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Bike Items for Sale - Here's a photo journal of bike parts that I'm trying to clear out of my workshop.
Shipping is $10 or (actual shipping charges + (optional) insurance charges + delivery confirmation fee), whichever is greater. I will try to find cheapest shipping option (e.g. USPS for US Domestic delivery) or will ship according to your carrier of preference.
Some of the parts are new, some are used. If you think my item pricing is off or you're buying multiple items, please make me an offer.
I am selling everything "as is". But, if you buy an item that is dead on arrival, damaged in shipment, or you believe you got a raw deal, please contact me as soon as possible so we can work out a solution. Given the time involved in selling these items I am not making a profit on this and am more interested in seeing components and parts I no longer use but that have remaining useful life to find a home with other bicycle enthusiasts, where they will be used instead of collecting dust in my workshop.
Contact me at the following . It will help if you include the links to photos of the items that interest you. All prices are in US Dollars.
Entire Blog - Display the entire Blog for all years. This is a large file!
Countryview Drive, December, 2009 - Countryview Drive climbs steeply off McKean Road up a spur ridge off Coyote Peak in the Santa Teresa Hills. The development started in the 1990s, but not as many view lots sold and were built upon as had been anticipated. No houses were built more than about halfway up the hill. The roads are all smooth and recently constructed, but the cracks are starting to show weeds.
Low-Key Hillclimbs, October/November, 2009 - A motley collection of photos of the 2009 season of Low-Key Hillclimbs, with an emphasis on photos of me riding my bikes, courtesy of course photographers, Christine Holmes, Dan Talayco, Josh Hadley, Adam Tow, Phil Dubach, and Stephen Fong.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 94 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3890 feet |
Pizza Century, November 22, 2009 - We met at Phil Plath's residence in Half Moon Bay, rode down the coast to Upper Crust Pizza in Santa Cruz, then returned the same way. Weather was overcast but not too cold. We experienced some drizzle, mostly at the higher points on the northern half of the route.
Morgan Territory Road, November 14, 2009 - After the Mt. Diablo Hillclimb, I rode down Southgate Road, through Blackhawk, and east on Camino Tassajara and Highland Way before turning north on Morgan Territory Road, riding it south to north. Near the summit I passed a couple other parties who had done the hillclimb earlier in the day and were riding north to south, to finish later in the dark. But we didn't stop to chat.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 81 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 8000 feet |
| Total Time: | 9:52 |
| Riding Time: | 6:51 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 11.8 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 43.3 mph |
| Nominal System Voltage: | 24 |
| Battery energy capacity: | 1000 wh |
| Battery energy consumed: | 721 wh |
| Wh/mi: | 8.9 |
| Battery Amps-Hour Used: | 27.9 |
| Max. Current: | ? Amps |
| Min. Voltage: | ? |
| Max. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 718 watts |
| Avg. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 165 watts |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 4069 kJ (1130 wh) |
| Total energy from motor (estimated): | 1817 kJ (505 wh) |
| Total energy from human (estimated): | 2252 kJ (626 wh) |
| Human energy to rear wheel (estimated): | ? kJ (? wh) |
| Human energy to rear wheel (Polar HRM estimate): | ? kJ (? wh) |
Big Sur - Indians Tour, October 31, 2009 - When poring over maps of remote mountainous areas in my state (California) I had for some time been intrigued by the thin squiggly line that cut through the heart of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the thin line being Indians Road. I made a mental note to myself that I would have to try traveling it some day.
Some years later I read reports on Usenet of Jobst Brandt having gone that way, but it was not until this year that I had managed to give it a try.
Fellow biker and riding partner, Ron Bobb, had driven it in a car over thirty years ago when it was open for motor vehicle travel and seemed interested in revisiting the area.
We aimed originally for a weekend in May. But, our schedules didn’t match for any weekend that month. We postponed to the cooler weather of late September. Late September came, but a family emergency intervened for Ron. I briefly considered going alone but changed my mind the day before I was to go when a weather check revealed peak afternoon temperatures at Fort Hunter-Liggett of 116F! In hindsight I'm glad the weather was hot that week and that I did not attempt the tour alone.
We rescheduled for October 31/November 1. If health and weather held we would go. And we went.
I left home in Sunnyvale at 0530 and drove at a moderate pace to Carmel. Tule fog hung over the freeway south of San Jose and again along CA156 near Seaside, but by the time I reached our rendezvous at The Crossroads shopping center in Carmel, the air was clear and cool. We would only see fog hanging off the shoreline for the rest of the trip.
