Recovery Ride With Options

After climbing up Twin Oaks Valley Rd., it's a fast descent to Gopher Cyn. Rd.

No early start for me. Another cold (for around here) night and forecast for mid 60's today. Good time to do a route and deliver Bill's DVD ( Audax Rayong 200 in Thailand, which I made up a YouTube video of and then burned off to DVD so Bill can watch on his DVD player/TV and keep forever). Also need to stop by Nytro and see what's up there for deals.

Long sleeve under-layer and jersey today. I started late enough to eliminate the multi layering. Left San Marcos and rode north. Instead of the usual route, looped over and rode up Twin Oaks Valley Road. Nice to see the area again.. lined with greenhouses, horse property and at the far northern end a quarry. Several trucks struggling up this road today. After the climbing is over, a nice long downhill to Gopher Cyn. Road. Not a big fan of this road, I studied the "bike lane" along this stretch. It goes from 6 feet to 1 foot in spots. Traffic was lite. Turned off  before the road got real "dicey". Little Gopher Cyn. Rd. is another matter. Winding mostly downhill with no traffic. This goes to River Road and a right leads to Bonsall McDonald's.

70+ hard body gal trains on this 45 degree LA Velodrome track!

Quick stop and I was off to the races on Hwy. 76 over to the SLR Bike Path. Stopped at the Mance Buchanon Park, where 2 ladies were set up promoting something. Thought they might be LDS people. Saw a rider leaving, so hooked up with her. Chatted with her all the way to Oceanside. Seems she is a 70+ old top-notch track racer out for endurance training on the trail. Her coach had it part of her training schedule. She looked fit to me, but after a few miles said she had to back off because the pace was too  fast! I said I was riding her pace. We continued on. She trains at the track in Balboa Park and up in LA under the covered track. Her races last only 3-4 minutes. She has been all over the US in events. At least she heard of the PBP in France. We parted ways in Oceanside, where I rode over to Bussey's Auto to see Dan Phillips. Closed for the week!

Stopped by Pacific Cycles. They are closed on Mondays. Window shopped. Continued on and picked up a strong looking rider on a 1992 Al TREK cross-bike hammering along. He sprinted up the mini-climb leaving Carlsbad. The next "climb" I thought I would see what he really had and blasted by. I later backed off and we started chatting. He is 56 years old from Santa Cruz (great rando country) and down visiting his brother here. Said he didn't like the bike he was on but had another road bike at home. I gave his some ideas on the local bike paths... SR-56 and SLR to try out next time. He wanted to ride the SR-56 with me today! Also was looking for a multi-purpose bike so I rode past Nytro and showed him the Fargos at Revolution Bike in Solana Beach. He looked at the price tag and gulped! When Mikki came out, I bade farewell and rode back to Encinitas and the bike shop.

Took this Santa Cruz rider over to Revolution to check out the Fargos.

"Huge rental business there of late", said Joe. Simply amazing, as they rent some hi end carbon and TT bikes too! One guy just brought one back after just a 1-hour ride along the coast! Picked up several SRAM Quick Links (not available when I got my 2 Shimano 6701 chains last month). Also got a tub of INFINIT ENDURANCE. That stuff is more expensive than Carbo-Pro. Joe said there isn't the mark-up as other similar items. I'll have to use less and add 1/2 Carbo-MAX in my bottles instead. INFINIT is simply the best in hot weather, with its slightly "salty" taste.

Hung around for 30 minutes and then picked up the route along the coast and inland through Rancho Santa Fe town. Not much going on there with cyclists. Lake Hodges looked to be a bit higher than last time I was through. More rain expected for tomorrow night and Wednesday. We need it, for sure. Looks like a farewell ride for George Freeman on Thursday. Michigan George is out visiting his daughter, new grand-daughter and son-in-law in Oceanside. Spends most of his winters at his house in warmer Carolina before retuning back to Michigan in the spring. Met George several years ago cycling on the SLR and gave him a rando card. I guess they work?

Clear skies all day
Riding temps: Hi: 64    Lo: 53
68 miles


-randorides