Sorry but I can’t help myself. Now that we can’t talk about the election I guess it’s back to talking about the weather. Time to gloat. A little late, so we’ll call it gloat-thirty.

Friday broke an all time high temperature record for my little burg of Santa Rosa. I’m talking about a Nov. 14 temperature record, highest since records have been kept. The official was 88º, but we saw over 90 here at the “Hyland Ranch” where I live. I’m a little north of town and the next town north had an official reading of 93º. Yep, less than two weeks before Turkey Day and we’re still in the 90′s. Stayed warm all weekend, alas only in the high 80′s, but c’mon, it’s supposed to be freezing. I’ve decided I like having 6 seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Summer II, Fall II.

We’re in the transition from Summer II to Fall II. I really thought that after two weeks of high 80′s low 90′s in October we’d be chillin a bit. Maybe even have to turn the heater on at the old ranch with it’s lack of insulation and single-glazed windows.

We had a warn storm at the beginning of the month, just in time for one of our local cross races. Here’s one of our locals post race, showing that Santa Rosa can represent on the CX scene. See Portland, we’ve got mud too.

That storm is long gone and so we are forced to leave the gutters full of leaves and ride all weekend.

There is no better ride in the world than King Ridge.

There, I said it. I’m not saying it’s the best. But I am saying there’s no better. And all you haters out there can go ahead and do this. We covered Sassetta to Suvereto a few weeks ago with its 180 turns. But the King is different. And I’m sorry Andy, better (harder to find speck or a good espresso on the King though).

Without further diversion, I present you with

THE KING.
King Ridge Road
Sonoma County
Sunday November 16th 2008 A.D.

Sunday Traffic Getting us Down

The Road Bike Vesion of Single Track

Calmer than you are, dude

A bit of everything on the King. Redwood & Fern forest here.

And a view or two. We are staring down the San Andreas Fault here, Tomales Bay in the distance where the San Andreas heads out to sea. We’re looking directly at the location of the Epicenter of the 1906 quake.

Realization that it’s almost over.

Not a long ride, 66.6 miles, but hard with 6800 feet up. Some of it straight up.

The King gives and the King takes.

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