Woke up this morning knowing I had to get some mileage in on the new bike, but I didnt know what to do. I wanted to ride somewhere I knew, somewhere where I know every crack in the roads, alternate routes, etc. Paradise loop. Easy, fast, I know it. So at 6:30 this morning I get a message from Morgan saying, dial that new baby of your in, come ride Mt Tam with us. Leave at 9. I had  never had done Mt Tam and riding with Morgan is always a blast, so cool, set my alarm and that was the plan. 

Miss the alarm. Its 8:30 and I need to shower, change out pedals and switch cleats on the shoes. I also need to shave. I text Morgan that I was running late and not to wait up. Around 10 I get the message that they are just leaving, perfect as I was ready to hit the road. Ill meet them at Embarcadero. I hit the street heading to the BART station and the first thing in my head is, Wow. The Klein rides really stiff yet freak ridiculously smooth. Granted I havent ridden any truely top notch bikes, all my friends with those bikes are much smaller than me, but the ride on this bike is amazing. Its much more responsive than my Neuvation, and the feedback from the road is fantastic, but when you hit those cracks and bumps, the bike absorbs it and you keep on riding like nothing was there. 

So I met up with the guys at EMB. Brian was there already and I spotted Brian and a new guy Tim getting off my train. Morgan was running late due to the Marathon that was going on. Once we had all gathered we set off down the Embarcadero and rounding the edge of the city till we got to the bridge. Ah the bridge, the clusterfuck that is San Francisco’s Shinning icon. We got to the top and had to battle our way though to the other side though all those many tourist and pedestrians. The weather was foggy and misty, not making it easy for me to see though my glasses either. We eventually made it to the other side. Time for the downhill into Sausalito. I always love that bomb. I shifted into the big gear and put the Mash on. Jesus fucking christ, This thing is fast. I mean like Super friggin fast. I blasted down and over into town in like 2 mins flat. Mindblowing. 

I waited for the others to catch up, and I hadnt eaten yet so i wanted to stop off at Oasis to grab a few snacks for the ride. As I slowed down I thought Morgan said they were going to wait a little up the road. I never found them. Since I did not know the way to Tam I kept moving forward down the path. I ended up climbing Camino Alto and once on the back I asked another roadie how to get to Tam. He said I missed the turn on the other side of the hill but I could go the back way. I’ll pass. The guy I had asked name was Dale who also rode for Team Roaring Mouse. Beast. Dale was also doing a P-Loop so I asked if he wanted to ride together and we took off. I wish I had got a photo of his Litespeed but he was low on time so this was about to turn into a hammerfest. Once we had hit Paradise Drive, we had picked up 2 more guys who were drafting off of us. Me and Dale were converstating, when the first right uphill turn come upon us. I slam down a gear so does Dave and we’re gone up the hill. We looked back and those other 2 guys were gone, on the first corner haha. Dale started laughing and said, ” I dont think those two guys were ready for that, that a great a corner to attack if you didnt know the course” Never saw those 2 again. We continued pedaling though the loop and gauging our speed I’d say we were doing a consistent 20-23mph. Dale is a monster, It was taking everything I had to keep up with him. I was taking notes on the bike also, Stability, hitting those hairpins on this was insane. Its so solid though corners and then there was the speed. Holy hell, this thing is fast. The brand new Shimano group is sharp and smooth. I had no idea on what I was missing out on. On the uphills I would take the lead for a bit as I was the faster climber but in the corners, Dale was master. He kept attacking corner with such speed and fury, it was a lot of fun. We blew past many other riders on the course and at the end I swore that was my fastest lap around the Paradise Loop ever. To end things with a bang Dale, like myself, loves to do the final sprint into town. I pulled alongside him on the last stretch and we went balls to the wall. All anyone heard was shifting and saw two blurs coming toward Tiberion. Dale got the jump on me but I had the spin. I took him by 1 1/2 lengths, Dale, Dude your awesome! I stopped off for water and a restroom break and Dale kept pedaling on. Hope to ride with you again man!

I took it real easy on the way back, my legs were tired, but I still had some energy left. I found a butter gear and spun on that. I ended up seeing Rainier his way out on a ride as I crossed the bridge, hope it went well brother. 

Another Day in Paradise