Bike Blog and Photos

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!

2015

Low-Key Hill Climbs 2015 - This link takes you to the blog for this year's Low-Key Hill Climb series. Photos are mostly race photos of individuals with some scenery photos thrown in, especially if I did more riding before or afterward. The blog write-up covers technical details from my climb, the ride to and from the climb, technical commentary about the photos, and other related topics.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	54.6 miles
Cumulative climbing:	3510 feet
Total Time:	4:10:13
Riding Time:	3:22:16
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.2 mph
Max. Speed:	44.1 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1200 wh
Battery energy consumed:	785 wh
Wh/mi:	14.4
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	30.1
Peak Current:	37 Amps
Min. Voltage:	23.5
Motor energy to rear wheel:	549 wh

Crowley Lake Tour, September 24, 2015 - After yesterday's adventure that had been longer than planned, we decided not to hike today. Stella wanted to do some shopping and to relax while Frank, who had started the week feeling as if he was not in as good condition this year as last, wanted to go riding. He suggested some variation of Crowley Lake Drive, perhaps with a side trip on McGee Creek and Owens Gorge Roads.

But Stella wanted the car, and Frank didn't want to ride from the condo as that would add a significant climb at the end of the ride, and we all wanted to be well-rested for our big hike of the week the next day.

I invited Frank to use my van, and I could meet him at his starting point on Crowley Lake Drive. This plan worked well.

I departed the condo while Frank was loading his bike and gear into the van. By the time I got down to US-395, I saw the van go by. I continued on at a brisk but not breakneck pace as I knew Frank would need to get his gear assembled before he could ride.

Frank was still getting ready to ride when I arrived at the spot where he had parked, near Crowley Lake Drive and US-395, where I found him fighting to get into his jersey that he admitted was a little too snug for him.

We set off on Crowley Lake Drive, passing the remains of the first ski resort in the area, then turned right onto McGee Creek Road.

McGee Creek Road climbs deceptively steeply in the first mile up the slopes of Long Valley. The road feels steep, yet doesn't look steep.

The road levels off and rounds a bend that offers a sweeping view of Long Valley and Crowley Lake below.

We pressed on past a spartan forest service campground and found ourselves shortly at the end of the pavement where we could glimpse up canyon a view of Mount Baldwin and its ridge.

In 2007 Ron Bobb and I had continued onto the dirt part, riding as far as the McGee Creek trailhead, but today Frank and I had other plans.

We turned around and descended back to Crowley Lake Drive and turned right. We continued through Hilton Creek and over a low hill past Tom's Place where we found a small traffic jam due to construction on Rock Creek Canyon Road.

We managed to get past the construction by indicating to the traffic monitor that we were turning left to cross US-395 and get to Owens Gorge Road.

Owens Gorge Road took us past a small residential community where dwellings are perched or nestled among steep hills of pumice. The road climbed initially, then descended to Crowley Lake at its dam. We crossed the dam and climbed the opposite side of the gorge before turning around at the end of the pavement.

As we rode back across the dam I caught a whiff of sulphur fumes. The Devil must have been nearby.

We climbed out of the Gorge, rode back past Tom's Place where the same folks sitting 'round the cracker barrel on our outbound trip were still there, and continued back to the northern end of Crowley Lake Drive, this time with the aid of a nice tailwind. Frank got way ahead of me while I stopped to take photos.

I started back to Mammoth a minute before Frank, so it wasn't long before I saw him passing me in the van. I continued back into Mammoth at higher speed, taking the old highway into town and Forest Trail around the center of town.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	42.3 miles
Cumulative climbing:	4680 feet
Total Time:	4:50:29
Riding Time:	3:29:13
Avg. Speed (moving):	12.1 mph
Max. Speed:	48.1 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1200 wh
Battery energy consumed:	638 wh
Wh/mi:	15.1
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	24.2
Peak Current:	38 Amps
Min. Voltage:	23.9
Motor energy to rear wheel:	447 wh

Mammoth Tour, September 22, 2015 - After hiking for two days we decided to go biking today.

Stella hadn't yet ridden over to Reds Meadow, so we decided to ride there first. If we still had energy, we'd extend the tour up through Old Mammoth to Lake Mary Road, and optionally out to Horseshoe Lake and around Lake Mary. Nice thing about this ride is that we didn't need to drive anywhere in the car to do it, and there were good bail-out options for cutting the ride short.

Weather was clear and breezy, a contrast from the day before when the air was still and hazy. We enjoyed a razor sharp view of the Minarets and the Ritter Range from Minaret Vista.

The descent to Reds Meadow is much the same as the last time. The road is narrow and in places bumpy, and even though it was late in the season we still encountered a surprising number of cars, trucks, and campers along the way.

We stopped for a while at the general store before returning up the hill again.

When we returned to the top of the hill Stella decided she'd had enough for the day and returned to the condo, while Frank and I continued down the hill into town and beyond to Old Mammoth.

Old Mammoth Road is a nice quiet climb, once you get past the condos and developments. The road steepens considerably and loses its centerline in the last mile before it reaches Lake Mary Road a short distance uphill from Twin Lakes.

When we reached Lake Mary Road Frank decided to head back to the condo, while I continued up to Horseshoe Lake and then back the long way around Lake Mary before returning to the condo.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	134.5 miles
Cumulative climbing:	7740 feet
Total Time:	12:06:22
Riding Time:	8:19:29
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.2 mph
Max. Speed:	48.0 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1600 wh
Wh/mi:	11.9
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	62
Peak Current:	47 Amps

Davenport July 11, 2015 - Zach sent me a reminder about this ride about a month ago, and I put it on my calendar. But, I didn't click the RSVP button on the Meetup site until the night before.

Since I hadn't ridden during the week before I decided I'd try to make up for the lost miles by riding to the start of this ride from home on my own rather than fire up the van to haul me and my bike to Half Moon Bay. I left home after 0700 and rode by the quickest bicycling route to Half Moon Bay, arriving at Seymour Street at 0912, where I found Dave Mesa, Neal Oren, Russell, and Christine Moruza already preparing their bikes. Although traffic was heavy on the climb up CA92 from Crystal Springs, I got lucky on the descent and enjoyed a nice gap in traffic from the summit all the way to the traffic signal at CA1 in Half Moon Bay.

After we (Bill, Zach, Michi, Russell, Neal, and Christine) were ready to go, we set off south on CA1. Fog had cleared early, leaving clear skies and warm temperatures that felt warmer than the mid-70s F on the climbs due to the light tailwinds we enjoyed early in the day.

We rode south to Stage Road, then descended Stage Road into San Gregorio. While we regrouped at CA1 and Stage Road, we watched many cyclists who wore numbers and appeared to be on an organized ride, pedaling in the opposite direction. Tim Clark (who lives in Moss Beach) also drove by in the opposite direction, although I didn't get a chance to ask him if he was supporting that ride or just happened to be in the area.

We continued into San Gregorio, stopping for several minutes at the Store where we met Mark Van Nuys and Tim Dolan who were joining our route in San Gregorio. We then continued over the two hills into Pescadero where we met Carol, who was joining our ride. We pressed south onto Cloverdale and Gazos Creek Roads, returning to CA1 at Gazos Creek Beach.

We turned left and enjoyed a stronger tailwind into Davenport. We encountered several other groups of cyclists riding south, some faster, some slower. Zach found the draft offered by three upright cyclists too easy to resist. And, Russell decided to have fun and hammered most of the way into Davenport. I managed to catch him on the climb out of Waddell Beach, but on the flat portions he was moving in the low-30s (mph), and I made little progress closing the gap.

We passed several fruit stands as we neared Davenport, and as I was getting hungry, I stopped at the last such stand just outside of town and bought a couple baskets of cherries, the fruit most likely to survive the trip and not turn to pulp in my handlebar bag. The delay was just long enough to allow the others to catch up by the time we reached the Davenport Cafe for lunch.

As I expected lunch took just over an hour from ordering to departing. The break was welcome and gave us a chance to converse without yelling over the wind or the din of passing traffic. While the service was friendly, if unable to accommodate a pancake order a few minutes past the service deadline for breakfast, and the quantity of food welcome, the quality of the food was not up to a standard suggested by the menu prices. My artichoke burrito was bland, the salsa that looked like a small cup of flavored oil was watery and bland, and my fruit smoothie contained too much cream and syrup, only the essence of green banana suggesting that it might be a fruit beverage. I snacked on a few fresh cherries after lunch.

As we were making ready to return north again, Neal Oren, who had crashed at the infamous railroad crossing just north of town, chose to remain in Davenport while Dave Mesa would ride back to Half Moon Bay, then return in the van for Neal and his bike. I took a closer look at Neal's fork and discovered it was cracked just below the crown race. Neal hadn't noticed, so it is just as well that he opted not to ride back to Half Moon Bay. Fork failures can suddenly dump an unlucky rider onto the road at the most inconvenient moment.

Our route started on Cement Plant Road out of Davenport where the second of two rough railroad crossings caught Tim Dolan's wheel, sending him to the ground. Fortunately, we was moving only a few miles per hour, so only his pride was bruised.

We continued our tour of Davenport by taking the busy side road to the Landing. Then we crossed CA1 and took Swanton Road up its valley, enjoying a respite from wind and traffic, before climbing over the ridge and descending again to CA1.

We stopped again at the gas station next to the CA1 Brewery where the proprietor seemed unhappy to have so many cyclists visit and use his restroom facilities.

We continued north on CA1. I rode the detour on Pigeon Point Road while the others stayed on the main highway.

At Bean Hollow Road we regrouped. Carol didn't wish to return to Pescadero alone and traffic was heavy on CA1, so Russell suggested we head over Bean Hollow Road and then Stage Road to San Gregorio. But, time was advancing, and I still had to ride all the way home. Tim and Mark were going to stay on CA1 as Mark was complaining of leg cramps, and he was willing to endure more miles of traffic in exchange for gentler hills. I decided to join Tim and Mark for a while as I didn't want to be out after dark, and CA1 is much quicker than the inland routes.

Tim, Mark, and I regrouped for the last time just south of Pescadero Beach where we enjoyed an unusually clear view of the coast to the north and of Point Reyes that appeared as an island in the ocean.

After this regroup, I bid farewell and continued north to CA84 at a faster pace, then headed east on CA84, Pescadero Road, Alpine Road, and descended Page Mill and Moody Roads before arriving home. I almost got T-boned by a driver exiting a parking lot a split second before I almost got head-ended by a driver making an illegal U-turn in downtown Sunnyvale. Seems the last few miles from home are always the most hazardous! Fortunately, there was no crash or contact in either incident. I'd like to think that my barricade-paint fairing and/or daytime headlight helped. At this point I was too tired to make a scene, although I certainly felt entitled to do so, and I continued home without further incident.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	63.9 miles
Cumulative climbing:	5110 feet
Total Time:	11:08:42
Riding Time:	4:22:38
Avg. Speed (moving):	14.6 mph
Max. Speed:	45.5 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1200 wh
Battery energy consumed:	700 wh
Wh/mi:	11.0
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	26.3
Peak Current:	42 Amps

Jobst Brandt Memorial Celebration, June 20, 2015 - A long-planned celebration of life for the late Jobst Brandt who passed away earlier this year on the Fifth of May (and about whom I wrote recently in this blog entry), the day's main event was held off Skyline Blvd. near Russian Ridge at the home of a long-time friend of Jobst, Tom Ritchey, who graciously opened his home and grounds as host for some 100 party guests. Ray Hosler volunteered to organize a ride from Jobst's house in Palo Alto to the event, a ride that I might hazard speculation was the first and last "Jobst Ride" on which an e-recumbent rider was present.

I left home early in the morning and rode via the shortest route to Jobst's house. Since traffic early on a Saturday morning was light I rode the faster Alma Street most of the way through Palo Alto instead of taking the Bryant Street Bike Boulevard, arriving at Jobst's house shortly before 0800 where a number of cyclists and supporters had already gathered.

As I suspected the 0800 "start time" was set to allow sufficient time for socializing and photo-taking prior to departure, as the ride itself would not take longer than two hours, even with a slow traversal of dirt Alpine Road.

As we started off I did a couple of sweeps ahead of the group to catch photos of everyone while we were still riding mostly together. But, as we started up Alpine Road through Portola Valley, the group got strung out, the leaders not to be seen again until later at the Celebration.

If I had been thinking of photography on the ride I would have set my camera for a shutter speed shorter than 1/1000 second to capture crisper images of everyone, but in hindsight, the photos turned out acceptably if seen as the snapshots they are. Although longer shutter speeds resulted in more discarded photos, appropriately-blurred objects in motion lent some sense of speed to those photos whose subjects were otherwise in focus and had usable exposure. Regarding the latter, I shot in RAW mode and compensated in post-processing.

Panorama shots of groups of people are always troublesome. Unless instructed to remain stationary for the multiple shots necessary to construct the tiles, people tend to move between the capture times of each shot, causing stitching algorithms to dismember or duplicate people or portions thereof. Even turning one's head between shots can cause a "Picasso Effect" as the head from one shot is stitched at an impossible orientation to the body from another. Panoramas from the event took the most time to edit, and I ended up tossing many of them from the final mix after I had struggled with them.

Not everyone rode up dirt Alpine Road. Some took Page Mill while others took Old La Honda. And still others, the fastest on the ride, arrived the top of the climb with enough time remaining to add a loop down west Alpine and back up the hill through La Honda before arriving at the event.

I hadn't ridden down dirt Alpine in several years, and I hadn't ridden up dirt Alpine in twice again as many years. On my last trip down I found the old county road so overgrown that it resembled a use trail in places, especially through The Bypass (of the washout from the mid-1980s). Dirt Alpine was one of Jobst's favorite routes to Skyline Blvd. On his own initiative he used to clear brush and culverts on dirt Alpine Road. He was doing just that when I first met him in person back in 1992. Although the road today is passable, it resembles more a mountain bike single track.

My challenge was to ride up the dirt portion without getting off my bike. I am pleased to report that I managed to do that, although I did have to put my feet down a few times while climbing The Bypass. I had the most trouble at the exit around the gate at Page Mill Road where the sudden change of slope caused my under-seat rack to strike the ground. I had to lift the bike to get past this part. But, technically this was outside the gate and was paved, so was not on "dirt Alpine".

After pausing at the Russian Ridge Vista Point along Skyline Blvd. to enjoy the view as I was running a little early, I found the correct address for the Celebration. A temporary sign with the single word, "Jobst", and a small bunch of balloons marked the correct driveway off Skyline Blvd. After parking my bike, changing my shoes, and donning my sun hat I joined the festivities.

For the next hour and a half I spoke with Frank Paysen, Stella Hackell, John Serafin, Jeanie Barnett, Chalo Colina, Bill Preucel, Alison Chaiken, Adrian Brandt, Jim Westby, Jack Newlin, Brian Strom, Piaw Na, Marc Brandt, Richard Mlynarik, and a few others whose names I forgot.

I couldn't help but notice when standing still that the large rear deck that stood about 6-7 feet above a storage area vibrated and swayed slightly to the movement and weight of about 60 guests bearing down on its timbers. Although the recent balcony collapse in Berkeley was on my mind, I took some comfort that although the wood was weathered, the deck appeared to be solidly-built and its wood completely exposed, leaving little opportunity for dry rot (really, “wet rot”) to take hold.

Happy Hour continued until Olaf Brandt announced that lunch was ready to be served, and we gradually made our way down the stairs to the luncheon buffet. After filling my plate I found a seat at the table with Alison Chaiken, Piaw Na, Keith Bontrager, and Don Pardo and Chalo Colina, with whom I had dined the evening before. Live music played under a canopy on the deck of the nearby pool.

As we finished our luncheon Olaf then Adrian took the mic and after each giving his own personal tribute declared the start of an "open mic" session for anyone who wanted to tell a Jobst story or how Jobst touched their lives. I photographed each speaker, although I was unable to identify all of them.

Half-way through these tributes, we broke for dessert, then returned to hear more tributes and stories. Then shortly before 1600 with the supply of speakers exhausted the mic was turned off, and guests began to break into small conversations or make their way home.

All in all it was a day well-spent to celebrate the life of Jobst Brandt.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	103.3 miles
Cumulative climbing:	8270 feet
Total Time:	10:38:40
Riding Time:	7:53:11
Avg. Speed (moving):	13.1 mph
Max. Speed:	43.9 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	1600 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1385 wh
Wh/mi:	11.8
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	26.6
Regenerated Amps-Hour:	3.1
Peak Current:	21.5 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	14.1 Amps

Sequoia Workers Ride, June 6, 2015 - I rode the long route on the Sequoia Century Workers Ride. Zach Kaplan joined me after I obtained permission for him to join us. Weather was pleasant all day: slightly cool at the coast and in the canyons with patchy fog near Half Moon Bay, but warm when the wind died and on the eastern side of Skyline. Short sleeves could be worn most of the time.

I rode with a direct-drive hub motor that struggled mightily on Redwood Gulch and some of the other steep grades, requiring me to pedal harder where the motor's torque dropped off as my speed dropped below 6 mph. Although few will believe me, I worked hard on today's ride. But, I made it up all of the hills. Zach was riding without his e-assist, so I did my best to ride with him as much as possible. And that meant climbing hills more slowly than usual.

At Shoup Park at the start of the ride Judy Defranco checked us in and offered us some slices of nut bread. We then proceeded up Stevens Canyon, Redwood Gulch, and CA9 before stopping at the Saratoga Gap Fire Station where a full spread of snacks and drinks were laid out for our choosing. As I had eaten a substantial breakfast and didn't want to fill up on snacks before lunch at our next stop, I only nibbled, sampling a few of the snacks.

We then descended Skyline and Alpine Road into La Honda for lunch, where Judy had reserved the rear patio behind the restaurant in La Honda. We enjoyed a full lunch spread.

