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02-18-07, 09:18 PM
Well, I didn't make it all the way back on the bike. I ended up hopping the train in Long Beach, but 272 miles over 2 days.
Some great riding weather.
Started out yesterday at 5am- thought maybe if I left early enough and rode hard enough it was possible I'd catch up to the folks doing Butterfield. I was totally kidding myself. Became pretty apparent that wasn't going to happen. I'd have had to maintain 19 mph for 90 miles of urban riding. On a loaded touring bike that probably weighed 50 lbs. Duh.
Anyway, the day was beautiful right from the start - no need for tights or base layer. Went out with just a jacket and arm warmers. Made it to Redondo Beach in less than 2 hours and stopped for a quick break. Not much activity that early in the morning.
Worst part of the ride was through Wilmington. Rode Anaheim Street from Torrance to the LA River Bike Path. Trucks, cars, people - just an ugly, ugly area to ride through but I've never found anything better to get through there. While I was riding I noticed something stuck on my tire. Thought it was duct tape. I stopped to pull it off and it wasn't tape, it was a chunk of steel belted tread that had embedded in my tire. One nice thing about my touring bike - it's damn near indestructible. I yanked the steel out of my tire, checked it and kept going.
From Anaheim St., I went around to the LA River path - which is elevated and seemingly the only way up to it is to climb stairs with the bike - not the most convenient access.
Uneventful ride down the Long Beach Shoreline path (although I found it difficult to navigate - not a lot of directional signage and in some place it just stops, then picks up again later).
In Huntington Beach, I think I saw Cleave going the opposite way (probably around 9:15 or so). Nothing of consequence happened through HB or Newport. Laguna sucked - I was following a route similar to the Encinitas Interruptus, but was a couple hours later and the traffic through Laguna made navigating the hills a challenge.
Stopped in San Clemente for a quick Jack in the Box lunch (another reason why I couldn't have caught up to the Butterfield folks). Went through San Onofre, the bike path and hopped on the I-5. Was barrelling along pretty well - 25 - 27 mph and was actually going faster than traffic for a while.
Had a car pull up alongside me on the I-5 and keep pace with me. Woman opened her window and started asking me why I was riding on the freeway. I explained about that section being legal for cyclists and how the base is sometimes not open and it's a longer ride. All while buzzing down the freeway.
Oceanside, Encinitas and Solana Beach are a bit tougher with traffic, as well. Probably busier than usual because of the holiday weekend. Rode by Nytro and wondered again how Vireo was doing on Butterfield, as well as Brandy, m.e. and Ron.
When I hit Torrey Pines at mile 134, I was a bit tired, but not terribly so. I did drop into my small ring for a little bit, though. If I had my Synapse, I'd've been fine but the touring bike and my gear made it a bit too much to handle. Although I passed a couple folks on the way up, anyway. :D
At the top of Torrey Pines, there was a group of riders (waiting for a couple of the folks I dropped, I think). Not sure, but one of them may have been BCIPam (she had a BCI jersey on anyway).
Rode the rest of the route into San Diego, a couple minor wrong turns, but nothing too bad. Then I realized I had directions to the TRAIN station, not to the hotel. Had no idea how to get to the hotel, but I knew it was by the Sports Arena. I rode in circles around the area, but couldn't find it so I stopped at a gas station that had a map. I was only 3 blocks away so I made it to the hotel around 4:45.
Grand total 154.2 miles in just under 12 hours total.
Lucky me - the hotel was across the street from Denny's, Jack in the Box and a couple of strip clubs (ah, if only I hadn't had to ride back again today). Ate $25 worth of food at Denny's - which I didn't think was possible, then went to Jack in the Box for a chocolate shake.
The ride back: Same as the ride down with a few exceptions --
- My legs weren't bad at all, but I was a little sore from the saddle (not as used to the saddle on my touring bike). Didn't leave until 7am and decided to take my time on the way back.
- Traffic through Laguna was ridiculous. I was riding faster than the cars, but there was no room for me to pass them most of the time.
- Every little rollie from Laguna to Newport was painful after all those miles - but I still dropped some people. :D
- Had some 14 year old girls on a bus bench hoot at me while riding through Newport. I was both flattered and threw up in my mouth a little.
- Caught some luck in Huntington Beach when I really needed it. I was tiring pretty badly and then suddenly got a really strong tailwind. Was sailing through HB at about 28mph, even tired.
- Wasn't sure if I was going to take the train from Long Beach or ride up SGRT to catch the train in El Monte. I had already decided I wasn't riding the whole way back. Decided on Long Beach, found the train station - took the Blue Line (above ground train, some unattractive neighborhoods on the way up). Then transferred to the Red Line to Universal City and rode home from there.
