The day started with me flipping over my bars in the parking lot – had a period when we all had to dismount our bikes because of 50+ mph winds on the coast – and ended with a nice cruiser jog around CLU.
So, I’m unpacking my bike from the trunk and putting it back together for the ride, while talking to Terry and Brianna. Bad idea! Andrew should never multitask. I know, you wouldn’t think that assembling bike and talking is multitasking, and for your average person it probably isn’t, but for your aging endurance athlete – it seems to be too much to manage. I put the bike together and never put the chain back on the front chain rings. Note to self – always do that first before you forget. I put my watch on the handle bars then bottles in the cages, shut the trunk, put my left foot on the left pedal and threw my right leg over the saddle and on to the right pedal. Then much to my surprise, took a quick pedal stroke and flipped over my bars landing on the backside of my head. The silly things we do.
Otherwise the ride started out just fine. We cruised down Santa Rosa at 30+mph with a steady tailwind and except for a mile here and there with cross winds on Lewis Road, and Los Posas, pretty much got pushed all the way to PCH. This is where the wind was interesting.
Just north of the sand hill on PCH the wind blow us all to a stop and did it’s best to knock us all over. We were standing there holding on to our bikes by the bars and the bikes were floating like flags in the wind parallel to the road. It was incredible. I wish I had taken a picture. The waves were crashing against the rocks and the spray was flying across the highway. It was something to see. I turned my head when a wave of salt water was coming my way and the wind took my Oakley’s and they flew, through the air, all the way across the highway.
It rattled the nerves of a few of us, but we managed to get everyone back on the bikes and continued our ride. Fortunately that was the only place the wind was anywhere near that strong.
We turned up Mulholland and regrouped at the top. I miss counted the group and rode back down a ways looking for our last rider. Ten minutes of looking and I turned around to let the rest of the group go on and saw all ten of us! Must have been the knock on my head to start off the day! I’m usually pretty reliable counting up to 10.
We made our way back down Decker to Westlake and on to CLU for our short run. Exciting day. Everyone will remember this ride for a long time.
I’m tired now. And will be for a while…
great ride! I’ve never seen anything like that wind North of Thornhill Broom. Just nuts how the wind swirled back around and was blowing on shore with gusts at ~60 mph.
Rides are getting better and better. That wind was nuts!
Great ride — I was a little freaked by the wind. Particularly when I was standing with my bike, holding it down so it wouldn’t fly away in the wind!
Mulholland climb felt good, speaking masochistically.
For anyone interested, here’s a link to the route.