Bikes, Saturdays, & Ironies

I enjoyed a few bike rides this past Saturday and couldn't help but notice some things that just seemed interesting - maybe even ironic.  Hmmm... where should I start.

My daughter really likes riding on "the tandem," as she calls it.  She is four years old and has a difficult time keeping up on her bicycle.  So we found one of those follow-behind-tag-along-thing-a-majig tandems for her to ride.  She has a seat, handle bars, and pedals, so she loves riding with Dad.

One of her friends invited her to a birthday party this past Saturday.  They live about five miles away (pretty close to a bike trail :) so it seemed like taking the tandem would be a perfect idea.  There was some drizzle coming down from a cloudy sky, but she insisted we ride instead of take the car.  She really knows how to make her dad happy.

We had a damp, but fun ride to the party.  I helped her get her helmet off, handed her the present for the party, and followed her up to the house.  Several other children were arriving with their parents as well.  None of them took their bikes, of course.  Who would do such a thing on a misty morning?  I couldn't help but feel sort of weird for having taken the bike.  I realize that it wasn't me who thought I was weird.  It was my paranoia of others thinking I was strange for taking the bicycle.  I shrugged it off, got on my bike and pedaled home. 

About half way home, as I rode past a Walmart gas station (what will the super Walmarts/Targets sell next?) and saw my first irony of the day - one of the moms, who dropped of a child at the party, was filling her car up with gas.  It just made me smile.  I had been feeling strange for riding my bike, but she was the one filling up her car with gas at $4.39/gallon.  I'll take that trade any day.

Later that day I got to ride on a longer errand with my son - about 14 miles.  He needed to meet some other kids from church to prepare for a dinner later that evening.  Since we ride a lot together he remarked at how we know exactly where to be in relationship with each other while we ride.  I thought that was kind of cool.

On the way back home I noticed how it takes a few miles before I feel like I am settled into a good pace.  My legs get into a good rhythm, my lungs take in the fresh air, (and sometimes my nose starts to run a little).  As I enjoyed the exercise I saw the second irony of the day.  A sports car with an exagerated exhaust system and flashy rims was sporting a personalized license plate - EXXRCISE.

What?  Seriously?  How can you make a claim like that on the license plate of a car?  Maybe it would work on a t-shirt, a bicycle, or maybe you could put a message like, "I'd rather be exercising" on a license plate frame.

I don't know, maybe I'm biased.  Ok, scratch that.  I know that I am biased, but do you see what I mean?

Cheers ;)

Part II: Donuts at Midnight?

I am happy to report that I was able to investigate the "Donut Shop Mystery" last night.  Here is how it went down:  I rode past the donut joint at 6:41pm (on the way to a meeting) and noticed that there were eight customers - four inside, four outside.  Not very common for a donut shop, but it was still relatively early in the evening.  I wondered how many people would be there when I rode past after the meeting.

The meeting went long and I wasn't able to leave until 10:30pm.  By the time I would go past the donut shop it would be 11:00pm!  The place would probably be closed and I wouldn't have an opportunity to see anyone there or find out what makes it a popular evening hang out.

As I approached the scene of the crime I was amazed to see that it was still open!  At 11:00pm, mind you.  And there were six people still there - one inside, five outside!  As I pull up I see a security guy in a golf cart riding around the shopping area.  I'm thinking he'll probably tell the guys it's time to leave so the place can close.  Nope.  He waves and continues on his way.

I try to blend in with the crowd and buy a donut, right?  I walk in to look over the donuts (that are probably nearly a day old).  A friendly older Asian woman asks me what I would like.

"How late are you open?" I ask.  Trying to hide my amazement.  "Are you open 24 hours?"

"No," she says, "We close at 2:30am."

2:30am?!?  I'm thinking, "Why bother closing at 2:30 if you have to open up again a couple hours later?"

"Will these guys still be here?" I ask.

She nods, "Maybe they're lonely." 

"Can I have one of the apple fritters?"

