Sam's Back! Trifecta Riding

Sam in the Borrego Desert in 2010

Sam Thomas is back in the area from May 5 to May 12. We did 3 local rides together along with a few friends to get him back in riding condition again. Not much conditioning, but we had lots of fun.

May 7:
We rode the shortie rando route called Coffee At Peets. Around 82 miles including bike paths. We also stopped at Nyto Multisport in Encinitas to chat with Joe Morgan. While there, Sam picked up a set of Reynolds Carbon Aero rims to try out. They installed and fine tuned his bike and we were on our way. We later stopped in Oceanside to chat with our buddy, Dan Phillips at Bussey Automotive.

Toward the end of this cruiser ride, we had to hustle to the finish in order to make the time cut!

May 9:
We hooked up at 8:00 in Oceanside for the Bike Path X Two route. Both SLR & SR-56 Bike Paths. Joined up with the OFR gruppo at Magee Park in Carlsbad for the ride south to Swami's. After a regroup, we rode with them to Del Mar and then turned inland alone to Poway, Escondido, Bonsall and back to O'side to finish off the route. Weather was good with some nasty headwinds toward the coast.

May 11
Aztec Century today. 100 miler down and back to San Diego State. We met up at the Chevron, Benet St. & Hwy. 76 in east Oceanside at 8:00. As we started westward on the San Luis Rey Bike Path, we met Dan Phillips and Bill Stevenson. Sam chatted all the way down to Swami's, where Troy Buss was waiting to join up for the ride. Dan and Bill left us in Del Mar, so it was just Sam, me and Troy for the rest of the route to San Diego State and return. Not a lot of traffic up to State. We stopped at a near empty McDonalds for lunch around 11:30. On the way back, we did get some stronger headwinds. Troy left us before Carlsbad. After the finish, Sam & I rode over to College, where he went to his friends Daryl's house and I hopped a bus to Vista.
Of note was the fact that my left Crank Bros Pedal broke a spring and I was without a clip in for around 30 miles on the return leg. First time I ever had a problem with a Crank Bros pedal system. Go figure.

NOTE: Sam managed to pick up some super deals locally at Nytro Multisport with Joe Morgan. A couple sets of carbon wheels, Conti 4000 tires and a nice shiny new Garmin 810 computer for cheap! Good score Sam. Sam left on Sunday Night, May 12 after watching the pros really do it on Stage 1 of the Tour de California in Escondido. From cruise ship to TdeC, Sam had quite a 3 week endeavor!

-randorides