Month: July 2017

Living in this area, it’s hard not to try to compare OLH to King’s, or Lobitos/Tunitas to Page Mill. Now, thanks to Veloviewer, you can compare them with real data. They just introduced this new “Compare” tool that lets you load as many segments as you want for comparison. I loaded 5 classics below:

It’s interesting to note that if you ask anyone that was on the ride, they would say that Bohlman/On Orbit was the most difficult, even though that tough section is clearly the shortest (although the reddest by far).

Anyway, let me know if there are any that you would like to see compared. They can be descents as well as climbs.

Meet at the Compound at 6:30 a.m.

Something like this:  https://www.strava.com/activities/547519924

Otherwise known as the first group ride wearing the new DBC Kits. But first, a riddle: How many Dips does it take to get a dropped chain back on the chainring? Apparently the answer is 6, 7 if you include the photographer.

The dropped chain was right before Homestead on Foothill, and after that, it was a rather uneventful spin over to Saratoga for a delicious break at Sue’s Gallery Cafe located literally at the foot of the climb.

This climb was preceded with so much hype that there was no way that it could possibly live up to it, right? WRONG. Everything we had heard about the nastiness of this climb was evident as soon as we turned off Highway 9 in Saratoga and was greeted with about a 15% wall up to the cemetery. From there, it only got worse, with prolonged pitches of over 20% up to the intersection of Old Orbit. Here’s Susan coming up to the first intersection delivering papers (I’m pretty sure we were all paperboys at some point in that climb). By the way, the pitch off to the left is easier of the two options from that intersection!

We had already suffered considerably just to get to that point, and Chris, Anthony, Eduardo, Marty, Jorge and myself decided to tempt fate by taking the tougher On Orbit detour, while Susan and Mike decided that somebody needed to be responsible for notifying the next of kin, so they took the slightly less brutal option and stayed on Bohlman Rd.

On Orbit did not disappoint. At only 0.5 miles, most of it was at over 20%, including a prolonged section up to the summit that seemed to go on forever. Here’s Chris and I on the steep section; check out the killer views behind us. I had no idea it was there.

Here’s Marty tossing papers as he nears the summit. The picture doesn’t nearly capture how steep that hill is.

Shortly after this, we met back up with Susan and Mike and finished out the last bit of the climb, which was MUCH more gentle than everything preceding. At the end of Bohlman, we had a dirt section to navigate in order to get to the top of nearby Montevina Rd. Not all of us navigated the dirt as readily as others. Here’s Eduardo, discovering the limits of traction when combined with gravity. Man down!!

At the end of the dirt section, we were greeted with spectacular views of the adjacent valley, with Lexington reservoir off in the distance.

We were also treated to a spectacular descent of Montevina, with fresh, traffic-free pavement and some gradual, sweeping turns. Just don’t get caught enjoying the views, or risk overcooking a turn and ending up in a driveway; just ask Marty!

At the bottom, Chris and Anthony headed off, needing to get back, while the rest of us took our time heading in to Los Gatos for a delicious sandwich at the American Italian Deli. I’ve been going to the one in Los Altos for over 20 years, and have never been to the one in Los Gatos. An Ironman with extra oil and vinegar; my favorite sandwich!

And you know those personalized bottles of Coke with people’s names on them, Susan found one that was perfectly suited for the day.

After lunch, the group split up. Eduardo, on his last ride for 3 weeks (he’s going to Peru on vacation), was all in for the Full Monty, so he headed up Highway 9 to Saratoga Gap, then home via Skyline. Mike wanted to explore the Los Gatos Trail. The rest of us were intent on finding the easiest, flattest, and coolest way home, which ended up being straight on Saratoga Sunnyvale to Prospect, where we cut over to Foothill Expressway. After a prolonged stop at the Homestead Starbucks, where we drank about 50 ounces each of some sort of liquid, we grinded out the final 15 miles home, which seemed to take an interminable amount of time, with the temperatures feeling in excess of 100 degrees.

All in all, a fantastic challenge ride. Between the heat, and Bohlman/On Orbit climb that defies description, it was MUCH tougher than the 60 miles/4500′ elevation numbers would tell you.

If I forgot something, feel free to add it in the comments, and I’m pretty sure you can add photos there as well.

a.k.a. Ron’s Ride of Death – 7:30 at the Compound (see FAQ), 8:00 a.m. Arastradero and Foothill.

“Bohlman – On Orbit – Bohlman (4.1 miles, 1950 ft, 9%) Brutal, oppressive, brutal, painful, savage, arduous, killer, murderous, blood-and-guts, formidable, backbreaking, grinding, fatiguing, unsparing, harsh, merciless, intense, exhausting, austere and even slavish! This is a really crank-twisting climb and will put your uphill determination to a severe test. It is no coincidence that the climb starts at the Saratoga’s Madrona cemetery where many an exhausted cycling souls may have found a rest! The listed stats show a considerable average grade of 9%, but it is much worse than that because there’s considerable flat section and even mild descent at the top. On Orbit is an alternate route that bypasses a portion of Bohlman and should be taken to realize full pain benefits of the climb, straight Bohlman is only 1780 ft in 4.2 miles (7.9% average). 0.5 mile long section on On Orbit averages out nearly 20% and you’ll find it extremely hard to ride straight line. Once you give in to temptation to weave a lower grade lane across the road, the next difficulty becomes to make sharp turns at the edges of the road as one weaves across. Low gear of 39/28 or even a triple really helps on this climb! The maximum grade is 22% (24% inside the right turn) The last mile or so is nearly flat but features a treacherous off camber turn dusted with sand and gravel. Even so, this is a welcome sign, really. Steepest section compensates with best views of the valley. From the top of Bohlman, if you survive, there is a 0.9-mile dirt road with two gates to the right (bear right on the dirt) to the top of Montevina Road, which can be descended to Highway 17.”