Slip, Slide & On They Ride

The title refers to a nick-name for the early Chevrolet automatic transmission - we called it the "Slip and Slide Powerglide" due to its loose torque converter and only one gear change (when floored) at about 60 mph. A primitive device compared to today's eight-speed electronic lock-up transmissions. But this is a cycling blog so I have to get back to that subject...

Little did I know! I wrote earlier this morning about trash trucks squeezing through the sewer line replacement tractor squad to get to our cans today - but I didn't know that a collection truck would blow a hydraulic line right in front of my neighbor's house! Which means an oil slick running down our street for a hundred yards. There's no way in or out from where the spill occurred, and the neighbors have no patience - so they drive on through.

Of course it's an even tighter squeeze now, with the oil, trash truck etc at the bottom end and tractors, mud, hot asphalt and sewer pipes at the other.

This didn't bother me too much, as I was headed to Palmdale to watch part of the California Tour bike race. Here are some photos [click any image to enlarge it]. The race approaches our vantage point:

First riders followed by the pack:

 They came this close (we jumped back from the curb)

 Last 2 guys chasing the tail of the group, as you can see the support cars in back

 And they are gone, about 1 minute later.