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Saturday 8/9/08
Why did you do this trip? This was the continuation of the Other PacWest Tours I've done over the last couple of years. Last year was the Coast of Oregon and Northern parts of California. This was the next piece I wanted to ride.
Was it difficult? Yes and no. I knew what to expect each day as far as the routine so that made it easier to deal with. Because we had to cut inland at Marina to get around Big Sur we added about 50 miles to our cycling for Monday and Tuesday, making both days long. There was another day that we ended up doing more mileage making it a long day as well. The hills were not as bad in the South like I did up North. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't difficult like last year. I think it would have been more difficult if we had actually gone through Big Sur. I've heard those are some wicked climbs.
Was it easier than last year's trip? Yes and no. I think the climbing was easier, but you had to do a lot more navigating than last year. The detour didn't help, if anything that added a lot of frustration in trying to figure out how to get through and then back over to the main route.
What was the hardest part? Getting up in the morning and getting going. That's a norm for me though. I dread getting up.
What was the easiest part? Last year I said the easiest part was going to sleep every night. That wasn't as easy this year. I would lay there at night for at least 30 minutes thinking about the day or the next day. Instead this year the easiest part was riding the bike. I really enjoyed it this time around. I think that is because the weather was so good for us. Very few headwinds, maybe one day of it. Most days it was cool in the morning and then it would warm up in the afternoon, just really pleasant.
But did you have fun? I did have fun, maybe too much fun.
Was it better having someone with you? Yes it was. I found out from the first day that Steve and I were very compatible as far as riding. I had a little bit better range when it came to the gears so I was able to climb a bit quicker than he was. But usually Steve wasn't too far behind me. I was very surprised at how few cyclists we saw in camp each night. Last year on the Oregon/California section I would usually see at least 2 or 3 cyclists each night. But there were only three nights this time around that we had cyclists in camp. It was nice to have someone to talk to, share the experience with, and help make decisions as far as which road to take.
What worked? Once again the Sirrus pulled through for me. This has been a very solid bike with very few problems. About half way through my rear derailleur started to jump around in the middle gears. It will need a few adjustments before the next trip. The BOB trailer continues to be the best for me as far as hauling my gear around. I think I'm going to get a better handlebar bag. The one I've got now is getting pretty worn and ragged. The Armadillos continue to work like a champ. Both tires were used from last years trip so they had about 800 to 900 miles on them when I started this year. I should have changed the back tire before I left. I can usually get around 1,100 miles out of the back and about 2,200 out of the front. About 1,200 miles on the back is when I got the 1st and only flat. I quickly replaced it the next day and didn't have to change another flat. I will continue to swear by the Armadillos. They work.
What didn't work? The maps were a bit confusing on this trip compared to last year. But when you do the North Coast you don't have to worry about too many twists and turns. I followed the Book route for the most part. When I got confused on the turns then I would go to the ACA Maps to figure it out. La Jolla, National City, and Santa Cruz seem to be the areas that were a pain to navigate through. In the end we made it through just fine.
Wasn't it dangerous? This was by far the least dangerous of the 3 trips that I have now taken. The Southern half of California is so much better when it comes to the road verses the Northern Half. It's too bad that the rest of the state can't be like this part. However having said that there are still a number of places that you do have to be careful in. As you go through some of the towns along the Southern Coast there are houses on both sides. In some of these areas there is room for parking and no bike lanes. Most people were very courteous to us, I saw some that would pull over into the other lane. While others just didn't care. If I had to do this over again I should have done the Southern Coast first, Oregon second, then the Fort Bragg to San Francisco section last.
Did you loose any weight? I lost about the same amount as last time, about 10 lbs. But don't worry it will only stay off for the next couple of months and then it will find it's way back this winter, it always does.
What did you learn while on this trip? I really enjoy the touring thing. But having said that I learned that I hate not knowing where I'm at. There were a few times that reading the maps were frustrating and you couldn't tell where you were at. So you ask directions, only to find that many times people don't know where they're at either. We ended up on the other side of National City because a guy thought we had already passed the street we needed. Instead we hadn't passed it yet and ended up on a 5 or 6 mile detour only to spend $10 in maps to get back to where we needed to be.
What was a typical day like? It wasn't much different than last year, very similar. Get up around 7:00 am, get breakfast, cleanup, start packing up the gear, get into the cycling gear, load up the bike and head out. This would take usually an hour. About an hour or so into the ride we would stop for a snickers bar and enjoy the views. Around 11:00 we would start scouting out for lunch. The latest we had lunch was 2:00 one day, too late. About mid afternoon was another snickers bar and rest stop. Around 4:00 to 5:00 pm we would get to camp, unload, setup the tent, get dinner, cleanup, shower, take notes for the day, enjoy the beach, read, and then head to bed.
What's next? It's too soon to tell. I'm still enjoying the memories from this trip. I could see myself doing the Oregon stretch again next year but that is too far away to say. I'll wait until January or February to figure out what's next.
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