Every town has certain climbs or rides that all cyclists consider milestones. From my previous posts, you can tell that one of the main climbs in the San Diego area is Palomar Mountain. This is a milestone for cyclists who have been riding for awhile, because it is a long ride and a hard climb. But, there is a climb right in town up Torrey Pines, where many cyclists do hill repeats and is in one of the most scenic parts of town. This is a milestone climb for beginning cyclists. It’s a “Rite of Passage” and helps new cyclists realize that they can be a part of this cycling culture.

I am working with a wonderful woman named Becky and we ride together once a week. She has an amazing attitude and is willing to try anything, but had never been on a road bike with clip in pedals before. Her husband is a really good cyclist and wants her to get involved too. Let me just say that anytime you want to get your significant other to get involved in a sport that you like and are good at, it is always a better idea to have a neutral party do the teaching. This crosses all sporting lines, not just cycling!

Our first ride was in the parking lot at Del Mar Fairgrounds. We practiced getting in and out of the pedals, stopping and starting, and just basically getting comfortable on the bike. By the end of the first day she was looking much more at ease and I was confident that she was going to pick it up quickly.

The next couple weeks, we went on a few short rides and a lot of bike path riding. We have a great bike path that has a nice little climb, and when she made it to the top of the climb and attacked me on the descent; it was obvious to me that she was ready to venture out on the open road!
I mentioned the idea of tackling Torrey Pines. I could see the thoughts going through her mind. The wheels were turning….I knew she could do it. I knew she had heard more stories about intervals and times up the climb than most people, so I could tell that there was a nervous excitement to get it done.

We started out on a Saturday afternoon, and it just happened to be one of the most beautiful and hot days of the year so far. It was also one of the windiest, and when you are riding with new cyclists I am always concerned about gusting winds. I explained how to deal with the winds, and she had no issues with the wind gusts.

At the base of the climb, I reminded her about the gearing, and she was shifting like an expert. Then I explained that we needed to go almost what feels like too slow. We needed to make sure that we would still have enough energy at the top. Her next question surprised me although maybe it shouldn’t have. She wanted to make sure that we got the time started. As I said earlier, she has heard interval times over and over, and she knew exactly where the start and finish points were.

We kept it slow and steady, and Becky was picking off people as we got further up the climb. I was so proud of her, and when we crossed the interval finish line she had a time that was pretty impressive. It was her rite of passage into the San Diego cycling world. I was glad that I was there to share it with her. Now I just need to get her to loosen up her hold on the brakes on the way down All in due time!