After lunch Zach, Thomas Maslen, and I headed west on CA84 toward San Gregorio, passing several Pescadero Road Race pelotons riding in the opposite direction and Randall Braun, who was out showing his colors.

Somewhere along CA84 we lost Thomas Maslen, but Zach and I continued up Stage Road at a moderate pace and continued through the rest of the course taking only short necessary breaks over the remainder of the route, as there was no formal support at the remaining rest stops, until we returned to Shoup Park.

Weather at the coast alternated between cool in the wind to warm in the protected areas without wind. It was one of those days that was a little too cool for shorts and short sleeves, but too warm for longs. I opted to be slightly cool some of the time.

Overall we enjoyed our day on the local roads.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	125.7 miles
Cumulative climbing:	8490 feet
Total Time:	11:18:24
Riding Time:	8:56:15
Avg. Speed (moving):	14.0 mph
Max. Speed:	41.7 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	1600 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1630^† wh
Wh/mi:	11.2
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	31.3
Regenerated Amps-Hour:	4.3
Peak Current:	24.1 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	15.2 Amps

Mount Hamilton Loop CCW, May 24, 2015 - This was Frank and Stella's penultimate ride of the season. They started in Sunol while I started from home. Frank and Stella rode Calaveras Road together, then Frank continued up Felter Road and down Sierra Road while Stella took the direct path across east San Jose to the base of Mount Hamilton Road. Meanwhile I rode further south through San Jose to the base of Quimby Road before climbing into the hills. The plan was for us to meet up somewhere on the climb to Lick Observatory at the summit of Mount Hamilton.

As I left home I rode at a moderate pace, using minimal motor power. I was carrying little extra battery capacity today, and I wanted it to last until I got home. Traffic was somewhat heavier than I expected for a Sunday morning, but the holiday weekend probably explained the increased traffic. Frank, Stella, and I could monitor our locations using Life360, and I could see that they were emerging from the cellphone dead zone on Calaveras Road as I started south on Capitol Ave.

The weather today was perfect, slightly cool in the morning warming to warm and slightly muggy at mid-day when we were east of Mount Hamilton, then cooling again by evening. I was feeling good, so I pressed on south to Quimby Road instead of climbing the more gradual Mount Hamilton Road from Alum Rock Ave. I hadn't climbed Quimby in a few years, and it was overdue for a visit.

Climbing Quimby would be work for me since I was riding with the direct-drive hub motor that has reduced efficiency when climbing steep hills, and Quimby is steep. To make progress up the hill I'd have to pedal hard.

Halfway up Quimby I noticed that Stella's location was moving across downtown San Jose. I quickly stopped to text Frank to see if Stella had quit the ride early and was going directly home and to inquire if Frank was planning to continue in Stella's absence.

Frank quickly replied that her location was false. Probably the location of a cell tower, I figured.

I continued up Quimby, passing the sharp hairpin bend where race leader on the road, Toms Skujins, (and a few others) took a spill while descending Quimby during Stage Three of this year's Tour of California.

Finally, after much effort, I arrived at the sharp pass at the top of Quimby Road. I stopped to check everyone's location: Stella was just ahead on the second climb through Grant Ranch Park, and Frank was just starting from Alum Rock Avenue. I continued down the east side of Quimby slowly, regen braking engaged.

Climbing at low power (about 280 watts from the battery or about 200 watts to the rear wheel plus my pedaling) I slowly caught up to Stella near the top of Grant Ranch Park where she had stopped to take a short break. We rode together for a short distance, but since I was regenerating on the descents, she got ahead of me on the descent to Smith Creek. We did not meet up again until mid-way up the last and longest climb to the summit.

We leapfrogged some support vehicles for the Mount Hamilton Road Race that had passed through earlier that morning, and we were passed by a few women racers who must have started at a different time from the men or had suffered mechanicals near the start. I spoke with one of the SAG drivers who informed me that most of the racers had already ridden through.

After Stella and I arrived at the summit we waited for about 15 minutes until I could see a figure that looked like Frank's winding slowly up the road below. After Frank arrived at the summit, we took some group photos (1, 2), ate snacks, used the restrooms, and stretched. Then we began our descent of the east side of the mountain.

Stella and Frank descended ahead of me while I slowly made my way down the mountain. I descended so slowly while passing one of the aid stations for the road race that a staffer asked if I was all right. I yelled back that I was regenerating^‡, and he seemed to understand what that meant.

Near the top of Arroyo Bayo I caught up to Stella and Frank. We stopped at China Grade Summit for a snack and stretch and to remove our longs.

A broad patch of cumulus clouds had gathered overhead. The air was warm and muggy. If the clouds had been thicker or more widespread I might have thought we'd get wet at some point. But, the clouds didn't grow, and the overcast sky kept the temperature from rising uncomfortably high.

We pressed down into Upper San Antonio Valley then climbed into and through lower San Antonio Valley, stopping at The Junction Cafe for water. Neither Frank nor Stella wanted to stop for a meal, and although I wouldn't have minded eating some real food, the time was about 1430. I would have had trouble arriving home before dark if we had. So, we continued northward on Mines Road after our short break.

The first climb north of The Junction rises gradually alongside Sweetwater Creek and gains 560 feet, the second climbs out of Blackbird Canyon at a slightly steeper grade with 300 feet gained. We finally arrived at Eylar Summit (2881ft) after which we enjoyed many miles of descent, spiced with a few short uphill bumps to keep our legs from becoming stiff.

As we worked our way north of Fourteenmile House the road leveled off for several miles as Arroyo Mocho dropped deeper into its canyon. The usual headwind also picked up strength, making this "downhill" feel like a slight climb. But, eventually Mines Road dropped again and more forcefully to its low point where it crosses Arroyo Mocho for the last time before connecting to Del Valle Road.

After stopping at the ball park at Concannon and South Livermore Ave. to refill water and use restrooms, we took the direct route west through Livermore on Concannon, Holmes, and Vineyard. Then we continued through Pleasanton without stopping, arriving in Sunol just before 1800. Stella and Frank looked happy to be done with their ride. I still had further to go, and as I wanted to arrive home before dark, I didn't linger to socialize for too long while they loaded their bikes into the truck.

Fog was blowing in through Niles Canyon and sweeping over the shoulder of Mission Peak, and I put on my long top.

Since I was riding alone and could see that I easily had enough battery capacity to make it home, I rode faster and used more motor. Calaveras Road is pretty in the early morning and evening with the orange glow of sunlight casting long shadows on the land. I appreciated it as much as I could while taking the turns on Calaveras as fast as I dared. Fortunately, traffic was light.

After dropping into Milpitas I rode the quickest if not the shortest route home, arriving at about 1930.

I had worked harder on this ride than usual. If I had ridden alone I would have ridden faster using more motor power, but when I ride with others I use less motor power and about the same or slightly more leg power. The main difference is that I'm riding for longer at a slower average speed. Today's ride took almost as much time as my 200-mile Mount Hamilton Big South Loop two weeks ago.

^†Total watt-hours used was greater than the nominal capacity because about 220 watt-hours were recovered by regen braking. Net consumption was (125.7 miles) * (11.2 wh/mi) = 1410 wh.

^‡When regenerating energy recovery is greatest when speed is slow enough that little energy is lost to aerodynamic friction yet fast enough that the rectified back-EMF sees minimal loss in the controller. In practice this occurs at speeds between 10 and 20 mph (15 and 30 kph).

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	103.7 miles
Cumulative climbing:	9170 feet
Total Time:	10:10:10
Riding Time:	7:56:33
Avg. Speed (moving):	13.0 mph
Max. Speed:	47.3 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1255 wh
Wh/mi:	13.0
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	47.7
Peak Current:	30.9 Amps

Coastal Loop, May 17, 2015 - With Stella and Frank I rode a variation on the classic coastal loop from the south bay to the coast and back. The only remarkable aspect of the day was the unusually cool weather, never rising above 20C, and getting as low as 9C at the top of Tunitas Creek Road. Grass was tall and green along the roads, and wildflowers were abundant. We are lucky to live near such a variety of roads pleasant for biking.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	201.0 miles
Cumulative climbing:	10120 feet
Total Time:	12:41:57
Riding Time:	10:44:39
Avg. Speed (moving):	18.7 mph
Max. Speed:	39.7 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	2800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	2880^† wh
Wh/mi:	13.2
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	55.5
Regen Amps-Hour Recovered:	4.2
Peak Forward Current:	21.9 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	11.6 Amps

Mount Hamilton Big Loop South CW, May 10, 2015 - Today's ride was to be one step harder than last week's. I had seen the potential of this loop on the map and decided that the combination of weather and my conditioning made today a good day to give it a try. I was also looking forward to a route that had less urban and stop 'n' go riding and more high speed cruising.

I left home at 0605 under a heavy overcast. The roads were quiet, and the traffic lights mostly green as I crossed Santa Clara and the northern part of San Jose. The parking area alongside Alum Rock Road at Mount Hamilton Road was empty and quiet as I made the right turn onto Mount Hamilton Road and started the climb.

I passed one cyclist stopped by the road less than a mile up, and I encountered one cyclist descending on the last climb to the summit. I saw no other cyclists on the Mountain.

As I crossed to the east side of Masters Ridge I rose into the fog, then descended in fog across Halls Valley. The fog wasn't cold, but it was thick enough to condense on my glasses, requiring me to wipe them frequently.

As I neared the top of the second climb I reached the top of the fog layer. The filtered sunlight cast pleasing beams of light through the mist. As I descended to Smith Creek, I left the fog for good. The third and final climb up the mountain was more enjoyable in the warm sun.

I was surprised to see not a soul at the top of the mountain. The time was 0830, well after sunrise, the temperature was warm, not a breath of wind, yet no one was about. Even the rest rooms were locked. I rode around the observatory building, then stopped near the flag pole to admire the view west of the Bay Area peaks rising from a massive sea of fog covering the valleys below.

I paused only long enough to allow the direct drive hub motor I was running to cool a bit before starting down San Antonio Valley Road where regen braking would heat it again.

I stopped briefly to snap a photo toward the southeast of the fog sea having worked its way up to Pacheco Pass and into the inner canyons of Henry Coe State Park. Then I resumed the descent.

At the cattle grate about 60% of the way down I stopped again, this time for 15 minutes to allow the motor to cool. Regen braking gets it hot, and I was more diligent this time to keep the motor temperature below 140C. On my last trip down the backside of Hamilton when I pressed on to the bottom without stopping, the motor got to 154C.

When I arrived at the base of the last descent, the low point on the back side of the mountain, I stopped to remove my longs, both top and bottom as the temperature had warmed. I then continued at a moderate pace along Arroyo Bayo, over China Grade Summit, then down into Upper San Antonio Valley where the grass had gone brown. Near the apex of the curve that sends me northward through the valley I passed an older cyclist going the other direction.

As I was riding through San Antonio Valley I came upon a cattle round-up. Cattle were being moved on the road in my direction of travel from one field to another. A ruckus of noisy mooing and bellowing could be heard from the herd, and on the road splats of fresh loose cow-patties would need to be avoided. I was delayed about 15 minutes, not long enough to significantly inconvenience my plan.

At The Junction I turned right on Del Puerto Canyon Road. Del Puerto Canyon Road descends, then climbs gradually at first, then steeper near Beauregard Summit at the Stanislaus County line.

The descent off the east side is steep for a mile. On my way down I noticed a goldfinch sitting next to the road. I thought it might be injured, but when I approached it took off.

I continued down into Del Puerto Canyon, passing through the narrow upper canyon, then the somewhat broader middle canyon, and finally exiting into a broad valley, the other end of which was bordered by a fruit tree orchard.

Somewhere around Frank Raines Regional Park a headwind picked up strength and prevailed all the way into Patterson. This was not a good development as I had anticipated no wind or tailwind on this section. Because of the headwind I rode more slowly than I had planned, using only as much motor power as I needed to maintain a cruising speed in the low-20 mph range, and I pedaled briskly.

I arrived in Patterson shortly before noon but almost six hours since I left home. I was hoping to be further along by this time and to stop for lunch in Santa Nella. But I had been riding in a relaxed manner so far today, stopping for views, photos, motor-coolings, and cattle round-ups. It had been a very nice ride thus far with very little traffic, so I had little reason to complain. Most of the traffic I had encountered between Frank Raines and Patterson.

Since I was hungry now, I thought it best to eat now and worry later about getting hungry later. So, I stopped at the same Subway shop I had visited two weeks earlier. This time I ordered a foot-long, with the idea that I'd eat half now and half later. I ate it all now.

While I digested lunch I called mom to wish her happy Mothers' Day, then I started east on Sperry Ave. After setting my rear flasher to "aggressive mode" I began the journey south on CA33 where the highway seemed to go straight forever.

Again the wind was not as I expected. A quartering headwind, blowing from the east or east-southeast slowed my progress. I found myself cruising about 25-26 mph when I could feel the wind opposing me and about 29-30 mph when the wind disappeared. I had planned on cruising in the low-30's with a nice tailwind while drawing 350 watts from the battery. Yet, I was happy to have brought the Pursuit with the hard sides as it slips through wind with less resistance than the Gold Rush with the lycra sock. On the downside, the hard-sided bike gets blown around more in wind gusts. But, here the wind was mostly gentle and not gusting. Still, it was giving me no help.

My trip south on CA33 took me through several small towns: Crows Landing, Newman, Gustine, and Santa Nella. Each town came upon the horizon and required breaking pace just often enough to be a welcome diversion from the tedium of riding flat and straight. Traffic was light near Patterson, but south of Gustine traffic became heavier and was worst between Santa Nella and CA152. The quality of the road surface was inversely proportional to the observed traffic load. Although the road was over most of its length narrow and without rideable shoulder, motorists all passed politely, leaving wide clearance.

At this point my route turned toward home, west on CA152. CA152 lies on the main driving route between the South Bay and southern California and as such it sees much traffic. I chose to ride my route on Sunday because fewer trucks take to the roads on Sundays, and I worried about being blown around by passing trucks. What I didn't expect were manic motorists, especially SUV drivers, their cars packed with people and other distractions, speeding, tailgating, veering into the shoulder, and a couple of times, passing too closely. The few truckers who were on the road must have understood what turbulent wind can do to a vehicle with high surface area to mass ratio as most moved completely into the next lane before passing me. Those who didn't or couldn't, passed me slowly.

Headwinds on CA152 I expected. I set my rear flasher to "obnoxious mode" and set my speed to about 20 mph to make decent progress without wasting energy and to make the bike easier to control when the wind gusted. At first the shoulder was decently wide and clean. But, on the climbs, the shoulder disappeared to make room for a third lane, presumably for laden trucks. This occurred for about 1 mile on the climb up to San Luis Reservoir and for the 3-mile climb from the Reservoir to Pacheco Pass.

Riding in the third lane was not as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Asphalt was smoother and cleaner, and most motorists did not try to pass me in the same lane, moving completely to the adjacent lane. When I rode on the shoulder, I was granted no such accommodation.

On the segment of highway that circled around the north side of San Luis Reservoir the shoulder narrowed and contained more debris. To make matters worse, a rumble strip had been pressed into the asphalt. This left me sometimes with less than a foot of usable shoulder width. I hoped none of this debris would give me a flat tire as it would be unpleasant to fix it while I was stuck on this narrow shoulder, or worse, prevented by a guardrail from moving off the road.

To minimize my exposure to traffic I rode hard on the climbs when I was riding in the third lane. When I finally crested Pacheco Pass my legs felt spent. Fortunately, the Santa Clara County side of the pass has a nice, wide, mostly clean shoulder with no rumble strip. I rested and let gravity pull me 1000 feet down to the crossing of Pacheco Creek and did some regen braking on the steeper part of the descent.

Cruising down Pacheco Creek Valley past Casa de Fruita and the 152/156 split took longer than I expected. A combination of headwinds and spent legs didn't help.

At the split I took CA156 toward Hollister instead of continuing on shorter CA152 into Gilroy because the latter road was, according to Google Street View, intermittently under construction in such a way that there was only one lane in each direction and no shoulder for significant lengths. The Hollister detour on CA156, Fairview, Shore, Frazier Lake, Bloomfield, and Bolsa Roads, only added a couple of miles and was less stressful, although due to wind, was no less noisy.

On Frazier Lake Road I encountered my most difficult winds that almost pushed me off the road a couple of times. The wind was broadside and gusting, the worst kind. I was able to make decent speed, low-20s mph, but I had to ride in the middle of the lane to leave room to maneuver each time I got hit with a gust. Most of the way I was tilted left toward the wind, like a sailboat on a windy day on the bay. Overtaking motorists seemed to understand, passing me fully in the opposite lane.

Things settled down when I got into Gilroy. I stopped for my second out-of-bike break at Chitactac-Adams County Park west of Gilroy at Watsonville Road and Burchell Road to eat a snack and refill my water. It felt good to get up and walk around a bit, but I could tell I was getting fatigued and sleepy. Riding in wind is always mentally fatiguing, and today I had more headwinds than I wanted.

Now that I was on familiar roads I wasted no time getting home. At this point I could smell the barn and was looking forward to a meal, a shower, and sleep (in that order). I knew that I'd have enough battery energy to get home. I took a route similar to the return route of the Winter Solstice Double Century alongside the reservoirs. At first I had a slight tailwind, but as I started north on Uvas Road, the wind switched to a headwind off and on. The temperature also cooled significantly.

By the time I got home the temperature felt cold, especially after I got out of the bike.

Compared to last weekend's ride, today's ride was harder, and I felt more fatigued. I suspect less favorable winds accounted for most of the difference in how I felt, even if today's route was 32 miles longer.

