Week Ending Sunday, 3/11

Another week of training in the books.  Lower on the volume this week, especially Sunday.  The big news this week was the new car.  Picked up my Lexus CT200h on Monday!

Much smaller than the RX, but much friendlier at the gas pump with 42 mpg.  The question is will I be able to get all my gear in there?  We'll see.  I was able to squeeze the Spearfish in the back on Tuesday and Thursday for my Del Cerro rides, since I didn't have a rack on yet.  

Speaking of Del Cerro, had a good ride on Tuesday with Israel, Matt and Charlie.  Thursday ended up being a solo effort, as Susan had to bail out last minute.  The first lap was gorgeous, catching the sunset as I was heading down Ishibashi.  Wish I would've taken a photo.  We should see more great views from now though, as daylight savings begins next week.  

Installed the hitch and rack on Saturday.  Went with the Yakima Hold Up this time and I really like it.  I think the only downside is not being able to adjust the positioning of the bikes.  I think we'll have to move seatposts, but that's not a huge deal.  Here it is with the Spearfish on.

On Sunday, Charlie, Israel, Susan and I rode San Juan with the Viejo Tie add-on, one of my favorite rides.  Was cold when we started, but warmed up quickly on the climb.  I rode the Mojo and intended to ride at a moderate but solid pace.  I think I overdid it a little (the Strava effect), and/or was a bit tired to start with, because the legs felt pretty fried by the time I started hitting the more technical sections.  My legs were burning and I wasn't recovering, so I just pushed on.  Made it to Cocktail Rock in 1:04, which I believe is a PR, though I hadn't pushed up non stop in a long time.  And it also included taking a tumble down into the bushes when I tipped over in the rock garden near the top.  Would be interesting to see how fast I could go on the Spearfish and with fresher legs.  The Mojo climbs really well, but the geometry is so different from the Spearfish, which I'm more used to now.  I felt a little cramped and my hip flexors tightened up some. 

The back loop with Viejo Tie was a blast and so was heading down the main trail.  Here are the ride stats.  Funny that no achievements were recorded, especially since I PRd the climb to Cocktail.  

Finished up and hit Los Golondrinas (a must when we do San Juan) for a machaca burrito to cap a great day.

Bike notes:  the Mojo felt great, though I'm used to the 29 tires rolling over rocks now.  Felt like the wheels got hung up going thru many of the rock gardens.  Still like the manuverability of the Mojo though, esp on the tight switchbacks.  The Formula One brakes felt great too, esp compared to the Elixir R's on the Spearfish.  One bummer: on one of my tumbles, the rail on my WTB Laser came out.  I was able to finish the ride, but I'll have to get a new saddle.  Felt like the Laser was too wide for any rides with significant pedaling though, so not a tragedy.