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In the spirit of the previous ride reports...
Yesterday I decided to ride up Mt. Hamilton starting from my apartment in Sunnyvale. It looked pretty dreary out ...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540113522/" title="The first half of my ride look like this for about 10 miles. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2540113522_50e8834bb8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The first half of my ride look like this for about 10 miles." /></a>
I passed through miles and miles of suburban sprawl...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539294167/" title="Wonderful Milpitas! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2539294167_04711e5eba.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Wonderful Milpitas!" /></a>
I meet up with a local rider who rides Mt. Hamilton once a week. I kept up with him for several miles but decided to lower my pace a bit since I was looking for a more leisurely ride and wanted to make sure I had something left for the ride home. If you consciously decided to slow down is that still getting dropped? (here he is waving goodbye)
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540119356/" title="See ya later! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/2540119356_371b65100a.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="See ya later!" /></a>
I started my slow accent to the top...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539299351/" title="I'm going up that way. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/2539299351_0c9600466f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="I'm going up that way." /></a>
passed some more homes of the upper .01 percent of society...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540126354/" title="Cool house on Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/2540126354_635dea44f5.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Cool house on Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
still more climbing...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539306365/" title="Mt Hamilton Rd. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/2539306365_e62a752012.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Mt Hamilton Rd." /></a>
and because this was a solo mission I had to take a panda shot...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540132978/" title="This one turned out pretty good by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/2540132978_56562fae01.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This one turned out pretty good" /></a>
I kept getting higher and higher...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539322017/" title="This is about half way up by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2539322017_f545a84e0c.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This is about half way up" /></a>
I finally arrived at the top!
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539334277/" title="The Lick Observetory by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/2539334277_c08cce76c8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The Lick Observetory" /></a>
saw some amazing sights...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539336143/" title="A view of Sillicon Valley by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2539336143_ba4762a00d.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="A view of Sillicon Valley" /></a>
took a break an relished in the view...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540169048/" title="The Surly and the Vista by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2540169048_9dd264985f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The Surly and the Vista" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540170654/" title="Me atop Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2368/2540170654_e93243cced.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Me atop Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
I'm planning on riding up this 6 times when I'm 65 too!
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539345545/" title="65 Year Old Climbed This! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2539345545_7c188151ff.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="65 Year Old Climbed This!" /></a>
an now for the long ride home...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539354921/" title="The Long Road Back by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2539354921_c6bf9cd86c.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="The Long Road Back" /></a>
It's amazing what you miss when your focused on climbing...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540180308/" title="A field on the way up to Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2540180308_e82bdd9ac9.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="A field on the way up to Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
not everyone had a good day...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539360161/" title="Something doesn't look quite right with this picture. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/2539360161_22a6be7133.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Something doesn't look quite right with this picture." /></a>
including me...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539361973/" title="Oh No! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2539361973_4611e4a6b2.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Oh No!" /></a>
Unfortunately my flat tire kit didn't save the day, the extra tube I had was too big and I only had 1 CO2 cartridge which malfunctioned. Public Service Announcement: check your flat kit to make sure you have everything you need, including a real pump. Thankfully I caught the flat next to a VTA station.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539290991/" title="This is how I got home today by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2539290991_3b340af9c8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This is how I got home today" /></a>
It took me 2 hours to ride the VTA which would have taken me 30 minutes on the bike (with a headwind).
Yesterday I decided to ride up Mt. Hamilton starting from my apartment in Sunnyvale. It looked pretty dreary out ...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540113522/" title="The first half of my ride look like this for about 10 miles. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2540113522_50e8834bb8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The first half of my ride look like this for about 10 miles." /></a>
I passed through miles and miles of suburban sprawl...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539294167/" title="Wonderful Milpitas! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2539294167_04711e5eba.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Wonderful Milpitas!" /></a>
I meet up with a local rider who rides Mt. Hamilton once a week. I kept up with him for several miles but decided to lower my pace a bit since I was looking for a more leisurely ride and wanted to make sure I had something left for the ride home. If you consciously decided to slow down is that still getting dropped? (here he is waving goodbye)
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540119356/" title="See ya later! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/2540119356_371b65100a.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="See ya later!" /></a>
I started my slow accent to the top...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539299351/" title="I'm going up that way. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/2539299351_0c9600466f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="I'm going up that way." /></a>
passed some more homes of the upper .01 percent of society...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540126354/" title="Cool house on Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/2540126354_635dea44f5.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Cool house on Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
still more climbing...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539306365/" title="Mt Hamilton Rd. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/2539306365_e62a752012.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Mt Hamilton Rd." /></a>
and because this was a solo mission I had to take a panda shot...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540132978/" title="This one turned out pretty good by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/2540132978_56562fae01.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This one turned out pretty good" /></a>
I kept getting higher and higher...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539322017/" title="This is about half way up by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2539322017_f545a84e0c.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This is about half way up" /></a>
I finally arrived at the top!
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539334277/" title="The Lick Observetory by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/2539334277_c08cce76c8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The Lick Observetory" /></a>
saw some amazing sights...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539336143/" title="A view of Sillicon Valley by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2539336143_ba4762a00d.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="A view of Sillicon Valley" /></a>
took a break an relished in the view...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540169048/" title="The Surly and the Vista by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2540169048_9dd264985f.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The Surly and the Vista" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540170654/" title="Me atop Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2368/2540170654_e93243cced.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Me atop Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
I'm planning on riding up this 6 times when I'm 65 too!
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539345545/" title="65 Year Old Climbed This! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2539345545_7c188151ff.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="65 Year Old Climbed This!" /></a>
an now for the long ride home...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539354921/" title="The Long Road Back by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2539354921_c6bf9cd86c.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="The Long Road Back" /></a>
It's amazing what you miss when your focused on climbing...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2540180308/" title="A field on the way up to Mt. Hamilton by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2540180308_e82bdd9ac9.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="A field on the way up to Mt. Hamilton" /></a>
not everyone had a good day...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539360161/" title="Something doesn't look quite right with this picture. by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/2539360161_22a6be7133.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Something doesn't look quite right with this picture." /></a>
including me...
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539361973/" title="Oh No! by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2539361973_4611e4a6b2.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Oh No!" /></a>
Unfortunately my flat tire kit didn't save the day, the extra tube I had was too big and I only had 1 CO2 cartridge which malfunctioned. Public Service Announcement: check your flat kit to make sure you have everything you need, including a real pump. Thankfully I caught the flat next to a VTA station.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhduhmoblog/2539290991/" title="This is how I got home today by CrankyMonkey, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2539290991_3b340af9c8.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="This is how I got home today" /></a>
It took me 2 hours to ride the VTA which would have taken me 30 minutes on the bike (with a headwind).