Mount Hamilton

Trader Joe's

To and From The Nationals (and a Waymo ride)

To and From The Nationals (bridge tournament)

The Studio climbing

11.4 wh/mi (7.1 wh/km)

I planned to go riding today, but the cold, sunless morning encouraged me to spend the first half of the day indoors working on desk tasks.  When the sun finally appeared after 1100 I started preparations to depart.  Fortunately, I had charged the bike battery earlier.

Air felt cold when I left home just after noon.  13C read my thermometer, but it had been in an enclosed garage a few minutes earlier.

Knowing the the cold air had settled at the lower elevations I decided to head to Mount Hamilton, where much of the ride would be above the fog and haze and in the sun.  But, first I had to cross San Jose.

In my haste to depart I had neglected to start my GPS tracking, only aware of my lapse when I was in east San Jose.  Add about 13 miles (21 km) and 200 feet (62 meters) to the stats.

At an hour into the ride my body was no longer uncomfortably cold.  Although the sun had come out to the west, a faint breeze was blowing most of what remained toward the eastern hills, and as I started up Mount Hamilton Road I re-entered the fog.  This time it was thick and low to the road.  But, fortunately, that didn't last long.

As I crossed the first ridge the fog quickly disappeared.  It still felt cold since I was now riding in shadow, but I could see blue sky ahead.

The higher I climbed the warmer it became.  I had been riding vigorously to get a harder workout given the shorter than usual distance today and to keep my body warm.  On the final climb to the summit I almost got warm enough to strip off a layer, but instead I eased off on the vigorous pedaling so I wouldn't overheat.

At the summit I circled the observatory then rested at my usual spot just to the right of the flag pole to enjoy the view and to eat lunch.  I spoke with a couple of other tourists who asked about my bike, its range, and battery sizes.  One of them remarked on the size of my feet, which I found amusing as I don't think me feet look unusually large on my bike, although while I watch videos of myself on the climbing gym wall I think my feet look like flippers.

I left the Observatory grounds and rode east for about a mile, stopping at the siding that offers a good view of the Sierra Crest in the distance.  Today the snow-capped peaks could be seen easily shimmering to the east.  I finished eating lunch.

Then I returned the way I had come and began my descent without stopping.

While the summit was warm and pleasant I could see lingering fog, haze, and generally bad air in the valley below.  The temperature was a comfy 23C in the sun, but as I descended the temperature gradually declined, reaching about 16C in the low shady spots, and dipping even to 11C when I got to Alum Rock Canyon.  Fortunately, I can pedal to stay warm, throwing my leg energy into the bike's battery.  It felt to me as if the cold air had been rising up the mountain during the afternoon, but this could have been illusory since I wasn't pedaling as hard on the descent as I was on the ascent.

I descended via Crothers Road and Penitencia Creek Road, then took the fast route across north San Jose since I wanted to get home with enough time before dark so that I could clean and inspect the bike under sunlight.

My body felt good after today's ride.  I could have ridden farther, but I think I got enough exercise.  I limited my assist power on the climbs to 600 watts (input), and on the flat parts limited myself to 200 watts (input) or less.  Speed was limited to 20 mph (32kph) most of the time except while I was on the expressways when I allowed myself to go 25 mph (40 kph) or a little more.

Traffic was moderate in the valley but light on Mount Hamilton Road.  Mostly motorcyclists, a few tourist cars, and only a few cyclists.

Unfortunately, none of the photos I snapped was recorded as my memory card malfunctioned.


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Bill Bushnell

Mount Hamilton

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Mount Hamilton

Trader Joe's

To and From The Nationals (and a Waymo ride)

To and From The Nationals (bridge tournament)

The Studio climbing

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