the neighborhoods in Del Mar and dropped out along PCH, heading north all the way to Swami’s Cafe. The rains were supposed to come later in the day so we felt fortunate to be able to ride in late December and sit out on the patio sipping a nice cup of coffee; a great way to end the year.

We eventually persuaded each other to get back on the bike to head home. At the Cardiff Kook we turned onto Manchester and made our way toward RSF. We cruised by the San Dieguito County Park and made our way to the 3 Witches climb. The pace slowed as we rolled up into Santaluz and Bob pedaled for home while I exited the South Gate and pootled back to my house. A fun 36 mile loop, 2,00 feet of climbing and coffee outside. I look forward to more coffee rides this coming year.

Rob

Old Julian Ride Report-27 December 2014

Descenders,

We had a big group out for the post Christmas. Saturday ride over HVR to Old Julian Highway. At the start on Pomerado we had Dave Ernst, Dave Boyle, Jeff Cresap, Bob Raibert, Rick W, Rick B, Larry, Garet, Claus, Sheehan, Bob Proulx, Rob Verfurth, Mike Farkas (not pictured) and myself. We picked up Tony on the way up HVR for a total of 15 riders.

The pace was quite relaxed until we hit the bottom of the HVR climb. Rick W and Larry took off early and left the rest of the group behind. I hung onto Garet’s wheel for as long as possible, but lost it on the final big pitch up HVR. Bob P turned back at Bandy and Mike Farkas headed back at the top of HVR. The rest of the group met in a sunny spot after the HVR/Archie Moore intersection – it was a bit chilly.

The wind became more noticeable as we headed down HVR into Ramona. By the time we cam to Dye road, it was blowing pretty hard. Garet and Bob R headed home down 67 while the rest of the group faced into the wind on Dye. When we got to the Warnock Sprint Sheehan led out with a sprint and Ernst soon followed. The wind won. Not a day for PRs in that direction.

Rob V had suggested we head down San Vicente, through San Diego Country Estates and then to Old Julian Highway. Unfortunately, San Vicente is undergoing major construction and looks to be a bad bet for at least another year. On the bright side, they are widening and straightening the road and adding new bike lanes. At this point, Rob V and Jeff C headed back.

The remaining 9 or so of us headed back into the wind and over to OJH. I would like to give more details of the OJH climb, but I pretty much just remember staring at the wheel of Rick B or Dave S while Rick pulled Claus, Dave and me all the way up OJH. Thanks, Rick. Most of us headed over the top to the stop sign at the end while a few stayed at the top to feed the horses.

Coming back was different. We flew back up to the top of OJH at 20-25 mph and then proceeded to make what for many was record time down OJH. Sheehan, Larry, Tony and Ernst made very short work of the descent and racked up a few trophies in the process.

We met at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill and regrouped. The pace was moderate until Rick W launched past me down 3rd Street. Fortunately I was paying attention and was able to just get behind him to make it down to D st with an average speed of 34 mph. Thanks, Rick.

With a slowly ebbing tailwind we made our way back down Dye Rd at a steady pace and split into two groups at HVR and 67. I headed down 67 with the main group and headed over to SPP and on to home.

It was a great day to be out on the road. You should have come!

Geoff

Photo of Paul Pruschki descending down alluvial fan at the end of our Tour of California trip in May of 2014 is featured in Outside magazine article about trainer vs. outdoor training.

Fitness Coach:Which Is the Better Workout: Riding on a Trainer or Outside? (Outside Magazine)

Skive Ride–Mule Hill, 395, Old Castle, Lilac, DIRT, Cole Grade & Valley Center Loop, 23 December 2014

by Mike Hodges

Tuesday’s skive ride attempted a kind of Utopian state i.e. perfect weather, great route, marvelous company, with a touch of the piquant knowing that others had to work. Rob, Dave S, Tony, Bryan J, Geoff B, Dave B and your auteur met at the normal Skive rendezvous (HVR/Pomerado). The weather required a vest and arm warmers but somehow Dave S convinced us that it was going to soon be 102 degrees and we should strip off. We did so – then shivered along HVR. Somehow we had convinced Tony that he needed to do some dirt – now for those of you who don’t know, Tony is somewhere near Eileen in his distaste for anything slightly dusty and 23 inch tires – we turned left off HVR along Mule Hill BWR section. The ground was compact with minimal slippage and our group of seven remained together. Dirt will feature again. In the 60 mile route we probably did 10 miles of the dusty stuff.

We rolled along El Norte/Bear Valley/Citrus towards Jesmond Dene. Dave S went on point and led the speedsters up and over. Tony decided to pace himself throughout the day under instructions from his Directeur Sportif to save himself for his ongoing Grand Tour which features several Hors Catégorie challenges. Tony should be back racing with us in the lower leagues in a few months.