It reminds me of the theme song from Cheers.  "Everybody wants to go where everybody knows your name."  These guys just need a place to be.  A place to hang out.  They don't bother anyone and noone bothers them.  I don't understand why they picked this donut shop.  It doesn't look like they keep the place in business.  None of them had so much as coffee in front of them when I was there.  They were just smoking and talking about motorcycles.  (And staring at the idiot who bought an apple fritter at 11pm!)

Part I: Donut Shop Hangout

Sometimes you see something that looks out of place.  Something that seems kinda weird.  Tonight, as I was riding home from a meeting, I noticed that there was a group of people - 8 to 12 people - hanging out at a local donut shop.  Now maybe this is a normal phenomenon in your neck of the woods, but most of the donut shops that I am familiar with open at 4 or 5 in the morning and close at noon.  Sure, they have a crowd that hangs out and has coffee and donuts in the morning, but in the evening the coffee drinkers are at home watching the news and the shop is closed.

As I marveled at the popularity of the donut shop, I recalled seeing people hanging out there a week ago when I rode by at about the same time.  In other words, this is not an isolated incident.  This place has a following that likes to have donuts at 9:30PM.  Is it just me or is that a little strange?!?

Perhaps it isn't about the donuts or coffee.  Maybe people just need a place to hang out.  The patrons encompassed a diverse age range.  I thought I saw a couple of high school age students at a table - maybe doing homework.  Five to seven people looked to be in their fifties or sixties.  (I am not sure about the others, I was trying to ride by without giving away my astonishment).  There were a couple of motorcycles parked nearby as well.  Some of them were inside the shop while others were sitting outside.

I have been to the shop in the morning a couple of times.  It seems like they have a group of regulars that like to shoot the breeze and smoke at the outside tables in the mornings.  Maybe they come back in the evening to do the same?  I just cannot be sure.

I think I might have to stop in next week and go undercover.  You know - try to blend in, buy a half day old donut, sip on some rat poison (donut shop coffee), and see what makes it the place to be on a Thursday night.  Maybe it beats hanging out at a bar.  Or maybe they are just meeting there on the way to the bar?  I just cannot be sure.

If I find anything out I'll be sure to let you know.

TO BE CONTINUED...
  

Thoughts on Exercise

Last evening, as I was riding my bike to and from a friends house, I started to get lost in my thoughts.  (I think it is one of the reasons I like going for a good ride.  Time to think).

Anyway, as I saw a few random joggers/walkers I thought about the methods of exercise that are common to our society.  You have your gym members, your runners and walkers, and stay-at-home treadmillers.  I guess there are some people who use sports - basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. - to get exercise.  It got me to thinking how sad it is that for most people, exercise is compartmentalized outside of any practical use.  People know it is good for them (health reasons or weight loss) and feel like they should get exercise.  So... after work they stop off at the gym to sweat off a few hundred calories.

Maybe I am being a bit too idealistic, but it appears to me that our society's method of burning calories for calories sake is so inefficient.  (Please pardon me if what I am about to say offends you or sounds pious.  I am just thinking outloud for a moment, so join my thoughts for a while).

For example, how much sense does it make for a person to drive to a gym so that they can walk in place?  Wouldn't it make more sense to just walk to the gym, say "Hi" to your friends on their treadmills, and walk back home?  Does it make sense to pay a monthly fee to exercise?  Sure, we get to use the equipment, but just stop to think about how funny it is that someone is making a living off of your exercise, your sweat.  The gym owner fills his/her pockets with money while you drive to their building to sweat off the two pieces of chocolate cake you ate before getting in the car to work out!

Which brings me to my next thought.  Why do we walk without going anywhere?  Isn't that what happens on a treadmill?  We walk or jog "x" number of miles without moving so much as one inch.  Jogging or walking a track is much the same.  Sure, we burn calories, but we have recieved nothing in return.  We haven't picked up any groceries. (We'll have to stop at the store on the drive home).  We haven't talked to our friends.  (We'll have to catch them on facebook).  We haven't played with our kids.  (We'll have to do that... well let me see.  After dinner they will need to do their homework, make a lunch for tomorrow, and get ready for bed.  Maybe tomorrow night).  It just doesn't make good sense to me.

