2013-06-27 - Pinto Mt. Loop on a Warm Evening

Miles: 14.3
Start Time: 19.20
Moving Time: 1:17:38
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 11.9
Max Speed: 23.7
Temp Out: 99
Temp In: 97

A decent ride. I felt much better than 2 days ago even thought it was warmer. The W to SW wind was annoying coming back on Amboy.

2013-06-25 - Pinto Mt. Loop

Miles: 14.9
Start Time: 18.15
Moving Time: 1:18:28
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 11.4
Max Speed: 23.5
Temp Out: 96
Temp In:

Very warm ride around Pinto loop. I am spoiled by sitting in the house too much.

I have about given up on contacts. The non-astigmatism pair are not good enough and the others are too expensive and too delicate. I tore the left one today. It looks like lined bifocals may be it.

2013-06-20 - A Road Trip

Miles: @400
Start Time: 9.30

Towards San Diego from Mt. Palomar on a Smoggy and Hazy Day

I left here and drove through the park to Indio to get a routine chest x-ray. Almost hald of the road between Park Blvd. and the Cottonwood Springs Entrance Station (South Entrance) have been beautifully repaved which will make future bicycle rides on this route much more pleasant.

After spending an hour at the x-ray lab, mostly waiting, I dove on down to Borrego Springs and ate at the decent Mexican dive there and sat at the Christmas Circle Park or awhile enjoying the warm afternoon.

"Badlands" East of Borrego"

After spending an hour at the x-ray lab, mostly waiting, I dove on down to Borrego Springs and ate at the decent Mexican dive there and sat at the Christmas Circle Park or awhile enjoying the warm afternoon.

I was conflicted about what to do next as I had been in this area recently on Dan's hiking trip. Of the many options I picked driving up into the mountains on San Diego S-22 and heading home from there, perhaps via Anza and Highway 74 back through the Palm Springs area. S-22 offers a steep 9 mile 3500 foot climb up the east escarpment of the San Ysidro Mountains. I climbed this grade last September with a full load on my touring bike. It took me 5 hours. It is much easier and faster in a car.

The Warner Valley and Lake Henshaw from he East Grade of Mt. Palomar

I was not sure what I wanted to do when I got to the top. I decided to visit Palomar Mountain then go home on I-15 and I-10. I drove up and not only was the observatory closed for the day (no surprise) the the road to the parking lot was locked so I could not even get close enough the take a photo.

I had asked my GPS app for a route home and from the main road junction on Palomar it directed me down State Park Road and onto Nate Harrison Grade. Nate Harrison did not appear to be much of a road but the first 1/2 mile was not too bad, one lane with some potholes but decent pavement. The second 1/2 mile had big potholes and sections with no pavement. At the end of the first mile the pavement stopped and big ruts and holes appeared. I went down about 1/2 mile and stopped for a nature break. My intuition told me to go back. For once I listened and retreated back to the pavement and went down one of the main roads off the mountain to Highway 76. I noticed I had the GPS set go give bicycle routes which explains the choice of roads. After I got home and looked at the map I felt I could probably have made it down Nate Harrison OK but it looked pretty sketchy when I was there and there are too many stories of people being led to disaster by their GPS system and I did not care to become one of them.

The "Good" Spot Where I Turned Around on Nate Harrison

2013-06-17 - Joshua Tree/JTNP Loop on a Warm Day

Miles: 57.1
Start Time: 11.45
Moving Time: 5:45:11
Elevation: 3288
Average Speed: 9.9
Max Speed: 42.5
Temp Out: 91
Temp In: 98

I ate 2 scrambled eggs, showered, slathered on the sunscreen, dressed, loaded my small cooler with Diet Coke and extra liquids and left here around 11:30. It was warm but not too bad. As I got onto 2 Mile Road headed west I realized there was a slight headwind and that I would have to go into "touring mode", slow and steady to complete this ride given the weather and my current conditioning so I just took my time and made no effort to push it or hurry.