Regrouped once more we headed off down Champagne – Dave S followed by myself. Suddenly, just before the right hand turn up Old Castle Rd., Dave pulled off to the right mumbling something about needing a pee and that it was most urgent! Tony, whose descending skills are legendary was right behind our mini lead group, so Tony and I rode tempo along the lower slopes of OCR. I set a steady pace up the climb – we were soon joined by Geoff, Bryan and Rob. But none of the Dave’s – there was talk of Dave S needing to pass a stone or some other mechanical (sic) problem. Near the top our fears were assuaged as we heard the familiar heavy breathing (Ed. all relative – Bernie remains peerless as the KOM heavy breathing) of Dave S fresh from his Lithotripsy – he was on a PR mission and quickly disappeared into the distance. Our group chaperoned Tony to the summit where we regroup. Geoff and Bryan having experienced a flat decided to head home leaving the five of us to scream down the hill and follow the “Yellow Brick Road” to the left aka Lilac Rd. to the Yellow Deli.

The Yellow Deli is fast becoming a mid-week Descender ride stalwart. The café is run as a commune http://yellowdeli.com/valley-center. The surroundings are tranquil with lots of Enya playing and the sound of chimes and running water. All that is missing are some Tibetan monks chanting. The food is great – organic of course, and the tea Yerba mate. Not sure how long we stayed at the Shangri-La – time seemed to have no meaning as we were all in the “now” until I roused the group with an up an at ‘em speech. A quick photo opportunity by the Yellow Deli sign and we were on the bikes – not sure if it was the opium pipes we had been smoking or the tea but our legs were heavy.

Just to the back of the Yellow Deli is a little dirt section that flows West-East for about ten miles. The trail runs past the Lavender Farm then though nondescript farm land. There are few houses along the way – just an old rusty tractor and some watchful dogs. There is one steep Flanderian type climb i.e. short (200 yds) and steep (15%) that is lung busting – you have to start as slow (just to the point of tilting over) as possible to save energy for the top part where you need to go into the red zone (to the point of the rear wheel slipping). Dave S “Mr. Hogwash” did not adhere to this sound advice and steamed up the climb then lost his grip, unclipped and slipped back a few places in the “race to the top”. The latter was of course won by Rob (who is riding superb and is knocking on the B team door – Ed. please note that Rob said he would like very much to be on point for most of the next Saturday’s ride) who, in a Lance like Luiz Ardin, had fallen in the dirt earlier and was now focused on the Summit win.

Tony was manfully crossing the dirt and was in need of some pharmaceutical help from his inhaler (Brian Cook look the other way please) and oxygen cylinders. We stopped a few times to look at the view – lovely open views of the farm land with Palomar on one side and the rolling hills of Circle R/Lilac etc. on the other. Our breaths caught once more we eventually emerged onto Cole Grade and turned right to get back to Valley Center. Instead of doing Woods Valley we screamed down the hill – into a head wind so no PRs – and by passed Wohlford descent. We set a nice steady pace (quite a feat as Dave S was with us) towards the mall – cheerio’ed to Tony – crossed Lake Hodges and down Pomerado where the Daves and Rob turned left back toward Sheehan’s while I rode home.

To sum – the Skive rides are taking on their own personality – definitely chilled but with a bite, like a vodka martini, stirred of course unless shaken by the dirt.

We had 14 riders yesterday on our coastal ride, 16 if you count Rick and Denise on Elliptigo.Larry and I were scheduled to meet ay 7AM, somewhere, but we didn’t end up meeting until 7:40 or so, after riding around in circles. I will spare you ALL details, it’s a long story, but it involves many embarrassing mistakes on my part – starting with wrong email regarding intended rendezvous, a broken spoke just a few blocks after leaving my house, rushing to my garage to find another wheel, grabbing the first set of tubes and tires I could get my hands on (which proved disastrous later as I picked the tire that needed to be trashed years ago), calls, texts and more miscommunications with Larry – at some point Larry was at my house while I was basically outside of his house and we were calling each other to figure out where the other one is!

We had better chance of meeting if we just rode around UTC/Clairemont area randomly, instead of trying to coordinate it. We finally rode together to the 56 bike, meeting the group of then about 11, and also picking up Len on the coast.

The pace was surprisingly civil – Rick W. split the group a bit hammering downhill from Solana along Cardiff and I got on his wheel, that was fun. We had a few new riders (Scott and Todd and maybe a few more I am forgetting?). I had a slow leaking flat in Encinitas and changed the tube.
In Carlsbad we tried a new way to bypass some of the coastal traffic, courtesy of John M.

