Because of either time constraints or afternoon commitments there were two rides formed for Sunday. Mt. Hamilton and the other a local loop via Mission Blvd, 84 Niles Rd, Foothill Rd, Dublin Canyon Rd.
I chose to meet up with ride leader Jack for the Mt. Hamilton ride since the starting location was just 4 miles from my house. Johnny rode up to my house and then we proceeded to Piedmont/Sierra Road where we met up with Jack, TonyC, and Rodge.
The five of us started up Penitencia Creek Road towards Alum Rock Park and took a detour to Crothers Road to reach Mt. Hamilton Road. Johnny rode up part way on Mt. Hamilton Road then had to leave us and head back. TonyC, Jack, Rodge and I continued on.
On our way up, the road became foggy. We decided it would be safe just to continue up to Grant Ranch Park then turn around. During the our ride, our discussions mostly covered any thing to do bikes, biking, (of course :)) and health. It was a good ride. Jack, TonyC and Rodge got to try out Crothers Road.
Here is the route we took for this ride.
Grant Ranch Park Ride at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail: GPS, Photos & Geotagging!
Elevation Chart
Grade Chart
11 comments:
thx bob 4 the write up, foremost, good 2 know you guys were all safe and sound and i commend you specifically 4 providing the discretion needed at that point weather to head up hamilton or not. i humbly submit that one valuable lesson learned here moving forward (and this is to the whole team) is i think is the art of listening - as u know i've set up the initial hamilton ride, cancelled it due to this possible fallout from the heavy rain which did manifest itself. I even tried to send out a last miniute alert on a heavy flog advisory sunday @8.03 am (see mt. hamilton blog below). Discretion after all is the greater part of valor, and it is the safety of the entire team one should always consider. Peace out.
Monsieur Manny, your panic botton has hairline trigger but it's ok, Better safe than sorry ;) though better yet the next time we can all show up for a ride if in case the weather turns really bad we can cancel it and have a fatty breakfast instead. We can call it Topsilog Ride LOL ;D
Sir Rodge thanks for the feedback w/c i highly regard, & you're right, i tend to err on the side of caution - since i cannot reproduce another father for a child, a son for a mother, an brother, or a sister. Rewind back a few rides, and we did have a "slight mishap" on hamilton with perfect weather conditions..now with the predisposing factors such as rain, cold weather, heavy fog is there any other option except to have a hairline trigger?:-) Peace brother, Manny (p.s. let's have that fatty breakfast anyway, i'll be riding up morrison canyon this week weather permitting;-)
I am use to cancel rides on the day of the ride, not 3 days before.There will always be an alternate route on that day say " to change course."I don't want any " adrenaline rush" hampered.Ride between rain,a glimpse of the sun on a gloomy day, a misty morning. There will always be a silver lining, unless it is really pouring cats and dogs initially.Lock, stock and barrell get on your rain bike.
Monsieur Madone - u are the person who introduced me to the siclista's and I've always had a high regard for you (and still do). On this point though, I would be to differ. The ride was canceled 3 days before because I based it on my recent experience (and we do learn through experience) on riding on a post-rain condition - I went through roads were still wet, road was strewn with leaves, twigs and rocks. I did not want to wait for the last minute to cancel so that there would have been ample time to prepare for another ride route - after all, we can always do these high altitude climbs later. We should bear in mind that there is a world of difference between a "regular ride" and a "high altitude ride" such as mt. hamilton - a regular ride would be more impervious to post-rain conditions unlike high altitude climbs were it be more susceptible to post-rain/cold weather conditions such as ice, fog (w/c we saw). The rush you mentioned is exactly the other point I would like to counterpoint - given that a group congregated on the ride site has that adrenaline rush, it would take a very level headed person to prevail against the "rush" to ride up (for high altitude climbs) no matter what. This is why it would be better in my estimation that for high altitude rides, any preconditions that may exist (weather forcast being our best barometer, and even up the ride day if it does rain before), the ride should be cancelled - better to stay home than nurse a road rash i guess is what my grandma used to say:-)
Get over it guy's! pakulo lang ni Benjiee yun! we ol had fun in anyways! cum'on let's set a 75mi flat ride, anyone interested in leading such ride? roll time is 8:30??? jomo
Rush sure rhymes with rash.After all these, i should have been discreet.But i think i owe you an explanation. My opinion againts cancelling the ride 3 days before should describe just like a sinking feeling, were the battle is already lost before it even started.Being with FFBC for 8years now,I am more inclined to see ride cancellation at the day of the ride. a) avoid confusion,b) call to ride leader is established and launch a protocol (SOP) as follows: raining day of ride?,on the hour +30,able to stage an alt route.prepare to scramble rain gears: oil skin,mud guard,decrease tire pressure etc.We do such action since we record all our milage to obtain a certificate of recognition at the end of the year for at least 1000+ miles.( pedal pounders on FFBC web site) This is how "Gung Ho" riders are created.Thats how we are accustomed to together with Jack, a fellow FFBC'er.However, I understand that our club is a "blogger" club. A free for all. No officers/president and the like. We intent to keep it that way.Hope, you undestand how "Gung Ho" riders are created.I ride in the rain if necessary and i enjoy getting wet if need be and that is a fact and i am not alone. The Tierra Bella April 2007 yielded 900 crazies on bicycles on a pouring rain. 3 siclistas were also there. Yours truly,John V and Benjie(with thy permision Sir Jonh and Sir Ben)Setting that aside, do you really believe that we will continue to navigate Mt Ham under adverse conditions? We are not heedlees.Your warning concurrent with the weather channel sunk deep into our handlebars. We established a "switch and bait ride" with intent to continue to MT Ham or abort without prejudice if the weather continue to hampered our progress.The landfall was Grant Park. Time constraint and a sitting fog bank ahead with Rodge and Bob has to go by 12nn, only Jack and Me were left to draw lots. Alas, mother nature wins.Well,adrenaline was alleviated and we all head for home.So,Just like our Ancestor Chief Joseph, Lets draw our peace pipe and pipe down and up and shove this discussion like an old captain's log book and "ring it off,sail on".After all,we are all men in thighs aren't we?What about a handshake and get it over with, or I say a toast of merlot or let us make it classy, GATORADE. LOL See you on the rode Monsieur Manny.
"ESPRIT DE CORPS"
Tama! Nothing is serious here sa Siclista except your personal training. Sabi nga nila ang mainis talo :) Can't you take a joke LOL :D
Hey guys, I'm cool on this, like u guys said this is a open, free-form forum, and is it not better to discuss than later mistrust??
All's I'm really saying is very plain and simple (it's laughable): we're all grown men now, no longer teenagers or players or "bahala-na" types - we've got responsibilities, kids, wives, jobs - this means every plan we execute has to be met with (1)common sense, and (2) caution so that we're not just saving our behinds but our fellow-siclistas as well. It's not my valor that keeps me smiling the next day, but how intact and safe I've kept my teamates so that he or she can come home at the end of a ride to their families, friends, neighbors.
So yes, peace to u all, siclistas, musketeers be safe and see you all at the next ride. God bless. - Manny
Ok TULDOKAN Na Natin. Ayosss ;)
Addendum: Alam ko kung sino ang tunay na may kasalan ng lahat ng ito, The WEATHER :) Sabi nga nila weather weather lang yan or panapanahon lang yan in a foreign language. LOL :D
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