Ursa Minor - Meet up with OFR Gruppo

Bruce Tiptons new Focus AG2r Campy equipped ride!

64F... what a cool morning after days of blasting heat. Looks like a good day to start Ursa Minor early and catch the OFR Gruppo out of Magee Park at 8:30 for the ride northward. SOMA chain is cleaned via mineral spirits shake-up and a alcohol final rinse. Then topped it off with a generous coating of Beoshield. Add a helmet light and a rear blinkie and I'm good to go. Lite travel carry-along foodstuffs include the regular:
2- Bananas
2- 21oz bottles with 1 scoop INFINIT + 2 scoops Carbo-Pro each
1- Pak of extra powder mix (above)
6- WW cracker sandwiches with Cashew Butter in-between
1- Sandwich bag with:
     2- Electrolyte tabs
     3- GU Gels
     2- Bars of some kind
     1- Pak of Shot Bloks
     Etc.

Started just before 0600 and headed toward Escondido. Temp was 66 degrees now. Did a mod-route and cruised down Del Dios amid heavy early traffic. Only saw one big rock in the bike lane! Walla! Detour signs all over Rancho Santa Fe town. They have a big tent set up and several smaller ones alongside. Special Event signs laced the roadway. I proceeded straight ahead through the rollers at a good pace toward the coast. Felt like about 50% and even passed up my favorite Control stop at Solana Donuts for a "Red Velvet" with choc coating. Bummer.

Rode northward with no riders around. Low overcast at the coast making for cooler riding for a change. Hooked up with some lady on a tri-bike. She looked old and worn out, but had these huge calves! She soon cranked 'er up and dropped me like a "load"! Stopped at Carlsbad 7-Eleven for a Smores IC Sandwich. Rode over to Magee and had that while waiting for the OFR gruppo to assemble. Chatted with several and finally left northward with Jimbo Wisener. Jim just had a good coronary clean-out with 3-stents put in ! That drug-laced blood should be pushing the oxygen through now. Group finally caught up and we raced along Pacific Street past the pier. Entered Camp Pendleton and noticed Bruce Tipton has a new bike again. Focus with full Campy Record components. Tom got his new Specialized S-Works carbon frame with his old components on. At least they put on new cables to replace the old frayed ones. Even the chain is clean! WOW! Short race with Bruce, new carbon guy John (knows Steve Elliott amd Les Medlin) and Tom. I held up well as long as we were climbing!

Regroup at Las Pulgas Gate. Ben Hassell, John and Eric Rix  met us there. Cruised through the campground and stopped at #11. I drafted into a nice headwind up to San Clemente. Big Womens Pro-Championship still on till the 20th. This means cars everywhere with surf-board carrying bikes, skateboards and walkers too! Group split up at San Clemente. We went through the "neighborhood" and on to Doheny State Park. I cut off and went toward San Juan Cap. The others went to Dana Point for lunch.

I didn't wait the normal 50 minutes for a regroup ride back. I turned off the San Juan River Trail and kept on truckin' to San Clemente with a tailwind. Nice climb up through town. I turned off at the Trestles Bike Path and headed for the beach. Dropped a few gears for sand riding and climbed up around a gate to a small hill overlooking the surf. Lot's of people around. No school, no jobs, just surfing I guess? The Championship was much further south on the beach. Nice and cool by the water. Left in 10 minutes and got back on track through the campground with the tailwind. Easy 18-19 mph riding now. No stop at the bathrooms this trip.

Took home a bottle of Solar Flare for the Ms.

Entered solo through Las Pulgas Gate into Pendleton. Still a nice push as I spotted several riders ahead. I cranked er up and caught up soon. Old gal and a younger guy. They soon pulled off and waited! Picked up another guy on the climb to the Main Gate. I mentioned his nice Litespeed with G'skins and lite Mavics. He was so fired up he tried to drop me at the next red light. Not to happen as I pounced quick on the last climb up Harbor Drive. Had a short stop at the bathrooms before heading eastward with the tailwind to help. Did a normal stop at Bonsall McDonalds for a infused IC Sundae. That helped a little enough to get me up Champagne climb and back around to the finish. Still a little warm through there. Filled my clean bottle with that new Mtn. Dew Solar Flare and packed home. Got Zaharah a 20 cent Reese Piece for a treat! Went all out this trip!

Sort of sucked today. Got up too early and to warm to sleep well at night. Rode OK for the OFR gruppo, not for me. Might need another day off the bike to recover more from the 5 HOT rides last week?

Clear inland, low clouds at the coast
Hi:  87     Lo: 64
129 miles

-randorides