# Verly close-call at Montebello Rd



## K-Zero (Feb 7, 2004)

Hi all -- long time no post. I haven't been riding much for last couple months, but wanted to share something that happened during a short ride up & down Montebello Rd yesterday.

I started the ride few miles out of the base of Montebello, and after paying my respect to Matt & Kristy at the memorial site I began my painfully slow climb up the steep road. Now at this point the sky was still clear, and it was warm enough to pedal without any warmers. 45 minutes later at the summit though, it was wet, windy, and absolutely freezing -- and as soon as I started my decent I realized I didn't make a smart equipment choice. My fingers were painfully cold from summer gloves, and I was struggling to maintain control of the bike against the cross wind with 50mm deep section wheels.

Then suddenly it happened: out of a blind-turn up just few seconds away, I saw an SUV driving dead-center on the road coming straight at me. Now at this point the road was just single lane wide, and I was riding on the right side of the road....but I also wasn't hugging the edge either. 

Looking back, what happened next seems to have taken forever...but I'm sure it only lasted for few seconds. The SUV started to swerve to his right and so did I...but because my fingers were so cold I didn't have good control of them, and I ended up grabbing the brakes too hard causing my rear wheel to begin sliding out. As I begin sliding closer and closer to the side of the the SUV, all I could think of was "stay up - stay up - stay up". With just inches left until impact, I was able to counter-steer back to up-right position, get my right tire to hook up, and zip past the SUV -- scraping my left knuckle against the rear side panel of the vehicle in the process.

Surprisingly I felt very calm throughout the whole ordeal -- and the first thing that actually came to my mind afterward was if I've made any scratch to the SUV (not likely as there was no metal contact). But when I stopped and looked back I no longer saw the vehicle...so I just kept riding down the road like nothing had happened.

When I finally got back down and rode past Matt & Kristy's memorial site for the second time though, I suddenly realized just how lucky I was that day. And while I'm not a religious person nor am I all that spiritual, I felt like maybe those two were looking out for me when I had the near head-on collision. So thanks you two -- wherever you are.

K-Zero


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

Wow, that is a close call. Very glad to hear you came away unscathed!


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## jack650 (Jul 2, 2008)

Glad to hear that you're OK.

Would you have done anything differently? Warmer gloves? Slower descent?


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## K-Zero (Feb 7, 2004)

jack650 said:


> Would you have done anything differently? Warmer gloves? Slower descent?


Speed-wise I was already going slower than usual due to wet surface and cross-wind...but I could've definitely gone even slower which would've allowed me to ride closer to the edge of the road. If I can do it all over again, I would be riding on non aero wheels with warm gloves -- and taking more conservative line at slower speed.

K-Zero


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Ugh, glad that you're OK. I love the climb up Montebello but it is one of my least favorite descents. The last time I went up it, I cycled across the top and came down Page Mill instead. Actually, now that I think about it, that was one of my favorite rides this winter.


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## twain (May 18, 2004)

I saw K-Zero's barely skinned knuckle today. Thank God that's all that happened. 
Be careful out there-especially in the wet and cold. 

Ukbloke-totally agree. Taking off across to Page Mill is cyclocrossing that any road bike can make.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

twain said:


> I saw K-Zero's barely skinned knuckle today. Thank God that's all that happened.
> Be careful out there-especially in the wet and cold.
> 
> Ukbloke-totally agree. Taking off across to Page Mill is cyclocrossing that any road bike can make.



Darn, that is a close call K-zero!

The Page Mill is descent is a great idea specially at this time of year. Montebello is always cold and wet during the winter. It's a good climb but one is always underdressed for the descent. Plus, I found some cool new routes descending from Page Mill. (taafe, elena,etc).

fc


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## jack650 (Jul 2, 2008)

Just curious, how long is the cyclocrossing/un-paved section from top of Montebello? Is it a trek that any 700x23 can make? Thanks.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

jack650 said:


> Just curious, how long is the cyclocrossing/un-paved section from top of Montebello? Is it a trek that any 700x23 can make? Thanks.


I'm not sure, maybe around 5 miles? I had no real problems with 23mm slick tires, though the ground was dry when I rode across. There is one section where there is a bit of an uphill grade with hard-packed dirt and gravel. I just stayed in the saddle and spun up without losing traction. This is followed by a downhill grade which felt a bit sketchy because of the ruts. It felt like the bike wanted to track straight down the ruts, and ignore steering and braking input but it wasn't that big of a deal. I wouldn't take my nice white carbon bike over this route, but it felt great with my older aluminum road bike. There are some route choices toward the end. I popped out on a nice new stretch of black-top that descended down to one of the gates on Page Mill Road. It really felt like I had been somewhere that day.


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## jack650 (Jul 2, 2008)

Thanks, ukbloke! I'm going to have to try it one of these days when I'm certain the grounds are dry up there.


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## kneejerk (Feb 2, 2007)

Going down bumpy Montebello (the top half) in the rain is scary. Sounds like you were underprepared for the dangers you engaged in. Could you have been trying to save those aero wheels? There are always going to be circumstances on your bike that are out of your control, like cars drifting into your lane. It is best to try and be prepared for those circumstances, by concentrating and controlling your speed. 

Glad you made it!


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## K-Zero (Feb 7, 2004)

kneejerk said:


> Going down bumpy Montebello (the top half) in the rain is scary. Sounds like you were underprepared for the dangers you engaged in. Could you have been trying to save those aero wheels? There are always going to be circumstances on your bike that are out of your control, like cars drifting into your lane. It is best to try and be prepared for those circumstances, by concentrating and controlling your speed.
> 
> Glad you made it!


Thanks kneejerk. I think it was the combination of 1) poor gear/equipment choice, 2) momentary lapse of focus, and 3) my decent skill being lusty after a long time-off. 

The good news is that I've done this decent many times before without any problem (even in the rain), so I can greatly reduce the likelihood of this happening again by just riding more defensively like I usually remember to do.

K-Zero


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

I have have noticed that most cyclist are lazy when they decent and ride around blind corners dangerously close to the middle of not divided roads.

Hug the side, people.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

Killroy said:


> I have have noticed that most cyclist are lazy when they decent and ride around blind corners dangerously close to the middle of not divided roads.
> 
> Hug the side, people.


I've got one better for you Killroy. Yesterday, I'm stopped at intersection of Pagemill & Foothill (heading south towards Homestead onto Foothill ). Traffic light turns green, my girlfriend over takes me and stays in the car lane. Car barely misses her by a foot. Just about freaked out. Worst part, she doesn't even think she did anything unsafe or that's anything to worry. It's almost like a racing horse with blinds that is oblivious to anything.

CHL


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

I had a more than close call in the area. I was climbing up Redwood Gulch and that day there was a lot of car traffic because 9 was closed due to a fallen tree and people were using it at a detour. A car passed me right at the top were there is a hump and it rolls down right away. Because of the traffic there was a car trying to go the other way and the car in front of me moved to the right and hit the brakes. My reaction was not quick enough because I was still in tired up-hill mode and slid into the back of the bumper, staying off the ground, but loosing a water bottle and tweaking my shifter/lever. I was embarrassed, but the motorist did not care.


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