Hello readers, I like many of you have my post Tour life back in order. For now, maybe for good, I'll leave the race in the past. Sort of like a three week addiction, I can't go back. One brief comment on the weather, its been a cooler than normal summer, I started my 10 o'clock Monday regular ride with a base layer, arm warmers and "my secret weapon". You gotta be here! Last week I got to add another of the famous rides out here to my checklist. It may be hard to imagine but I have scarcely left Sonoma Cty, there are so many rides here. Of course it is four times larger than Catawba Cty my former home. King Ridge sits along the Pacific coast. It is sparsely populated mostly cattle ranches and Redwood groves. The climb up along the ridge has eleven miles of climbing totaling 1900' gain. An amazing sight at the top is a gold domed Buddhist temple in the near distance. It gleams in the cool clear coastal air in the midst of dark green tree tops. The descent from there is steep, it ought to have steps, not pavement! more climbing 'til finally the fast drop down through the cloud bank to the Pacific Coast Highway. 50 miles and 5000' feet of climbing. This is part of the namesake route in Levi's King Ridge Gran Fondo. Speaking of Levi, he was at the short track mtb race I've been doing, but I was held up at work and missed watching him race. Yes, he won by over a minute. I am seeing some previews of the 2011 bikes and parts, speaking of such, I am going to Interbike (industry trade show) this year. I haven't been in ages. It is grueling fun. Speaking of parts, what tires are you running this year and pressure? post some reply comments. Anybody out there? HH