Detail Map: Carmel to Big Sur
After unloading bikes, changing clothes, and making final preparations, we headed south on CA1 past Carmel River State Beach, and Point Lobos. Before long we were through the Carmel Highlands and heading south into more sparsely populated regions.
We crossed several large, old concrete bridges at Malpaso, Soberanes, Granite, Garrapata, Doud, Palo Colorado, Rocky, and Bixby Creeks. The last of these was the largest and most magnificent. We stopped for several photos, although the light on the bridge was not good due to the angle of the morning sun.
South of Bixby Creek the highway climbs for the first time in earnest from 200 to 600 feet elevation near Hurricane Point before dropping gradually down the flanks of steep hills to the Little Sur River at sea level. Our ride down the coastal highway continued much in this fashion for the remainder of our ride on the coast.
As we neared Point Sur, the coast flattened out to grassland, reminding me a bit of the landscape near Point Reyes to the north. The island of Point Sur could be seen rising at the other end of this enclosed grassland range. A detour out to the lighthouse would be interesting, but unfortunately, the road to access the point is only open to guided tours.
South of Point Sur, CA1 makes its only significant diversion away from the coast by heading up the Big Sur River Valley. As we rode up this valley I was reminded of many similar valleys elsewhere along the California coast where redwoods and big leaf maples grow in the cool shade. The main difference is that this far south redwoods grow only in the cool, damp valley bottoms, and not more than a few hundred feet up the steep slopes or on the ridges, as they do closer to San Francisco or north.
We stopped for a break at the store in Big Sur before beginning the climb up the south end of the valley, a climb that passes Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park before turning to climb up Post Creek to the summit at 1000 feet elev. On the way up the climb I managed to snap a photo of a vulture sunning itself with wings partially extended at the top of a pole. At first I thought it was a doll that someone had put there to fool the tourists. It was so still until its head moved.
Detail Map: South of Big Sur
Upon crossing the summit, we could see the Pacific Ocean far below. We continued down the well-graded but curvy highway, stopping often for photos of the dramatic coastline or to let platoons of autos carrying other tourists by. I noted that many of the tourist cars that passed us would pass us several times throughout the day. They were driving then stopping to sight-see, while we managed a mostly continuous pace on bikes.
The ocean was always on our right usually 200 feet or more below, the air clear, wind light to none, and the temperature, just right.
Near Vicente Creek we passed through a one-way control where road crews were working on cleaning up an old slide.
Detail Map: Lucia
We eventually reached the small community of Lucia where we stopped at the only store in town. The ladies who run this store are sharp enough to know that they’re the only game in town and can charge what the market will bear. e.g. $2.75 for an 8 oz. Martinelli apple juice in a plastic bottle. Unfortunately, we had reached their store near lunchtime, and it was a good time for a break. Besides that we were on tour, so I didn’t mind (too much) being overcharged for small comforts.
While there we met a hardy couple from Germany who were riding the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. They rode heavily laden bikes that appeared to be up to the task. We talked briefly, sharing our plans. They had free-camped somewhere up the road the night before.
After our break Ron continued on ahead of me while I stayed back to do some stretching. South of Lucia CA1 passed through another construction zone before curving to the south again. I met up with Ron immediately after crossing Kirk Creek at the junction with Nacimiento-Ferguson Road.
Up to this point we had ridden just over 50 miles and 4000 feet of climbing.
After another short break we started up Nacimiento-Ferguson (N-F) Road, climbing steeply up the bare hillside. A sign warned us we were entering a burn area and not to travel off the road. Nacimiento-Ferguson Road would take us away from the coast, over the crest of the Santa Lucia Mountains, and down into Fort Hunter-Liggett.
Nacimiento-Ferguson Road climbs steeply from 160 feet elev. to the crest at 2760 feet elev. passing alternately across grassy slopes and cool canyons. The range of redwood trees extends only as far south as this part of the Santa Lucias, and then the trees only grow tucked into the canyons on mostly north-facing slopes.
What makes the Santa Lucias different from the Santa Cruz Mountains or the Coast Range north of San Francisco is that the hills are nearly completely void of trees. That much of the area had burned in fires in recent years only made the land feel more barren and denuded. Yet, even after the fires, life could spring forth in unexpected ways, and the big storm that came through in the middle of October had already coaxed a few green shoots of grass to color the land.
We finally reached the summit and were disappointed not to see any sign to photograph to mark our achievement. The dirt Central Coast Ridge Road crosses, and to the north is the trailhead for Cone Peak, and to the south are Chalk Peak and Plaskett Ridge.