My point is that we should be able to exercise as part of our daily lives.  Walking, jogging, or biking, to work, the grocery store, the libray, school, or church.  We should be able to make our exercise count for something.  We would get the exercise we need, spend less money on gas and doctor bills, and already have groceries for dinner.

Let me guess, you are thinking, "Well, your idea sounds good and all, but it just isn't practical.  I live too far away from work to bike/walk/jog.  I don't want to be sweaty when I get to work.  Besides, it would take me too long to get there."

Many of these points are true - but only because our culture, workplace and surroundings have made them easy to be true.  We live under the presupposition that these obstacles are inevitable, that they cannot be changed.  We forget the importance of making good decisions instead of easy ones.  Setting priorities, placing value on things that are truly important, and a willingness to change are foreign to most people.  Might I suggest we rethink our exercise?

Keep in mind I am only thinking outloud.  I really do not mean to sound like street preacher.  Much of my rant, if you will, is to work out my own priorities and exercise habbits.  How often do I spend a couple hours on the bike going nowhere?  It is definately something to think about.

One of my favorite bloggers, Kent Peterson, quietly goes about his life without owning a car.  His blog gets me thinking about how biking doesn't have to be about conquests, having awesome gear, getting more streets with bike lanes (although that would be nice), or even exercise.  It can be about biking to the places we need or want to go and seeing the places and people we want to see.  And we get the benefits of exercise along the way!  Cool.

Here's your sign!

 

Signs have become a part of our landscape.  Some signs become so familiar that we disregard them completely.  A while back I started noticing signs that were unique to cyclists, bike paths, or just the places my bike took me.  I'd like to dedicate this post to a few signs that made me look twice.

Road closures and detours can be frustrating to say the least.  Well... it turns out they are not just a problem for motor vehicles.  (If you bike the San Gabriel river in LA county you might be familiar with these two signs).

I wish I had more pictures of street names to share.  Some of them appear impossible to pronounce, some can be taken the wrong way, and others are just plain strange.  Here are a couple that hold special meaning for me. 

Colima has special meaning for the twelve/thirteen year old boys that we take out biking.  We do not get many hills in LA county, so going to Whittier and spending some time on Colima means getting a workout.  We have a couple other fun hills we train on, but this one gets a response from the boys every time.



And really, isn't it awesome to ride on a street named Coffee?  Who can resist a street like that?!?  Warning: looking at the sign often triggers an uncontroled desire for a freshly brewed cup of joe!  Ah.............

Next are a couple of signs that you actually expect to see on or around a bike path, right?  The funny thing to me is that many times the signs overstate the problem.  For example, the downhill portion of the path where this sign was posted really wasn't very steep or a very long downhill section.  As for the single file sign, the road was not that narrow, there were no parked cars to contend with, and the street had very little traffic.

 

 

Have you ever seen a cyclist and horseback rider play chicken when meeting on a shared trail?  My money is on the horse.

 

Now there are some signs you really don't want to see.  I realize that it is good to warn someone that something dangerous or discusting may happen while you out enjoying some fresh air and exercise, but these signs make you feel like you are reading the warning label on a cholesterol medication.

CAUTION: Bike way subject to flooding & may become impassable!

                             
"Danger! Intermittent pump discharge. Keep clear." "Tsunami hazard zone: in case of earthquake go to high ground or inland!"


The last few signs are some crossing signs that I found humorous.  My only regret is that we never had a chance to stop for any of the designated pedestrians.