When we got to Oceanside Rick W. was pulling at the front and split off the group again, I found myself chasing and was able to rejoin a small group of 3 just before the "sprint" – Rick pulled for at least 5 min all-out, Sheehan attacked with a mean sprint just before the turn, Todd who had no trouble staying with the group of 4 had no idea what we are doing, I tried to chase Sheehan, and eventually got on his wheel but only because he was slowed down by an SUV that pulled right in front of him.
We stopped in Oceanside for coffee which was longer and more relaxing than we planned – but we decided it’s a "Holiday" Ride.We also ran into Denise and Rick and a large group of Elliptigo riders.
I had to fix another slow leak, flat #2. I decided to ride with Len who had a pump and keep re-pumping the tire.
We had a few animated sprints along the coast, notably involving never-tiring Sheehan, Larry and Ernst. On LaCosta Len and I continued along the coast, while everyone else turned left towards RSF. I got home and my tire was completely flat, again, but I made it – with some help from Len. This is my final descenders ride in 2014, see you in 2015!
Photos: http://goo.gl/gaCcfr
You should have come! (and I probably should have stayed home)

Hi All,

The Skive rides are becoming a regular feature of our weekly riding. The ride this week was only able to bring out Sheehan , Tony and Rob. We met at the bottom of HVR–our usual location for most of the Skive Rides. Sheehan and I had recently climbed the paved section of Stagecoach road and I ventured a bit farther in the dirt. Our plan today was to ride all the way up and make our way to the top of HVR.

Tony is in the middle of his treatments and is riding great. He hung tough all day despite the chemicals coursing through his body. We started along the bottom section of HVR and turned into the nursery just before the start of the climb. Sheehan led us through the dirt trails and over to a steep road that climbs up to the back of The Heritage and the Maderas Water Tower. We wisely skipped the gratuitous climb of the water tower and made our way over to the beginning of Stagecoach Road.

The gate was open so we stopped for a couple of photos with our new mountain lion friend and started up the climb. This road a super nice climb up about 1.7 miles before the pavement ends. It winds up parallel to HVR and heads towards the Eagles Crest neighborhood. As we neared the end of the paved road a pick-up truck stopped us to inform us we were on private roads and would have to leave. We spoke to the owner and got permission to keep climbing and exit out to HVR. It is such a great climb, too bad it will be off-limits for most rides.

After the pavement, the dirt was a bit soft and rutted in places for the next half mile climb to the top gate. We could see Camino Del Aguila just to our north. We got over the gate and hit the end of Eagles Crest Road, just like we do coming out of Camino Del Aguila. The views from the top were gorgeous so we stopped again for more photos. The road went towards HVR but we turned onto Falcon Heights and descended through a few more dirt sections and came back up onto Green Valley Truck Trail. I had ridden these roads before on some earlier explorations–fun loop back to HVR, very near the top.

We decided to descend back down HVR and hit Bandy Canyon. We pushed the pace along Bandy and back west on 78 to Old Milky Way. The climb up Summit was spirited with Tony pushing the pace. We descended down Mary Lane and stopped when we got back to Bear Valley. Tony turned right to head home while Sheehan and I looped across the Lake Hodges pedestrian bridge and back along Pomerado to his house–a fun adventure, almost 35 miles and 3,200 of climbing. Another great Skive Ride in the books.

Rob

Hi All,

The much needed rainstorms on Friday and cold, unsettling weather caused us to delay our Montezuma ride. It will be rescheduled for February, weather cooperating. The Saturday group ride was changed to Lake Wohlford and Couser Canyon. The Sunday ride was scheduled as its normal Recovery Ride. I will briefly recap the weekend rides.

Lake Wohlford, Couser Canyon, West Lilac and Jesmond Dene Loop–Sat, 13 December

The rains were heavy on Friday and the roads were wet. The clouds and rains lingered into early Saturday morning. This was going to depress the number of riders that were going to show for the group ride. I had considered riding to the mall for the start but the weather dissuaded me of that silly idea. I drove to the mall expecting the ride to be cancelled. A large storm cloud drenched the car and roads as I drove towards the mall–it was pouring hard. As I got to the mall and the rains lessoned, I was surprising to see both Sheehan and Ernst riding to the start. I know they got wet. Guido, Bernie and a couple other guys were waiting in cars to see who showed. A number of others had already sent e-mails declining to ride.