Ron, who had ridden down the east side of Nacimiento-Ferguson Road several times before warned me of gravel and rocks on the inside corners. I let him descend first, and I followed slowly, only catching up when he stopped to point out a tarantula crossing the road.
Ron had tried to move the tarantula off the road from whence it came, but it would not be deterred from its original course, and that was to cross the road. So, I found a handy sheet of 8.5x11 sheet of paper in my bag, managed to coax the small beast onto the paper, and carried its considerable weight across the road where I set it down less gently than I ought to have as it crawled quickly (for a tarantula) up the sheet of paper toward my hand.
We continued down the road alongside the Nacimiento River. The surrounding land reminded me of riding in the east bay hills. We passed a Nacimiento Campground where I noticed a water faucet near the registration kiosk just off the road.
Detail Map: Fort Hunter-Liggett
Further on, the road left the riverside, climbing over a short hill before dropping down again and shortly afterward reaching the back gate of Fort Hunter-Liggett. The fort is open for public travel on the roads, but to get in one must show valid photo ID.
After passing through the gate we continued, descending gradually into a more open landscape of grassland and oak, typical of central and northern California in the low-altitude inland regions. The unnamed valley we were riding down, and later, Stony Valley, one ridge to the northeast we later crossed, reminded me of several inland valleys closer to home.
After one final climb we found ourselves crossing the San Antonio River over a metal grate bridge, then making a beeline for what I recognized as The Hacienda, our lodging for the night.
As we pulled up to the parking area in front of The Hacienda three other bicyclists (the only other cyclists we had seen since Lucia) came the other way asking how to get to King City. I pointed down the valley toward Mission Road, adding that I hoped they had lights, as it would be dark before they reached King City. I forgot to ask them how they got into Hunter-Liggett, but I assume they came the same way we did earlier in the day and had visited Mission San Antonio, a detour we would have to postpone for another trip.
The Hacienda, designed by Julia Morgan, was built in the late-1920's, as W.R. Hearst's (of Hearst Castle fame) lodge for use of his ranch staff and guests.
Today the building is run as a hotel with four tower rooms, several "cowboy" rooms w/shared bath in the rear, and three ground-floor garden rooms, of which one was ours for the night.
Making reservations took some persistence, as there appears to be only one part-time staff person available to answer the phone. When I had made reservations earlier that week, I had to call twice before I managed to get a return call.
The ample-sized garden room offered for a reasonable $70/night (compared to anything else along our route) was large enough for two of our long bikes and still allowed room for dining and moving about. Although the bath was small and the showerhead hung too low for me, it was adequate.
What The Hacienda might lack in the charm of its faded luxury it makes up for by location. Situated on a small hill at the north end of the settled area of Hunter-Liggett, the rear promenade offers a sweeping view of the San Antonio River valley. And, The Hacienda sits almost exactly at the mileage mid-point of our tour.
It appears, though, that there aren't enough visitors to The Hacienda to keep a full-time kitchen staff on-hand. There is no lunch or dinner service and only a continental breakfast offered—and even then, no staff are around to monitor it. Dining opportunities are limited on the fort. There is apparently a BBQ cafe at the nearby bowling alley that we did not try. The bar was open in the evening, and the one staff person there was willing to grab a small stack of bowls, plates, and cutlery for us to use in our room for dinner that we had packed. Fortunately, the management have provided an ample table and both refrigerator and microwave, so a hot dinner could be prepared and eaten in relative comfort.
Ron brought an expensive backpackers' (Mountain House) dried rice & bean dish, and I brought a dried cup of split pea soup (McDougall's), a pre-frozen 1-lb. margarine tub containing my own preparation of salted rice and vegetables that was thawed but still barely cool, and crackers and fruit bars. I had brought more food than necessary as my taste can be fickle after a long bike ride. I also could not be certain that we could get through on Indians Road the next day and wanted to have enough food should we be delayed an extra day.
That night being Halloween was the occasion for much partying in the bar. Since we were tired we managed to sleep through most of it. But when I awoke close to midnight and could still hear the party continuing in full throat, I got up and grabbed my earplugs.
The next morning we both awoke at 0600 PDT. Breakfast was to be available starting 0700, but that would be 0800 by our watches—we decided not to switch to Standard Time until after our ride, and we wanted to get an early start. Fortunately, I had brought some breakfast food, too, so we had something to eat before setting out. In any case, eating our own food would lighten our load slightly.