Bike Touring Day 4: Pt. Mugu to LA

Day 4 (August 9) was the last leg of our trip: Pt. Mugu to Los Angeles.  We had two options for getting through LA.  We could catch a train that went from the airport to a station about 4 miles from our homes or ride our bikes the entire way.  The advantage to taking the train was that it would shorten the trip by almost 15 miles and aleviate riding through city streets with lots of afternoon traffic and stoplights.  The advantage to riding the whole way on our bikes was to make the whole trip a bike trip (as apposed to a bike/train trip - ya dig?).  So... we really wanted to cycle it the whole way and we decided the train could be our "plan B".

Our trip home would include hwy 1 through Malibu, a coastal bike path from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance, and surface streets for the last 15 miles to get home.  The ride to and through Malibu had its ups and downs both literally and figuratively.  I was riding near the back of the pack and noticed that Dal had stopped and was checking a tire.  I told my son to keep riding and let the others know I would u-turn to help Dal out.

Since the tire was not completely flat (30 instead of 100 psi), Dal wondered if it was a slow leak that could wait changing until we had a better place to change the flat.  We filled the tire and gave it a try.  Within a quarter of a mile he could tell it was losing too much pressure, however, and we knew it was time to change the tube.

We hustled to get the tire changed and catch up to the rest of the group.  We'd hoped they hadn't stopped to wait for us and that we could just catch up to them at some point later on.  Instead, they had stopped about a mile down the road to wait.  Since they did not know how serious of a problem we might have had, they didn't want to go much further before knowing we were okay.

We continued on for a bit and then stopped for a water/rest after climbing one of the last hills before Malibu.  After getting back on our bikes to resume riding we realized that Payton had managed to get a flat - probably during our stop.  I suggested the others keep riding while Payton and I changed the second flat of our day.  Upon closer inspection, we found a small thorn lodged in his tire.  We changed it as quickly as we could and pursued the rest of our group.

As we pedaled onward we noticed a couple of riders who also had packs on their bikes.  Once we caught up to them we were able to introduce ourselves and find out that they (David and his daughter Catherine) were from Ireland, cycling from San Francisco to the Mexican border.  They were alternating stays in campgrounds and hotels during their trip and were planning to spend the night with friends that lived in Redondo Beach.  Since our destination and pace was approximately the same, we were happy to enjoy each others company for a time.  We were also able to let them know about the Will Rogers bike path.

Rob, Dal, Joseph, and Zac were waiting for us at the entrance to the bike path, so we introduced them to David and Catherine while we refilled our water bottles and used the restrooms.  David had cycled from the Canadian border to the Mexican border on the Pacific coast in the past with one of his sons and now was taking his daughter on a shorter version of the trip.

Santa Monica

Lunch Time!

Our stops for flat tires had definately slowed our day down, but we wanted to make it to Venice Beach before stopping for lunch.  Once we got there we contemplated a couple of options for lunch.  We could stop at Cow's End Cafe, (which is right next to a Cold Stone :) , or eat at Chipotle (which is Joseph's all time favorite restaurant).  We opted for Chipotle.  It did not disapoint.  It did, however, make it hard to get back on the bike.  Note to self: do not eat a huge burrito until finished riding for the day.

I was much too full to be on an already overloaded bicycle, but we could smell the finish line.  We were in familiar territory now and knew the end was only 30 miles away.  Again, we confirmed that we would pedal all the way home and bypass the train.

Once we got back on the bike path I found myself in a reflective mood.  I realized that I was eager to get home, see my family, have a nice shower, shave, use my own bathroom, ...    I also was pondering several questions.  Would Payton want to go on another bike packing trip?  If so, what would be our next trip?  I knew that we would need days, maybe months to answer these questions.

The trip had been Rob's "brain child," as I called it, from some 6+ months ago.  He had asked me if Payton and myself would be interested.  When Payton said he wanted to try it my wife and I wanted to support it and help him be prepared and successful in making it happen.  Now that we were coming to the end of a journey that had begun months ago, it seemed strange to see it coming to an end.  As we neared the end of the bike path my thoughts returned to riding.  We would have a good chunk of riding on surface streets and I wanted to review the route in my mind before leaving the friendly confines of the bike path.

