Bike: Long (41 miles)

Distance: 40.93 miles
Time: 2:48:58
Avg Speed: 14.5 mph
Max Speed: 37.8 mph
Total Ascent: 4382
Calories burned: 2589

Highway 9 climb:
1897 ft in 38 minutes. Not as steep as Old La Honda , but more prolonged. The actual elevation change is about equal. The climb today was 5.3 miles long, as opposed to the 3 miles of OLH. Seemed harder today!

Did one of my absolute favorite rides today- down south over Mt. Eden, then climb up highway 9 to skyline, then descend Page Mill. There are so many absolutely fantastic moments on this ride, I don't know where to begin. There's the little mountain roads on the way to Highway 9, where you're climbing up through shady, wooded areas and you can see trails going off to your left and right. There's the actual climb up highway 9, where if you pick the highest point around, then yes- you're going there. There's the fast portions of skyline where you hunker down against the wind rushing by and just fly down with the pavement whizzing by. And there's the view on Page Mill, with the foggy hills off to your right and the entire Bay Area in front of you. So good. So good. And through it all, the sound of your tires on the pavement, the security of your handlebars firmly in hand, the company of good friends, the dappled pattern of light and dark from the trees overhead, and the knowledge that you're there of your own accord and of your own power.

One of the best feelings in the world.

David out

P.S. I was discussing with Federico what would happen if you converted all your gravitational potential energy at the top of about 3000 meters to velocity. The answer? You'd be going about 300 miles per hour.