Coffee At Peet's Populaire Bike Shop Route

Stopped by Performance Bike in O'side.

Weather has cleared out with early morning frost this morning. First of the season, thus late start around 9:30 AM. Long wool socks with long sleeve underlayer topped by the new freebie SingletrackSIX.com black T-shirt. Got it from Nytro last trip. No rear pockets for normal stuff, so I squeezed them into the bar bag with a bike cable-lock strapped on the front of the SOMA. Bar tape has to be replaced after it tore on a re-wrap last week. Not happy with the brake hood placement or the bar shape either. Oh, well. Think I'll take the leather like tape off the Fuji carbon and put it on the SOMA. Then the new Fi'zak tape for the Fuji.


Weather was nice with not much of a wind along the route to Bonsall. I took a different route, and ended up taking a little longer to get there than normal. Long line at the AM/PM counter, and a irate gas patron said he had waited too long and left! Mgr. went behind the counter to help out and I got waited on it about one minute! FAST!

Manager bike-packer Jason Kilroy

Nice tailwind to Oceanside for a change. That stretch along the new Hwy. 76 is real fast and smooth. I cut off route and went over to the Performance Bike shop to check arm warmers on sale. No sale and $20 was too much. Chatted with mechanic Ed about crashes, Bob Burgess bad back and other gossip of interest. Stagecoach 400 guy Jason chatted a bit. Only sale deals were on pedals and shoes today... extra 20% off.


Rode over to Wal-Mart next and checked out new eyeglass sport frames from Liberty. I have a pair of grey ones I have used for the last 4 years and now with a new prescription, it's time for a different frame. Those frames are real tough with a big rubber nose piece and strong composite frames. They have the one's I wanted, but have to be ordered. Off I went down the coast with a slight tailwind for a change. Minimal riders riding this time of day, so no fun playing around with them. Got to Nytro in Encinitas around 2 PM.

Super tough Liberty glass frames, off road proven!

Not much going around this time of day. My Velocity rim came in, but it was a 32H instead of the ordered
20H. Joe sent it back the same day it arrived. Nothing from Mavic. Joe's hi- end Mavic rims he sold haven't been replaced either. No shipping from Mavic at all. Joe said he thought they were using inventory for the new bike roll-out for 2014? Doesn't help me with the SOMA wheelset rebuild at all. Met a new employee there from Colorado Springs. His bike was a Surly Orge fully fitted for bikepacking or the Tour Divide ride! All dirty with all the frame bags on. Looks like Devin's Salsa Fargo! Got a few free-bee gels and rolled out to Swami's Park for a restroom break, before heading down the coast. Bar bag was packed, plus the stuff in a mini-tote bag was strapped on the front of that too.

Nytro new guy(Colorado Springs) rides a Surley Ogre like this

Decided to add in some climbing on the way back, and was huffing it as the sun sets real early now in December and with the time change too. Got into Escondido after 4 PM and took the Inland Rail Trail over to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things before heading home. Decided to get the final receipt from there, as I didn't know how long I would be. Didn't bring even my blinkie lights as backup, so the last part I rode on the sidewalk back to the house.

Not a bad day, and right knee, back and twisted ankle felt better after the pre-ride soak and lathering up with my home-made muscle rub. Picked up some Epson Salts, and brown rice crackers, but no rims or glass frames yet. Weather was very nice till sunset, where the temp drops immediately!

-randorides