^†Total watt-hours used was greater than the nominal capacity because about 230 watt-hours were recovered by regen braking. Net consumption was (201 miles) * (13.2 wh/mi) = 2653 wh.

Jobst Brandt enjoys one of his favorite local rides down the coast on CA1 near Waddell State Beach, April 9, 2005.

Jobst Brandt, R.I.P., January 14, 1935 - May 5, 2015 - I met Jobst in early 1992 not long after I discovered the Usenet forum, rec.bicycles, and began participating in a discussion on Favorite Bay Area Roads. I had a couple of years earlier started getting back into longer distance bicycling for recreation and transportation after a 10-year hiatus following my initial car-driving years while in college.

In my younger years my dad and I had hiked many places in the Santa Cruz Mountains east of Skyline and a few places west, and we had even ridden our bikes in a few, but so much of it I had not yet explored. Jobst was a fount of knowledge of all areas worth visiting in these mountains, especially those that were suitable for biking.

As one can see from the exchange in the thread above, Jobst spoke his mind in a direct fashion that did not always sit well with others. He rarely left unchallenged bullshit or opinion stated as fact, especially if posted under a pseudonym, a practice he disliked. Yet, since he was usually correct on the technical points, one couldn't simply dismiss him. One of his brothers remarked, "Jobst could never operate with superficial understandings." It was a quality that was either maddening or endearing, depending on whether you were emotionally invested in prevailing in an argument with him, or whether you were a virtual onlooker.

After our initial exchange, we communicated by email where he imparted more of his knowledge and history of the area and of biking in general. It was on his advice that I undertook to explore on my road/touring bike all bike-able roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

He invited me on his Sunday rides, and I invited him to join me and my friends as we explored all of these interesting places. But, for some reason we rarely managed to hook up and ride together. I suppose initially I was intimidated by the distances he and his friends rode—I hadn't yet ridden 100 miles on my bike at that time—and he never seemed to be available to join our group that I suspected he thought would be too slow and tedious for him—Jobst liked to keep moving while biking, and back then we stopped often to regroup, chat, eat a sit-down meal, or stare at our navels.

Later I came to realize that we both wanted to call the shots, to set the pace, the agenda, and the route, in short, to lead the proceedings. I doubt we would have been compatible long-term riding partners without one of us giving up the control to which we were each accustomed. So, we settled into a pattern where we'd discuss a road or route ahead of time online, then I'd discover it for myself on my own terms and write up my observations. He never missed an opportunity to point out additional facts or to critique, even writing style or grammar.

I learned from him much about bicycle mechanics, how parts fail, and how to build a strong wheel. From him I learned to look up from the road once in a while and take note of my surroundings, to appreciate the beauty, find the oddities, and understand the patterns in nature. One obscure observation was that each false summit along Skyline Blvd. between CA9 and Castle Rock Summit occurs at exact mile intervals on the mile according to the mileage paddles.

In 1998 a great discussion erupted on the Usenet group, rec.bicycles.misc. "Bents Selling Like Hotcakes!!", screamed the provocative subject. A that time I rode my upright bike on a daily commute that had me fighting a strong afternoon wind for 9 miles to get home. To make matters worse, my blood sugar was typically low at the time, and I always felt I was on the verge of bonking. I sought a solution that didn't have me driving a car every day to work or lugging my bike onto Caltrain for only three stops, a process that took 50% longer overall than riding the distance headwind or no. I had been considering buying a recumbent to ameliorate the Great Headwind Problem, and this discussion drew me in.

It was no surprise that Jobst came down on the anti-recumbent side of the discussion. Although I deeply respected his opinions and analysis on most topics, I felt that in this case he was extrapolating from observation alone, advancing a position that boiled down to, "I wouldn't want to ride one, so why should anyone else?"

"The man doth protest too much," or so I thought. Yet, I learned a great deal from this discussion and from other related discussions that were subsequently spawned, and in the end after doing more research I got a faired recumbent for my commute.

My rebellious, contrarian side wanted to prove Jobst wrong on the viability of riding a faired recumbent as a substitute for an upright bike on the very roads he enjoyed. So, I started riding my faired recumbent everywhere. We argued online about recumbent riding and "recumbentists", but in the end I think he came to see that my choice worked for me, even if he had no interest in trying it himself. Since then I have been riding mostly recumbent, and I have Jobst to thank for unwittingly prompting me in the first place.

As time went by and in spite of my primary mode of bicycling we maintained our online friendship and we both continued to ride in the Santa Cruz Mountains, though rarely together, exchanging from time to time news about places that had changed: a bridge out here, a road closure or re-opening there, or the loss of a landmark such as the Swiss cottage on Page Mill Road, between Altamont Road and Foothills Park, a charmed structure perched on the outside of an off-camber corner that managed never to suffer being plowed into by an errant motorist. "Philistines!", Jobst exclaimed in dismay, when he learned that a new owner of the property had razed it.

In 2006 and 2007 when I started dabbling in bicycle "witchcraft", electrifying my recumbent bikes, I did not tell Jobst. I figured that would be a bridge too far from orthodoxy for him to cross. Yet in some way he can take some credit for my experimentations.

In Fall of 2003 I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (Afib), an episodic heart rhythm malfunction that curtailed my ability to exercise. At first I ignored the occasional symptoms, and they had little effect on my ability to ride. But by 2006 and 2007 the condition had progressed to the point I could no longer ignore my condition. I was forced to reduce exercise or cut back severely on the frequency and length of my bike rides. My Afib was causing me to "gray out" occasionally while riding, forcing me to pull over beside the road and put my head between my legs to avoid passing out completely.

Jobst had given up bike racing long ago, telling me that over the years the sport had been twisted into a contest of genetic endowment, doping, and marketing of dubious equipment—several times he undiplomatically remarked that the best technical minds had long ago turned to other fields, that there wasn't much in bicycling that hadn't been tried by a previous generation, that bicycles were a mature technology. He rode for the pure enjoyment of the activity and disapproved of contests, goals, or competition, taking me to task a few times when I introduced this slant into my narratives. "We don't need no steenkin' merit badges!", he would tell me.

He would have taken a dim view of web sites like Strava that emphasize contest and competition with others, although I believe he may have appreciated the benefit of social networking. His philosophy was to ride for the pure enjoyment of seeing the world from a bike saddle and occasionally sharing with others his experiences. If biking became an endurance contest or a tale of hardship overcome, he didn't want to participate or hear about it.

It was with his philosophy in mind that I sought a way that allowed me to maintain a relatively large circle of biking territory while reducing physical stress on my body, to keep the activity fun and enjoyable without negatively affecting my health. It helped that I was also interested and competent at mixing electronics and bikes.

When I was dealing with Afib, he told me about his mitral valve replacement surgery and lamented his noticeably reduced aerobic capacity following surgery. He felt that his reduced capacity was caused by being on the heart-lung machine for too long, although I suspected arrhythmia such as Afib that is often a follow-on side-effect from heart surgery. It was one of the few times he complained about his health, probably because it so directly affected his ability to ride bike.

We both explored old maps of railroad rights of way in the Sierras east of Sonora, exchanging ideas of where the alignments might have been. I suggested we spend a couple days exploring some of these old roads, but he expressed no interest in making a special trip for that purpose.

He told me about his house remodeling, the inevitable delays and discoveries of extra needed work, the difficulty of living as a long-term guest in someone else's home while his house was under construction, and how he wished he had remodeled it many years earlier, wondering how he put up with his old house's problems for so long.

Then sometime in 2010 I heard no more from him. Later I learned that he had had a couple of minor crashes from which he quickly recovered. And, once he returned home so late from an all-day ride that he had descended Page Mill Road in the dark without a light, something that would be difficult for a rider with young eyes let alone those of a septuagenarian. I suspect it was his familiarity with the descent, the help of moonlight, and sheer luck in not encountering anything unexpected on the road that brought him home safely that night.

Then in January 2011 I received news that Jobst had suffered a more serious crash. This time he had started early on a foggy January morning to ride his usual coastal loop to Santa Cruz and back and had crashed while descending Sand Hill Road at Whiskey Hill. I visited him a few times when he was in hospital and several more times while he was under home care. Although the "old Jobst" shone through at times, it was clear he had suffered permanent injury that had changed his personality. He was no longer able to use his computer, so we enjoyed only personal visits.

The highest moment post-crash came when he sat me down to look over a coffee table book on Sierra railroads. He had remembered our discussions several years prior. And, prompted by his son, Adrian, Jobst gazed with curiosity upon my electrified recumbent without offering so much as a frown, although the version he saw that evening had at least one serious flaw that the old Jobst would have noticed (and that I have since corrected).

A low moment came at my last visit during a party given at his house in his honor, when he had trouble recognizing some of his friends, even after being reminded repeatedly. He seemed to believe alternately that either strangers were in his house or that he was at a party of people he didn't know and wanted to be taken home. The gathering upset him.

Not hearing of any more gatherings at his house I suspected his health had declined to the point that social activity was seen as counter-productive. I heard little until this past week when his family sent out notice that Jobst was no longer eating.

Ride bike! Then rest in peace, old friend, rest in peace.

See also blog entries by Ray Hosler, Tom Ritchey, Mike Jacoubowsky,and Piaw Na.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	168.6 miles
Cumulative climbing:	5820 feet
Total Time:	11:50:14
Riding Time:	9:27:21
Avg. Speed (moving):	17.8 mph
Max. Speed:	40.6 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	2800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	2087 wh
Wh/mi:	12.1
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	39.8
Regen Amps-Hour Recovered:	1.0
Peak Forward Current:	22.0 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	12.9 Amps

Nine Counties Ride Around the Bay, May 3, 2015 - After last week's big loop ride over Mount Hamilton, I was prepared for this week's ride. Last year I rode a similar though slightly longer loop in the opposite direction. This year I started by riding north on El Camino Real instead of taking Skyline Blvd. and its inconvenient detour in San Mateo to avoid the construction at the Crystal Springs Dam. I'd be starting early enough in the morning that traffic ought to be light.

I also wanted to explore an inland crossing from southern Marin into northern Marin County. I had last ridden over the Fawn Drive-Manuel Freitas bike path connector sometime back in the mid-1990s, but my memory of that trip was hazy, and I had apparently not taken any photos nor written any notes.

My third divergence from last year's route was to explore the new George Miller Trail along the Carquinez Strait.

I wanted to leave home at 0600, but as usual I couldn't get myself ready to shove off until a bit later. As I started I noticed with some annoyance that regen braking was not functioning, yet on my mid-week ride regen braking was functioning. Fortunately, my route was flat enough today that regen braking would not be required to complete the route with the available energy.

As I headed north on Evelyn Ave. an unusually long northbound Caltrain consist was pulling into the Sunnyvale station, honking its horn far more than necessary given that no one was about. For the next 10 miles I managed to stay with this train as it rumbled north, stopping for an extra-long time at each station. Since my route ran parallel to the tracks on Central Expressway and Alma Street, the train would close the crossing gates at cross streets, leaving Central/Alma with a green signal. I made good time.

In Palo Alto I shifted to El Camino Real and proceeded north through San Mateo County. At first I enjoyed sun, but as I crossed into Redwood City I went under a fog layer. Traffic lights were too often red with the crossing signal tripped by some ghost pedestrian. I ended up spending quite a bit of time stopped for non-existent cross traffic while watching countdown mark the full 30 to 0 seconds. In spite of these minor frustrations I found riding El Camino early on a weekend morning an interesting experience as it let me see the center of each city on the route north. Traffic was sparse, and few drivers were in a rush. Particularly notable was the strong devil's food cake frosting aroma wafting through the air in Millbrae.

On this cool day I enjoyed patches of sunshine in unexpected locations such as Burlingame through Colma. By the time I got to Daly City the fog closed in for good.

I took a route through San Francisco that I hadn't ridden before: Lake Merced and Sunset Blvd. as far as Golden Gate Park. From there I took the most direct route to the Golden Gate Bridge. I saw a few cyclists in Golden Gate Park, but as I drew nearer to the Bridge I saw many more cyclists. The path onto and over the bridge was almost a steady stream.

Marin County was pretty but crowded as usual. Cyclists on what is effectively the single bicycling route from SF to Fairfax were almost as thick as they were on the Bridge. To add to a cyclist's frustration the route north through the towns of Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, and San Anselmo is Death by a Thousand Stop Signs. No sooner would I regain cruising speed than another stop sign at some insignificant cross street would appear. Although I saw no policemen lying in wait, I also saw no cyclist blow through any of these stop signs. In fact, most unclipped and tapped a shoe perfunctorily on the road before continuing.

From Corte Madera through Larkspur I found myself pacing another cyclist. He seemed to be out for a quick morning workout. Near Magnolia and Bon Aire the driver of an SUV got too close to this cyclist. Angry gestures followed by shouted words between driver and cyclist ensued. They stopped in the middle of the road briefly. I hadn't seen behavior on the part of either that could have been construed as more than carelessness or incompetence, and besides that I didn't want to get between two hot tempers. Yet the only way I could continue was to pass between them as they shouted at each other over my head.

I understand how the cyclist might have felt. In the past, especially when I had more of life's stresses pressing on me, I could explode at a driver for passing too closely or honking rudely. After it was all over, I always regretted throwing such a public tantrum, for letting my animal side lash out with yelling, cursing and rude gestures. It always left me in a sour mood for the remainder of my ride, even if upon later reflection I concluded that the hurled invective had been justified.

Somewhere in Marin County I observed my USB power supply for my phone not charging the phone's battery, that the phone had been running on battery power from the start and would have to continue to do so until I got home. I turned off the display that I usually keep active. I would still probably run short. (I discovered later that I had forgotten that the USB power supply has an independent connection to the main power bus, and I had forgotten to reconnect it after doing maintenance on the bike. User error!)

Due to the cool weather I had been wearing all of my clothes into San Anselmo. The sun was out as I started up Butterfield to Fawn Drive, and as I started up the steep climb to the trail that crosses Terra Linda Ridge into San Rafael, I quickly got warm.

Northern Marin County feels different from Southern. The suburbs are more standardized, the housing construction post-WW2, the vegetation more sparse, and the neighborhoods less twee. I also saw many fewer cyclists.

Last year when I rode this loop counter-clockwise, I was unable to find the bike path between Hanna Ranch Road and Bel Marin Keys and ended up riding through the freeway interchange to Novato Blvd.

This year I did my homework and found the path. Mid-way along it crosses railroad tracks under construction. This was the only spot I had to get out of the bike and walk it through the ballast rock. It was here I encountered two other cyclists riding the opposite direction who stopped to ask me about my bike. I gave them a brief tour.

CA37 isn't pretty, and in some spots where the bridges are narrow, it isn't fun. But, after all the traffic and stop and go in Marin, it was a relief to cruise on an open road for a number of miles.

Except for the narrow crossing of the Petaluma River Bridge where I had help from a nice downgrade, I kept my speed below 30 mph (48 kph), cruising usually in the mid-20s (40 kph). The shoulder was nice through most of Sonoma County, but on the second half of the trip to Vallejo I had to deal with a wide rumble strip and less clean asphalt.

The northern corner of Mare Island that my route visits hasn't changed at all in the last year. Dilapidated buildings in a state of partial dismantlement remain standing like warnings of a dystopian future. One residential apartment building looked particularly corpse-like, it's doors and windows staring vacantly at passers-by.

Most of the activity in Vallejo appears to occur near the Ferry Terminal. The rest of the town I could see along Sonoma Blvd. had a depressed look. In between vacant fields littered with trash stood liquor stores and mini marts. A few pedestrians shuffled dejectedly along the verge of the road. Gentrification has yet to reach this corner of the Bay Area.

Unlike the Golden Gate Bridge, the path over the Zampa Bridge into Contra Costa County was nearly devoid of people. I had the path to myself over most of its length, which was probably a good thing because a gusty cross-wind was blowing from the west, and when one hit the bike I got pushed a foot to the left.

I was now on the Grizzly Peak Century route as I rode through Crockett and continued onto the Carquinez Scenic Drive, but by this time, early afternoon, all of the riders would have gone through the area. There was no evidence of an event having occurred at the community center, and I saw no other cyclists in the area.

The eastern half of the Scenic Drive is now part of the East Bay Regional Park District, the highlight of which is the George Miller Trail that had recently opened. Gone was the old asphalt with its painted graffiti. Also gone was the washout that had taken most of the road, leaving only a narrow dirt footpath. In its place was a nice 1.5-lane paved trail. Aside from a few pedestrians I felt like I had the place to myself.

It was along this section that I discovered that my regen switch had come disconnected from my controller. After I connected it, regen worked normally. The second user error. I scolded myself for not checking for the obvious earlier in the ride.

At the eastern end of the Scenic Drive the road climbs a short hill past the Alhambra Cemetery before depositing one into a neighborhood of Martinez. I made my way to Berrellessa Street and then onto Alhambra Avenue, passing the John Muir House near CA4.

I continued on Alhambra Avenue and Pleasant Hill Road, where gusting wind had blown up some allergen that gave me a coughing fit, then zig-zagged through Pleasant Hill and crossed Walnut Creek on Civic Drive and South Broadway, eventually to head south along I-680 on Danville Blvd.

Few traffic lights, a nice bike lane, copious shade for hot summer days, and clean asphalt make Danville Blvd. a nice cycling road for cruising, although one still needs to observe activity at residential driveways.

It was near Alamo that I saw a cyclist on a low-racer recumbent riding the opposite direction. It was Michael Cvetich. I hadn't seen him in years. I stopped while he turned around. We both then rode into Danville where we stopped at Jersey Mike's Deli for a late lunch. I needed to eat some real food, and this was a good opportunity to catch up with Michael since it's much easier to converse when seated at a table than while riding.

While we were at lunch, a small earthquake slammed and rattled the building. It was a "magnitude 3.6" centered in Concord.

