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!

The Big Ride

I am not really sure what to call it besides "The Big Ride" :)  We have been training for several months to prepare for a 4-day ride from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles.  Finally the months whittled down to days and the bike packing trip was upon us.  I will not go into much detail in this post, but will later give some day-by-day accounts.  If you are a cyclist or have further interest, please do not hesitate to comment or ask questions.  I'd be happy to share as much information as people find useful.

The trip went fabulously well.  We encoutered wonderful scenery, courteous drivers, fellow bike packers, and great places to set up camp as well.  Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite.  As I mentioned, I will give a full account later. 

Packed and ready to drive to the starting point.

Bikes ready and loaded for the trip!

A view of the famland around Harris Grade Rd.

Beautiful Santa Barbara

Dal, myself, Payton, Joseph, Zac, Rob