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I had a really good time out on the bike Saturday and felt much better than the Bohlman/Hicks ride. Rather than do a full ride report I think I'll just give some highlights this time.

Ron, another rider, took some pictures which are here

Kincaid was really great with fresh smooth pavement and an amazing descent after branching off from Hwy 130. At the midpoint it bottoms out and there is a steel deck bridge that takes you across a stream. Then the road goes back uphill but this time it's narrower and bumpier with much older asphalt. Toward the end there are a couple switch backs that are REALLY steep on the inside and with loose gravel here and there. Fun stuff and well worth the detour. Just be sure and top off on water at Joseph D. Grant Park. We saw a ton of other bikes going up to Hamilton but nobody else on Kincaid

On the last 5 mile stretch to the observatory I saw Donald and Ramon a little bit ahead and set out to catch them. I swear it took me 2 miles to close a 200 foot gap and then when I caught them it took me another 5 minutes of drafting to get my heart rate down. I asked Donald if he was doing the backside or turning around at the observatory since it seemed like he was setting a pretty quick pace considering the scope of the whole ride. As it turned out each of the three of us thought that someone else was driving the hard pace and nobody wanted to back down and get dropped Anyway I was pretty spent by the time I reached the top for the first time and I really savored the Famous Amos cookies and a can of coke.

This was my first time down the back of Hamilton on a bike. I was on the brakes a lot! Marco and Ruth were setting a pretty blistering pace down the hill especially considering the decreased maneuverability of a tandem. I actually appreciated following them and Matt and Donald to help keep my speed under control. Definitely a descent to be respected as one lapse of attention could put you into a corner too hot and spit you off the road.

Going up the back side was long but not too bad. At the base Ramon and I were trying to figure if we'd get to the top before they closed and I felt like we had a pretty good shot. I ended up getting there around 4:50 I think. Ramon got there a couple minutes later and had the awesome idea of buying soda for everyone else since there would be no drinking fountain access once they closed at 5pm. I threw in a couple dollars to the soda pool but then hit the road again. I wish I could have said a proper goodbye to folks but I was feeling the need to get back home since I had ridden to the start.

Descent of the front side of Ham was awesome. No traffic until I got almost to the first little climb. Then to get home I turned left on Quimby and climbed that in the reverse direction from the morning. It's about 500' of climbing to the high point and then one of the wildest descents ever back into San Jose!

Like the tandem crew I actually had pretty good energy at the end of this ride for my flat route home. Traffic on Tully was a mess and I would take the bike lane up past lanes full of stopped cars to a red light. The light would turn green just as I pulled up and I could sprint ahead and then repeat at the next light. As much as I love going up and down hills sometimes I also really enjoy the sprint/recovery of riding in traffic.

All told I got 120 miles in and probably around 12500 to 13k of climbing. It was a fun day.

(Originally posted here)