Total for today 117.4, so about 272 miles in 2 days.
Photos to come.
Some great riding weather.
Started out yesterday at 5am- thought maybe if I left early enough and rode hard enough it was possible I'd catch up to the folks doing Butterfield. I was totally kidding myself. Became pretty apparent that wasn't going to happen. I'd have had to maintain 19 mph for 90 miles of urban riding. On a loaded touring bike that probably weighed 50 lbs. Duh.
Anyway, the day was beautiful right from the start - no need for tights or base layer. Went out with just a jacket and arm warmers. Made it to Redondo Beach in less than 2 hours and stopped for a quick break. Not much activity that early in the morning.
Worst part of the ride was through Wilmington. Rode Anaheim Street from Torrance to the LA River Bike Path. Trucks, cars, people - just an ugly, ugly area to ride through but I've never found anything better to get through there. While I was riding I noticed something stuck on my tire. Thought it was duct tape. I stopped to pull it off and it wasn't tape, it was a chunk of steel belted tread that had embedded in my tire. One nice thing about my touring bike - it's damn near indestructible. I yanked the steel out of my tire, checked it and kept going.
From Anaheim St., I went around to the LA River path - which is elevated and seemingly the only way up to it is to climb stairs with the bike - not the most convenient access.
Uneventful ride down the Long Beach Shoreline path (although I found it difficult to navigate - not a lot of directional signage and in some place it just stops, then picks up again later).
In Huntington Beach, I think I saw Cleave going the opposite way (probably around 9:15 or so). Nothing of consequence happened through HB or Newport. Laguna sucked - I was following a route similar to the Encinitas Interruptus, but was a couple hours later and the traffic through Laguna made navigating the hills a challenge.
Stopped in San Clemente for a quick Jack in the Box lunch (another reason why I couldn't have caught up to the Butterfield folks). Went through San Onofre, the bike path and hopped on the I-5. Was barrelling along pretty well - 25 - 27 mph and was actually going faster than traffic for a while.
Had a car pull up alongside me on the I-5 and keep pace with me. Woman opened her window and started asking me why I was riding on the freeway. I explained about that section being legal for cyclists and how the base is sometimes not open and it's a longer ride. All while buzzing down the freeway.
Oceanside, Encinitas and Solana Beach are a bit tougher with traffic, as well. Probably busier than usual because of the holiday weekend. Rode by Nytro and wondered again how Vireo was doing on Butterfield, as well as Brandy, m.e. and Ron.
When I hit Torrey Pines at mile 134, I was a bit tired, but not terribly so. I did drop into my small ring for a little bit, though. If I had my Synapse, I'd've been fine but the touring bike and my gear made it a bit too much to handle. Although I passed a couple folks on the way up, anyway. :D
At the top of Torrey Pines, there was a group of riders (waiting for a couple of the folks I dropped, I think). Not sure, but one of them may have been BCIPam (she had a BCI jersey on anyway).
Rode the rest of the route into San Diego, a couple minor wrong turns, but nothing too bad. Then I realized I had directions to the TRAIN station, not to the hotel. Had no idea how to get to the hotel, but I knew it was by the Sports Arena. I rode in circles around the area, but couldn't find it so I stopped at a gas station that had a map. I was only 3 blocks away so I made it to the hotel around 4:45.
Grand total 154.2 miles in just under 12 hours total.
Lucky me - the hotel was across the street from Denny's, Jack in the Box and a couple of strip clubs (ah, if only I hadn't had to ride back again today). Ate $25 worth of food at Denny's - which I didn't think was possible, then went to Jack in the Box for a chocolate shake.
The ride back: Same as the ride down with a few exceptions --
- My legs weren't bad at all, but I was a little sore from the saddle (not as used to the saddle on my touring bike). Didn't leave until 7am and decided to take my time on the way back.
- Traffic through Laguna was ridiculous. I was riding faster than the cars, but there was no room for me to pass them most of the time.
- Every little rollie from Laguna to Newport was painful after all those miles - but I still dropped some people. :D
- Had some 14 year old girls on a bus bench hoot at me while riding through Newport. I was both flattered and threw up in my mouth a little.
- Caught some luck in Huntington Beach when I really needed it. I was tiring pretty badly and then suddenly got a really strong tailwind. Was sailing through HB at about 28mph, even tired.
- Wasn't sure if I was going to take the train from Long Beach or ride up SGRT to catch the train in El Monte. I had already decided I wasn't riding the whole way back. Decided on Long Beach, found the train station - took the Blue Line (above ground train, some unattractive neighborhoods on the way up). Then transferred to the Red Line to Universal City and rode home from there.
Total for today 117.4, so about 272 miles in 2 days.
Photos to come.