Despite the weather, we had a hardy crew of 9 Descenders ready to ride. Beside Ernst and Sheehan, Guido and Bernie; we had Hodges, Geoff B, Zach and a young rider Bernie met on the recent Everest Challenge, Scott Coiner. Scott is a senior at Poway HS and a strong young rider. I made the 9th Descender rider. The Ranchos turn-out was even more bleak; they only had 5 riders show. Matt and Jordan Baab, along with three others. They rolled to our group and we decided to rider together for the first part of the ride. Matt was planning a loop past Harrahs Casino and up Cole Grade. He tried to get us to join them but our group seemed locked into Couser.

We all set off together, climbing Mary Lane and over towards Summit. Matt showed us another road that cuts over to Citrus father north of our normal route–a better, less busy section of road. The roads were still very wet, it was cool and the weather a bit unsettled for the first part of the ride. We all hoping for the sun to break through. The group hit the climb of Lake Wohlford and split apart. Geoff B flatted and Sheehan stopped to help him fix the tire. The rains bring out all the junk on the roads, so we were dodging rocks and dirt, along with road trash; more flats were a possibility. Jordan and Matt flew up the climb followed by Zach, Scott, Bernie and the rest of the now 14 man group. We all waited at the top for the flat change and there was more talk about a group Cole Grade ride. Hodges was knackered and he told us not to wait for him on the ride. When Geoff and Sheehan finally arrived we rode towards Woods Valley where the Ranchos riders headed straight and we took the turn. I was on my bike at 10:11 am on 13 December: that is 10:11 12-13-14–a good omen for future riding for sure!

The Descenders group of nine riders hammered it along Woods Valley with a number of guys hitting the front as we flew along to Valley Center. At the turn, Ernst and Sheehan bugged out while the remaining 6 riders turned onto Lilac. Hodges was back somewhere. Geoff was on point, as he was many times during the ride and I was on his wheel. As we hit the first descents, I backed off since the roads were still a bit wet. I was not comfortable hitting the corners too fast. It was nice watching the group cruise along. I caught them after the right turn at Old Castle and we rode towards Couser Canyon. With each descent, I stayed back to go nice and slow–safe riding. At the bottom of the Couser Canyon descent we all regrouped, took a photo and discussed if anyone wanted to tackle Rice Canyon. The group decided a return home. It was getting warmer, the roads were drying well and it was becoming a beautiful day to ride. We were about to roll when Hodges showed up. You can never keep him down. We were back to 7 riders.

The group cut through the neighborhood and hit the climb up to the Lilac Bridge. Zach, Bernie and I rolled together for most of the climb. The others were right behind. We decided to head down to the bottom of West Lilac and take Camino Del Rey back towards the campground. Geoff and Guido rode hard out front with me and Mike barely hanging on to their wheels. The rest of the guys came up behind us. Scott was very strong for much of the early ride. I will throw it out there now and give him the nickname of "Moneyman", with a name like Coiner and his strong riding it seems like a befitting name. He will develop into a super strong rider and dramatically lower the average age of our riding group. We rolled into the campground needing a bit of rest. The sunshine was now out in full and we sat on the porch with our refreshments enjoying the growing warmth.

Geoff led us out along Old 395. We all rolled to the corner and Zach decided to ride with Scott straight back to the mall while the rest of us went via Jesmond Dene. I burned my remaining matches leading the group on most of the descent. We loop around on El Norte Parkway and through the neighborhoods over the Citrus for the return leg to the mall. The last 5 remaining riders got to the mall just a bit after Zach and Scott arrived. Hodges had to still ride home while the rest of us got out of the now very crowded parking lot. We finished with about 63 miles of beautiful riding and about 4,300 of climbing.

HVR, Bandy, Summit, Via Rancho Parkway, Del Dios and Three Witches Loop–Sunday, 14 December Recovery Ride

Voris had volunteered to host and lead us for the recovery ride since he skipped the Saturday ride. I was tired from Saturday ride and considered driving to RB for the start. I decided to brave the elements and pootle over to meet the rest of the riders. It was cold when I finally got going about 7:30 am. The roads were dry and it was expected to be a nice day. I rolled to the top of Black Mountain Road and behind the mountain–no sun was making its way to those roads yet. It got colder as I rode east. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good sized group waiting at the corner of Pomerado and RB Roads. There was our host, Voris, along with Oleg and Larry who had ridden from the coast, John and Len, along with Ernst–back for more after the short ride yesterday. I rounded out the group–7 riders.

It was still very cold by my standards as we huddled near the corner. Voris said he expected Hodges to ride so we waited for a few more minutes and then rolled away slowly. The final quote I heard was, "We will ride slow so Mike can catch us." That lasted until we got to the first light. Recovery ride?–I was already hurting. We flew along the bottom of HVR to the climb. It was a spirited assent with Oleg and Larry in front, then Voris and me holding the wheel of Ernst as we all regrouped at the corner of Bandy when Len and John joined. Bandy was still in the shade and it was a brisk descent out to the 78. That is a busy road and we kept in a line until the turn onto Old Milky Way.