After lunch I continued south and toward home on Foothill Blvd., passing through San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Sunol. I continued south on Calaveras Road where my phone battery died.

Calaveras Road is pretty in the morning or in the evening as the sun is low in the sky. Aside from a few motorists I had the road to myself. I didn't see one cyclist riding either way over the entire length of the road.

After dropping into Milpitas I rode home quickly on the direct route, arriving home at quarter past six.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	165.5 miles
Cumulative climbing:	9690 feet
Total Time:	10:38:37
Riding Time:	9:14:51
Avg. Speed (moving):	17.8 mph
Max. Speed:	43.0 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	2800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	2388 wh
Wh/mi:	13.3
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	46.1
Regen Amps-Hour Recovered:	3.6
Peak Forward Current:	21.7 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	11.0 Amps

Mount Hamilton Big Loop (clockwise), April 26, 2015 - The prior weekend I suffered a bout of influenza (in spite of my having gotten a flu shot last fall). To make up for not riding that weekend, I settled on the Big Loop. Weather would be pleasant, neither too cool nor too warm, and winds, if present, would help push me south on CA33. Frank and Stella rode the Primavera Century the same day, and I thought I'd try to meet up with them along Calaveras Road, where our routes overlapped.

I left home at 0720 and got lucky with traffic lights until I reached Trimble and Zanker, where the traffic signal favors Zanker when there is no traffic as on a Sunday morning. Even so, I continued to get lucky green lights at most of the rest of the signalled intersections.

As I rode up Calaveras I joined groups of other cyclists riding the Primavera. The rest stop at Ed Levin Park was busy. I thought of stopping to look for Frank or Stella, but I figured they could just as easily be further up the road. When I left home they were near Warm Springs and Warren, so it was likely they were further along the course. (It turns out that they were, indeed, somewhere in that throng of cyclists at Ed Levin.)

As I started up the Calaveras Wall I could feel my direct-drive (DD) hub motor laboring mightily. I pedaled harder to compensate.

On the Power Pursuit I've been running a DD hub motor to experience the change in operating characteristics over my usual geared mid-drive motor. The DD motor is quieter and gives me a nice drag brake on the descents that puts energy back into my batteries. The downside is that the DD motor has about half the torque of my mid-drive motor, making climbs up grades over 7% difficult. The DD motor is about 5% less efficient overall, and about 10-15% less efficient on a typical hilly route in a straight comparison, when not accounting for regenerative braking.

Today's course has a few steep climbs, but many miles of gradual climbs or flat riding, ideal terrain for a DD hub motor. On flat terrain I figure the DD hub motor has the same or perhaps slightly better efficiency than my mid-drive motor, due mainly to the absence of gears that consume a small amount of energy in the mid-drive.

My course was nearly the same as last year's that I rode with the mid-drive on the bike. Last year I used slightly less energy overall (13.0 wh/mi) and rode at a higher average speed (18.6 mph).

For the next 10 miles I rode amongst some of the early Primavera starters as we twisted and turned our way, diving into and out of several ravines, alongside Calaveras Reservoir. At the north end of Calaveras Road I entered I-680 and continued onto CA84 toward Livermore. Today I took Holmes and Concannon across Livermore rather than the scenic but circuitous bike path around the south side of the valley.

When I got to South Livermore Ave. I could see that I was back on the Primavera course. One rider with a route sheet who may have been the first to start was zipping along on the bike path.

As I continued east on Tesla Road I came upon evidence of another bicycling event, this time a bike race. I didn't stop to inquire, but it appeared to be a clockwise circuit that included Cross, Tesla, and Greenville roads. I saw two cyclists riding opposite who looked fatigued but were riding hard.

Continuing on Tesla Road I saw no more cyclists for a long time. A number of pickup trucks and trailers loaded down with dirt bikes, heading for the Carnegie Off-Road Recreation Area passed me.

Tesla Road changes its name to Corral Hollow Road at its summit. I stopped briefly to snap a photo of the view east. A steady breeze was blowing east over the pass, typical in fair weather.

As I had been having trouble getting the regen braking to engage early on the ride, I descended the steep downgrade slowly, capturing as much energy as I could to make up for missing some regen opportunities earlier. After I reached the bottom I coasted down the gradual grade past Carnegie, a stiff tailwind being sufficient for me to attain 25 mph.

As the road bent north to head into Tracy, I no longer enjoyed a tailwind but a quartering headwind. Still, the downward slope of the road allowed me to use gravity to fight the wind. As I turned right onto Linne Road the quartering headwind became a quartering tailwind, and several miles later as I turned right again onto CA33, I enjoyed a straight tailwind, cruising at 33 mph with only modest effort into Patterson, interrupted by only a couple of stop signs on the way. It was nice to cruise at high speed and not have my ears blasted by wind noise.

I swung through the Circle at the center of town so that I could stop at the drinking fountain in front of City Hall and top off my water. I then continued to Sperry Ave. and stopped for a 45-minute lunch at the Subway sandwich shop.

After lunch I headed up Sperry Ave. and after crossing under I-5, turned right onto Del Puerto Canyon Road., where I shared the next 16 miles of road with a few motorists and motorcyclists and one lone bicyclist riding the opposite direction.

Traffic was light to moderate as some sort of motocross event was being conducted on a ranch a couple of miles east of Frank Raines Regional Park. In no instance on the entire ride did I experience rude motor traffic. Most motorists passed fully in the opposite lane (where visibility allowed), or waited until it was safe to do so. Beyond Frank Raines Park traffic thinned out considerably. Only a few small groups of motorcyclists continued further.

I turned left onto San Antonio Valley Road, bypassing the Junction Cafe. I had no reason to stop.

While the hills had been solidly brown near Patterson, patches of green could be seen in San Antonio Valley, usually in the shady spots under trees. California poppies were in full bloom, as were purple and white lupine. A few swaths of indian paintbrush in the drier areas completed the wildflower scene.

The climb up the backside of Mount Hamilton would be a struggle for the DD hub motor. I expected to stop somewhere on the final climb to let the motor cool.

As I climbed the motor temperature entered the critical range (>130C) at the cattle grate about halfway up. I stopped for about 15 minutes to let the motor cool while I ate a snack. The cattle grate is at the bottom of the steepest part of the climb, and I wanted to start up this section with a cooler motor. I waited until it had cooled to 75C.

Upon resuming I managed to get beyond the spring near mile marker 3 before the motor entered the critical range again. This time I pressed on as the grade slackens above this point. I've programmed my controller to roll back power as temperature increases, to the point of shutting down when the temperature exceeds 140C. I discovered that the power rolled back to 500 watts (135C) but went no lower on the rest of the climb. The motor had reached a temperature equilibrium. This left me pushing hard to make up for the reduction. But, I was tired of stopping and waiting, and I figured I'd get home faster if I just kept moving, albeit at the slower pace of about 5-6 mph instead of 9-10 mph.

I rode up to the Observatory, making an obligatory circuit around the building before resting before the railing near the flagpole. The view was hazy and indistinct in the late afternoon sun. I did not remain at the summit for long.

The descent on mostly new asphalt, a pleasant change from the old bumpy road with subsidence potholes. Still I did not descend as fast as I might have so that I could regenerate. This caused a slight problem at the bottom of the first descent as the regeneration had heated up the motor to 155C, and I could get no power for the climb out of Smith Creek. Again instead of stopping to wait for the motor to cool, I set the desired power level (about 300 watts), then pedaled the bike without power up the first rise. By the time I got to the second rise the motor had cooled enough to allow some power to be drawn. I was getting a workout!

The rest of the descent went without incident. The second and third downgrades are less steep, so I used less regen, letting gravity pull me most of the way down to Alum Rock Ave.

I took the southern route home through San Jose on Maybury, Taylor, and Coleman. In Santa Clara on Monroe Ave. I discovered large piles of old household effects dumped in the bike lane. At first I figured a garbage strike or mass evictions. Since I hadn't heard of the former, and the latter seemed improbable, I considered that it was probably an "extra dump day", the one or two days a year when the local garbage collection service allows residents to place large or awkward discards at the curb for convenient pickup.

I arrived home at 1800, my legs feeling like they had gotten a strenuous workout.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	112.2 miles
Cumulative climbing:	4850 feet
Total Time:	9:06:40
Riding Time:	7:22:06
Avg. Speed (moving):	15.2 mph
Max. Speed:	42.8 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	1600 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1208 wh
Wh/mi:	10.0
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	22.9
Regen Amps-Hour Recovered:	1.6
Peak Forward Current:	21.3 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	23.0 Amps

Patterson Pass, April 4, 2015 - Frank and Stella started their ride in Milpitas near Calaveras and Piedmont while I was returning from my local farmer's market, after which I rode over to Milpitas and through Fremont and Niles Canyon to meet them in Sunol.

When I arrived at Calaveras Road and I-680, Frank and Stella were waiting for me, only having arrived a minute ago. We had perfect timing!

We continued together onto I-680 then onto CA-84 and over Pigeon Pass into Livermore. After a break at Sycamore Park we continued on the south route through Holdener Park in the low hills south of Livermore. At Tesla and Mines Roads we continued east, then took the left onto Cross Road.

Half way up Cross Road the bungee cord in my seat back snapped. Frank helped hold the knots while I tied off the broken cords to hold for the rest of the ride so that I'd have a seat back to lean against.

At Patterson Pass Road we turned right and climbed steeply to Patterson Pass where we stopped to admire the sweeping view east. The dark green grass has become lighter, and patches of brown are starting to appear on the hills.

On the eastern descent Frank and Stella took advantage of the brisk tailwind to enjoy a high-speed descent. I decided not to waste my potential energy to the wind but to recover energy for my battery. We regrouped near the power substation at Midway Road before taking Midway Road to Altamont Pass Road.

The climb up Altamont Pass is barely a climb, but the headwind was strong. Frank leaned down onto his aerobars and took point while I followed, and Stella sought the most wind-sheltered position behind my bike.

At the summit we enjoyed a "pedaling descent" into Livermore, given the headwinds and the downslope that barely registers as such.

Our ride through the center of Livermore was marked by the search for a convenient water spout. After stopping at two municipal parks and finding the water shut off, we pressed on into Pleasanton where Stella decided to stop as we got into town at the Circle K to replenish her supplies. We stopped again at Pleasanton Ridge to use the rest rooms and to top off water before our long trip south on Calaveras Road.

As we started south through Sunol Valley the weather changed sharply for the cooler. High hazy clouds drifted overhead, and the temperature dropped 10° F. By the time we reached the high point on Calaveras Road I stopped to put on all my clothing for the remaining trip home.

The ride was mentally tiring due to the lengthy urban sections and headwinds, but we all enjoyed ourselves.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	101.5 miles
Cumulative climbing:	3870 feet
Total Time:	8:32:30
Riding Time:	7:07:27
Avg. Speed (moving):	14.2 mph
Max. Speed:	43.9 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	902 wh
Wh/mi:	8.9
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	33.7
Peak Current:	30.1 Amps

The Reservoirs and Uvas Park, March 22, 2015 - I began by riding to Frank and Stella's house. From there Stella and I rode to Los Gatos, while Frank drove himself and his bike to our meeting spot there. After some indecision we decided to postpone our planned ride over the hills to Santa Cruz since the hills looked socked in with clouds and drizzle. Instead we rode east through Almaden and took a route around the reservoirs of Santa Clara Valley, exploring a few out-and-back routes into the hills, and in the process giving us enough exposure to the wet weather we otherwise avoided by postponing our Santa Cruz ride.

We returned north over Sycamore Hill, Oak Glen, and then Willow Springs to Santa Teresa (Hale) that we rode north into San Jose, enjoying a quartering tailwind most of the way. At Camden Stella turned right and rode directly home while Frank and I rode back to Los Gatos. After parting company with Frank, I rode directly home, encountering headwinds only on the last few miles home on Monroe/Reed/Evelyn.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	129.8 miles
Cumulative climbing:	6360 feet
Total Time:	11:57:13
Riding Time:	7:50:18
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.5 mph
Max. Speed:	44.7 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	2400 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1667.2 wh
Wh/mi:	12.0
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	31.4
Regen Amps-Hour:	2.0
Peak Current:	21.1 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	12.0 Amps

Lake Del Valle and Mendenhall Road, March 14, 2015 - Today's ride was an unusual affair. My plan was to ride almost 40 miles to join the Bay Area Recumbent Cyclists (BARC) for a ride in the Livermore area, then ride home afterward. On that ride I'd meet Zach Kaplan who would transfer to me some of the bike parts I had ordered from him. I'd carry these bike parts home on the bike, or at least I'd try. One of the parts was a 559 rim. So, I was combining commerce with pleasure.

I left home at 0720, when it was just light enough in the sky for me to feel safe riding without a headlamp. I took the fastest route to Calaveras Road, gaining the top of The Wall on Calaveras about 45 minutes after sunrise. The orange glow of sunrise and the green grass on the hills were beautiful. I thought of stopping to snap more photos, but I was on a deadline. It always seems that I'm in a rush to be somewhere when the best photo opportunities present themselves.

I saw few cyclists on Calaveras Road: a handful climbing the lower section and continuing onto Felter Road, a few stopped at the construction entrance for the dam, and a few more riding the opposite direction.

At I-680, I took the on-ramp toward Livermore and continued onto CA84 over Pigeon Pass. Traffic was light, but in spite of that some drivers were impatient, especially at the short narrow spot where the shoulder disappears, where the driver of a van passed closely, then proceeded to tailgate the vehicle ahead of him.

After descending Pigeon Pass I continued onto Isabel Ave., arriving at Jack London Blvd. and our meeting spot for the BARC ride at 0925, five minutes early, and about 20 minutes before I expected to arrive. At 0930 everyone was present except for Zach, who did eventually arrive at about 0945.

We finally started the BARC ride by touring through a suburb, then onto the Arroyo Mocho Bike Trail that cuts a diagonal through Livermore's Parkway and Robertson Parks. We emerged from the creek bed at Concannon Road, but we remained on the popular bike path until we arrived at Tesla and Mines Road.

At Mines Road we turned south and began the gradual climb up the broad lower valley of Arroyo Mocho. We stopped twice, once while Zach fixed a flat tire, and again to regroup before starting the climb over Cedar Mountain Ridge on Del Valle Road with the company of unusually heavy traffic. After regrouping at the top of the ridge and enjoying a sweeping view of Arroyo Valle, we began the steeper descent to Lake Del Valle.

At the entrance kiosk we turned right and rode to the end of the road at the marina where we took an extended break.

On our way out of the park we rode a path closer to the lake shore. Folks were cleaning up equipment for a running event that had finished.

We regrouped again at the top of the climb before taking an out-and-back road I had never before ridden: Mendenhall Road.

Mendenhall Road climbs atop Cedar Mountain Ridge for the first mile, then traverses at an easier grade on the northeast slope of the ridge. Magnificent views into Arroyo Mocho (1, 2) and Arroyo Valle (1, 2) were seen, as well as views back toward Livermore and Mount Diablo (1, 2).

Zach and I had stopped several times to snap photos, so we were among the last of our group to arrive at the end of the road before the gate of Walker Ranch, almost three miles from Del Valle Road.

A couple of medium-sized dogs barked within the main gate of the ranch, but even though the gate was open, the dogs did not approach us.

While Zach and I watched the dogs I noticed the automatic gate to the main grouping of ranch buildings that had stood open when we arrived began to swing closed of its own accord. It was apparent we were being surveilled by someone within who, wishing to make clear that we were unwelcome, had remotely commanded the gate to close.

"Do you think I can go down to the gate and then turn around?", asked Zach.

"Go ahead. But, I think someone is watching us."

Zach rode down the short slope toward the gate, then turned around, where I snapped his photo. While I did this a white figure emerged from one of the ranch buildings behind the fence and walked swiftly down the hill toward us.

"Didn't you see the sign back there?", a spry old woman hollered crossly as she strode towards us. "It was as big as you!", she pointed an accusing finger at Zach reclined on his trike.

The old woman cut the figure of one who might have walked out of the 19th century, of someone who had lived and worked many years enduring physical hardship, one who had no qualms about shooing us out of her neighborhood. Even though her ire was directed at us, she reminded me in an endearing way of a neighborhood fixture from my childhood, The General.

The General lived next door to our family in the late 1960s and 1970s and spent many of his retirement days sitting in his den watching the world go by and other such activity as occurred on our quiet suburban street. When I was young and uninhibited he got after me several times when he espied me traipsing across his front lawn of dichondra. "Don't walk on the dichondra!", he'd thunder out his window. He eventually erected a fortification (fence) to thwart my shortcut. He also had no patience with neighborhood visitors who had the temerity to park or linger in front of his house.

Once a hapless tradesman's truck had stalled in front of his house. The General, ever the good watch dog, stormed out and started his routine. We could hear him bellowing and see him pointing authoritatively up and down the street. But, it was no use. The truck would neither start nor move on The General's command.

As if to amplify The General's age and gruff demeanor, my parents often warned me and my sister when as young credulous children we fussed loudly (threw tantrums) such that the neighbors might hear, "Quiet down, or The General will come over with his sword!"

"We thought the sign was to keep off the land at the side of the road.", replied Zach.

"Where exactly does the public road end and your property begin; where is the actual boundary?", I asked, hoping for some clarity.

"You're not supposed to go past the last cattle grate back there.", she pointed back down the road, adding with an air of authority, "A judge lives here!".

"Then why is there an end of road sign right there?", I asked, pointing to the county road sign a few feet away from us.

"So! Is that cover supposed to keep you warm?", she asked, changing the subject as we turned around and prepared to return down the road.

"If the weather is cool, but it's mostly for aerodynamics, to get me through the air more easily.", I replied, hoping to soften her mood further.

