M
Mike Jacoubowsk
Guest
Today's diary entry from http://www.ChainReaction.com/diary.htm
01/28/03- CYCLING MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. At least it seems that way once you get on a bike
and ride. Take this morning, for example. I was a bit tired last night, and sometimes, I have
to admit, I don't really look forward to getting up shortly after the sun comes up and riding
when it's in the low 40s. And in the morning you wake up, look out the window, and it's just a
bit dreary as the fog hasn't quite burned up. Nothing to contradict the feeling from the night
before. But you go through the drill, get dressed, make your Cytomax, start the recording mode
on your HAC4 computer/heartwatch and off you go. You're never really sure how those first few
pedal strokes up the hill outside the door are going to feel, but on a good day, you're about
8 minutes from the start of the ride (at Canada & Olive Hill) and on the very worst day, maybe
10. Most days you're in the
middle.
Today was closer towards a good day for that first part, and I arrived a bit early for the start.
Ueyn showed up first, followed by Peter. Uh-oh. Peter's not quite as fast, so a sane person would
think great, you can take it a bit easier. But it's well-established that sanity is in question for
myself, and possibly Ueyn as well. The fact that somebody a bit slower shows up means just one
thing- intervals. Start up Kings at a moderate speed and then choose a target, some place to ride
to at full-on pace. We started with the first hairpin (where it crosses the creek), then Peter
caught up and we and tackled the next, finishing at the Huddart Park entrance. That took quite a
bit out of us, and we were content to not go for another until the clearing (1.34 miles to the top
on the highway markers). I was about finished by now. But of course, one final fling at the top, at
which I was no longer contesting the outcome as Ueyn raced on ahead.
But what about cycling making the world a better place? That comes from the feeling you get up on
Skyline, on top of the world as it were, as you're rolling along at high speed among beautiful
Redwoods and the sun's rays streaking through like you'd see in a painting that looked like they
exaggerated the effect. And that wonderful mildly-twisty descent into Sky L'onda, followed by a
quick cruise down the west side of 84 to its intersection with Old LaHonda. At this time of day
you can count the cars you've encountered so far on maybe a couple of hands, and Old LaHonda is
one of those gems where you inevitably find yourself thinking "This is why we pay the big bucks to
live here!" And while you're thinking it, someone else on the ride is actually saying it. Happens
all the time.
So I'll continue to wonder, the night before and maybe while I'm getting ready in the morning, when
I would get up early, when it's cold outside and everyone else is trying to figure out how high to
kick up the heat in their house, why I would want to do it. But, almost without exception, you come
back thinking you had a great time, what could possibly be better, too bad you couldn't be out
there all day. How many things can you think of that have you saying that, and how many of them are
as good for you as riding a bike? It just doesn't get any better.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
01/28/03- CYCLING MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. At least it seems that way once you get on a bike
and ride. Take this morning, for example. I was a bit tired last night, and sometimes, I have
to admit, I don't really look forward to getting up shortly after the sun comes up and riding
when it's in the low 40s. And in the morning you wake up, look out the window, and it's just a
bit dreary as the fog hasn't quite burned up. Nothing to contradict the feeling from the night
before. But you go through the drill, get dressed, make your Cytomax, start the recording mode
on your HAC4 computer/heartwatch and off you go. You're never really sure how those first few
pedal strokes up the hill outside the door are going to feel, but on a good day, you're about
8 minutes from the start of the ride (at Canada & Olive Hill) and on the very worst day, maybe
10. Most days you're in the
middle.
Today was closer towards a good day for that first part, and I arrived a bit early for the start.
Ueyn showed up first, followed by Peter. Uh-oh. Peter's not quite as fast, so a sane person would
think great, you can take it a bit easier. But it's well-established that sanity is in question for
myself, and possibly Ueyn as well. The fact that somebody a bit slower shows up means just one
thing- intervals. Start up Kings at a moderate speed and then choose a target, some place to ride
to at full-on pace. We started with the first hairpin (where it crosses the creek), then Peter
caught up and we and tackled the next, finishing at the Huddart Park entrance. That took quite a
bit out of us, and we were content to not go for another until the clearing (1.34 miles to the top
on the highway markers). I was about finished by now. But of course, one final fling at the top, at
which I was no longer contesting the outcome as Ueyn raced on ahead.
But what about cycling making the world a better place? That comes from the feeling you get up on
Skyline, on top of the world as it were, as you're rolling along at high speed among beautiful
Redwoods and the sun's rays streaking through like you'd see in a painting that looked like they
exaggerated the effect. And that wonderful mildly-twisty descent into Sky L'onda, followed by a
quick cruise down the west side of 84 to its intersection with Old LaHonda. At this time of day
you can count the cars you've encountered so far on maybe a couple of hands, and Old LaHonda is
one of those gems where you inevitably find yourself thinking "This is why we pay the big bucks to
live here!" And while you're thinking it, someone else on the ride is actually saying it. Happens
all the time.
So I'll continue to wonder, the night before and maybe while I'm getting ready in the morning, when
I would get up early, when it's cold outside and everyone else is trying to figure out how high to
kick up the heat in their house, why I would want to do it. But, almost without exception, you come
back thinking you had a great time, what could possibly be better, too bad you couldn't be out
there all day. How many things can you think of that have you saying that, and how many of them are
as good for you as riding a bike? It just doesn't get any better.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
