Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/86054622
Mondays and Wednesdays during lunch are the unspoken TT training ride days...so much so that those of us who come out on them don't usually coordinate or plan them. We just show up. I rode alone last week, but today it was nice to see that Todd had come in with his TT bike too. This doesn't mean only guys on TT bikes can ride as Jaffe and Hiroshi also came out on their road bikes and opted to join us as well. The bonus for them is that they get to sit in the draft all they want on these days, but the down side is trying to keep up. Shannon had arrived late at the gym with his road bike also, but he had hills on the mind and opted to do a a solo double Pelican route instead.
Todd had called out the El Morro route, and I thought that might be a fun one to do with him. We talked beforehand whether we were going to do so individually or work as a team, and he opted for the latter, which meant it was going to be a fast one (i.e. E-ticket ride).
The pace is always fast in the beginning simply because the TT bikes seem to have a mind of their own...or a motor. Despite the pace down California and on the University bike trail, Jaffe and Hiroshi hung on. When we arrived at the top of Back Bay, it was still considered "closed" but that was more for vehicles than anything else since people were still riding and running through it. The gate was half way open to let a work truck out or in, so Todd took the opportunity to take off as he hit the descent. He gapped us pretty quickly, but closing in with my own TT bike made it possible for me to catch up and ride with him. However, the sudden acceleration was too much for Steve and Hiroshi, and they dropped off shortly after entering BB behind us.
They were still working the bushes beside the trails, so Todd and I had to check up a lot as we went through a section with a lot of debris on the road. It wasn't too long, but it was enough to break the momentum. Once we got past it though, we were off again.
As we neared San Joaquin, there were people walking across the whole width of the road since the gate ahead of them was closed. I guess they didn't realize cyclists and runners used the road too. We had to check up a lot for them as well and then after passing through them had to pretty much ride our bike on the gravel beside the gate to keep going. No fun, Indy.
Todd and I pushed on after that where Todd decided we should just go up NPC instead on our return route. Due to the detour, we opted to take the bike trail by the trailer park to make up for some of the lost mileage.
We traded pulls on PCH as we headed up to and past Jamboree, and had to once again slow for some more work being down on the side of the road before downtown CDM. Downtown CDM was equally troublesome due to traffic, a truck that decided to stop on the 2nd lane just ahead us and thus blocked traffic, and just trying to keep safe making riding together difficult. Plus, Todd doesn't slow down much so there were a couple instances of gaps formed that needed closing.
We were together again once we were exiting downtown, and the trading pulls resumed. We saw two guys ahead of us and realized it was Hiroshi and Jaffe, who skipped the trailer park bike trail, so we were in chase mode. We were able to catch them before El Morro and had called out to them as we were starting to pass to have them jump on, which they did.
When we turned around, Todd and I kept pushing on with our pulls, and found ourselves alone again before NPC. I started us up on the hill, but I knew Todd would hold a better pace where I ended up latching on as he passed me. I stayed there for as long as I could, but after the last light before the 2nd Pelican, he started to gap me. I didn't let up too much though and pushed on hoping to not let him get away at the top with a lucky light. I wasn't far behind him, but he got through the Vista light ahead of me where I had to stop for the red. Fortunately, he got caught at the next light and I was able to catch up to him there.
When we got going down NPC, I had the initial lead but Todd took the lead shortly after and led us all the way down to the 73. I was a little behind, but made up ground by that point and passed to take the lead for the rest of the way down.
On Bonita Canyon and all the way back, we just pushed all the way back leaving us with an average of over 22 mph (Strava knocked mine down .2 again from what my Garmin read). Considering all the obstacles we encountered, this was pretty impressive. It's even faster than the last time we did a similar route with more of us out there albeit on road bikes. I still don't know how I got a PR on NPC while on my TT bike, but that's how hard we were pushing today. Compared to the Saturday sufferfest though, there wasn't anything we could do today (in my mind) that would be comparable. Whatever works, right?
Good training ride today, gents! Thanks!