At that point I almost asked if I could take her photo, but I thought she would have become suspicious and refuse. Still, in hindsight I wish now that I had pressed my luck.

We returned down Mendenhall Road, stopping a couple more times to snap photos of the view into Livermore.

After a brief regroup and after Neal placed a boot in his tire that he had just noticed was down to the cords, we started down Del Valle Road and Mines Road into Livermore. We regrouped again at Tesla Road and took the bike path south of town through Holdener Park and a corner of Sycamore Park before being guided back to our starting point by Russell on a convoluted route through a newer subdivision that only a Livermore native could recall without error.

While Neal, Dave M., and Frank wanted to get home, Russell, Dave, Zach, and I decided to eat a late lunch at "84 Teriyaki", the only eating establishment that was serving food at that hour in the small strip mall.

At the end of our meal the time was 1600, and I figured I had just enough time to get home before dark.

Zach and I bid goodbye to the others, then after assuring ourselves that my bike parts were securely strapped to my bike, we headed west on Jack London Blvd. into Pleasanton, riding quickly. We then continued up Dublin Canyon Road, still moving at a brisk clip.

At Palomares Road Zach and I split up, Zach heading into Castro Valley and on up Redwood Road, down 35th into Oakland and then toward home in Alameda, and I heading south on Palomares Road.

I continued to ride quickly over Palomares, then down half of Niles Canyon into Niles where crowds were attending an antique auto show. I didn't linger.

At Decoto Road I turned left and then right on Paseo Padre that I rode out to Marshlands Road.

After crossing the Dumbarton Bridge I took the Bay Trail mostly through Palo Alto and Mountain View, and then Stevens Creek Trail to Evelyn. The evening was warm and humid, yet I was surprised that even at 1900 many people were still riding and walking on the trail as darkness closed in.

I arrived home at 1920, just as it was getting too dark to be out without a headlamp.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	120.8 miles
Cumulative climbing:	8730 feet
Total Time:	8:26:41
Riding Time:	7:40:24
Avg. Speed (moving):	15.7 mph
Max. Speed:	38.2 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	2400 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1802 wh
Wh/mi:	13.1
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	34.1
Regen Amps-Hour:	4.2
Peak Current:	18.7 Amps
Peak Regen Current:	9.2 Amps
Peak Internal Motor Temperature:	140°C

Mount Hamilton Loop CCW, February 21, 2015 - After sitting passively on my bike, riding the same loop five times at almost 400 km, I was ready to head out and just ride without trying too much to test things. I chose the Mount Hamilton loop because I hadn't ridden it since last year and because I hoped the rains from two weeks ago might have encouraged some greenery and wildflower growth.

I saw plenty of greenery, although the grass was shorter than I expected. In many spots the grass was as short as a putting green, and brown earth was still visible in the sparse patches. On the other hand many of the lakes and small reservoirs along the creeks were full or nearly full.

I couldn't complain about the weather: cool in the morning becoming warm mid-day, then cooling again by the time I arrived home. Temperature varied between 15C and 25C, with little or no wind. It couldn't have been a nicer day to be on the bike.

I rode again with the Nine Continents M3006RC direct-drive hub motor so that I might get better acquainted with it. I rode at a moderate pace all day, including downhills, where I tried to capture as much energy through regeneration as possible.

The direct-drive hub motor feels different on the bike from my through-gears motor. Torque and acceleration are mild, especially from a stop. I climbed the western side of Mount Hamilton with its easier 5-6% grades at about 10-12 mph, using typically about 500 watts of motor power to keep my speed from dropping below 10 mph where motor efficiency begins to drop significantly.

The Nine Continents motor is quiet but not silent. It growls a bit at very low speed and whines softly at higher speed. None of this is as annoying as it may sound from my description. The only time the motor makes objectionable noise is between 13 and 14 mph (22 kph) under power where a resonance in the motor shell causes a moderately loud rasping sound. I may in the future look for ways to eliminate these remaining noises.

On the climb I noticed the motor temperature climb slowly, starting at 35C at the bottom and rising to 95C by the time I reached the summit.

I took my longest break at the summit to enjoy the view and to allow the motor some time to cool before I started the steep east side descent, 2000 feet (600m) at 8% average grade.

From the top of the climb down to Isabel Creek I held down the regen button. My speed never exceeded 20mph, spending most of its time around 15mph. I descended slowly, even by the standards of a typical "white-knuckler". But, I captured a full 2 Amps-hour, and when I got to the bottom the motor temperature was 140C.

Based on my speed and the amount of energy I recaptured in regen, I conclude that the motor's efficiency as a generator is only about 1/4 its efficiency as a motor. That explains the modest power that is pushed into the battery during regen (about 300-450 watts), and the heat buildup in the motor itself. The controller remains relatively cool. The energy has to go somewhere, and it goes mostly into heating the motor.

As long as the motor temperature doesn't get too high (>150C), this may be preferable to heating a rim where such heating leads to tire blow-off. But, the thermal rollback feature of the CycleAnalyst V3 (CAV3) only works when using the motor as a motor, not a generator. So, one must keep an eye on motor temperature during extended regen sessions.

Because I was descending slowly and had not started earlier in the morning, and because I had forgotten to take my headlight battery, I skipped stopping at The Junction Cafe for a sit-down lunch mid-way around the loop as I usually do.

I was surprised I did not see more cyclists on the road. I saw a few climbing Mount Hamilton from the west, and a few more climbing from Livermore, but no more than 20 altogether on the 70 miles between San Jose and Livermore.

While riding between Livermore and Sunol over Pigeon Pass I detoured onto the old highway to see if that might be a nicer route than taking the main road with its freeway-speed traffic. It wasn't. The old highway asphalt has been torn up or covered with moderately large gravel or ballast rock. In addition the lane is rutted from poor drainage in a few places. It's clear that the old route is no longer being maintained as a viable alternative. I probably won't ride that way again if only to avoid cutting the side walls of my tires.

I was pleased to capture 12.3% of my energy through regen braking (at a cost of having a lower average speed), my net energy use of 13.1 wh/mi was noticeably worse than past trips around this loop in either direction, where my energy use varied between 8.0 and 11.3 wh/mi, typically around 10.0 wh/mi. Although I did not do a controlled experiment this time, my legs felt afterward as if they had worked just as hard as they had on those prior outings.

Although I was trying to get away from testing stuff on this ride, I couldn't help but notice the effectiveness of Cat-Ears. These furry strips attach to one's bicycle helmet strap in front of but not over each ear as seen in this photo and are designed to reduce wind noise. Based on the principle that the fur in and on a cat's ear reduces wind noise to make a cat's hearing more effective, these furry strips reduce but do not eliminate noise from wind passing over a cyclist's ear. I can now hear all the noises my bicycle makes while riding (which is sometimes good), and I can hear other noises around me when riding at speed on an otherwise quiet road. Although I haven't used them yet on a social ride, I expect that they will make conversation with others much easier. They will not reduce the noise of loud Harley exhaust pipes nor the loud rushing of automobile tires on tarmac. But, that annoying and fatiguing noise from the wind is greatly reduced, an especially welcome effect after riding for many miles. I endorse Cat-Ears wholeheartedly.

Other than my extended break on the Summit and taking brief stops to tend to calls of nature, I kept moving, arriving home at 1720, just before sunset.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	101.4 miles
Cumulative climbing:	4850 feet
Total Time:	3:36:02
Riding Time:	3:27:21
Avg. Speed (moving):	29.3 mph
Max. Speed:	49.6 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	2000 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1910 wh
Wh/mi:	18.8
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	75.4
Peak Current:	46.4 Amps
Link to:	Results

Low-Key MegaMonster Enduro, February 7, 2015 - During the week before the event the weather forecast predicted a wet weekend. I was disappointed because I had planned to ride this year and wanted to try to set a personal best time on the course. That would be unlikely if the roads were wet or the winds gusty.

Recalling an occasion in 2012 when gusty winds blew me off the road into gravel, resulting in a spill that left me with a broken fibula, I have since been a bit wind-shy, especially in situations where traction is less than ideal.

The event coordinator, Kevin Winterfield, checked the course by driving it both directions, reporting dry roads and pleasant temperatures the day before the event. This news was promising, since it had been pouring rain all day in the Bay Area.

It's important to remember that Paicines, though not far from San Jose, is in Central California and is quite far south. Weather that is forecast to strike the Bay Area may not reach Paicines or points south.

On Saturday morning I left home at 0530 and started the drive to Paicines. I brought my bike and would decide whether to ride after seeing conditions for myself.

Rain fell intermittently and heavily at times from south of Morgan Hill until just north of Hollister. When I got to Paicines shortly after 0700 the roads were damp but not wet. Kevin and Cathy were waiting expectantly in front of the closed General Store.

66 had pre-registered, and of those fewer than half appeared. To make up for the shortfall we saw quite a few check-ins who hadn't pre-registered. In the end we had about 50 overall.

While Cathy and Stella worked the check-in table and Dan and Kevin the starting line, I made myself useful by standing around and idly snapping photos of riders and teams starting.

Edward Lyen, the only other hybrid-electric entrant, arrived at the check-in. He had emailed me the night before, showing me his bike that he had just then finished setting up for riding in the hybrid-electric class. I scolded him mildly for not giving himself time to stress-test it before the event. With a newly and hastily assembled bike, there is always at least one component that fails, malfunctions, or at the very least needs adjustment. Unfortunately, my fears were prescient.

I hadn't heard from Edward in the last year, nor had I seen him post recently on the Endless Sphere forums. He was riding a carbon fiber road bike with a tiny controller driving an RC motor connected by pulleys to a friction wheel pressed against the rear tire. The motor runs at about 15 volts, and his battery was probably a 4sNp, where N is a number between 40 and 50 (for a 2 kwh battery), although the battery didn't look large enough to hold a full 2 kwh. He was going for a lightweight and simple drivetrain.

As the morning wore on the sun occasionally poked out from behind the clouds and the south wind picked up strength. We could see dark clouds to the north but only mixed clouds and sun to the south. Someone mentioned a shower would pass through the area at 1000, and looking north and west one might have agreed that was a reasonable forecast. Yet, looking to the south the sky looked friendlier, and that was from where the wind blew.

As the last of the participants started off, I changed into biking clothes and readied my bike for the round-trip.

In 2011 I had ridden the course in 3 hours 45 minutes. My goal today was to beat that time and possibly to finish in less than 3 hours and 30 minutes. In 2011 I carried about 1400 watt-hours of battery and used 1320 watt-hours. Today I had the full 2000 watt-hours allowed, so I figured that my goal was reasonable. I secretly thought I might achieve it while pedaling with less effort than in 2011.

A couple of issues were working against me. Today the winds were stronger than they were in 2011. As experienced cyclists know, riding an out and back course in constant wind is always harder the stronger the wind. The headwind hurts you more than the tailwind helps, not to mention cross-winds.

My bike is somewhat less aerodynamic than it was then. Over the years I have had to modify the bike or my position on it following a frame failure and subsequent repair and reinforcement or to allow for more comfort. These modifications invariably increased aerodynamic drag, usually because the fairing needed to be expanded to accommodate the modification. In this case I had raised my seat a few inches and raised the handlebars and fairing height to match. That increased my frontal area slightly.

Before the event I printed out a "cheat sheet" that gave me a target energy consumption rate in watt-hours per mile (wh/mi) at various points along the course. The sheet's numbers assumed no net wind. In most years I'd find myself with an energy surplus at the turnaround, only to see it quickly evaporate and threaten to become a deficit before the finish. With the strong south wind, my consumption rate would ideally be higher than the target so that by the time I reached the turnaround I would have less than half the energy remaining.

But, this plan could be derailed if the wind changed direction before I returned to the finish. If that happened I might run the battery flat before I reached the finish (which means pedaling a heavy bike over a few low hills and into a headwind, an experience Zach Kaplan enjoyed in 2012), or I'd have to reduce speed and lose time. Another problem was one of estimating how much energy deficit I could afford to run on the southbound leg with a headwind while still leaving enough on the northbound leg with a tailwind. The ideal is to use up all available energy as I cross the finish line, but in practice it's hard to hit that point.

Another variable in all of this is my own pedaling effort. There's nothing like competition, even if it's just me and a clock, to give me the incentive to push as hard as I can. I figure I might manage somewhere around 170-180 watts on average, but I hadn't tested myself on a long event recently. And, I no longer have a power meter that measures human effort.

I decided to go hard on the southbound leg and adjust as needed along the way. It is always best to gain time by first applying maximum power on the climbs, then if there's surplus energy to ride faster and fight the wind on flatter terrain. There is more climbing southbound, and I had about 600 watt-hours more energy on-board than in 2011. I figured I could afford to go hard early and not run short.

For the first ten miles I ran at or near maximum power. In spite of the wind I made good time, cruising around 28mph. At that speed into a headwind, the bike gets buffeted a bit and can be an armful, especially in a cross-wind. I rode near the center of the lane and kept both hands on the handlebars except when snapping a few photos.

Taking one-handed photos from a moving bike isn't ideal, but it's the best I can do when I'm multi-tasking. Before starting the ride I put the camera in shutter priority mode with a shutter speed of 1/640 second. Later I used a shorter shutter speed, and I think these photos looked better. But I had trouble viewing the display on my camera while riding to confirm what it was at the time or if I might have misadjusted some other setting. As for the results, some photos turned out better than others.

I saw no other cyclists on the course until I encountered Edward standing over his bike, facing downhill, on the Willow Creek Grade. He did not look happy.

I yelled out, "You're going the wrong way!"

He pointed to his motor, and I caught the word, "failed". I said I was sorry before I was out of earshot.

Edward rode back to the start under his own power (and with the aid of a strong tailwind), but he decided not to wait for another two hours for me to return so that we could discuss in person what went wrong. I learned later that the sandpaper on the pressure roller had saturated from the wet road and had torn through, leaving the bare aluminum roller to slip on the wet tire. Edward told me later that he had gotten very little sleep the night before and that he was feeling sleepy and with a sore back, and that was the main reason he turned back. When the road and his tire dried, the aluminum roller had enough traction.

As I passed my first checkpoint I noticed that I was consuming battery energy at a rate of 27.5 wh/mi, and my target was 23.5 wh/mi. I was already in deficit!

I continued to use full power on the climbs, but on the descents I eased off the throttle. On the flatter parts I dialed in about 600 watts. Did I make the right decision? Could I have gained a minute or two on my overall time by pressing on as before, regardless of consumption, then make up the difference on the final ten miles with a tailwind?

By the next checkpoint my deficit had come down slightly. I was at 26.5 wh/mi.

I rolled up to the Bitterwater rest stop, but I didn't get off the bike or linger long enough for more than the briefest exchange of information with Lane Parker. I'm sure the 4H girls had many questions about my bike, but before they could ask them, I was off. There was no time credit for a social call.

As I flew down Bitterwater Valley I conserved energy, using between 300 and 400 watts most of the time. The terrain was mostly downhill with a slight headwind. The road curves were tight enough in a couple places that I would have wanted to tap the brakes had I been moving faster. A light rain began to fall.

Speaking of brakes, the MegaMonster course requires the least use of brakes on any 100-mile ride I can recall. Aside from the check points and the turnaround, there are only a couple of spots, (1) southbound on CA25 at Coalinga Road and (2) northbound at a sharp right-hand bend at the bottom of the descent into Bear Valley, where one might reasonably wish to touch a brake, and then only when the road is wet.

As I pressed south into Peachtree Valley I saw more cyclists, Paul McKenzie and Sarah Schroer enjoying their ride, Alexander Komlik hard at work on his way to break 5 hours, and several teams, some of whom were riding socially rather than with a goal of minimizing time or energy use.

My 3 wh/mi deficit held until the turnaround at CA198, and I was beginning to worry that maybe I had run a bit too hot over the first half of the course, especially if the wind changed direction.

I gave Kevin my number, and took a quick nature break. While stopped I noticed that my ears rang from the constant wind noise, even while wearing earplugs.

I then made a U-turn at CA198 before returning northbound.

"See you at the finish," I told Kevin.

As I began rolling northbound I felt the difference between headwind and tailwind in no uncertain terms. My ride was quieter, I rolled faster, and I used less power. The miles rolled by quickly. Even the climb up Bitterwater Valley felt quick and at the same time relaxingly quiet, as if an invisible hand was pushing me. More importantly my energy deficit was coming down.

Again I paused at Bitterwater opposite the school and yelled out my number, but I did not linger.

By the time I passed CA146 at Pinnacles I had reached my target energy consumption rate of 20.5 wh/mi. I knew I had a tailwind all the way back, so I rode the remainder of the course with maximum power. Even so, my consumption rate continued to drop.

The descent down the Willow Creek Grade is the only other spot I touched the brakes, this time because of speed, gusty wind, and my memory of the incident in 2012. In spite of that I still reached my maximum speed for the day on this descent.

Maximum power on my bike is set to 1000 watts from the battery, which is about 750 watts at the rear wheel. If I add back in my pedaling at maximal effort, that's about 1000 watts at the rear wheel, but for a longer time period I probably get a bit less out of my legs, so maybe 900 watts at the wheel.

I also set a 35mph maximum speed limit, mainly to prevent me from wasting too much energy fighting wind. But, today with a strong tailwind, my bike wanted to go faster, but the motor cut out when I got to 35mph. So, I cruised at or near 35mph on most of the last 10 miles. In the end it probably wouldn't have saved much time to go faster because the motor is geared to spin out at about 35mph in neutral wind. It would have helped maybe to 36 or 37mph on a day like today with a strong tailwind.

When I got to the finish I had a small surplus of energy. I could have ridden harder and used up that remaining 90 watt-hours. Hard to say how many minutes of time this might have been worth. Probably no more than a few minutes. The faster one rides the harder fought is that marginal minute to gain.

