First Ride Of The Year
Christmas and New Year was spent in Sonoma County, a region I called home for a period of 10 years, to visit friends, shop and eat out a lot, go wine tasting, hang out and simply take a break from work together with my wife. It also happened to be a short break from cycling and this blog. Not entirely though, as I decided to rent a road bike for the last weekend and head out to revisit an old time favorite climb of mine - Pine Flat Road. An old riding buddy and I started in Healdsburg to hit this quiet out and back climb into the Mayacmas Mountains northwest of Mount St. Helena. A deep blue sky, miles of earthquake cracked pavement, a charred forest midway, a huge buck in the middle of the road while descending and two old guys rejoined for a ride after four years made this a day to remember.
| Distance: | 54.8km (34.0 miles) |
| Elevation: | 1’126m (3’694 feet) |
| Time: | 02:26:22 |
| Speed (avg/max): | 22.5/62.5 kph (14.0/38.8 mph) |
