I started keeping track of this challenge in 2021. Since this will be my sixth year covering the exact same route, there are no surprises and basically no new pictures. However, that does not mean there are no changes. The hills / climbs in my normal bike rides around Santa Maria are usually between 5 & 9 degrees. If it goes over 10; it is usually a very short distance. Figueroa Mountain has many sections that go from 12 to 18 degrees that seemly go on forever. In the past, I simply included more rest breaks to get over those sections. At 79; that no longer works.
The 1st real climb is ½ mile long and tops out at a 15% grade. I rode that section, but I realized the energy I had to use was so great, I would never complete the additional 4,000 feet of climbing required to get to the top. I therefore developed a new strategy. I inserted more shorter rest stops. When the grade got over 12%, I simply stepped off the bike and pushed it until the grade was back around 10%. I thought this strategy was supper slow and meant an old man like me should not be on the mountain. However, I ended up making it to the top (4:45) a full 10 minutes faster than I did last year, and within a few minutes of my best time (4:36) ever. Part of that was a shorter lunch break, and almost no time taking pictures, but still a very good time.
The shorter lunch break meant a shorter charging time for my Apple Watch, which died 2.3 miles from the end. A small video camera I used to record the entire ride also stopped recording for 30 minutes during the interesting downhill section.
I left Los Olivos a few minutes after sunrise. In early March, it was cold, but if I wait until closer to my birthday, heat in the afternoon can be a problem. After a couple of hours, it was a nice weather day, even the wind was relatively clam.
I took a few pictures and included some screen shots from the video camera. All those can be viewed by clicking here.