I'd like to get to the point where I don't think I can improve my time so that I can then socialize more and ignore the clock. I felt a little guilty about not being a good event host by not stopping to chat with Edward after his motor failure, with Carola Berger after her hub failure, with Lane and the 4H'ers at Bitterwater, and with others along the course.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	56.2 miles
Cumulative climbing:	4850 feet
Total Time:	4:06:02
Riding Time:	3:22:47
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.6 mph
Max. Speed:	45.9 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	48
Battery energy capacity:	1200 wh
Battery energy consumed:	899 wh
Wh/mi:	14.8
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	17.3
Regenerated Amps-Hour:	1.4
Peak Current:	20.9 Amps
Peak Regenerated Current:	80.8 Amps

Nine Continents Direct-Drive Hub Motor, February 4, 2015 - Most e-bikers start into the activity by installing a hub motor on their bike. When I started I went straight to a mid-drive, mainly due to the hilly terrain in which I often ride. But, I had always planned to try a hub motor when I could find one of reasonable quality at a decent price and when I had the time to experiment with it. This winter things came together for me to explore the use of a direct-drive hub motor.

I chose a direct-drive hub motor so that I could have a pleasing answer for the many times I am asked about regenerative (regen) braking. None of my mid-drive bikes has regen braking due to the design of their drivetrains, and I could always see the slight disappointment register on the faces of questioners when I explained why this was so. Aside from that I want to see for myself how much energy can be recovered using regen braking on a reasonably hilly ride, especially a loop ride that I have ridden many times and have statistics from other occasions with which to compare.

One of the problems with hub motors is that they are "one gear" systems. It's important to choose a motor that gives a satisfying top speed while not getting too bogged down on the hills one expects to climb. Since this was my first foray into using a hub motor, I decided after playing around with the Grin e-bike simulator to go with the relatively inexpensive Nine Continents M3006RC direct-drive motor in the standard winding.

I chose the M3006RC because it has the lowest passive drag (resistance when spinning it unpowered) of any of the offered direct-drive hub motors for the power capability and because it uses a Shimano-compatible free-hub to allow installation of a standard 9-speed cassette instead of a thread-on freewheel, one of the first on the market to offer this. Although most DD hub motors have reasonably good efficiency these days, the M3006RC's curve was a smidgen better than the others. In addition, Grin has added a thermistor inside this motor, compatible with their Cycle Analyst. The thermistor allows the user to monitor the motor temperature and to allow the Cycle Analyst to perform automatic throttle-back as the temperature rises past a preset threshold.

According to the simulation, the standard winding would give me a top speed with a 48-volt power supply in the low-30's (mph) on flat ground, matching the top-end performance of my mid-drive systems and would maintain reasonably good if not usable efficiency up to about an 8% grade, enough to get me up most hills in the area. The Crystalyte Crown motor would do a little better on steeper hills, but I felt that its slightly better hill-climbing ability was not worth more than double the price and other trade-offs.

As I started off I noticed that with my 12-FET Infineon based (a.k.a. Xie Chang) controller the motor cogs or growls a bit from a stop, but as the bike picks up speed over 10 mph, the motor quiets down to a low buzzing or ringing that becomes less noticeable at faster speeds. Still, it's not completely silent as it might be when using a sine-wave controller. But the noise is not nearly as audible as is the gearbox on my crank-drive or the sprocket and chain on my mid-drive.

At the base of Old La Honda Road, a popular climb in my area of 1300 feet (400 meters) at 7-8% grade, I set my power level to 400 watts as I usually do, and proceeded up the hill. I noticed immediately that my speed felt slower than with my mid-drive in an optimal gear. I was working harder than usual to maintain my usual speed. I could feel a mild vibration/growl from the motor, and I also noticed the motor temperature gradually increasing. My speed was 6-8mph, where it was 7-9 mph with the mid-drive. It was clear that to get the highest efficiency I would need to climb at a faster speed that kept the motor operating higher on the efficiency curve.

On my second and longer climb, Alpine Road, a climb of 1900 feet (600 meters) at 7-8% grade, I dialed the power up to 750 watts and climbed faster. This time the motor sounded happier and quieter. The motor temperature also increased as I climbed, but not as quickly as on Old La Honda Road.

My conclusion is that this direct-drive hub motor can be used in the hills, but efficiency falls off when speed falls below about 10-12 mph. If I can hear or feel the motor growling, the efficiency is reduced.

What about regen braking?

I set up my controller to use its highest level of regen braking when its e-brake circuit is closed. I could apply the regen brake intermittently to get reduced braking effect, as needed. Although this highest regen level feels strong, it is unlikely on any but the slickest of roads to lock up my rear wheel due to the weight over the rear wheel on my bike, roughly 2/3 of my total weight. Since I already have my e-brake levers wired through the Cycle Analyst, I wired up an unused horn button (momentary SPST switch, normally open) on my handlebars to close the controller's e-brake circuit when I wanted to apply the regen brake.

I used the regen brake where I would otherwise have used the friction brake to trim my speed. I noticed after a while that the controller limited regen power to about 450 watts, although it felt like quite a bit more power was being dissipated at times, given the force of the deceleration. The increasing motor temperature when using the regen brake confirmed this, although at times it was hard to tell as the motor temperature reading was intermittent^† during my ride.

Regen braking on my relatively aerodynamic bike (CdA = 0.26) seemed to strike the best balance between forward progress and energy recovery at around 20-25 mph. I might have captured more energy while descending at speeds slower than 20 mph, but regen power declined somewhat, and I began to feel as if I was creeping down the hills. The pleasure of the descent was already being curtailed by keeping my descending speed below 25mph, although it could be argued that restricting oneself thus improves safety. At higher speed I shed my energy to the air through greater aerodynamic losses, leaving less for regen braking to recover.

In the end I was able to recover about 8% of my energy through regen braking. But, I don't think it was quite enough to compensate for energy lost while climbing hills with the motor working out of it's peak efficiency zone.

As I see it now, the main advantage of the direct-drive hub motor is its quieter operation and the simplicity of the drive-train. While energy recovered with regen braking doesn't quite make up for losses elsewhere over the course of a hilly ride, I didn't use my brakes as much on the steep descents, saving my brake pads. And, had I still been using rim brakes on my rear wheel, the regen brake would have greatly reduced the likelihood of rim heating leading to tire blow off.

The disadvantages of the hub motor are slightly lower efficiency overall on hilly terrain, slightly more weight than a functionally similar mid-drive with the latter's additional hardware (gearboxes, clutches, extra chains and sprockets), the requirement for torque arms at the dropouts to prevent axle spinout and to prevent bending a dropout not designed for a hub motor, and additional inconvenience when servicing a flat tire along with the requirement to carry an 18mm wrench to loosen and tighten the axle bolts.

An ideal hilly course for a direct-drive hub motor might be one with gradual uphills and steep downhills, the converse of what might work best with a properly-geared mid-drive system and friction brakes: steep uphills and gradual downhills. Those who like to descend fast probably won't be happy with the amount of regenerated energy they are able to capture since they already use their brakes sparingly and lose most of their energy to aero drag, but white-knuckle (slow) descenders should be happier with the amount of energy they can recover.

Despite this mixed review, I plan to ride more with this hub motor and to arrive eventually at a fuller assessment of its qualities.

^†I was unable to get solid temperature readings on this ride because my thermistor circuit in the motor appeared to be intermittently shorting out.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	113.8 miles
Cumulative climbing:	6860 feet
Total Time:	7:40:18
Riding Time:	6:34:04
Avg. Speed (moving):	17.3 mph
Max. Speed:	47.9 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1207 wh
Wh/mi:	10.6
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	45.7
Peak Current:	31.9 Amps
Motor energy to rear wheel:	845 wh
Human energy to rear wheel:	598 wh
Total energy delivered:	1443 wh

Santa Cruz, January 28, 2015 - Frank wanted to do a training ride to prepare for the upcoming MegaMonster event in February. This was to be the last such training ride, and he wanted to ride the same distance and climbing as the event. I suggested the coastal loop to Santa Cruz via the route that minimizes climbing. He was game but apprehensive about riding it alone as there were no bailouts and it would have been his longest solo ride in many years. So, I offered to accompany him for most of the way.

Frank started in Los Gatos while I started from home. The plan was for us to meet up somewhere between Menlo Park and San Gregorio. Although I rode with my self-imposed speed and power limits^†, I did not stop except for traffic signals.

At one intersection, Cuesta and Springer, a four-way stop, I observed a Google self-driving car, probably one of many that I've seen traversing the city streets of Mountain View over the last several years. Traffic had saturated all directions. The car was behaving as if an older, cautious driver were at the wheel. It waited through several cycles before what appeared to be a sufficiently long time gap since the last car to pass through the intersection. What the computer seemed to have difficulty doing was to signal its intention by sticking its nose into the intersection to assert its intent to proceed when other drivers were doing the same.

I checked life360 every half-hour or so, and Frank was always about 20 minutes ahead of me. Shortly after I left home he was on Junipero Serra Blvd., and as I started up the climb on CA84 he was at Skylonda. Then about a mile from San Gregorio I received a text message stating that he was in Skylonda. Had I missed seeing his bike? I could not believe he would have been delayed for so long in Skylonda.

I pressed on to the San Gregorio Store where I saw Frank's bicycle parked at the bike rack. My phone had been malfunctioning all morning, not updating my location, not even updating the displayed system time but once every ten minutes, and apparently not relaying text messages to me in a timely fashion.

Once we were together we proceeded south along the coast. Weather was clear and warm; air was hazy almost dusty. The usual northwest wind was weak. We would not get much help today.

We alternated leading but we did not draft each other. Frank wanted the pure training effect of riding solo, so I led at some distance ahead or followed a respectable distance behind.

Later I asked him whether he preferred me to ride ahead or behind, and his preference was unclear, although he did state that when I was ahead he had an occasional tendency to pace himself off my pace which could be alternately too fast or too slow. Even though I can dial in a specific assist power level on my bike and can make finer adjustments by pedaling harder or softer myself, this does not easily match a constant power level for an upright bicycle rider, being generally too slow on uphills and too fast on flatter or downhill terrain.

Traffic on CA1 was light as far as Davenport then became slightly heavier on the last few miles into Santa Cruz.

We proceeded through town, getting slightly off route when I failed to continue straight onto Lincoln from Walnut. We quickly regained the route through downtown, then headed east on Soquel Drive to Soquel-San Jose Road.

We stopped for a water and toilet break at Anna Jean Cummings Park in Soquel before continuing.

The high point on Soquel-San Jose Road is only slightly higher than Skylonda, and the climb about as gradual as the climb up CA84 from Woodside or La Honda. But, what makes the descent on this road fun makes the climb slightly tedious. Heavy traffic can be irritating, but today traffic was light.

Frank started strongly after our rest stop, but as we started the main climb I could see that Frank's energy was flagging. I led most of the way on the climb. Although the grade was consistent, I would reduce my power as Frank started to fall back, hoping that he might close the gap. But, Frank seemed happy merely to match my new slower speed. No longer would he energetically pass me if slowed too much.

We stopped at the Summit Store for a short break. Frank admitted that he was getting tired and was starting to feel the buzz of fatigue after riding for many kilometers, a feeling that I know all too well. Fortunately, most of the climbing was finished, and all that remained were a few miles on Summit Road and the descent into Los Gatos.

This time Frank followed me down CA17 into Los Gatos, avoiding the Creek Trail. We were a few seconds too fast to catch a gap in traffic to make the left-hand exit onto Santa Cruz Ave. into downtown Los Gatos, so we instead continued flying with a stiff traffic-induced tailwind to the CA9 exit.

After Frank returned to his car near CA9 and Daves, I continued into Saratoga, then onto Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, arriving home with plenty of daylight to spare.

^†20 mph and 400 watts when using the assist.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Pursuit F3
Distance:	93.3 miles
Cumulative climbing:	6200 feet
Total Time:	6:24:31
Riding Time:	5:38:41
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.5 mph
Max. Speed:	42.6 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1600 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1090 wh
Wh/mi:	11.7
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	41.7
Peak Current:	32.7 Amps
Motor energy to rear wheel:	763 wh
Human energy to rear wheel:	534 wh
Total energy delivered:	1297 wh

Devil's Slide, January 25, 2015 - I left home not having a firm idea of where I was going to ride today. I had considered riding over to the coast and then south to Santa Cruz or perhaps riding a loop through Bonny Doon in reverse of what I had ridden the week before. But, since weather was forecast to be sunny and warm at the coast I chose to head north and visit Devil's Slide, my second visit since the coast side trail had opened last spring.

Apparently everyone else with access to a car had the same idea. The major roads were clogged with traffic, especially CA1 through Pacifica.

I spent some time enjoying the warm weather and views at Devil's Slide before continuing south through Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, and Half Moon Bay.

I continued beyond Half Moon Bay, taking Lobitos Cutoff to Tunitas Creek Road before climbing back over the hill.

I saw many cyclists out on the road, especially on Canada Road and later on CA1 and Tunitas Creek Road. On Canada Road I played leap-frog with a guy furiously pedaling a very nice-looking fixed-gear bike, my self-imposed power and speed limits matching his average speed, although he would gain on the slight hills and I would gain on the descents. Later on CA1 I leap-frogged a couple of times another cyclist heading south.

On Lobitos Cutoff Road I stopped to watch three horses gallop playfully in their field, chasing each other from one end to the other. Usually I observe horses, especially those whose backs are swayed from carrying overweight humans, standing dejectedly in their paddocks. These horses looked healthy and happy. The dominant one even approached me after noticing I had stopped to observe.

Lately I have been using a Magura Venti 203mm disk brake rotor with metallic pads in a BB7 caliper. This combination would cause horrible screeching with other rotors, but with the Venti, the worst is a mild ringing. And, the brakes work well enough to lock the wheel should I squeeze the lever so hard. I notice that with the Venti rotor, the pads are always pressing fully on the perimeter of the rotor and not on the arms or off the edge of the rotor as I observe with most other brake rotors. Also the Venti is about 0.3mm thicker than Shimano rotors.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	106.0 miles
Cumulative climbing:	5150 feet
Total Time:	8:31:41
Riding Time:	6:37:32
Avg. Speed (moving):	15.9 mph
Max. Speed:	45.9 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	1184 wh
Wh/mi:	11.1
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	44.5
Peak Current:	30.0 Amps
Motor energy to rear wheel:	828 wh
Human energy to rear wheel:	500 wh
Total energy delivered:	1328 wh

Gilroy and Corralitos, January 20, 2015 - In the prior week Frank had asked me advice about a route from San Jose to Gilroy and back that he wanted to ride in preparation of the MegaMonster ride in early February. In the end I rode with him, in part because I needed to buy some metric offset wrenches that were only available at the Gilroy Harbor Freight store.

I left home just after 0830 and rode through town to Frank's house near downtown San Jose. Frank had planned a route that took the CA87 bike path as far as was practical, and getting on and off the path required some intimate knowledge of obscure side streets.

As we started down the path I observed one young hawk sitting atop a lamp post on the path. I stopped to photograph it, but as I drew closer to get a better shot, it flew off. We passed the Tamien station and the daytime "parking lot" for the Ace Train. More trash than I am accustomed to seeing on multi-use paths littered the side of the trail, most of it on the freeway side.

At Curtner we had to get back on city streets again and made one wrong turn in the process, but soon we were back on course. We finally left the path at Hillsdale and made our way over to Monterey Highway at Capitol Expressway. From here our route became simpler.

Frank went down on his aerobars in time trial mode, and I followed behind. It turns out that my speed limit of 20mph matched closely Frank's preferred cruising speed most of the way south to Gilroy.

We stopped at Metcalf Park to use the rest rooms, and I stopped again to photograph a dead pheasant lying in the bike lane while Frank continued. We regrouped in Morgan Hill.

When we got to California Avenue in San Martin, our routes diverged. Frank went west to Santa Teresa Blvd. while I continued south on Monterey.

When I got to 10th Street in Gilroy I turned left and pressed through heavy traffic to the Harbor Freight store where I found only 1 set of the wrenches where there had been 5 sets in stock the day before.

Pleased that I had not made a wasted detour, I resumed my ride, getting back on course as quickly as I could.

I checked life360.com, and it showed me that I was 25 minutes behind Frank. I figured I should be able to catch up to him before the top of Mount Madonna Road or by Corralitos at the latest.

As I climbed on the dirt part of Mount Madonna Road I could see a couple of road bike tire tracks, one straight and one wobbly. I figured the wobbly track was Frank's uphill track, and the other was some other cyclist's who had descended. At the very least I knew that I hadn't passed him already.

When I got to the top of Mount Madonna Road I got a text message from Frank stating that he was starting up Hazel Dell. So, he was yet about 7-10 minutes ahead of me.

I descended the west side of Mount Madonna Road quickly and continued up Hazel Dell, but I did not catch Frank until mid-way down the descent of Browns Valley Road, just as the road breaks out of the redwoods and onto the agricultural plain. We rode together into Corralitos, where we stopped for our longest break.

Traffic on the lower part of Eureka Canyon was heavier than I expected, but as we climbed higher, traffic thinned considerably. This time of year the sun is low in the sky, even near mid-day, casting a pleasing light through the trees that can only be enjoyed on summer evenings or early mornings.

At Four Corners, the top of Eureka Canyon and Highland Way, I stopped while Frank continued down the rough descent ahead. The only other cyclist we saw that day (who bore a resemblance to Ben Jacques-Maynes) was just arriving at the top from the other direction.

We continued on Highland Way, Summit Road, and Old Santa Cruz Highway. Most of the traffic was now flowing opposite. Sometimes I was ahead, but usually I let Frank lead. I either took a longer roadside break and played catch-up, or I followed at a distance.

