Dave with Million Mile Joe in Morro Bay / The sand of Pismo
Camp was San Simeon. We met a guy riding Santa Barbara to Portland on a rickety bike with no straps or clips on his peddles and wearing sandals to ride. Yes, you meet very interesting people when camp is only $3 per night. Dave's bee sting now has his knee swollen like a cantaloupe. We only rode a short bit before reaching Cambria, a cool little "Main Street" town with a beautiful stretch of beach. Scones and fruit were on the route. There was never much debate when stopping for food was the question. In Morro Bay we met Million Mile Joe, the 70-something year old man known around town for always being on his bike and having rode a million miles in his lifetime. Tonight, Pismo Beach.
miles: 65.7
DAY 5
total: 327.9
Warm tea and breakfast burritos at Taco Loco in Guadalupe / Another "Highway 1" sign
Cruising down the road
Camp
Maybe I should have read the map a little closer before claiming that Day 3 had the biggest climbs of the trip. First let's talk about last night. When the couple showed up at camp with nothing but a tent and a metal briefcase we thought it was odd. Then the arguing went on until 3am over where the baggie went, at which time the "customer" drove up with radio on, engine running and constant "ding, ding, ding" from the open door, the deal went down, or didn't, we were too tired to really know or care. It's fun to get two hours sleep and then try to wake up and ride from Pismo Beach to Gaviota. So we did. After a great breakfast break in Guadalupe we ascended the 4.5 mile hill of Harris Grade, followed by the fastest descent of the trip (42.2MPH), followed by a very long 16 mile climb (over two straight hours of climbing) before descending once again and reaching Gaviota State Beach, our camp for the night.
(Audio from the ride and a windy night at camp)
miles: 51.9
DAY 6
total: 379.8
The night in Gaviota was so windy our tents were getting whipped around like a wet dog coming out of the water. This went on all night. Another sleepless night. Dave's swelling has now expanded to freakish proportion. His ankle and foot are now swollen (the sting was just below his knee). We had a morning talk about calling it quits and getting Dave to a doctor. We decided to ride the Santa Barbara and reassess there. Once we reached Santa Barbara, the trooper merely said, "Let's get to Carpinteria." The ride was relatively flat, only small rolling hills.
miles: 82.3
DAY 7
total: 462.1
Can you believe this is how we look after actually GETTING sleep?
Point Mugu
Safely off PCH and into the Palisades / Santa Monica and nearly home
Our final stretch from Carpinteria to Los Angeles. After seven days and 462.1 miles of cycling we've made it from San Francisco to LA. Finally a good night of sleep for our last 82.3 mile stretch home. The day's ride was long but oddly enough it was our fastest average speed of the week. Partly due to flatter terrain and partly due to our boosted energy knowing we were going to make it.
It was a long ride but a fast week. Our legs were sore and our butts were... I'm not really sure how to describe that pain. Our arms hurt, our hands hurt, but it was effortless to smile because we were thrilled with our accomplishment. I admire and thank Dave for pushing on through his body's harsh reaction to the bee sting. Arriving home was bittersweet. Every day I found myself thinking "This is exactly what I want to be doing right now." It was a week-long high!
(Dave's beautiful rendition of our daily sounds)
Although I didn't know them, I'd like to express my deeply felt sorrow for Scott Bleifer and Stanislav Ionov, two avid cyclists that were struck by a truck on PCH the day Dave and I began this journey. They were forced into traffic on PCH in Malibu as they passed a construction site and were both killed by a catering truck driver who didn't back off. Dave and I both cringed while riding these sections and without hesitation would call it the worst part of our journey. The day after coming home we learned of Scott and Stanislav's deaths. It turned my stomach. Anyone who has rode PCH between Malibu and Pacific Palisades knows the feeling. I hope that those who only know it by car can gain some compassion from this, that a cyclist doesn't want to be in the lane any more than you want them there, and giving space or slowing down until it's safe to pass is more appreciated than we may have the energy to visually express. I read that Scott Bleifer planned to ride San Francisco to Los Angeles the following week. So for what it's worth, I dedicate this ride to you.