Again Ron was packed and ready to go before me, and since I wanted to do some stretching, he set off ahead of me. By the time I followed him the dining room had opened for breakfast, so I stopped by to pick up a bagel for the road.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 81 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7000 feet |
| Total Time: | 13:12 |
| Riding Time: | 8:09 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 9.9 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 36.1 mph |
| Nominal System Voltage: | 24 |
| Battery energy capacity: | 1000 wh |
| Battery energy consumed: | 592 wh |
| Wh/mi: | 7.3 |
| Battery Amps-Hour Used: | 22.8 |
| Max. Current: | ? Amps |
| Min. Voltage: | ? |
| Max. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 1004 watts |
| Avg. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 130 watts |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3500 kJ (972 wh) |
| Total energy from motor (estimated): | 1491 kJ (414 wh) |
| Total energy from human (estimated): | 2009 kJ (558 wh) |
| Human energy to rear wheel (estimated): | ? kJ (? wh) |
| Human energy to rear wheel (Polar HRM estimate): | ? kJ (? wh) |
Big Sur - Indians Tour, November 1, 2009 - The road from The Hacienda leads directly down the hill to Del Venturi Road that would take us to the northwestern exit of Hunter-Liggett and into the heart of the Santa Lucia Mountains.
The first obstacle I encountered was the ford across the substantially flowing San Antonio River. The ford was long, shallow, and paved so that it could be ridden without my getting wet if I rode through slowly but not too slowly.
After crossing the river Del Venturi Road curves back to the northwest and begins a long gradual climb up an unnamed valley that reaches a high point, then descends in the same gradual fashion to the north. Along the way I saw coyotes, hawks, and many quail. I saw no deer, but I did see one bow hunter a few hundred yards off the road.
At about 7 miles from The Hacienda I crossed the San Antonio River at another ford. This one was about the same depth but shorter than the first crossing. I noticed that the nearby banks were covered in mud. The big storm of two weeks prior must have let loose a torrent in the mountains.
From here the maps say Milpitas Road, but the local signs still call it Del Venturi Road. In any case I continued up the gradually climbing road, pausing to ready my camera for a covey of quail on the road ahead who wouldn't let me get close enough before they scurried off nervously.
At Rattlesnake Creek I passed a small outbuilding that must mark the location of the northern gate of Fort Hunter-Liggett, now unmanned, as the Army anticipates no visitors entering from that direction that hadn't already passed through one of the fort's other gates. I stopped to read the notices on the board at the entrance to Los Padres National Forest in case there were any new advisories about the area. There were none.
When I had called the King City office of the US Forest Service to inquire about Indians Road I was told that the road had closed to motor traffic 10 years ago due to a big slide but that hikers, bikers, and horseback riders could still travel it. The only official closure was of the Escondido Campground near the southern end of Indians Road that had been closed after the Indians Fire last year and had not yet been rehabilitated for use. I was told there had been no recent reports from visitors and that our trip would be the first through the area since the big October storm.
Detail Map: Indians Road
Inside Hunter-Liggett the roads were smooth and clean, but beyond the road deteriorated to rough tar and gravel and occasional patchwork. To make up for that various interesting topographical features began to present themselves.
After passing The Indians (ranch) Del Venturi Road enters a narrow canyon that climbs the center of an exposed uplift of sandstone upon which lie various knobs, boulders, and other unusual shapes. It reminded me a bit of Tioga Road through Yosemite but that the rock was sandstone, not granite.
The top of this climb marked my crossing from the San Antonio River watershed into the Arroyo Seco watershed. After a brief descent, the road passed a group of buildings (Indians Station ranger station) and then turned to smooth dirt.
Perhaps it is a good thing that we did not stop at the ranger station to seek advice, as I am sure in hindsight that any ranger would have dissuaded us from continuing after he or she had seen our bikes and packs. In any event Ron hadn't stopped and was presumably on the road ahead, just ahead as it turned out. Less than a quarter-mile later I found myself at a gate where Ron was waiting for me.
"How long have you been waiting?" I asked.
"I just got here."
"Where's Indians Road?" I asked thinking that the current road continued as Indians Road.
"This is it." He pointed to the right past the gate to a muddy ford where water was flowing, the concrete underneath being completely covered by fine silt. "I rode right by it at first. That road doesn't go through," he said pointing to the road we had been on, Del Venturi Road.
I looked around and saw evidence that the water had recently been several feet high through the ford. Probably a good thing we didn't come last weekend.
We both looked at the water and the road beyond. We had come 18 miles from The Hacienda. An advisory sign at the ford indicated another 18 miles of twisty road. This was not an auspicious start. We could still turn back and finish the tour today by riding through King City, although doing so would make for a long day and would not satisfy my curiosity and sense of adventure.
We looked up the road. It looked to be in passable shape, although we could only see a hundred yards beyond the ford.