The segment to the town of Joshua Tree turned out to be the most pleasant of the rides I have done on that route. This was partly because I was not fighting it but mostly because the first 6.5 miles of the Highway 62 shoulder from Sunrise Road, where I got on are all recently repaved and are beautiful, very good to excellent. It also helped that there was a 3 or so mile section where the right lane was closed due to paving activity. I had the lane and shoulder to myself except for the few hundred yards where I had o merge with traffic to get around the paving machine. The good shoulder ends at Mile Square Road and the 4 miles from there to Sunburst Road where I got off are poor to very poor. I was helped in this section by the fact that traffic was being stopped periodically by the paving process so I got several multi-minute periods of no traffic at all.

I arrived at the community park in Joshua tree at about 1:15 in good shape. I unpacked my little cooler and had a Diet Coke, finished the bottle of Heed, a maltodextrin based sports drink, I had been working on, prepared and drank a bottle of Fizz, a sugar free electrolyte drink, prepared another to take and drank a couple of bottles of water. I felt good and did not see a need to linger so at about 1:30 I left the park and started the serious climb up into Joshua Tree National Park.

The next 6 miles up to the West Entrance Station were not so pleasant. The road climbs up through a sheltered canyon of cove with no breeze which means hot. My stomach was also not feeling well, perhaps from the cold Coke or the switch from Heed to Fizz. In any event I finally reached the Kiosk. It took almost as long as the 19 mile ride from 29 Palms to Joshua Tree.

At the station is a rest room building with a water fountain in front, one of only 2 sources of water in the park, the other being a fountain at the South Entrance. I loitered here for 20-30 minutes drinking several bottles of water and Fizz. I also ate a Cliff Bar. I did not really want it but knew I needed something a bit more substantial than sugar and electrolytes.

The 2 miles from the Kiosk to the top of the climb onto thee park plateau went much better. For one thing there was a light breeze from the south which felt delightfully cool, the increasing altitude helped too. Also the bit of food, rest and plenty of water had to help too.

Once on the plateau I started noticing that I was having quite a bit of joint and seat pain. Sadly it did not occur to bring Ibuprofen so all I could do was gut it out. I stopped about every 5 miles for a hydration and butt break until I reached the top of the ride at 42 miles. At Ryan Ranch, about mile 36, I broke out my second bottle of Heed. This made me feel much better. Part of my problem coming out of Joshua Tree may have been a sugar crash. At any rate the South to SW breeze gave me a nice boost over the last two small climbs to the top and from there is was just hanging on with almost no pedaling the last 15 miles home.

2013-06-12 - Airport Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 22.4
Start Time: 18:00
Moving Time: 1:55:19
Elevation: 410
Average Speed: 11.6
Max Speed: 25.1
Temp Out: 98
Temp In: 91

A decent evening ride with a pretty strong W to SW wind. I used new Zefal insulated water bottle. It seems effective but time in the hot daytime sun will tell the tale. At airport I transferred my second bottle to the Zefal and left it on a post with the lid off while I dug for a electrolyte tablet. Naturally I knocked the bottle off and came home on about 2 swigs. Good thing it was cool.

A definite W wind:

2013-06-10 - Airport Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 22.3
Start Time: 18:05
Moving Time: 1:48:48
Elevation: 409
Average Speed: 12.3
Max Speed: 25.7
Temp Out: 98
Temp In: 88

Set out into a pretty strong SW wind. Once I got to the corner it was a pleasure to go down Adobe and east on Valley Vista and Amboy. I had to pay coming back but it was worth it. I felt so much better than I did Saturday I did not really mind the headwind. Maybe getting rid of the infection in my jaw is starting to pay off. It makes me wonder if I need to get serious about getting rid of the other broken off molar even though it apparently is not infected to the degree this one was.

I finished the antibiotics this morning so expect to feel better each day for a time assuming I avoid the nasty antibiotic resistant diarrhea that can come as a result of using them. The risk exists for several months after finishing the course. I do not expect to have the problem but who can say with certainty?

Received contacts of correct prescription and new sunglasses this afternoon. After only a few hours I can tell the contacts are superior to the set with no astigmatism correction. The problem is the price. Online these lenses cost $150 for a box of 6 so it is $300 for 6 months if there are no accidents, loss or tearing, etc. I think that is out of my price range. The options are of course glasses or contacts that either correct the astigmatism or the presbyopia but not both. Glasses are a couple of hundred and will last for several years and the two contact options are roughly $80 per 6 month period. This is a dissapointment. I could have pushed the doc harder to give me a ball park number before I got into this bind. I will talk to them to see if they can get the good ones cheaper before I give up though.

