These days because of a tight school and running schedule, I'm only riding once a week. Saturdays are currently my ride days. I've been avoiding Hicks Road lately since I'm not in the shape I used to be (just 6 months ago) and Hicks Road and I have a hate/hate relationship. Also this morning, my left ovary was in the process of strangling itself and I almost decided to can the ride and just lay on the floor curled up in a ball for awhile. I took two ibuprofen and told myself, they say exercise helps with this sort of thing. They lied.
I got all geared up and crawled out the door. I had quite a few miles before I made it to Hicks Road, so plenty of time to decide to turn around and come home. I found a shorter way to get to Hicks Road in order to conserve my energy for one of the most intense climbs in San Jose. Unfortunately, the short way also brings me through a dangerous intersection. More on that later (obviously I'm alive to write this).
Hicks Road is feared by many a cyclist. I personally have never made it up without taking a few breathing breaks. When you're on your lowest gear and your bike is going so slow it almost tips over, you know it's time to pull over and take a short rest. I love the looks you get while standing on the side of the road with your bike. Some are sympathy looks, some are looks that simply say "What's wrong with you?". Those looks usually come from motorists.
My left leg has been taking me up Hicks Road for months now. I say that like it's a regular route for me. It's not. Not by a long shot. But every time I've gone up, it's been my left leg doing all the work. And it let me know today that it didn't appreciate it. Actually my first time up Hicks was with a torn hamstring. My right one of course. I've been working on strengthening my right leg, so I don't know what the problem is, but my entire left side was unhappy with the whole situation today.
Hicks Road is a winding mountain road. That of course goes up a mountain. It peaks in a saddle, so it never really goes up to a summit (that's another road for another lifetime). It has a "warm-up" climb that sucks the gears off my bike so fast I'm out in a matter of seconds. After that is a leisurely stroll until reaching the real climb. Honestly the real climb is only about 1.3 miles long, which in theory is not that bad. But just like the warm up climb, you run out of gears and breath pretty quickly. It's also steep enough that you have to be strategic about your rest stops or you won't be very successful in getting back on the bike to continue up the hill.
I was taking a break just before the last tough corner, when another cyclist came down the hill towards me. "You're almost there!" "Yeah...." I replied. Cyclists are always happier on the way down. I clipped back in for the last push.
Slightly before reaching the top, I tried giving myself a pep talk and it went something like this: Hey, there's a grilled cheese sandwich waiting for you at the top, you just have to get there and it's yours.
Now I'm no fool. There's no store or cafe up there, just a parking lot, bathroom and trail head. The sandwich was in the back pocket of my jersey. Duh. If I wanted my sandwich I could just pull over and eat it. I don't have to make it to the top. Not the point. You'd probably puke it up anyway.
I watched the tiny rocks in the asphalt move slowly past my churning tires.
On the last little pitch, there's a sign that always renews my hope. "Stop ahead".
If you don't know, they put stop signs in roads just before you go back downhill. The stop sign is where I get my grilled cheese sandwich. As I eased toward the stop sign, I shifted to the larger chain ring in the front to prepare for the ride down, took a picture of the road sign for Jen, and pulled into a shady spot to eat my sandwich.
Other cyclists came down Mt. Umunum and parked in front of me, nodding and saying good morning. Then they continued to discuss the overheating of their rims from braking on the way down. I hear that's even steeper than Hicks. As more guys in their group joined them, one said "Touch your rim!" The guy did and immediately withdrew his hand with an "Ouch!". I've heard when you overheat your rims it can explode your tires....which would be tragic at high speeds going down a steep hill.
I finished my sandwich and headed down the other side of Hicks Road. I don't do downhills often enough, although after taking a bike handling class, I do a little better. I survived the descent and passed by a guy pretending to be very interested in something off the side of the road. He was on his way up. Pretty sure he was just resting.
I rode past the reservoir, through New Almaden past the old quicksilver mine, and out onto the traffic filled streets of San Jose.
Camden Road is undergoing some sort of construction around a freeway on ramp/ off ramp intersection. So what was once a hectic intersection with stoplights is now a crazy intersection with stop signs. People do not know how to handle busy intersections with stop signs. There's just too much going on.
I approached the intersection and started to come to a stop. Two lanes were going straight. Right of way at that moment was for the car next to me also going straight. I decided to use it as a blocker and go through when that car did. Unfortunately, that car was much faster than I was and cleared the intersection rather quickly (sporty little guy).
I was now the only one in the middle of the intersection. Cross traffic to my right included a left turn lane, a straight lane, and a right lane.
Just this morning I updated the emergency information on my RoadID and had decided to carry my insurance card with me. As I did so, I wondered if it was some sort of premonition.
The car turning left started to go just as I approached it's front bumper, it halted. The guy turning right just about went, and hit the brakes and said "Whoa!" Which left the guy in the middle lane who could not see or understand why the two guys on either side of him were not going. It was too late, I was in front of the vehicle and could only hope for the best. As the car started for me, I braced myself and said out loud "STOP STOP STOP! JESUS!". Hands over the brakes I nearly closed my eyes but instead pressed down harder on the pedals. I made it through the intersection and took a couple deep breaths.
I approached another busy intersection and stopped at the light. Lights are nice. They tell people when to go and when to stop. Very few judgment calls required. When the light turned green, I cautiously went through and turned on to Leigh, a much more peaceful road. I breathed a sigh of relief. Should've taken Meridian and gotten yourself a bundt cake.
I stopped at another red light and watched an old woman pull up next to me, texting as she came to a stop. She was set to go straight, so was I. The left turn light turned green for both sides of traffic. Just as I expected, when she saw the left turning traffic move out of the corner of her eye, still texting, she moved straight into the intersection as another vehicle was turning left (with a green light) right in front of her. Fortunately, partway into the intersection, she looked up and stopped. And then just sat and finished her message. What if a small child had been in the intersection?! Crazy people! Put down your damn phones! It's not important enough to kill somebody over.
After another near miss with a guy turning right (vehicles turning right do not like to come to a stop and look around), I pulled onto the small side street that takes me home and could finally relax. With or without a bundt cake.
I'm safely home. I finished the other half of my grilled cheese and had an espresso. Maybe I'll have another. Then go get new running shoes and frozen yogurt. I will drive. Safely mind you.
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