I could tell Ron was not enthused by the idea of a cold wade through the creek, and I suspect that if a third person had been with us who felt similarly, a vote might have resulted in withdrawal. But I could tell that Ron's sense of adventure had not completely evaporated, that he was not ready to give up so soon. Besides, the day was still young.
"Let's give it a try," I finally prodded.
We decided it would be best to walk our bikes barefoot through the ford, then rinse and dry our feet on the other side before putting on dry socks and dry shoes. This wouldn't be too hard to do. It was unlikely anything injuriously sharp would be found in the mud.
Once we'd made up our mind to continue, getting across the ford was merely a minor discomfort and cost us some time. If that was the worst of it, the next 18 miles should pass quickly.
After the ford the road was at first easy to travel, being mostly smooth with occasional dust patches and rocks that we managed to avoid. For a while we rode next to Arroyo Seco, but after a mile the road climbed up out of the canyon onto drier terrain, passed some large boulders, and allowed for a wider view.
We eventually arrived at Escondido Campground, closed to camping since the Indians Fire in 2008 had burned through the area damaging the campsites and some of the trees in the campground. In this area, the fire must have been spotty as few of the trees had burned, although a sign warned that some of the trees and branches were unstable and could collapse at any moment.
After a short break we started the climb up to the first and southernmost summit on Indians Road. At the first hairpin turn we saw the water tank for the campground off the road up a short hill. After checking our water supply I decided to scramble up the hill to the water tank to see if we could get water from it. Since there was no electric service in the area, I assumed that the tank was filled by gravity from a nearby spring. The hill below the water tank was covered with green grass, and the surrounding ground was moist.
I found the auxiliary check valve at the base of the tank and discovered that it turned with little effort despite the valve handle being covered in scale (CaCO3). There was just enough space below the pipe to hold a water bottle. I filled up one of my bottles and one of Ron's. Aside from the delay the only penalty I suffered was about a hundred burrs in my socks and shoes afterward. Biking shoes aren't ideal for cross-country scrambling.
Fully watered we pressed on around another gate, and up into more open terrain. The views were getting better, but it was also clear we were entering a zone that had burned more thoroughly in the 2008 fire.
By the time we crossed the saddle on the ridge marking the southern summit of Indians Road. I knew that most of the climbing on Indians Road was behind us. What followed was to be rolling terrain for the next several miles, then a nice, long, gradual descent to the Arroyo Seco campground at the northern terminus.
And, for the next few miles, our expectations were met. The road continued on a twisty path following the contours between 2700 and 3000 feet elevation, then a long straight section across a high plateau called Hanging Valley, followed by more twists and turns without gaining or losing much altitude. The road was in mostly good condition. No other tracks or footprints were visible, and the unbroken light/medium dash textured road surface suggested that no one had traveled the road since the hard rain of the October storm.
Then, after coming around one of these curves we saw The Slide.
It wasn't much longer than 100 feet, but it offered no use trail or even good foot holds. We discussed turning back, but by this point we had already come about halfway along Indians Road. We would not be able to finish the tour today if we turned back.
Ron and I made an exploratory hike across the slide. The ground was not saturated, and the larger rocks were stable, although some smaller and medium sized boulders moved under foot. This must have been The Slide from the 1990s that the forest service office warned me about when I called to inquire about road conditions the week before. I thought that it should be possible to get all of our stuff from one side to the other, but it would take time. Two of us would have to move each bike, and we'd have to make several trips to bring bags, water bottles, etc. separately.
It was not without some hesitation and discussion that we decided to press on. In any case it was the only option if we wanted to finish the tour today. Even so, it was looking increasingly likely that we'd be finishing in the dark, even if all went well from here on. If we were to be stuck out an extra day, it would feel better to have the excuse that we got stuck in the wilderness. We had plenty of water and food in our packs, and at my last-minute suggestion Ron and I had both brought headlights. Bivouacking on the road, should it come to that, would surely be uncomfortable but not life threatening.
An hour later found us past the slide. We both found the portage more strenuous than we expected. I had scraped my right shin and busted a left shoe buckle*. For the latter I effected a repair with a supply of gaffers tape I carry in my tool bag. I could tell I had pulled muscles in my back and right arm, although I would not feel the full soreness for another day.
As a precaution I topped off one of my empty bottles at the spring (Jackhammer Spring) flowing out of the hillside at the north end of the slide. It was difficult to get debris-free water from the small shallow pool, but it would take too long to let the water drip naturally into a bottle.