The climb up Summit was warming and then back down Mary Lane towards the mall. The sun was out but the temperature was not climbing fast enough as we rolled along Via Rancho Parkway. The group split on the way to Lake Drive, then regrouped at the top on Del Dios, except John M. He took the direct route and passed in front of us while we waited for Len. The group was all together as we descended down Del Dios and up into RSF. We split a bit as we made our way to the scheduled stop at Cafe Positano–coffee break time.

The coffee was good and the croissants even better. Voris needed his coffee with a splash of soy, a bit high maintenance but he drank most of his highly sweetened concoction. We sat around in the sun and discussed past rides and upcoming Monster Climb details. Oleg said every ride should have a coffee break. Seems like a good idea to me. The break could not last all morning so we eventually continued to pedal with a climb up Three Witches and loop into Santaluz. Ernst and Len rode north on Camino del Sur as we went into Santaluz. I stopped by to see if Bob Proulx was home while the rest of the guys headed back for the bike path and home.

Oleg and Larry get the awards for early 6:30 am cold riding and long rides of the day. Thanks for Voris for hosting our ride. I got home with 51 miles and 3,600 feet of climbing, nice recovery ride. Attached are a few photos–more will be posted to the shared albums on our Shutterfly account.

Rob

Hi All,

I missed the big Saturday ride of Mussey & Pamo but did manage to join in for the Sunday recovery ride and our Skive ride this week. Below are brief summary ride reports for both rides.

Recovery Ride–Sunday, 7 December–Coastal Explore

We all met on the bike path at the corner of Black Mountain. Riders included Mike H, Bryan J, Peter, Steve, Eric G and Rob. Hodges graciously volunteered to host and lead the ride. We rolled down the bike path toward PCH. After a little side route we crossed under I-5 but turned north on Portofino Drive instead of continuing to PCH. This was the start of our Del Mar and Solana Beach explore. Mike took us along nice neighborhood side roads like Mango Drive and Crest Way to get lots of great views. We eventually made our way north past the race track and into more neighborhoods, climbing up Nardo Ave toward Solana Beach. We did a few dead-end loops of gratuitous climbing that added to the fun.

There was talk of going to get coffee at Java Depot or Zumbar but we never made it there. We rode north along PCH to the Kooky Surfer intersection where Bryan had to return back towards home. Mike kept us going north past Swami’s and back to La Costa Ave. We headed inland but took a right turn onto Piraeus Street, which headed back south on the east side of I-5. We climbed up Sky Loft Road into more neighborhoods, eventually making our way towards Leucadia.

There was now talk of getting coffee in RSF so we headed inland to Olivenhain and up Camino Del Norte to Lago Lido. Eric G decided to head towards Del Dios and loop back to Poway when we regrouped at Lago Lindo. We were down to four riders. As we rolled toward the center of RSF, we all decided to skip coffee and ride up Three Witches and back to the bike path. I got home with a fun 50 mile recovery ride loop and lots of new roads.

Skive Ride–Tuesday, 9 December–Mary Lane, Summit, Bandy, HVR, Maderas Water Tower and Stagecoach Road

The Skive Ride this week was only Sheehan and me. All the other riders were contributing to the growth of our GDP. I drove to Dave’s house and we rode to the start–the bottom of HVR. Since it was only the two of us, it was easy to decide a route. Sheehan proposed a route that would get us back towards his new favorite climb–the Maderas Water Tower in The Heritage.

We rode towards the Lake Hodges pedestrian bridge before getting a flat–found a very small sliver of steel in the tire. We managed to blow up one spare tube before fixing Dave’s rear tire. We were now out of spare tubes and CO2 canisters and the ride just started. It was a beauty am so we rode off towards Mary Lane. We climbed toward Summit and descended down to the road that parallels 78 by the Wild Animal Park. We took turns at the front, keeping a good pace for a hooky ride.

We turned onto Bandy Canyon, climbed to HVR and descended down toward the Mule Hill Trail. Sheehan took us left, instead of right toward Mule Hill. This trail cuts through a nursery and up a steep road to the back entrance of The Heritage. The climb up to the water tower is fairly short, but steep and painful. We rested at the top for a few minutes before heading to the road I wanted to explore.