After riding on highways and bike paths, with only occasional stops for traffic signals or pedestrians, surface streets can feel so cumbersome and inconvenient.  (I was starting to wish we had taken the train!)  Right turns, crosswalks, train tracks, left turns, honking cars, exhaust fumes, ... we must be in LA county.

  
Once we got within a few miles of home we started to perk up.  We were really close now!  Wait a minute - Joseph's rear tire looks low.  Another flat?  I suggest we fill it with air and see if we can make it home.  Everyone agrees.  Quick, get the pump!  Back on our bikes and away we go!

When we got to the corner of Carson and Bellflower, where Dal would split off the group to get to his house, we asked a jogger to take one more picture of our group.  Thankfully Joseph's tire was still looking good.

From there we continued on to Joseph and Rob's house where Zac's family would pick him up and Payton and I would continue on to our house.  Once home we greeted our happy family members, unloaded our weary bikes, and quickly showered.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

(Hey, I think I might finally be hungry again.  How about some food :)

Bike Touring Day 3: Santa Barbara to Pt. Mugu

Day 3 (August 8) began with the normal morning rituals - including putting on sun screen.  I realized that I was putting it on the same way every day.  After breakfast we would finish packing our things, loading our bikes, and then put on our sun screen.  "Did I get it all rubbed in?"

 

We said to goodbye to our gracious host and pedaled onward to Pt. Mugu.   The first 1 1/2 days of riding were mostly inland.  Today's ride would be primarily coastal and much of it on hwy 1.  Not many hills in the forecast, but some slightly warm temperatures without much of a breeze.

We made a few stops along the way, including a bike shop in Carpenteria and lunch in Ventura at Duke's.  

Before getting to Pt. Mugu, our destination for the night, we took in the outdoor missile museum and scenic coastline.

Our bodies seemed to be holding up well.  The boys never complained about being fatigued or in pain.  One or two of the adults were willing to admit having uncomfortable seats, but nothing too severe.  On a personal note, I felt like my energy level was just a bit lower on the third day.  At the time I thought it may have been from not sleeping soundly at night.  In hindsight I think I just needed to drink a little bit more water.  Days 2 and 3 were a little warmer and I might not have increased my water intake. 

The state campground at Pt. Mugu has a nice place for bike packers.  The hike and bike is $10 per person on a first come, first serve basis.  We were the only ones there that day and had a nice spot to set up tents.  The boys had fun riding their bikes around on trails and running around on the beach.

We enjoyed a dinner of pasta, chili, french bread, and raw carrots.  The best part was having a fire (once we got it started).  What made it even better was that Dal had picked up supplies for smores earlier in the day.  It made for a tasty night!

As you might guess, there are many stories that cannot be told - either because there is not enough time/space to tell them or because some events on a trip like this are stricktly confidential.  Some stories are only interesting if you were there at the time.  "You had to be there" stories.  I'm not sure if the following story will be funny to others, but I still get a chuckle out of it.  

At some point during the night I was disturbed from my sleep by some strange noises.  It sounded like a person or animal was walking through the leaves around our tents.  I listened as the rustling moved from place to place and wondered to myself, "What is out there?"  I started ruling things out - it didn't seem loud enough to be a person or bear, but it seemed like it was too loud to be anything very small like a bird, squirrel or rat.  As the sound got much closer to our tent I started thinking I should either look outside to see what it was or wake up Rob (who was in the same tent) to see if he had a better plan.  

I decided to wake Rob.  

After waking him up the animal stopped moving around and we couldn't hear much more than the crickets.  Rob suggested that some rats or mice might be the culprits.  Since he had to go to the bathroom anyway, he figured he would scare them away by going in the bushes a couple yards from the tent.  As he was doing so I heard the animal moving around again - thankfully not in the bush Rob was watering.

"Whoa, that doesn't sound like a rat!" Rob whispered, as he scrambled back into the tent.  We never did figure out what type of animal it was.  We figured it was probably a raccoon or skunk.  At any rate, three days were done with one more day to get home.  I was pretty sure sleeping in my own bed would be much more peaceful.

