Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/2427567
Admittedly, I didn't want to do this morning's ride when I first heard about it. Too cold and I already had ride plans for the following days. However, after finding out all who were attending, it just felt wrong to pass it up. PV set this up and got Galen, Shannon, Gary, Vince, Todd, Adrian, Verm and Mitchell to come out and play. Can you already tell what kind of ride it was going to be?
Temperature-wise, it wasn't really as cold as I thought it was going to be. While most of us wore arm and leg warmers, a base layer and jersey worked out for me where I didn't even shiver once. Given the pace was pretty aggressive early on, it didn't take much to warm up at all.
We had a really good pace going through Anteater and subsequently up the first Shady rise. It may have gotten a little strung out though on the latter. Shannon decided to do a little extra credit by taking the long way around the gate, but there were about 5 of us who jumped on the sidewalk together to head up the Shady bike trail. Todd, Galen and PV were taking turns before I got up front to help out. After crossing the last wooden bridge, Galen started to open it up and broke away for a bit. He had a pretty good lead, but I was able to slowly reel him in before we got to the very top. In doing so, alarms were going off in my head though reminding me we still had a lot of miles to go.
Galen and I regrouped at the bottom and continued on to Quail Hill. We didn't see anyone behind us, so we spun all the way to Laguna Canyon where we decided we would wait for everyone. After sitting for a couple minutes, we decided someone must have had a mechanical so we started to head back. When we saw the group making their way towards us (after addressing Adrian's flat tire), we busted a U-turn and got together with the group again.
Instead of making our way straight to Barranca, we turned early on Alton only to realize after that it's safer to cross the freeway on Barranca. We made a left on Irvine Center Drive and got back on Barranca where we did start to do some rotations to keep the pace up. This continued on through Alton and Irvine Blvd.
When we got to Bake, I led us out at a semi-aggressive pace and the group seemed to start splintering early. Shannon decided to display his hill climbing dominance and snapped me off, but working with Galen, we were able to get back up to him before making the right on Portola. Once we got on Portola, both PV and Todd ended up being behind us as well with Vince catching up to us by the left turn to Glenn Ranch. Sweet!
On Glenn Ranch, Shannon started us off but Galen decided to push the pace and broke away. I decided to stroke it out rather than try to match his initial pace, and this helped to allow me just to get past him where he jumped on my rear wheel. Then out of nowhere, PV passed us both where Galen cheered him on. I had some legs still, so I gave chase and got to the fire hydrant at the top ahead of him. PV did jump up front on the downhill where I followed and we both worked together to get to Cooks where we wanted to regroup and do the canyons together with everyone else. Of course, when Todd arrived just behind us, he was like "WTF? BAM doesn't wait." HA HA.
When we took off up the canyons, I led us up initially but PV in typical fashion passed stroking the bigger gear and breaking off from the rest of us. We do get by him eventually with Shannon and Todd helping, and 5 of us got split off from the others to make a run down the canyon.
After corralling PV and his passing, we actually had a pretty good paceline going as we headed down and through the canyons. It was Como Street-esque. Fast pace, short pulls, and constant rotations. Sa-weet! Unfortunately, just before the lake entrance, Galen got a flat where we stopped to let him repair it. The other guys rolled up shortly after and also waited.
Once we got going again, it was nice to be in a bigger paceline where everyone took a turn (whether they wanted to or not...ha ha). I think I was up front at the base of dump and worried that I was a little cooked prior to heading up. I believe PV took the front again, but Todd got past me and him and got a little gap on me. I was creeping up a little bit when Vince got by and the three of us started giving it all we got for the rest of the hill. I think Vince got to the top first, but Todd and I were right behind. Shannon was likely behind me as he was the first one to pass and work back into the rotation. Vince, in his infinite madness, decided to all out sprint on the last rise before Jamboree, so that was "fun."
On Jamboree, the paceline was pretty much organized chaos at this point and the pulls were more random than anything else. This still kept the pace up obviously, but made for more interval type training than anything else.
After a brake check for LTJ on Portola, we were headed down the bike trail with the rotations a bit more organized but nothing like the canyons. There were people and dogs walking around, so we did what we could to keep manage the madness.
The pace stayed high on Harvard, and once we arrived on the bike trail after Barranca, there was no way I was going to be in the back with this group. What's funny was I jumped all the way up to the front from the back just to hit the bridge first. Of course, in typical BAM fashion, I took off just after exiting the bridge. HA HA. I was caught shortly after, but I pity the fool(s) who were in the back.
The rest of the bike trail was with just everyone working as best as they could to keep the pace up and stay together. Galen took off just as soon as we got parallel to University (sadistic SOB) so I chased him down and took the next pull, which I knew would be the last one before California. vince and Verm ended up coming around for a final charge to the light.
When we started heading up California, I was saying how we were all honored to ride up with the current KOM owner (Verm). Verm took off after the 2nd light, and I jumped on his rear wheel for a bit and held his pace. Since I felt recovered, I thought I'd make it interesting and pick up the pace some more. I didn't realize no one would come with. By the top of California, Garmin showed a 21.2 average. It dropped to 21.1 when I finally stopped the timer.
Now PV was somewhat mocking those of us who rode (and rode hard) yesterday somehow believing that would factor into today's ride. If it did, I'd hate to think what we would have done had we taken yesterday off. These guys are ANIMALS (I love animals). I'm ready for a beer. Who's with me?
Thank for setting this up, PV, and to all those who came out today!
Beer it up!
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