Saturday weather looking good (updated Friday)

Although another most-needed storm is moving in, the latest forecasts now agree that Saturday will be a wonderful day for cycling, with temperatures possibly approaching 70 degrees and any rain not arriving until late in the evening.

Our ride this weekend is a challenging ride, and I'll certainly be taking the climb up Highway 9 very, very slow, probably even stopping a couple of times along the way. If you're worried about not being fast enough on the climb, don't worry -- I'll be behind you.

That said, however, don't try to do this ride unless you have experience on winding descents. You need to know how to control your speed and feather your brakes; the descent has several hairpin curves, and you can't take them at full speed. Last time I offered this ride more than two years ago, one rider was injured when he lost control on a curve and went off the road and into a fence. Especially if you're planning on the 48-mile ride and the descent of Old La Honda Road, don't expect a wide-open, speedy descent.

Don't let that scare you away, though; details and RSVP are here.

Photo credit: Saratoga Gap, by Jun Seita, Flickr