Nobody took me up on my 5:30am breakfast offer. But, my friend Bob McDermond showed up a bit after six, ready to ride. Bob is a member of San Jose Bike Club. He is a fast and hard rider. He is a great climber. He has ridden across the US several times and even rode to Alaska once. I greatly admire the way he rides and the strength he has.
We loaded up my car and headed to Patterson. We were there before 8:00am.
After unloading the car we started up Del Puerto Canyon at the same pace. It was cool and overcast but NOT raining. There is a good climb at the end of the canyon. It was longer than I thought and I attacked it pretty aggressively for me. I was keeping up with Bob, but I ran out of breath. The hill kept coming. I started breathing hard, deeply inhaling cold air. My lungs were hurting and I had to drop into the little ring. I hadn't paced myself well. I was done aggressively climbing for the day.
By the time we reached the junction it was raining. We rode southwest through the valley and what I call the lower backside. These are rollers that are harder than some goats.
Bob was planning to ride through to San Jose and attend a party that afternoon so I told him to continue on, that I wasn't going to be able to keep his pace. I was riding alone. I crossed the bridge and started to climb. As I climbed it rained harder and harder. The mile markers were coming slower and slower. I had no rain gear.
I thought about turning around. I thought nobody would know. I thought, "yes, but I would know."
It was cold and wet. It was me, my Rivendell and the mountain.
I had to take off my glasses. They were fogging up. I was in my lowest gear. The climb was keeping me warmer than I knew. I climbed at about 4 to 5 mph.
Finally I reached mileage marker one. To my surprise, and at first delight the grade slackened, I could coast. That's when it hit me, the cold! I was soaked and it was very cold. I was glad when I had to climb again!
I climbed up to the visitor's center at the observatory. I pulled my bike in out of the rain. Man, the soda machine at the top of Mt. Hamilton has the world's best soda. I bought a couple of bucks worth of soda and cookies.
I found the heater. I worshipped the heater.
A sheriffs deputy drove up, came in the door and said, "you have to put your bike outside." I guess rules are important. He never asked if I was okay. I put the bike outside. I decided there was no way I was going down that mountain, not without rain gear. I called my wife on the cell phone.
Fortunately Susie had just ridden her first Metric Century the day before. (I was with her on that ride.) She was a LOT more sympathetic than she would have been a few months before. She was my hero. She drove up the mountain and rescued me.
We went back down the hill, in a car, and drove east to Patterson. We picked up the other car and had dinner at a truck stop.
Bob did fine. He made it down the west side. He said it was so cold he lost feeling in his hands and they slid off the brake levers a few times. But, he met me this morning and we rode to work together. I am a bit disappointed that I didn't finish the ride. It's the first time I've ever been sagged. But hey, at least I got my goats!