Bike Touring Day 2: Lompoc to Santa Barbara

Day 2 (August 7)  started with breakfast, taking down camp, and making our way towards Santa Barbara.  We anticipated another day of just over 60 miles.

The first 16 miles of the trip were a slight, but steady climb.  Then came a fun 2 mile downhill that leads to the place where hwy 1 and 101 merge.  Again, being on the divided highway is a little strange.  Nice car/truck drivers and large shoulders made it work.

We stopped for lunch at Refugio State Beach - a beautiful beach and nice campground.  I almost wished it was our stop for the night. 

Just before our lunch stop a couple of us were talking about what we wanted to have for lunch.  Our lunches were a combination of things we took with us and bought at stores along the way.  I knew we had some tortillas and peanut butter, so I was thinking that would be a good start.  We then realized that we also had some nutella that might go nicely with the peanut butter tortilla.  Wait a minute!  How about rolling a banana in the middle of the nutella/peanut butter tortilla?!?   We thought it was pretty good :)

After a satisfying lunch we continued on toward Santa Barbara.  The tempatures were getting warmer as we made our way.  There was very little breeze coming off the ocean that day so it was an unseasonably warm day for the coast.  Even so, the bike paths of Santa Barbara are a cyclists paradise.  I also love the rows of palm trees that line the street/path along the coast.

The upper 80's made our stop at McConnell's, a really awesome local ice cream shop, taste even better. 

About 4-5 five miles later we arrived at our destination for the day - Rob's cousin's house.  They offered to have us eat/sleep inside, but in the spirit of bike packing, we set up camp in the back yard.  We did accept their offer to take a shower and do dishes in the kitchen sink, however :)

We were feeling the seat of our bikes a bit more on Day 2, but for the most part everyone was doing fine.  We enjoyed a good meal, conversation with Rob's cousins, and a good night's sleep knowing we were half way home.

Bike Touring Day 1: San Luis Obispo to Lompoc

Day 1 (August 6) was planned out to be just a bit over 60 miles. We stayed with Rob's relatives just outside of Atascadero the night before the ride.  They offered us a nice, light breakfast in the morning.  What a great way to start the day.

We met Dal at a parking lot in SLO and loaded the bikes for the adventure.  We were excited to get the trip going.  Much of Day 1 involved rolling hills, agriculture, and temps b/w 75 & 80 degrees.  Pretty awesome!

Before long we were rolling into Pismo for a brief look at the ocean.  Only minutes after the following picture was taken we encountered our first flat.  Payton's rear tire had a glass puncture.  I think we all secretly wondered how many more flats would come our way.

Our plan was to stop in Guadalupe for lunch.  We enjoyed some food, shade, and time off the bike at a middle school.  The principal was super friendly - letting us use the lunch tables and restroom.  Below you can see Dal and Rob confirming the route towards Lompoc.

The next stretch on Hwy 1 had a pretty narrow bike lane.  We were actually given a lot more room once we joined hwy 135.  Even though 135 is a divided highway (faster moving cars :) there is plenty of room for the bikes and we found the drivers to be very curteous.  Before too long we met the day's challenge: Harris Grade Road.

It offeres a steady climb for about three miles.  Not a lot of traffic (thankfully), but no bike lanes.  While going up the hill we heard a guy yell out his window while going past, "You're gonna' get yourselves killed!"  Thankfully he was wrong.  We appreciated his concern, however, and you're gonna' get yourselves killed became our slogan for the rest of the trip.

The downhill section on Harris Grade (see the video above) made the climb well worth it. Sorry for the bumpy footage.  I had to have my hand on the brakes for part of the descent and it made the camera shake. It was a fun coast down into Lompoc (pronounced lom-poke) where we enjoyed camping at River Park.  They have a nice area for tents.  $10 a site, first come - first serve.

After a good meal we all snuggled in for the night.  A good day on the bike with three more days to go!