On Bicycles, and.... what else is there?

My last attempt at the House of Pain ended in a minefield of puncture vine , which took out both tires less than a mile after I joined the proto-race. Today, I was back, ready to check off another goal in my riding. I'd already PR'ed Old La Honda , I'd already stuck with the Valley Ride to the sprint . Now I needed to stick with a weekender: Spectrum or the HOP. After that first attempt, as I was in Pegasus purchasing the two tubes I needed to replace the pair which had been perforated well beyond the patchable threshold, another customer in the shop mentioned puncture vine was a common problem on the roads around Danville. But he'd also heard of tacks being spread in the bike lane or shoulder. I didn't think much of it. So today I rolled out of Walnut Creek BART, heading south. As I crossed under 680 on Main Street, a car honked aggressively as it passed, the adjacent lane completely empty. After a brief Spike Bike fantasy, I put it behind me. I continued ...

I exited the BART in Walnut Creek to find Anthony getting off the same train. I always have difficulty finding my bearings outside the Walnut Creek station, so welcomed having someone to follow. We were both there for the same purpose: the House of Pain . Well, almost.... he was doing "House of Pain Lite", a less maniacal version of the ride. Or should that be "The House Of Mild Discomfort"? Maybe another time for me. Today I wanted to throw myself at the mercy of the real deal. Ben's spoken highly of it: an East Bay hammerfest, a chance to acquire some heat adaptation not likely available from Roasters. We rode together to Danville Peet's , arriving around 8:40 am. A decent group was there for the Lite ride, and they were soon gone. I waited basically alone for a group to congeal for the main ride, analogous to the group which picks up Spectrum from Los Altos Peet's , but nothing really formed. I guess most of the riders go to the Park and Ride, or mee...