Here is a good one. Last year I fell in love with Mt.Diablo (Nicole it's a different kind of love). Riding it for the first time inspired me to make this a mainstay of IM preparation / training in general. With it's seemingly never ending 'gradual' slope, the fast descents, the views and the option to climb from both the North and the South - why wouldn't you. After doing a single climb early last year for starters, I quickly designed the triple climb and termed it the 'diabolic triple' - go up via North Gate Road, up via South Gate Road and up again from the North. This, for me, is about a 6 hour day, with 75 miles of climbing and just about 11.000 feet of elevation gain. I was very pleased to have Mike V. join me this time. Going up the third time is truly a test of all kinds of things and somehow it must have some benefit one would think.
So this last Saturday we drove to Walnut Creek and started our ride at 8.30AM.
Here is what the day looks like in feet-terms ;-):
Temperatures seemed perfect for climbing (I revise that later, because they were freezing for the downhill). Mike put out a great effort and kept me honest on this first summit. I was about a minute slower than my very best time, which I had done on my TT and with no powercranks. Given that the old and faithful and yellow Giant TCR is 25lbs with powercranks - this seems like a good day. So here we are at #1:
What followed was a very (very very) cold downhill, which only increased our lust for the second climb - this time up from the South Gate. On the way we chatted with 2 guys training for the Death Ride, doing 1.5 climbs. Not bad, but Mike and I were in for more. 2nd time's a charm they say. And it was. The hardest thing is that you just know that after all that climbing you still have to do that nasty, completely unnecessary final 100 yards that seem to go straight up! But here we go, we did it:
I initially had my camera zoomed in, so here is a shot of Mike surely expressing his real feelings:
But hey, we didn't come to stop now. So down via the junction again, turn around at the North Gate and up again. Driving out to Walnut Creek I was secretly hoping to better my time on the 3rd climb, but ... nop not today. It was a challenge, but well worth it and ...
... here we go #3! Welcome to the Diabolic Triple Club Mike. This is the 3rd time I have done it and you are the first one that stuck it out. More to come this season and hopefully one day I will just go out there for a single assault to see what the best time can be for me without worrying about another 2 summit pushes. As true athletes of course we finished it off with a 4 mile brick run ;-)
How wants to join next time?
I composed this 'manual' for anybody interested in trying it:
I would drive to Walnut Creek, take the Ygnacio Valley Road exit and
park at Sportsbasement. There is everything you want there, restroom at
the grocery store, burrito, pizza, bakery, etc. When you start riding go
out at the end of the Chase bank, continuing the direction away from
SF. At the first major intersection, just a couple 100 yards past where
you parked you go right along Walnut Avenue (bike lane). You'll come to a
roundabout where you take the first exit on the right to Oak Grove Road
and then an immediate left to North Gate Road. That's it. It sounds
more complicated than it is. The you continue on North Gate road until
you pass the gate to the park and shortly thereafter the climb starts.
Climb until the junction ranger station (water/restrooms) about half-way
and continue to the summit. Last 100 yards suck, but worth the vista
(restroom and water at top). Then down to the junction station, this
time go left to the south gate. You will roll down past one gate area,
which isn't the base, continue until you hit the second gate, when you
feel like you are at the bottom (the road turns into a private road,
which is cool, but it sucks, bad road). Turn around at this point.
Elevation-wise you are a bit higher than at the north gate. Then back up
to junction and up the summit. The rest is your choice.
From the car you can T-run back to Walnut Avenue, turn left this time
and run along walnut (called Bancroft here) until you hit a small trail
along the canal to the right, just before another shopping plaza. Go
along the canal path until you hit a crossroad, or continue, but that's 2
miles.
