Tuesday morning Time Trial

9am sharp, we leave from the big yellow gate on Glendora Mountain Road that marks the beginning of the national forest. We see exactly how quickly we can get up to the maintenance shed that is approximately 7.5 miles up the road. Yesterday I was 23 seconds faster than two weeks prior.

We call it a "time trial" but if you want to ride a wheel, feel free. It's not like there are staggered starts, trophies or anything else. Just a personal knowlege of how fast you are...

New guy in the lead...

Sunset Ridge

Just a couple pictures for you to enjoy. These are from the Sunset Ridge fireroad that connects Cow Canyon Saddle above Mt Baldy Village to La Verne. I was riding for hours and I only saw two women, two dogs, a baby, and a deer. The mountains were playing peek-a-boo behinds clouds. I guess I was too.

I live for this stuff...

Your humble narrator

I'll be riding into those clouds...

Only one slide forced a dismount...

MorYork Gallery

Lots of Stuff

I recently discovered a unique gallery in Los Angeles. MorYork Gallery at Ave. 50 and York is open on the second Saturday each month. In the front is a space that acts like a gallery, filled with works by the currently featured artist. Behind is the gallery owner's workspace and stuff. When I was there, I was able to explore the stuff. Even if I had more than my camera-phone camera, I doubt I could have captured anything that would do justice to my experience or the vision of Clare Graham.

This is just a tiny slice of the collections/constructions/assemblages that overwhelmed my senses. 

Beautiful Weather

Yesterday was summer weather in winter. The temperature before dawn was a comfortable riding temp, and if you climbed into the mountains, it stayed comfortable all day long. I had the opportunity to ride with some talented and adventurous riders. It was an 8,000ft day.

Don't ride with these guys...
...unless you want to punish your legs!

Photos From The Castle Green

If you don't recognize the photo above as the Hotel Green, you haven't spent that much time in Pasadena. Which is a shame, as Pasadena is a great town to bike in, through, or mountainbike above. In the 1900's and thereabouts, it was an artists' colony, a tourist destination, and generally a far-flung place quite a distance from  Los Angeles. Today, I know Pasadena as home of the nearest Performance Bike store and the Academy, the 99¢ store of movies theaters.

If you know the Hotel Green, you may recognize it from the above feature, "the bridge" which extends to the Raymond St. sidewalk. Probably not from the pictured angle, however. I took that picture from someone's balcony during the twice annual Castle Green Tour. The Castle Green is the half of the building that is owned as condos. The other half remains apartments, I believe. With separate ownership, you can actually tell where the Castle ends and the Hotel begins, because of the color of the paint. One was repainted more recently...

Lots of statues...

The Buddha above is in the bridge, which actually houses a bookstore. Besides the books, there were many posters and pictures and sculptures...

Seems like everyone was shooting...

The roof had many wonderful views. Why did I take a picture of people taking pictures? Seemed funny at the time... The next few photos are from peoples' apartments.

The most impressive light I saw...

A kitchen full of kitchens...

Not the most spacious of digs...

Just a friendly reminder that I have less taste than some...

The next few photos are from common spaces. 

Taken from the roof...

In the basement...

And a partridge in a pear tree.
Wait, that's a peacock... In a christmas tree...

Victorian dancers...

All in all, I was very happy to have the opportunity to see inside an historic building I've known most of my life. The tour was quite crowded. But quite worth it. 

Oops!

Conventional wisdom holds that one should get their bike in tip-top shape for any competition.

WBBC suggests another tactic: Leave it alone. You might bust something.

See the head of that bolt...

Of course, if you are riding the latest, lightest, most-aero equipment, follow the conventional wisdom. If your ride is busted down already, you may want to leave well enough alone.

Castle Green in Pasadena

I'm in Pasadena, having taken the tour of Castle Green.  This is just a teaser. There will be pictures from the inside later...

View from the roof

View from the ground

This was on a wall in the hall.
Imagine what folks have in their rooms!