At CA17 and Alma Bridge Road we split up for good, Frank taking the Los Gatos Creek Trail most of the way home, and I taking CA17 into Los Gatos--a gap in traffic opened at just the right time to take the left-hand exit into downtown--and then proceeding on one of my usual routes, arriving home at 1708, just as it was getting dark enough to need a light.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	77.7 miles
Cumulative climbing:	5590 feet
Total Time:	6:44:32
Riding Time:	4:41:19
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.5 mph
Max. Speed:	49.6 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1800 wh
Battery energy consumed:	934 wh
Wh/mi:	12.0
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	35.1
Peak Current:	36.1 Amps
Motor energy to rear wheel:	654 wh
Human energy to rear wheel:	443 wh
Total energy delivered:	1097 wh

Capitola, January 3, 2015 - Laura (sister) had a GroupOn for Dharma's in Capitola that was about to expire, so we arranged to meet there for a late lunch.

Along CA9 just outside Los Gatos I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a small bird sitting on the white shoulder line. I stopped and backed up to get a closer look. It was a bird!

I figured it was either stunned from flying into a car or ill, so I scooped it up--it was so light!--and deposited it at the side of the road where it could recover without being flattened by passing traffic.

On my way up Old Santa Cruz Highway I ran into Alexander Komlik who was driving SAG for his wife Nina, who was riding to Watsonville.

I arrived at Dharma's at 1330, and shortly afterward Laura, Michael, and the dogs arrived. Laura, Michael and I went in and ordered lunch while the dogs remained in the car. At 1500 after a hearty meal, and after allowing a proper dog-greeting with the dogs, we went our separate ways.

I rode west through town and returned north via Branciforte, Granite Creek, Glenwood, and Mountain Charlie, one of my favorite routes home from Santa Cruz. The warm glow of sunset on the hills near Mountain Charlie Road was pretty.

As I crossed to the north side of the ridge, the sun disappeared, and it got cold! I was glad I had donned two socks on each foot, but my hands were still cold. Fortunately, the descent into Los Gatos did not take long.

I managed to get past Saratoga before nightfall closed in, and I was home before 1800.

GPS track:	GPX
Bike Ridden:	Power Gold Rush
Distance:	79.2 miles
Cumulative climbing:	6360 feet
Total Time:	5:10:29
Riding Time:	4:49:25
Avg. Speed (moving):	16.4 mph
Max. Speed:	45.3 mph
Nominal System Voltage:	24
Battery energy capacity:	1200 wh
Battery energy consumed:	925 wh
Wh/mi:	11.7
Battery Amps-Hour Used:	35.7
Peak Current:	33.2 Amps
Motor energy to rear wheel:	648 wh
Human energy to rear wheel:	544 wh
Total energy delivered:	1192 wh

Pescadero, January 1, 2015 - Due to the recent cold snap in the bay area, I left home in the middle of the day, after temperatures had warmed a bit. Even so, I felt cold for the first several miles, only felling warmer as my route ascended into the hills. In spite of this I find that I feel warmer overall when I'm out riding than when I'm sitting at my desk, unless I crank up the heat while I'm at my desk.

Lately, I have been riding with my power capped at 400 watts (in^†) and speed under power limited to 20 mph. I find this encourages me to keep moving, uses battery energy more efficiently, and gives me some additional exercise. Even though I'm getting help from the motor where I need it most on the climbs, the outing feels more like a bike ride and less like a moped or slow motorcycle ride.

Temperatures were cold in the shady canyons that see little sun this time of year. There was even some frost on the ground along Moody Road. Temperatures at the coast were more comfortable, approaching 60 F.

The golden glow of sunset on the green hills made for a pretty background as I climbed Alpine Road.

The descent of Page Mill and Moody Roads was so cold that my fingers and feet were numb by the time I got to the bottom.

I stopped only as nature demanded, so I was able to get home not long after sunset.

^†...which translates to about 280-300 watts of power at the rear wheel, added to my pedaling effort. My total weight (bike + body) ranges from 110 - 135 kg.

