Coronado XP-Keith Olsen Retirement Ride

Garmin Stats from the route today.

Special ride for Rando Keith Olsen today. On Wednesday, he retired from many decades working for San Diego County. Now his life will really get busy!

I checked the coastal weather online before leaving the house this morning. Fog advisory till 0900. I looked outside and it was clear and 51 degrees! Fog calls for the wind vest to keep the back of the jersey clean AND offers excellent reflective properties for the dark partial ride in. I left home at 5:45 under perfect riding conditions. As I made my way along Palomar Airport Road I could see the fog bank ahead. SOCKO! Melrose Drive was the line. Put my helmet light on blinkie and made sure my camera was inside my vest. Fog lightened up some when I got to the coast and stopped at the Cannon Park bathroom.

I was in no hurry till I checked my Gamin clock. 0645. GULP. Time to crank it up. Of course there was a NB detour in downtown Carlsbad. I hit the sidewalk at 17 mph. Finally rolled into Pier View Way at 0700, where the randos were waiting. Mike gave me the GoPro mount he ordered thru Amazon. I'm sure this new aluminum one will work better than the GoPro stock plastic one that broke on the Hemet 202 ride last Saturday. Mike is a hi-tech machinist at HP, so he know this stuff. Thanks Mike.

Rando Keith Olsen

Nice group today with Keith, fireman John Bruce, Dave Danovsky, Hector Maytorena, Mike Shaw and Dan Phillips. Pacific Street was closed due to the O'side Half-Ironman, so we jumped onto Coast Highway and rolled south at a moderate pace. Picked up climber Mac Imacseng along the coast. Riders pared off and the normal chit-chat resumed. Several of us stopped off at Swami's to strip down and any rider pick-ups. (Actually, NCCC & OFR rider Troy Buss was waiting for us there, but somehow missed us). Many riders out today as we made our way toward Torrey Pines climb. Dan Phillips stopped to take off his jacket before the climb and John Bruce did the steeper inland route to the top. I was sucking wind and didn't have normal lung capacity as I followed a group of riders up. All met up at the top, where we packed on the free bananas and filled our bottles.

Group kept together thru Rose Canyon as Keith opted to lead us on Mission Bay Dr. instead of the Rose Creek bumpy Bike Path. Another 5km race on Fiesta Island as the road was blocked off to cars near the Hilton Hotel. Lots of car traffic until we hit Old Town. Made our way along Pacific Highway into downtown, cut over on Hawthorn St and were soon at the Ferry Ticket Office well before 1000. Ticket office moved northward to new location along the strand. Fire captain John Bruce was turning around here. Nice guy and racer type rider that John guy. Tickets in hand, we lined up and were soon on board. Surprisingly, not many passengers on this trip. Only two other bikes in the rack.

San Diego Bay was very calm and the trip across loaded with local rando gossip. Hector and Mac were planning on PBP this year in August. Normally, Dan's buddy, Bill Stevenson would be with us, but he was over in Thailand checking out his new girlfriend. Lucky dog. Nice line waiting as we left the ferry in Coronado. A few fishermen were on the pier. Time for a bathroom break, some water and the pleasant ride around Coronado.

Group on Mission Bay Dr.

Abundant cyclists riding today as the gruppo made it's way onto the Bayshore Bikeway before Orange Ave. and around San Diego Bay. Mac, Hector and Keith did the lead-out. With a tailwind, the group kept together. As the pace-line rolled south, some guy with bike standing alongside the path yelled: "Faster guys!" As we cleared, I thought he said: "You guys SUCK"!

Mac was feeling it and made a wrong turn toward Imperial Beach. He caught back up near the salt ponds. When we exited onto the frontage road, I noticed two gnarly looking MTB'ers on dirty bikes riding our way. They looked out of place. I mentioned to Dan that they must be riding the Stagecoach 400, which in 2015 comes this way. ( Yes, I later checked and they started in Idyllwind on Friday, March 27. Those dudes are tough.) Following the frontage road around we were soon in National City at our usual control stop at JIB-AM/PM. Time for a break.

Paceline on Bayshore Bikeway

Keith, Hector, Dave and I were sitting in the shade alongside the AM/PM munching on goodies and stretching out our legs. This homeless thin guy kept coming over and mumbling something. Every answer was "No". We never did figure out what he was saying... maybe were were sitting on his sleeping area? I took a few snaps as Dan, Mike and Mac rolled over from JIB. Decided we would take Roosevelt St. over thru Barrio Logan instead of Harbor Drive past the shipyards. At a stop-sign, I noticed a long white haired guy in shorts walking across. "There's Keith next year!"  Headwind as we crossed over the rail-yard bridge into downtown San Diego.

We hit most of the red lights while riding Pacific Highway to Old Town. The 5km was cleared out on Mission Bay Drive. Dave led thru Rose Creek Bike Path to avert the Mission Bay Dr. traffic. Pace picked northward thru Rose Canyon. Announced stop at UCSD Campus for a water break. We did stop at the UCSD Gymnasium, but it was Spring Break closed. We lost Mike somewhere and several went back to check on him. Dan, Hector and I rode around looking for water. Everything was closed. Dan & I slo-rolled  thru campus and back onto Torrey Pines Road. Mike soon joined up for the plunge down Torrey Pines. Part way was down, I spotted a bike helmet and made a slo U-turn to check it out. Nada. It was all smashed up. We spotted the other riders behind and Dan & I did our usual race up Del Mar hill. I had him for a while, till he got out of the saddle and blew by me. Regroup after the Del Mar Heights light.

Clowning it up at Swami's

Group was back together now and Mac was turning off in Solana Beach to ride home. Mac is a excellent rider and strong climber on his lite Colnago. Hector led a quick pace as we rode around riders on our way to a short stop at Swami's Park. Time for water and a photo-op for Keith. We were ragging him all day and it didn't stop here! Retirement huh? I mentioned the possible AZ ride on April 18th. Horrible car traffic thru Encinitas as we worked our way northward.

Mike and Hector caught several lights as the group was slow rolling for a regroup. Several miles later, we hooked up again for the final push to the finish. Dan & Hector amped it up to Carlsbad. Rolling toward the newish traffic circle, some middle aged woman jogger in the bike lane was yelling at Dan to "Stay in the bike lane, there is a traffic circle ahead!" Keith figured it was some woman who just got divorced and didn't get anything in the settlement. I thought maybe it was one of Keith's old girlfriends! Hehe.

Finish near O'sdie Pier

Pacific Street was partially open to cyclists. We ended up on a detour to the newish Rail Trail Bike Path, following it thru heavy traffic to Pier View Way and the finish. Ironman was over and riders with hot TT bikes were leaving. I took a few pictures, Keith thanked us for a good ride and gave us a parting gift. Some sour twisty things! Thanks Keith! That puckered me up good. Dan I & I rode over to the Circle K for a ice cream sandwich. Sat across the street in the shade and talked about making ride videos. Dan rode home and I rode over to the Sprinter train to San Marcos.

Ride VIDEO

Fog early/clear later
Hi: 84     Lo: 57
Wind: WNW-10mph
125 miles (101 mi. route)


-randorides