The next few miles were difficult. The road was in considerably poorer condition. We passed many rocks fall, over which some we were forced to carry the bikes. In other places vegetation had already begun to reclaim the road surface, forcing us to bushwhack. The going was slow. We were both wondering how much worse it could get and if many more surprises might in the end thwart our progress. The specter of getting stuck out on the road at night began to appear more than a remote possibility. But the magnificent view to the west was always with us and made our hard path easier.
At one point we passed a recent fire ring, the first sign of human passage since we had crossed the muddy ford at the start of our adventure. We also saw two knobby tire tracks occasionally visible where the ground had been soft, and Ron picked up a dropped water bottle that still had water in it. These small signs of civilization having apparently been brought in from the northern end gave us some comfort that the way forward would offer us passage.
Not long after we made these discoveries the road began its long descent. The tall ridge to our right descended and met the road at a large sweeping curve, offering us an unobstructed view to the northeast. A road sign indicated 6 miles to Arroyo Seco. We were now more than halfway to the northern end.
Shortly after the break in the ridge we came upon another slide. This one was shorter, maybe 20 feet, composed of mostly dried mud on top of the road rather than a washout like the southern slide had been. Ron was able to walk his bike over the use trail, but he came back to help me get my more heavily laden bike across. Unlike the larger, southern slide, the trail over this one featured a 10-15 foot cliff on the downhill side, and the slope below was steep, offering a direct view of Arroyo Seco far below and looked as if it might be difficult to regain the road should one slip and fall.
North of the last slide the road improved again to what we had seen south of the southern slide. The roadbed was in good condition, drainage culverts were open, and although we came upon more rock fall than one would expect on a maintained dirt road, the rocks were smaller and sparser than before. It was also nice to let gravity do most of the work, allowing us to enjoy the view while we coasted down the many turns and curves at a relatively consistent 6-7% downgrade.
The last obstacle we came across was a burnt madrone tree that had fallen onto the road. Fortunately it fell into pieces on the road, so it was not too heavy to heave one of its larger branches over the edge to open a path.
At three miles from the northern end, we passed the junction with the Marble Peak Trail, and just downhill from this junction we saw three hikers returning to Arroyo Seco, the first people since we had left Hunter-Liggett that morning. Just downhill from the hikers we crossed a bridge over Santa Lucia Creek, followed by a moderately-long uphill of about 200 feet vertical before making the final gradual descent through a narrowing of the canyon and around the base of a cliff before arriving at the paved road above the Arroyo Seco campground (near BM 945). Indians Road had spanked us but had not defeated us.
We stopped here to refill water and to use the toilets as we still had a long way to go. The faucet produced rusty, brown water that tasted bad, but there were no signs indicating it wasn't potable.
At this point it was clear we would be riding for at least a couple of hours in the dark. Fortunately, the moon would be full, and we had brought lights. But, we'd make better time in daylight. Our immediate goal was to reach the top of Carmel Valley Road before needing to use lights.
We continued downhill out of the Arroyo Seco campground and down Arroyo Seco Road, passing a few ranches and houses built on the river floodplain. Several miles later we reached the southern end of Carmel Valley Road where we turned left.
Detail Map: Carmel Valley Road (south)
The first several miles of Carmel Valley Road climb 850 feet gradually in rolling fashion up Piney Creek, then Paloma Creek. Traffic was heavier than I expected given the hour of the day, a motor vehicle passing roughly once every 30 to 60 seconds.
The grade steepened a couple of miles before the summit at 2390 feet. At one of the last turnouts before the summit we decided to stop and turn on our lights as it was getting too dark to see rocks or potholes on the road surface, and the moon had not yet risen high enough to provide good light. Motor traffic passed too frequently for our eyes to acquire the sensitivity to function in the diminished light. (We had been using taillights.)
At the summit we stopped to put on more clothes. The descent along Finch Creek was cold. Since I had the brighter headlight I led. But, since even a bright headlight is no substitute for the sun, I kept my speed under 25 mph, 15-20mph most of the time. We stopped again to let traffic pass at the top of Conejo Grade, where the road passes from the Finch Creek watershed to the Conejo Creek watershed. While stopped we could hear coyotes yipping and yapping on the other side of the valley.
We rode through a pleasant valley that connects several watersheds that feed into Conejo Creek, up over a short bump after passing Cachagua Road then down the steep Ardilla Grade and along Tularcitos Creek. As the road flattened out we saw increasing signs of civilization in the form of increasing traffic going the opposite direction.
Detail Map: Carmel Valley Village
Soon we entered Carmel Valley Village. We briefly considered stopping for pizza, but the delay would have been too long. Then, we'd have to get back on the bikes and ride another 11 miles on full tummies. So, we stopped for a junk food snack at a convenience store before pressing on to Carmel.
