Distance: 71.2 miles
Total Trip Distance: 1,881 miles
I won't miss this:
That is the yard sale that transpires when you get a flat and (of course) get to fix it. This happened in Guadalupe (next to a lovely lettuce field) , but it's the same mess wherever it happens..... On a positive note, I improved my repair time by 7 minutes (from 31 down to 24), so I may have a second career with NASCAR.
The first 25 miles of riding today were quite forgettable. Although I was once again impressed with how much food is grown in California. Once I turned onto HWY 135, things got more scenic and enjoyable. Not Big Sur scenic, but pleasant riding.
Then I tackled one of the bigger climbs of the tour: Harris Grade Rd. reminded me of some of the climbs at home: steep, twisty, and sustained - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
At the top of climb looking down into Lompoc:
A fun descent into Lompoc:
I topped off my water in Lompoc because I knew I had another good climb to get back to the 101 (my old buddy!). This one was longer, less steep and into an annoying headwind. I didn't enjoy this one as much - It was as if my mojo had developed a slow leak..... Fun at first...... Less fun..... Ok, where the hell is the summit..... I was really stoked to see this sign:
Then it was a quick ride back to the coast where the good old afternoon tailwind pushed me into camp. Mojo restored.
Refugio has the hiker/biker site right off the beach which is AOK with me :)
So I think I'll mosey down to the beach and enjoy my last sunset of the trip. And remind myself how lucky I am to have been able to do all of this :)
Only two flats on the trip, huh? That's not too shabby. With just a few more flats, I bet you could have broken five minutes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip! Yes, you are indeed lucky to have been able to ride the coast. But, quite frankly, I think most of that luck was self-created. Nice work, champ! :)
Yep nice work indeed! Thanks again for letting us all tag along!
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