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2023 Lee Vining to Columbia, October 19, 2023 Columbia to Lee Vining, October 18, 2023 South Lake Tahoe to Angels Camp, August 9, 2023 Angels Camp to South Lake Tahoe, August 8, 2023 Mount Hamilton Big Loop North CW, April 23, 2023	2005 Winter Solstice Century, December 2005 Loma Prieta, November 24, 2005 Johansen and Gazos Creek Roads, November 2005 Gazos Creek and Old Haul Roads, November 2005 Phyllis Olrich's Impromptu Ride to Pescadero, October 2005 Michelle Mazzei Memorial Ride, October 2005 Star Hill - Bear Gulch, October 2005 Watsonville, October 2005 East Bay Convolutions, October 2005 Reds Meadow, September 14, 2005 High Sierra Fall Century, September 10, 2005 San Francisco Grand Prix bike race, September 2005 Santa Cruz Surfer Statue, August 2005 South Butano, Old Haul, and Alpine east, August 6, 2005 One Third of the Bay in a Day, July 23, 2005 Pescadero, July 2005 Santa Cruz via Hecker Pass, July 2005 Stevens Canyon, July 2005 Big Basin, July 2005 San Bruno Mountain, June 2005 Half Moon Bay, June 2005 Sequoia Worker's Ride (200k w/variations), June 2005 First Half of Mr. Bill's, June 2005 Mt. Diablo LDT, May 2005 Empire Grade, May 2005 Mt. Tamalpais LDT, May 2005 Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April 2005 Half Moon Bay, April 2005 Rancho San Antonio, April 2005 Tailwinds to Santa Cruz, April 9, 2005 San Francisco Peninsula, April 2005 Hollister and San Juan Bautista LDT, March 2005 Marin Headlands & Tiburon LDT, March 2005 Pacific Grove, March 2005 Calaveras to Pleasanton LDT, February 2005 Morgan Hill LDT, February 2005 Point Reyes, January 2005	1987
2022 Mammoth Grand Tour, June 29, 2022	2004 Panoche and Idria, December 18, 2004 Black Mountain, December 4, 2004 Coast Ride, November 28, 2004 Hull Lotta Hills, November 6, 2004 Tour of Southwest Marin, October 30, 2004 Watsonville to San Juan Buatista and back, October 16, 2004 Backroads of San Benito County, October 2, 2004 High Sierra Fall Century, September 18, 2004 Mount Hamilton by Moonlight, August 29, 2004 Marin Century, August 7, 2004 Ride to Santa Cruz, July 18, 2004 HPV Fun Day at Hellyer Park Velodrome, May 16, 2004 Montara Mountain, May 1, 2004	1986
2021	2003 High Sierra Fall Century, September 13, 2003 Bountiful Ridge, June 25, 2003 Mount Hamilton Challenge, April 26, 2003 Cherry Pie Criterium, February 2003 Winter Solstice Century, January 2003	1985
2020 South Lake Tahoe to Angels Camp, October 21, 2020 Lake Tahoe Circuit CCW, October 20, 2020 Angels Camp to South Lake Tahoe, October 19, 2020 Coleville to Columbia, August 14, 2020 Columbia to Coleville, August 13, 2020	2002 Ride with Zach and Dan, December 28, 2002 High Sierra Fall Centuiry, September 14, 2002 Bill Models Gold Rush with Full Fairing, 2002 Pierce Point Road, July 2002 First Tailbox, July 2002 Return to Freedom, June 29, 2002	1984
2019 Lee Vining to Tuolumne, October 23, 2019 Tuolumne to Lee Vining, October 22, 2019 Lee Vining to Columbia, July 16, 2019 Columbia to Lee Vining, July 15, 2019	2001 Winter Solstice Century, December 15, 2001 Knoxville Double Metric Century, September 29, 2001 San Francisco Grand Prix, September 9, 2001 South Butano Fire Road, August 25, 2001 Marin Century, August 5, 2001 San Gregorio, July 8, 2001 Loma Prieta Avenue, July 6, 2001 Bolinas Ridge, July 1, 2001 Return to Freedom, June 23, 2001 David rides a RANS Vivo, June 16, 2001 Sequoia Century, June 3, 2001 HPV Day at Hellyer Velodrome, May 20, 2001 Borel Hill, January 14, 2001	1983
2018 Lee Vining to Tuolumne, October 13, 2018 Tuolumne to Lee Vining, October 12, 2018	2000 Winter Solstice Double Century, December 16, 2000 Ron Eats Hot Dog, August 5, 2000 Seattle to Portland, July 8, 2000 Zach's Monthly Recumbent Ride, July 1, 2000 Sequoia Century, June 4, 2000 Strawberry Fields Forever, May 21, 2000 Taste of the Devil, April 15, 2000 Tierra Bella Century: 200k, April 8, 2000 Death Valley Double Century, February 19, 2000 Cherry Pie Criterium, February 6, 2000 Quien Sabe and Lone Tree Roads, January 27, 2000 Mt. Hamilton, January 22, 2000 New Years Ride up Mt. Diablo, January 1, 2000	1982
2017 Mount Umunhum, September 21, 2017 Long Valley Tour, September 12, 2017 Lee Vining to Columbia, July 20, 2017 Markleeville to Lee Vining, July 19, 2017 Columbia to Markleeville, July 18, 2017 Terrible Two, June 17, 2017 Around the Bay with Tam and Diablo, May 28, 2017 Central Coast Double, May 13, 2017 Devil Mountain Double, April 29, 2017	1999 Easy Racers Factory, December 30, 1999 Fremont Peak, December 30, 1999 Visiting Karl Abbe of Zzip Designs, December 28, 1999 Winter Solstice Double Century, December 18, 1999 Seaside, December 11, 1999 Zach's Recumbent Ride in Alameda, December 4, 1999 Carmel Valley Road, November 26, 1999 Recumbents to Santa Cruz, October 10, 1999 Eating Hot Dogs at Saratoga Gap, September 4, 1999 San Gregorio Beach, August 22, 1999 Barbara Kester, August 21, 1999 Zach's Recumbent Ride, August 7, 1999 Stella's Restored Schwinn American Cruiser, July 1999 Sequoia Century SAG HQ, June 6, 1999 Mount Hamilton Challenge, April 24, 1999 Central Valley Recumbent Rally, April 17, 1999 Zach's Monthly Recumbent Ride, January 2, 1999	1981
2016 Low-Key Hill Climbs 2016 Knoxville Double (abridged), September 24, 2016 Mammoth Tour, September 15, 2016 Markleeville to Columbia, August 4, 2016 Columbia to Markleeville, August 3, 2016 Around the Bay, May 15, 2016 Mount Hamilton Big Loop South CCW, May 8, 2016 Mount Hamilton Big Loop North CCW, May 1, 2016 Low-Key MegaMonster Enduro, February 6, 2016	1998 Winter Solstice Century, December 19, 1998 LKHC: Bohlman Road, November 21, 1998 LKHC: Mount Hamilton, November 14, 1998 LKHC: Soda Springs Road, October 17, 1998 High Sierra Fall Century, September 12, 1998 Group ride down South Butano Fire Trail, June, 1998 Southern Santa Cruz Mountains, June, 1998 Paicines, June, 1998 Bill Rides a BikeE to Half Moon Bay, May, 1998 Bill Rides Stella's Bicycle, May, 1998 CA84 and La Honda Open Space Preserve, February 15, 1998 How many Western Wheelers does it take to fix a flat?, February 28, 1998	1980
2015 Low-Key Hill Climbs 2015 Davenport, July 11, 2015 Jobst Brandt Memorial Celebration, June 20, 2015 Sequoia Century Workers Ride, June 6, 2015 Mount Hamilton CCW, May 24, 2015 Coastal Loop, May 17, 2015 Mount Hamilton Big Loop South CW, May 10, 2015 Jobst Brandt, R.I.P., January 14, 1935 - May 5, 2015 Nine Counties Ride Around the Bay, May 3, 2015 Mount Hamilton Big Loop CW, April 26, 2015 Patterson Pass, April 4, 2015 The Reservoirs and Uvas Park, March 22, 2015 Lake Del Valle and Mendenhall Road, March 14, 2015 Mount Hamilton CCW, February 21, 2015 Low-Key MegaMonster Enduro, February 7, 2015 Nine Continents Direct-Drive Hub Motor, February 4, 2015 Santa Cruz January 28, 2015 Devil's Slide, January 25, 2015 Gilroy and Corralitos, January 20, 2015 Capitola, January 3, 2015 Pescadero, January 1, 2015	1997 Foxy Fall Century, October 18, 1997 Grizzly Century, October 4, 1997 El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve, June 14, 1997 Mt. Hamilton, May, 1997 Sawyer Camp Trail, May, 1997 Primavera Century, April, 1997 Chabot Regional Park, March, 1997 Las Cumbres, February, 22, 1997 Bear Gulch west, February, 1997	1979
2014 Winter Solstice, December 21, 2014 Tailwinds from Santa Cruz, December 14, 2014 Clouds and Rain, December 1, 2014 Pizza Century, November 9, 2014 Low-Key Hill Climbs 2014 Tioga Pass and Minaret Vista, September 17, 2014 June Lake Loop and Minaret Summit, September 16, 2014 Bicycle Traffic School, August 28, 2014 Effortless Rides, August 2014 Panoche Inn, July 2, 2014 Sequoia Century Worker's Ride and Picnic, June 7, 2014 Monitor Pass, Ebbetts Pass, and Pacific Grade Summit, May 26, 2014 Sonora Pass, May 25, 2014 Davis Double Century, May 17, 2014 Tour of California Stage 3, May 13, 2014 Around the Bay, May 3, 2014 Pescadero, April 29, 2014 Patterson, April 20, 2014 Devil's Slide, April 16, 2014 Aromas, April 13, 2014 South Butano and Old Haul Roads, April 9, 2014 Nifty Ten Fifty, April 6, 2014 Coyote Hills with BARC, March 30, 2014 Mount Hamilton Loop Clockwise, March 23, 2014 Visiting Luke At Zero, March 20, 2014 Big Basin, March 11, 2014 Bay and Creek Trails and Calaveras Road, March 8, 2014 MegaMonster Enduro, February 8, 2014 Winter Solstice '110', January 18, 2014 NTS Works 2x4 e-Cargo Bike, January 15, 2014 Seaside, January 15, 2014 Black Mountain, January 8, 2014 Henry Coe State Park, January 5, 2014 Mount Hamilton on New Years Day, January 1, 2014	1996 Jeff Steinwedel Memorial Ride, December 15, 1996 Loma Prieta, December 1996 Mt. Hamilton, November, 1996 Mt. Umunhum Road, November, 16, 1996 Low-Key Hill Climb: Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman, November 9, 1996 Low-Key Hill Climb: CA84 west Old La Honda, November 2, 1996 Ride with Derek, October 12, 1996 Low-Key Hill Climb: Montebello, October, 1996 Hekaton Classic, September, 1996 Ocean Beach, August, 1996 Pleasanton Ridge, August 10, 1996 Montara State Beach, July, 1996 Bill's Hills, July, 1996 Drawbridge, July, 1996 Mosquito Flat and June Lake Loop, July 3, 1996 Highland Way, June 1996 Sequoia Preview, June 1996 Low-Key Nightmare, June 1996 San Bruno Mountain, March 9, 1996 Livermore Hills, March 2, 1996 Sacramento Northern Railroad Right-of-Way, February, 1996 Santa Clara County Dead End Road, January 14, 1996 Santiago Canyon, January 11, 1996 Marin Headlands, January 7, 1996 New Years on Mt. Diablo, January 1, 1996	1978
2013 Sierra Road and Coyote Hills, December 25, 2013 LKHC: Mount Hamilton, November 28, 2013 LKHC: Lomas Cantadas and Marin, November 16, 2013 LKHC: Patterson Pass East, November 9, 2013 LKHC: Black Road and Castle Rock Summit, November 2, 2013 LKHC: Bohlman Road, October 19, 2013 LKHC: Montevina Road, October 12, 2013 LKHC: Montebello Road, October 5, 2013 Stevens Canyon, September 20, 2013 La Honda, September 8, 2013 Half Moon Bay, September 1, 2013 Ben Lomond and Zayante, August 30, 2013 San Gregorio, August 25, 2013 Pescadero, August 17, 2013 Ben Lomond, August 14, 2013 San Juan and Salinas, August 6, 2013 Casserly and Corralitos, July 28, 2013 Skyline Blvd., July 25, 2013 San Gregorio, July 21, 2013 Santa Cruz via Laurel, July 14, 2013 Lake Ranch, July 10, 2013 Skyline Blvd., June 25, 2013 Old Haul Road, June 22, 2013 Sequoia Worker's Picnic, June 9, 2013 Sequoia Worker's Ride, 100-mile, June 8, 2013 Mount Hamilton Loop Counter-Clockwise, May 26, 2013 Maker Faire, May 19, 2013 Tour of California Stage 7: Mt. Diablo, May 18, 2013 Tour of California Stage 6: San Jose Time Trial, May 17, 2013 Guadalupe River and Bay Trail, May 14, 2013 Devil's Slide, May 7, 2013 Santa Cruz, April 28, 2013 Classic Coast Loop, April 22, 2013 Skyline Boulevard Loop, April 17, 2013 La Honda, April 10, 2013 Nifty Ten Fifty, April 7, 2013 Mount Hamilton Clockwise, March 24, 2013 Santa Cruz, March 17, 2013 Pescadero, March 10, 2013 Little Basin and Bloom Grade, March 4, 2013 Redwood City via CA92, February 28, 2013 Santa Cruz via Pescadero, February 24, 2013 Redwood City via San Gregorio, February 21, 2013 Ess to Santa Cruz, February 16, 2013 Big and Little Basins, February 13, 2013 Low-Key Mega-Monster Enduro, February 9, 2013 Superbowl Ride to Half Moon Bay, February 3, 2013 San Gregorio via Black Mountain, January 30, 2013 Gilroy and The Reservoirs, January 27, 2013 The Loop, January 25, 2013 Skyline Blvd., January 21, 2013 Pulgas Water Temple LDT Ride, January 19, 2013 Page Mill Loop, January 16, 2013 Shoreline LDT E-Ride, January 5, 2013 Santa Cruz, January 1, 2013	1995 Marin County, December 28, 1995 Northern Contra Costa County, December 23, 1995 Contra Costa County, December 19, 1995 Mt. Diablo, December 9, 1995 Mt. Tamalpais, October 14, 1995 Contra Costa County, October 7, 1995 Pine Mountain, September 30, 1995 Marin County, September 24, 1995 Southern Marin, September 16, 1995 Vallejo to San Francisco, September 10, 1995 Alameda, September 2, 1995 Tour of Napa Valley, August 20, 1995 The Delta, August 12, 1995 Sandy Point Junction, August 5, 1995 Berkeley Criterium, July, 23, 1995 Mr. Bill's Reprise, July 16, 1995 San Pedro Mountain Road, July 3, 1995 Santa Cruz, July 1, 1995 Tioga Pass, June 14, 1995 Upper Rock Creek Canyon, June 12, 1995 Ride Around the Bear, June 10, 1995 Sequoia Century Support, June 4, 1995 Around Santa Ana Mountains, May 28, 1995 Laguna Hills, May 26, 1995 Mt. Tamalpais, May 21, 1995 Grizzly Peak Century, May 7, 1995 Mt. Hamilton Sunrise Ride, February 19, 1995 Franklin Canyon Road, February 18, 1995 Grizzly Peak Summit, February 12, 1995 Mt. Diablo, February 5, 1995 Sunset from Grizzly Peak, January 28, 1995	1977
2012 Skyline Blvd. and Thompson Road, December 30, 2012 Half Moon Bay, December 24, 2012 Pescadero, December 19, 2012 Misty San Mateo, December 16, 2012 Foggy San Mateo, December 11, 2012 Winter Solstice Century, December 8, 2012 Pescadero Dirty Roads, December 3, 2012 LKHC: Mount Hamilton, November 22, 2012 Connelly's Climbs, November 14, 2012 LKHC: Soda Springs Road, November 10, 2012 LKHC: CA84 and West Alpine Road, November 3, 2012 LKHC: Morgan Territory, October 20, 2012 LKHC: Quimby, October 13, 2012 LKHC: Montebello, October 6, 2012 Minaret Road and Horseshoe Lake, September 19, 2012 Classic Coast Loop, August 8, 2012 Corralitos via Summit South and Buzzard Lagoon, August 1, 2012 Half Moon Bay, July 22, 2012 Dinner with Jobst and Friends, July 20, 2012 Big Figure Eight, July 15, 2012 Stevens Canyon, Grizzly Flat, and Los Trancos Woods, July 12, 2012 Coastal Century Cruise, July 8, 2012 Old Haul, Gazos Creek, and Johansen Roads, July 1, 2012 Pescadero Loop and Allen Road, June 27, 2012 La Honda, June 21, 2012 South Butano, Old Haul, Borel Hill, east Alpine, June 16, 2012 Palo Alto Visit, June 10, 2012 Sequoia Century 200k Route, June 9, 2012 Sequoia Century SAG, June 3, 2012 San Gregorio, June 2, 2012 Mount Umunhum and the Reservoirs, May 28, 2012 Mount Tamalpais, May 19, 2012 Tour of California, Stage Two, May 14, 2012 Mount Diablo from Home, May 12, 2012 Mount Hamilton Loop Clockwise, May 6, 2012 Santa Cruz Big Loop with Zach, April 29, 2012 Lunch Party at Jobst's, April 21, 2012 Redwood Gulch and Skyline, April 18, 2012 Mount Hamilton Counter-Clockwise, April 15, 2012 Big Loop to Santa Cruz, April 7, 2012 Old La Honda and Kings, April 4, 2012 Skyline Loop, March 26, 2012 Ride with Frank, March 21, 2012 The Extended Loop, March 19, 2012 Grand Loop to Pescadero and Back, March 12, 2012 La Honda, March 9, 2012 Santa Cruz, March 4, 2012 Low-Key MegaMonster Enduro, February 11, 2012 Aborted Ride to San Francisco, January 7, 2012 Santa Cruz Loop, January 1, 2012	1994 Oakland Hills, October 16, 1994 Point Reyes, October 9, 1994 CA85 Before Opening, September 25, 1994 Marin Headlands and Bolinas, September 18, 1994 Mt. Diablo and Morgan Territory, September 11, 1994 Loma Prieta, August 13, 1994 El Sereno, July 30, 1994 Santa Cruz Zig-Zag, July 24, 1994 Borel Hill, July 17, 1994 Daggett, Luther, and Carson Passes, July 9, 1994 Ebbetts Pass, July 8, 1994 Mt. Rose Highway, July 7, 1994 July 4th Ride to the Grimm's, July 4, 1994 Mt. Hamilton, July 2, 1994 Santa Cruz with Stella June 16, 1994 Santa Cruz Mountains Coastal Loop, June 12, 1994 Sequoia Century Support, June 5, 1994 Mt. Hamilton, May 21, 1994 Mr. Bill's Nightmare Preview, May 8, 1994 Mt. Hamilton and Mt. Diablo in a Day, April 30, 1994 Primavera Century, April 17, 1994 Santa Cruz, April 10, 1994 Santiago Peak (Old Saddleback), April 3, 1994 Mount Hamilton Clockwise, March 26, 1994 Marin County, February 5, 1994 Mount Diablo Sunrise, January 30, 1994 Half Sequoia 200k, January 15, 1994 Martin Luther King Weekend Rides, January 1994 Brunch in Blackhawk, January 8, 1994 Fremont Older Open Space and Black Mountain, January 1, 1994	1976
2011 Winter Solstice Century, December 17, 2011 Black Mountain, December 14, 2011 Half Moon Bay, December 10, 2011 Salinas, December 6, 2011 San Gregorio and Pescadero, December 3, 2011 Zach Rides to Pescadero, November 27, 2011 LKHC: Mount Hamilton, November 24, 2011 LKHC: Kings Mountain Road, November 19, 2011 LKHC: Highway 9, November 12, 2011 Wooden Valley, November 5, 2011 LKHC: Mix Canyon Road (and Blue Ridge Road and Gates Canyon Road), November 5, 2011 LKHC: Palomares Road (and there and back), October 29, 2011 Ben Lomond, October 26, 2011 LKHC: Bohlman-Norton-Kittridge-Quickert-On Orbit-Bohlman (and the scenic way home), October 22, 2011 LKHC: Page Mill Road (and the scenic way home), October 15, 2011 LKHC: Sierra Road (plus there and back), October 8, 2011 Mammoth Area Ride, September 22, 2011 Mammoth Tour and San Joaquin Ridge, September 19, 2011 Sun Valley - Elkhorn, August 21, 2010 Trail Creek Road, August 21, 2010 Warm Springs Road, August 21, 2010 Galena Summit, August 19, 2010 Hills 'R' Us Goes to Big Basin, August 3, 2011 Hills 'R' Us Goes to Pescadero, July 20, 2011 Field Day, June 25, 2011 Mt. Madonna, June 19, 2011 Sequoia Worker's Events, June, 2011 Short Loop to Skyline, June 2, 2011 Tour of California, Stage 4, May 18, 2011 Half Moon Bay Trails, May 7, 2011 Mt. Hamilton Twice, April 30, 2011 Coyote Creek Trail, April 24, 2011 Mt. Hamilton Loop, April 16, 2011 Santa Cruz, April 10, 2011 Mt. Hamilton Clockwise, April 3, 2011 Pescadero, March 30, 2011 Pillar Point, March 17, 2011 Big Basin, March 12, 2011 Pacelining to San Gregorio, March 9, 2011 To Bonny Doon and Back, March 4, 2011 Soda Springs Road and Weaver Road, February 28, 2011 Snow and Sand, February 20, 2011 Low-Key MegaMonster Enduro, February 12, 2011 Sunday Ride, February 6, 2011 WW LDT Ride: Seascape, February 5, 2011 GPC Ride: Suisun City, January 29, 2011 Santa Cruz, January 22, 2011 GPC Second Saturday Ride, January 8, 2011	1993 Henry Cowell Redwoods, December 26, 1993 Mt. Hamilton Sunrise, December 5, 1993 Kings Mountain Road, November 26, 1993 Night Ride, November 20, 1993 John Nicholas Trail and Long Ridge, November, 1993 Chalk Mountain, November 7, 1993 South Butano Fire Trail, October, 1993 Bolinas Ridge, October 9, 1993 Furnace Creek 508, October, 1993 Carson Pass, September, 1993 Newport Bay, September, 1993 Amtrak Century, September 18, 1993 Ride to Santa Cruz, September 12, 1993 Night Ride, September, 1993 Hekaton Classic, September, 1993 Forest of Nisene Marks, August, 1993 Around the Santa Cruz Mountains, August 21, 1993 Ride with Willie Stewart, August, 1993 Sonora Pass East, August 4, 1993 White Mountain Peak, August 3, 1993 June Lake and Conway Summit, August 1, 1993 Last Chance Road, July, 1993 Backroads to the Coast, July, 1993 Ward Road, July 15, 1993 Kings Mountain Store, July, 1993 Ride with Joel Cain, July, 1993 Santa Cruz, July 3, 1993 Comstock Silver Century, June, 1993 Monitor Pass East, June, 1993 Uncle Bill's Double Century, June 19, 1993 Sequoia Workers Ride, June, 1993 Mt. Tamalpais, June 5, 1993 Three Sierra Passes, May, 1993 Ride Around Lake Tahoe, May, 1993 Uncle Bill's Very Difficult Ride, May 22, 1993 Mt. Hamilton Loop Counter-Clockwise, May 15, 1993 Kings Mountain Store, May, 1993 Grizzly Peak Century, May, 1993 Primavera Century, April, 1993 Orange County, April 11, 1993 Irvine to San Diego, April 9, 1993 Gazos Creek Road, April, 1993 Stevens Canyon & Soda Springs Road, April 9, 1993 Morgan Territory and Mt. Diablo, March 21, 1993 Solvang Century, March 6, 1993 La Honda, February 28, 1993 Blackhawk, February 27, 1993 Gilroy, February 21, 1993 Morgan Territory, February 6, 1993 Half Moon Bay, January 31, 1993 Two Bay Loops, January 16, 1993 Rainy Day on Skyline, January 10, 1993 Montevina and Bohlman, January 3, 1993	1975
2010 Zach Rides the Hybrid Gold Rush, December 4, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: Mount Hamilton, November 25, 2010 Native Sons, Star Hill, and Bear Gulch (west) Roads, November 17, 2010 Gazos Creek Road, November 13, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: Bonny Doon/Pine Flat, November 13, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: Welch Creek Road, November 6, 2010 Old Haul Road, October 16, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: Portola State Park, October 16, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: OLH, October 9, 2010 Low-Key Hillclimb: Montebello, October 2, 2010 Mammoth Lakes Full Tour, September 15, 2010 Aptos, August, 2010 Davenport, July, 2010 Pomponio Creek Road, July, 2010 Mt. Umunhum Road, July, 2010 Ridgecrest Road, June, 2010 HPV Races at Hellyer Velodrome, June, 2010 OHPV E-Power Challenge, May 31, 2010 OHPV HPC Road Race, May 30, 2010 OHPV HPC Obstacle Race, May 30, 2010 Left-Coast Velomobile Gathering, May 30, 2010 Tour of California, Stage 4, May, 2010 Tour of California, Stage 3, May, 2010 Kings Ridge Loop, May, 2010 Mt. Hamilton Loop Clockwise, May, 2010 Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April, 2010 Panoche, April, 2010 Northern Marin County, April, 2010 Northern Contra Costa County, April, 2010 The Geysers, March 27, 2010 MegaMonster Enduro, February 13, 2010 Winter Solstice Century, January, 2010 Devil's Slide, January, 2010	1992 Chalk Mountain, December 27, 1992 Mission Peak, December 26, 1992 Windy Hill with Laura, December 25, 1992 Quimby, Kincaid, and Mt. Hamilton, December 20, 1992 Swanton Loop, December 13, 1992 Swanton Loop, December 5, 1992 Berkeley Hills, November 21, 1992 Go Directly To Jail, November 14, 1992 Twin Peaks and San Bruno Mountain, October 31, 1992 Mt. Tamalpais, October 18, 1992 East Bay Ride, October 11, 1992 Old Haul Road, October 4, 1992 Sonora Pass west, September 21, 1992 Ebbetts Pass, September 20, 1992 Monitor Pass, September 19, 1992 Hekaton Classic, September 6, 1992 Mt. Madonna and Uvas Road, September 5, 1992 Eureka Canyon Road, August 30, 1992 Jamison Creek Road, August 23, 1992 San Francisco, August 15, 1992 Banana Classic, August 9, 1992 Alba Road, August 2, 1992 Dumbarton Bridge, Calaveras Road, and Felter Road, August 1, 1992 Bohlman Road, July 30, 1992 Tioga Road, July 25, 1992 Minaret Vista, July 23, 1992 Mt. Diablo, July 12, 1992 Comstock Silver Century, June 28, 1992 Santa Cruz, June 20, 1992 Del Puerto Canyon, June 15, 1992 Sequoia Century, June 7, 1992 Bonny Doon to Palo Alto, May 30, 1992 Three Sierra Passes, May 23, 1992 Mt. Hamilton Loop Clockwise, May 16, 1992 East Bay and BART, April 19, 1992 First Ride to Santa Cruz, May 9, 1992 Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April 25, 1992 Purissima Creek Trail, April 17, 1992 South Butano Fire Trail, April 4, 1992 Eagle Rock Road, March 8, 1992 Gazos Creek Road, February 22, 1992	1974
2009 Countryview Drive, December, 2009 Low-Key Hillclimbs, October/November, 2009 Pizza Century, November 22, 2009 Morgan Territory Road, November 14, 2009 Big Sur - Indians Tour, October 31, 2009 Muir Beach to San Francisco, October 24, 2009 Zach and Michi's wedding ride to Muir Woods, October 24, 2009 San Francisco to Muir Beach, October 24, 2009 June Lake Loop, September 13, 2009 Santa Cruz, July 2009 Return to Freedom, July 2009 Oakland/Berkeley Hills, July 2009 HPV races at Hellyer Velodrome, May 2009 OHPV E-Power Challenge, May 25, 2009 King Ridge, May 9, 2009 Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April 2009 Quien Sabe Valley, April 19, 2009 East Bay Hills, April 2009 Morgan Hill, April 2009 Swift Street Bike Festival, January 2009 Fremont Peak, January 2009 East Bay, January 2009 Mount Diablo, January 2009	1991	1973
2008 San Bruno Mountain, December 20, 2008 Winter Solstice Century, December 13, 2008 Pizza Century, December 7, 2008 Low-Key Hill Climb: Mt. Hamilton, November 27, 2008 The Bike Hut, October 26, 2008 Unveiling of the Monument for Matt Peterson and Kristy Gough, October 18, 2008 South Livermore Bike path, September 20, 2008 Pigeon Pass, September 20, 2008 Highland Way, Eureka Canyon Road, and Mt. Madonna Road, September 13, 2008 Reds Meadow, September 6, 2008 Horseshoe Lake, September 5, 2008 Adobe Trail, August 30, 2008 Bonny Doon, August 13, 2008 Sierra Azul, August 2, 2008 Majors, July 30, 2008 Aquinas Trail, July 20, 2008 East Bay Tour, July 12, 2008 HPV races at Hellyer Park Velodrome, May 31, 2008 Tour of California Stage 3, February 20, 2008 Tour of California Prologue, February 17, 2008 San Benito Enduro, February 9, 2008	1990	1972
2007 Southern CA25, December 2007 Low-Key Hill Climb: Mt. Hamilton, November 2007 Low-Key Hill Climb: Sierra Road, November 2007 McGee Creek and Rock Creek Roads, September 8, 2007 Swanton Pacific Railroad, August 2007 Mt. Hamilton Sunrise, July 29, 2007 Pescadero and Purisima, July 2007 Contra Costa, July 2007 A Ride with Stella and Frank, June 2007 Rodney Smith Incident, June 2007 Sequoia Century, June 2007 Tioga Road, May 12, 2007 Left Coast Velomobile Gathering, March 2007 Zach does Livermore on his Sunset, March 2007 Tour of California: Stage 3, February 2007	1989	1971
2006 East Dunne Ave., Morgan Hill, October 2006 John Peckham Memorial Ride, September 2006 Kings Creek, September 2006 Return to Freedom, September 2006 Hollister, August 2006 Old Stage Road, August 2006 Shoreline Park, August 2006 Montevina, August 2006 Aptos Creek Fire Road, July 2006 Fort Ord, July 2006 Chalk Mountain, July 2006 Montara Mountain, July 2006 Lyresa's Hills Candid Group Photo, July 2006 Olmo Trail, July 2006 San Benito, Clear Creek, and Idria, May 27, 2006 Tour of the Unknown Coast, May 13, 2006 Mission-Allison-Monument Traverse, May 2006 Mount Hamilton Loop Clockwise, April 29, 2006 Panoche and Mercey Hot Springs, April 2006 Pescadero, April 2006 Calaveras LDT, February 2006 Tour of California: Stage 3, February 2006 Tour of California: Stage 2, February 2006 Tour of California: Prologue, February 2006 Morgan Hill LDT, February 2006 Winter Ride Around the Reservoirs, January 2006	1988	1970