Coronado Express Permanent + Bayshore Pics

Basic Coronado Express Route-R

Well, yesterday's Sweetwater recon-ride didn't go as planned, so I'm back for more punishment~! How about throwing in a mid-size permanent AND grab a few pics on the Stagecoach 200 route? Got out the SOMA reborn rando bike with the 6 lb. ALX-200 wheelset! Still a work in progress, but at least it's shiny!

Took the early Sprinter train over to Oceanside, then rode over to see Dan Phillips at his Bussey's Auto shop. His father has had heart problems for years and I wanted to check with Dan on how he was doing. Picked up a 8:00 start receipt for the Coronado Express-R at Circle K and rolled southward under east winds and 50 degree temps. No cycle action along the coast on this Monday ride. Guess they're all burned out from weekend events.

SOMA Rando with fenders

Jumped off the regular busy route and onto the Rose Creek Bike Path to Mission Bay. It's finally cleaned up some along the channel, but still the regular homeless hang around there. Million dollar effort to re-route the path off Santa Fe Street and Damon St. Followed some cycle dude off and on as he blew through one red light after another. After SPAWAR, followed the bike route signs to the alt route around the busy underpass. What a joke! The short Enterprise loop and the long wait at the Pacific Hwy. connection. Next time I'll just wait for the traffic to clear and blast through the underpass!

Recon route trail off Roosevelt St.

I stopped at the Hornblower Cruise kiosk to get a ferry ticket. I forgot what kind of a ticket machine was on the Coronado side, so played it safe. Rolled onto Harbor Drive southbound behind some racing roadies. They couldn't drop me on my 29'er and I passed half of them on the bridge climb over the rail-yard. We all turned onto Cesar Chavez and I hit a right on Main Street, then Roosevelt St. over to the JIB Control. Did the station next door for a ice cream sandwich, sat and watched people hurry about. There was a table set-up selling the "dry" car wash stuff in the parking lot. I tried that sampler before on a bike and it seemed to work OK.

Jose turning into Bayshore Bikeway

Always up for something new, I rode down Roosevelt Street and cut over onto 33rd. After some riding around, there is a unnoticed bike path that hooks up with the Sweetwater Path. A short jaunt westward and soon turned onto the Bayshore Bikeway over the Gordy Shields Bridge. Hooked up with "Jose" in a orange jersey near the salt piles. He was riding to Coronado on a steel yellow lugged framed bike, so I gave him a Rando Card and we talked about long rides all the way to the Ferry Landing. He had never been on the ferry, and nervously opted out of this trip. He turned around and reversed course back to Bonita.

Coronado Ferry landing in December

Bathrooms were closed near the landing, so I had to cross up and get aboard the waiting ferry. There are two ferries now crossing full time; just about every 1/2 hour all day long. Not many on this trip, only 3 bikes. One single speeder and a orange Cannondale hybrid bike with the mini-shock damper above the front fork. Nice day on the water, with stiff winds from the west. I took some ferry video and a few pics of the Midway Museum. Slight headwind riding away from the landing.

Strong ferry rider on Cannondale mono

Passed the Asian rider on Pacific Hwy. Same guy on the ferry with the orange Cannondale! He tried to keep my slow pace till we caught up to a rider with double panniers on a SOMA. It looked like a Groove model with big tires. He was plodding along, long hair and stout build dude! We chatted a bit before we split up at Old Town. I took some pics as I followed the bike path around Mission Bay, Rose Creek and across to the McDonalds on Mission Bay Drive. Long refill there before humming along up Santa Fe Street. Found a hidden steel lugged bike by the Rose Canyon Bike Path. More pics of the trail across the RR tracks to the north side trail along Rose Canyon.

Hidden steel lugged bike. Parts?

Rolled northward through CSUSM and down Torrey Pines. A few surfers were out today, just sitting on the boards as the ocean looked calm to me. Still had the light side-headwind up the coast. Nytro looked quiet as did the other bike shops along the way. Monday must be a slow day for bike business! Sun was getting lower and the temps felt it as I passed through Carlsbad and on to the finish in Oceanside. I stopped for a receipt at a station near the Sprinter and hopped aboard for a ride back to San Marcos. I notice the sunset was a blazing red as it set in the west.

Short route for So. Rose Canyon Trail

No racing on this trip. Took lots of time to find the path to the Sweetwater Bike Trail off 33rd St. and the lower tempo ride with Jose up the Coronado Strand. Weather is
supposed to really cool off later in the week! I got in a permanent and captured the westbound pictures of the Bayshore Bikeway too! BINGO!

-randorides