The way to leave The Heritage has us head towards Espola. We turned early and climbed up Stagecoach Road that end at a gate. We easily went around the gate to climb a great road that heads all the way up to the Eagle Crest neighborhood off of HVR. It is about a 2 mile climb and then the road becomes a dirt segment to get to another gate. I climbed up towards the gate but did not actually make it back onto pavement. At the top where we hit dirt, Dave stayed while I did the final exploration. Dave and I could tell where we were in relation to the climb up Camino Del Aquilo so our plan to go all the way to HVR soon. We had enough climbing for the ride. The descent is wicked fast and there are no cars–great fun.

We finally exited back out onto Espola and looped around to his house, only 30 miles but more than 3,000 feet of climbing. Good ratio and a fun skive ride. I have attached some photos from both rides.

See you out on the roads again soon-
Rob

Hi All,

Lots of riders, great weather and a fun weekend on the road. I will briefly recap the weekend Descender groups rides.

HVR and Old Julian Loop-Sat, 29 Nov

This was the planned group ride and we had a good turn-out–12 riders met up at the corner of Pomerado and RB. Oleg, Voris, Larry, Rick & Denise, Rick W, Eric R, Sheehan, Ernst, Rob, Claus and Tony. I was late getting over to Casa Voris and by the time I got there it looked like everyone had already left. I pedaled quickly toward Pomerado where I saw Denise heading north. I finally was able to close the gap so we rode together until we caught Oleg and Larry at the light at Ted Williams. The group rode toward the RB meeting spot with Rick B catching us in the final mile. Voris was late but we all gathered and rolled by 8:05 toward HVR.

The pace along the early sections of HVR was tame but the group split along the climb with Eric R and Rick B busting out to the front. Oleg and Larry were also driving the pace up HVR. Denise was super strong all day with a nice climb up past the Bandy turn out still fast up the second set of HVR climbs. Rick B led his yellow school bus pace, sweeping up climbers along the way. Rick allowed me to catch a ride behind his bus for some of the last steep sections. It was a beautiful morning and the HVR climb epitomizes the beauty of cycling in San Diego county.

We all regrouped at the corner of Archie Moore before rolling off toward Ramona. Sheehan loves to push the pace o the flats so he sped away with Voris and one other rider to beat the pack to the light at Hwy 67. We rode a nice paceline but Sheehan, Eric R and Rick W spun away from the group to fight it out for the win the the San Vicente light, not sure who won I was so far behind.

We headed straight to Old Julian as a group before things started to spread out on the climb. Rick W got a flat before the turn and Rick B stopped to help him. I hit the front fairly early on the climb to take a photo before falling way back. I was riding hard up the climb when Tony spun by my wheel. We rode together up the final mile when we heard Ernst closing fast. The three of us headed to the top of the climb where we ran out of gas. Tony and I spun together along the flats to find Larry and Oleg resting up by the weather vane near the very end of Old Julian.

The group headed south at a very quick pace. Claus and I could not keep up despite pedaling hard back to Ramona. We finally regrouped at the Chevron gas station where we all got some needed refreshments–thanks for the Pepsi, Oleg! We rolled from the gas station to head back to Dye Road. Claus and I were out front at the turn onto Dye–Claus took the point and pedaled strong. I hid on his wheel and glanced over my shoulder every so often to see if the peloton could close the gap–Claus was too strong. Despite a final push by a handful of riders Claus and I got back to Hwy 67 with the lead. There are a split at the intersection with Claus, Sheehan, Tony and Eric R heading back down HVR. One four man group–Oleg, Larry, Voris and Rick W went out front on Hwy 67 while Rick B pulled Denise, Ernst and me along past Mount Woodson. At High Valley, Ernst and I headed west while Rick and Denise kept riding along 67. The other four-man group was long gone.

Ernst and I had a nice spin down High Valley. Great views of Lake Poway along the top. We split at the bottom and I pootled home with 72 miles and 4,800 feet of climbing; even a new PR on HVR climb but still well behind most of the Descenders after I did a quick check of the stats on Strava. Great group ride.

SPP, Pomerado and Black Mountain Recovery Ride-Sun, 30 Nov

I was late getting out of bed and wavered in my decision to ride today. A short rain shower hit my house just before I left, another push to skip the ride. I eventually got motivated and spun over to the 7-11 store to find Ernst and Eric G waiting for me. After some deliberation on a route we decided to ride up to SPP and head west on Pomerado. No one pushed the pace and we rode as a group to Pomerado. The first climb took out what little leg we had left but Ernst seemed to find another gear flying down Pomerado through Scripps Ranch and over I-15.