The new shades are "Photochromatic" and as far as I can see it works pretty well. I have never had this feature before and it is much cheaper to try it out on a pair of cheap sunglasses than on a pair of prescription progressive eyeglass lenses. I have watched too many people with photochromatic glasses come in the house not be able to see for about 20 minutes while the things get clear. These shades are not too fast to change but they are not so dark to start with. Maybe a realistic solution to my vision issues is a good quality pair of sunglasses with a prescription lens holder with progressive lenses (I see this option on the Internet) and a pair of plain old fashioned progressive glasses to wear indoors.

2013-06-08 - Airport Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 22.7
Start Time: 9:30
Moving Time: 2:13:51
Elevation: 412
Average Speed: 10.2
Max Speed: 27.5
Temp Out: 100
Temp In: 106

A very warm ride around airport loop. I was not going to stop at the airport but decided I needed to get into the shade a few minutes. 100 octane AV gas was going for $5.60. It was 106 there:

I drank the remainder of my liquid supply and sat a few minutes and felt better. I forgot my prostate med last night and took it this AM along with my regular BP medication. The prostate stuff also acts to lower BP. I have taken them both in the morning before but have not followed with a bike ride in the heat a few hours later. I want to think this was part of my problem today.

The wind was all over the map. NE when I was on the east bound leg then S to SE when I was going south then S to SW when I headed home going west. I finally got a decent tailwind on the 2 northbound miles on Utah Trail.

My anemometer in its new location is showing wind speed of 10 MPH now. It is almost a due south wind.

I put one of my touring bike mirrors on the road bike. It is not as aerodynamic or sexy as the ovoid type sold as "Road Bike" mirrors but it certainly gives a much better view to the rear.

The happy biker in his new contacts and regular, if geeky, polarized sunglasses (I have a cooler pair on the way):

Miscellaneous airport stuff:

2013-06-05 - Airport Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 26.3
Start Time: 11:50
Moving Time: 2:09:35
Elevation: 576
Average Speed: 12.2
Max Speed: 28.4
Temp Out: 96
Temp In: 99.9

A pleasant if warm ride around usual loop. Several cars on Highway 62 got way to close to me. It is stupid because it is so unnecessary most of the time.

2013-06-03 - A Surprise on the Way Home From the Dentist

On the way home from the dentist I decided to finally check the status of a small airport (Roy Williams Airport) located between Yucca Valley and 29 Palms. I am interested because someone asked me recently about possible places to get flying lessons and a guy who operated from this airport used to have a flying lesson sign out on the highway.

The airport is there but obviously closed down but just past it I came across this place. My phone camera does not do it justice. There are literally 100s of steel sculptures in this yard which appears to be 2-4 acres.

2013-06-02 - Airport Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 23.3
Start Time: 8:45
Moving Time: 1:49:10
Elevation: 460
Average Speed: 12.8
Max Speed: 31.8

A pleasant early (for me) morning ride out to the Airport and return. It was warm, about 85 when I left home and 96 on the return. The wind was very mild (for once) and of course that contributed to the heat. I came home and made a bowl of my famous Ramen and Spicy Asian Soup mix instead of going straight for the coke.

I got "multi-focal" contact lenses fitted yesterday. The doc did not have the proper prescription on hand so I am wearing a pair that does not correct my astigmatism. I can see very well up close and the distance is getting steadily better but I expect great results when the proper pair he ordered arrives.

I wore them on the ride and forgot to take the wetting solution. About 8 miles in my eyes started to feel very dry but I guess I blinked enough to fix it because I forgot the whole thing after awhile. It is nice to wear "normal" sunglasses and to be able to see everything within about 10 feet clearly without having to bother with reading glasses.

A solar farm is being installed to supply some of the energy used by the park. My estimate is that it will generate about 100-120KW:

2013-06-30 - Pinto Mt. Loop on Road Bike

Miles: 10.2
Time: 1:07:56
Elevation: 161
Average Speed: 12.6
Max Speed: 25.1

First ride on road bike since 1/20/2013. I have been using heavy bikes either for fun or on tour or to try to stay in tour bike shape. I finally realize I probably will not tour again until September so I may as well enjoy the light bike in the meantime.

There was a light NW to NE breeze for this ride and it was in the 90s but it was pleasant.