These two old guys decide to celebrate New Years Day by riding up a mountain …

Oded and Matt, claiming their bragging rights

New Years Day, 2017

       So, Oded and Matt get decked out in cyclist regalia, helmets, sunglasses, the works, and the punch line is … Oded's helmet saved him from a serious head injury!  Seriously, if you a ride a bike but eschew helmets, please reconsider.

Oded's helmet, after the fall

        Misfortune struck on the descent. Oded's rear wheel suddenly went out of true, and threw him off his bike. He hit the pavement on his head and shoulder, smashing the right side of his helmet, and tearing his jersey. His clavicle ached, and the rear wheel would not turn freely. But a couple in a pickup truck saved the day when they stopped, and without hesitation offered  to drive Oded down to the Walnut Creek BART station — offer accepted, and thank you so much! Later, the ER found that his clavicle was intact, and that the helmet had performed its function well and protected the most vital organ of all from injury.

Oded, while Matt was still climbing

     Second punch line: I made it the summit too!  Very pleased with myself, although I arrived 21 minutes after Oded, five years my senior, and still employed at BofA after me and many other of his work buddies were pink slipped in 2014.  He would have got to the top sooner, except that up to the juncture (2,200 feet) he would stop and wait for me to catch up.

Rest stop at about 1K feet,  South Gate Road

At least it was an improvement over my performance on New Years Day 2015, when the juncture was as far as I got.  (As an aside, modest Oded credits his cycling superiority only to his continued employment at BofA's nearby Concord Tech Center,  allowing him to practice mountain climbing after work.  In my opinion, it's because he's a force of nature.)

Moosie with Alison, 2015

    Historical note.  Alison, who appeared in the 2015 Diablo ride blog entry, was at it again this year, still sporting pink panniers and a stuffed moose as a rear rack ornament. But we only had the chance to say "hey" as she zipped by quickly on her way down from the summit, as I was making my slow ascent.