Mondays and Wednesdays during lunch are the unspoken TT training ride days...so much so that those of us who come out on them don't usually coordinate or plan them. We just show up. I rode alone last week, but today it was nice to see that Todd had come in with his TT bike too. This doesn't mean only guys on TT bikes can ride as Jaffe and Hiroshi also came out on their road bikes and opted to join us as well. The bonus for them is that they get to sit in the draft all they want on these days, but the down side is trying to keep up. Shannon had arrived late at the gym with his road bike also, but he had hills on the mind and opted to do a a solo double Pelican route instead.
Todd had called out the El Morro route, and I thought that might be a fun one to do with him. We talked beforehand whether we were going to do so individually or work as a team, and he opted for the latter, which meant it was going to be a fast one (i.e. E-ticket ride).
The pace is always fast in the beginning simply because the TT bikes seem to have a mind of their own...or a motor. Despite the pace down California and on the University bike trail, Jaffe and Hiroshi hung on. When we arrived at the top of Back Bay, it was still considered "closed" but that was more for vehicles than anything else since people were still riding and running through it. The gate was half way open to let a work truck out or in, so Todd took the opportunity to take off as he hit the descent. He gapped us pretty quickly, but closing in with my own TT bike made it possible for me to catch up and ride with him. However, the sudden acceleration was too much for Steve and Hiroshi, and they dropped off shortly after entering BB behind us.
They were still working the bushes beside the trails, so Todd and I had to check up a lot as we went through a section with a lot of debris on the road. It wasn't too long, but it was enough to break the momentum. Once we got past it though, we were off again.
As we neared San Joaquin, there were people walking across the whole width of the road since the gate ahead of them was closed. I guess they didn't realize cyclists and runners used the road too. We had to check up a lot for them as well and then after passing through them had to pretty much ride our bike on the gravel beside the gate to keep going. No fun, Indy.
Todd and I pushed on after that where Todd decided we should just go up NPC instead on our return route. Due to the detour, we opted to take the bike trail by the trailer park to make up for some of the lost mileage.
We traded pulls on PCH as we headed up to and past Jamboree, and had to once again slow for some more work being down on the side of the road before downtown CDM. Downtown CDM was equally troublesome due to traffic, a truck that decided to stop on the 2nd lane just ahead us and thus blocked traffic, and just trying to keep safe making riding together difficult. Plus, Todd doesn't slow down much so there were a couple instances of gaps formed that needed closing.
We were together again once we were exiting downtown, and the trading pulls resumed. We saw two guys ahead of us and realized it was Hiroshi and Jaffe, who skipped the trailer park bike trail, so we were in chase mode. We were able to catch them before El Morro and had called out to them as we were starting to pass to have them jump on, which they did.
When we turned around, Todd and I kept pushing on with our pulls, and found ourselves alone again before NPC. I started us up on the hill, but I knew Todd would hold a better pace where I ended up latching on as he passed me. I stayed there for as long as I could, but after the last light before the 2nd Pelican, he started to gap me. I didn't let up too much though and pushed on hoping to not let him get away at the top with a lucky light. I wasn't far behind him, but he got through the Vista light ahead of me where I had to stop for the red. Fortunately, he got caught at the next light and I was able to catch up to him there.
When we got going down NPC, I had the initial lead but Todd took the lead shortly after and led us all the way down to the 73. I was a little behind, but made up ground by that point and passed to take the lead for the rest of the way down.
On Bonita Canyon and all the way back, we just pushed all the way back leaving us with an average of over 22 mph (Strava knocked mine down .2 again from what my Garmin read). Considering all the obstacles we encountered, this was pretty impressive. It's even faster than the last time we did a similar route with more of us out there albeit on road bikes. I still don't know how I got a PR on NPC while on my TT bike, but that's how hard we were pushing today. Compared to the Saturday sufferfest though, there wasn't anything we could do today (in my mind) that would be comparable. Whatever works, right?
Good training ride today, gents! Thanks!
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