We turned north on Black Mountain Road and cruised over Mira Mesa, down to Mercy and then back up the hill to the 56. There was a biker that we passed on the fast descent that now passed us on the early part of the climb. He was on an electric bike. I caught him at the Park Village light and then tried to stay out front on the final climb–not! He sped by me well before we hit the apex of the climb. The group decided to continue north on Black Mountain. At the top of the road Ernst and Eric headed right through 4S toward home while I went left to cruise past Westview HS and head for home. It was a nice 30 mile recovery loop.

Fun weekend of rides–lots to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Ride on-
Rob

Hi All,

We had another fun Skive Ride this week. Hodges had taken me, Bryan Jones and Bob P on the Lake Hodges Trails for the Sunday Recovery ride a few days before; Mike out did himself for the Skive Ride.

We met up at our usual spot at the start of HVR. It was Mike, Sheehan, me and Steve Bosowski, a new rider who has been on one of our recent Sunday Recovery Rides. Steve and his friend, Peter, are both good riders. We hope to see them become full time Descenders soon. Sheehan and I were late as we were chatting with Dave Ernst who had stopped by Sheehan’s house but was not able to break away from work for the ride. By the time Sheehan and I rolled up, Hodges had convinced Steve we needed to do some BWR training. Mike outlined a ride that mostly consisted of dirt trails and off we went, just like pigs to the slaughter.

We cruised over the pedestrian bridge and to the start of the Mule Hill Trail. This was a nice warm-up of mostly hard packed dirt, only a few soft spots and rocks. We rode over to where the trail hit HVR and climbed up to Bandy Canyon. The descent was nice and smooth until we took the turn at Isabel Creek. This dirt road is a washed out, bumpy mess that cut us over to Hwy 78 where Mike led us toward the end of Bandy Canyon Road. We immediately turned off Bandy and rode the San Dieguito Trail, which basically parallels Bandy Canyon until you turn towards the climb up Raptor Ridge.

Our riding as a small group had been exemplary thus far, we seemed to have a handle on the BWR segments. Hodges led us most of the time on the trails. Sheehan followed close behind. Steve was next and I usually swept to make sure no one got lost. Along a soft section of trail with a wooded fence line to our left, Sheehan got his front wheel stuck and did a nice slow rollover the front of his bike. Steve seemed to have plenty of time to slow but somehow locked up his front brake and went over his bike, almost on top of Sheehan. Our first bit of road carnage. No serious issues so we were back cruising along in a jiffy.

The climbs to the top of Raptor Ridge were great, there was only one small section that was too steep, too soft and had too many ruts for me to ride up. I got off for a slow "walk of shame" to the rise. We relaxed and took in the great views from the lookout spot. The descents off Raptor Ridge were a bit harrowing. We all managed to keep the speed under control, rubber side down and only got off the bike for one small rocky section. We were just about done with all the potential hazards when Steve hit the last sharp rock on the trail before getting back to HVR, he immediately flatted his front tubeless tire.

Mike and Steve were a nice respite and comic relief to me and Sheehan as we watched them try to fix the tire. Mike first attempted to pump it up–no joy. He then took off the edge of the tire from the rim to discover that the tire was full of white liquid for the tubeless tire. Liquid dripped from his hands and the tire lever that he had now placed between his teeth, lovely sight. Steve managed to get out a tube and put in the tire. We were back riding in no time.

Sheehan liked this off road stuff so much he offered to get us to the Water Tower via some dirt sections. We crossed HVR and went through one of the many tree nurseries out there. We climbed up dirt and then a steep road to get to an even steeper road that got us to the Water Tower. This tower is in The Heritage development and allows for great views. We eventually safely descended back to the road and headed towards the exit on Espola. Sheehan again suggested more dirt so we took the Old Coach Trail and looped back toward his Valle Verde neighborhood. This was mostly packed dirt trails but we did have to hike-a-bike up to a steep road that got us to St Andrews Road. We rode together, past Casa Ernst, and got to Sheehan’s house in need of water.

Dave and I were done–less than 30 miles, most of it on dirt. Mike and Steve got water and resumed their treks towards home. Thanks Mike for hosting a fun and eventful skive Ride.

Rob

Descenders, today we had a nice post-Thanksgiving ride to burn off some calories consumed over Thanksgiving dinner. For me this was the second ride longer than 5 miles in a month, so it was nice to see the guys again and ride at somewhat leisurely pace (for a change). I rode over to 56/BMR meeting spot leaving the house at 6:30 – the forecast called for a warm day so I dressed lightly but on the ride over I dipped into two different canyons with recorded air temperature of 43F, which was a bit too chilly for my fingers, ears and toes – even if only riding through those cold areas for a 5 min at a time.

