Coffee With Ben & Al

Temp dropped to 47 today

Official Twin Oaks Valley temp this morning is 53 degrees. Which means it will be 10 degrees lower around Bonsall. Time for my woolie hat, long fingered gloves and arm warmers. I used a lowly ANSI vest for visibility and a little warmth over my jersey. I guess summer is finally over. I'll miss the early AM starts when it was 68 degrees and you only needed a jersey/shorts to ride in comfort. I spent my youth growing up in the cold winters of Iowa and moved out to SoCal from Colorado. Enough cold for me. I had also changed cleats over on my SISI riding shoes. Now the both sides had 17degrees release angle. Easy release side was the left side now. Also different pedals on the Fjui vs the SOMA (which are loose and worn out).

Left San Marcos at 0600 and headed northward. Hit a thermal inversion at Deer Springs Road. Felt like summer had returned again. That thought was soon dashed as I recorded a cool of 47 degrees near Bonsall. With a 17mph wind chill, it was cool! Stopped at AM/PM there and warmed up! Westward HO for warmth along Hwy. 76 and the SLR. I clicked over to Canyon and went up to see Dan Phillips at Bussey's Auto in Oceanside. Busy there, so I hit the head, said hello to Dan (who was putting on a set of felt anti-corrosion tabs on a van's battery). Good job and happy customer too. No donuts from the box this time. Went down Oceanside Main street as the sun was up now. Pulled into Magee Park and stripped down. Packed the extras onto my HB bag. Bruce Tipton, old Alan L. and 2 ladies were there for the OFR grupo today.

We rode down the coast and picked up Troy Buss and Dr. Dan at Poinsettia Lane wait spot. After some chit-chat, I went over to Encinitas ACE Hardware while the others rode to Swami's Park for the big regroup. At ACE, I picked up the 4 wheels I ordered for the Ms. cart and packed them into my BMC carry-bag. Don't like to carry things on my back, but 40 miles shouldn't be too bad today. Ankle wasn't feeling too bad yet. Swami's group decided to ride down to Mt. Soledad today. Left the main gruppo at Carmel Valley Rd. and rode with Ben and Alan on the SR-56 Bike Path eastward.

Old Alan was crankin' er up on his DA Focus today. Ben was lagging a bit and I was trying to keep my left shoe straight with the crank. Maybe that would fix my tendon pain? I went over to AM/PM for a blow and smoothed some White Lightning on my left tendon. Then rode over to the Coffee House and sat with the boys. They had these huge coffee cups on the outside table. I don't drink coffee so I listened as Ben was talking politics with Alan. Didn't want any part of that when Alan ask me: "Do you think Obama is a Muslin?

Ben had a triple crank-arm wrap today like this! Fantastic indeed!

We left together and Ben had 2 different phone stops on Camino Del Sur. On the climb up to San Dieguito, Ben dropped his chain. I waited ahead, but they were still back there in the bike lane. I circled back. Ben had wrapped his chain around his crank-arm 3 times! I don't know how he did that. Finally, I suggested we flip his bike over and I pulled his chain out over his SPD pedal. BINGO! His chain wasn't super dirty, so I wiped my hands on the handy carry-along damp rag I carry. The boys left me at the Dieguito turn. Nice riding with them for a change when I wasn't racing along.

Had a nice climb up to Rancho Bernardo and took the Martinel cut over to the Lake Hodges Pedestrian Bridge. Thought about Gamble Lane shortcut but decided to save my tendon for another day. Temps were in the 90's now as I rode around Escondido. Finished up at home before 1400.

Good day today on the road and picked up those cart wheels too. BMC carry-bag makes for a sweaty back and extra weight. Maybe a 3/5. Tendon didn't feel too bad with the different pedals on the Fuji. Maybe those SOMA Crank Bros Acid Pedals need some firming up with a rebuild? I'll check it out.

Maybe I can get Keith out for a ride this Saturday?

Clear skies all day
Hi: 91     Lo: 47
85 miles