On this Day in 1992: Way too Early

 Thirty years ago today, the 1st of August fell on a Saturday and Southern California was on the cusp of a seasonal wave of summer heat. The thunderheads were building over the mountains and desert, a sure sign of rising humidity. Since it was Saturday, that meant it was Bicycle Doctor day, a day, I would write, that "started off only mediocre." The pace of the opening stretch of the ride was pretty slow, and the group was still grouped when we reached the Caltrans station by the 5 (freeway). I guess I was chomping at the bit (after all, I still had to get to work by 10:00), so I attacked along Riverside and the "speed finally picked up." The sprinters in the group, of course, knew a good thing when the saw it, fell into the slipstream and awaited their moment. "I led out the Los Feliz sprint, but got zip," no placing, no points in other words. I wrote: "Led out way too early." Understatement of the hour. Anyway, Los Feliz was never my spot, and better things were yet to come. Up front with Tom and Henry on the short hill, I fell away from the hot pace they set, was held to 3rd at the top, and "prospects looked dim for the summit." Now we were on the long climb (trash truck hill), the only part of a competitive ride that mattered to guys like me, so "I went out of the saddle past the gate and caught T & H at the first turn [and] took the lead for the rest of the climb. Henry was dropped somewhere enroute, but Thomas hung on until Pine Cone where I opened up a gap and cruised to the summit for the 1st place points." After missing out on a single point back down at the Victory sprint, a three man break formed with Dave, Thomas and myself "at the first roller after the turn onto Mountain." With the final sprint of the day approaching, Dave was the first to attack, his move was countered by Tom. I jumped off of Tom's wheel for a counter-attack of my own, but was unable to shake Dave, who took the Mountain sprint. The stats on the morning ride show 27.2 miles, 1270 feet of climb, an elapsed time of 1:35:28, 18.7 mph average speed, and 38.5 max speed

It is always kind of interesting to look back on these log entries and wonder. They are a reflection of how I saw and experienced any given ride. If the other riders had written about this day would their accounts have presented a different picture? The Manhattan Beach Grand Prix was the next day and everyone mentioned here (as well as others on the ride) would be racing, so were they taking it easy, saving their legs for when it mattered? I guess history is made by those who ride it. And then write it.

probably a little earlier that August 1992, but not by much