I met John M. and Rob, and soon Guido rolled in. Rob was only going to ride a little bit and then loop back. We rode to the coast and picked up Larry at I-5, just after Rob peeled off to go back. The four of us rode together steady with minimal regrouping or breaking up, except for a brief stop to examine John’s shifter that stopped working due to broken spring – John figured a way to make it work temporarily and we were off again.

It was a great day on the coast, nice sunny and warm. We stopped at Carlsbad for coffee and pastries, somewhat defeating the original calorie-burning plan – but it was nice to sit down like civilized people and chat.

On the way back John showed us an awesome bike path shortcut that bypasses a lot of busy stops through Carlsbad – we should adopt it in the future! At La Costa we decided to keep going along the coast, again, with no regrouping needed – John and Guido turned towards 56 bike while Larry and I continued along the coast back home.

I got 78 miles and haven’t burn any matches, saving some for a ride tomorrow (in case you forgot, tomorrow we go up HVR to Old Julian).

Great day to be riding while most of East Coast is covered in snow.

You should have come. Photos below.

Descenders:

Some of you, or is it just Rob(?), wanted to hear how the Del Mar Triathlon went on Sunday morning.

A quick reminder the Del Mar Tri is a short, and "reverse" event at 5k run (maybe less), 15k bike, and 200M swim (8 laps in the pool). It’s family oriented and lots of newbies attend given the vast number of steel beach cruiser type bikes in attendance. Of course that didn’t stop several entrants from bringing their $10k carbon spec Tri bikes, and wearing skin suits. Quite the contrast. It’s limited to 275 entrants (plus additional 5k only runners). For the Tri 128 men attended, and 102 women, for 230 actual attendees.

I did a longer, but still short, Tri a couple of years ago at Camp Pendleton – and comically barely finished the opening 500M swim. My only previous Tri.

The opening 5k run goes over the Cathedral Catholic campus plus down and up an adjoining hill. Being me I went out to fast, imploded just after mile 2 (did my watch really say 12 minutes?), and stumbled home the last mile or so (Strava said the run was only 2.9 miles, not 3.1 miles, whatever). The chip says my time is 22:10, for a ranking of 24 out of the 128 men, and 3 of of 15 in my 50-54 age group.

Next is the transition area among the 230 bikes to retrieve my bike and gear. This is where it gets hilarious. Even though I’m gasping for air after the run, and my legs are a bit shaky, I still run among the bikes and yank off my shoes, put on the bike shoes, helmet, and glasses, and take a quick swig of water. My chip gave me a transition time of 1:21. Well that is the second slowest transition time among the top 30 finishers – slow! The top 15 guys took about 40 seconds. I don’t get it. At 1:21 my transition time is 75 out of 128, and 9 out of 15 in the AQ. So bad.

The 15k ride left the campus and headed south, dived down the curvy 17% grade (dangerous) below HWY 56, then turned left on the HWY 56 bike path. A modest 500′ climb ensued for a few miles up to the Camino Ruiz turnaround. With my clip-on aero bars on my Felt I get a good rhythm going, while wearing my board short swim trunks and a tee shirt – ok it was one of those "performance tee’s" at least. Riders are few and far between at this point on the outbound route and I manage to pass a few. The out-and-back return route is mostly downhill with lots of riders now headed the opposite way but everyone stayed on the proper side of the cones so all good. I may be a bottom-half Descender but in the (short) Tri world that’s not the case it appears. My sub 30-minute time put me 13 out of 128, and 3 out of the 15 in the AQ. Proving that running and riding use different leg muscles, or thereabouts, the suffering from the run didn’t impair the leg strength much. Nobody rode around me on the bike.

After the ride another transition area to unload the bike and gear, pull off the shoes and the "performance" tee, and hit the pool. How long can 200M take – a few minutes? After 3 laps (8 total) I’m in trouble, and that’s after I deliberately ease off. Laps 4 to 6 are a suffer-fest, but how bad can it be in a heated pool? I end up getting passed by 2 (or 4?) other swimmers. So much for blowing by riders in the previous leg on the bike! By now my form is gone and I’m spending more energy flailing that actually moving forward – whatever just finish. Out of the water, finally, and across the finish line. Yeah! The swim results: a time of 6:12 for 200M, or 60 out of 128, and 7 out of 15 in the AQ. Michael Phelps I’m not. By comparison, the overall finishers near my overall result did the swim about 2 minutes quicker, and several had sub 4 times. Oh well.

Bottom line: Time of 59:41.5 – 20 out of 128 (and 23 out of 230), and 3 out of 15 in the AQ. As Rick said, I made the podium. Thanks to the Descenders for making me a decent bike rider. Overall a fun time – the only thing that matters.

You should have come!

Dave E