Detail Map: Carmel Valley
The last stretch of Carmel Valley Road was like any typical two-lane highway with moderately heavy traffic with a sometimes-adequate bike lane. Fortunately, most traffic came in platoons, so we were able to ride out in the cleaner lane rather than on the dirty shoulder much of the time.
When we turned into The Crossroads parking lot we were pleased to find our motor vehicles were still there, unmolested. Due to the late hour we decided just to pack up and drive home rather than to find somewhere to eat. I could munch in the car. I still had a 90-minute drive ahead of me, and I didn't want a full meal to put me to sleep before I got home.
It was a long day for the mileage and the climbing, but given the obstacles on our route I think we did well. Just the same we were happy to arrive at the end.
Find the full photo gallery here.
*After I got home I discovered that the local bike shop wanted $32 for a replacement buckle. I decided to repair it by gluing it back onto the shoe with E6000 adhesive. Seems to hold as well as the original bolt. Photo 1, 2, and 3.
Muir Beach to San Francisco, October 24, 2009 - After the wedding of Zach Kaplan and Michi Lee, Ron and I rode a scenic route from Muir Beach back to San Francisco. We rode north on CA1 to Fairfax-Bolinas Road, then Ridgecrest up the shoulder of Mt. Tamalpais before heading down the front side of the mountain to Mill Valley and back to San Francisco, arriving back at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge after sunset just as the light was fading.
Zach and Michi's wedding ride to Muir Woods, October 24, 2009 - Before the ceremony some of the guests who had bikes rode with Zach and Michi from Muir Beach to Muir Woods and back again.
San Francisco to Muir Beach, October 24, 2009 - Ron Bobb and I carpooled to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, then rode over to Muir Beach to attend Zach Kaplan and Michi Lee's wedding.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 65 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3500 feet |
June Lake Loop, September 13, 2009 - I rode from our condo in Mammoth Lakes via the "Scenic Route" over to US-395 and then north to the June Lake Loop that I rode south to north and back again. I ran into Ron Bobb on my way back, and we rode together until we reached the southern junction with US-395, where he had parked his truck. I then proceeded back to Mammoth Lakes, taking CA203 into town.
Santa Cruz, July 2009 - A few scenery photos taken along CA1 while on one of my trips to Santa Cruz and back.
Return to Freedom, July 2009 - Photos from Easy Racers' Return to Freedom event.
Oakland/Berkeley Hills, July 2009 - A ride with Ron, Zach, and Michi in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.
HPV races at Hellyer Velodrome, May 2009 - Photos and videos from the HPV Fun Day at Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose, CA.
OHPV ePower Challenge, May 2009 - David (my dad) and I travelled to Portland, Oregon over Memorial Day weekend so that I could participate in OHPV's (Oregon Human Powered Vehicles) ePower Challenge at the Portland International Raceway. The main events of the day included looking at the different e-bikes, talking with their builders, and participating in a couple of races. Dad took most of the photos and videos.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 83.4 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 8500 feet |
| Total Time: | 6:58:37 |
| Riding Time: | 4:54:06 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 17.0 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 53.3 mph |
| Nominal System Voltage: | 24 |
| Battery energy capacity: | 1484 wh |
| Battery energy consumed: | 1145.3 wh |
| Wh/mi: | 13.7 |
| Battery Amps-Hour Used: | 45.866 |
| Max. Current: | 32.1 Amps |
| Min. Voltage: | 23.1 |
| Total energy from motor: | 2886 kJ (802 wh) |
| Total energy from human (Polar HRM estimate): | 3055 kJ (858 wh) |
King Ridge, May 9, 2009 - I started in Duncans Mills near the mouth of Russian River in Sonoma County, planning to join the Western Wheelers LDT ride. Unfortunately, I arrived late at the start and ended up playing catch-up for the first few hours of the ride.
I rode north to Cazadero, then rode north on King Ridge Road on what was probably the highlight of the day, where perfect weather, beautiful views, and no traffic (except for many bicyclists) were to be found. Our group wasn't the only group of bicyclists out for the day. We ran into, or rather were overtaken by, the Grasshopper Adventure Series ride that was taking a similar route this day.
Our route continued north on Tin Barn Road, Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road, and Annapolis Road to the coast at Sea Ranch, and then we rode south to the small store at Ocean Cove for a snack break.
