As planned, I got up early today in the preparation of the Gran Fondo. I immediately made some eggs, an apple and a fig bar. After that, I got ready and did the last minute preparations. This gave my body about 45 minutes to start digesting my breakfast. The weather is warm, but the in the morning hours, the temperature is about 10 degrees cooler and the wind was very mild. I felt much better today than the previous ride. My legs felt a bit more lively and my concentration was there from the beginning. I was sufficiently warmed up by the time I reached route 202 and my legs were still with me. I made my way up Banducci doing steady tempo, and as usual, out of the saddle as I was climbing the wall. I did real good time, but I attribute this more to the temperature and mild wind conditions. Once I made it to the summit, I reset my Gopro and started the downhill. I was going noticeably faster on the way to SS. When I reached the entrance, I realized I was doing real good time. I reached all the check points within 3 to 5 minutes faster than usual. I was temped to try and set a good time, but I wanted to add the Bear Valley entrance to see what was there. I reached Boss Hogs well under 1:20 hrs. When I reached Bear Valley Road, I was taking mental notes. The climb steadily increases in gradient, all the way to the gated entrance. The climb starts out at around 2% and tops out at around 7% near the summit. The road levels off just near the entrance, about 300 yards or so. I got a good glimpse what was beyond the gate, and there appeared to be another uphill section. I've been here many years ago, so my memory doesn't serve me well. But, I do recall the road leveling off once inside the town. This little extra added about 3 miles or so to the ride and about 10 to 15 minutes (I'm guessing). It's good to know that on the way out of Bear Valley, there's a nice downhill that can be used to recover. I approached CVR as usual, modest and then up with the pace every so often. I did notice that my speed was a bit slower than usual, but that was due to the lack of a strong tailwind. Nevertheless, I did good time. I pushed it over the top and coasted once I reached the summit. The rest of the ride was business as usual. No heroics, just nice and steady till I got home. Concentration was with me for the entire ride. Balance was good, not perfect, I was leaning on some sections, however I did feel an improvement. Gear is working great, I like my new jersey. My only complaint is that my new gloves just don't provide enough protection. They chafe around the thumb and my palm continues to get blisters. I have to find new gloves soon! My shorts are ok, but the ones I bought a while back seem to be losing their elasticity. I bought some Pearlizumi shorts and will see if I prefer them. They may also help my saddle sores. The bike is working well and there are no mystery clicks, just beautiful silence. Other notes... There were some small bugs scattered all around the farm-lands. They were about the size of ants, but with wings. At first I thought they were sand grains, being picked up from the wind. But then I looked at my arms and noticed the little critters. No telling if they'll persist through the next few weeks. The Charity app didn't work today. Being the first time, I'm not surprised. Hopefully better luck next time. There are noticeably more riders in the morning hours. My plan is to start my rides closer and closer to 7 AM start. Hopefully on the next ride.