After eating we continued south on CA1, then climbed steep Timber Cove Road to Seaview Road, another road that travels atop a ridge. We took Seaview until it turned into Meyers Grade that descends steeply down the ridge back to CA1. We then rode CA1 south to Jenner, then took CA116 back to Duncans Mills.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 120 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 8100 feet |
Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April 2009 - I started the Mt. Hamilton Challenge ride from Wilcox High School in Santa Clara at 8:40a and rode my usual route out to Mt. Hamilton Road since I had forgotten to pick up a route sheet.
After riding to the summit of the mountain I continued down the back side to Livermore, then diverged from the official route by heading over the new highway on Pigeon Pass to Sunol, then rode Calaveras Road into Milpitas, then back to Santa Clara by the shortest route, arriving back just after 5p.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 78 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3500 feet |
Quien Sabe Valley, April 19, 2009 - Ron Bobb and I met two guys, Fred and Andy, from Pacific Grove at the Windmill Market in San Juan Bautista. We then rode toward Hollister, then took Union Road to Cienega Road, climbed past the off-road park, then south to Airline Highway and CA25.
We stopped in Paicines for a break before continuing up to Tres Pinos, where we decided to split up since Andy and Fred had to get home early.
Ron and I continued up Quien Sabe Road to Santa Ana Valley. At this point Ron decided he would be better heading back to San Juan Bautista.
I continued up Santa Anita Road and climbed the upper portion of Quien Sabe Road that crosses the ridge and drops a short distance into picturesque Quien Sabe Valley.
After taking a few photos I climbed back over the ridge and down into Santa Ana Valley Road, arriving at our split-up point about 55 minutes after we split up.
I continued down Santa Ana Valley Road, then through Hollister, and back to San Juan Bautista on the most direct route on CA156, hoping to arrive not too long after Ron.
Turns out that Ron had some mechanical issues, including a flat tire, that delayed him, and he actually arrived about 10 minutes after I did.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 59 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5000 feet |
East Bay Hills, April 2009 - Ron Bobb and I started on Marciel Road in Chabot Park. We rode up to Redwood Road, then headed north to the Bort Meadow Trailhead where we took the MacDonald Trail north to Park Ridge Road and Skyline Blvd. in Oakland.
Then we rode north to Grizzly Peak Blvd. and continued over Grizzly Peak, through Berkeley, and down to Wildcat Canyon Road.
We then rode Wildcat Canyon Road out to Inspiration Point before taking Nimitz Way out along San Pablo Ridge before riding down the very rough Mezue Trail to Wildcat Creek and exited the park at the Alvarado Trailhead in San Pablo.
We then took San Pablo Dam Road and Camino Pablo into Orinda, then Moraga Way, Canyon, Pinehurst, and Redwood Rds. back to Chabot Park.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 100 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4500 feet |
Morgan Hill, April 2009 - I started from home and rode through downtown San Jose and joined the northermost end of the Coyote Creek Trail near Tully Road. I then rode south on the trail to Morgan Hill, detouring briefly to the top of the dam before climbing East Dunne Ave. to Henry Coe State Park.
I was hoping to see more wildflowers, but to make up for the lack of flowers, the weather was pleasantly warm the whole day.
After riding back into Morgan Hill, I crossed the valley and returned home by the reservoirs and through Los Gatos and Saratoga.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 57 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4000 feet |
Swift Street Bike Festival, January 2009 - We started the day with a ride north on CA1 from Santa Cruz to Ano Nuevo via Swanton Road, then a return trip south along the coast to Bonny Doon Road. We then time-trialed up Bonny Doon and Pine Flat Roads to Empire Grade, before returning down Bonny Doon Road via Ice Cream Grade and Martin Roads, then back to Santa Cruz on CA1. We then got lunch and enjoyed a bike fair in the afternoon.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 59 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4660 feet |
Fremont Peak, January 2009 - Ron Bobb and I started from his place in Watsonville. We crossed the Pajaro River to Pajaro, then east on San Juan Road, through Aromas, to San Juan Bautista. We then climbed Fremont Peak and returned the same way with the short detour on Aromitas and Quarry Rds.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 66 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5690 feet |
East Bay, January 2009 - I started north on the Brandon Trail from its crossing of Merceil Road in Chabot Regional Park and eventually found my way to the southern end of Skyline Blvd. in Oakland. From there I headed north along the ridge through Oakland, Berkeley, Kensington, El Cerrito, and San Pablo, then looped back on San Pablo Dam Road, through Alhambra Valley, Sleepy Hollow, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, and returned to Chabot Regional Park.
| Bike Ridden: | Power Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 40 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4000 feet |
Mount Diablo, January 2009 - Zach, Michi, and I rode up and down Mt. Diablo from Walnut Creek BART with the Grizzly Peak Cyclists' annual New Year's Day ride.
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